The CHARACTER of a werewolf...

[MattSullivan]

I rarely join in on these discussions, but it seems like the focus here is primarily on the physical aspect of a werewolf. This is fine, except my personal theory is, it can be discussed to death. A werewolf transformation is important, but there's one thing we don't seem to discuss much of here, and that's CHARACTER.

All my best memories, as the main character from the movie THE PLAYER states so well, were in a movie theater. I LOVE movies. LOVE em! And why? Because the most popular and enjoyable movies that stick with you for a long time, are all about characters.

Why is Darth Vader such a cool villian? Why is Bill Lumburgh such a likeable bastard in OFFICE SPACE? Why do Indiana Jones and James Bond seem so cool? Because they all have specific character traits and/or motivations that make us like them. As one of my old film instructors once put it, "The best characters are the ones you...

A: "Want to be"
B: "You want to be with"

So this begs the question...What makes a good werewolf CHARACTER?

I'll use a character from my own film as a start ( and this is only my personal opinion ) Pablo, the main character, is motivated by the fear of losing his family, and being alone. He is the non-werewolf fan, and the story is told through him, as an average person who probably wouldnt like turning into a werewolf. And although he dislikes the whole culture he's been brought into, he still does the right thing and selflessly fights on behalf of people he barely knows. He tries to save a stranger even at the risk of losing his own life. He works numerous jobs to care for an ailing family member. All these were there, to make you care for and hope he succeeds. ( whether this was 100% effective is really up to those who have read it.

My point is, I can't buy characters like the Michael J Fox character from Teen Wolf, who CLAIMED to have problems and yet he lived in a nice house, had a nice dad, seemed to be fairly well off...and yet he was whining all the time about how awful his life was. That, to me, is an example ( besides the fact TEEN WOLF was and still is an atrocious pile of crap ) of a very dislikable character.

So...who's next. What do you guys think makes a good werewolf character?

[Figarou]

Hmmmm......what makes a good werewolf character?

A good werewolf character is one that you can follow along and understand what is going on with him/her. To get a chance to "know" that werewolf.

If you are watching one of those werewolf films where you don't see the werewolf until the end, there is not much "character" in that werewolf. The only thing you know is that all it wants to do is "kill."

If a writer wants the audience to know about the werewolf, he/she has to build a character FOR that werewolf. Will that werewolf character still have control of his actions after he transforms? Or will the werewolf be a mindless killing machine?

I'm sick and tired of those werewolf films where the werewolf character wakes up in the middle of the woods wondering why he is naked and covered in blood. I hate that type of character. To me, its boring.

You built a lot of character with your werewolves, Matt. There are some characters that we like, and other that we "like to hate."

Do we WANT to hate a werewolf? It depends on the character. If we want to "hate" a werewolf, that character has to do something bad. Like betray his own kind. To like a werewolf character, it depends on several factors. People may like a certain werewolf character because he/she is funny. Or the way he/she looks. Or it may have a personality that appeals to the audience.

[Templar]

Hmmm....that's a good question, Matt....

To me, a good werewolf character would be one who demonstrates and nurtures the appearance of a dark and dangerous creature, but all the while having deep down the same needs and character of a human being. For example, I created a character for a story ended up trashing called Urie Langdon (UrieL, after one of the four archangels). He does what he can to portray himself as a cold and lethal individual, including introducing himself to the other main character by singing the first lines and chorus to 'Sympathy for the Devil' ("Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste...") and and saying stuff like "God? God is your father. God is your creator. God would do anything for you. Therefore, God is all powerful because He is love...
(leans in close) I don't love you."

However, despite the way he distances himself from others, he still manages to show up when he is needed, he takes the other protagonists under his wing despite his apparent opposition, and over the course of the story, one begins to feel that he would give his life for the other characters, which he eventually does. He does this because deep down, he's alone and numb, and by helping the other characters, he's able to actually feel some emotion again, which in turn drives him to keep them close by and protect them at all costs.

[Therian]

Well, the werewolf doesn't always have to have a killing and voilent side. He/she could be like anyone else walking down the street a nice and polite person but different on the inside.

Not unless the person doesn't want to be a werewolf then they probably have different problems then most people. It would suck if a criminail became a werewolf then that's where hatred and killing come from. Just depends on the person.

