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[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/VeronikaMmish250px.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Some werewolves are more man than wolf, while others are more wolf than man.]]
->''It's a full moon tonight,\\
I'm gonna get a bite,\\
I can't wait till I start transforming.''
-->--'''Calibretto''', "Mysanthropy and the Full Moon"
Subtrope of OurMonstersAreDifferent, dealing with variations on typical lycanthropy (i.e. [[WolfMan werewolves]]). [[OurVampiresAreDifferent As with vampires]], writers love to take their own spins on lycanthrophy, to the extent that the only thing all fictional werewolves have in common is that they are [[{{Animorphism}} animorphs]] who take the form of a wolf.
OurWerewolvesAreDifferent is where an work uses werewolves so different from the Werewolf Classic that he or she
* '''What:''' This transformation may be total, turning the human into an actual wolf, or partial, turning the man into a BeastMan that has wolf features, but retaining human proportions. With the advent of more sophisticated make-up and visual effects, techniques have been developed that allowed more wolflike features on humanoids, such as giving a character a wolf's muzzle and ears. The [[TransformationTrauma human to werewolf transformation]] in the movie ''An American Werewolf in London'' is generally considered to be the standard to which all others are compared, quite remarkable for a movie now more than twenty five years old and from the pre-CGI era.
** ''{{Werewolf}}'' : The basic no-frills transformation is [[{{Animorphism}} man into wolf]], ending up looking just like what you'd see in the woods or a zoo, but this is actually rather rare.
** ''[[BigBadAssWolf Dire Wolf]]'' : like the above, but either ''much'' bigger, or far more muscular, often with long, rather un-lupine claws, and a grizzly-bear physique.
** ''WolfMan'' : In [[TheFifties '50s]] horror films, the transformation usually took the form of a [[BeastMan hairy humanoid]] with [[PettingZooPeople a scattering of animal features]], such as pointed ears, fangs, claws, and maybe a more canine nose or even a tail, but otherwise remaining almost entirely human (The "classic" Wolf Man appearance is not entirely dissimilar to the symptoms of a rare genetic disorder, hypertrichosis.) May be used as a GameFace to intimidate, or a PartialTransformation between full man and full wolf.
** ''Man-Wolf'' : MixAndMatchCritters with a fur-covered humanoid body and a fully lupine head. Man-wolves seem to have become more popular than wolf-men recently, likely due to increasing special effects technology; the old wolf-man design was purely for the purposes of suggesting wolfishness while remaining within the limits of latex applications.
** There may also be breeds of therianthrope, other than lycanthropes (werewolves), typically based on other predators. Bears, Tigers, and Rats are common examples.
* '''Why:''' The underlying cause of one's lycanthropic condition. Technically, a number of variations are possible: in some mythologies, a werewolf is an ''actual wolf'' who can assume human form rather than the other way around. However, far and away the most popular concept is that a werewolf is a human who has somehow acquired the ability to transform ([[VoluntaryShapeshifter willingly]] or [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting otherwise]]) into a wolf. Popular methods include a ViralTransformation after being bitten by a previous werewolf, but there are many possible causes:
** ''Heredity'': Some werewolves are simply born that way to begin with: They either belong to a distinct species, or lycanthropy is a genetic condition that was passed down through their family line. Alternately, it can be a hereditary curse, which tends to manifest around the DangerousSixteenthBirthday (give or take a few years). In SpeculativeFiction, the werewolf is often neither really wolf nor man, but some [[IntelligentGerbil species of alien]].
*** One werewolf legend says that if a person is born on the 24th of December or conceived on the night of a new moon, he will become a werewolf. For this reason the historical King John of England was accused of having become a werewolf after his death (though, as Montague Summers says, with [[CrazyAwesome splendid insanity]], "It is very curious that King John should become a werewolf after death, and one suspects there may be some confusion here, and that he became a [[FurAgainstFang vampire]].")
** ''Disease'': Lycanthropy is an [[ViralTransformation infectious condition]], passed on (like [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires ... maybe]]) to any surviving victim of a werewolf attack (usually a bite). Rarely is it explicitly established that disease-style Lycanthropy isn't also hereditary, though it often is, this is a [[NewerThanTheyThink fairly new addition]] to werewolf lore.
** ''Magic'': Becoming a werewolf is the result of [[AWizardDidIt magical forces]] or AppliedPhlebotinum at work. It could be due a BlackMagic ceremony or making a DealWithTheDevil, or it could be the result of a {{Curse}} placed on the person by some EvilSorceror or whatnot -- other popular causes may include typical MadScientist experiments, exposure to GreenRocks ... the list goes on. On the other hand, it need not be malicious in nature; sometimes the transformation is simply a type of "natural magic" and certain magicians (particularly Druids) have learned to [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change their form at will]] -- they may insist they are TotallyNotAWerewolf, and rightly so.
* '''When''' does their transformation occur?
** [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Completely at will]]: This is usually limited to members of separate werewolf species (where shapeshifting is their natural ability) or those posessing magic spells. When operating under this rule, during full moons (or nights closest to full moon) they will often have no control over whether or not they shapeshift.
** Occurs at ''regularly scheduled intervals'', most famously upon the night of a full moon.
*** Sometimes this extends to the nights surrounding the full moon (frequently [[RuleOfThree three]]), rather than just the night of the "fullest" moon.
*** Alternately, transformation occuring on a daily basis (human by day, wolf by night) is another viable option, especially in VideoGames with an InUniverseGameClock.
*** If you want to be really old-timey, some werewolves will only change when the plant aconitum (aka wolfsbane) blooms, which is to say, around autumn, although different species bloom all year. Sometimes the werewolf has to eat the aconitum.
** Transformation can be the result of a ''specific trigger'', like GreenRocks.
*** Sometimes it occurs as the [[HulkingOut result of severe physical pain or emotional stress]].
*** Some transformations that occur during the full moon explicitly require exposure to the ''light'' of the moon, or that the individual actually ''sees'' the moon; thus they can be sheltered indoors or on clouded nights.
*** Japanese werewolf lore also includes transformations induced by seeing ''any object'' that is round.
** ''Doesn't transform at all'': The wolflike shape is his permanent form. This, too, is typically limited to werewolves who are a distinct (or alien) species.
* '''Control?''' A werewolf may maintain their human mind while transformed, or they may [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody receive the mind of that animal]]. Or end up somewhere in between. Or [[UnstoppableRage they may just go crazy]]. In either case, they may also be subject to an [[HorrorHunger irresistible urge to dine on human flesh]]. Quite logically, the more voluntary their transformation, the more control the individual retains in their wolf-shape -- it wouldn't make much sense to voluntarily choose a transformation that requires going nuts, would it? -- and members who can't transform at all have nothing to worry about here.
* '''Mortal?''' Probably the most important element for the hero of the story to know (whether he ''is'' the werewolf, or just trying to hunt one down): Just how do you ''stop'' the beast? Some werewolves are mere mortals (if dangerous ones); some are virtually indestructible creatures unless you use a KryptoniteFactor.
** The most popular weakness is silver (preferably in the form of a SilverBullet) which is associated, like werewolves themselves, with the moon.
*** Sometimes the silver may need to be extra-special in some way, such as having been taken from a crucifix or having to be inherited silver (in which case the source may be more important than the material).
*** Silver was once thought to have special properties in its own right, and may have been suggested for use against werewolves for its supposed ability to harm supernatural beings that were otherwise invulnerable. It's been said to work against vampires as well.
** The monkshood plant (''Acronitum'' genus, the european variety, ''Aconitum napellus'', is the most commonly used) is another possible option, since it's also called wolfsbane.
** Mistletoe is also a traditional way to ward off werewolves.
** Beheading it or burning it usually works across the board.
* '''Cure?''' A werewolf might just be a werewolf for life, but sometimes it's possible to undo the condition if it is unwanted. Sadly, this may only be a temporary treatment rather than a permanent cure.
** Sometimes, a possible cure is to [[NoOntologicalInertia kill the werewolf which just infected you]], usually with a time limit, such as before the next month.
** In some of the most [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Idealistic]] shows, inflicting the werewolf a non-fatal wound with silver is enough to cure him.
** Sometimes wolfsbane or another plant are said to actually inhibit the transformation rather than actually repelling or harming the creature. It is usually not a particularly effective treatment, though the reason varies (usually because the plant's poisonous nature fully affects the werewolf, because it mitigates but does not completely stop the transformation, or because the substance needed is particularly rare).
** Occasionally, the cure is to consume a lock of wolfsbane before the next full moon, ignoring the poisonous nature of the plant.
** If lycanthropy is a disease, then curative magic, healing salves mixed with wolfsbane or some other exotic ingredient, or even normal precautions against infection may prevent it from taking hold. This almost always has to be performed soon after infection/exposure.
Other Common Werewolf Tropes include:
* Evil werewolves are typically deeply hedonistic characters who relish giving in to their "animal nature."
* Upon death, a werewolf [[ThisWasHisTrueForm will revert to human form]].
* In the game of ElementalRockPaperScissors, werewolves are associated with Earth. In some stories, this means that they can not stomach flight.
* A werewolf may begin to adopt lupine characteristics in human form, such as [[MysteriousAnimalSenses heightened senses]], the need to mark territory, hairy palms, or the tendency to sleep curled up into a ball. EyesOfGold are a common characteristic, since they look mysterious but not incriminating.
* Werewolves are strangely prone to ThemeNaming and {{Meaningful Name}}s. [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Beware of any guy named Wolfgang "Moondog" Lupin]]. This makes sense for heriditary werewolves, but not so much for those who were turned.
* Werewolves often operate in packs. Killing the alpha male may "cure" the rest of the pack.
* Werewolves of the evil and involuntary subtypes are almost guaranteed to undergo a [[TransformationTrauma horrifying]] and/or [[PainfulTransformation excruciating]] ordeal as they transform. Good werewolves tend to have it easier.
** This could have something to do with how long the person has been a werewolf, too. The first transformation shown in a film is usually the longest and most graphic, while subsequent ones often go faster.
* Werewolves sometimes find themselves [[FurAgainstFang pitted against vampires]].
* Although most of the time it does not come up, often werewolves are classified as being [[TheUndead undead]], primarily due to their inability to be killed except by special means, (see above) much like most undead.
** Since when does being really hard to kill make someone undead? Wouldn’t that make most superheroes undead?
*** Well, looking at the amount of times most of them have been ressurected you could definately make the argument.
* Sexism is rampant in the werewolf world, and in most stories women weres are not allowed to be the alpha/in control of a pack, period, due to their smaller size. This aspect of the mythos is edging into [[DiscreditedTrope discredited]] territory, though.
* Social werewolves operate according to a strict hierarchy, with an alpha male at the top of the group and a bullied omega at the bottom. Lower-ranking werewolves can challenge their superiors to physical combat and, upon beating them, assume their opponent's place in the hierarchy. Such one-on-one duels are generally the only way to remove an insane or incompetent alpha. This is not true of real wolves, although it [[ScienceMarchesOn was thought to be for a very long time.]] Up until recently, most zoological studies of wolves used wolves in captivity. [[SarcasmMode For some reason]], strange wolves thrown together in captivity start acting out PrisonTropes. In the wild, a wolf pack is usually a family. The alpha male and female are the parents of the lower-ranking wolves. Rather than rise up and challenge their parents for leadership, the children just leave when they're a few years old and find mates, thus starting their own packs.
* A dislike of being treated like a pet. A werewolf would, for example, most likely object to being scratched behind the ears, having his belly rubbed, etc. by a human companion. If he ''doesn't'', it's probably because the companion is a very close friend or lover.
* Tendency to experience graphic, violent and disturbing nightmares. Although werewolves frequently appear in these dreams, any form of gratuitous slaughter is a possibility.
* Recently, the idea that werewolves can MindMeld or psychically communicate with other werewolves has been creeping into the mythos. When done well, this is played as an extension of the pack mentality and the tightly-knit communities it creates. Other times, it's a rather obvious dodge to let them 'talk' in wolf form without the author having to stretch for modes of non-verbal communication.
* If a werewolf is able to control the transformation, it sometimes raises the question of [[FridgeLogic what he gets out of turning into a wolf.]] One common answer is that he hunts animals, or just run in the wilderness with his pack. This could be because of some supernatural compulsion, or he might just make him feel good. Often this desire is treated [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything as a metaphor]].
* A HealingFactor often shows up as a RequiredSecondaryPower or perk. After all, if you can warp your body drastically enough to turn into a completely different creature, you can probably use the same priciple to regenerate tissue.
* Many {{Shapeshifting}} tropes can be tweaked a little to fit with a werewolf.
Werewolves did not receive the same revisionist treatment as vampires did during the 90's. Partially this is due to the high probability of SpecialEffectsFailure in visual media, but also because the concept is more difficult to revise. Having your neck bitten by beautiful people is erotic, being torn into bloody chunks and eaten is not. And in most common depictions, werewolves aren't exactly sapient in their wolf form. Hence they're often relegated to supporting roles in FurAgainstFang plotlines and FantasyKitchenSink settings.
However, recently the werewolf's cachet has been rising, in part due to the [[EnsembleDarkhorse surpising]] [[FanPreferredCouple popularity]] of Jacob Black from ''{{Twilight}}''. Recent works of note include the ''[[WolvesOfMercyFallsSeries Wolves of Mercy Falls]]'' trilogy, Jennifer Lynn Barnes' ''Raised by Wolves'' (a sequel to which is in the works), and the ''MercyThompson'' and ''KittyNorville'' books. 2010 also saw a highly-publicized remake of ''TheWolfMan'', although this depiction is much more traditional then the above.
The word "werewolf," for what it's worth, is a compound with the archaic English word for an adult male (etymologically "man" [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad really was genderless]]). Hence, the not-uncommon female lycanthropes should more strictly be "wifwolves," a term that has sadly not seen much actual use. Naturally, werewolves are OlderThanPrint.
Some settings with a FantasyKitchenSink approach may include more weres than just wolves. [[EverythingsWorseWithBears Bears]] and big cats are the next two favourites. In general, weres are those possessing therianthropy; please note that 'lycanthrope' applies ''only'' for wolves.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Jean Jacquemonde is this in the manga ''Spriggan'' as [[spoiler:his father before him was a werewolf too, being created as a biological weapon of war by ancient civilizations.]]. The catch? He [[spoiler:needs to see his own blood after being shot to death to do this. He transforms back to a man after anyone near him is either gone from sight or dead.]].
* [[BigBadassWolf Free]], of Atushi Ookubo's manga ''{{Soul Eater}}'' is a werewolf of the Dire Wolf variety. He's also [[AnIcePerson an ice mage]] and illusionist, though whether he learned those skills or they came with his werewolf heritage are unconfirmed.
** His magic skills are from the eye that he took from the leader of the witches.
* Jyabura, a villain from ''OnePiece'', is possessed of a Devil Fruit power that allows him to transform into a wolf or a wolf/human hybrid that looks like a typical werewolf.
* Liru from ''MagicalPokaan'' turns into a cute little puppy with anything round, strangely enough, except for the full moon.
* Ginei from ''RosarioToVampire'', president of the Newspaper Club and HandsomeLech. As a werewolf, his primary battle strategy involves super speed.
** He can transform at will, but he his power varies according to the phase of the moon. He once lost a fight when a cloud covered the moon.
* The Captain, one of the villains from the manga ''{{Hellsing}}'', is a werewolf. He has several forms which he can go between at will, ranging from a human to a mist-like Dire Wolf. In all forms he has massive physical strength and speed with a HealingFactor.
* Wolf familiars Arf and Zafila of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', who are shown as capable of shifting from [[BigBadassWolf giant wolves]], to this, to full human (i.e., no wolf ears or tails), to FunSize versions of the first two forms. And just to punctuate the WolfMan image, Arf's first on-screen transformation ino a wolf was accompanied with a full moon in the background.
* Kotaro Inugami of ''MahouSenseiNegima'' is technically a dog boy, but he associates himself with wolves. He's also proven capable of [[spoiler: turning into a really BigBadassWolf at full power.]]
* Subverted in ''Wolf's Rain'', in that the titular characters are sentient wolves not capable of actual shapeshifting; but can make themselves ''appear'' human, through a sort of telepathy; in order to hide among humans who would otherwise fear and kill them. They occasionally drop this disguise to frighten humans; or, in one case, to befriend a human by appearing as an ordinary dog.
* Dora Nikov from ''Doraemon'' transforms whenever he sees a round object.
* Somewhat related: Saiyans in ''DragonBall'' transform into giant rampaging monkeys when they see the light of a full moon. Cutting off their tails prevents this, but until they reach a certain age, it will grow back.
** Dragonball also features a [[strike:Wolf Man]] Man Wolf, a wolfman that transforms into a man with the full moon. [[spoiler:Tries to take revenge on Master Roshi for destroying the moon, leaving him a wolf.]]
* C'tarl C'tarl from ''OutlawStar'' are werecats with several intermediate forms (Fuzzy Space-Elf to [[CatGirl Cat Person]] to Buff Superpowered Cat Person to Giant Tiger) whose access are dependant on the presence and phase of a moon and on their own personal energy reserves.
** There is an actual werewolf in the story too.
* Appears in many works by OsamuTezuka. In ''{{Phoenix}}'' they're a kind of Shinto nature spirits. Another story, ''Vampire'', features more typical ones that are called, well... Vampires (Though many vampire legends say they can turn into wolves, too). Perhaps the weirdest, and arguably most realistic, example is ''OdeToKirihito'', which revolves around the mysterious illness known as Monmow Disease, an affliction that gradually turns people into canine-like mutants untill the trauma the transformation causes to their organs kills them.
