When you think of anime, there’s a very good chance that Hayao Miyazaki’s library of films comes to mind. That’s why it’s always a good time to be ranking every Hayao Miyazaki film.
He’s one of the most important figures in the entire industry, alongside figures like Osamu Tezuka, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Mamoru Oshii, with a catalog of titles that are arguably the best anime feature films ever made. The man is a legend, plain and simple, and ranking the films of Hayao Miyazaki is no easy task.
So, in celebration of the release of his most recent film, The Boy and the Heron, I wanted to take an opportunity to do exactly that. Miyazaki has twelve films to his name, so let’s rank them and see which ones are the best. For the past six decades (yes, six), Miyazaki has released quality films, capturing a unique philosophy and lifestyle that can’t quite be matched. And as is often the case when discussing a living legend, it’s not easy ranking his releases. Each of his films is good for different reasons, and no matter where you place them, there’ll always be room for debate. I agonized over where each of his films could go, and after much deliberation, I think this is the best that a ranking of his films is going to get. As a lifelong fan of Hayao Miyazaki, this was tough but fun.
12) Ponyo (2008)
Oh Ponyo. It’s never easy being at the bottom of the list, but for a director who has made deep contemplative works about legacy, environmental activism, criticisms of fascism, and reflections on death, a movie about a little fish girl screaming for ham somehow doesn’t quite compare. I kid, of course, but Ponyo is a very inoffensive movie that seems to be more interested in its cute imagery than actually being about anything. It’s a fun fairytale for children, one that will entertain them with bright colors and cool imagery, but you’re not exactly going to remember it beyond short bursts of creativity.
11) Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a peculiar film for a lot of reasons. It was originally released in the West as Warriors of the Wind, and wasn’t seen in the West in its original form until a new dub was commissioned back in 2005. That’s all well and good, but even in its original form, there’s a lack of subtlety in the film that makes it aggravating at times to watch.
Nausicaa is more of a symbol than an actual character, and while the animation and setting are wonderful for its time, it can’t hide how basic the narrative ends up feeling. To make matters worse, many of the themes present in Nausicaa would be refined in the far superior Princess Mononoke, leaving Nausicaa in this weird space of being a prototype for a far better movie. There is merit to Nausicaa, but I feel like it’s better to be observed as a historical footnote in the library of Hayao Miyazaki than a title that must be watched, hence its placement near the bottom of this ranking.
10) My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Oh boy, I’m going to be crucified for this one.
Look, My Neighbor Totoro is a very cute movie for a lot of reasons. I know children love to watch this film, and Totoro himself has become the mascot of Studio Ghibli since this is the film that led to Ghibli’s financial stability. I get all of that. But the film is just a whole lot of nothing in my eyes. We follow several children as they interact and play with Totoro and his friends, not dissimilar from something like Winnie the Pooh, but there isn’t much else that goes on. In some regards, I would argue that Ponyo captures that spirit of whimsiness of childhood more than My Neighbor Totoro, but between the striking imagery and its importance in the history of both Miyazaki’s career and Studio Ghibli as an entity, I can’t justify putting at the bottom of this ranking. I also can’t justify putting it any higher, so here we are.
9) Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Looking back on Howl’s Moving Castle, the film has a lot going for it. The characters feel very fleshed out, and the relationship between Howl and Sophie is compelling, giving the film a lot of momentum as it progresses. I mean, the first half hour alone is a great little microcosm of what makes Studio Ghibli as good as it is. But as the film goes on, it becomes more and more confused, and various plot threads and metaphors begin to compete for exposure. For example, did you know this film was a criticism of the Iraq War? There’s a lot of war imagery in it, but it’s easy to lose sight of that fact, thanks to just how stuffed Howl’s Moving Castle feels. With a bit more refinement, this could have been easily one of the best Hayao Miyazaki movies, but as it stands, it’s a fine film that I wish I could put higher in this ranking.
8) Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Miyazaki’s first film, The Castle of Cagliostro, is a rip-roaring adventure movie filled with action, cool characters, and a mystery that always feels like it’s on the move. It’s interesting to see Miyazaki tackle a film in an already established IP, and you can see his fingerprints all over the film. Again, for its time, the animation is slick and fluid, showcasing how well Miyazaki was able to lead his team in creating a film that stands as one of the best in the Lupin III series. It’s still his debut film, and you can tell that he’s not quite as experienced as he would eventually become. Miyazaki was also somewhat limited, given that he had to play by the rules of someone else’s franchise, but The Castle of Cagliostro still manages to hold up after all of these years.
