Spirited Away: Hayao Miyazaki reveals truth behind No Face after 23 years

Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki has finally revealed one of the movie’s biggest mysteries – the truth of No Face.

Spirited Away is a Studio Ghibli classic that was released in 2001 and still stands among one of the greatest anime ever. However, despite the young protagonist and the Yokai theme, the movie is far from childish. In fact, one of the biggest beauties of this movie is its complexity and the various mysteries.

The story is about Chihiro, whose parents are turned into pigs, and she then wanders into the world of Yokai to find a way to save them. However, the world is scarier than she realizes since it’s ruled by a witch who turned those who disobey her into animals.

One of the main mysteries that fans still think about is No Face’s identity. After all, they are somewhat important to the story, and no one seems to know who they really are. Now, Hayao Miyazaki has opened up about the strange character.

Hayao Miyazaki addresses No Face mystery in Spirited Away?

As per Comic Book, the update comes from Nippon TV. The network hosts a primetime movie block each Friday called Kinyo Roadshow, with Spirited Away taking the first slot of 2024. During the event, Nippon TV live-tweeted details about the film, including a tidbit from Miyazaki that few knew about.

According to Miyazaki’s post, “There are many people like No Face in our midst… it’s the type of person who wants to latch on to others but doesn’t have a sense of themselves. They are everywhere.”

Over two decades ago, Hayao Miyazaki claimed that the identity of No Face from Spirited Away is much bigger than fans realize. The character has no specific identity. Instead, they’re simply an entity who has lost their sense of self. They adapt to new personalities depending on the situation, which is why No Face is so unpredictable in the movie.

Initially, No Face gifts others gold to win their approval, but their ego inflates soon after. Later, they meet Chihiro and adapt her personality. By the end of the movie, they decide to live out their life with Zeniba.