Baron: I'm Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. The Person who created me named me so
Baron 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 Shiro Nishi.
Whisper of the Heart
In Whisper of the Heart, the Baron was a statue that Shiro Nishi owned. He had a lost female counterpart 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.
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, while in the English version of both films, Cary Elwes did his voice.
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.
His surname is von Gikkingen. von implies his noble origin and Gikkingen could be a fictitious location.
