Spirited Away - Characters & Cast

Her primary motivation is to rescue her parents from Yubaba's spell and return to the human world. This goal expands as she develops relationships, and she becomes motivated by a desire to help her friends, particularly to free Haku from his servitude to Yubaba.

Chihiro begins the film as apathetic, fearful, and childish, clinging to her mother's arm. Thrown into the spirit world, she is forced to mature rapidly. She learns the value of hard work, perseverance, and compassion. By taking on the name Sen, she develops a new, more capable persona, but her core kindness remains. She evolves from a passive child into a brave young woman who takes initiative to save not only her parents but also her friends, Haku and No-Face. Her final act of correctly identifying that her parents are not among the pigs shows her newfound wisdom and intuition.

Haku's motivation is twofold. He feels a connection to Chihiro and is driven to protect her. Simultaneously, he seeks to break free from Yubaba's control and reclaim his lost identity. He made a deal with Yubaba to learn magic, but it cost him his freedom and memories.

Haku is first introduced as a mysterious and knowledgeable guide who helps Chihiro. However, he also has a cold, ruthless side as Yubaba's apprentice. His arc is one of rediscovering his lost identity. Having forgotten his real name, he is trapped and controlled by Yubaba. Through Chihiro's help and her memory of him as the Kohaku River spirit who once saved her, he is able to remember his name and break free. He transforms from a conflicted servant to a free spirit who reciprocates Chihiro's loyalty.

Yubaba is motivated almost entirely by profit and the accumulation of wealth. She maintains absolute control over the bathhouse and its employees to maximize her earnings. Her secondary motivation is the protection and coddling of her son, Boh.

Yubaba is the powerful witch who runs the bathhouse. She is characterized by her greed, short temper, and domineering nature. Her character does not have a significant arc of change but is instead revealed to have more complexity than initially apparent. While she is the primary obstacle for Chihiro, she is bound by the rules of the spirit world and honors her contracts. Her fierce, over-the-top love for her giant baby, Boh, reveals a softer, albeit still selfish, side to her personality, preventing her from being a purely evil villain.

No-Face's motivation stems from a deep-seated loneliness and a desire for connection and validation. He initially focuses this desire on Chihiro because she was the first to acknowledge him. His destructive behavior is a misguided attempt to win her and others' affection through material wealth.

No-Face begins as a silent, lonely spirit who seems to be seeking a connection. After being shown kindness by Chihiro, he enters the bathhouse and becomes corrupted by the greed he witnesses, transforming into a ravenous monster that consumes others and creates fake gold. His arc is one of being pacified and finding a true sense of belonging. Chihiro is able to calm him, and by taking him away from the toxic environment of the bathhouse to the gentle home of Zeniba, he reverts to his peaceful nature and finds a place where he is accepted.