History Manga / OokamiNoKuchiWolfsmund

[[redirect:Manga/Wolfsmund]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_21.jpg]]

->'''Wolfram:''' Whatever happens at this checkpoint shall be handled at this checkpoint. Such is my mission.

''Ookami no Kuchi: Wolfsmund'' (狼の口 〜ヴォルフスムント〜) is a 2009–2016 historical {{seinen}} manga by Mitsuhisa Kuji, of whom little is known except that she is a talented female artist born in 1978 who studied under two of the biggest names in manga art, Creator/KentaroMiura (''Manga/{{Berserk}}'') and Creator/KaoruMori (''Manga/VictorianRomanceEmma'').

Between Switzerland and Italy there is the St. Gotthard Pass. It is the early 14th century and those who wish to flee the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy must go through this pass. However, it is not called "The Wolf's Maw" for no reason, as it is overseen by a cruel governor who follows the law with a steel fist. These are the tragedies of men and women who sought passage through Wolfsmund.

The manga [[ArtisticLicenseHistory plays fast and loose]] with real-life events and characters, focusing less on being an accurate retelling of history than on showing a thrilling story. At the same time, the author has ShownTheirWork on the early 1300s setting by offering a refreshingly accurate depiction of various aspects of the medieval world such as clothing, armor, archery, sword fighting, architecture, and politics.