* [[SpiceAndWolf Holo]] is a [[InsistentTerminology wise]] Dire-sized wolf who inhabits wheat that can change into a young Wolf Girl. She needs either wheat or blood to transform from one form to another.
** She is a wolf-god who transforms voluntarily into a human form, however, not a human who becomes a wolf.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: ComicBooks]]
* ''Werewolf by Night'' at Marvel Comics. The main character is named [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Jack Russell]], which is a breed of terrier.
* Early in the chronology of ''ElfQuest'', Timmain, one of a group of elfin space travelers stranded on the Earth-like World of Two Moons, shapeshifted into various forms in order to understand the planet's ecology, finally turning herself into a fully fertile she-wolf so that she could mate with the alpha male of a wild pack and have offspring. She didn't just do that on impulse, but so that her descendants would be a part of the planet. In more recent issues (set about 20,000 years later) the elf [[spoiler:Kimo]] has learned from Timmain how to shapeshift into a wolf.
* John Jameson (J. Jonah's son) was an astronaut who was transformed by a ruby he found on the moon into Man-Wolf. He was later transported to the dimension the ruby originated in, where he became Stargod. (Still a man-wolf, but with Jameson's intelligence & personality.)
* Mikola Rostov from ''TheWarlord'' was a Russian fencing instructor cursed to become a werewolf every full moon. he tried to escape his curse by moving to world of perpetual sunlight. This was not as successful as he might have hoped.
* Bigby Wolf from the ''{{Fables}}'' is a sort of inversion. He was a giant wolf great enough to eat entire armies at one go (indeed, he was ''the'' Big Bad Wolf), but he allowed [[strike:a werewolf to bite himself]] Snow White to cut him with a lycanthropy-cursed knife so that he could take a human form at will in order to live peacefully in our world.
* In Fred Perry's ''Series/GoldDigger'', one of the main characters is one of the last Werecheetahs. Other weres include Lions, Tigers, Rats, and of course Wolves. Each subspecies is able to shift between human, animal, and a "Wolf-Man" styled hybrid form. All of the weres retain their rationality in each of their forms, although they need to learn to control their instincts during childhood. Although the weres are separate species, they are capable of spreading Lycanthropy to Humans as a disease; they were originally created by a wizard as SuperSoldiers before said wizard was betrayed. They have a HealingFactor for everything except attacks by another were -- and silver, which literally burns their flesh.
** And souls!
** You forgot magic and Dwarven Steel (which disrupts the magic in the were's aura, which slows down their HealingFactor.)
* ''LittleGloomy'' takes place in Spooksville, Frightsylvania, where the moon is ''always'' out, and ''always'' full. Accordingly, the sizable werewolf population is a constant danger to the average citizen, with one of the only civilized werewolves being Gloomy's friend Larry.
* The manga ''Cowa!'' has the main character who is a werekoala and also part vampire.
* In ''CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'', one storyline had a wolf who, thanks to a magical artifact, transformed under a full moon into a "wuz-wolf," a feral-looking human being. (The Zoo Crew's Earth having no humans, who are considered only to be fictional creatures, is noted at several points during the story).
* In ''TheWarlord'', Mikola Rostov was a Russian fencing instructor cursed to become a werewolf every full moon. Rostov followed his lover Mariah to the other-dimensional realm of Skartaris, hoping the perpetual sunlight would free him of his curse. He eventually went back in time to the age when the land was called Wizard World. There Jennifer Morgan cast a spell that cured him from his werewolf curse. However he can still use his "wolf spirit" in battle.
* ''Thicker than Blood'' features two brothers, one of whom is a werewolf (of the manwolf variety) while the other [[spoiler:turns out to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or at least something like him.]] The werewolf brother originally only transforms on the full moon nights after being been on a family trip, but [[spoiler:after drinking his brother's serum]] he appears to change more frequently and is even stronger and more feral than usual.
* ''In the Blood'' is a limited series, currently held up in production due to the artist suffering from cancer, which centers on a teenager struggling with his burgeoning lycanthropy. He seems to be unable to control when his transformations occur and is styled after the classic Lon Chaney wolfman style. It's been implied in interviews that this [[spoiler: is a family affliction.]]
* ''The Astounding Wolf-Man'', written by Robert Kirkman, focuses on a man who, after being infected with lycanthropy on a family vacation, uses it as a means by which he can become a superhero. His werewolf powers give him super strength and healing, but only work at night. Also on the night of the full moon he enters a feral state and can no longer control his actions.
* Wolfsbane of the 1980's Marvel Comics to present is a mutant shapechanger who originally could become a red-furred wolf, or a 'werewolfgirl' intermediate form. These forms continued to change as she grew, influenced by emotional crises, mind control, drugs, mutant energy influxes, whatever the writers could dream up. Twice (at least) depowered and restored, she has served on more teams (and in more different comic books) than most any character.
** There was also a minor character, Wolfcub, who was stuck in a "wolfman" form. A couple of plots have tried to explain that all mutants with regenerative powers, claws, and heightened senses were a subspecies of mutant (Homo superior lupus) that was the origin of werewolves.
* In ''{{Runaways}}'' the heroes have to go up against a group of "cowboy werewoofs." One character is surprised at this because "there isn't even a full moon tonight." This prompts another character to point out that the "moon is always full."
* In ''Beasts O Burden'' it's a demon possessing someone's body, doesn't seem to be restricted by moon cycle when taking over the body, and it gives the person the ability to talk to animals. Silver bullets are still the way to go though.
* In the very allegorical ''HouseOfMystery'' story "Maidenhead", the Children of the Blue Gray's lycanthropy is sexual (it's unclear whether arousal leads to the change or vice versa, because as far as they're concerned it's the same thing), but also seems to be tied into their [[CrystalDragonJesus Crystal Dragon Mohammad]] religion.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Film}}]]
* ''WerewolfOfLondon'' (1935), the first werewolf feature film, introduced the moon/werewolf connection and the contagion meme. Not only does the full moon cause the infected to transform, but the only antidote for the transformation (the "mariphasa") is a fictional flower which only blooms under moonlight.
* Curt Siodmak built on the above foundation in the script for ''The Wolf Man'' (1941), and added the henceforth near-unavoidable weakness to silver. "Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers at night, may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." A less copied touch is the trait of having the werewolf seeing the mark of a pentacle on his fated next victim.
** There are references to the use of silver against werewolves as far as in the 18th century or more. Ofcouse back then silver was considered effective against all sorts of evil entities, and wasn't absolutely necessary in disposing them.
* ''An American Werewolf In London'' used a dire wolf transformation, who proves vulnerable to ordinary gunfire. It also almost single-pawedly popularised the [[TransformationTrauma horrible transformation]] subtrope.
* The modern man-wolf style made its popular debut in ''TheHowling'' (1981), which featured infectious werewolves who otherwise acted as a species (changing at will and possibly retaining their own minds, though with predatory instincts).
** The so-called sequels also had this. In ''Howling III: Marsupials'' we are introduced to were[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine thylacines]]. The movie also implies that the therianthropes of that reality are akin to the wolves in ''[[WolfsRain Wolf's Rain]]'', as they've evolved to become human to survive human persecution of their baser species (the wolves in Russia, thylacines in Australia).
*** What makes that especially weird is that, despite being ten a penny in the rest of the world, shapeshifting myths are completely unknown in Australia.
** It should be noted that both ''An American Werewolf In London'' and ''The Howling'' both came out in 1981 (as well as the sorta werewolf movie ''Wolfen''). Together, they make an almost perfect example of this trope in action. In ''The Howling'' a character points out that the werewolves must be killed with silver, while saying the full moon thing is just Hollywood made up stuff. In ''An American Werewolf In London'', the titular character is told by his now undead friend to commit suicide before transforming during the full moon, but when the werewolf asks if he needs silver bullets, he's told to get real!
** The transformation from ''American Werewolf In London'' is paid tribute to in ''Fright Night'' where Evil Ed (who is a wolf at the time during that scene) turns back into a human.
* ''TeenWolf'' and the AnimatedAdaptation, ''Teen Wolf The Animated Series'', featured a light comedy version of this.
** The werewolves of ''TeenWolf'' were hereditary, and could transform at will retaining full mental faculties, but lost control of the transformation on nights of the full moon.
* The movie ''Wolf'' has Jack Nicholson's character Will gradually become more and more werewolfish in his behavior during the days leading up to the full moon. In desperation, he acquires a mystic amulet that will supposedly prevent his transformation, but all it does is keep him in a half-man/half-werewolf (think about that one for a moment) state. Until the guy he bit shows up, more werewolfish than Will and threatening Will's new love interest. Will tosses the amulet aside and quickly catches up to the other werewolf, finally looking like a WolfMan lite before leaving. At the end of the film it's revealed that [[spoiler:the curse has run its course and Will has become a full wolf. And his girlfriend is going to be one, too. After next month, at least.]]
* The infamous Cantina Scene from ANewHope showed a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Shistavanen Shistavenen]], which though not werewolves certainly fit the bill of "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Shistavanen_NEGAS.jpg wolfman]]." The StarWarsExpandedUniverse gives us "wyrwulves," the nonsentient canine immature form of the Codru-Ji; [=KotOR=] also provides [[TheVirus rakghouls]], who in terms of transforming someone who has been bitten fall squarely between werewolves and zombies with a dash of BodyHorror.
* ''TheCompanyOfWolves'' has a very different take on werewolves, in that they're actually much more faithful to the medieval version of werewolves, albeit combined with a lot of [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible hard-to-understand symbolism]]. But hey, the transformation sequences are awesome.
* ''Film/{{Werewolf}}'' was wildly inconsistent in its portrayal of the titular monsters; they vary between looking like really hairy men and looking like "a bear with a bat mask." Even a scratch from a dead werewolf's ''bone'' is enough to transmit "werewolfism" to other people; one victim gets scratched and transforms ''while driving''. [[MysteryScienceTheater3000 Mike and the 'bots]] did not let this pass without comment; for instance, the sketch where Mike accidentally gets scratched by Crow and begins transforming into a "were-Crow," or "Where Oh Werewolf."
** The film has the gall to go out of its way to argue that its titular beast is "not a traditional white man's movie monster," but some obscure Native American curse. And then proceeds to have said werewolf behave... exactly like a white man's movie monster.
*** Well, it's claimed that the silver bullets only incapacitated one of the infected characters. And the inconsistent makeup seems to just show progression; they just look very hairy at the start of their transformation, and wear the bat-mask when they're fully "wolf". By the way, said werewolves aren't very tough; a random bystander gets into a fistfight with one, and ''almost wins''.
* ''CatPeople'' involved people that could turn into black panthers when sexually aroused. [[FetishFuel Meowww!]]
* ''{{Ladyhawke}}'' features a couple of young lovers cursed to take on animal form at different times, as to keep them apart; the man turns into a wolf at night, and the lady... guess what.
* In ''BigFish'' by Tim Burton, the title character suspects that the circus ringmaster (Danny Devito) is a werewolf, turns out he actually is one but not an evil or monstrous one.
* ''DogSoldiers'' has werewolves who change at the full moon, but can hold it back if they wish, though with difficulty. Also, silver isn't absolutely necessary to kill them, even while they're in wolf form. It's just really difficult without it.
* ''SilverBullet'' [[SinisterMinister has a werewolf who is a church pastor]] and changes EVERY NIGHT, though he gets less "wolfish" in form and thought the further away time gets from the full moon, and vice versa.
* ''Black Sheep'' (not to be confused with the Chris Farley comedy of the same name) has two characters becoming weresheep after being bitten by the titular killer ovines.
* ''{{Underworld}}'' and its [[ElectricBoogaloo oddly named sequel]] answer the age old questions of what would happen if [[FurAgainstFang vampires and werewolves got into a centuries old blood war]], what would happen if someone was turned by both vampires and werewolves, and just how badly does Bill Nighy need a pay check. In ''{{Underworld}}'' werewolves, or [[NotSayingTheZWord lycans]], are from the brother strain of the virus that produced the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. There are two strains of werewolves. The first came from the first werewolf, William, and all those bitten by him. They're dire wolves, but they can never turn back to humans ever again, and they've permanently lost their minds. The second version is the ones descended from Lucian. They are monstrous man-wolves with jet black skin and very little hair. The latter ones go berserk on their first transformations, but as they age they can gain control. They can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter voluntarily transform]] during the full moon, but they don't have to, and again, older ones can transform when they please. Both forms are transferred via a bite, and both are regenerating immortals. (Immortal to an extent anyway, silver works, but ripping their head off without silver works too.)
** Of course, there's also Michael, who's a badass hybrid as a result of [[spoiler:Selene turning him near the end of the movie]], but resembles a werewolf far more than a vampire, likely because he was bitten by a werewolf first. He's a wolf man, and has complete and total control over his transformations, sometimes even doing partial transformations with ease.
* ''Van Helsing'' features a werewolf shaped like a wolf, but as it wasn't a main villain, its details were not discussed.
** [[spoiler:The title character eventually transforms into one in order to take down Dracula for good]].
* ''GingerSnaps'' has its title character bitten by a werewolf on the night that she gets her first period. Unlike most werewolf movies, Ginger's transformation into the monster (which is of the Man-Wolf type) is gradual, and there're many ties with the onset of puberty.
** Silver and wolfsbane (usually referred to as monk's hood) work on the werewolves in the ''GingerSnaps'' trilogy, though the latter must be liquified and injected to have any real effect. In the sequel, Ginger's sister Brigitte--who survived but was infected--takes regular, weakened doses of monk's hood in order to inhibit her transformation.
* The Wolfman from ''TheMonsterSquad'' was a pretty solid Wolf Man. Regular bullets didn't work on him, as revealed in the scene with the cops and the coroner guy. In his first encounter with the protagonists in the old house on Shadowbrook Road, he gets [[GroinAttack kicked in the nards]] by "Fat Kid" Horace, which proves to be quite effective. After being blown up by the main character and his father, he's finally finished off when Rudy, the oldest of the titular group, uses a silver bullet to kill him, [[DidNotDoTheResearch completely ignoring the fact that you need a cartridge in order for the bullet to actually fire]].
* ''BadMoon'' features a werewolf that changes every night, without the need for a full moon, and that doesn't need any special method to kill (or harm).
* In the Wes Craven film ''[[Film/{{Cursed 2005}} Cursed]]'', Werewolves have a powerful sexual allure to members of the opposite sex. The curse itself seems to confer an uncanny ability to pull off [[WrestlerInAllOfUs complex pro-wrestling moves]] in high school wrestling matches, and killing the cursed werewolf that infected you won't cut it for the cure... you have to kill the natural born werewolf that infected ''it''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Literature}}]]
* In PoulAnderson's magitek reality in ''Operation Chaos'', werewolves are persons with a genetic condition. Scientific understanding of the condition in the 20th century allows the werewolf to understand and receive training to keep his human motivations in wolf form (but not ''full'' intelligence). The change is permitted by having polarized light as the only light source (either moonlight or a portable "moonflash" carried on the person). The wolf-form heals at {{Wolverine}} speeds except when silver is involved. The hero/werewolf/narrator fought in WorldWarII as an Army Ranger and seemed to suffer no social prejudice.
** He was a movie star, before the war, playing a ''Rin Tin Tin'' type character.
* Kelley Armstrong's ''WomenOfTheOtherworld'' series features werewolves that [[VoluntaryShapeshifter turn into pure wolves at will]], but the process is painful. They must Change about once a week, becoming more irritable and restless the longer they put it off, until finally their bodies take over and they [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Change involuntarily]]. Control over their Change is a matter of teaching, practice, and willpower. All but one of the werewolves are male, and they pass the gene down to their sons (daughters need not apply). A hereditary werewolf will not have his first Change until late adolescence. Werewolves can be made by an infected bite or by injection with werewolf saliva, but most are hereditary. An infected werewolf will pass the gene down to any sons conceived after his Change. In ''Broken,'' [[spoiler: Elena gives birth to male and female twins, who are both genetic werewolves and it is hinted the female will Change in adulthood. Since Elena is the first female werewolf and the twins' father is also a werewolf, it is unknown if a hereditary female gets the gene from just her mother or from both parents.]]
* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has four varieties, presented in ''Fool Moon'' and covering most of the range of possibilities. None are infectious or take wolfman forms, however.
** The ''werewolf'' (as a technical term) is just a human who can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter transform into a normal wolf at will]] - they undergo no mental changes (and thus must ''learn'' how to live like a wolf), have no linkage to the moon, and gain no special invulnerabilities. It is a learned ability, somewhat like becoming a wizard who knows only one spell, but knows that one ''really well''. There are also [[spoiler: wolves that can take human form in the same way, and with the same limitations. The latter are technically termed ''wolfweres'']].
** The ''hexenwulf'' ("witch-wolf") uses an enchanted belt of wolfskin to transform at will, and becomes a dire wolf guided by demonic forces, which gives them a more violent personality which gradually bleeds over into the human form.
** ''Lycanthropes'' are people whose minds become wolf-like at full moons, and who gain increased strength and healing at the same time. They are related to Viking [[TheBerserker berserkers]].
** A ''Loup-Garou'' is a human subject to a powerful hereditary curse. Under the full moon, he transforms into a demonic man-wolf with enormous speed and strength, as well as immunity to injury by virtually any source except ''inherited'' silver. The demon takes over all control during this time, with the human personality completely submerged.
