History Main / TotallyNotAWerewolf

* In the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' Saga, a group of local {{Magical Native American}}s [[note]]from the Quileute ethnic group, an actual Native community in [[UsefulNotes/TheOtherRainforest Washington State]] ([[CaptainObvious though they can't shapeshift]] in RealLife)[[/note]] but can turn into wolves [[VoluntaryShapeshifting at will]] (or [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting accidentally]] if they get angry or stressed), during which they keep their human minds. They're called "werewolves" through three different books, but near the end of the final one, Edward suddenly explains that they're actually "shape-shifters," while this world apparently includes actual "werewolves" who fit the modern perception (full moons, etc.) more closely. Arguably comes off as an AssPull, since this basically just makes it so that a werewolf-hating member of the BigBadDuumvirate doesn't have an excuse to kill them all.

* In the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' Saga, a group of the local Quileute Indians can turn into wolves [[VoluntaryShapeshifting at will]] (or [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting accidentally]] if they get angry or stressed), during which they keep their human minds. They're called "werewolves" through three different books, but near the end of the final one, Edward suddenly explains that they're actually "shape-shifters," while this world apparently includes actual "werewolves" who fit the modern perception (full moons, etc.) more closely. Arguably comes off as an AssPull, since this basically just makes it so that a werewolf-hating member of the BigBadDuumvirate doesn't have an excuse to kill them all.

* ''Literature/ThisIsNotAWerewolfStory:'' As the title suggests, the protagonist, Raul, hates being called a "werewolf." To him that term implies various tropes that don't apply to him, like being a WolfMan with no control over his transformation or actions, or having wolfish traits in human form. In contrast, Raul knows a formula for VoluntaryShapeshifting, changes from a normal boy into a normal wolf[[note]]or so he claims; in reality, he really ''does'' have SuperSenses and SuperStrength[[/note]], and has never tried to eat people. Note that, unlike in most of these examples, there aren't "real" werewolves to compare him to, so this is really just a case of InsistentTerminology on his part.

* ''Literature/ThisIsNotAWerewolfStory:'' As the title suggests, the protagonist, Raul, hates being called a "werewolf." To him that term implies various tropes that don't apply to him, like being a WolfMan with no control over his transformation or actions, or having wolfish traits in human form. In contrast, Raul knows a formula for VoluntaryShapeshifting, changes from a normal boy into a normal wolf, and has never tried to eat people.

* ''Literature/{{Wolven}}:'' Protagonist Nat gets a new dog, Woody, who later transforms into a boy. Woody explains that he's a "Wolven," meaning that he's been shapeshifting his entire life, while "werewolves" are humans who gain that ability. Most of the werewolves we meet are villains who want to do experiments on Woody, [[spoiler:and Nat becomes one himself by the end of the first book]].
* ''Literature/ThisIsNotAWerewolfStory:'' As the title suggests, the protagonist, Raul, hates being called a "werewolf." To him that term implies various tropes that don't apply to him, like being a WolfMan with no control over his transformation or actions, or having wolfish traits in human form. In contrast, he knows a formula for VoluntaryShapeshifting, changes from a normal boy into a normal wolf, and has never tried to eat people.

* ''Literature/Wolven:'' Protagonist Nat gets a new dog, Woody, who later transforms into a boy. Woody explains that he's a "Wolven," meaning that he's been shapeshifting his entire life, while "werewolves" are humans who gain that ability. Most of the werewolves we meet are villains who want to be experiments on Woody, [[spoiler:and Nat becomes one himself by the end of the first book]].
* ''Literature/ThisIsNotAWerewolfStory:'' As the title suggests, the protagonist, Raul, hates being called a "werewolf." To him that term implies various tropes that don't apply to him, like being a WolfMan with no control over his transformation or actions, or having wolfish traits in human form. In contrast, he knows a formula for VoluntaryShapeshifting, changes from a normal boy to a normal wolf, and never tries to eat people.

** There are also the rougarou. In RealLife they're considered a variant of the werewolf legend, but the comic treats them as different from animal people. They're created through a curse, ''do'' lose their human minds, and [[BalefulPolymorph they're stuck as monsters forever]].

* ''Webcomic/WildeLife'' has a main character, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Cliff]], who has been able to [[TransformationIsAFreeAction instantly]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting change]] into a wolf for as long as he can remember; he can think and speak normally in both forms. [[WeirdnessMagnet Oscar]] asks if "werewolf" is the correct term, and Cliff admits that he has no idea, but that it's what he's always used. They keep saying "werewolf" even after learning that Cliff is technically an "[[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent animal-person]]," and that not all of the others are wolves.
** On a related note, WordOfGod says that Barbara's "kids" aren't animal-people, they're normal dogs that she transforms with her own magic.
** There are also the rougarou. In RealLife they're considered a variant of the werewolf legend, but the comic treats them as different from animal-people. For one, they ''do'' lose their human minds, and worse, [[BalefulPolymorph they're stuck as monsters forever]].

