Nausicaä (character)

Nausicaä
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind character
Nausicaä on the cover of volume 2 of the Viz "Editor's Choice" manga release. Teto is on her shoulder.
Created by	Hayao Miyazaki
Voiced by	Sumi Shimamoto Alison Lohman
Profile
Relatives	King Jihl (father)
Nationality	Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä (/ˈnɔːsɪkə/; Naushika (ナウシカ, [na.uɕika])) is a fictional character from Hayao Miyazaki's science fiction manga series Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and his anime film of the same name. Her story is set in the future on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where Nausicaä is the princess of the Valley of the Wind, a minor kingdom. She assumes the responsibilities of her ill father and succeeds him to the throne over the course of the story. Fueled by her love for others and for life itself, Nausicaä studies the ecology of her world to understand the Sea of Corruption, a system of flora and fauna which came into being after the Seven Days of Fire.

Nausicaä's abilities include determination and commitment. Her magnetic personality attracts admiration and adoration from nearly all those who meet her. Her empathy allows her to communicate with many animals. Nausicaä joins a war between adjacent territories of the remaining inhabitable land. Assuming command of the Valley's small force sets her off on a journey that will alter the course of human existence.

Many experts and manga enthusiasts have interpreted the character. Nausicaä won the seventh Animage Grand Prix, and the June 1987 Grand Prix, coming second in May 1991, and again coming first in December 1992. In 2014, IGN ranked her as the ninth greatest anime character of all time, saying that "She is a genuine, charismatic character who is loved and respected by her people. But she's also a capable, though reluctant, warrior."

Although a skillful fighter, Miyazaki's Nausicaä is humane and peace-loving. She has an unusual gift for communicating with the giant insects and is noted for her empathy toward animals, humans, as well as other beings. An intelligent girl, Nausicaä frequently explores the toxic wasteland which surrounds the kingdoms and conducts scientific experiments in an attempt to define the true nature and origins of the toxic world in which she lives. Her explorations are facilitated by her skill at "windriding": flying with an advanced glider-like craft called Mehve, equipped with a jet-assist.