protective spirits

His films consistently feature protective spiritual entities and kami that guide and safeguard protagonists through magical worlds, most notably in Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

He explores protective supernatural beings and magical guardians across his films, using gothic fantasy to examine how spirits and creatures shield the innocent from darkness.

His horror films deeply investigate familial and ancestral spirits that haunt and paradoxically protect their bloodlines, creating ambiguous protective presences in works like Hereditary.