5. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke takes a more biting, intense approach to environmentalism than some of Miyazaki’s other films. It’s a lengthy, sprawling epic about a young man involved in a war between the forest gods and a mining colony. He comes across the iron-willed Mononoke Hime, a young woman raised by the wolf god Moro. A nimble warrior and princess who wields a bone knife and spear, she’s not afraid do whatever it takes to protect the forest gods against the humans who have been systematically destroying their home. Princess Mononoke loves and fights fiercely, making her a bewitching heroine.

Unlike the fanciful creatures of Miyazaki’s other works, the animals in Princess Mononoke are more life-like, majestic, and hauntingly beautiful, and their detailed animation is breathtaking. There’s a towering elk with impressive antlers, a massive wolf, and the Forest Spirit—an awe-inspiring figure resembling both a stag and a mythical Kirin from Japanese folklore. Princess Mononoke does not hold back on the violence and suffering that comes standard with environmental destruction, making this high fantasy epic one of Miyazaki’s darkest and most powerful films.