* In ''TheGraveyardBook'' by NeilGaiman, the role of Baloo is taken by a no-nonsense Hound of God named Miss Lupescu, who is hinted to be very different from ordinary werewolves for some values of the words 'different' and 'ordinary'. (The Bagheera role is taken by Silas, who is [[NotUsingTheZWord very heavily implied]] to be a FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire.)
* Laurell K. Hamilton's ''[[AnitaBlake Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter]]''.
** The series includes some werewolves, including one of Anita's {{love interest}}s, Richard. In her world, there's a ''vaccine'' for the infection; Richard caught Lycanthropy from a bad batch of the serum. Anita herself is currently a carrier (which should be impossible) for multiple strains (which should also be impossible) of the virus.
** The books also contain: wereleopards, werelions, weretigers ([[spoiler: including blue, red and black tigers in the last book ]]), at least 3 weredogs (their abilities are inherited not infection), weresnakes (at lest 2 species cobra and anaconda), swanmen (some are cursed others inherit their abilities like the weredogs), wererats, werebears, werehyenas and a lamia which is an immortal shapeshifter. Lastly there is Chimera, [[spoiler: a pan-were than can shape shift in to six animal forms ( each with a different crazy personality ]].) And then she has [[ReallyGetsAround sex with]] [[AnythingThatMoves all of them]].
* In P.C. Hodgell's ''ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'' series, the Wolvers are inverse werewolves; they are wolves that can transform into human form. Their young cannot achieve the transformation until they reach a certain point in their development. As humans, they are still quite hairy.
* John Hodgman's ''TheAreasOfMyExpertise'' includes handy lycanthropic transformation timetables, showing how and when different kinds of werewolves transform, and how to stop them, during each phase of the moon.
* In Tom Holt's ''Barking'', theriomorphy is transmitted in the classic style, and werewolves gain nigh-invulnerability in both human and wolf forms, including a massively extended lifespan, and most of the werewolf characters work for the same law firm, Ferris and Loop (a MeaningfulName, referencing "Fenris" and "Lupine"). [[FurAgainstFang They are of course rivals of the vampire firm Crosswoods]].
* The ''{{Wheel of Time}}'' series by Robert Jordan has 'wolfbrothers', men with the ability to communicate telepathically with wolves. Wolfbrothers gain greatly enhanced senses, as well as golden eyes which people remark as resembling those of wolves. Wolfbrothers are prone to acquiring wolf instincts, and in some cases have been known to completely lose touch with their humanity, becoming essentially wolves in men's clothing.
* In StephenKing's and Peter Straub's book ''The Talisman'', Jack meets a character called Wolf, who in the Territories is very Wolf like and every full moon turns into a werewolf. Later Jack refers to all people from this species as [[strike:Wolves]] Wolfs (the first one Jack meets laughs his arse off when Jack calls his people Wolves). These Wolfs once transformed have the irresistible urge to "run with the moon" which basically involves killing any small defenseless woodland animal they find. They also transform under extreme pressure. It only seems to be hereditary with only "bad Wolfs" ever attacking people or livestock in the first place.
** King's ''Cycle of the Werewolf'' has a more traditional, dire wolf, changes-with-the-moon type. Oddly enough the victim has no idea how he started InvoluntaryShapeshifting, and initially not even that it is happening. He does remember picking strange flowers in a graveyard before he started having blackouts, which is one of the less known/used methods of lycanthropic infection. Even if he never realized it, readers probably picked it up as a red flag anyway.
* The Arcadian and Katagarian wolf branches of the Were Hunters in ''[[TheDarkHunters Dark Hunter]]'' series can change between wolf and human easily and painlessly when conscious and alert.
* In CSLewis's ''[[{{Narnia}} Prince Caspian]]'', one of the two creatures to tempt Caspian to summon back the White Witch is a werewolf.
** And apparently not contagious, as it bites Caspian without transmitting its condition to him.
* In Peter David's ''Howling Mad'',the main character is a wolf who is bitten by a werewolf,which causes the wolf to [[spoiler: become a human during the full moon.]]
* The werewolves of Stephenie Meyer's ''{{Twilight}}'' saga are of the genetic 'dire wolf' type, descending through a line of La Push [[MagicalNativeAmerican Native Americans]]. (At least, they are treated as werewolves until ''Breaking Dawn'', whereupon it is revealed they are in fact 'merely' [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]], and not cursed with true "moon madness.").
** This curse can skip generations; the ability to transform, or "phase," is only induced in the [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday local teenage population]] when [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] are near their reservation for extended periods of time, as [[FurAgainstFang werewolves and vampires are natural enemies]].
*** Jacob Black is one of a family of werewolves, who live on a Native American reservation and hate [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. Jacob, of course, falls in love with Bella.
** These werewolves have an internal body temperature of well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (as opposed to [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] who are "cold and hard as marble") and are [[HealingFactor extraordinarily fast healers]] even in human form; though not quite MadeOfIron, they come pretty close. They [[VoluntaryShapeshifting phase at will]], communicate telepathically and intelligently with pack members while transformed, and have near {{Immortality}}, remaining at the peak of their physical prowess until they choose to stop transforming for good. Aside from the minor fact that ''{{Twilight}}'''s "werewolves" are required to follow their alpha wolf's mental commands in wolfish form, this variety of 'monster' is more or less CursedWithAwesome.
** They also '''explode''' to transform.
* LarryNiven's story "What Good Is A Glass Dagger?" is told from the POV of an idealistic Atlantean werewolf. The surprise bit comes when he discovers [[spoiler:that werewolves aren't people who become wolves, but rather wolves who turn into humans]].
* Constable Delphine Angua von Ãœberwald from TerryPratchett's "City Watch" series of ''{{Discworld}}'' novels. Angua can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter transform into a wolf at will]], but is [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting unable to prevent herself from changing]] during a full moon. Pratchett delves much deeper into the psychology of the werewolf than most writers, describing what the world looks like to a creature that uses smell as its primary sense, and also developing a cultural {{backstory}} for the werewolves, such as the term "yennork" being used to describe a werewolf that cannot change shape (and is therefore trapped in the body of either a wolf or a human) but is born to werewolf parents.
** The "smell as its primary sense" has to be reinterpreted by the werewolf when in human form; it is presented as synesthesia, with scent data being reinterpreted in terms of colours and sounds.
** ''Discworld/ReaperMan'' features two interesting specimens. One (Mrs. Cake's daughter Ludmilla) is, for three weeks out of the month, a young woman; the other is, three weeks out of the month, pretty much just an intelligent wolf. That fourth week, though, they meet each other half way, and it's implied they begin a relationship.
** Angua's type of lycanthropy is hereditary (infection by bite is alluded to but never actually demonstrated[[spoiler: in the books; it does happen in DiscworldNoir, which Pratchett worked on]]). Pure-bred werewolves change into a normal wolf (hybrids produce other forms). At least partial control is possible, although sometimes this takes some effort. Silver and fire are a werewolf's primary weaknesses; all other damage is temporary.
** During the involuntary moon-induced transformation there's an irresistible urge to eat meat, but enough control is maintained for the werewolf to choose which ''kind'' of meat is consumed. Angua, who's a vegetarian when she can help it, eats chickens (and always leaves behind payment for them, even when forced to steal them from out of the henhouse).
** Werewolves are generally referred to as undead. Despite uncertainty as to whether they truly should be categorized along with Zombies and Vampires the consensus seems to be "they're big and scary, they come from {{Uberwald}}, and if you stab them with a sword they don't die. What more do you want?"
* In ''HarryPotter'', lycanthropy is transmitted by bites, and results in uncontrolled transformations during full moon. Werewolves are discriminated against by the Wizarding society despite their relative innocence. They are dangerous to humans, but not to other animals (or Animagi). No cure exists, but a Wolfbane Potion allows them to keep control of their minds during the transformation. Good werewolf Remus Lupin takes the Wolfsbane potion to keep his, whereas the evil Fenrir Greyback doesn't care as he is bloodthirsty as a human anyway. In the books werewolves are Dire Wolves, with only a few superficial differences between them and real wolves. In the movies they are Wolf-Men that look more like Were-Chihuahuas than wolves...
** It should also be noted that werewolves are only created when bitten by another werewolf while in wolf form. If bitten by a werewolf in human form, they may garner a few traits (a desire for bloody meat, a temper issue, etc.), but will not actually become a werewolf.
* In ''{{Magnus}}'' the nephilim Tsavo has the ability to transform into a slavering wolf as a result of a magic spell he casts.
* The "Wolf and Raven" stories, which are part of ''{{Shadowrun}}'s'' ExpandedUniverse, feature a man who is posessed by Wolf, one of the many animal totems of the world, which grants him powers and mannerisms similar to the classic Wolf Man (as well as a SplitPersonality, of sorts). It should be noted that this is very different from the game's usual take on werewolves.
* ''TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'' has Weres, who can change at will, but tend to give into the animal instincts and predatory tendencies on the night of the full moon. They can also be shielded from the light of the moon to help them, but they are tense, more easily agitated, and prone to violence and uncontrolled bloodlust during the full moon. Though it's not spelled out explicitly, werewolves may go over entirely to animalism during the full moon if they give into the change or are otherwise provoked into it. Additionally, the Were trait is hereditary and can be passed on to children.
** In addition, the series has [[ShapeShisting shapeshifters]], who can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change at will]] into various animals, but most choose one animal form and stick with it, for ease and comfort of transformation. On the full moon, they ''must'' change into their animal form. They maintain human intelligence the entire time, so far. The Shifter trait is hereditary and can be passed on to children. Unlike [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the vampire population]], the Were and Shifter populations are not known to humankind at large. There is [[FantasticRacism friction]] between the shifters and the weres; the weres consider themselves superior, but to everybody else, they are something akin to blue collar workers.
** Those bitten by weres have a chance at becoming a demonic monster form of that animal. [[spoiler:Jason, Sookie's brother, becomes a werepanther]].
*** [[spoiler: Sam, Sookie's boss, turns into a friendly collie]].
*** One shifter in New Orleans, though, turns into an Owl and looks the part slightly even as a human.
* The werewolves in ''Blood and Chocolate'' are of the genetic variety, and can only breed with other werewolves. They turn into something like a dire wolf, but Vivian notes they had only adopted wolf as a convenient term, and are truly known as the Loup-Garoux. They can transform at will, but transform involuntarily at the full moon, and are weak to silver in any form. They keep their minds when transformed, however, and are expressly forbidden to be seen by or kill humans, in order to maintain the {{Masquerade}}. They live in packs, with males fighting to be alpha, and females fighting to be the alpha's mate.
* In the ''{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''Werewolf Skin'', werewolves shed their skin during the daytime and can only resume their werewolf form if they put on their skin during the night. Burning the skin while it's unshed will kill the werewolf while stopping the werewolf from putting on its skin for one night cures it. ''The Werewolf of Fever Swamp'' features a more traditional werewolf.
** "The Werewolf's First Night," a ''{{Goosebumps}}'' short story, has a boy believing all the people at his camp are werewolves. Of course, it turns out he's the werewolf, and it's the full moon..
* In the ''Mercy Thompson'' series, lycanthropy is transmitted through a savage attack - most victims of werewolf attacks die of their injuries rather than turn into werewolves. Werewolves are forced to change at the full moon, but can also change more or less at will. Werewolves in human form are resistant to disease and poison, heal quickly, do not die of old age, and have VERY short tempers. For this reason, the average life expectancy for a wolf after becoming one is ten years.
** It is worth noting, however, that werewolves certainly don't ''always'' die young. The book takes place in the present day, and several wolves are thought to date from the Renaissance. If I remember correctly, there were even a few who called ''those'' young.
*** [[spoiler:The Marrok]] is implied to have known [[spoiler: the real King Arthur (and therefore being the real Sir Marrok)]]. [[spoiler: Samuel, his son]] and [[spoiler: Asil the Moor]] are almost as old.
** Werewolves also have a kind of magic, called pack magic, which allows an Alpha to draw strength from his pack and control them.
* In ''WelkinWeasels'', werecreatures spend most of their time as normal TalkingAnimal characters and turn into monstrous flesh-eating humans at the full moon. Fully transformed ones can only be slain by silver bullets, but when Maudlin is nipped slightly by one, they manage to purge the wereweasel infection from him by immediately applying silver to the wound.
* In Marie de France's ''lai'' ''Bisclavret'' from the 12th century, Bisclavret (for unknown reasons) must transform into a wolf every week. His wife steals his clothing, without which he can't change back, but one day, the king his friend goes hunting in the woods. Bisclavret jumps at him and paws his foot like a petitioner, and the king, impressed, grants the wolf his life. Then Bisclavret goes with the hunting party and stays at court. Everyone is so impressed by his nobility and gentleness that when his wife and her new husband appear at court, and he attacks them, the king concludes that they must have wronged the wolf and imprisons them until they confess. With his clothing back, Bisclavret can return to human form.
** Similarly, in a ''lai'' featuring KingArthur, ''Melion'', the wife actively transforms the husband into a wolf, but he again takes refuge in court and attacks his wife there, leading to his transformation back.
* In the ChivalricRomance ''William of Palerne'', the wolf that protects William and his love proves to be the son of the King of Spain, enchanted by his WickedStepmother.
* Werewolves, or Weres, in TheHollows novels are a separate race that descended from the union of demons and female humans. They can change on will into full wolves, possess enhanced strength and senses even in human form and cannot infect other humans [[spoiler:without the help of a demonic curse]]. They are organized into packs which can vary from hardcore survivalists, a baseball team or a corporation. [[FurAgainstFang They are of course rivals of the vampires for influence and power.]]
* In ''The Vampire's Assistant'' by Darren Shan, the wolf man is biologically half wolf and half human, and the mixture has induced madness, resulting in [[spoiler:Sam Grest being eaten, and R.V. having his hand bitten off, later becoming a major villain]]. He is basically humanoid with wolf claws, head and tail etc along with thick, wiry fur.
* The protagonist in Will Shetterly's {{urban fantasy}} novel ''Elsewhere'' calls an [[OurElvesAreBetter elf]] an "Elflands bitch." She tries to turn him into a dog, but magic in {{Bordertown}} is unreliable, and he becomes a wolf man, with hair, wolf ears, and a snout that makes it impossible for him to speak.
* In [=~Ryk E. Spoor~=]'s ''Digital Knight'', werewolves are VERY different, particularly in that they're powerful enough that even "the Great Demons" wouldn't lightly defy the will of the Werewolf King Virigar. Also, they devour souls. The narrator's FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire friend tells him:
--> "Their strength is immense, their cunning formidable, and their ability to shift shape, though confined to a wolflike predator on the one hand, is unlimited in the human range; they can be anyone at all. They do not fear night or day, nor does the phase of the moon have any effect on them. They also have a talent similar to my own to charm and cloud other minds.... There is nothing I have seen ... that I fear more than the Werewolf King."
** Consider the last sentence of that quote in light of the fact that the speaker is five hundred ''thousand'' years old and has [[SeenItAll seen the Great Demons reshape the continents of Earth]].
* The KittyNorville series by Carrie Vaughn focuses on a werewolf heroine ironically named...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Kitty]]. This series is closer to earth than most werewolf stories in a lot of ways.
** Rather than being a WolfMan, werewolves when shapeshifted are different from natural wolf in only three respects: vulnerability to silver, a HealingFactor for anything else and generally increased strength and toughness, and the most obvious difference is a lack of ShapeshifterBaggage. A healthy adult wolf in RealLife weighs about 80 lbs. or so, so an adult male werewolf would be twice the size of a real wolf.
** Werewolves can be killed without silver, they can just survive more damage than a normal human and heal faster, but being gutted or at ground zero of an IED kills a werewolf perfectly well.
** The first werewolf pack that we see in the books is led by a bullying, abusive alpha male, but from the second book on we can see that werewolf pack dynamics vary widely. At least two seem to be a normal group of people who just happen to spend full moon nights in the woods together.
** The ThemeNaming trope is subverted or just averted; the protagonist herself has a punny NonIndicativeName purely by chance, and few if any of the many other werecreatures encountered in the series have any connection between their name and what they do.
** Lycanthropy is infectious. Some characters have feared getting it from being exposed to a werewolf's blood or saliva while that werewolf is in human form, but it hasn't happened in the books themselves. In their human forms, werewolves have the same silver vulnerability, HealingFactor and increased strength that they do as wolves. Female werewolves can't carry a pregnancy to term; shapeshifting causes the fetus to miscarry.
* ''Warhammer'' had the Children of Ulric, but they were apparently wiped out in the same story where they were introduced ("Trollslayer").
** There was also Wolfgang von Newald in the ''Konrad Saga'' although it isn't revealed until the end of the last book.
* In Kit Whitfield's novel ''Bareback'' (understandably published as ''Benighted'' in the US) 99% of the world's population are werewolves; not being a werewolf is due to a ''birth defect''. Werewolves cannot change at will, but [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting do invariably change]] on the full moon and the nights before and after, and do not retain their human mind when they do. This has led to some complicated social structures. Their form is never described in detail but seems to be the dire wolf with some Man Wolf characteristics, for instance they normally run on all fours but can stand up.
* In Lisa Williams' ''Family Bites'', lycanthropy is hereditary. The Rivers family, being easy-going and friendly werewolves, are described as looking like large friendly dogs in wolf form. They can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change shape whenever they feel like it]], although they sometimes do it at full moon without meaning to.
