Porco Rosso is set in the Adriatic Sea between the world wars, where air pirates, smugglers, and bounty hunters battle across the skies above the coastlines and islands. At the center is Marco Pagot, a veteran fighter pilot who has been mysteriously transformed into an anthropomorphic pig and now works under the name Porco Rosso. Flying his bright red seaplane, he lives apart from society, taking on pirate crews and keeping his distance from the political unrest spreading across Europe.
When the pirates hire Curtis, a cocky American ace, to bring Porco down, the rivalry becomes personal. Porco is forced to rely on Fio Piccolo, a gifted young engineer who repairs his plane and challenges his cynical outlook, while Gina, the owner of the Hotel Adriano, watches over him from the shore and carries a long history with him. As Porco is pulled back into the world he has tried to leave behind, the film balances aerial action, melancholy romance, and a nostalgic view of freedom, loyalty, and the cost of war.
