Kaya

"Please keep it with you brother, to protect you. You must take it with you, please, I want you to have it. So you won't... forget.
 * —Kaya's final words to Ashitaka, regarding her crystal dagger."

Kaya is a little girl from Ashitaka's village. She refers to herself as his little sister to show affection and was engaged to be married to Ashitaka before he has to leave the Emishi Village.

At the beginning of the movie, Kaya is seen with two other girls warning Ashitaka about something they saw in the forest. Next, she is seen sprinting down a hill with the same two girls, running from the demon; one of them trips, and Kaya pulls out her dagger to defend them. Ashitaka soon saves them from the demon by shooting an arrow in its eye.

Kaya later appears to goodbye to Ashitaka when he is forced to leave the village (despite the rules that forbid it) and gives him her crystal dagger to remember her by. She is never seen or mentioned after this.

Ashitaka later gives Kaya's dagger to San, the wolf girl which could be seen as an act of disloyalty or betrayal on Ashitaka's behalf.