The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex romantic pairings. It avoids heteronormative tropes by prioritizing spiritual and survivalist bonds over traditional courtship.

Women drive the plot through absolute authority and intellectual agency. Lady Eboshi and San reject domesticity and traditional femininity, acting as architects of their own destinies.

The story uses the marginalized Emishi people to explore themes of displacement. Ashitaka’s perspective highlights the friction between indigenous populations and encroaching civilization.

The narrative eschews moral binaries, offering a nuanced critique of industrial expansion. It frames Iron Town as a sanctuary for those rejected by mainstream society.

Physical disability is treated with dignity rather than as a plot device. Characters with impairments are depicted as active, contributing members of a functional community.