Humbert von Gikkingen

Humbert von Gikkingen, also known simply as The Baron, is a character in the 1995 film Whisper of the Heart and the title deuteragonist of the 2002 film The Cat Returns.

He is a (living) statue of an anthropomorphic cat who is fully dressed (including a top hat and shoes). At night, he comes to life. He belongs to the owner of an antique shop named Shirō Nishi.

Cat Baron
Humbert von Gikkingen and Muta are the main protagonists in the series.

Whisper of the Heart
In Whisper of the Heart, the Baron was a statue that Shirō Nishi owned. He had a lost female counterpart named Luisa and Shiro was desperate to find her.

The Cat Returns
Due to his popularity, Baron was given a bigger role in The Cat Returns, where he, along with Muta, aids Haru Yoshioka as she is unwittingly brought into the Cat Kingdom. The Baron works in the Cat Bureau.

Yume no Machi: Neko no Danshaku
Muta appeared as a stray cat who lives nearby Aki's house. He is interested in the statue of The Baron.

Neko Mōsō
Characters modeled after The Baron and Muta appeared.

Ability
He is a very skilled fighter and a swordman to be able to overwhelm two soldiers at once.

In the book, he is implied to possess a "terrifying ability" which "can destroy Cat Kingdom".

Both Baron and Muta can pronounce Yu (ゆ) sound where cats usually cannot pronounce. Baron can pronounce because he is an artificial being while Muta achieved this due to his longevity. Yuki can also pronounce the sound possibly due to her status as a dead spirit.

Voice Actors
In the original Japanese versions of Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns, he is voiced by Yoshihiko Hakamada and Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, respectively. Cary Elwes provided the Baron's voice in the English release of The Cat Returns, and reprised his role when Whisper of the Heart was dubbed two years later. Elwes interpreted The Cat Returns as a prequel to Whisper of the Heart, and chose to play the Baron as much older and more refined.

Name
The baron has an Old German name. His first name Humbert came from hun "warrior" and beraht "bright". It also came into use as a surname and as noble rank.

His surname is von Gikkingen. von also implies his noble origin and Gikkingen could be a fictitious location.

Quotes
"Baron: I'm Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. The Person who created me named me so"

Trivia

 * Humbert von Gikkingen and Muta / Moon and are the most recurring characters in Ghibli works as appearing in five different works, followed by Minonohashi that have appeared in four different works.