Top 100+ 'Howl's Moving Castle' Quotes About Love, Life, And Magic

Diana Wynne Jones wrote and published 'Howl's Moving Castle' on 5 April 1986 although, Diana had nothing to do with the film.

It later was adapted into a Japanese animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and premiered at the Vence film festival on 5 September 2004. Disney Studios presented the Studio Ghibli film in English.

Young Sophie finds herself in turmoil when she is taken by a mysterious wizard named Howl. A curse is placed by the witch of the waste on the young girl, and she turns into an old woman.

She ultimately meets a Howl and the spell is reversed. She then fights to protect the world from dangerous war and sorcery which is a threat to the world.

Here are some of his most iconic quotes including Sophie 'Howl's Moving Castle' quotes and 'Howl's Moving Castle' quotes about war. If you like these, have a look at wood quotes and 'Adventure Time' quotes.

Howl's Quotes About Love

Quotes from 'Howl's Moving Castle' on love is a central theme explored in the text. Here are some quotes on love and some popular quotes from 'Howl's Moving Castle'.

1."I think we ought to live happily ever after."

- Diana Wynne Jones

2."A heart's a heavy burden."  

- Young Sophie

3."I knew that living happily ever after with Howl would make a good deal more eventful than any story made it sound, though she was determined to try."

-Young  Sophie

4."Sorry, I've had enough of running away, Sophie. Now, I've got something I want to protect. It's you."

-Howl

5."It looks like your true love is in love with someone else!"

-Witch of the waste

6."Oh confound that gray-and-scarlet suit!'. I refuse to believe that I was the one that caught with it."

-Sophie

7."But I brought it on myself by making a bargain some years ago, and I know I shall never be able to love anyone properly now. The water running out of Howl's eyes was definitely tears now."

-Diana Wynne Jones

8."A fickle heart is the only constant in the world."

- Diana Wynne Jones

9."One thing you can count on is that heart's change."

-  Diana Wynne Jones

10."Here you are, sweetheart. Sorry, I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you!."

-Howl

11."Knowing you'd be there gave me the courage to show up...you saved me, Sophie. I was in big trouble back there."

-Howl

12."that boy is extremely dangerous. His powers are far too great for someone without a heart."

-Madame Suliman

13."Sophie: I'm not beautiful and I'm only good at cleaning.

     Howl: Sophie you are beautiful."

-'Howl's Moving Castle'

14."Wow, Sophie, your hair looks just like starlight. It's beautiful."

-Howl

15."I missed you too, Calfifer."

-Sophie

16."It's...you're scaring me. I have this weird feeling you're going to leave. Howl tell me what's going on! Please, I don't care if you're a monster."

- Young Sophie

17."I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't torment my friend."

-Howl

18."If I give Howl back his heart, what will happen to you?."

-Sophie

19."I feel terrible like there's a weight on my chest."

-Howl

20."See that new color on the dial? There's a new portal. It's a present for you. Come see."

-Howl

21."Where to? I'll be your escort for this evening."

-Howl

22.“Calcifer agreed to speed up the castle because of a scarecrow? Dear Sophie, do please tell me how you bully howl into being that obliging. I’d dearly love to know!”

-Diana Wynne Jones

23.“'I've got a hangover!'

'No, you hit your head on the floor,' Sophie said. Howl rose up on his hands and knees with a scramble.

'I can't stay,' he said. 'I've got to rescue that fool Sophie.'

'I'm here!' Sophie shook his shoulder.”

- Howl and Sophie

24." Typical! I break my neck trying to get here, and I find you peacefully tidying up!"

-Diana Wynne Jones

'Howl's Moving Castle' Quotes About Life

Another central theme in the text is life, both young and old and perspectives on the same. Here are some of the quotes like from Sophie 'Howl's Moving Castle', 'Howl's Moving Castle' book quotes about life, and others from the film.

25."I'm just setting things up so all of you can live a comfortable life, Sophie."

-Howl

26." Doors are very powerful things. Things are different on either side of them."

-Diana Wynne Jones

27." he was remorseless, but she lacked method."

