Howl's Moving Castle Cosplay Brings Miyazaki's Strongest Mage to Life, & The Result is Stunning (2024)

HowlPendragon, from the masterfully animated and beautifully written film, Howl's Moving Castle, is one of anime's most admired characters, with a charming personality, dashing good looks, and amazing character development. Through Hayao Miyazaki's talented writing, the hero truly comes to life and instantly captures viewers' hearts with his charisma and multifaceted personality.

The cosplayer yujayreed has posted a video on Reddit featuring their incredible take on the popular Studio Ghibli hero. The short clip begins with the cosplayer's normal appearance, but quickly transitions into an astoundingly accurate replica of Howl's signature look.

The cosplayer dons a long-sleeved button-up white blouse, as well as a pink and blue diamond patterned sweater, which is arguably the most memorable aspect of Howl's daily outfit. Their hair is black to match Howl's in the latter half of the film, and his trademark jewelry is on display: green gemstone earrings and a blue gemstone pendant necklace.

This Truly Magical Take on Howl Pendragon's Iconic Look Is Breathtaking

From the Soft Lighting to the Glistening Gemstones on the Jewelry, Every Part of This Look Is Mesmerizing

The soft glow of orange lighting in the video makes the cosplay appear even more magical, causing the gems on the jewelry to glisten and sparkle. The cosplayer wears a confident, slightly mischievous expression that perfectly aligns with Howl's demeanor in the film. Overall, the look is very elegant and whimsical, capturing the essence of Howl Pendragon perfectly. One interesting detail that sets this cosplay apart from others depicting the same character, is that yujayreed opted for a black wig and not a blond one. Howl begins the film blond, but dyes his hair black during the film, explaining this wig choice.

Interestingly, Howl's hair is naturally black, as revealed in a scene from his past. It is rarer to see Howl cosplays with this darker hair color, but it definitely authentically depicts the hero, as he chose to leave his hair its natural shade at the end of the film. Howl started out with an overconfident persona he put on to mask his insecurity, but gradually began revealing his real self to Sophie, embracing his true identity by the end of the movie. Going back to his natural color seems to be a symbolic depiction of this newfound self-acceptance.

The Cosplay Also Reveals the Importance of Self-Acceptance

Self-love Is an Integral Part of Howl's Journey in the Film, and Is Revealed Through the Cosplay as Well

By choosing this hair color, the cosplayer proves their in-depth understanding of the film and its themes, displaying a version of Howl who has wholeheartedly welcomed self-love into his life. As Howl cast aside his arrogant facade and began to love himself and Sophie more deeply, he became a much happier, and even more powerful, character. His journey in the film is inspiring and the animation and music are undeniably gorgeous, making it one of Miyazaki's best by far. This Howl Pendragon cosplay certainly brings this Studio Ghibli hero to life, portraying the admirable character exactly as he appeared in Howl's Moving Castle.

Source: u/yujayreed on Reddit

Howl's Moving Castle

8-12 years

Animation

Action

Adventure

Family

Fantasy

Romance

From Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. The story follows Sophie, a shy hat-maker living in a fictional magical kingdom who is cursed by a witch into looking like an elderly woman. Leaving her home in search of a cure, Sophie encounters Howl, a powerful magician, and becomes the housekeeper for his magical ambulatory castle. The English dubbed version stars Emily Mortimer and Christian Bale as Sophie and Howl.

Director

Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date

November 19, 2004

Writers

Diana Wynne Jones

Cast

Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashûin , Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki

Runtime

119minutes

Budget

2.4 billion JPY