The first villain on the list, and one of the few Miyazaki creations that is portrayed as being utterly unlikeable, Yubaba is an excellent example of the type of childhood nightmares that Ghibli are experts at bringing to life. She is a witch that runs the bath-house, and is a visual exaggeration of every characteristic that children find scary or confusing about older people. She has an enormous head and a tiny body, vast eyes with tiny piercing pupils, a terrifying hooked nose and pursed lips and, most horrifyingly of all, an enormous mole place right in the centre of her face. She also has an oversized baby named Boh, whose vastness is never really commented on, and can turn into a giant bird-like creature. Lead character Chihiro is remarkably calm around her, despite her disturbing appearance, but this does little to allay the scary nature of her image. The scariest thing about Yubaba is the fact that she can control anyone whose name she possesses. Taking Chihiros identity, it is quickly revealed that she will ensnare the young girl if she fully forgets her name. There is little to like about Yubaba, but thats the point - she is truly supposed to be the stuff of nightmares.