[Anubis]

I think a good werewolf character has to be familiar to the audience in a way. Like if a werewolf is the good guy then a werewolf has to resemble the blood thirsty mindless beasts where most of us came to know, when we were start to get to know the werewolf through TV and film.

Let me give you an example of what i think a good werewolf character, by telling you the character of my fursona Gen. Anubis Garou.

Not like every werewolf we seen in the movies Anubis loves to be a werewolf and feels that his gestalt form is his true form and is extremely comfortable with it, but he hates the human in him despite being born as a human. Because when he was 17 he tried showing his human parents what he really is, they freaked out and called him a monster and gave him a scar over his right eye. which to him is a constant reminder of that day and what his parents think of him.

He was scared for life and he sought refuge in the only thing that never betrayed him, his lycanthropy. And started to hate what came from his parents his humanity, and legally changed his name to Anubis Garou to symbolize the death of his despised humanity and become 100% werewolf, but the scar over his eye never let him think that completely . Because he felt chained to the human side because of it and made it worse the scar showed through both wolf forms.

He lived on the streets for two years becoming bitter and angry. One day he decided to join the marines just to have a sense of a stable life style and 3 squares a day and a roof over his head. due to the inherent lycanthrope to dominate he gained a leadership role and found it therapeutic to release his frustrations on the marines under command through commands and disciplinary actions. But when basic was over he was transfered to RABID due to his lycanthropy, and he quickly climed the ranks and became a general. Being surrounded by other lycanthrope made him feel at home and helped pacify his anger a little but his inner still turmoil made him use alcohol and his job as a security blanket for his deeply rooted problems.

Now that's what i think is a good werewolf character!

(do you think it's a problem that i actually want to be that guy! )

[BlackWolfDS]

My opinion is short and simple. A good werewolf character is one that everyone can relate to. Not 100% mind you, but just enough for the audience to feel what the character has felt and is feeling. The character should also show the part that everyone has but is not "intuned" with: Their Wild side. Their Primal instics, their animal. I know that may have sounded corny, but that's my opinion.

[Herpscott]

(do you think it's a problem that i actually want to be that guy! )

Of course not! The silly question would be, who wouldn't want to be that guy? Moving on...

My opinion is short and simple. A good werewolf character is one that everyone can relate to. Not 100% mind you, but just enough for the audience to feel what the character has felt and is feeling. The character should also show the part that everyone has but is not "intuned" with: Their Wild side. Their Primal instics, their animal. I know that may have sounded corny, but that's my opinion.

I absolutely agree! Characters that capture the hearts of movie goers are those that can be related to. And like what was said in the beginning of the thread, you either want to be WITH that guy/girl or you want to BE that guy/girl. I love what Stan Lee said about his character, Spider-man. He said that Spidey is a loveable character because you can relate. He is this unbelieveably powerful human being and yet still has problems like the rest of us. He is teased at school, has women troubles, money concerns, an undeniable amount of guilt and more. He is the quintessential underdog.

It would make sense then that a similar werewolf character would also weasel his/her way into the hearts of movie goers. The trouble that this forum has and the associated movie has as obstacles, is that the most popular version of werewolf is the mindless beast. We support the noble beast while the world fears it.

I think a good question is: why do we all (and I say "all" but I really mean most) want a hero werewolf. Why do we want the werewolf to be the protaganist and not the antagonist? What IS it that we are missing in our definitions of a werewolf? Or what is the rest of the world missing?

[Kirk Hammett]

I dunno how to elaborate on this (Too hungry to!) but I like interesting, in depth werewolves (or any character for that matter) who makes mistakes and isn't cliche. Eg Blood and Chocolate is cliche`. Underworld characterisation too. Etc etc...we could all list many.

I like eccentric characters, or characters who are really realistic, personality wise, even while they are completely fantastical. Unfortunately with cinema, that's impossible.

[White Paw]

i just think it would be nice to see one that didnt act all sterotypical ......all ferocious and blood thirsty..(dont get me wrong that the best type)...but one that has a social life....friends...lives a day-to-day life with out persecution frrom human society..

[JoshuaMadoc]

I dunno how to elaborate on this (Too hungry to!) but I like interesting, in depth werewolves (or any character for that matter) who makes mistakes and isn't cliche. Eg Blood and Chocolate is cliche`. Underworld characterisation too. Etc etc...we could all list many.

