Hayao Miyazaki’s five true masterpieces, from Spirited Away to Nausicaä

Collider published a Feb. 1, 2026 piece naming what it calls Hayao Miyazaki’s five true masterpieces, ranking Spirited Away (2001) as No. 1 and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) at No. 5. The article notes context for Miyazaki’s career: he co‑founded Studio Ghibli, began directing features relatively late (his feature debut, The Castle of Cagliostro, arrived in 1979 when he was 38) and has directed 11 other movies since, with the author arguing that all are, at worst, very good.

At No. 5 is Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), described as a blend of science fiction and fantasy with strong environmental themes and unusual creature design; it was the last film Miyazaki directed before Studio Ghibli formed. No. 4 is Castle in the Sky (1986), the first Miyazaki film after Ghibli’s founding, praised for its imagination and a race to find a flying castle.

No. 3 is The Boy and the Heron (2023), which Collider calls Miyazaki’s most complex and darker film, one that may serve as a bittersweet swansong and reflects on legacy. No. 2 is Princess Mononoke (1997), noted for its environmental conflict between an industrialized village and the forest, and No.

1 is Spirited Away (2001), hailed as perhaps the definitive anime film and a layered coming‑of‑age fantasy about a girl trapped in a strange world.

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