** ''Family Bites'' [[LampshadeHanging hangs a bit of a lampshade]] on this and OurVampiresAreDifferent; Sophie Rivers (werewolf) and Daniel Alfonz (half-vampire) look each other up in the mythology books, and are completely bewildered by what they find. Then they look themselves up and get even ''more'' bewildered.
* In ''Never Cry Werewolf'', the titular werewolf controls his full-moon turnings with medicine. He keeps his human mind during his time as wolf, however.
* In ''The Wolf's Hour'' by Robert [=McCammon=], the werewolves mainly follow the standard man into full wolf pattern and can shift at will. The main difference is that the werewolves age as wolves while in wolf form, so it avoids the issue of everything being solved by turning into a wolf.
* In ''[=WerewolveSS=]'' by Jerry & Sharon Ahern, you start off with the standard Man-Wolf of Wolf-Man bipedal death machines that change under the full moon. Given time and [[StupidJetpackHitler Nazi science]] (thus the SS in the title), the remnants of project Werewolf determine that, by using specific types of music, werewolves and their shape-shifting abilities can be controlled. This results in the neo-Nazis running about infecting people with lycanthropy and then using loudspeakers to play Wagner operas that turn them into a [[{{Ghostapo}} goose-stepping werewolf army]].
* The werewolves in Nick O'Donohoe's ''Crossroads'' trilogy (''The Magic and the Healing'', ''Under the Healing Sign'', and ''The Healing of Crossroads'') are a separate species; they [[VoluntaryTransformation shapeshift at will]] (although it's [[PainfulTransformation painful]], physically taxing, and [[BodyHorror disturbing]] to [[AppendageAssimilation watch]]) and have something of a HealingFactor. While they're generally attractive in human form, they're secretive, brutally pragmatic, rather feral, and ''arrogant as hell''. [[spoiler:Despite this, they're basically on the side of good after the first book.]]
* Arguably {{Indigo}}, although her shapeshifting ability seems to be tied to her friendship with a [[BigBadassWolf Big Badass]] [[TalkingAnimal Telepathic]] [[NonHumanSidekick Wolf]].
* In Toby Barlow's epic poem/novel ''Sharp Teeth'' various gangs of werewolves live in [[AliensInCardiff the area of Los Angeles]]; them becoming aware of each other is the main plot of the book. They change voluntarily into what can be mistaken for stray dogs, some hiding in pounds and even getting adopted.
* In [[JRRTolkien J.R.R. Tolkien's]] ''[[TheSilmarillion Silmarillion]]'' werewolves are evil spirits transformed into the shape of giant, monstrous wolves. Sauron, who used to be infamous for his shapeshifting powers, was at one point known as the Lord of Werewolves and turned into one in order to fight the mystic wolfhound Huan. '
** There are also the Wargs in ''TheLordOfTheRings''; giant evil wolves that are sentient and have a language of their own. It's unclear if they're actually related to the werewolves, but some fans have speculated that they're the result of werewolves mating with ordinary wolves.
* The wolves in Maggie Stiefvater's WolvesofMercyFallsSeries receive their ability when they are bitten by a person already infected with the werewolf disease. Unlike traditional werewolves, they turn into wolves only during the winter; in warm weather they are normal human beings. The older they get however, the longer they stay wolves, until finally one summer they don't change back at all. And they can't just move south; if they do they only become more sensitive to temperature change, to the point where even the slightest change in temperature can cause them to shift. The first book ''Shiver'' is about a boy and a girl who try to find a way to fight this.[[spoiler:In the sequel, we find out that the cure from the first book might not be a cure at all- and that the reason they change into wolves might have more to do with brain chemistry than the weather.]]
* The FelixCastor series defines weres as what happens when a human ghost possesses an animal body. The ghost moves in and [[BodyHorror redecorates]]; first timers usually create something that looks like a hunter's worst nightmare, but those with experience can make the body look downright human. It usually maintains some animal qualities, however, and the were can shift back and forth at will. If the ghost is ever exorcised from the were body, it collapses utterly, and the ghost has to go back for another round.
* Petronius's ''Satyricon'' contains a story told about a werewolf who is a wizard, able to transform his clothing into stone and back (so that it remains undamaged while he's changed) and changing fully into a wolf at will. He does not have any kind of accelerated healing and retains his wounds when he changes back (so that a pike through the neck as a wolf becomes a grievous wound that requires a surgeon's attention as a human). (Incidentally, this segment is also well-known to Latin scholars for containing the ''hapax legomenon'' "''circumminxit''", describing the method for transforming his clothes to stone - he ''pisses in a circle around'' them.)
* In the ''LonelyWerewolfGirl'' books werewolves are mainly vulnerable only to silver, certain magic weapons, and other werewolves; they have accelerated healing only in werewolf form though. Speaking of werewolf shapes, they have three modes: human-looking, a wolf-man[=/=]woman half and half mode, and a full wolf mode. They must change on the night of the full moon into one of the latter, but "royal werewolves" can change at anytime so long as it is dark outside. A lunar eclipse [[ModeLock locks]] them into their human forms, and make them ill while it passess. They are born werewolves (although BigBad Sarapen does have a human minion who thinks Sarapen is going to turn him into a werewolf if he serves well enough. Since Sarapen gives him the old "YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness" treatment the question is left open). Having been born in wolf shape, while her mother was in wolf shape, on the night of the full moon, protagonist Kalix feels as if she lives in a permanent lunar eclipse.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: LiveActionTV]]
* ''DoctorWho'' has had several different examples:
** "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" featured a lycanthropic girl who could be forced to transform by nothing more than an "old devil moon" stage lamp gel.
** In the new series, "Tooth and Claw" involved an alien intelligence that could possess people and turn them into a WolfMan form, and jump between bodies by biting.
** A society of werewolves also appears in the BigFinish audio ''Loups-Garoux'', in which the Doctor notes that "There are so many forms of lycanthropy," presumably to avoid any problems with continuity.
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had Oz, who learned to suppress his normal transformations, but could also be triggered to transform outside of a full moon by stress. The series also had Veruca -- a minor love interest of Oz -- who had embraced the wolf inside her, making her a bad puppy.
** The most interesting aspect of Buffyverse werewolves is that lycanthropy can be transmitted by bite even if the werewolf is in human form at the time. Oz was bitten by his baby cousin Jody.
** ''{{Angel}}'' showed another species of werewolves that walked upright and reverted to human form when killed. It also introduced a werewolf as a recurring love interest for the title character.
** In Season Three, Oz started to display a heightened sense of smell in human form. It's possible that if Oz hadn't left the show in Season Four, his werewolf nature would have been more fully explored.
* The short-lived series ''Wolf Lake'' revolved around a community of lycanthropes based (roughly) on Native American werewolf mythology.
* {{FOX}}, in their inaugural season, aired a series, ''{{Werewolf}}'', which depended upon a rare (and completely bogus) astronomical conjunction which caused the moon to be full for ''eight nights in a row''.
** The above poster mis-remembers the series' mythology. Transformations by the hero (and his enemies) could happen for eight nights in a row, because their timing was random and had nothing to do with the lunar cycle.
** It also borrowed Siodmak's pentacle (see below), but has it appear on the werewolf's ''own'' palm during twilight hours as a harbinger of the coming change. It also introduced the idea of escaping the curse by killing the werewolf who started the "bloodline" (although the series didn't have time to explain how bloodlines get started in the first place).
* Gou Fukami of ''JukenSentaiGekiranger'', thanks to a DangerousForbiddenTechnique. He did eventually cure the wolf within him, but since his very fighting style is wolf-based, it still sort of applies.
** His counterpart RJ, of ''PowerRangersJungleFury'', is basically the same in terms of affliction.
* ''BigWolfOnCampus'' follows the life of good WolfMan Tommy Dawkins. He transforms at will or involuntarily when stressed; he also is forced to transform during the full moon. Tommy keeps full control of his mind at these times. Lycanthropy is, again, transmitted by bite but if a person is fed a Wolfsbane potion before their first full moon they can avoid becoming a werewolf. Most other werewolves are evil and part of a syndicate of evil werewolves, but Tommy acts as a town protector instead.
** In fact, it's demonstrated that becoming a werewolf ''makes'' you evil. It wasn't explained why this didn't happen to Tommy, but BWOC was never big on explanations anyway. Curiously, Lori and Merton were the only ones who went evil when they became werewolves.
*** It seems to be hinted that Tommy didn't turn evil because he was bitten at the full moon, not giving the werewolfish nature a chance to dig in over time. For example, during a WhatIf scenario, Tommy's place was taken by someone else when the wolf bit him. He wasn't precisely evil, just a massive dick. And he was like that before he was bitten.
** One episode of season 1 introduced us to a French exchange student who was a werecat.
* ''TheMunsters'' had Eddie. Eddie is a werewolf but the only indication of such (besides his UnusualEars and CuteLittleFangs) is his sometimes-catchphrase "Awooooooooo-tragious!" In one of the feature-length movies, he finally turns into his wolf-form and he looks like a Lon Chaney Jr. style werewolf.
* Wolfie the werewolf from ''{{Beetleborgs}}'' is treated more like a house pet than a monster at Hillhurst, although in one episode he accidentally bit Jara and turned her into a werewolf.
* An episode of ''{{Dinosaurs}}'' had Robbie tell a scary story to his baby bro where he ''gets bitten by a rabid [[FurryConfusion caveman]]'' and becomes a ''were-man''. (Of course, ''were'' means ''man'' [[DidNotDoTheResearch anyway]], but you shouldn't go to this show for one hundred percent accuracy.)
** That may have also been a case of ViewersAreMorons.
* The [[PettingZooPeople half-wolves]] of ''TheTenthKingdom''. Although only one example is extant in the series, Wolf, judging by him the half-wolves are hereditary [[WolfMan Wolf Men]] with heightened senses who live in packs (we never see any so don't know about the existence of alphas, though they're highly likely) and do not seem to be vulnerable to silver. They change only on the three nights of the full moon, and while changed have no control over their actions and no memory of what they have done. They also seem to be afflicted by the 'take on lupine mannerisms and characteristics' aspect of this trope, since Wolf is constantly scratching at his temple, whines and whimpers and growls, nuzzles Virginia, and scrapes the ground with his feet to cover his tracks--although this may merely be a product of actor Scott Cohen's enthusiastic character immersion.
** What makes the half-wolves interesting is the twists: they ''always'' possess tails, even in human form, [[FreudWasRight which change size with the time of the month]] and apparently act as [[FantasticArousal erogenous zones]], and explicit reference is made to the female cycle by how Wolf starts gaining PMS-like symptoms as the full moon approaches and, when fighting the change, ends up with... [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything cramps]].
** Still more interestingly, it is never truly explained what the term 'half-wolf' actually means. Are they the literal product of [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction a coupling between a full wolf and a human]], and this is what grants them their ability to change forms? Or is it merely a euphemism for werewolf, which could be considered a half-wolf because they can also appear as humans? Or is it even possible, taking into account the [[FantasticRacism prejudice]] against them in the Kingdoms, that the term is meant to be parallel to mulattos, quadroons, and octaroons in the real world--so if a half-wolf had a child with a human, their offspring would be a quarter-wolf, and so on?
*** Wolf's sole TransformationSequence during the miniseries is inconclusive, since all we see is him becoming a typical Lon Chaney WolfMan. According to [[WordofGod Simon Moore]], however, Wolf was intended to become a Dire Wolf, but they didn't have the budget for such special effects. What this says about the nature of half-wolves isn't clear.
* The ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' episode "Beware Wolf" has Justin kiss a girl who is a werewolf and turn into one himself.
** And the werewolf acts like a dog, when he is in his human form.
* The horrifying werewolves of ''{{Supernatural}}'' are of the mortal/cursed variety. As for their appearance: [[{{Narm}} slightly longer fingernails and fangs.]] Pull out their teeth and file down their nails and they'd be indistinguishable from any other AxeCrazy psycho. Which actually makes a kind of sense, as they're not obvious to {{Muggles}}. They always remove the heart from a dead victim.
** There are also shifters (ShapeShifting {{Doppelganger}}s), rougarou (humans who transform into hideous, cannibalistic monsters) and okami (who look like humans with wolf teeth, have [[LightningBruiser superhuman athletic ability]] and have NighInvulnerability against anything other than a [[KryptoniteFactor bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto priest]]).
* Jiro/Garulu from ''KamenRiderKiva'' is a Wolfen, one of the 13 Demon Races represented in the series. He can voluntarily change from human to Wolfen form, and feeds by using his claws to pull the soul from a human's body and devour it. Thanks to his supernatural origin, his human form seems to have superhuman levels of strength, speed, and endurance, as well as an enhanced sense of smell (and a fondness for coffee).
** And in an extreme twist of transformation tropes, as part of his involvement in the titular character's transformations Jiro becomes the ''sword'' of Garulu Form.
* George from ''BeingHuman'' has to change during the full moon. When in wolf form he appears to act purely on instinct and can't remember what he's done once he's changed back into a human. The question of whether or not he can transform at will hasn't been explored yet (the second season may or may not bring it up) but in the pilot he speaks of how all of his senses are heightened in the days running up to his transformation.
* ''OutOfJimmysHead'' has Yancey, the alien sister of the main character, dating one. He's harmless for the most part, but does retain canine features and strengths.
* The fake documentary ''Werewolves: the Dark Survivors'' features a pack of werewolves who have a non-lethal strain of rabies and porphyria (which causes them to crave blood). Their transformation is simply their skin tightening when certain toxins reach a critical point every couple months or so (some use wolfsbane to force a change) making it look like their nails, teeth, and hair are growing. It seems unlikely that they're invulnerable in any way and the full moon is just the only time when ordinary humans can see their monthly hunts.
* ''MysteryScienceTheatre3000''. Repeat after me: "He's a werecrow! A WERECROW!"
* ''TrueBlood'' has werewolves who shift into a normal-looking wolf form. They can shift anytime they want but pack leaders have the ability to force a shift on other weres. They don't appear to have any special vulnerability to silver but ordinary bullets can kill them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Music}}]]
* The ''Jon Spencer Blues Explosion'' song "She Said" involves a man getting lycanthropy by cheating on his girlfriend (that's a new one), and the transformation is triggered by the blooming of wolfsbane. The song ends with him being killed with a silver bullet.
* "Werewolves Of London" by Warren Zevon. Some versions mentioned Lon Chaney Jr while some other ones mention Jack Nicholson.
* The music video "Thriller" by Michael Jackson has Michael turn into a werecat.
** I don't know about the "were" part, but he also changed to and from a panther in the hyperextended "Black or White" video.
* Similarly enough, the Bjork music video ''Hunter'' had her changing back and forth into a bear and back into herself. Although she seemed to be holding back her bear transformation.
* Frank Hayes's "Silver Bullet Blues."
* Flippy T. Fishead had a song about becoming a Were''cow''. There is another were''cow'' which he is engaged to (who is female when human, and whom he "turned"). The how-and-why of the male-to-female transformation is not addressed.
* ''Of Wolf And Man'' by {{Metallica}}
* ''Zomby Woof'' by FrankZappa.
* ''Bark at the Moon'' by OzzyOsbourne
* ''She Wolf/Loba'' by {{Shakira}}.
* [[{{Rammstein}} Go watch]] ''[[{{Rammstein}} Du riechst so gut]]''.
* "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio.
* ''Full Moon'' by Sonata Arctica.
* Pentagram, "Sign of the Wolf".
* ''Horror Of Our Love'' by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludo_(band) Ludo]]. Also contains [[TheUndead Vampires]] and Ghosts
* "[[http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/615563 Midnight Hunger]]" by Thornwill.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mythology]]
* The werewolf of medieval tradition tended to fall in the devil's deal category, with the bargainer typically gaining the ability to become a normal or dire wolf through the use of a magic wolf pelt or wolfskin belt.
** The most well-known werewolf of this type would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stumpp Peter Stumpp]].
** It should be noted that according to the church of the time, Satanists wouldn't be powerful enough to change their physical forms--that level of control over the fabric of reality was reserved for God. Satanist werewolves weren't actually shapeshifters, just [[MasterOfIllusion illusionists]] who liked to terrify their victims before slaughtering them. When they killed people with their bare hands and [[ImAHumanitarian ate the corpses]], they were fully human and [[MoralEventHorizon fully aware of what they were doing]]. ''Benighted'' (''Bareback'' to all you British readers) discusses the mythology in some detail in an appendix.
* The other common variety is an average, sometimes even faithful man, cursed to be a wolf for a certain amount of time, usually ten years. In this case they had all their normal intelligence and personality, but were trapped in the wolf's body.
** Notably, the cursed variety is normally described to be completely harmless, even less dangerous than ordinary wolves. Often they were described as such lousy hunters that it makes you wonder how they survived their cursed period, at all.
* The tale of Bisclavret, from the ''Lais of Marie de France'', features a man cursed to turn into a beast once a fortnight or so; in order to become a man again, he must find his human clothing and put it back on. His wife, upon learning this, sends a knight to steal his clothes, effectively trapping him as an intelligent beast.
** In one version the word gets out and he is returned to normal, but not before biting the guilty wife's nose off and having her banished.
* An interesting variation was the Hounds of God. In the Baltic regions, it was believed that Werewolves were given their powers not by the Devil, but by God to battle the forces of the devil. OurWerewolvesAreDifferent indeed.
