The young warrior Ashitaka finds himself in a battle between humanity and the gods of the forest.

Japan, fifteenth century. After being struck by a mysterious curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. That search takes him to a magical forest, protected by Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home. Lady Eboshi, the ruler of Iron Town, thinks only of financial gain and progress, and is accused of wanting to destroy the forest.

Princess Mononoke was originally released in 1997 and was, at the time, the most expensive anime ever made, with a budget of nearly 20 million dollars. It took Miyazaki 16 years to fully develop the story and characters. It was one of the last anime films to be fully hand-drawn.