For some other medieval and fantasy manga with elements of realism, try ''Manga/{{Knights}}'', ''Manga/MariaTheVirginWitch'', and ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''.
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!!This manga provides examples of:
* {{Satan}}: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area preventing construction, bringing people to realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil acceptes the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be the devil's messanger - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - and who is that other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.
* WerewolfThemeNaming: Wolfram's introduction in the first volume starts with a peasant woman whispering about an existing gossip, according to which Wolfram was born as a result of a union between a wolf and a human woman.
* AbusiveParents: Cedar to her daughter Juwel in chapter 6. She's not shy about beating her physically if Juwel angers her, and threatens to abandon her. [[spoiler: Sadly, Cedar truly does love Juwel, but her self interest often wins out in the end, which ends up dooming Cedar herself.]]
* ActionGirl: Almost every woman involved in the war is a bonafide badass. Johanna and Hilde are both renowned warriors, with Hilde known as "The Ripper of Schwyz" for her prowess and merciless nature. Even the mistress of the inn can make a decent showing.
* AnachronismStew: Downplayed, as you have to be really into TheLateMiddleAges to notice, but some forms of costumes, arms, and armor that didn't appear until the late 14th century are depicted in the early 14th century setting, and there's a few 15th century outliers like sallet helmets and the Lucerne hammer. The cranequin device that William Tell uses to span his crossbow wasn't invented until after 1400.
* AnimalMotifs: Wolfram is often likened to a hungry wolf, and his shadow occasionally reflects a wolf.
* AnnoyingArrows: Averted. Arrows and bolts, when they hit their mark, are as deadly as they should be.
* AnyoneCanDie: It's usually a coin flip if the main character of a story will be breathing by the end after their encounter with Wolfram. [[spoiler: Wolfram himself quite horrifically discovers that he does NOT have JokerImmunity.]]
* TheArcher: Wilhelm Tell and his son Walter fit the archetype as masters of the crossbow, accustomed to operating independently in the wilderness, and practical as well as pragmatic.
* AristocratsAreEvil:
** The Hapsburgs in general. They tax heavily their subjects to fund their wars and rarely they show mercy for those who defy them.
** Wolfram takes the cake. BadBoss, DirtyCoward, and MoralMyopia can explain reason his KarmicDeath is very justified.
* ArmorIsUseless: Averted. Knights in full plate and mail have a tremendous advantage in survivability over regular soldiers.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Sir Berthold as the gatekeeper knight of Wolfsmund, besting many skilled rebels that were able to slaughter the regular Hapsburg soldiers.
** Wolfram proved to be this as well, despite a depiction as a SissyVillain, he proved to be a NotSoHarmlessVillain by being expertly skilled with short swords.
* BadassArmy: A side chapter details how a company of Swiss Mercenaries fought near to the death defending the pope, establishing the tradition that the Vatican would always be protected by Swiss soldiers.
* BadBoss:
** The Hapsburgs in general. Though working for Wolfram can ''really'' suck. Delay telling him bad news, and you're likely gonna get defenestrated. Best case scenario, he'll [[ReassignedToAntarctica force you to work in the freezing Alps until your death.]]
** Aside from being clever in designing defenses and traps for his castle, Wolfram is a rather uninspiring military commander, more interested in keeping himself alive than leading his men effectively.
* BigBad: Wolfram is the most active villain in the story, as as the Bailiff of the Wolfsmund, he is the omnipresent threat of the story. When [[spoiler:Wolfram is finally killed, Duke Leopold takes the role of the BigBad and proceeds to utterly crush his enemies until being finally being dealt a humiliating defeat at Morganten]].
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Most of the heroes including Walter die, but the cantons successfully drive out the Habsburgs, killing Wolfram and most of Duke Leopold's knights, and the epilogue tells us that the cantons eventually unite as one nation and became modern day Switzerland]].
* BookEnds: Volume 1 ends with the Innkeeper wishing to see Willhelm Tell once more. Volume 2 ends with Walter Tell saying he'll be seeing the Innkeeper soon. [[spoiler:And both the ones they wish to see are dead by the time they say it.]]
* BrokenTears:
** The last we see of Duke Leopold, [[spoiler:his dreams have crumbled, his army is lost, and his family is on the back foot against their rivals. He's left shivering by a fire, weeping in frustration and feebly swearing revenge]].
** [[spoiler: Everyone seem to break into tears upon's Wolfram's well-deserved execution.]]
* TheBrute: Berchtold, Wolfram's chief enforcer. He's a brutish, hulking knight who prefers to beat his enemies to death.
* ColdBloodedTorture: The Austrians are fond of torturing prisoners with methods such as the rack and burning coals. Wolfram considers it a helpful tool and a delightful hobby.
* CoolOldGuy: William Tell is a very easygoing and charismatic fellow.
