Do we like them?

Do we like No-Face (Kaonashi)?

A character from Spirited Away (2001)

Our score: 5 out of 10. Lonely and gentle on his own, but he copies whoever is around him. In a greedy crowd he turns dangerous. We'd back him with Chihiro and keep him away from the gold.

No-Face first shows up as a quiet, almost see-through figure in a white mask, standing on the bridge outside Yubaba's bathhouse. Chihiro, a ten-year-old trying to rescue her parents in the spirit world, is kind to him. He has no voice, no home and no obvious friends, and he doesn't forget her kindness.

He is a lonely spirit who longs for connection but has little sense of self. Miyazaki has described him as the kind of person who clings to others without a self of their own. He tries to win people over with material gifts, and he picks up the traits of whoever is around him. That makes him a mirror for whatever company he keeps.

Inside the bathhouse, the greedy staff flatter him because he can produce gold. The more they feed his appetite, the more he swallows and the more monstrous he becomes. He ends up demanding Chihiro's attention and rampaging through the building. She lures him out and he gives up what he took. He then goes quiet again and settles in with Zeniba, who gives him simple work and a home.

We score him 5. He means well at heart, but he's easily led and can be dangerous while he's being led. He is more a lost soul than a villain, and he does well with a decent influence nearby.