Based on the book with the same name, Howl's Moving Castle is a Studio Ghibli classic and is one of their highest-rated films. It is a fan-favorite and follows a young girl named Sophie who gets cursed and thrown into a whimsical adventure with a beautiful wizard named Howl and his moving castle. The characters are super dynamic which makes them utterly loveable.
The characters all have unique developments throughout the length of the film and have such defining character traits that make it easy to tell which animal of the Lunar Zodiac (also known as Chinese Zodiac) they each fit into. The Chinese Zodiac is unlike western zodiac in that, instead of being based on the time of year you were born, it is based on which year you were born. There are 12 animals altogether, and each Zodiac sign has a set amount of personality traits that match the animal counterpart. Here is a list of which Howl's Moving Castle character you would be based on your Chinese Zodiac Sign.
12 Rat: Calcifer
Calcifer makes for the perfect Rat, both in his actions and his words. He is witty to no end and is able to come up with ideas and solutions when his friends are in trouble. Calcifer is extremely resourceful, he is the sole reason the castle is able to continue moving, something he knows and boosts about throughout the film.
Calcifer is both sarcastic and humorous, but he is also extremely kind with a big heart, something Sophie comments about towards the end of the film. All of these traits wonderfully express the traits of the Rat.
11 Ox: Sophie (Later In The Film)
After her massive character development, Sophie makes for a perfect Ox. Before the curse, Sophie was timid and shy. Once she became "Grandma Sophie" and spent time in Howl's castle, she grew a backbone and was able to stand up for herself and those she cared about.
She learned how to be more true to herself and she became a much stronger character in the process. Sophie, like the Ox, is also incredibly dependable and diligent. She risked her life, countless times, to save her friends, especially Howl.
10 Tiger: The Witch Of The Waste
The Witch of the Waste makes for the perfect Tiger. She is bold, extremely confident in her magical abilities, and competitive. The Witch of the Waste believes she is one of the best witches of the land as she comments to Sophie when she receives Madame Suliman's invitation.
She comments on how it has taken the royal witch so long to invite her. She also shows how competitive she is by the curse she places on Sophie. She feels like Sophie got closer to Howl's heart in such a short time and turns her into an old woman to eliminate her competition.
9 Rabbit: Howl (Blonde)
Blonde Howl is vastly different from the Howl fans see later in the film. He is utterly stunning to those everywhere as if he were a celebrity. He is calm, mystical almost, and deeply mysterious. Howl was extremely smooth in his first meeting with Sophie and was quiet with a husky tone. Yet, this wasn't the true Howl as fans learn throughout his development.
This Howl is a perfect Rabbit. He is popular, kind, compassionate, and elegant. All traits that describe him perfectly. His rescue scene, along with the walking on air with Sophie, makes for the perfect example of this.
8 Dragon: Heen
While Heen is a dog, therefore making him a seemingly perfect candidate for the Dog in Chinese Zodiac, he actually acts much more like the Dragon. Heen is a responsible dog who realizes the errors of his ways when he was helped (and carried) by Sophie.
He realized that Madame Suliman wasn't morally correct and decided to align with some new trusty friends. Because he does this, Heen displays signs of being both confident and intelligent. He is also incredibly enthusiastic when it comes to his friends and their wellbeing.
7 Snake: Madame Suliman
Madame Suliman is a perfect Snake, both in the Lunar Zodiac and in the modern pop culture reference of the word. She is oddly calm and peaceful while being utterly cynical. Because of this, Madame Suliman is pretty terrifying.
There is an eery aura that lingers around her whenever she is on screen, and though she doesn't do much to provoke the heroes of the story, it is easy for viewers to see why Howl is afraid of her. But like the Snake, Madame Suliman is incredibly intelligent and wise, which is why she is the royal witch and acts almost like a royal advisor to the king in the war.
6 Horse: Howl
Once Howl goes through his drastic character change that is shown physically by his hair dye tantrum scene, he becomes a whole new character. He drops the mystical and mysterious act of being Mr. Charming and becomes a young crybaby who is full of energy and love.
Howl is energetic and animated. He becomes active in his cause to save Sophie and his friends in the castle, along with being determined not to fight in Suliman's war as a monstrous pawn to a cause in which he doesn't believe. Though he is seen to be more of a coward in emotionally, it turns out that blonde Howl was the real coward while black-haired Howl has something new for which to fight.
5 Goat: Sophie (Beginning Of The Film)
Just like Howl, Sophie also has a dynamic personality change that is physically represented by the changing of her hair. At the beginning of the film, Sophie has a long brown braid that she seems to wear all the time. She works at a hat shop and her sister worries that she is wasting away her life there.
Sophie, at this time, makes for the perfect Goat. She is shy and calm, extremely gentle, and sympathetic. She is also a bit timid with nearly everyone she meets. Sophie doesn't think highly of herself, and like Blonde Howl, doesn't really have the backbone with which to defend herself.
4 Monkey: Calcifer
Calcifer has a different exterior than his interior. At the beginning of the film, we see him threaten Sophie a lot and seem overall mischievous and a bit rude. But on the inside, once he warms up to Sophie, he has such a big heart and shows how much he cares.
Calcifer appears twice on this list for that exact reason. He has two sides of his personality, but one needs some peeling back. Calcifer's exterior perfectly fits the Monkey. He's mischievous and likes to have fun, but is also incredibly smart and curious, with a sharp tongue.
3 Rooster: Markel
Markel is Howl's assistant and is working to become a great wizard like his instructor. Markel is a great Rooster for these reasons.
He is hard-working and observant. He at first is also wary of Sophie, but after watching her a bit, he learns that she is just there to help, and in turn helps her too.
2 Dog: Turnip Head
Turnip Head is pretty much as loyal as they come, making him the perfect Dog of the Chinese Zodiac. Turnip Head was shy when first meeting Sophie after she helped him out, but he knew he wanted to help her out in return so he led her to Howl's castle so she can work and have a roof over her head.
After this, Turnip Head and Sophie go back and forth with helping one another until he ends up staying in the castle with the rest of them.
1 Pig: Lettie
Lettie is Sophie's sister, and through her limited screen time, we were able to learn a lot about her personality and love for Sophie. Lettie is really protective of Sophie and wants what is best for her. She warns her of Howl and how he is known to steal hearts and questions Sophie's happiness at the hat shop.
Lettie is compassionate of her sister and is a really diligent worker, with a taste for finer things in life, making her the perfect Pig.