SAN  -MONONOKE HIME-

Following the exemple of Ashitaka, San can be considarated as the main character of the movie. Anyway she's got the bigger charism. That's why the title designates her. Of course we see her not so much as Ashitaka. She only appears after twenty minutes and above all, speaks after three quarter. In fact this becomes a classic in Miyasaki, a relative lack of the movie's emblem confirms the fascination it arouses (cf Totoro but also Laputa which is only discovered at the end).
San is certainly the most important character than Miyazaki has created(just in front of Totoro).Already because she's the ultimate master's movie and particularly because she's the incarnation of his both more implied battles: the feminism and ecology.
About the feminism, this fight is easily represented by Eboshi. Two ladies who are in front. About the ecology, it's of course set against the blacksmiths'emancipation. Miyazaki presents this opposition like a real "class struggle" without any compromise. The title is the only parameter showing an hold taking from the author; that's why to change it will imply a loss of meaning for the work.
San is really a wolf. Moro took care of her after that the humans gave her up on their run, when she was a baby. She's the proof that we fondamentaly depend of how we brought up. It's thwarting a few of big theories pseudo-philosophic about "Humans'nature". San's also got all the human's congenital features. She's very smart, her world's conception and her analysis capacity are those of a human being. That's why she's leading all the attacks from the animals improving them on. She's got the essential part. Her place is definitely beside the animals...

San with the wolves (24 Ko)
San on the attack of the forges (42 Ko)
San regaining consciousness (37 Ko)
San riding on Moro (24 Ko)
San biting Ashitaka (animated gif!! 112 Ko)
San so cute !! (56 Ko)