Characters
This gentle forest spirit has a big smile and loves acorns.
Totoro
The girls move to this type of rural home at the start of the film.
An old farmhouse
These tiny black dust-like creatures live in abandoned houses.
Soot sprites
The film strongly focuses on this theme related to nature.
Respect for nature
Mei first meets Totoro while following these objects.
Acorns
These two sisters move to the countryside with their father.
Satsuki and Mei
Totoro lives inside this large natural landmark.
A camphor tree
These small versions of Totoro carry bags of acorns.
Mini Totoros
The sisters’ relationship represents this family value.
Sisterhood / family bonds
Satsuki gives Totoro this item at the bus stop.
An umbrella
This character is the girls’ father and works as a university professor.
Tatsuo Kusakabe
The girls wait for their father at this rainy location when they meet Totoro again.
The bus stop
This creature transports Satsuki to find Mei.
Catbus
Totoro often symbolizes this aspect of childhood.
Imagination
The girls plant seeds that Totoro gives them, and this magical event happens at night.
The seeds grow into a giant tree
This creature looks like a giant cat and also functions as a bus.
Catbus
Mei gets lost while trying to reach this place where her mother is staying.
The hospital
These magical objects Totoro gives the girls eventually sprout into a huge tree.
Seeds
The soot sprites represent this feeling children have in new places.
Fear of the unknown
This character goes missing, causing a big search.
Mei
This elderly woman helps take care of the house and watches over the girls.
Granny (Nanny)
This magical place appears when Totoro helps the girls grow seeds.
The giant tree forest dream sequence
This sound Totoro makes shakes the forest and helps the seeds grow.
His roar
The growing tree symbolizes this idea about hope and healing.
Growth and renewal
Catbus takes the girls to this place at the end of the film.
The hospital where their mother is