I like eccentric characters, or characters who are really realistic, personality wise, even while they are completely fantastical. Unfortunately with cinema, that's impossible.

I'd want to see what happens if Napoleon Dynamite had lycanthropy.

Answering Matt's question, IMO a good character (in short) is one with the right to be different in all ways, just like people in reality are, without being too pretentious or too rigid, unless if it's intentional. Be it a lawyer who flies fighterjets as a hobby, a skateboarder who writes books for a living, or a reporter with ties to the mafia. It's difficult to make a PERFECT character, but hollowness in character is the only thing one has to worry about.

As for matt's wish, i'm trying to fulfill that myself...

[Kirk Hammett]

I'd want to see what happens if Napoleon Dynamite had lycanthropy.

It'd be a big afro'd wolf!

[Scott Gardener]

A good werewolf character should be a good character. It shouldn't be just all about being a werewolf. His or her life, motivations, interests, worries, passions, fears, loves, and existance should involve more. A well-rounded character who is a werewolf is more to me than a werewolf character, whose entire life revolves around just being a werewolf.

Matt: you did a great job of this with Pablo, by the way.

But, I'll have to defend Teen Wolf. Good criticism, but I'll still defend it. He was a teenager; teens tend to have a smaller sense of overall perspective, and thus one who has a charmed life may not see it that way, focusing instead on things more mature people would consider trivial by comparison. Part of the movie's premise is that he thinks he has problems, only to get hit with something major and life-changing. The goal of the movie obviously isn't realism, since we see a werewolf doing hand-stands on top of a van in broad daylight and yet no sign of civilization collapsing afterwards. In the real world, a werewolf showing up in public in the middle of a basketball game would bring about mass panic, military presence, religious loonies convinced "The Beast of Revelations" has surfaced, therianthropes lining up to get bitten, and so forth. But, the point of the movie was more a light comedy with lycanthropy as a metaphor for adulescent coming of age.

I guess part of the turn-off is that once you're out of adulescence, you're ready to bury or burn adulescent issues. I certainly know that feeling. Those of you around here less than twenty, I really feel for you. Hang in there; life gets a lot better, trust me. Just be sure to go to college, even if you have to pay your way through; high school education is crap, at least here in the U.S.

Anyhow, back to topic; a good werewolf character is a person with lycanthropy, not a werewolf trying to have a personality.

[JoshuaMadoc]

But, I'll have to defend Teen Wolf. Good criticism, but I'll still defend it. He was a teenager; teens tend to have a smaller sense of overall perspective, and thus one who has a charmed life may not see it that way, focusing instead on things more mature people would consider trivial by comparison. Part of the movie's premise is that he thinks he has problems, only to get hit with something major and life-changing. The goal of the movie obviously isn't realism, since we see a werewolf doing hand-stands on top of a van in broad daylight and yet no sign of civilization collapsing afterwards. In the real world, a werewolf showing up in public in the middle of a basketball game would bring about mass panic, military presence, religious loonies convinced "The Beast of Revelations" has surfaced, therianthropes lining up to get bitten, and so forth. But, the point of the movie was more a light comedy with lycanthropy as a metaphor for adulescent coming of age.

I think Jay Leno and his band of late night comedians would show up faster than Alexander Anderson and his children of Section XIII Iscariot.

That and i feel that you're using parts of your Lycanthrope story to back up your speculations with a bit more zeal that i can comprehend.

[Morkulv]

I love movies as well, although I hate werewolf-movies.

[Moonstalker]

Hmm... like someone mentioned, the character is what you want to get known with. You want to become that character and you like him/her. The werewolfs mind and nature has to be interesting

[Scott Gardener]

One can only speculate what would happen if a werewolf to reveal one's self in public--whether the whole thing would get swept under the carpet as a hoax, whether they'd be the news of the week and then forgotten, or whether the impact would redefine society. I tend to favor the latter, given what kind of a paradigm shift it would entail. (I feel I'm basing my novel on my arguments, not my arguments on my novel, which I agree would be a rather screwy, backwards form of logic.) But, I do think it's a safe assumption that if a werewolf went public during a high school basketball game, no one would care about the game score.

