Because you like Ponyo in Ponyo

A precocious 11-year-old, Satsuki Kusakabe is not quite as grown up as she pretends to be. See them in My Neighbor Totoro.

Empathetic Nausicaa embraces all forms of life, even those that might scare other people. See them in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Wise beyond his years, Ashitaka is a dutiful young prince who respects the balance of life. See them in Princess Mononoke.

Once a lonely hat maker, Sophie Hatter is now cleaning goo from bathtubs and cooking breakfast for the grumpiest wizard in all the land. See them in Howl's Moving Castle.

A plucky 13-year-old with a flair for the dramatic, Kiki is a witch in training. See them in Kiki's Delivery Service.

Duck, girl, and legend: Ahiru's identities confuse even herself at times, and she often wonders which of them is truly her. See them in Princess Tutu.

Growing up isn't easy: Chihiro's parents turned into pigs, she's enslaved at a bathhouse for demons, and oh yeah, she's fading from existence. See them in Spirited Away.

When dealing with a half-demon partner and a world of violence, Kagome Higurashi has plenty of chances for her true courage to shine. See them in Inuyasha.

Yuri is living in the afterlife, which takes the form of a high school where no one dies. But if you follow the school's rules and live a "normal" life you vanish. See them in Angel Beats!.

Where Ash comes from, food and shelter pay for themselves. Even as a penniless vagrant, he is able to pursue his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master See them in Pokemon.

Impassive, overly literal, and a little short on people skills, Angel dedicates her life to enforcing the rules. See them in Angel Beats!.

The "runt" of his biker gang, Tetsuo Shima grapples with a perpetual inferiority complex. See them in Akira.