Calcifer

Calcifer
Japanese name	カルシファー (Karushifā)
Species	Demon (originally Star Children)
Gender	Male
First Appearance	Howl's Moving Castle
Role	Supporting character
Voice actor (Japanese)	Tatsuya Gashuin
Voice actor (Disney)	Billy Crystal

Calcifer (カルシファー , Karushifā) is a fire demon that fuels Howl's Castle, as seen in the film, Howl's Moving Castle.

Appearance

Calcifier appears as a living ball of fire with eyes and a mouth. He is usually orange-yellow, but this seems to change with his emotions and size. Calcifier's size also changes depending on the type and amount of fuel he is running on.

Personality

Calcifer is bound to the confines of Howl's Castle after he struck a deal with Howl years prior. He later strikes another magical bargain with Sophie, hoping she can break his curse. Calcifer cares about Howl, Sophie, and their makeshift family despite his grandiose threats and prickly demeanor. He worries about Howl's penchant for war and that it will inevitably change him.

History

Calcifer is confined to the castle's hearth, and after he strikes a deal with Sophie, does a good job in cooking their meals.

Calcifer is in a magical contract with Howl. He was originally a falling star, which Howl could catch before he fell to earth and extinguished.

He promises to use his magic to break the curse on Sophie, provided she breaks the contract between him and Howl. Howl describes Calcifer as "his weakest point" because Calcifer wouldn't give away another demon if it entered the castle, even if it had hostile intentions. However, Howl's statement is true in more ways than one.

Calcifer's role in the film is similar to that in the book moving Howl's Castle. Unlike in the book, however, he is forced out of the hearth by Sophie, causing the castle to collapse and breaking its connection with Market Chipping in an effort to find and save Howl. By consuming Sophie's hair, he is able to have enough power to move the castle across The Wastes to find Howl.

Behind the Scenes

Calcifer was originally going to appears as a greenish-hued fire demon.

Art Director Yôji Takeshige explains Calcifer's appearance, "At first, I thought normal fire colors would be bland for Calcifer, so I made his firelight greenish in my concept art. The only thing was that the green firelight would be reflected off the other characters, giving them a greenish tint. That would have given their faces a strange hue, so after Michiyo Yasuda from color design conducted several tests, we decided to use the normal color of fire to depict Calcifer."

According to Atsushi Okui, director of digital imaging, "With Calcifer, there were three points we had to cover for digital image processing: softening, transparency, and diffusion as a light source. I first planned on making him look more vibrant and flashy, but then we decided his image had to be congruent with the family-like atmosphere later on in the film, so we went back and toned down a little. The dazzling features of his first appearance are left intact for impact, but I gradually began to grasp Calcifer's personality later on."

Quotes

"Here's another curse for you - may all your bacon burn."

—Calcifer

I can't do it alone. I need help."
"Maybe your eyes or your heart.

—Calcifer explaining he needs a crucial organ in order to power his magic