But, I'm drifting away from the original topic. OK, aside over. Back to defining character. Hard work? 3d6 and a copy of the Player's Handbook?

[Lena]

But, I'm drifting away from the original topic. OK, aside over. Back to defining character. Hard work? 3d6 and a copy of the Player's Handbook?

But this not a character is. Is only nombers on paper. Character is emotions and needs and wants. Also is how do she react against occurings no? I mean who make this statement: Do not I bleed when needle prick my thumb? Do not I laugh at joke? Do not I cry when hurt? (I mess this op but is a quote of someone important as author, no?)

I think werewolfs are very complex driven by there wild wolfie side, well as living with civilisation side of human side. How would this effect someone? There are things that happen to me that confuse me. Sometimes I wake op in woods far from dorm naked and with cuts and sweating. These happen after very intense dream of being a wolf and ronning through wilderness. I also have a simpler view of things and I have very little need for making things complex. (It make me a little angry even. Lawyers I think would be good food if not they full of all hot air and BS.)

[MattSullivan]

Isn't it funny that we live in a world where even a real werewolf would probably only draw an amused look from passers-by, who wuould probably think it was "just a really good costume" or, "something for a movie" or, "one of those wierdo furries " :}

[Figarou]

Isn't it funny that we live in a world where even a real werewolf would probably only draw an amused look from passers-by, who wuould probably think it was "just a really good costume" or, "something for a movie" or, "one of those wierdo furries " :}

We also live in a world where people are true believers of werewolves. That real werewolf is going to have a hard time keeping those "wanna be's" away from him.

[deruty]

What I find interesting about a werewolf's character is the mystery that surrounds it. The confusion and misunderstandings at follow the name. The darkness that follows the name in history and the new found interests that have be provoked on modern day. A werewolf's character in my oppinion would be very mysterious and silent. Rarely speaking and most likely a loner.
Though I would assume he/she/ or she/he would have atleast one friend unintentional or intentionally made whom she/he or he/she could talk to.

A very lonesome and misunderstood being is what I believe a werewolf's character would be.

[Moon_Lover]

Isn't it funny that we live in a world where even a real werewolf would probably only draw an amused look from passers-by, who wuould probably think it was "just a really good costume" or, "something for a movie" or, "one of those wierdo furries " :}

I'm suddenly reminded of a few pieces by Goldenwolf:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain01.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain02.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain03.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain04.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain05.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203 ... hain06.jpg

(And the obligatory link: http://www.goldenwolfen.com )

I personally think that it would be something like this, at least for halloween. The rest of the year is up for grabs.

[nachoboy]

yeah... i imagine that a werewolf would have lotsa fun and wreak plenty of havok when it was halloween.

[BlackWolfDS]

(And the obligatory link: http://www.goldenwolfen.com )

That link doesn't work for me

[deruty]

I've seen that banner image before O.O
So Goldenwolf is his/her or her/his name.

I love the 4th one down. The brown one's face is priceless

[RedEye]

The GoldenWolf art is superb, and there's something hiding in it that you really have to look to see.
From the first to the last of the Halloween set, the Were's aren't outright bloody monsters. They are engaging, after the first picture; you see them being drawn into the Halloween festivites, and going from Monster to Player to guest.
Now to me, that would make an interesting Werewolf Character: A Werewolf that is not so much innately hostile and dangerous but rather a Different Person who is reasonably open to overtures fo friendship. These Wolves aren't threatening: They are curious, seeing what the silly Humans are up to, and opening up to the point of actually protecting someone (the last picture) from danger ( at least percieved danger).
They are completely Wolf, yet like wolves, socially adaptable.
I'd suspect that they are of the "Two Personalities" persuasion, given their reactions to things...if there's any human in there at all: they might be regular Wolves that change into Were's, with Wolf reactions to things, not human. In the one with the child, you can see the Wolf asking "What are you doing?" of the child, not understanding the costuming.
They aren't vicious beasts, they are People who just don't happen to be Human.
There is a implied potential of friendliness that you see in real wolves who don't associate Humans with danger or food.
That makes them engaging. That makes them memorable. That all but gaurantees that the blood and gore saturated studios wouldn't even consider making a Picture out of them: no terror, no death; just the possibility of friendship. Not-Marketable, damn it.