Does the Forest Spirit die at the end of Princess Mononoke?
I have just finished watching Princess Mononoke once again. The end of the movie seems very confusing to me.
The spirit of the forest, while still in night walker form, obtains its severed head but at the same time, before it can convert back to a deer, the sun comes out (which according to Jiko-bo kills it). To me that should mean he died and San thinks so too when she says this new forest does not belong to the spirit of the forest (Who does it belong to? Humans?). Then Ashitaka says the spirit of the forest (for some unexplained reason) is alive and I see everything going back to green and a Kodama moving its creepy little head. Does this mean Ashitaka is right?
Best Answer
Yes, the forest spirit dies. But before he does, he probably undoes all the destruction he committed in his wrath. When Ashitaka says he cannot be died, he is referring to the legacy of a renewed and unharmed forest that has been restored. It's like how they say in other movies when someone dies but then a character says he isn't dead, he is alive in our hearts.
I believe this is also a form of a second chance that the forest spirit gives to the humans, despite their destruction. All the characters see first hand the wrath of nature itself and I believe, despite the death of the forest spirit, they won't repeat their mistakes again. So in a way, the forest spirit, metaphorically, lives inside them now. This is what Ashitaka says when San asks:
San: Even if all the trees grow back, it won't be his forest anymore. The Forest Spirit is dead.
Ashitaka: Never. He is life itself. He isn't dead, San. He is here with us now, telling us, it's time for both of us to live.
"He is with us now"
And thankfully Lady Eboshi realizes this too in her last dialog in the film where she clearly says she'll build a better town that won't disrupt the forest. So technically, the forest spirit is dead. And figuratively he lives on in the lessons that he taught the humans.
Pictures about "Does the Forest Spirit die at the end of Princess Mononoke?"
What happens at the end of Princess Mononoke?
At the end of the film, San and Ashitaka lose their fight. The two people you've been rooting for fail, and Lady Eboshi kills Shishigami. But the film doesn't just end there, because actions have consequences. Does Shishigami simply grow a new head, smile, and prove that deity trumps humanity?Does Princess Mononoke have a happy ending?
One of the most striking elements to the clockwork of Mononoke is how bittersweet its ending is. Ashitaka's curse is lifted, but his scar remains. Those who died throughout the film remain dead, including the deity at the core of the film's plot.Is the deer god death?
The Deer God "Forest Spirit" is the protector of the Cedar Forest and is the god of life and death. It heals Ashitaka of his bullet wound, yet interestingly leaves the boar's curse untouched.What are the forest spirits in Princess Mononoke called?
The Kodama are unnamed creatures from Princess Mononoke. They are a sign that the forest is healthy.Mononoke's Forest Spirits (Princess Mononoke tribute song)
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Images: Mikhail Nilov, Julia Volk, Julia Volk, James Wheeler