The Borrower Arrietty/Characters
Characters from The Borrower Arrietty include:
The Borrowers
A group of little people who "borrow" things that humans won't miss for their survival.
Tropes exhibited by these characters include:
- Dying Race: The Borrowers, at least allegedly. Borrowers live so far away from each other (in comparison to their size) that they have very little contact, so they can't be sure how many other Borrowers still exist in the world. Sho makes Arrietty angry by discussing this topic, before his Wham! Line.
- Lilliputians: It is adapted from one of the more notable examples of Lilliputians, and since it's the premise of the film, of course it's going to be used. Needlessly to say, the entire film wouldn't exist without this trope.
- Mouse World: Well, more like a single dwelling, but the Borrowers' houses are still quite small. Spiller does hint that there are other families of Borrowers, but they are never depicted in the film.
Arrietty Clock (アリエッティ)
A fourteen year old Borrower who gets spotted by humans. Just like other Ghibli heroines, Arrietty is a strong, independent Plucky Girl who faces difficulties, but never gets knocked down. She does not let her small size stop her from accomplishing great feats, like climbing up a house, or going out into the greater world on her own. Being spotted makes her melancholic, but she's quickly back to her adventurous self, set out to make things right.
What's the best way to make things right? By breaking the rules again, of course! She's not going to stop talking to humans just because her parents told her so. When you break the rules, double down. After all, Arrietty was already spotted; what could be the harm in confronting the boy who sees her again?
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Action Girl: Arrietty often climbs around her house, way further than she should actually explore. This does lead to amazing finds and breathtaking views, but also comes with the chance of being spotted by a human.
- Badass Adorable: It truly takes talent to contact the species you are told, for your entire lifetime, that you should never talk to. Seriously, it is impressive how, despite being the same size as a toilet paper roll, she is able to navigate around the house.
- Blush Sticker: Arrietty gets a severe case of them once Sho first sees her.
- Early Teen Hero
- Expressive Hair: After airplanes and War Is Hell, one of the things most commonly associated with Studio Ghibli.
- Forbidden Friendship: Between Arrietty and Sho. Borrowers are not supposed to be seen by humans, and when it happens they move away. Thus, their interactions and exchanged dialogue are forbidden by the very behaviour and existence of Borrowers. This is not helped by Sho's condition, and his instructions to avoid rigorous activities or exercise.
- Hair Decorations: Arrietty and her little clothespin hairclip. She gives it to Sho/Shaun in the end.
- Letting Her Hair Down: Arrietty during the ending credits, meant to symbolise her growth and Coming of Age after removing her Important Hair Accessory. She also lets it down in her house, when no humans are around.
- Outdoorsy Gal: Arrietty. She is outdoors and running among the grass when audiences are first introduced to her, barely dodging a running Niya. She likes to climb, and isn't afraid to talk to Sho despite it being prohibited. This is best exemplified in the ending credits, where she floats down a steam on a teapot, looking into the distant horizon.
Homily Clock (ホミリー)
Arrietty's mother, who stays home, knitting and cooking.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Butt Monkey: If anything bad happens, it's always to her. She gets captured by Haru, and has to watch her house get taken apart when Sho places the doll house kitchen in her home.
- Expressive Hair: Often just before she faints, or has a major realization.
- Sleep Mask: She wears one in bed.
Pod Clock (ポッド)
Arrietty's father, who does borrowing around the house, and makes tools.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Good Parents: He may be strict towards Arrietty, but at the end of the day, he only wants his family to survive the harsh reality of the developing human world.
- The Stoic: He is firm in his ways, talking in brief, stern sentences, but ultimately does things for the better of his family.
Spiller (スピラー)
A Borrower from outside the Clock family, who stumbles across Pod when he sprained his ankle.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- The Archer: Note that the audience never sees him use his bow in action. The first time was really just to show off to Arrietty and to show how the bow is used. The second time around, he aims for Sho when he sees the latter conversing with Arrietty, but realizing that they're saying their farewells, he backs off.
- Badass Adorable: When he's trying to show off for Arrietty, raising his bow, then lowering it with a massive smile.
- Badass Cape: He has a fur cape that doubles nicely as a hang glider. In a shot, audience members gets to see Spiller use it to glide across the sky and moon from Arrietty's perspective down below.
- Facial Markings: Done to give contrast between him and the Clock family.
- Noble Savage: He certainly looks the part.
Humans
The people who share the house with Arrietty and her family.
Tropes exhibited by these characters include:
- Dub Name Change: Sho to Shawn, Sadako to Jessica and Haru to Hara in the Disney dub, to be more reflective of American names rather than Japanese ones.
- Humans Are Cthulhu: Their size makes Sho and his aunt intimidating, although they respect the Borrowers and take care around them. Borrowers are not supposed to be seen by humans, making them more intimidating.
Sho
A boy with heart problems staying at the house where the Borrowers are.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Gentle Giant: He would be this from Arrietty's point of view; his heart condition makes him unable to do much, so he instead chooses to sit in the garden and quietly observe the environment around him, and to read.
- Ill Boy: He was always a weak boy, and will soon get a heart operation.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: He has a special affinity towards Niya the cat and Arrietty.
- Non-Action Guy: Due to his heart condition. Even running for a short distance wore him out. Instead, he is frequently seen engaging in quiet activities such as reading a book.
- Soap Opera Disease: He has a heart condition ever since he was a child.
- The Stoic: He never really shows any extreme emotions, often talking in a quiet and subdued voice. Downplayed as he gets emotional in the film's last scene before saying goodbye to the Borrowers.
Sadako Maki (牧 貞子)
The adult who Sho is staying with.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Cool Old Lady: She is quite kind towards both Sho and the Borrowers, contrasting Haru's more aggressive and spontaneous behaviour.
Haru (ハル)
Sadako's maid, who believes the Borrowers are thieves.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Big Bad: She's the reason why the Borrowers must move away. While other humans are kind and friendly towards them, Haru is the only person who tries to exterminate the Borrowers.
- Hate Sink: Unlike most other Ghibli antagonists, her motivation — that Borrowers are thieves and stealing what doesn't belong to them — is Hand Waved, and she becomes an external source of conflict in a film mostly driven around internal sources.
- Villainous Breakdown: Haru, when she finds that all the evidence of the Borrowers has disappeared.
Niya
A cat who lives at Sho's house.
Tropes exhibited by this character include:
- Cats Are Mean: Initially starts out this way, with the cat madly rushing and chasing Arrietty down in the garden. The cat warms up to her later on.
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