Why Did Sophie Turn Into An Old Lady In Howl’s Moving Castle?

Howl’s Moving Castle has got be one of the best anime films ever made. From the gorgeous animations to the beautiful plot, Howl’s Moving Castle was a masterpiece from start to finish.

I was so anxious to find out if Howl and Sophie ended up together from start to end. They seemed to connect the first time they met, but could they be together after Sophie’s age transformation?

This reminds me, why did Sophie turn into an old lady all of a sudden? Can she become young again? Will she end up with Howl? WHAT’S HAPPENING?!

The Witch of the Waste cursed Sophie in the How’s Moving Castle, so she was turned into an old lady. She goes on a fantastic journey with her newly found friends and can return to her average age.

Still, confused? So was I. Let’s take a look at what exactly happened to Sophie and her friends.

1. Why Did Sophie Turn Into An Old Lady?

Well, Sophie was cursed by the Witch of the Waste. After an encounter with Howl earlier that day, the Witch and her minions were after Sophie.

The Witch of the Waste loved Howl, and after she saw Sophie with him, she became highly jealous, which is why she turned her into an old lady.

2. Why Did Her Age Keep Changing?

Throughout the film, we saw that Sophie’s age changed multiple times. Sometimes she was a young woman with white hair, and other times she was a 90-year-old grandma.

A popular theory and something I saw myself was that her age change was based on her own emotions and confidence.

When Sophie was standing up for Howl against Madame Suliman, we saw her transform into a young woman with white hair.

But as soon as Madame Suliman said she was in love with Howl, she immediately turned back into an old lady. This is due to her recognizing her emotions.

We also saw her becoming younger towards the end of the film, telling Howl that she loved him.

Sophie also seemed only to become older whenever she remembered that she was supposed to be a frail old lady.

Did Sophie have some power that allowed her to do this?

I. Does Sophie Have Hidden Powers?

It seems that Sophie has some magical power. It turns out that the only reason she is old is because she does that to herself.

Whenever Sophie became older, it was to hide from her genuine emotions and to use a disguise to hide her lack of confidence. She did this subconsciously, of course, which is why she wasn’t aware of this herself.

Towards the end of the film, we didn’t see Calcifer do anything to break the supposed “curse” on Sophie. Yet, she was able to become younger once again.

This is because after she and Howl confessed their feelings for each other, there was no need for her to hide from him and herself.

II. Why Did Sophie’s Hair Color Stay Grey?

Magic leaves a mark. Always. Think of the time the scorch mark letter was sent to Howl through Sophie. It had left a scorch mark on the table. A similar thing happened with Sophie which is why her hair color was the only thing that didn’t return to normal.

3. Did Sophie and Howl End Up Together?

Sophie and Howl did end up together towards the end of the film. After their first encounter, it was evident that they had some connection and that they were meant to be together.

Sophie can return Howl’s heart, thus saving him and Calcifer. After this, both of them confess their feelings for each other and now live together in Howl’s moving castle.

4. Does Turnip Head Love Sophie?

Turnip Head is a peculiar sort of character. After Sophie helped him stand up, he followed her around and helped her as much as he could, taking quite an evident liking to her.

After Turnip head saved everyone, including Sophie, Sophie kissed him on the cheek.

In less than a second, he was transformed from a scarecrow into a young prince from the neighboring kingdom.

It turns out that he was cursed, and the only way he could break free from that curse was by receiving a kiss from his true love.

This proves that since Turnip head was returned to his original state after Sophie’s kiss, she was his true love.

5. Where to Watch Howl’s Moving Castle

6. About Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle is a Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was released in 2004 and produced by Toshio Suzuki. The film was animated by Studio Ghibli.

It follows the life of one young Sophie Hatter who is turned into an old lady by a witch who enters her shop, late at night and curses her.

She encounters a powerful wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his reluctance to fight for the king.

Please select a wiki.