* CrucifiedHeroShot: Many times, a rebel being tortured or executed by Wolfram will be in a pose reminiscent of a Christian martyr.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Happens every story. Heroes will often face nasty ends. [[spoiler: Villains too, with both Sir Berthold and Wolfram meeting very harsh deaths.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: Unlike in the manga, [[spoiler:William Tell in the original legend lived to see the rebellion succeed and was still alive several decades after the Battle of Morgarten]].
* DecoyProtagonist: The plot opens up not too unlike several dark medieval settings with Lise, [[FallenPrincess a daughter of a rebel noble]], attempting to escape the country. What seemed like a RichesToRags story goes downhill really fast at the introduction of [[VillainProtagonist Wolfram]]. [[spoiler:This ends with [[AnyoneCanDie Lise's death]] in the very first chapter.]] Afterwards, everyone with their name in the chapter titles is probably dead at their chapters' end.
** [[spoiler:Grete, the innkeeper, is probably the best example of this, though. She lasts two volumes, however.]]
** [[spoiler:[[KarmicDeath Surprisingly]], [[VillainProtagonist Wolfram]] himself becomes an example of this trope, after spending most of the series with him. The story continues on with the Swiss battling against his master.]]
* TheDeterminator: William Tell's son, Walter, absolutely refuses to give up.
* DirtyCoward: Wolfram himself is revealed to be this when he [[spoiler:abandons his own men when the fighting goes south, his own {{Dragon}} stating his disgust at his master's actions. It shows again when he's about to be executed, despite subjecting countless people to horrific ends, he goes out sobbing that putting him to death is unjust.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:For all the boasts Wolfram makes about his power, he is still a vassal to Duke Leopold. When he dies, the Duke himself takes the matters into his own hands and personally rides out to deal with the rebellion.]]
* TheDragon: Wolfram to the Hapsburg Duke. For the Wolfsmund alone, the brutish Berthold functions as Wolfram's Dragon.
* EvilGenius: Wolfram is absolutely brilliant and often has people figured out the second they arrive at his Checkpoint.
* EyesAlwaysShut: In keeping with his FauxAffablyEvil behavior, Wolfram often has his eyes cheerfully shut
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: Wolfram, the keeper of the titular fortress, is a handsome, gentle looking man who often appears wearing a sweet expression of a dainty smile on his face. It's a mask for the devious sadist he really is.
* FallenPrincess: Lise is the daughter of nobleman and rebel leader Ernst of Schwyz, and loses everything when her father is executed for treason. She has only one knight, Georg, and is forced to disguise as a knight's boy servant to escape detection.
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Grete says this verbatim when the rebels suggested selling Hans' wife, Eva, to [[SexSlave slavery]]. So she simply sentences her to death.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: Wolfram is unfailingly polite and genteel at all times, but he views everyone around him as a toy he can hurt.
* ForegoneConclusion: Duke Leopold will fail in conquering the Swiss cantons and the rebels will formed and become the nation of Switzerland.
* ForeShadowing: Wolfram's first appearance should tell you he is not a good person.
* ForTheEvulz: Wolfram will kill and publicly display his prisoners even if he is ordered to send them to his master. He even refers to the Wolfsmund as his little "Mountain Pass of Pleasure."
* {{Gorn}}: Jesus, this manga is brutal...Still, considering just [[Creator/KentaroMiura WHO the author]] [[Manga/{{Berserk}} has worked with]], is ''anyone'' surprised?
* GratuitousGerman: The title of the work combines the Japanese and German ways of saying "Wolf's Maw", and the title page includes a summary of the story in Gothic-font German that presumably cannot be read by the intended Japanese readers.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Duke Leopold of the Hapsburgs. Though, he did not actively kill people himself and even orders Wolfram to keep the captives alive.
* TheHero: Many a character in this series ''appear'' to take this role only for them to fail horribly and die in gruesome fashion. The series goes out of it's way to crush all hope of such a person to exist and survive in its cruel world. [[spoiler:Thankfully Walter takes this role later on the series, he's the longest surviving character fighting against the Empire and he's even the one to defeat the (first) BigBad Wolfram in single combat.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Subverted in chapter 3. In a desperate attempt to escape from Wolfram, who intercepted them in the mountains, Wilhelm and Walter are in peril. Walter is clinging to the ledge with his ice axe, and his father is dangling over the abyss by the rope connecting them. Wilhelm tells Walter to cut the rope and escape, and when Walter refuses he begins to cut it himself. However, seeing that he's already surrounded, Walter lets go and falls with his father before he can sever the rope. Walter survives, Wilhelm doesn't.]]
* HeroAntagonist: The manga of the trope. The people Wolfram kills are genuinely fighting for their homeland. Cue angry reviews from modern Swiss readers of the French translation. Although it's made pretty clear Wolfram is the ''bad guy'' pretty early on, and isn't serving any sense of patriotism, but rather his own sick sadism.