* ''[[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545171105/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2DPFW9E36G41L&psc=1 Wolven]]:'' The protagonist's new dog, Woody, is actually a "wolven," meaning that he shifts to and from a human form at random. He explains that unlike "[[TheMalaproper werewoofs]]," which start out as normal humans, wolvens are this way from birth.

* ''[[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545171105/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2DPFW9E36G41L&psc=1 Wolven]]:'' Woody, the protagonist's new dog, is revealed to actually to and from a human form at random times. He explains that he's not a "[[TheMalaproper werewoof]]," because those are made, while he's been a "wolven" from birth.

--> '''Grace''': "What was it? The monster."
--> '''Susan''': "It used to be human. Some people use magic to try and achieve immortality by turning themselves into parasites. The immortals call them aberrations, and... ''[beat]'' You know what? Screw it, it was a vampire."
--> '''Grace''': "Really?!"
--> '''Sarah''': "A vampire?!"
--> '''Susan''': "''No, not really'', but it was a monster that used to be human, hypnotized young women and sucked blood out of their necks. It doesn't matter what I say, you two are going to hear 'vampire'."

** In other fangame ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'', it's very common for [[TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil Hunters]] to mistake [[MagicalGirl Princesses]] for another kind of "[[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening witch]]".

->''" She couldn't tell a coyote from a werewolf? That was like looking at a Geo Metro and calling it a Hum-Vee ''

* One Halloween episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' had a mysterious wolf-like animal roaming through the city every night, and Goliath is seen researching werewolves as a possible cause. It turns out it's actually Fox, whose [[UnholyMatrimony engagement present]] is an ArtifactOfDoom. Her fiance Xanatos has no fewer than ''four'' plans to get it off of her.

* ''ComicBook/StreetFighterVsDarkstalkers'': Has Rashid entering Anakaris' tomb believing it to be an alien ruin, and mistakes him for an alien despite him being actually a mummy. Donovan Baine also mistakes Akuma as just another Darkstalker, but he is just a superpowered human martial artist that looks demonic.

* Early on in ''The Unattractive Vampire,'' Amanda mistakes the ancient vampire Yulric Bile for a werewolf, and insists on this identification even after he's been shot with a silver bullet and spritzed with wolfbane to no effect; she only changes her mind when he transforms into a bat. It quickly becomes clear that current pop culture is so saturated with overly-attractive Creator/AnneRice-style vampires that nobody knows quite what to make of Yulric, who LooksLikeOrlok at the best of times. As a result, Yulric is [[RunningGag often mistaken]] for just about anything ''other'' than a vampire, which becomes especially annoying to Yulric when ''' ''modern vampires'' ''' mistake him for a mummy.

* ''Webcomic/WildeLife'' has a main character, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Cliff]], who has been able to [[TransformationIsAFreeAction instantly]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting change]] into a wolf for as long as he can remember; he retains his normal mind when he does. [[WeirdnessMagnet Oscar]] asks if "werewolf" is the correct term, and Cliff admits that he has no idea, but that it's what he's always used. They later find out that there are people who can turn into various kinds of animals, who collectively are simply referred to as "[[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent animal-people]]."

* ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'': Vampires, werewolves, Pooka changlings, and mages all had powers which could let them turn into wolves. So what happened if you put one of each on a stage to perform this trick in front of mortal witnesses? The vampire gets the expected mundane reaction, the werewolf drives witnesses into hallucinations and denial, the changeling leaves all but the least banal of viewers remembering it as a vague dream, and the mage explodes because the universe doesn't like people turning into wolves.

* A dialogue option in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' allows you to mistake Beckett for a Werewolf in your first face-to-face meeting. He finds it funny. [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything Unless you're a Gangrel]]; instead your character fanboys over his power and asks if he can teach you that discipline.

* ''Webcomic/WildeLife'' has a main character, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Cliff]], who has been able to [[TransformationIsAFreeAction instantly]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting change]] into a wolf for as long as he can remember; he retains his normal mind when he does. [[WeirdnessMagnet Oscar]] asks if "werewolf" is the correct term, and Cliff admits he has no idea. They later find out that there are people who can turn into various kinds of animals, who collectively are simply referred to as "[[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent animal-people]]."

* [[XMen Mutants]] in the Marvel Universe frequently end up being mistaken for various supernatural creatures. For example, {{ComicBook/Nightcrawler}} may have a forked tail and his teleports smell of sulfur, but he's no demon. Storm and her tribe thought she was a goddess until Professor Xavier found her and explained what mutants were. The more recent character Oya was nearly killed for being a witch when her temperature manipulation powers emerged.