** Wait, so ''VanHelsing'' wasn't just [[AluminumChristmasTrees making shit up]]?
*** And neither was White Wolf Game Studio. (Take a look under Tabletop Gaming.)
* In NorseMythology, berserkers were warriors devoted to Odinn, who turned into wolf-men or bear-men in the frenzy of battle. The usually accepted etymology for the word in ''bar-sarkr'', wich meant bear pelt, but it is debatable. Tolkien had those guys in mind when he created the character of Beorn.
* In French-Canadian mythology, the therianthrope is usually a man who has failed to perform his religious duties for several years straight, often seven. They were then either cursed to take an animal form until freed, or only at night until freed. In most case, the curse can be broken by a neighbor pricking the were's skin with a needle.
** Note the use of therianthrope: legends have been recorded involving people turning into wolves (either full wolves, or a being with the normal form of a wolf but walking on two legs), dogs, hellhounds, cats, imps and at least one pig.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: TabletopGames]]
* In ''DungeonsAndDragons'', there are multiple varieties of lycanthrope , including were-bear, were-rat, and were-tiger, each taken from a different real-world mythology. They've always been able to take on the normal animal form and infect with a bite, but other details have cropped up with the evolution of the game, including the addition of a "hybrid" form equivalent to the Man-Wolf, the existence of natural lycanthropes in addition to infected ones, and the imposition of a whole new alignment (and personality) not just on the nonhuman forms but on the human(oid) as well. The most recent edition has the Lycanthropy template, allowing one to make were-''anything'' characters.
** The game later inversed the process with the wolfwere (and subsequent varieties of beast-were), who is an evil, intelligent, shapeshifting wolf who assumes a human form to mingle in society and lure potential victims. Werewolves and wolfweres both share intense loathing for each other.
** The {{Ravenloft}} setting took this trope to heart for all monsters, introducing "salient abilities" that could make any werewolf (or vampire, golem, mummy, etc) different from any other of its kind. The ''Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts'' gives exhaustive details on all forms of lycanthropy.
** Recent publications introduced the Shifter player race, descendants of humans and lycanthropes, who were effectively "lycanthrope-lite."
** 4th edition D makes yet another change. Shifters are presented as playable races in Monster Manual 1 and Player's Handbook 2. Regular werewolves, however, are monsters only... and they no longer transmit the "curse of lycanthropy" upon biting someone, just a generic disease.
* ''{{Shadowrun}}'' has a virus which turns people into mindless Neanderthal types which get stronger and vicious during the full moon. However, they don't gain animal traits, beyond the extra hair. What Shadowrun does have are Shapeshifters, as in normal animals of all varieties spontaneously giving birth to magically active stock able to take on human form. Not to mention all the dragons who've learned the ability...
* ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' brings us the Wulfen, werewolves InSpace. With guns.
** Actually the guns belong to the Space Wolves. The Wulfen are failed Space Wolves.
*** To clarify, the curse is present in all Space Wolves due to it being imbued into their genes during their trials. Those who fail to overcome the curse during the trials turn into wulfen. However, since it is still in the genes of the Space Wolves, they gradually turn more and more bestial over the years. Some look like real wolves wearing power armor after a while. The Thirteenth Great Company is a prime example of this, since they have spent ten thousand years inside the Eye of Terror, coming out later with the curse with a high hold of their bodies. The best thing is, they are still sane ''and'' loyal to the Emperor. Indeed, the wulfen curse reacts strongly to chaos, acting as some kind of automatic mental shield against the taint of chaos. In short, the wulfen curse is only a bad thing if you can't overcome it, meaning the Space Wolves have a high natural resistance against the taint of chaos due to it.
*** {{Power Armor}}ed Viking Werewolf Super soldiers. In Space!
* ''Werewolf: The Apocalypse'' from TheWorldOfDarkness line casts the {{Player Character}}s as werewolves-qua-species. Its "Garou" may breed with both normal humans and wolves (as well as with other Garou, although those offspring are deformed outcasts); they actually have access to ''all'' the various forms, changing to any as they find useful, but the form they were born in lacks the invulnerability of the others. However, they must struggle with controlling their rage; loss of this control can cause them to frenzy (which can be either an UnstoppableRage or running away, usually involving taking on a better form for the task). Oh, and they also have a very tight connection to the [[AnotherDimension spirit world]] (including the inherent ability to travel between the worlds almost at will) and were made as super-warriors to protect the Earth from the {{CosmicHorror}}s of the said spirit world. Of course, this being TheWorldOfDarkness they screwed up in their duty, so that it falls to {{Player Character}}s to set things right. Maybe.
** The game also has 11 other major breeds of shapeshifters, described in their own {{Splat}} books, like corax (were-ravens), gurahl (were-bears) and bastet (were-cats). All of these are near-extinct through zealous genocide by the werewolves. In theory (in practice, many of them are very numerous throughout most parts of the world, but like to use the past wars as an excuse to be jerks).
** The reboot, ''Werewolf: The Forsaken'', has the Uratha, which are somewhat similar to the Garou, but simplified. Unlike the Garou, the Uratha all start as human and can ''only'' breed with humans (or [[HalfHumanHybrid wolf-blooded]]); trying to mate with other Uratha leads to the [[FetusTerrible "ghost children"]]. Interestingly, the antagonist tribes, the Pure, are almost ideologically identical to the Garou... In addition, the other weres were left out of the werewolf line and covered instead in a mainline book, [[DisContinuity Changing Breeds]] errr, I mean [[AuthorsSavingThrow War Against The Pure]].`Which, may I mention, has were-cocroaches.
*** Certain aspects of werewolf lore are said to be the result of misunderstandings about certain Uratha customs or powers. For example, the idea that biting people causes the transformation is based on the fact that werewolves can often detect people on the verge of the First Change, and bite them in order to acquire their scent so that they can be kept track of. Also, the supposedly curative properties of wolfsbane come from their ability to imbue that plant with a wolf spirit in order to create a minor magical item which forces Uratha to return to human form.
* In ''ArsMagica'', lycanthrophy is the result of a curse which can be magical or faery in nature, and is tied to the moon cycle. If taken as a blessing, transformations can be controlled. Were-bears and were-lynxes are also possible in the setting.
* ''{{Rifts}}'' and other games in Palladium's ''Megaverse'' have them as a separate species, ranging from Wolves to Bears, and some of the big cats (and even further, Werepanthers are different than Werejaguars).
** Rifts also features the Loup-Garou, a werewolf species with a god complex and the statline to back it up against an unaugmented human. It also must die twice, once in Wolf or Man-Wolf form and once as a Human, in order to be truly killed. Killing it only once "kills" that form, preventing it from changing into it ever again.
* A set of semi-official articles in Palladium's magazine/book ''The Rifter'' expands the Werebeasts to the ''Nightbane'' game. There Weres form clans collectively known as the Children Of The Moon. These clans run the gamut from {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s, Mercenaries, Seers, Insane Beasts, Superpowered Mutants, and their own internal police force. According to their creation legend, Humans were originally Were''apes'', but lost their ability to change to their animal forms due to a curse that also gave the Werebeasts their vulnerability to silver.
* In {{Deadlands}}, the Classic Collection, the DuPonts are a branch of the mad Whateley family who are known for being werewolves, as well as inbred mad magicians. Mina Devlin has a few of them working for her at the Hunt-Phelan house.
* The werewolf template in ''{{GURPS}}'' is an uncontrollable problem triggered by the full moon. They're very hard to kill but curiously don't have any special level of strength like most werewolves.
* In ''Terror T.R.A.X: Track of the Werewolf'' (reviewed by Spoonyone), the werewolves seem to possess few characteristics that separate them from normal humans. They can be killed by ordinary methods, speak clearly, and fight using ''automatic weapons''.
* The LawfulNeutral Wolfen from''Confrontation''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: VideoGames]]
* Free MMOFPS game ''WolfTeam'' revolves around this. SuperSoldiers with the Lycanthrope gene that can transform at will and go melee on people. Some game modes allow for "mutated" versions of Wolf, permanent Lycans with radical powers.
* ''GabrielKnight: The Beast Within''
* Werewolves are a common enemy in the PC game ''Nocturne'', appearing in all but one chapter, and they can be killed with any weapons; it's just that silver bullets kill them a lot faster.
* One of the main "dual nature" gimmicks in ''TheLegendOfZelda: TwilightPrincess'' is that Link transforms into a wolf when he enters the Twilight Realm. It's quite an [[BigBadassWolf impressive step up]] from the unarmed, pink bunny he turned into in ''ALinkToThePast'''s Dark World.
* Saberwulf of KillerInstinct is looking for a cure for his condition. Although his ending in the first game does give him one, that ending is not canon and he actually comes out ''worse'' before the second game, both failing to get a cure and losing his arms in the process, forcing him to get new bionic arms.
* Goro Okami in ''Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii [[OsuTatakaeOuendan Osu! Tatake! Ouendan 2]]'' turns into a werewolf when he sees round objects. The entire goal of his level is to try and have a date with a girl he likes while suppressing the transformation in the face of multiple round objects (balloons, balls, ice cream, etc.). Winning the stage reveals that the girl loves dogs. Losing shows Goro being carted off to the pound.
* ''Fighters Destiny'' for N64 has a character named Piere who is a french clown, there's a cheat you can use which turns him into a werewolf.
* The ''{{Fable}}'' series has Balvarines, humanoid wolf-creatures. When someone is infected, they turn into a Balvarine and stay that way. Permanently.
** When infected you have a chance of becoming a white balverine, an especially powerful and intelligent kind that usually leads packs of regular balverines.
** There are two cases of balverines who shift back to human form: in the flash game, the white balverine turns out to be [[spoiler: the mayor of town, who involuntarily changes forms at night]], and in Fable 2 [[spoiler: a woman who you escort through a balverine-infested forest turns out to be a white balverine in disguise, luring you into a trap for her "children".]]
* The ''Bloody Roar'' games have a whole ''menagerie'' of therianthropic characters like this including some kind of metalic bug-like beast called the ''unborn'' and a penguin who [[MagikarpPower becomes a Phoenix]].
* The Beast Kingdom in ''Seiken Densetsu 3'' is inhabited by a race of werewolves known as Beastmen. They are generally more humanlike during the day, and become [[WolfMan Wolf Men]] at night, but due to the presence of the Mana Stone of the Moon, the entire country is cast in perpetual night. One of the potential player characters, Kevin, hails from this place and transforms at night. This effectively gives him two sets of moves to the other characters' one.
* ''{{Castlevania}} 64: Legacy of Darkness'' has a "Man-beast," Cornell, as one of the playable characters. Very little is given about the race, but what can be inferred from the text, a Man-Beast is different from a werewolf in that they're usually not evil because their powers are usually sealed away and can only transform after {{Training from Hell}}. Cornell, unusually, has the ability to shoot endless [[RazorWind blades of wind]] from his hands even as a human. In Castlevania Judgement, he also gained the ability to [[MakeMeWannaShout howl out blasts of supersonic waves]]. His rival, another Manbeast who was a werelion, sold his soul for the power to become a werechimera.
** Both wargs and werewolves are featured in the series proper. Werewolves, however, have a few pyrokinetic skills
* The most recent ''FireEmblem'' games have the laguz, which can shapeshift for limited amounts of time. A "Halfshift" ability can be applied to let them take on a less powerful transformation at will, certain items can make them instantly shift, and the kings and queens of each tribe can stay in their animal forms indefinitely. And yes, there are wolves.
* [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Tinek/T'Nique/whatever]] Arcana from ''StarOcean'' is part of a race called lycanthropes, and transforms into a werewolf before every battle. He isn't explored very much, but he does say in Private Actions that he has to train constantly so he doesn't lose his senses and go berserk while transformed.
* In ''SonicUnleashed'', [[SonicTheHedgehog the titular hero]] can turn into Sonic the ''Werehog'' at night. During his transformation, Sonic is a bigger, furrier and werewolfish version of himself with huge stretchy arms. He's nowhere near as fast as he is in his normal form, but he is ''much'' stronger. Unlike most examples of lycanthropy, however, he's able to fully control himself.
* The second ''GoldenSun'' game has Garoh, a village of friendly werewolves who are also psychic. Though they don't want you to know their secret. A cutscene suggests that the lycanthropy and PsychicPowers both come from exposure to [[GreenRocks Psynergy Stones]].
** Promo material for ''Dark Dawn'' hints that a new playable character, Stella, may be from Garoh.
* [[TheElderScrolls The ''Elder Scrolls'' universe]] features a variety of therianthropic creatures, including werewolves, wereboars, and even weresharks.
** The validity of weresharks is not definite, however, as the character who mentioned them was "M'aiq the Liar"
** Weresharks were mentioned in the in-universe book "On Lycanthropy" in ''Daggerfall'' long before M'aiq mentioned them, and by professional scholars, no less.
* [[{{Touhou}} Keine Kamishirasawa]], rather than a werewolf, is a were-[[http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Hakutaku hakutaku]]. While her transformation only occurs during a full moon, she's doesn't turn evil. Though it would be a good idea not to interfere in her work, lest you be {{Unperson}}ed or simply [[MemeticMutation CAVED]].
* In ''{{Okami}}'', the Oina tribe can transform into a wolf-like form at will. Oki even does this to aid Amaterasu in battle.
* The Worgen of WorldOfWarcraft avert most of the werewolf tropes, being wolf-people from a whole separate dimension. The true 'werewolves' of the setting are the villagers of Pyrewood Village, who transform into worgen every night after being experimented on by the mad Archmage Arugal. Also a Forsaken quest reveals an undead was turned into a worgen. [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Think about that for a second]].
** With the Cataclysm expansion, Worgen will also become a player race, though it hasn't been revealed if the interdimensional Worgen or the humans-turned Worgen will be the playable ones.
** The official trailer makes it pretty clear that the playable Worgen belong to the nation of Gilneas and used to be humans, though their inclusion in the Alliance seems to hinge on an old bond the Worgen had with the Night Elves (the Scythe of Elune is probably related to this as well). It's been hinted that worgens will have a "human" form and a "wolfman" form, but other information from Blizzard is spotty at best right now.
** The "human" form is more a cosmetic bonus though. By default the playable worgen will be in a "manwolf" form and will revert to this form if they are in human form as soon as they initiate combat. It has been revealed that the playable worgen are worgens that are given cure that allow them to retain their human mind even when transformed, not that they won't abuse the added strength of being a werewolf than just a mere human and being able to transform at will.
* In MegaManStarforce, [[MeaningfulName Damian Wolfe's]] takes upon the appearance of an anthro wolf as his EM form, Wolf Woods. It's hard for him to control himself in this form.
* Warwolves in ''CityOfHeroes'' are a mysterious variant of SuperSoldier used by the [[StupidJetpackHitler Fifth Column]] and Council. After a certain level, random Council {{Mooks}} have a chance of [[OneWingedAngel transforming into them when defeated]].
* In ''Muppet Monster Adventure'' Fozzie Bear is turned into a Wocka Wocka Werebear which is a bear-like werewolf with the power to climb, the main character Robin later gets to turn into this as the one of the powers he gets from [[TransformationTrinket the amulet powerups]].
* ''Sabreman'', the intrepid explorer from the classic, eponymous 8-bit computer game series, is cursed with lycanthropy in 'Knight Lore' by the dire wolf Sabrewulf and forced to find a cure within 40 days before the curse becomes permanent. Sabreman transformed into a "werewulf" every night, the most notorious game effect being our poor hero marked as an enemy by Melkhior's magic cauldron, the only artifact that can prepare the cure for his affliction.
* [[DragonAge Dragon Age: Origins]] features werewolves that were created by [[spoiler: the Keeper of a Dalish (Elf) clan who cursed the humans who destroyed his family. They can only become human again if the Keeper agrees to end the curse, an act that will also kill him.]] These werewolves have learned to speak, but are regrettably cursed with frequent pig-like snorting when doing so.
** These aren't the only werebeasts in the setting. Most werecreatures are actually humans or animals possessed by demons from [[SpiritWorld the Fade]] and subsequently mutated.
*** It is also mentioned that because of that, there is pretty much no one "true" version of werewolf. Some change when the moon is full, some when they are angry, some turn into wolf-men, some into large wolves, some are only vulnerable to silver... It all depends on the exact demon involved.
* ''QuestForGlory 4'' has Gypsies, who are [[VoluntaryShapeshifter Voluntary Shapeshifters]] who turn into wolves (just wolves, no hybrid form) and scoff at the traditional werewolf legends. The local villagers believe in the classic version of the werewolf legends, and nearly burn a Gypsy at the stake for the "murder" of the gravedigger; however, they don't know about the Gypsies' shapeshifting, and simply jumped to the conclusion that "Gypsy = Werewolf".
* ''FinalFantasyV'' has a whole town of creatures ''called'' werewolves, but they always appear in humanoid wolf form, never transforming either way. They're also pretty friendly, for the most part.
* ''TheSims 2: Pets'' allows Sims to become werewolves by interacting with a glowy-eyed wolf or getting into a fight with a transformed werewolf. Werewolves transform every night and are still controllable in their wolfy forms, though they tend to freak out other Sims. Their personalities tend toward extremes and, even in human form, they get along with animals much better than regular Sims. The condition is curable.
* ''{{Diablo}} 2: Lord of Destruction'' has the Druid, with an entire skill tree dedicated to transforming into a werewolf or a were-bear, and special attacks that can be used in those forms.
* ''League of Legends'' has [[http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Warwick Warwick]]. Once a mercenary, he obtained a fully controllable version of lycanthropy as punishment for genocide. He hardly leaves his new form and is mentally the same (which isn't all that different from a wilder mindset). Essentially Soraka's punishment made things a hell of a lot worse.