** [[spoiler:Walter is placed in this role as the series progresses. He's one of the few named surviving characters in opposition to Wolfram. He embodies several heroic traits and can be classified as a ''good guy''. Later on, he's even the one to finally defeat Wolfram.]]
* HopeSpot: If there were ever a manga to exemplify this trope and what it stands for, this would be it. [[spoiler: Although, some genuine hope begins to grow as the third volume comes to a close...]]
** [[spoiler: Ironically Wolfram himself falls victim to this. During his bout with Walter he's got the latter on the ropes and is ready to land the final blow ensuring his escape from his enemies. Only for Walter to counter his move and break both his arms. This action finally leads to his utter defeat in the hands of the alliance.]]
* HumiliationConga: [[spoiler:Wolfram not only gets beaten by the commoner rebels he looked down upon but also gets the most painful and humiliating death ever. His master, Duke Leopold, not only failed in conquering the Swiss and loses most of his knights by commoners but is forced to give up helping his older brother become the next King of Germany]].
* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: "Oh, the only way through is that place called ''The Wolf's Maw''. Have a nice time!"
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Wolfram [[spoiler: finally dies by being impaled with a giant wooden spike that is hammered through his body.]]
* ItsPersonal: Walter Tell's hatred of Wolfram boils over into a seething fury after [[spoiler: Wolfram executes his mother and little brother just to draw Walter out.]]
* KarmicDeath: Wolfram [[spoiler: has possibly the most horrific, vomit-inducing death in this series, and one could argue he deserved a hell of a lot worse.]]
* KickTheDog: Every chapter has Wolfram doing something horrible to someone. Even worse as the first chapter presented him as a nice, reasonable fellow.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: After all he's done, it is damn hard to blame the Swiss for [[spoiler:subjecting Wolfram to an absolutely stomach-churning execution]].
* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Poor, innocent Lise gets beheaded in the first chapter]]. That's just the beginning.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Georg is a true knight to his very core. He's resourceful, skilled at fighting, incredibly brave, but most important is his UndyingLoyalty to his damsel, Lise. She has no one else to protect her from the evil oppressors who executed her father, and Georg subordinates his entire being to making sure she gets to safety.
* LeaveNoSurvivors: The Swiss rebels are not particularly merciful to the Hapsburg soldiers, as the latter certainly never showed ''them'' any mercy when the situations were reversed.
* MamaBear: Subverted. If Cedar had actually been one of these, Wolfram would have let them pass. As it is, while she was protective, she just wasn't protective enough.
* ManipulativeBastard: Wolfram is a genius at manipulating people's emotions so that they'll play into his hands.
* McNinja: Although there's no indication she was trained in actual ''ninjutsu'', Johanna is basically what you get by transferring the idea of a female ninja or ''kunoichi'' to 14th century Europe. She disguises herself flawlessly as an old woman in her attempt to pass the St. Gotthard Pass checkpoint, uses her wiles to break out of her cell and infiltrate the castle, and dispatches multiple guards using her deadly martial arts skills. The inclusion of such a character in this setting is simply justified by RuleOfCool.
* MedievalMorons: Significantly Averted. Being smart was just as important in the Middle Ages as it was in any other period, and any characters playing the game of subterfuge have to be quick with their wits.
* MortonsFork: Many of Wolfram's victims fall into these situations, where options both leave possibility of being caught as a suspicious traveler.
** Cedar and Juwel in Wolfram's strip search. [[spoiler:Cedar willingly letting the guards check her daughter would have Wolfram stop her for not caring enough for her daughter. Cedar resisting the notion could end with Wolfram apprehending them for resisting authorities.]]
** [[spoiler:Hedwig and Wilhelm in the short sword choice. Wolfram never specified the direction of the sword that would select the victim, so if the option was unfavorable, he would simply reverse the pointer to his intended target.]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "The Ripper of Schwyz". It does make an impression on Wolfram's soldiers.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Wolfram's....excesses drive the people to the point where rebellion is ''inevitable''.
** Wolf's Maw defenses would have been impregnable if not for the fact that Wolfram drove the Swiss to such rage that a lot of them did not mind sacrificing themselves to bring him down.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: While Wolfram's mind always made him extremely dangerous, Walter and others assumed that ''physically'' Wolfram is a SissyVillain. But the final surprise Wolfram had prepared for those seeking to corner him is himself being a skilled, dangerous fighter. [[spoiler: That surprise claims Hilde's life.]]
* OhCrap: Wolfram [[spoiler: has this HARD when he sees how he is going to be executed. This is the one time in the manga when he is actually terrified.]] Which is rather ironic, considering just how ''many'' people he caused to have this over the years.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Wolfram looks like he's in his early twenties, but looked the exact same about ten years prior, as shown in flashbacks.
