Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a manga series created by Hayao Miyazaki, between 1981 and 1994, featuring an extensive cast of characters.
Nausicaä, the titular protagonist of the series, is a princess of the Valley of the Wind, who explores the ecological system of her world and becomes involved in a war between kingdoms.
Because of her exploration of the toxic jungle's flora and fauna and her scientific experiments with the samples she brings back to her laboratory, she comes to the conclusion that the ecosystem of their world is misunderstood by most of the people who inhabit it.
Reito Adachi observes that the name of the 'Nausicaä' character was changed, to the more English sounding, "Zandra" for the simplified and cut New World Pictures release of the film, titled Warriors of the Wind (1985).
Voice cast: Yōji Matsuda (Japanese), Shia LaBeouf (English, 2005) Rastel (ラステル, Rasteru) Princess of Pejite and Asbel's twin sister.
Voice cast: Iemasa Kayumi (Japanese), Chris Sarandon (English, 2005) Vai Emperor (ヴ王, vu ō) Fearless, ruthless, as well as would even assassinate his own children should he perceive them to be a threat to his authority.
After the Daikaisho he personally leads the remnants of the Tourmekian army to Shuwa in an attempt to take possession of the Crypt's secrets.
Eriko Ogihara-Schuck identifies the Dorok as a religious group, not present in the anime, with a dualistic world view that parallels Christian apocalypticism.
[6] Kulubaluka (クルバルカ, Kurubaruka) The family name of the dynasty of Dorok kings that ruled before being dethroned in a coup d'état by the first "Holy Emperor".
Name not revealed: once a pupil of the Master of the Garden, but departed with four Heedra to save the world, then usurped authority over the Dorok lands through a coup d'état.
Originally a just and honest ruler, but eventually came to hate the peasants for their "incorrigible stupidity" and also apparently fell under the sway of the Master of the Crypt.
Namulith (ナムリス, namurisu) "The Emperor the Elder (皇兄, Kōkei)", Co-regent of the Holy Dorok Empire with Miralupa, his younger brother.
Namulith assassinates Miralupa, usurps the authority of the priests and takes the title "Divine Emperor (神聖皇帝, shinseiKōtei)" when he assumes the sole reign of what remains of the Holy Dorok Empire.
He eventually tires of life as he sees that everything seems to always go as the Master of the Crypt says they will and so passes on the burden of rule to Nausicaa after he is badly wounded by the attack of the God Warrior.
Charuka then regrets and aids her during the rest of her journey and was willing to give up his life to save the Dorok people from the Emperor's tyranny.
Worm Handlers (蟲使い, mushitsukai) A people who dwell on the fringes of the Sea of Corruption, domesticating the slug-worms and living as scavenger merchants and mercenaries.
They are originally hired by both the Doroks and Torumekians as soldiers, but later come to view Nausicaä as their goddess and savior, accompanying her to the Crypt and protecting her during the final battle.
Miyazaki has said that he invented these people from the very start, to represent inequality and to explore the nobility of those whose existence may be abhorrent to the rest of society.
Giant God Warriors (巨神兵, Kyoshinhei) Gargantuan biomechanical beings, Daniel Haas has referred to them as "man-made living weapons",[7] considered to have been the primary instruments of destruction during the Seven Days of Fire.
Nausicaä acts out the role of his mother, to control his destructive powers and to adjust his single minded perception of the divisions in the world.
Soon afterwards Ohma starts deteriorating and rotting away until his death, although a reason is never given, it is assumed that it is due to his premature hatching and the continued use of his nuclear powers (The fire of heaven).
Master of the Garden (庭の主, niwa no nushi) A mysterious entity tasked with preserving the knowledge of the ancient world within an isolated and concealed area referred to as "the Garden", an idyllic place containing plants and animals long extinct in the outside world and samples of literature, music, as well as advanced sciences.
The cloned bodies of the Dorok Holy Emperor and the Master of the Garden are also referred to as Heedra, suggesting the name may in fact be a catch-all term for genetically engineered humanoids.
Nausicaä rejects its designs for the future of the planet and with the assistance of the Vai Emperor and using Ohma's final strength, destroys it.
Ohmu (王蟲, Ōmu) Enormous creatures Miyazaki created by combining insects and other arthropods, which exist in a perpetual larval form until their lives end.
Due to their great size, they can destroy entire settlements in this state and the spores from forest plants which they scatter as they move can kill crops and render an area unsuitable for human life if left unchecked.
However, the molted exoskeletons of the creatures are stronger than ceramics, capable of resisting most human weaponry and thus highly sought-after as material for weapons, tools, as well as structures.
In the beginning of the manga and the film Nausicaä's gains his trust and loyalty through her connection with living things and he accepts and accompanies her on her various destinations.
Horseclaws (トリウマ, toriuma) Large, flightless birds genetically engineered as replacements for horses, which are now entirely extinct in the world of Nausicäa.
Kest (ケスト, kesuto) An Ibex, chief assistant to the Master of the Garden and serves as Nausicaä's guide during her stay.