There Are No Heroes or Villains

Today, I watched a reshowing of Studio Ghibli’s 1997 epic, Princess Mononoke, in IMAX 4K. I first saw this movie in middle school, and it was my favorite Studio Ghibli film at the time.

Rewatching it as an adult did not disappoint—Princess Mononoke remains a fantastic film.

The story follows a young man, Ashitaka, who is cursed and sent on a journey that leads him to Iron Town, where he meets Lady Eboshi, and the forest, where he meets the forest gods and San, the wolf-girl. Led by Lady Eboshi, the humans seek to clear the forests to mine the valuable iron ore beneath, while the forest gods fight to protect their land.

What makes this movie so powerful is there are no heroes or villains. The character development is rich, allowing you to understand the motivations of both the humans and the creatures of the forest. Ashitaka himself doesn’t take a side, embodying the film’s central theme: in conflict, there are no absolute good guys or bad guys. Once you understand why each side acts the way they do, their choices become clear—even if you don’t agree with them.