-Diana Wynne Jones

28."You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want."

-Diana Wynne Jones

29."My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of  me."

-Diana Wynne Jones

30."Yes, you are Nosy. You're dreadfully Nosy, Horribly Bossy, Appallingly clean old mean. Control yourself.  You're victimizing us all."

-Howl

31." That's why I love spiders.'If at first, you don't succeed, try, try, try again'."

-Diana Wynne Jones

32."I'm Delirious. Spots are crawling before my eyes.'Those are spiders.'"

-Diana Wynne Jones

33."I make that four horses and ten men just to get rid of one old woman. What did you do to the king?"

- Diana Wynne Jones

34."She was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her, then I realized she wasn't, so then, as usual, I ran away."

-Howl, 'Howl's Moving Castle'

35."You have no right to make jigsaws of people."

-Diana Wynne Jones

36."Tantrums are seldom about the thing they appear to be about."

-Diana Wynne Jones

37."Some People are thoroughly self-centered. This thing goes with me. I need it for moral support."

- Diana Wynne Jones

38."interesting things did seem to happen but always to somebody else."

-Sophie

39."Don't be alarmed but I'm being followed."

-Howl

40."They say the best blaze burns brightest when circumstances are at their worst."

-Sophie Hatter

41."Well, the nice thing about being old is you've got nothing to lose."

-Sophie

42."The rule was: Lose your temper, lose a customer. She had just proved that rule. It troubled her to realize how very enjoyable it had been."

-Diana Wynne Jones

43."Why do you get so cold when you're old? I'm fatter than ever and yet the wind blows right through me!"

-Sophie

44."When you're old, all you want to do is stare at the scenery. It's so strange. I've never felt so peaceful before."

-Sophie

45."I know where I am! I'm in Howl's childhood!"

-Sophie

46."It's all so familiar yet I know I've never been here before. I feel so at home."

-Sophie Hatter

47."Sophie! you have sabotaged me! Look! Look at what you've done to my hair! look!"

-Howl

48."Your head's like a turnip. I've always hated turnips ever since I was little. Well, at least you're not upside down now. So long."

-Sophie

49."I'm sure Howl won't eat the heart of a shriveled old lady like me."

-Sophie

50."Things are going round and round in my head--or maybe my head is going  round and round in things."

-Diana Wynne Jones

51."It's amazing the way one can a step ten and a half miles long and still always land in a cowpat."

-Howl

52."We can't all be Mad Hatters."

-Diana Wynne Jones

53."People Sophie had known all her life came and brought flowers by the bundle. None of them recognized her, and that made her feel very odd."

-Diana Wynne Jones

54."Mother knows you don't have to be unkind to someone in order to exploit them."

-Diana Wynne Jones

55."Be daffodils in June, you beasty things."

-Diana Wynne Jones

56.“But her eyes were blue and full of anxieties, and her hair was darkish.”

-Diana Wynne Jones

57."Perhaps she was a little mad, but then old women often were."

-Diana Wynne Jones

58.“I'm a failure! Garbage! You just never stop to think.”

- Diana Wynne Jones

59.“'Don’t worry, old thing,' Sophie said to the face. 'You look quite healthy. Besides, this is much more like you than you really are.'”

- Sophie

60.“Oh, how your ears flap and your long nose twitches!”

-Diana Wynne Jones

61.“Though he did not seem to want to leave the hills, he was known to amuse himself by collecting young girls and sucking the souls from them.”

- Diana Wynne Jones

62."being a crone did not stop her enjoying the sight and smell of may in the hedgerows, though the sight was a little blurred.”

-Diana Wynne Jones

63."This isn't so bad, Now is it? You're still in good shape and your clothes finally suit you."

-Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Quotes About Magic

There are various elements of magic realism in the text that present a world of the characters, like the witch of the waste, while also including in most scenes of the story representations of day-to-day reality. Here are some of Calcifer 'Howl's Moving Castle' quotes and the best 'Howl's Moving Castle' quotes.

64."If I give you a hint and tell you a hint, it will be information."