* PapaWolf: William Tell fights ferociously to protect his son when Wolfram's troops catch up to them.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Hans]] received a downplayed version from Lord Leopold. [[spoiler:After being discovered by the rebels, he seeks shelter under Leopold's protection, but he sends him away noting that nothing good can come from a man who would sell out his own neighbors.]]
* RightForTheWrongReasons: Wolfram's assumption to Johanna's pass as a forgery. [[spoiler:He starts by saying that there was a needle-sized hole in the real deal, but then reveals that it was a lie. Whether he knew precisely that the document was a forgery or was just [[YouJustToldMe provoking Johanna]] to accidentally reveal the fact is up in the air.]]
* {{Sadist}}: All the gods above, Wolfram. He outright declares he's in it only for the fun involved and clearly delights in the atrocities he commits.
* SadisticChoice: Wolfram is fond of forcing these on his victims. However, he inevitably rigs the games he sets up and confesses he simply enjoys fucking with people's heads.
* SenselessSacrifice: In the first chapter, [[spoiler:Georg goes down fighting in a heroic attempt to protect Lise. Tragically, his death only delays the inevitable for a few seconds, since after he's dead, Wolfram executes her]].
* SetSwordsToStun: Plays with and possibly Justifies the use of this trope. Some of Wolfram's knights find Johanna escaping through the castle, and--remembering that they're not supposed to kill her--decide to grip their swords by the blade and beat her unconscious with their hilts. ShownTheirWork, as this is a legit technique from [[UsefulNotes/EuropeanSwordsmanship German Longsword]] called ''mordhau''.
* SexSlave: [[spoiler:Hans' wife was threatened to be sold to this by rebels. Grete was having none of it and simply had her shanked.]]
* SlasherSmile: Wolfram often grins when he's ordering someone's death.
* TheSociopath: Wolfram refers to the Wolfsmund as his 'little pass of pleasure.' He doesn't seem capable of empathy or care for other people.
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Wolfram did more public executions and corpse displays than you can stand. He enjoys them. [[spoiler:Which makes his death more ironic as he is made into a display.]]
* TheStoic: The Hapsburg Duke never betrays any emotion whatsoever.
* TemptingFate: After a close call saves from Walther's crossbow, Hilde tells Walther not to pierce her heart while he's at it. [[spoiler:She is then killed by Wolfram exactly in that manner.]]
* UndignifiedDeath: Wolfram himself [[spoiler:finally has his when he is caught by the rebels and gets executed in the most horrifying and humiliating manner. The execution is slow and drawn out, ensuring all of his painful and terrified moments are thoroughly enjoyed by the delighted crowd]].
* UndyingLoyalty: Georg risks his life for the sake of his dead master's daughter Lise, [[spoiler:and gives it up trying to protect her to his last breath]].
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory:
** In real life, the Swiss forest cantons were already largely independent of Habsburg rule by the time the manga begins; their main concern was stopping any Habsburg attempts at reconquest. Basically, Wolfram would have had ''nowhere near'' the level of authority over the Swiss that the manga depicts.
** While the St. Gotthard Pass did play a major role in medieval European history, it does not seem to have been the site of any major battle between the Swiss and Austrians during the early 14th century, though its siege in the manga seems to have taken inspiration from the legendary ''Burgenbruch''.
** Wolfram himself is wholly fictional, as is the Wolfsmund.
* VillainProtagonist: Wolfram is the closest the story has to a main character, [[spoiler:or so it seems.]] Every story [[spoiler:up until his death]] features him. He is also a brilliant sadist who delights in harming anyone who crosses his path.
* VillainousBreakdown:
** [[spoiler: When the Wolf's Maw is finally under siege and being brought down, Wolfram snaps enough to even throw one of his own soldiers out his window just for questioning him.]]
** Occurs again [[spoiler: as Wolfram is taken to his execution he starts screaming and telling the rebels that his Lord and God will punish them and that they will go to hell if they kill him. Considering what he did to the people over the years, the jackass has no right to talk about hell.]]
* YouJustToldMe: Wolfram pulls one on Johanna. [[spoiler:He states that her pass was a forgery due to the absence of a tiny needle hole on the document. Surrounded by guards, this prompted Johanna to make a run for the exit, falling into a water trap. Once captured, Wolfram reveals to Johanna that the needle hole was a lie, and that he tricked her to reveal her true intentions. Amusingly, considering that Johanna's pass was indeed forgery, whether he simply provoked Johanna or was RightForTheWrongReasons is up in the air.]]
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* {{Satan}}: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area preventing construction, making people realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil acceptes the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be the devil's messanger - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - and who is that other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.

