30 Princess Mononoke Quotes on Nature, Humanity, and Greed

Studio Ghibli fans will enjoy this collection of Princess Mononoke quotes!

Princess Mononoke tells the tale of a cursed young prince named Ashitaka. Wanting to correct the wrong that has been done, Ashitaka left his community to search for the weapon that hurt the boar god.

Soon, Ashitaka discovers that Irontown, led by Lady Eboshi, was responsible for the boar god’s injury. But, the problem was much deeper than just one bullet; they wanted to tear down the woodlands to fuel their booming economy.

In the middle of everything, Ashitaka meets San, also known as Princess Mononoke, a human raised by wolves. Enraged by Lady Eboshi’s goal to destroy their home, she leads her family to attack Irontown.

But, as we all know, hate will only lead to more hate, and violence will only lead to more violence. Thankfully, Ashitaka helped create a more peaceful and mutually beneficial ending for everyone.

Princess Mononoke is a fictional tale, but its lessons transcend everyone’s screens. So, if you’re curious about it or want to revisit this Ghibli classic, check our list below!

And make sure to read these Howl’s Moving Castle quotes and Spirited Away quotes.

Best Princess Mononoke Quotes

1. “The Forest Spirit gives life and takes life away. Life and death are his alone.” – Moro

2. “Young man, like you, I know what rage feels like, and grief, and helplessness. Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed, but still, you find reasons to keep living.” – Osa

3. Lady Eboshi: “What exactly are you here for?”

Prince Ashitaka: “To see with eyes unclouded by hate.”

4. Prince Ashitaka: “It’s alright, San. My Lord Hokuto, what I said about Nago’s death was the truth.”

Hokuto: “I believe you. And I thank you for it, young one. I am only greaved, and ashamed, that such a demon has come from our tribe.”

5. “I can deal with forest gods. It’s humans I’m worried about. Remember, you can’t trust men.” – Lady Eboshi

6. “The legends say the blood of the Great Forest Spirit can heal anything.” – Lady Eboshi

7. “These days, there are angry ghosts all around us—dead from wars, sickness, starvation—and nobody cares. So you say you’re under a curse? So what? So’s the whole damn world.” – Jiko-bō

8. “You cannot alter your fate, my prince. However, you can rise to meet it if you choose.” – Hii-sama

9. “Look, everyone! This is what hatred looks like! This is what it does when it catches hold of you! It’s eating me alive, and very soon now, it will kill me! Fear and anger only make it grow faster!” – Prince Ashitaka

10. “You see, everyone wants everything; that’s the way the world is. But I just might actually get it.” – Jiko-bō

Timeless Princess Mononoke Quotes to Save in Your Memory

11. “Now, watch closely, everyone. I’m going to show you how to kill a god. A god of life and death. The trick is not to fear him.” – Lady Eboshi

12. “You mustn’t give up! We’ll find a way! The Forest Spirit is with us. Go on planting the trees, and someday, we will beat them!” – San

13. San: “I hate all of you humans!”

Prince Ashitaka: “Yes, I’m human, San. And, so are you.”

San: “Stop it! I’m a wolf, you hear?”

14. “Cut off a wolf’s head, and it still has the power to bite.” – Lady Eboshi

15. “Ashitaka, you mean so much to me, but I can’t forgive the humans for what they’ve done.” – San

16. “What I want is for the humans and the forest to live in peace!” – Prince Ashitaka

17. Prince Ashitaka: “Princess Mononoke?”

Lady Eboshi: “Princess of the spirits, of ghouls, beasts, and ancient gods. The wolves stole her soul, and now she lives to kill me.”

18. “I’m not afraid to die. I’d do anything to get you humans out of my forest!” – San

19. “First, you steal the boar’s forest from him, then transform him into a demon. Now you’re making even deadlier weapons. How much more hatred and pain do you think we need?” – Prince Ashitaka

Princess Mononoke Quotes That’ll Teach You More About Their World

20. “When you’re going to kill a god, let someone else do your dirty work.” – Jiko-bō

21. “Well, I give up. Can’t win against fools.” – Jiko-bō

22. “Well, they say that happy women make a happy village.” – Prince Ashitaka

23. “The world hates and fears us, but she—she took us in and washed our rotting flesh and bandaged us.” – Osa

24. “The trees cry out as they die, but you cannot hear them. I lie here. I listen to the pain of the forest and feel the ache of the bullet in my chest, and dream of the day when I will finally crunch that gun woman’s head in my jaws. She is my daughter. One of the wolf tribe. When the forest dies, so does she. I caught her human parents defiling my forest. They threw their baby at my feet as they ran away. Instead of eating her, I raised her as my own. Now my poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is neither human nor wolf.” – Moro

25. “Disgusting little creatures. Soon, all of you will feel my hate, and suffer as I have suffered.” – Nago

Princess Mononoke Quotes for Anime Enthusiasts

26. Moro: “You know, you could always jump, boy. End it all. As soon as your strength returns, the mark will spread and destroy you.”

Prince Ashitaka: “It feels like I must have been asleep for weeks. I had a dream that San was by my side, nursing me—.”

Moro: “I was hoping you’d cry out in your sleep. Then I would have bitten your head off to silence you.”

27. “Never. He is life itself. San, he isn’t dead. He is here with us now, telling us to live.” – Prince Ashitaka

28. “Typical. Selfish. You think like a human.” – Moro

29. “Ashitaka, can you save the girl you love?” – Moro

30. “I’m getting a little bored of this curse of yours, Ashitaka. Just let me cut the damn thing off.” – Lady Eboshi

Did This Collection Help You Gain a More Profound Understanding of Princess Mononoke?

At first glance, it might seem that Princess Mononoke is like your typical fictional tale filled with adventure, budding romances, and more. However, knowing that it’s produced by Studio Ghibli, everyone’s sure it has a much deeper lesson and message.

Princess Mononoke tries to tell us about humanity, our greed and its consequences, and the state of nature. After all, everything’s rooted with Lady Eboshi shooting down the boar god so she and her town could take over the woodlands.

The characters in Princess Mononoke are all fictional, but as we’ve learned from the movie and its quotes, these are all things happening in real life, too. We take more than we need from our planet, never letting it replenish or take a break.

Because of our actions, Mother Earth is slowly dying, and we are only left with the consequences of our actions. Climate change and everything that comes with it is proof of humanity’s greed and inconsiderate nature.

So, before it’s too late, let’s regroup and rethink our actions. Let us all make an effort to make our world a better and healthier place.

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Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.