- Diana Wynne Jones

65."Looks like we have another addition to the family. Hmmm, you've got quite a nasty spell on you too, huh? seems everyone in this family's got problems."

-Howl

66."I'm the worst kind of witch ever. The kind that cleans."

-Young Sophie

67."That's magic I admire using something that exists anyway and turning it round into a curse."

-Diana Wynne Jones

68."The Witch of the Waste and Madame Sulliman's dog at my table? What possessed you to let them in my house."

-Howl

69."Nobody's safe in a wizard's house".

- Calcifer

70."I didn't let them in here! Sophie crash-landed her plane into my face!"

-Calcifer

71."Those wizards are going to regret doing that. They'll never change back into humans."

-Calcifer

72."a fire demon. Well, then you should be able to break my curse."

-Sophie

73."I don't cook! I'm a scary and powerful fire demon."

-Calcifer

74."Here's another curse: may all your bacon burn."

-Calcifer

75."You're wearing that hat? After all the magic I used to make your dress pretty?"

-Howl

76."Nobody can buy a hat without gossiping."

-Diana Wynne Jones

77."You who swallowed a falling star, 'O heartless man, your heart shall soon be mine."

-Howl

78."He's calling the spirits of darkness...I saw him do this once before when a girl dumped him!."

-Howl

79."Howl: Go away.

     Sophie: No, I'm not going away. I'm going to help you break this spell that you're under.

     Howl: You? You can't even break your own spell.

    Sophie: But you don't understand, I love you.

    Howl: You're too late

    Sophie: Howl No!"

-'Howl's Moving Castle'

80."This charm will guarantee your safe return. Don't worry, I'll follow behind you in disguise. Now off you go."

-Howl

81."I could cut a star of paper and drop it."

- Sophie

82."Standing up to the witch of waste- that's plucky."

-Witch of Waste

83."Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch? 'Not likely!' Howl yelled.  I'm a coward. The only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!"

-Howl

84."She stood for a moment looking out at a slowly moving view of the hills, watching heather slide past underneath the door, feeling the wind blow her wispy hair, and listening to the rumble and grind of the big black stones as the castle moved.

-Diana Wynne Jones

85."In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist."

-Diana Wynne Jones

86."...It is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail at first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes."

-Diana Wynne Jones

87.“It seems as if those of high ability cannot resist some extra, dangerous stroke of cleverness, which results in a fatal flaw and begins a slow decline to evil.”

-Diana Wynne jones

88."By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slime any second."

-Diana Wynne Jones

89."'Really these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well,  what is it?' she asked, hobbling the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet..."

- Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Quotes About Death

Death is another major theme highlighted in the text along with the destructive effects of war which was not part of the book but part of the film. Here are some quotes from Castle Howl.

90." I'm going up to my room now, where I may die."

-Howl

91."After the war, they won't ever recall they ever were human."

-Howl

92."...I'm dying of boredom, Howl said pathetically. Or maybe just dying."

- Howl

93."She said 'over my dead body!' So I took her at her word."

-The witch of the waste

94."And she stopped herself because death is like that: people are alive until they die."

- Diana Wynne Jones

95."I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful."

-Howl

96."This was is terrible, they bomb from the southern coast to the northern border. It's all in flames now."

-Diana Wynne Jones

97."If I ever get my hands on that witch I'm going to wring her fat neck! Finish your breakfast."

-Sophie:

98."You know this could kill me, don't you? Look at the bright side, said Howl. It could be me it kills."

-Howl

99.  "Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. 'I'll make some hot buttered toast,' she said. 'Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy??' Howl asked. 'Make toast!'”

100."My shining dishonesty will be my salvation."

-Diana Wynne Jones

101. "Old Sophie: A battleship?

Howl: On its way to burn cities and people.

Old Sophie: The enemy's? Ours?

Howl: What difference does it make?"

-'Howl's Moving Castle'

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotesfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Howl's Moving Castle' quotes then why not take a look at Women Who Run With The Wolves quotes, or Aesthetic quotes.

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