In Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso, the protagonist’s first name before his transformation is Marco.
Marco Pagot is an Italian World War I flying ace who has been transformed into an anthropomorphic pig. He is widely known by the nickname Porco Rosso, which means “Red Pig” in Italian and refers both to his appearance and his scarlet seaplane.
The 1992 film was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is set mainly around the Adriatic Sea during the interwar period, where Marco works as a bounty hunter pursuing air pirates. His personal history is connected to the First World War, but the film presents that background through fantasy, romance, comedy, and aviation adventure.
A common mix-up is treating Porco Rosso as the character’s birth name. Porco Rosso is his nickname, while Marco Pagot is his human identity. The surname Pagot also recalls Italian animation: Marco was named after Nino Pagot, a real Italian animator whose family name influenced the character’s creation. The film began as an airline in-flight short before expanding into a feature.