Character Profile: Kohaku

Haku is young teenage boy (at least that's what he looks like) who works for Yubaba. Lin tells Sen that Haku is one of Yubaba's henchmen that carries out some of her wicked orders (which is somewhat true to the viewer's knowledge).

Kohaku is actually a twelve-year-old river spirit who's river, which was also his home, was drained and lost to him. Yubaba stole his true name from him and left him with the name Haku, and so he was forced to work for her. Haku meets Chihiro and helps her save her parents and get home. Secretly, the young spirit is in love with Chihiro, but he's too shy to tell her. Little does he know, Chihiro loves him, too, but is also too shy to tell him face-to-face.

Haku takes the form of a white dragon (the style is VERY similar to Moro's in Mononoke Hime) that can transport Chihiro.

One day, Sen notices that Haku is being chased by paper birds. It turns out that Yubaba ordered him to go to her twin sister Zeniba's house and steal her "gold seal." The US changed what was originally called the "seal" in the Japanese version to the "gold seal", because it was thought that U.S. audiences wouldn't know that a seal was, or its importance. In Japan, a seal is like a signature, with one's name in kanji.

Anyway, Haku is chased and Sen has to go to Yubaba's apartment, since Haku ends up there. She then tries to save him but ends up going down a dark hole to meet their doom. However, Haku flys and ends up in the boiler room with Kamaji. Sen then goes to return the seal with Kamaji's verbal assitance and tickets for a train.

Sen later remembers his name since she fell in the brook.

Overall, Haku is a nice, warm hearted boy that is willing to help one who is in distress.

Editor's Note: Apparently the name "Kohaku" was misspelled as "Kalaku" on some versions of subtitles.