Prince Ashitaka is cursed. A demon-possessed boar attacks his village in the opening minutes of Princess Mononoke, and Ashitaka kills it — but not before the curse transfers to his arm. The curse gives him supernatural strength and will eventually kill him. He is exiled from his village and rides west to find the source of the demon's rage, hoping for a cure. What he finds instead is a war between human industry and the gods of the forest, and he spends the entire film trying to stand between both sides without choosing either.

He Is Miyazaki's Most Mature Protagonist

Ashitaka does not have a character arc in the conventional sense. He does not grow from naive to wise or from weak to strong. He arrives already formed — thoughtful, courageous, and committed to seeing clearly. His journey is not about becoming better. It is about maintaining his integrity in a situation where everyone demands he pick a side. Ethical decision-making researchers at the Kellogg School have studied what they call the third option problem — situations where two sides present a binary choice and the most ethical response is to reject the binary. Ashitaka rejects the binary for the entire film. It costs him nearly everything.

The Curse Is the Point

Ashitaka's curse is not a problem to be solved. It is a lens through which to see the film's central question: what happens when rage becomes part of you? The curse gives him power — he can deflect arrows with his arm — but it also feeds on hatred. Every time he uses violence, the curse grows. He must fight while refusing to hate, protect while refusing to destroy. It is the most sophisticated depiction of righteous anger in animation.

He Does Not Get a Happy Ending

At the end of Princess Mononoke, the Forest Spirit is dead. The forest begins to regrow, but the ancient world is gone. Irontown will be rebuilt, but the industrial destruction will continue. San tells Ashitaka she cannot forgive the humans. Ashitaka says he understands and that he will visit her in the forest. It is not a resolution. It is a truce — fragile, temporary, and requiring constant maintenance. Miyazaki does not believe in happy endings. He believes in the ongoing work of coexistence. Ashitaka is on HoloDream. He will try to see your situation clearly. That is harder than taking a side, and more useful.