If you just want the quick answer: there are 23 widely counted Studio Ghibli feature films if you start with Castle in the Sky, the first film made after Studio Ghibli was founded. Most fan lists show 24 movies because they also include Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which was made before the studio officially existed but is closely tied to Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and the creation of Ghibli.
The count gets confusing because official pages, streaming services, Blu-ray collections, and fan guides do not always draw the line in the same place. Some include co-productions like The Red Turtle. Some include TV or short works. Some include Nausicaä because it feels spiritually and historically inseparable from the studio. This guide gives you the practical answer, then explains what each count means so you can use the right number without getting lost.
Quick answer: how many Studio Ghibli movies are there?
| Count | What it usually means | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Main Studio Ghibli feature films from Castle in the Sky through The Boy and the Heron | The clean studio-history count |
| 24 | The same list plus Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | The most useful fan/watch-list count |
| 25 or more | Includes edge cases, co-productions, shorts, TV works, or catalogue entries | Useful for complete filmography discussions |
For most viewers, the simplest answer is: watch lists usually treat Studio Ghibli as a 24-movie journey, including Nausicaä. If you are being strict about what Studio Ghibli produced after the company was founded, use 23.
Why does Nausicaä change the count?
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind came out in 1984, before Studio Ghibli was founded. That is why a strict production-company count can leave it out. But the film was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Isao Takahata, and helped create the conditions for Studio Ghibli to exist. In plain English: it is not technically the first Studio Ghibli production, but it is the Ghibli origin story for many fans.
This is why you will see Nausicaä appear in many boxed sets, rankings, watch orders, and beginner guides. Leaving it out can make the history cleaner, but it also makes the viewing journey feel incomplete. If someone asks what to watch before starting the studio’s earliest films, Nausicaä is the natural prologue.
The practical 24-movie fan list
Here is the practical list many fans use when they say “all Studio Ghibli movies.” It includes Nausicaä first, then the core Studio Ghibli feature run:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Castle in the Sky
- Grave of the Fireflies
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Only Yesterday
- Porco Rosso
- Ocean Waves
- Pom Poko
- Whisper of the Heart
- Princess Mononoke
- My Neighbors the Yamadas
- Spirited Away
- The Cat Returns
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- Tales from Earthsea
- Ponyo
- The Secret World of Arrietty
- From Up on Poppy Hill
- The Wind Rises
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
- When Marnie Was There
- Earwig and the Witch
- The Boy and the Heron
If you want a friendlier route through these rather than a strict release list, use our Studio Ghibli movies in order guide. If you want the broader catalogue view, start with the All Studio Ghibli Movies page.
What about The Red Turtle?
The Red Turtle is the main edge case that can push counts higher. It appears on Studio Ghibli’s official works page and involved Studio Ghibli as part of an international co-production, but it is not usually what casual viewers mean when they ask for the core Ghibli movie list. It is wordless, beautiful, and absolutely worth knowing about, but it sits slightly differently from the Miyazaki, Takahata, Kondō, Morita, Gorō Miyazaki, and Yonebayashi feature run that most viewers are trying to navigate.
So if you are making a complete official-works reference, mention it. If you are making a beginner watch list for someone asking “how many Ghibli films should I watch?”, treat it as an extra rather than the centre of the count.
What is not usually included in the main movie count?
The main movie count normally excludes music videos, museum shorts, commercials, documentaries, and other special projects. Some of these are fascinating, especially for deeper fans, but they are not what most people mean when they ask how many Studio Ghibli movies there are. The question is usually about feature-length stories someone can watch at home or add to a movie marathon.
That also means the number can change depending on whether you are talking about theatrical features, official works, streaming availability, or a collector’s catalogue. The safest wording is: “There are 23 core Studio Ghibli feature films, or 24 if you include Nausicaä, which most fan watch lists do.”
Best answer for beginners
If you are new to Ghibli, do not worry too much about the technical count. Start with a few easy entry points, then branch out. My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Ponyo, and Howl’s Moving Castle give you a broad taste of the studio’s range without forcing you to understand every production-history detail first.
After that, move into the heavier or more unusual films: Princess Mononoke, The Wind Rises, Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The count matters less than matching the film to the mood and viewer. Ghibli is not one kind of cosy film. It includes comfort watches, war stories, coming-of-age dramas, environmental epics, romantic fantasies, and quiet adult reflections.
FAQ
Is Nausicaä a Studio Ghibli movie?
Strictly, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was made before Studio Ghibli was founded, so it is not a Studio Ghibli production in the narrow company-history sense. Practically, most fans include it because it directly leads into the creation of Studio Ghibli and shares key creative DNA with the studio’s later films.
What was the first official Studio Ghibli movie?
Castle in the Sky is usually treated as the first official Studio Ghibli feature film. Nausicaä came earlier and is often included as the spiritual starting point.
What is the newest Studio Ghibli movie?
The newest main Studio Ghibli feature is The Boy and the Heron, released in Japan in 2023.
How many Studio Ghibli movies should I watch to understand the studio?
You do not need to watch all 24 at once. A strong starter set is My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. That gives you comfort, fantasy, adventure, environmental conflict, romance, and adult reflection.
Source note: Film titles and official work references were checked against Studio Ghibli’s official works page at ghibli.jp/works. Official stills on Studio Ghibli work pages include the notice that images may be used within common-sense bounds.