* ''AlteredBeast'' features the player becoming a werewolf in two levels.
* Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, Rachel's [[MemeticBadass Badass]] BattleButler in {{Blazblue}} is a werewolf. Contrary to most examples, he's very cultured and cool-headed. Not only is he capable of changing into a wolf completely (or even partially) at will, it's actually a part of his gameplay. In wolf form he's much faster and has some powerful moves, but he can't block.
* ''{{Darkstalkers}}'' has Jon Talbain (Gallon in the Japanese version). He seems to be in control of himself as a werewolf, although he fears that he will lose himself in bloodlust and become a beast completely, and is desperately searching for a cure for his condition. [[spoiler: He does find a cure in the endings of the first two games, although the third game's ending suggests that he's jumping headlong in the ''other'' direction.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WebComics]]
* ''[[http://www.clanofthecats.com Clan of the Cats]]'': Chelsea Chattan and her older sister Melpomene are both were-leopards and witches; Chelsea in particular is the rare 'purebreed' who transforms completely into a black panther. The family is under a curse, which does not cause the panteranthropy, but rather makes it uncontrollable.
* ''[[HannaIsNotABoysName Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name]]'': first off, they look like [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=447 this]]. Second, they transform at will and third, they are very rare.
** Actually, Toni's (who by the way, normally looks like [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=756 this]]) ability to change at will is "cheating." (Mentioned [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=562 here]] at the bottom and explained [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=759 here]].)
** Toni has ''different'' wolf forms, too, depending on how complete her transformation is. The one depicted above is actually an incomplete form, and her [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=762 latest form]] is...just...[[{{Squee}} waaaaaay too cute.]]
* ''CryHavoc'' has four werewolves as its main characters. They have greatly enhanced size strength and resistance, given to the point that they can effectivly fight battle tanks head on. They transform during a full moon, and during their wolf phase are considerably larger than normal humans. They stand approximately six feet tall at the shoulder when on all fours, and nearly 12 feet tall when erect. They posses tough skin augmented by their resistance to non-silver weapons. They also have greatly improved senses. When transformed they may have difficulty controlling their actions due to bestial and pervasive 'wolf mind' that works subconsciously toward a fully animal state of mind. They can communicate with one another through a language that to observers sounds like growls and barks, but is understood only by other werewolves.
* ''CollegeRoomiesFromHell'': Roger and Lily Pepitone, whose family have a hereditary were-coyote curse
* ''[[http://shifters.comicgen.com/ Shifters]]'' is yet another 'weres versus vampires' series.
* ''{{Peter is the Wolf}}'': Just about every major character in this is a werewolf, though there is at least one kitsune (were-fox). Has both a 'general' and 'adult' version; the former is only vaguely Ecchi, while the latter is definitely {{NSFW}}.
** It uses the title of this page as an advertising tagline.
* ''GirlGenius'' has the fanged, green, and hairy Jagermonsters. They mix elements of the WolfMan, JekyllAndHyde, and SuperSoldier. On top of that, they're just plain goofy.
** [[FunetikAksent Unt don' anybody forgetink ze silly German akzent!]]
*** Und der ''[[NiceHat hats]]''.
* ''[[http://alphaluna.net/ Alpha Luna]]'', in where the werewolves are born that way and can change at will, but the first transformation appears to be non-controlable. The actual comic itself is fairly good, with slightly wonky dialogue (Deu to the fact that the writer has English as his second language) but gorgeous artwork.
* One of the supporting characters in ''[[http://www.noroomformagic.com/ No Room for Magic]]'' is Roy, [[http://www.noroomformagic.com/d/20050915.html whose dad turned him into a werewolf]] so that he could survive gym class. [[http://www.noroomformagic.com/d/20051208.html It's made him less shy, but he feels compelled to sniff strangers' butts]].
* DominicDeegan contains an entire race of werewolves. These werewolves can transform at will. Infact, many of the race prefer their wolf-man form, only taking a human form for diplomatic purposes. Their strength is based on the moon, with their wolf-man forms becoming stronger and more proficient with magic. Although the race is inherently more brutal, there is no loss of sanity or any other such ill effect from the transformation.
* ''TheWotch'' has a few lycanthropic minor characters (a hereditary werewolf (Samantha "Wolfie" Wolfe) and an inflicted werecat (Katie [=McBride=]). Transformations occur involuntarily under a full moon (or a spell capable of duplicating those conditions), and victims lose their normal personalities while transformed (though both above characters can overcome this thanks to a magic amulet). A particularly odd example is the villain Yukio, who became a were-''woman'' apparently spontaneously. His female form could be considered a SuperPoweredEvilSide (she's a separate personality, and is very understandably miffed at the world, see WhereIWasBornAndRazed), but Yukio's already pretty amoral.
* The werewolves in ''Lunatic Chaos'' are caused by heredity. However, the 'when' is cleverly subverted. Upon entering puberty, a werewolf will change some random night. Whatever moon is out that night is what they become 'linked' to. They can transform at will, but will be forced to take on their wolf shape on there personal phase. However, when a werewolf becomes linked to the full moon, they become bloodthirsty monsters whenever they are forced to transform.
* ShapeShifting being one of main themes of ''ElGoonishShive'', there are several variants.
** Grace is sometimes referred to as a "Were-Squirrel," since she's a [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] with human, squirrel and a squirrel/human hybrid forms, due to genes of human, squirrel, and two shape-shifting aliens. She and the other "chimerae" in the series cannot spread their powers through bites, though.
** The backstory for the Dewitchery Diamond mentions a traditional curse-based Were-Wolf. It was shown as a man-wolf and infected a victim.
*** Then a new term was coined from its purpose and nature of the last "curse" it "removed": ''[[GenderBender weregirl]]''.
* Neauria from ''{{Earthsong}}'' and her species provide the inspiration for the werewolf legends on Earth. They're anthropomorphic dog-like humanoids, but that's about the only similarity they share with Earth's werewolves.
* In ''[[http://www.taoofgeek.com The Tao of Geek]]'', a horde of werewolves was caused by a voodoo curse found on the Internet. The first person affected became the Alpha Wolf, and all subsequent cursed people became members of the Alpha's pack. Killing the Alpha was mentioned as a way to reverse the curse on the other afflicted people. [[spoiler:Removing the curse on the Alpha works just as well.]]
* Wally from ''Zebra Girl'' can transform to a wolf or wolf-man and change his size to some degree, but only at night - he's stuck on whatever shape he takes during the day. His power level seems tied to his status within the "pack" - his old alpha could turn into a wolf the size of a ''house''.
* In ''DandyAndCompany'', Bernard is turned into a werewolf by the demon Skeezicks. As such, he's basically a PettingZooPeople version of a wolf (well, inasmuch as an animal in this comic can be otherwise) 24/7, but transforms into the classic humongous, bloodthirsty monster when exposed to the light of the full moon. (Cloud cover is enough to block out the effect.) The only way to restore normalcy is to challenge Skeezicks to a battle for Bernard's soul.
* In ''{{Sorcery101}}'' werewolves do not retain their full human consciousness, but they do seem to retain a certain level of control. For instance, even in his wolf form, Brad will not harm anyone he likes. Brad is also colorblind, but it's never been stated whether or not this is do to his werewolfism. Werewolves in Sorcery101 turn into full wolves, without any form of humanism to them. Werewolves also have hyper healing powers. Also, there is a cure. If a werewolf has his tail removed, they become human again. However, any wound that they suffered as a werewolf will come back if cured. Werewolfism is also hereditary, as Brad's daughter has it without being bitten.
* First off, the creatures in ''AnsemRetort'' are actually werePIRES (though they seem to take more after their were-side). All that is known so far is that their natural predators are sharks. And their beast forms look like, well, [[Film/BeautyAndTheBeast the Beast]]. Oh, and apparently they make cute reindeer.
* Two of the protagonists of ''TheDragonDoctors'' become inflicted with Lycanthropy. The titular doctors are able to cure nearly any malady, but they're only able to ''control'' lycanthropy rather than get rid of it entirely. The two werewolves became so because a horrific entity bent on consuming all life tried to absorb their minds and souls, and this awoke within them an "inner beast." This is treated differently than "standard" lycanthropy, which is contagious, but it's also difficult to cure because you can't really get rid of the inner beast without killing a person's will to live, and getting it to settle back down is the only way. Kili and Greg have to wear magical arm-bands and exercise a lot to burn off their excess energy, and one side-effect is that their hair is now [[RapunzelHair incredibly long]].
* ''FamilyMan'' features an entire town based around the local werewolf population, though the majority of townspeople are by no means werewolves. Lycanthropy, in females, at least, seems to coincide with menstruation, and the transformation is preceded by a ritual including the donning of a wolf skin. Evidence suggests that werewolves can arise from genetic inheritence ''and'' from...some means of transmission. At least, that's what we know so far: there's still much to be revealed on the subject.
* ''[[http://www.vladthevegan.com/ Vlad the Vegan Vampire]]'' got a pal, Estragon the were''panda''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WebOriginal]]
* The ''WhateleyUniverse'' features all kinds of characters who could be considered 'weres' of some kind or other. The 'regular' ones were created by the Sidhe in ancient times to serve as warriors in the fight against the Great Old Ones; their community near Whateley Academy (which is in fact built on their tribal territory) includes feline weres and at least one werebear in addition to plain old werewolves, and there are others scattered at least over the US. They are capable of infecting humans and most mutants by way of a quick-acting magical virus transmitted by biting, but this isn't currently common practice. At the school, one might also run into Harry Wolfe a.k.a. Techwolf, who's basically a wolf-man due to a family curse, or Bloodwolf, who's about as easy to get along with as his name indicates and seems to be getting his powers from some kind of wolf ''spirit''. A secondary character living at Hawthorn Cottage is actually a wolf who turns into a human. There's the supervillain Lycanthros, who looks kind of caveman-ish normally, and can turn into a massive werewolf when he wants; he wears a bunch of pelts that might be wolves or maybe even werewolves, so he may fall into the 'deal with the devil' category of mythology...and finally (for now) we have the creatures nicknamed 'Voodoo Wolves' or more generally 'Voodoo Weres', who are part-regular were, part-EldritchAbomination, serve somebody who goes by the meaningful title 'The Bastard', and can actually infect 'normal' weres and transform them into their own kind.
* [[LimyaaelsFantasyRants Limyaael]] is more concerned with [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/452888.html werewolves]] drowning in the {{Wangst}} than in playing with myths.
* What do you get if you mix the OurWerewolvesAreDifferent and EveryoneIsGay tropes? You get the werewolves at [[http://cyoc.net choose your own change!]] WARNING: May not be sfw - since it is a FetishFuel station)
* The ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum have had a number of were-somethings. Werewolves, [[EverythingsBetterwithPenguins werepenguins]], weretigers, and even a were-sea-anemone.
* ''AboveGround'' also features all kinds of werecreatures, although the predominant one remains werewolves. Whatever their animal type, their bite is not infectious: it is a trait inherited genetically. Furthermore, the weres are VoluntaryShapeshifters who learn how to control their change as they grow older. To be able to fully control the change back and forth is their passage into adulthood.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Gargoyles}}'' had an episode where Xanatos' [[ArtifactOfDoom engagement gift]] [[UnholyMatrimony to Fox]] turned her into a wolf-like being every night until he and the gargoyles were able to forcibly remove it.
* ''{{Freakazoid}}'' did a parody of the original ''The Wolf Man'' with an obvious Lon Chaney Jr. parody coming to Dexter for help with his werewolf problem. Freakazoid, after forcing him to suffer numerous indignities, ultimately cured him by dumping him into the internet and back out again.
** This same episode even parodied the fake frame-by-frame transformations of the original Wolfman, for both the Lon Chaney Jr. {{Expy}} and Freakazoid himself.
* ''TheSimpsons'' did it during a ''[[HalloweenEpisode Treehouse of Horror]]'' episode where Ned Flanders gets bitten by a Dire Wolf and becomes a Man-Wolf; a rare case of two types in one show.
* The title character of the Ruby-Spears cartoon ''Fangface'' would transform whenever he saw the full moon ... or a photograph of it... or anything which vaguely reminded him of it. HilarityEnsues, of course. The reverse transformation was similarly triggered by the sun. Or any other sun-like image.
* ''BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' has a very "mechanical" twist to our friend the werewolf, called the wirewolf.
** They also spoofed vampires with "NOS 4A2" ("{{Film/Nosferatu}}"), an energy-draining robot vampire.
* ''Gravesdale High'' had a rather nerdy werewolf teen named Reggie Moonshroud.
* ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'' has two characters who are weredogs, Valerie (a girl who is an honor student) and Ms Thompson (the teacher), Numbuh 5 got turned into one in "Operation D.O.G.H.O.U.S.E."
* An episode of ''TheRealGhostbusters'' had Egon turn into a werechicken.
** There was also an episode where a [[FurAgainstFang clan war between werewolves and vampires]] finally got bloody, and when they fought...
---> Peter: "Egon, not to be intrusive or unduly nosy, but what do you mean by [[ItGotWorse "worse"]]?
---> Egon: "Well, when a vampire bites someone, he becomes a vampire, right?"
---> Peter: "Right."
---> Ray: "And when a werewolf bites someone, they become a werewolf too!"
---> Egon: "Exactly! [[MixAndMatchCritters So what happens when a werewolf bites a vampire, and a vampire bites a werewolf]]?"
* In a direct parody of ''An American Werewolf in London'' (and ''TurboTeen'' - of course), ''{{Futurama}}'' has a curse that can turn any mild-mannered robot into a were''car''.
** But unlike the hovercars the characters in the show are familiar with, these cars are "crawling around on wheels...like a wolf!"
* In the ''{{Ben 10}}'' episode "Benwolf" we were introduced to an alien version of the werewolf called a Loboan or Yenaldooshi. It scratches the Omnitrix thus causing Ben to slowly turn into this alien werewolf. Later, the creature is added to the Omnitrix's Big List Of Heroes and he later dubs it Benwolf.
* An episode of ''DaveTheBarbarian'' had Dave get bitten by a cow and turn into a werecow. Also halfway through the middle he gets turned into other things like a cat, Oswitch, a hamster, Lula, an egg beater, a gym teacher, and finally... himself! But the twist comes at the end where Faffy ends up turning into a weredave.
* An episode of ''MonaTheVampire'' had a wereclown concept.
** A Halloween episode of ''Dexter's Lab'' also had a wereclown concept where Dexter gets bitten by a pair of clown dentures and turns into a MonsterClown whenever he laughs.
* An episode of the ''AceVentura'' cartoon had Ace go to a village to hunt down a killer moose, it later turns out that it was a weremoose. And then almost everyone Ace runs into in the village happpens to be a weremoose, even his own pet monkey Spike gets turned into one. Later on, it turns out that the very person who brought him there is the original weremoose and has the power to transform at will via a [[TransformationTrinket special talisman]] and the very reason he brought Ace over to the village is so he could turn him into one, telling him that he'll be granted special powers and that together they'll create a race of moose men.
* In the ''Kappa Mikey'' episode Night Of The Werepuff, there is a creature called a werepuff- it's a furry creature that eats clothes. Mikey gets turned into one.
* Aisling in ''TheSecretOfKells'' is a fairie that takes on the form of a wolf and commands a pack of them. But eventually, [[spoiler: TheMagicGoesAway and Brendan is only able to see her wolf form]]
* ''{{Animaniacs}}'' featured a somewhat unusual version in the Minerva Mink short "Moon Over Minerva." A geeky wolf, named Wilford B Wolf, would turn into a hunky wolf when exposed to the full moon. Minerva won't give his geeky self the time of day, but she goes crazy for his moonlit self. Need I say the short is pretty heavy on the {{Fanservice}} for both the male and female audiences?
* ''{{Wallace and Gromit}}: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit'' had ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: a giant lycanthropic rabbit. Fortunately, it's only dangerous to vegetables (but this just makes it much funnier).
** Vegetables are, apparantly, SeriousBusiness to the townspeople.
* On ''UglyAmericans'', werewolves turn shortly after being bitten, but retain their intelligence. They're still pretty viscious though, one tore a man's arm off just to get tickets to a magic show. After turning, that man grew his arm back, albeit very slowly (it took the entire episode just to grow the arm to half its original size). They also don't turn back, or it hasn't been shown anyway.
* One episode of ''JohnnyBravo'' involved Johnny finding out that his date was a werewolf. He went on the date anyway, reasoning that he just had to stick it out until sunrise for her to turn back into a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, it was a Wednesday, and it turns out that on Wednesdays she turns into an annoying little man named Melvin who keeps trying to show people his stamp collection.
* In ''TheRealAdventuresOfJonnyQuest'', the transformation into a werewolf comes because of a genetic disorder that only affects men.
* ''MaryShelleysFrankenhole''. The Wolfman can only be killed by a silver bullet. The death with only be temporary and he will heal as soon as the bullet leaves him (even if he has to rot and decay for 70 years before the bullet leaves). The only way for him to permanently die is if a lover fires the silver bullet.
* ''AdventureTime'' has the Whywolves, which are werewolves-like creatures born out of inquiry and '''bloodlust'''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: RealLife]]
* Vampires were originally very similar to (or basically were) werewolves. In some historical lore, vampires would turn into wolves rather than bats.
** The "vampires turn into bats" trope is just a bit over hundred years old in any case, only first thought up by Bram Stoker when he heard of blood-drinking bats in South America. Before that there has been no connection between the animal and the mythical monster.
