Finding a "bad" movie in the Ghibli catalog is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is made of gold and the needle is just slightly less shiny gold. We’ve all seen the Totoro plushies and the Spirited Away fan art, but honestly, if you haven’t dug into the deep cuts, you’re missing the real soul of the studio.
When people talk about all studio ghibli movies ranked, they usually just put Miyazaki’s hits at the top and call it a day. That’s a mistake. Isao Takahata, Ghibli's co-founder, produced works that frequently outscore Miyazaki on technical and emotional levels. If you're looking for the definitive order of these masterpieces, you have to look past the nostalgia.
The God-Tier Masterpieces
Let’s get the big one out of the way. Spirited Away (2001) is often the default #1. It won the Oscar. It held the Japanese box office record for nearly two decades. But is it the best?
Critics actually point to The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) as the studio's crowning achievement. Directed by Takahata, it holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The animation looks like a charcoal sketch come to life, moving with a fluid, frantic energy that Spirited Away doesn't quite touch. It’s devastating and beautiful. It's also a movie most "casual" fans haven't even watched.
Then there is Grave of the Fireflies (1988).
Don't watch this if you aren't prepared to weep.
Seriously.
It’s a brutal look at two siblings surviving (or trying to) in the final months of WWII. Roger Ebert called it one of the most powerful war films ever made. It’s a 10/10 you’ll probably only watch once because it leaves a literal scar on your soul.
The Miyazaki Powerhouse
- Princess Mononoke (1997): This is the "cool" Ghibli movie. It’s bloody, epic, and features a literal war between industrialization and forest gods. It’s Miyazaki at his most ambitious.
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Basically the definition of "comfy." There’s no villain. Just two kids, a bus-shaped cat, and a giant grey spirit. It’s pure childhood whimsy.
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): A relatable story about burnout. Yes, a movie about a 13-year-old witch is actually a perfect metaphor for losing your creative spark.
The Mid-Tier Gems You Might Have Skipped
Ranking the middle of the pack is where it gets contentious.
Whisper of the Heart (1995) is a masterpiece of the "slice of life" genre. It was directed by Yoshifumi Kondō, the man who was supposed to be Miyazaki's successor before his untimely death. It’s grounded, sweet, and features a talking cat statue that eventually got its own spin-off, The Cat Returns.
Speaking of which, The Cat Returns (2002) is a weird one. It’s short—only 75 minutes—and feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a deep philosophical journey. Is it "worse" than Princess Mononoke? Technically, sure. But it’s incredibly fun.
Porco Rosso (1992) is Miyazaki’s most underrated film. It’s about a WWI pilot who is also a pig. "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist," is one of the hardest lines in cinema history. If you like aviation and Mediterranean vibes, this is your movie.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
People tend to rank Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) near the top because Howl is, well, attractive. But narratively? It’s a bit of a mess. The third act falls apart because Miyazaki drifted pretty far from the original Diana Wynne Jones book. It’s gorgeous to look at, but if we’re talking about all studio ghibli movies ranked by actual story cohesion, it sits lower than Castle in the Sky (1986).
And then we have the 2023 return: The Boy and the Heron.
It’s dense.
It’s semi-autobiographical.
It’s arguably Miyazaki’s "final" statement (though he’s said that before). It’s a movie that demands a second viewing to even understand what happened in the second half, which makes it harder to rank for a general audience.
The Bottom of the Barrel (Relatively Speaking)
Even "bad" Ghibli is usually better than most generic animation. But there are clear losers.
Tales from Earthsea (2006), directed by Goro Miyazaki (Hayao's son), is widely considered the low point. It’s got a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes. Ursula K. Le Guin, who wrote the books, famously told Goro, "It is not my book. It is your movie. It is a good movie," but later admitted she was disappointed by the departure from her themes.
Earwig and the Witch (2020) is the other outlier. It was Ghibli’s first foray into full 3D CGI, and... it didn't work. The charm of the hand-drawn brushstrokes was gone, replaced by plastic-looking skin and stiff movements. It felt like a soul-less experiment.
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Quick Snapshot of Ratings (Rotten Tomatoes)
| Movie | Score | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Only Yesterday | 100% | Isao Takahata |
| The Tale of the Princess Kaguya | 100% | Isao Takahata |
| Grave of the Fireflies | 100% | Isao Takahata |
| Kiki's Delivery Service | 98% | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Spirited Away | 96% | Hayao Miyazaki |
| The Boy and the Heron | 96% | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Castle in the Sky | 96% | Hayao Miyazaki |
| My Neighbor Totoro | 94% | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Princess Mononoke | 93% | Hayao Miyazaki |
Actionable Next Steps for Ghibli Fans
If you've only seen the "Big Three" (Spirited Away, Totoro, Howl), you're just scratching the surface.
Start with Only Yesterday. It’s a quiet, adult-oriented drama about a woman visiting the countryside and remembering her childhood. It sounds boring. It’s actually one of the most profound things the studio ever did.
Skip Earwig for now. Unless you're a completionist, your time is better spent re-watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Even though Nausicaä was technically made just before the studio officially formed, it is the blueprint for everything Ghibli stands for: environmentalism, strong female leads, and a healthy skepticism of war.
Finally, keep an eye on the Ghibli Fest 2026 schedule. Many of these films are returning to theaters this year for anniversary screenings. Seeing Laputa on a big screen is a completely different experience than watching it on your laptop.
When you look at all studio ghibli movies ranked, remember that your personal favorite should depend on what you need at the moment. Need a hug? Totoro. Need to fight a god? Mononoke. Need to question your existence? The Boy and the Heron.
How to Build Your Watchlist
- Watch the Founders' Best: Start with Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies to see the two extremes of the studio.
- Explore the 90s Peak: Watch Porco Rosso and Whisper of the Heart back-to-back.
- Check the "Flops": Give My Neighbors the Yamadas a chance; its comic-strip style is polarizing but incredibly charming once you get used to it.
- End with Kaguya: Save The Tale of the Princess Kaguya for last. It is the perfect capstone to the studio's traditional animation era.
The ranking will always change based on who you ask, but the quality—mostly—stays the same.