Top 10 Wolves in Gaming

Fun fact of the day: my favorite animals are wolves. I have been wanting to do this article for a while and have finally decided to do it. Here are the Top 10 Wolves in Gaming.

Number 10

Balverines

Series: Fable

A Balverine from Fable 3

Balverines are werewolf-esque creatures found in the magical realm of Albion featured in the Fable series. The mythos of Fable claims there was once a mighty creature called the Balvorn that would feast on villages of thousands of people at a time. Only one man ever survived an encounter with the Balvorn, and he became the first Balverine. These vile and powerful creatures come in at #10.

Number 9

MetalGarurumon

Series: Digimon

MetalGarurumon from Digimon World

Anyone who is a fan of the Digimon anime or games should recognize this powerful, Mega-level Digimon. MetalGarurumon was one of two Mega-level Digimon featured in the first series of the anime and was proven to be a powerful opponent when it faced off against WarGreymon. This mighty cyborg-wolf comes in at #9 on the top wolves in gaming.

Number 8

Freya

Series: Animal Crossing

Freya from Animal Crossing: City Folk

Freya is one of the few animal crossers to be present in almost every single game in the series thus far. She is also one of the most memorable of the villagers with her distinguishable pink coat and her catchprase of "uff da." Freya's personality is "snooty," which means she is a bit of an Eris, but is easily one of the most interesting villagers one can have in their town.

Number 7

Red XIII

Series: Final Fantasy

Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII

Red XIII is a very memorable party member in the Final Fantasy series, most notably because he is the first quadrupedal animal party member in the series. Despite his look as a savage animal, Red XIII is actually very intelligent. He is the last of his species after his parents and the rest of his species were both wiped out. While he looks more like a feline than a canine, Red XIII's relationship to the moon mirror that of wolf-like activity, so I find no reason to not include him on this list at #7.

Number 6

Aela the Huntress

Series: The Elder Scrolls

Aela the Huntress from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

         While Aela does not appear to be a wolf in this picture, she, as well as the rest of the Companions Guild, are actually Werewolves. The reason I chose Aela specifically for this list is because she made the biggest impression on me while I played the game, so much of an impression that I actually ended up taking her as a wife. Aela is savage, brave and loyal. If you take her as a companion, she will turn a blind eye to stealing or the murdering of innocents, as she believes the ends justify the means. She is also one of the few members of the Companions Guild who can never be cured of her Lycanthropy, which means she will be a werewolf until the bitter end.

Number 5

Lucario

Series: Pokemon

Lucario from Pokemon Diamond & Pokemon Pearl

       While some might make the argument that Lucario is based on a jackal or even the Egyptian god Anubis, many believe that Lucario is actually a wolf. In fact, Lucario's name is based off the Greek word "lykos" which means "wolf." Lucario is a steel/fighting type Pokemon and one of the most popular of the series Fourth Generation. Lucario's mystic ability of "aura" makes him extremely unique, and also landed him a spot on the roster of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He also happens to be one of my favorite Pokemon, which lands Lucario the #5 spot on this list.

Number 4

Link

Series: The Legend of Zelda

Link from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

  Link, the iconic Nintendo hero of the Legend of Zelda franchise who is usually seen wearing a green tunic and carrying a shield and sword was actually a wolf at one point in the series. In Twilight Princess, Link becomes a wolf upon entering the Twilight realm as a result of the Triforce of Courage protecting him from becoming a specter like other Hylians. In A Link to the Past, the mythos claims that the animal being that a person becomes upon entering the Dark World reflects their inner-self, so perhaps this applies to the Link of Twilight Princess being a mighty, loyal and courageous wolf at heart.

Number 3

Amaterasu

Series: Okami

Amaterasu from Okami

       Amaterasu is the protagonist of the game Okami. She actually is not truly a wolf, but the Goddess of the Sun who takes on the form of a wolf when she enters the human realm. In her past life, she was known as the mighty wolf Shiranui who banished the evil dragon Orochi from the world. When Orochi broke from his seal, the Sun Goddess awakened in the form of Amaterasu to once again banish evil from the world. Amaterasu never speaks during the course of the game, but she is shown to be a silent and elegant guardian who selflessly protects her people. 

Number 2

Sniper Wolf

Series: Metal Gear Solid

Sniper Wolf from Metal Gear Solid

      Anyone who has played Metal Gear Solid will know that Sniper Wolf is not actually a wolf, but rather, "Wolf" is her codename. Despite this, I still consider her to be a wolf of gaming, as while she may not physically be a wolf, spiritually, she is. Aside from maybe Psycho Mantis and Revolver Ocelot, Sniper Wolf is easily the most memorable of the members of FOXHOUND. As her name would suggest, she is a legendary sniper who is constantly looking for her next "prey." Although she is vicious and merciless, she also has respect for those she faces in combat, similar to how wolves honor their adversaries. Even in her death, Solid Snake admires her as wild, untamed, and solitary, hence, a wolf.

Number 1

Wolf O'Donnell

Series: Star Fox

Wolf O'Donnell from Star Fox: Assault

     Wolf O'Donnell is a bounty hunter, skilled pilot and sworn adversary of Fox McCloud in the Star Fox franchise. Though their history is very vague, it is made notable in Star Fox 64 that Fox and Wolf have a bitter past, although they do have a mutual sense of respect for one another. Wolf is leader of a group of bounty hunters named Star Wolf, consisting of various members throughout the series. In Star Fox 64, Wolf is employed by the antagonist Andross to take down Star Fox, much to his delight. In later games, Wolf becomes more of an anti-hero when he competes with, and occasionally helps Fox and his team destroy the Apparoids and the Anglar Empire. Despite his occasional good gestures, Wolf is easily the most badass example of a wolf in gaming which is why he deserves the #1 spot.

Article By:

Giuliano V.