Who Is The Main Character In Spirited Away And Their Name?

So, the short scoop: the main character of 'Spirited Away' is Chihiro Ogino — though in the bathhouse she’s forced to take the name Sen. That dual identity is central to the film’s exploration of memory, control, and growing up. Chihiro starts off whiny and afraid, but the film tracks her becoming resourceful and kind without ever turning her into an invincible hero.

I first watched it as a teen and got pulled in by the weird, gorgeous world and by how real Chihiro felt. Her relationships matter: Haku is a protector with a past, Yubaba is terrifyingly bureaucratic, and No-Face is this eerie mirror for greed and loneliness. Knowing her proper name — Chihiro Ogino — helps you root for her; the movie treats names like anchors, so when she loses or reclaims hers it’s literally about holding onto who she is. If you’re rewatching, try paying attention to the small moments where she decides not to run — those are the real turning points.

Chihiro Ogino, who also goes by Sen while working in the bathhouse, is the protagonist of 'Spirited Away'. The movie frames her as an ordinary girl thrown into an uncanny world, and the theft of her name symbolizes the loss of identity she has to recover. Rather than flashy heroics, her growth is shown in steady choices: kindness to strange allies, cleverness under pressure, and an insistence on rescuing her parents. I always find her relatable because she reacts like a kid would — scared and unsure — yet gradually becomes capable, which is a gentler, more believable kind of courage that stays with me after the credits roll.

Whenever I watch 'Spirited Away', my eyes always snap to Chihiro Ogino — she’s the whole heart of the film. In the beginning she’s a sulky, anxious ten-year-old dragged into a mysterious spirit world, but Miyazaki (and Studio Ghibli) use that setup to let her grow into someone brave and thoughtful. When she’s forced to work at the bathhouse run by Yubaba, her name is stolen and she’s called Sen, which becomes a big deal: the movie constantly plays with names and identity, and her reclaiming of Chihiro feels like the emotional spine of the story.

I still get goosebumps thinking about small moments — her steady refusal to give up on her parents, the tentative friendship with Haku, and those quiet seconds where she figures things out on her own. People sometimes confuse the two names, so a quick clarity: her full name is Chihiro Ogino, and Sen is the name Yubaba hands her while she’s employed. That dual-name thing isn’t just a trivia point; it’s a narrative tool about who she is versus who the spirit world tries to make her.

If you’re introducing someone to 'Spirited Away', tell them to watch for how Chihiro changes more from tiny choices than big speeches. It feels intimate and personal, and every viewing adds a layer, at least for me — I always get something new out of her quiet courage.