Nago

Nago (ナゴ) or Nago no Kami (ナゴの守, meaning Nago the Guardian) is a boar god and is one of the leaders of the Boar clan in Princess Mononoke. He was turned into a Tatari-Gami after being shot by Lady Eboshi whilst fighting the humans under her. He was later slaughtered by Prince Ashitaka with his arrows. When Nago's curse touched Prince Ashitaka, it cursed him as well, dooming Ashitaka to die slowly from the mark lest he sought help.

Appearance
Nago once had brown fur and light green eyes.

As a demon, Nago resembled a giant spider with worms crawling over him and red eyes.

Due to the heat and poison of demons, Nago's fur was almost completely burnt off.

Background
Nago was the leader of a nearby boar clan who fought off human advances from Irontown as they sought to encroach on the mountainside. Initially, Nago met with success and the humans were unable to establish operations or excavate the mountainside for iron ore due to Nago and the boars' attacks.

However, the tables were turned when Lady Eboshi and her riflemen arrived, putting a stop to Nago and the boar clan's campaign. During the battle, Nago was shot by Eboshi and left with a ball of iron within his flesh. The iron slowly began corrupting him, and when coupled with Nago's rage and fear of death - Nago became a demon god and rampaged along the countryside until arriving after some time to Ashitaka's village.

During a heated battle in which Ashitaka attempted to plead with Nago for mercy on his tribe, Ashitaka slew Nago by firing arrows into his eye and skull. During the altercation, Nago cursed Ashitaka with the mark that would eventually see him expelled from his village.

Despite the Wise-Woman of Ashitaka's village promising funeral rites for Nago, the boar died with hatred and regret in his heart. With his dying words, he promised the humans a similar fate to that which he and his boars had suffered.

Nago's death and transformation into a demon god had a profound impact on the remainder of the boar clan, who were seemingly now under the command of Lord Okkoto. The surviving boars were adamant to destroy Irontown and the loss of Nago's boar tribe at Irontown starts the events in Princess Mononoke.

Afterward
Nago was beloved by fellow boar gods of Kyushu as they called him a "beautiful and strong brother", and his death and transformation into a Tatari-Gami deeply saddened Okkoto and other boars. The boars were also enraged to the fact that Forest Spirit didn't save Nago but saved Ashitaka, a human. While Moro noted that Nago fled due to his fear for death, similar to her own fear although she didn't flee, but the boars were driven by anger and questioned that Nago wouldn't flee by fear, and didn't listen to the wolf goddess, even said that wolves must have devoured him.

It is likely that Nago's spirit, at least partially, possessed Ashitaka due to several scenes depicting Ashitaka's right arm acting independently against Ashitaka's will, such as when Ashitaka's right arm tried to kill Eboshi in front of ill people including Osa.

At the climax, the curse on Ashitaka was finally lifted by the Forest Spirit, suggesting that either Nago's grudge dissolved, or the Forest Spirit took Nago's spirit to an afterlife. Consequently, the Forest Spirit DID save Nago in the end, answering to the question by the boars, "why Forest Spirit didn't save him?".

Trivia

 * In the Japanese version, Ashitaka called Nago "a lord of a famous mountain" (名のある山の主, nano aru yama no nushi). This is somewhat similar to how Yubaba referred to the River Spirit as "a lord of a famous river" (名のある川の主, nano aru kawa no nushi) in Spirited Away. Both characters are animal-shaped deities of nature who suffered from environmental destructions by humanity and transformed into hazardous beings to spread pollutions and harms, and providing supernatural "gifts" to the protagonists.

Quotes
"Disgusting little creatures. Soon, all of you will feel my hate, and suffer as I have suffered!
 * —Nago's last words to Ashitaka's people."

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Nago もののけ姫