Coats; Naussicaa

Naussicaa with her pet...squirrel-thing.

Once again, we have a story where the main protagonist is a young, strong minded female. Almost exactly like San in Princess Mononoke, Naussicaa is a fearless leader who, like San, is willing to risk her life for the people she protects. Both girls are also very in tune with nature and the creatures it houses. For instance, San could communicate with the giant, beast-like boars and wolves of the forest, much like how Naussicaa could communicate with the giant Ohmus that attempted to wreak havoc on the Pejites. However, the reason for these hostile actions of the forest creatures is because of the human interference and disruption within the forest. This is where the differences between San and Naussicaa begin to become clearer. San was almost part of the forest herself, her only setback being that she was human. Naussicaa on the otherhand, was not part of the forest, but instead wished to study and gain understanding of it. Another difference between these two is their attitude and approach to helping their respective communities. San lets her emotions fuel her actions, which sometimes leads to reckless action, such as her attack on the Iron City. San just seems overall emotionally unstable, and lets her negative feelings dominate her actions. Naussicaa, however, has a more peace-loving approach towards other people as well as a natural empathy for all creatures. This makes her character very likebale and causes her peers to be drawn towards her. Even though both these heronie's have conflicting overall attitudes and differing approaches towards solving conflict, their goals remain parallel. San and Naussicaa only want what is best for their society and are more than willing to risk everything they have to protect them.