What is the name of the heroine in Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle?

Sophie Hatter is the heroine of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle.

Sophie is a young hatter who is transformed into an elderly woman by the Witch of the Waste. She leaves her family’s hat shop and eventually takes refuge in the magical moving castle belonging to the wizard Howl. Her journey involves romance, self-confidence, war, and the breaking of curses.

Hayao Miyazaki directed the 2004 animated film, which was loosely based on Diana Wynne Jones’s 1986 fantasy novel Howl’s Moving Castle. The film changes several elements from the book, including the scale of its anti-war themes and the design of Howl’s castle.

Sophie’s appearance changes repeatedly during the story, but her identity remains stable. Her altered age is a storytelling device connected to her emotions and self-perception. This is why she is sometimes mistakenly identified by one of her temporary appearances rather than by her name. The character was voiced in Japanese by Chieko Baishō.