Classics - Why Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Still Hits

A princess on a glider studies the poison forest everyone else wants to burn.

Words by Jamie Harper 11 November 2026

Why Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Still Hits: the main characters

A princess on a glider studies the poison forest everyone else wants to burn.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is the first great Hayao Miyazaki film, made before Studio Ghibli existed. We think it still hits because its hero wins by understanding, not by fighting.

The premise - A world a thousand years after the fire

Studio Ghibli: a world a thousand years after the fire

A thousand years after the Seven Days of Fire ended industrial civilization, a Toxic Jungle full of poisonous spores and giant insects is swallowing what is left of the world.

Nausicaa, princess of the small Valley of the Wind, flies into the jungle on her glider with a mask on, and collects its spores to study them.

Why it still works - Monsters that are not monsters

Studio Ghibli: monsters that are not monsters

Everyone fears the Ohmu, insects the size of hills with rows of glowing eyes. Nausicaa is the only one who calms them instead of shooting them, with a shell flute and a lot of nerve.

Miyazaki adapted his own manga, which he had started in Animage magazine in 1982, and it was his first film with the composer Joe Hisaishi.

The verdict - The film that built a studio

Studio Ghibli: the film that built a studio

Topcraft animated it in 1984, and its success is what led Miyazaki and Isao Takahata to found Studio Ghibli in 1985.

A cut American version came out in 1985 under another name. Watch the full film, in the 2005 English dub with Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa, or with subtitles.

Where to watch

Streaming catalogues for Studio Ghibli differ between the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia, and they change from month to month, so check the services you use.