** The connection is made even further with beliefts that if one fails to properly dispose of a werewolf's corpse, it will rise up as a vampire.
* Some legends say that witches were also blamed for making potions (with extreme hallucinogenic properties) that made men into werewolves (or at least made them believe they were wolves).
* It is also thought that the rabies virus may be to blame.
** There may also be a conection to leprosy, in some medieval legends, werewolves in thier human forms had no noses.
* Perhaps unsurprisingly some [[FurryFandom Furries]] claim to be werewolves or other "shifters." Since they obviously can't change physically, they state that their shifting is (mostly) mental or spiritual in nature, often with connections to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection astral projection]] or Native American style totemism.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_lycanthropy Clinical lycanthropy]] is a rare disorder where sufferers think they have transformed into an animal.
** It affects the parts of the brain that manage a person's body image, so they actually experience shifting shape into something that isn't human, and interpret it as turning into an animal.
[[/folder]]
----
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/VeronikaMmish250px.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Some werewolves are more man than wolf, while others are more wolf than man.]]
->''It's a full moon tonight,\\
I'm gonna get a bite,\\
I can't wait till I start transforming.''
-->--'''Calibretto''', "Mysanthropy and the Full Moon"
Subtrope of OurMonstersAreDifferent, dealing with variations on typical lycanthropy (i.e. [[WolfMan werewolves]]). [[OurVampiresAreDifferent As with vampires]], writers love to take their own spins on lycanthrophy, to the extent that the only thing all fictional werewolves have in common is that they are [[{{Animorphism}} animorphs]] who take the form of a wolf.
OurWerewolvesAreDifferent is where an work uses werewolves so different from the Werewolf Classic that he or she
* '''What:''' This transformation may be total, turning the human into an actual wolf, or partial, turning the man into a BeastMan that has wolf features, but retaining human proportions. With the advent of more sophisticated make-up and visual effects, techniques have been developed that allowed more wolflike features on humanoids, such as giving a character a wolf's muzzle and ears. The [[TransformationTrauma human to werewolf transformation]] in the movie ''An American Werewolf in London'' is generally considered to be the standard to which all others are compared, quite remarkable for a movie now more than twenty five years old and from the pre-CGI era.
** ''{{Werewolf}}'' : The basic no-frills transformation is [[{{Animorphism}} man into wolf]], ending up looking just like what you'd see in the woods or a zoo, but this is actually rather rare.
** ''[[BigBadAssWolf Dire Wolf]]'' : like the above, but either ''much'' bigger, or far more muscular, often with long, rather un-lupine claws, and a grizzly-bear physique.
** ''WolfMan'' : In [[TheFifties '50s]] horror films, the transformation usually took the form of a [[BeastMan hairy humanoid]] with [[PettingZooPeople a scattering of animal features]], such as pointed ears, fangs, claws, and maybe a more canine nose or even a tail, but otherwise remaining almost entirely human (The "classic" Wolf Man appearance is not entirely dissimilar to the symptoms of a rare genetic disorder, hypertrichosis.) May be used as a GameFace to intimidate, or a PartialTransformation between full man and full wolf.
** ''Man-Wolf'' : MixAndMatchCritters with a fur-covered humanoid body and a fully lupine head. Man-wolves seem to have become more popular than wolf-men recently, likely due to increasing special effects technology; the old wolf-man design was purely for the purposes of suggesting wolfishness while remaining within the limits of latex applications.
** There may also be breeds of therianthrope, other than lycanthropes (werewolves), typically based on other predators. Bears, Tigers, and Rats are common examples.
* '''Why:''' The underlying cause of one's lycanthropic condition. Technically, a number of variations are possible: in some mythologies, a werewolf is an ''actual wolf'' who can assume human form rather than the other way around. However, far and away the most popular concept is that a werewolf is a human who has somehow acquired the ability to transform ([[VoluntaryShapeshifter willingly]] or [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting otherwise]]) into a wolf. Popular methods include a ViralTransformation after being bitten by a previous werewolf, but there are many possible causes:
** ''Heredity'': Some werewolves are simply born that way to begin with: They either belong to a distinct species, or lycanthropy is a genetic condition that was passed down through their family line. Alternately, it can be a hereditary curse, which tends to manifest around the DangerousSixteenthBirthday (give or take a few years). In SpeculativeFiction, the werewolf is often neither really wolf nor man, but some [[IntelligentGerbil species of alien]].
*** One werewolf legend says that if a person is born on the 24th of December or conceived on the night of a new moon, he will become a werewolf. For this reason the historical King John of England was accused of having become a werewolf after his death (though, as Montague Summers says, with [[CrazyAwesome splendid insanity]], "It is very curious that King John should become a werewolf after death, and one suspects there may be some confusion here, and that he became a [[FurAgainstFang vampire]].")
** ''Disease'': Lycanthropy is an [[ViralTransformation infectious condition]], passed on (like [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires ... maybe]]) to any surviving victim of a werewolf attack (usually a bite). Rarely is it explicitly established that disease-style Lycanthropy isn't also hereditary, though it often is, this is a [[NewerThanTheyThink fairly new addition]] to werewolf lore.
** ''Magic'': Becoming a werewolf is the result of [[AWizardDidIt magical forces]] or AppliedPhlebotinum at work. It could be due a BlackMagic ceremony or making a DealWithTheDevil, or it could be the result of a {{Curse}} placed on the person by some EvilSorceror or whatnot -- other popular causes may include typical MadScientist experiments, exposure to GreenRocks ... the list goes on. On the other hand, it need not be malicious in nature; sometimes the transformation is simply a type of "natural magic" and certain magicians (particularly Druids) have learned to [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change their form at will]] -- they may insist they are TotallyNotAWerewolf, and rightly so.
* '''When''' does their transformation occur?
** [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Completely at will]]: This is usually limited to members of separate werewolf species (where shapeshifting is their natural ability) or those posessing magic spells. When operating under this rule, during full moons (or nights closest to full moon) they will often have no control over whether or not they shapeshift.
** Occurs at ''regularly scheduled intervals'', most famously upon the night of a full moon.
*** Sometimes this extends to the nights surrounding the full moon (frequently [[RuleOfThree three]]), rather than just the night of the "fullest" moon.
*** Alternately, transformation occuring on a daily basis (human by day, wolf by night) is another viable option, especially in VideoGames with an InUniverseGameClock.
*** If you want to be really old-timey, some werewolves will only change when the plant aconitum (aka wolfsbane) blooms, which is to say, around autumn, although different species bloom all year. Sometimes the werewolf has to eat the aconitum.
** Transformation can be the result of a ''specific trigger'', like GreenRocks.
*** Sometimes it occurs as the [[HulkingOut result of severe physical pain or emotional stress]].
*** Some transformations that occur during the full moon explicitly require exposure to the ''light'' of the moon, or that the individual actually ''sees'' the moon; thus they can be sheltered indoors or on clouded nights.
*** Japanese werewolf lore also includes transformations induced by seeing ''any object'' that is round.
** ''Doesn't transform at all'': The wolflike shape is his permanent form. This, too, is typically limited to werewolves who are a distinct (or alien) species.
* '''Control?''' A werewolf may maintain their human mind while transformed, or they may [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody receive the mind of that animal]]. Or end up somewhere in between. Or [[UnstoppableRage they may just go crazy]]. In either case, they may also be subject to an [[HorrorHunger irresistible urge to dine on human flesh]]. Quite logically, the more voluntary their transformation, the more control the individual retains in their wolf-shape -- it wouldn't make much sense to voluntarily choose a transformation that requires going nuts, would it? -- and members who can't transform at all have nothing to worry about here.
* '''Mortal?''' Probably the most important element for the hero of the story to know (whether he ''is'' the werewolf, or just trying to hunt one down): Just how do you ''stop'' the beast? Some werewolves are mere mortals (if dangerous ones); some are virtually indestructible creatures unless you use a KryptoniteFactor.
** The most popular weakness is silver (preferably in the form of a SilverBullet) which is associated, like werewolves themselves, with the moon.
*** Sometimes the silver may need to be extra-special in some way, such as having been taken from a crucifix or having to be inherited silver (in which case the source may be more important than the material).
*** Silver was once thought to have special properties in its own right, and may have been suggested for use against werewolves for its supposed ability to harm supernatural beings that were otherwise invulnerable. It's been said to work against vampires as well.
** The monkshood plant (''Acronitum'' genus, the european variety, ''Aconitum napellus'', is the most commonly used) is another possible option, since it's also called wolfsbane.
** Mistletoe is also a traditional way to ward off werewolves.
** Beheading it or burning it usually works across the board.
* '''Cure?''' A werewolf might just be a werewolf for life, but sometimes it's possible to undo the condition if it is unwanted. Sadly, this may only be a temporary treatment rather than a permanent cure.
** Sometimes, a possible cure is to [[NoOntologicalInertia kill the werewolf which just infected you]], usually with a time limit, such as before the next month.
** In some of the most [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Idealistic]] shows, inflicting the werewolf a non-fatal wound with silver is enough to cure him.
** Sometimes wolfsbane or another plant are said to actually inhibit the transformation rather than actually repelling or harming the creature. It is usually not a particularly effective treatment, though the reason varies (usually because the plant's poisonous nature fully affects the werewolf, because it mitigates but does not completely stop the transformation, or because the substance needed is particularly rare).
** Occasionally, the cure is to consume a lock of wolfsbane before the next full moon, ignoring the poisonous nature of the plant.
** If lycanthropy is a disease, then curative magic, healing salves mixed with wolfsbane or some other exotic ingredient, or even normal precautions against infection may prevent it from taking hold. This almost always has to be performed soon after infection/exposure.
Other Common Werewolf Tropes include:
* Evil werewolves are typically deeply hedonistic characters who relish giving in to their "animal nature."
* Upon death, a werewolf [[ThisWasHisTrueForm will revert to human form]].
* In the game of ElementalRockPaperScissors, werewolves are associated with Earth. In some stories, this means that they can not stomach flight.
* A werewolf may begin to adopt lupine characteristics in human form, such as [[MysteriousAnimalSenses heightened senses]], the need to mark territory, hairy palms, or the tendency to sleep curled up into a ball. EyesOfGold are a common characteristic, since they look mysterious but not incriminating.
* Werewolves are strangely prone to ThemeNaming and {{Meaningful Name}}s. [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Beware of any guy named Wolfgang "Moondog" Lupin]]. This makes sense for heriditary werewolves, but not so much for those who were turned.
* Werewolves often operate in packs. Killing the alpha male may "cure" the rest of the pack.
* Werewolves of the evil and involuntary subtypes are almost guaranteed to undergo a [[TransformationTrauma horrifying]] and/or [[PainfulTransformation excruciating]] ordeal as they transform. Good werewolves tend to have it easier.
** This could have something to do with how long the person has been a werewolf, too. The first transformation shown in a film is usually the longest and most graphic, while subsequent ones often go faster.
* Werewolves sometimes find themselves [[FurAgainstFang pitted against vampires]].
* Although most of the time it does not come up, often werewolves are classified as being [[TheUndead undead]], primarily due to their inability to be killed except by special means, (see above) much like most undead.
** Since when does being really hard to kill make someone undead? Wouldn’t that make most superheroes undead?
*** Well, looking at the amount of times most of them have been ressurected you could definately make the argument.
* Sexism is rampant in the werewolf world, and in most stories women weres are not allowed to be the alpha/in control of a pack, period, due to their smaller size. This aspect of the mythos is edging into [[DiscreditedTrope discredited]] territory, though.
* Social werewolves operate according to a strict hierarchy, with an alpha male at the top of the group and a bullied omega at the bottom. Lower-ranking werewolves can challenge their superiors to physical combat and, upon beating them, assume their opponent's place in the hierarchy. Such one-on-one duels are generally the only way to remove an insane or incompetent alpha. This is not true of real wolves, although it [[ScienceMarchesOn was thought to be for a very long time.]] Up until recently, most zoological studies of wolves used wolves in captivity. [[SarcasmMode For some reason]], strange wolves thrown together in captivity start acting out PrisonTropes. In the wild, a wolf pack is usually a family. The alpha male and female are the parents of the lower-ranking wolves. Rather than rise up and challenge their parents for leadership, the children just leave when they're a few years old and find mates, thus starting their own packs.
* A dislike of being treated like a pet. A werewolf would, for example, most likely object to being scratched behind the ears, having his belly rubbed, etc. by a human companion. If he ''doesn't'', it's probably because the companion is a very close friend or lover.
* Tendency to experience graphic, violent and disturbing nightmares. Although werewolves frequently appear in these dreams, any form of gratuitous slaughter is a possibility.
* Recently, the idea that werewolves can MindMeld or psychically communicate with other werewolves has been creeping into the mythos. When done well, this is played as an extension of the pack mentality and the tightly-knit communities it creates. Other times, it's a rather obvious dodge to let them 'talk' in wolf form without the author having to stretch for modes of non-verbal communication.
* If a werewolf is able to control the transformation, it sometimes raises the question of [[FridgeLogic what he gets out of turning into a wolf.]] One common answer is that he hunts animals, or just run in the wilderness with his pack. This could be because of some supernatural compulsion, or he might just make him feel good. Often this desire is treated [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything as a metaphor]].
* A HealingFactor often shows up as a RequiredSecondaryPower or perk. After all, if you can warp your body drastically enough to turn into a completely different creature, you can probably use the same priciple to regenerate tissue.
* Many {{Shapeshifting}} tropes can be tweaked a little to fit with a werewolf.
Werewolves did not receive the same revisionist treatment as vampires did during the 90's. Partially this is due to the high probability of SpecialEffectsFailure in visual media, but also because the concept is more difficult to revise. Having your neck bitten by beautiful people is erotic, being torn into bloody chunks and eaten is not. And in most common depictions, werewolves aren't exactly sapient in their wolf form. Hence they're often relegated to supporting roles in FurAgainstFang plotlines and FantasyKitchenSink settings.
However, recently the werewolf's cachet has been rising, in part due to the [[EnsembleDarkhorse surpising]] [[FanPreferredCouple popularity]] of Jacob Black from ''{{Twilight}}''. Recent works of note include the ''[[WolvesOfMercyFallsSeries Wolves of Mercy Falls]]'' trilogy, Jennifer Lynn Barnes' ''Raised by Wolves'' (a sequel to which is in the works), and the ''MercyThompson'' and ''KittyNorville'' books. 2010 also saw a highly-publicized remake of ''TheWolfMan'', although this depiction is much more traditional then the above.
The word "werewolf," for what it's worth, is a compound with the archaic English word for an adult male (etymologically "man" [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad really was genderless]]). Hence, the not-uncommon female lycanthropes should more strictly be "wifwolves," a term that has sadly not seen much actual use. Naturally, werewolves are OlderThanPrint.
Some settings with a FantasyKitchenSink approach may include more weres than just wolves. [[EverythingsWorseWithBears Bears]] and big cats are the next two favourites. In general, weres are those possessing therianthropy; please note that 'lycanthrope' applies ''only'' for wolves.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Jean Jacquemonde is this in the manga ''Spriggan'' as [[spoiler:his father before him was a werewolf too, being created as a biological weapon of war by ancient civilizations.]]. The catch? He [[spoiler:needs to see his own blood after being shot to death to do this. He transforms back to a man after anyone near him is either gone from sight or dead.]].
* [[BigBadassWolf Free]], of Atushi Ookubo's manga ''{{Soul Eater}}'' is a werewolf of the Dire Wolf variety. He's also [[AnIcePerson an ice mage]] and illusionist, though whether he learned those skills or they came with his werewolf heritage are unconfirmed.
** His magic skills are from the eye that he took from the leader of the witches.
* Jyabura, a villain from ''OnePiece'', is possessed of a Devil Fruit power that allows him to transform into a wolf or a wolf/human hybrid that looks like a typical werewolf.
* Liru from ''MagicalPokaan'' turns into a cute little puppy with anything round, strangely enough, except for the full moon.
* Ginei from ''RosarioToVampire'', president of the Newspaper Club and HandsomeLech. As a werewolf, his primary battle strategy involves super speed.
** He can transform at will, but he his power varies according to the phase of the moon. He once lost a fight when a cloud covered the moon.
* The Captain, one of the villains from the manga ''{{Hellsing}}'', is a werewolf. He has several forms which he can go between at will, ranging from a human to a mist-like Dire Wolf. In all forms he has massive physical strength and speed with a HealingFactor.
* Wolf familiars Arf and Zafila of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', who are shown as capable of shifting from [[BigBadassWolf giant wolves]], to this, to full human (i.e., no wolf ears or tails), to FunSize versions of the first two forms. And just to punctuate the WolfMan image, Arf's first on-screen transformation ino a wolf was accompanied with a full moon in the background.
* Kotaro Inugami of ''MahouSenseiNegima'' is technically a dog boy, but he associates himself with wolves. He's also proven capable of [[spoiler: turning into a really BigBadassWolf at full power.]]
* Subverted in ''Wolf's Rain'', in that the titular characters are sentient wolves not capable of actual shapeshifting; but can make themselves ''appear'' human, through a sort of telepathy; in order to hide among humans who would otherwise fear and kill them. They occasionally drop this disguise to frighten humans; or, in one case, to befriend a human by appearing as an ordinary dog.
* Dora Nikov from ''Doraemon'' transforms whenever he sees a round object.
