Song(s) from Princess Mononoke. Theme song and insert song(s).
We’ll introduce the main theme and insert songs from Studio Ghibli’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke.
When you think of Princess Mononoke, it’s a moving masterpiece set against a grand natural backdrop, depicting the conflicts among gods, animals, and humans—while the pure feelings of a boy and a girl from different worlds, caring for one another, truly touch the heart.
The film’s tagline is: “Live.”
Many who went to the theater at the time were likely deeply moved to reflect on “the feelings of all who live.”
In this article, we’ll present the memorable music from Princess Mononoke.
Like the film itself, each piece is wonderful and evocative of its iconic scenes!
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Song(s) from Princess Mononoke. Main theme and insert songs (1–10)
The Two in the Forest of the Deer GodJoe Hisaishi
From the very beginning, the delicate piano phrases reach your ears—a creepy track that inspires fear and sets your heart racing.
Yet those high notes even evoke the presence of a god.
The piece is themed around the Forest Spirit’s forest, the climactic setting in Princess Mononoke, and it captures that atmosphere perfectly.
In the latter half, the melody of “Mononoke-tachi Dake” makes an appearance.
ShuraJoe Hisaishi
The era of Princess Mononoke was one of constant conflict, where negotiations between people were carried out through violence and warfare.
Even within a film set against such a backdrop, many memorable battles are depicted, and this piece was used in those battle scenes.
It’s a tense track that seems to reveal the resolve of people and creatures who risk their lives to fight.
The arrangement makes it feel as if you can hear your own heartbeat at any moment.
Lady EboshiJoe Hisaishi
It’s a powerful piece from Princess Mononoke that, despite its somewhat brooding tone, conveys grandeur and Eboshi’s unwavering resolve.
The music reveals different facets in each section, as if her role as a leader and her feelings as an individual are intersecting.
Princess Mononoke songs: theme song and insert songs (11–20)
Departure — Westward —Joe Hisaishi
There is no piece more beautiful or more fitting to express through music the overwhelming scale of the film Princess Mononoke—the nature encircled by mountains and trees of its world, and its majestic history.
Every single note carries conviction; it is a masterpiece that renders one speechless.
RequiemJoe Hisaishi
This piece, titled “Requiem,” carries the meaning of a song for mourning the dead.
Its weighty, grounded piano arrangement and ambiguous melody leave a strong impression.
It powerfully elevates a crucial scene in the story where the protagonist, Ashitaka, is on the brink of losing his life.
It is a profound and convincing composition that conveys the gravity of a single human life.
The boy who came from the eastJoe Hisaishi
This is a beautiful piano arrangement that evokes the nature-filled world of the film Princess Mononoke and, as suggested by the title “The Boy Who Came from the East,” conveys the bravery of the protagonist, Ashitaka.
It vividly expresses the courage of the boy who arrived alone from the eastern village riding Yakul.
Though short, it is a powerful piece with a strong, undeniable presence.
Impure LandJoe Hisaishi
The title “Edo” refers to tainted or defiled earth—the opposite of pure land—perhaps evoking an image of land polluted by humans.
It’s used in a memorable scene in Princess Mononoke where the greed-driven character Jikobo talks with Ashitaka.
It’s a track with a very human, muddy sort of flavor.