7) Porco Rosso (1992)
If I had to argue which one of Miyazaki’s movies was his most underrated, it would probably be Porco Rosso. The film is a love letter to aviation as we follow the misadventure of ace pilot Porco Rosso, a pilot who was turned into a pig due to his behavior. The film is chock full of drama and action that would be right at home in a pulpy serial from the 1920s or ’30s and showcases a wonderfully entertaining cast. Whether it be Rosso himself, his rival Curtis, or his love interest Gina, the dynamic between the cast is one of the best things about the movie, alongside the quiet scenic moments where we get to fly in the sky alongside Porco. There isn’t as much bombast or captivating animation as Miyazaki’s other films, but that doesn’t change the fact that Porco Rosso is still a delight all these years later.
6) Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
You may be able to argue that Kiki’s Delivery Service’s placement in this ranking may be mostly due to nostalgia since this was the first Miyazaki movie I ever saw, but there’s a genuine magic that’s present in this film. The story of a young girl leaving her childhood and maturing is always a topical one, and out of all of the children protagonists that Miyazaki has put into his films, Kiki is the best. She’s personable and has moxie, made all the better by the quiet charm of the town she lives in. This is a contemplative film that is easy for both kids and adults to understand, but each demographic will get something different out of the film because of how unique it is to a person’s experiences. Like Porco Rosso, it’s not as monumental and significant in Miyazaki’s library, but it’s a comforting film that is perfect for all ages.
5) The Wind Rises (2013)
For the longest time, The Wind Rises was seen as Miyazaki’s most personal movie. This is the culmination of a lot of Miyazaki’s themes and ideas, whether it be the focus on aviation, concern with the beauty of the natural world, the legacy of war, or Miyazaki himself coming to terms with his own family’s history in aiding the war. This fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi isn’t exactly suited for children and features some relatively adult concepts, but they’re presented with such a quiet beauty that it’s hard not to be impressed by them. For the longest time, it was assumed that this was Miyazaki’s final film, and if this was to be his finale, so to speak, it would have been a perfect encapsulation of what a Miyazaki movie is.
4) The Boy and the Heron (2023)
The Boy and the Heron is a complicated film in a lot of ways and was going to be difficult to put in a ranking of Miyazaki’s films – not just because it’s his most recent movie. It’s a very adult animated movie about death and the things we leave behind for our children, something that rings very true to Miyazaki’s life now that he’s in his 80s. Despite that, there’s a lot of artistry inside of the film that arguably makes it Miyazaki’s best animated film. Its plot is more focused on conveying feelings and evoking emotions in its viewers than telling a coherent story, which is a bold risk that mostly pays off. It’s not for everyone and comes across as an outlier in a library of films that are relatively linear and straightforward, but if you can get behind with what The Boy and the Heron is offering, then you’ll easily consider it one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best films.
3) Castle in the Sky (1986)
There’s something compelling about a simple adventure movie, and Castle in the Sky’s strengths lie in its simplicity. We have airships, a Miyazaki staple, an anti-war message, magic artifacts, action, and a lovable cast of rouges that make Castle in the Sky scream adventure. As Studio Ghibli’s very first film, a lot was riding on this film to succeed, and it does so in spades. The world is very well presented, and the majesty of nature is easily seen when we reach to eponymous castle, showing the dichotomy between the modern world and the greed within it and this ancient civilization’s beauty. If you were to ask me what the most Miyazaki movie is, I would point to Castle in the Sky in a heartbeat. It’s everything you could ever want from Hayao Miyazaki as a filmmaker and perfectly showcases the appeal of Studio Ghibli.
2) Princess Mononoke (1997)
It was agonizing trying to decide which Hayao Miyazaki film would be at the top of this ranking, but don’t assume for even a second that Princess Mononoke is anything less than a masterpiece. An evolution of everything he established in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke paints a world of almost entirely sympathetic characters as they are coming to terms with their place in the natural world and how humanity’s march toward progress will doom us all. It’s a triumph of animation and features sequences and setpieces that have become all-time classics in the world of anime. There is so much history to this film, like how Neil Gaiman wrote the original dub for the film, and it’s important not just in Hayao Miyazaki’s library but the anime industry in general. I don’t say this often, but I feel comfortable calling this one of the best anime films of all time.
1) Spirited Away (2001)
Look, if it wasn’t going to be Princess Mononoke on top of the Hayao Miyazaki ranking, it was going to be Spirited Away. The only anime film to ever win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, Spirited Away is absolutely stuffed with creativity and imagination. We’re drawn into the world of Spirited Away alongside its protagonist, Sen, and just meant to be an observer of what’s happening. It’s interesting going from immaculately animated scene to scene and just seeing what’s going to happen next, eventually culminating in a poignant train ride that’s chock full of artistry and silence. I can safely say that, even after all these years, there is nothing quite like Spirited Away, and I don’t think there ever will be again. Without a doubt, Spirited Away is Hayao Miyazaki’s greatest film.
And that’s our ranking of every Hayao Miyazaki movie.