* WerewolfThemeNaming: Wolfram's introduction in the first volume starts with a woman whispering about an existing gossip, according to which Wolfram was born as a result of a union between a wolf and a human woman.

* {{Satan}}: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area preventing construction, making people realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil acceptes the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be a child sent by the devil - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - and who other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.

* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: Wolfram is nothing but sweetness and smiles, and most who don't know him mistake him for a kind man. It's a mask for the devious sadist he really is.

* UndignifiedDeath: Wolfram himself [[spoiler:finally gets his when he is caught by the rebels and executed by having a spear impaled through his ass until it comes out his mouth. The execution is slow and drawn out, ensuring all of his painful and terrified moments are thoroughly enjoyed by the enraged crowd]].

* {{Satan}}: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area and preventing construction, making people realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil acceptes the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be a child sent by the devil - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - who other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.

* Satan: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area and preventing construction, making people realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil acceptes the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be a child sent by the devil - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - who other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.

* AbusiveParents: Cedar to her daughter Juwel in chapter 6. She's not shy about beating her physically if Juwel angers her, and threatens to abandon her. [[spoiler: Sadly, Cedar truly does love Juwel, but her self interest often wins out in the end, which ends up dooming Cedar anyways.]]

* WerewolfThemeNaming: Wolfram's introduction in the first volume starts with a woman whispering about an existing gossip,according to which Wolfram was born as a result of a union between a wolf and a human woman.

* Pay Evil Unto Evil: After all he's done, it is damn hard to blame the Swiss for [[spoiler:subjecting Wolfram to an absolutely stomach-churning execution]].

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Wolfram [[spoiler: finally dies by being impaled with a giant wooden spike that is hammered up his ass and through his body until it sticks out of his mouth. The depiction of it is as brutal as it sounds.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: After all he's done, it is damn hard to blame the Swiss for [[spoiler:subjecting Wolfram to an absolutely stomach-churning execution]].

** In real life, the Swiss forest cantons were already basically independent of Habsburg rule by the time the manga begins; their main concern was stopping any Habsburg attempts at reconquest. Basically, Wolfram would have had ''nowhere near'' the level of authority over the Swiss that the manga depicts.

** In real life, the Swiss forest cantons were already basically independent of Habsburg rule by the time the manga begins; their main concern was stopping any Habsburg attempts at reconquest.

* BigBad: Wolfram is the most active villain in the story, as as the Bailiff of the Wolfsmund, he is the omnipresent threat of the story. When [[spoiler:Wolfram is finally killed, Duke Leopold takes the role of the BigBad and proceeds to utterly crush his enemies.]]
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:A lot of the heroes including Walter died but not before killing most of Duke Leopold's knights and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Wolfram. With most of his knights dead, Leopold is forced to give up his plans to invade the Swiss and his dream of seeing his brother as the next King of Germany never happens. The Swiss cantons united as one nation and became modern day Switzerland]].

* BrokenTears: The last we see of Duke Leopold [[spoiler: His dreams have crumbled, his army is lost and a civil war is brewing for his family. He's left shivering by a fire, weeping in frustration and feebly swearing revenge]].

* CrucifiedHeroShot: Many times, a rebel being tortured or executed by Wolfram will be in a pose reminiscent of Christian martyr.

** [[spoiler:[[KarmicDeath Surprisingly]], [[VillainProtagonist Wolfram]] himself becomes an example of this trope, after spending most of the series with him. The story still manages to continue even after he's been killed.]]

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:For all the boasts Wolfram made about his power he is still under servitude to Duke Leopold. When he dies the Duke himself takes the matters into his own hands and personally deals with the rebellion.]]

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The Swiss in real history drove the Holy Roman Empire out through open warfare sometime earlier than the timeframe of the manga and William Tell did not die like he does in this story.

* LeaveNoSurvivors: The Swiss rebels are not particularly merciful to the Hapsburg soldiers after storming the castle.

''Ookami no Kuchi: Wolfsmund'' (狼の口 〜ヴォルフスムント〜) is a 2009–2016 historical fantasy {{seinen}} manga by Mitsuhisa Kuji, of whom little is known except that she is a talented female artist born in 1978 who studied under two of the biggest names in manga art, Creator/KentaroMiura (''Manga/{{Berserk}}'') and Creator/KaoruMori (''Manga/VictorianRomanceEmma'').

