In Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso, what is the pilot’s real human name?

The pilot’s real human name in Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso is Marco Pagot.

Porco Rosso is the nickname of Marco Pagot, an Italian World War I flying ace who has been transformed into an anthropomorphic pig. He works as a bounty hunter in the Adriatic Sea during the interwar period and becomes involved with pirates, air races, and the American pilot Donald Curtis.

The name is also a notable cross-cultural detail: the film’s protagonist was named after Italian comic artists Marco and Gi Pagot. English-language descriptions often emphasize the nickname rather than the human identity, which is why Marco Pagot can be overlooked. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed the 1992 film.