* YouJustToldMe: Wolfram pulls one on Johanna. [[spoiler:He states that her pass was a forgery due to the absence of a tiny needle hole on the document. Surrounded by guards, this prompted Johanna to make a run for the exit, falling into a water trap. Once captured, Wolfram reveals to Johanna that the needle hole was a lie, and that he tricked her to reveal her true intentions.]]

* DecoyProtagonist: The plot opens up not too unlike several dark medieval settings with Lise, [[FallenPrincess a daughter of a rebel noble]], attempting to escape the country. What seemed like a RichesToRags story goes downhill really fast at the introduction of [[VillainProtagonist Wolfram]]. [[spoiler:This ends with [[AnyoneCanDie Lise's death]] in the very first chapter she's introduced.]] Afterwards, everyone with their name in the chapter titles is probably dead at their chapters' end.

* DecoyProtagonist: The plot opens up not too unlike several dark medieval settings with Lise, [[FallenPrincess a daughter of a rebel noble]], attempting to escape the country. What seemed like a [[RichesToRags]] story goes downhill really fast at the introduction of [[VillainProtagonist Wolfram]]. [[spoiler:This ends with [[AnyoneCanDie Lise's death]] in the very first chapter she's introduced.]] Afterwards, everyone with their name in the chapter titles is probably dead at their chapters' end.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Happens every story. Heroes will often face nasty ends. [[spoiler: Villains too with both Sir Berthold and Wolfram meeting very harsh deaths.]]
* DecoyProtagonist: Everyone with their name in the chapter titles is probably dead at their chapters' end. [[spoiler:Grete, the innkeeper, is probably the best example of this, though. She lasts two volumes, however.]]

* TheDeterminator: William Tell's son, Walter absolutely refuses to give up.

* TheDragon: Wolfram to the Hapsburg Duke. For the Wolfsmund alone, the brutish Berchtold functions as Wolfram's Dragon.

* EyesAlwaysShut: In keeping with his FauxAffablyEvil behavior, Wolfram often has his eyes cheerfully shut.

* FallenPrincess: Lise is the daughter of nobleman and rebel leader Ernst of Schwyz, and loses everything when her father is executed for treason. She has only one knight, Georg, and is forced to disguise as a knight's boy servant to escape detection.
* ForTheEvulz: Wolfram's real motivation. He confesses to Hedgwig Tell in volume 3 his greatest kick in life is messing with people.

* SenselessSacrifice: In the first chapter, [[spoiler:Georg goes down fighting in a heroic attempt to protect Lise. Tragically, his death only delays the inevitable for a few seconds, since after he's dead Wolfram executes her]].

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Wolfram did more public executions and corpse displays than you can stand. He enjoys them.

* ArmorIsUseless: Averted. Knights in full plate and maile have a tremendous advantage in survivability over regular soldiers.

* UndignifiedDeath: Wolfram himself [[spoiler:finally gets his when he is caught be the rebels and executed by having a spear impaled through his ass until it comes out his mouth. The execution is slow and drawn out, ensuring all of his painful and terrified moments are thoroughly enjoyed by the enraged crowd]].

* HumiliationConga: [[spoiler:Wolfram not only gets beaten by the commoner rebels he looked down upon but also get's the most painful and humiliating death ever. His master, Duke Leopold, not only failed in conquering the Swiss and loses most of knights by commoners but is forced to give up helping his older brother become the next King of Germany]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:A lot of the heroes including Walter died but not before killing most of Duke Leopold's knights and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Wolfram. With most of his knights dead, Leopold is forced to give up his plans to invade the Swiss and his dream of seeing his brother as the next King of Germany never happens. The Swiss cantons united as one nation and becoming modern day Switzerland]].

''Ookami no Kuchi: Wolfsmund'' (狼の口 〜ヴォルフスムント〜 ''Ōkami no Kuchi: Vorufusumunto'') is a 2009–2016 historical fantasy {{seinen}} manga by Mitsuhisa Kuji, of whom little is known except that she is a talented female artist born in 1978 who studied under two of the biggest names in manga art, Creator/KentaroMiura (''Manga/{{Berserk}}'') and Creator/KaoruMori (''Manga/VictorianRomanceEmma'').