* Somewhat related: Saiyans in ''DragonBall'' transform into giant rampaging monkeys when they see the light of a full moon. Cutting off their tails prevents this, but until they reach a certain age, it will grow back.
** Dragonball also features a [[strike:Wolf Man]] Man Wolf, a wolfman that transforms into a man with the full moon. [[spoiler:Tries to take revenge on Master Roshi for destroying the moon, leaving him a wolf.]]
* C'tarl C'tarl from ''OutlawStar'' are werecats with several intermediate forms (Fuzzy Space-Elf to [[CatGirl Cat Person]] to Buff Superpowered Cat Person to Giant Tiger) whose access are dependant on the presence and phase of a moon and on their own personal energy reserves.
** There is an actual werewolf in the story too.
* Appears in many works by OsamuTezuka. In ''{{Phoenix}}'' they're a kind of Shinto nature spirits. Another story, ''Vampire'', features more typical ones that are called, well... Vampires (Though many vampire legends say they can turn into wolves, too). Perhaps the weirdest, and arguably most realistic, example is ''OdeToKirihito'', which revolves around the mysterious illness known as Monmow Disease, an affliction that gradually turns people into canine-like mutants untill the trauma the transformation causes to their organs kills them.
* [[SpiceAndWolf Holo]] is a [[InsistentTerminology wise]] Dire-sized wolf who inhabits wheat that can change into a young Wolf Girl. She needs either wheat or blood to transform from one form to another.
** She is a wolf-god who transforms voluntarily into a human form, however, not a human who becomes a wolf.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: ComicBooks]]
* ''Werewolf by Night'' at Marvel Comics. The main character is named [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Jack Russell]], which is a breed of terrier.
* Early in the chronology of ''ElfQuest'', Timmain, one of a group of elfin space travelers stranded on the Earth-like World of Two Moons, shapeshifted into various forms in order to understand the planet's ecology, finally turning herself into a fully fertile she-wolf so that she could mate with the alpha male of a wild pack and have offspring. She didn't just do that on impulse, but so that her descendants would be a part of the planet. In more recent issues (set about 20,000 years later) the elf [[spoiler:Kimo]] has learned from Timmain how to shapeshift into a wolf.
* John Jameson (J. Jonah's son) was an astronaut who was transformed by a ruby he found on the moon into Man-Wolf. He was later transported to the dimension the ruby originated in, where he became Stargod. (Still a man-wolf, but with Jameson's intelligence & personality.)
* Mikola Rostov from ''TheWarlord'' was a Russian fencing instructor cursed to become a werewolf every full moon. he tried to escape his curse by moving to world of perpetual sunlight. This was not as successful as he might have hoped.
* Bigby Wolf from the ''{{Fables}}'' is a sort of inversion. He was a giant wolf great enough to eat entire armies at one go (indeed, he was ''the'' Big Bad Wolf), but he allowed [[strike:a werewolf to bite himself]] Snow White to cut him with a lycanthropy-cursed knife so that he could take a human form at will in order to live peacefully in our world.
* In Fred Perry's ''Series/GoldDigger'', one of the main characters is one of the last Werecheetahs. Other weres include Lions, Tigers, Rats, and of course Wolves. Each subspecies is able to shift between human, animal, and a "Wolf-Man" styled hybrid form. All of the weres retain their rationality in each of their forms, although they need to learn to control their instincts during childhood. Although the weres are separate species, they are capable of spreading Lycanthropy to Humans as a disease; they were originally created by a wizard as SuperSoldiers before said wizard was betrayed. They have a HealingFactor for everything except attacks by another were -- and silver, which literally burns their flesh.
** And souls!
** You forgot magic and Dwarven Steel (which disrupts the magic in the were's aura, which slows down their HealingFactor.)
* ''LittleGloomy'' takes place in Spooksville, Frightsylvania, where the moon is ''always'' out, and ''always'' full. Accordingly, the sizable werewolf population is a constant danger to the average citizen, with one of the only civilized werewolves being Gloomy's friend Larry.
* The manga ''Cowa!'' has the main character who is a werekoala and also part vampire.
* In ''CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'', one storyline had a wolf who, thanks to a magical artifact, transformed under a full moon into a "wuz-wolf," a feral-looking human being. (The Zoo Crew's Earth having no humans, who are considered only to be fictional creatures, is noted at several points during the story).
* In ''TheWarlord'', Mikola Rostov was a Russian fencing instructor cursed to become a werewolf every full moon. Rostov followed his lover Mariah to the other-dimensional realm of Skartaris, hoping the perpetual sunlight would free him of his curse. He eventually went back in time to the age when the land was called Wizard World. There Jennifer Morgan cast a spell that cured him from his werewolf curse. However he can still use his "wolf spirit" in battle.
* ''Thicker than Blood'' features two brothers, one of whom is a werewolf (of the manwolf variety) while the other [[spoiler:turns out to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or at least something like him.]] The werewolf brother originally only transforms on the full moon nights after being been on a family trip, but [[spoiler:after drinking his brother's serum]] he appears to change more frequently and is even stronger and more feral than usual.
* ''In the Blood'' is a limited series, currently held up in production due to the artist suffering from cancer, which centers on a teenager struggling with his burgeoning lycanthropy. He seems to be unable to control when his transformations occur and is styled after the classic Lon Chaney wolfman style. It's been implied in interviews that this [[spoiler: is a family affliction.]]
* ''The Astounding Wolf-Man'', written by Robert Kirkman, focuses on a man who, after being infected with lycanthropy on a family vacation, uses it as a means by which he can become a superhero. His werewolf powers give him super strength and healing, but only work at night. Also on the night of the full moon he enters a feral state and can no longer control his actions.
* Wolfsbane of the 1980's Marvel Comics to present is a mutant shapechanger who originally could become a red-furred wolf, or a 'werewolfgirl' intermediate form. These forms continued to change as she grew, influenced by emotional crises, mind control, drugs, mutant energy influxes, whatever the writers could dream up. Twice (at least) depowered and restored, she has served on more teams (and in more different comic books) than most any character.
** There was also a minor character, Wolfcub, who was stuck in a "wolfman" form. A couple of plots have tried to explain that all mutants with regenerative powers, claws, and heightened senses were a subspecies of mutant (Homo superior lupus) that was the origin of werewolves.
* In ''{{Runaways}}'' the heroes have to go up against a group of "cowboy werewoofs." One character is surprised at this because "there isn't even a full moon tonight." This prompts another character to point out that the "moon is always full."
* In ''Beasts O Burden'' it's a demon possessing someone's body, doesn't seem to be restricted by moon cycle when taking over the body, and it gives the person the ability to talk to animals. Silver bullets are still the way to go though.
* In the very allegorical ''HouseOfMystery'' story "Maidenhead", the Children of the Blue Gray's lycanthropy is sexual (it's unclear whether arousal leads to the change or vice versa, because as far as they're concerned it's the same thing), but also seems to be tied into their [[CrystalDragonJesus Crystal Dragon Mohammad]] religion.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Film}}]]
* ''WerewolfOfLondon'' (1935), the first werewolf feature film, introduced the moon/werewolf connection and the contagion meme. Not only does the full moon cause the infected to transform, but the only antidote for the transformation (the "mariphasa") is a fictional flower which only blooms under moonlight.
* Curt Siodmak built on the above foundation in the script for ''The Wolf Man'' (1941), and added the henceforth near-unavoidable weakness to silver. "Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers at night, may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." A less copied touch is the trait of having the werewolf seeing the mark of a pentacle on his fated next victim.
** There are references to the use of silver against werewolves as far as in the 18th century or more. Ofcouse back then silver was considered effective against all sorts of evil entities, and wasn't absolutely necessary in disposing them.
* ''An American Werewolf In London'' used a dire wolf transformation, who proves vulnerable to ordinary gunfire. It also almost single-pawedly popularised the [[TransformationTrauma horrible transformation]] subtrope.
* The modern man-wolf style made its popular debut in ''TheHowling'' (1981), which featured infectious werewolves who otherwise acted as a species (changing at will and possibly retaining their own minds, though with predatory instincts).
** The so-called sequels also had this. In ''Howling III: Marsupials'' we are introduced to were[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine thylacines]]. The movie also implies that the therianthropes of that reality are akin to the wolves in ''[[WolfsRain Wolf's Rain]]'', as they've evolved to become human to survive human persecution of their baser species (the wolves in Russia, thylacines in Australia).
*** What makes that especially weird is that, despite being ten a penny in the rest of the world, shapeshifting myths are completely unknown in Australia.
** It should be noted that both ''An American Werewolf In London'' and ''The Howling'' both came out in 1981 (as well as the sorta werewolf movie ''Wolfen''). Together, they make an almost perfect example of this trope in action. In ''The Howling'' a character points out that the werewolves must be killed with silver, while saying the full moon thing is just Hollywood made up stuff. In ''An American Werewolf In London'', the titular character is told by his now undead friend to commit suicide before transforming during the full moon, but when the werewolf asks if he needs silver bullets, he's told to get real!
** The transformation from ''American Werewolf In London'' is paid tribute to in ''Fright Night'' where Evil Ed (who is a wolf at the time during that scene) turns back into a human.
* ''TeenWolf'' and the AnimatedAdaptation, ''Teen Wolf The Animated Series'', featured a light comedy version of this.
** The werewolves of ''TeenWolf'' were hereditary, and could transform at will retaining full mental faculties, but lost control of the transformation on nights of the full moon.
* The movie ''Wolf'' has Jack Nicholson's character Will gradually become more and more werewolfish in his behavior during the days leading up to the full moon. In desperation, he acquires a mystic amulet that will supposedly prevent his transformation, but all it does is keep him in a half-man/half-werewolf (think about that one for a moment) state. Until the guy he bit shows up, more werewolfish than Will and threatening Will's new love interest. Will tosses the amulet aside and quickly catches up to the other werewolf, finally looking like a WolfMan lite before leaving. At the end of the film it's revealed that [[spoiler:the curse has run its course and Will has become a full wolf. And his girlfriend is going to be one, too. After next month, at least.]]
* The infamous Cantina Scene from ANewHope showed a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Shistavanen Shistavenen]], which though not werewolves certainly fit the bill of "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Shistavanen_NEGAS.jpg wolfman]]." The StarWarsExpandedUniverse gives us "wyrwulves," the nonsentient canine immature form of the Codru-Ji; [=KotOR=] also provides [[TheVirus rakghouls]], who in terms of transforming someone who has been bitten fall squarely between werewolves and zombies with a dash of BodyHorror.
* ''TheCompanyOfWolves'' has a very different take on werewolves, in that they're actually much more faithful to the medieval version of werewolves, albeit combined with a lot of [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible hard-to-understand symbolism]]. But hey, the transformation sequences are awesome.
* ''Film/{{Werewolf}}'' was wildly inconsistent in its portrayal of the titular monsters; they vary between looking like really hairy men and looking like "a bear with a bat mask." Even a scratch from a dead werewolf's ''bone'' is enough to transmit "werewolfism" to other people; one victim gets scratched and transforms ''while driving''. [[MysteryScienceTheater3000 Mike and the 'bots]] did not let this pass without comment; for instance, the sketch where Mike accidentally gets scratched by Crow and begins transforming into a "were-Crow," or "Where Oh Werewolf."
** The film has the gall to go out of its way to argue that its titular beast is "not a traditional white man's movie monster," but some obscure Native American curse. And then proceeds to have said werewolf behave... exactly like a white man's movie monster.
*** Well, it's claimed that the silver bullets only incapacitated one of the infected characters. And the inconsistent makeup seems to just show progression; they just look very hairy at the start of their transformation, and wear the bat-mask when they're fully "wolf". By the way, said werewolves aren't very tough; a random bystander gets into a fistfight with one, and ''almost wins''.
* ''CatPeople'' involved people that could turn into black panthers when sexually aroused. [[FetishFuel Meowww!]]
* ''{{Ladyhawke}}'' features a couple of young lovers cursed to take on animal form at different times, as to keep them apart; the man turns into a wolf at night, and the lady... guess what.
* In ''BigFish'' by Tim Burton, the title character suspects that the circus ringmaster (Danny Devito) is a werewolf, turns out he actually is one but not an evil or monstrous one.
* ''DogSoldiers'' has werewolves who change at the full moon, but can hold it back if they wish, though with difficulty. Also, silver isn't absolutely necessary to kill them, even while they're in wolf form. It's just really difficult without it.
* ''SilverBullet'' [[SinisterMinister has a werewolf who is a church pastor]] and changes EVERY NIGHT, though he gets less "wolfish" in form and thought the further away time gets from the full moon, and vice versa.
* ''Black Sheep'' (not to be confused with the Chris Farley comedy of the same name) has two characters becoming weresheep after being bitten by the titular killer ovines.
* ''{{Underworld}}'' and its [[ElectricBoogaloo oddly named sequel]] answer the age old questions of what would happen if [[FurAgainstFang vampires and werewolves got into a centuries old blood war]], what would happen if someone was turned by both vampires and werewolves, and just how badly does Bill Nighy need a pay check. In ''{{Underworld}}'' werewolves, or [[NotSayingTheZWord lycans]], are from the brother strain of the virus that produced the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. There are two strains of werewolves. The first came from the first werewolf, William, and all those bitten by him. They're dire wolves, but they can never turn back to humans ever again, and they've permanently lost their minds. The second version is the ones descended from Lucian. They are monstrous man-wolves with jet black skin and very little hair. The latter ones go berserk on their first transformations, but as they age they can gain control. They can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter voluntarily transform]] during the full moon, but they don't have to, and again, older ones can transform when they please. Both forms are transferred via a bite, and both are regenerating immortals. (Immortal to an extent anyway, silver works, but ripping their head off without silver works too.)
** Of course, there's also Michael, who's a badass hybrid as a result of [[spoiler:Selene turning him near the end of the movie]], but resembles a werewolf far more than a vampire, likely because he was bitten by a werewolf first. He's a wolf man, and has complete and total control over his transformations, sometimes even doing partial transformations with ease.
* ''Van Helsing'' features a werewolf shaped like a wolf, but as it wasn't a main villain, its details were not discussed.
** [[spoiler:The title character eventually transforms into one in order to take down Dracula for good]].
* ''GingerSnaps'' has its title character bitten by a werewolf on the night that she gets her first period. Unlike most werewolf movies, Ginger's transformation into the monster (which is of the Man-Wolf type) is gradual, and there're many ties with the onset of puberty.
** Silver and wolfsbane (usually referred to as monk's hood) work on the werewolves in the ''GingerSnaps'' trilogy, though the latter must be liquified and injected to have any real effect. In the sequel, Ginger's sister Brigitte--who survived but was infected--takes regular, weakened doses of monk's hood in order to inhibit her transformation.
* The Wolfman from ''TheMonsterSquad'' was a pretty solid Wolf Man. Regular bullets didn't work on him, as revealed in the scene with the cops and the coroner guy. In his first encounter with the protagonists in the old house on Shadowbrook Road, he gets [[GroinAttack kicked in the nards]] by "Fat Kid" Horace, which proves to be quite effective. After being blown up by the main character and his father, he's finally finished off when Rudy, the oldest of the titular group, uses a silver bullet to kill him, [[DidNotDoTheResearch completely ignoring the fact that you need a cartridge in order for the bullet to actually fire]].
* ''BadMoon'' features a werewolf that changes every night, without the need for a full moon, and that doesn't need any special method to kill (or harm).
* In the Wes Craven film ''[[Film/{{Cursed 2005}} Cursed]]'', Werewolves have a powerful sexual allure to members of the opposite sex. The curse itself seems to confer an uncanny ability to pull off [[WrestlerInAllOfUs complex pro-wrestling moves]] in high school wrestling matches, and killing the cursed werewolf that infected you won't cut it for the cure... you have to kill the natural born werewolf that infected ''it''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Literature}}]]
* In PoulAnderson's magitek reality in ''Operation Chaos'', werewolves are persons with a genetic condition. Scientific understanding of the condition in the 20th century allows the werewolf to understand and receive training to keep his human motivations in wolf form (but not ''full'' intelligence). The change is permitted by having polarized light as the only light source (either moonlight or a portable "moonflash" carried on the person). The wolf-form heals at {{Wolverine}} speeds except when silver is involved. The hero/werewolf/narrator fought in WorldWarII as an Army Ranger and seemed to suffer no social prejudice.
** He was a movie star, before the war, playing a ''Rin Tin Tin'' type character.
* Kelley Armstrong's ''WomenOfTheOtherworld'' series features werewolves that [[VoluntaryShapeshifter turn into pure wolves at will]], but the process is painful. They must Change about once a week, becoming more irritable and restless the longer they put it off, until finally their bodies take over and they [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Change involuntarily]]. Control over their Change is a matter of teaching, practice, and willpower. All but one of the werewolves are male, and they pass the gene down to their sons (daughters need not apply). A hereditary werewolf will not have his first Change until late adolescence. Werewolves can be made by an infected bite or by injection with werewolf saliva, but most are hereditary. An infected werewolf will pass the gene down to any sons conceived after his Change. In ''Broken,'' [[spoiler: Elena gives birth to male and female twins, who are both genetic werewolves and it is hinted the female will Change in adulthood. Since Elena is the first female werewolf and the twins' father is also a werewolf, it is unknown if a hereditary female gets the gene from just her mother or from both parents.]]
* ''TheDresdenFiles'' has four varieties, presented in ''Fool Moon'' and covering most of the range of possibilities. None are infectious or take wolfman forms, however.
** The ''werewolf'' (as a technical term) is just a human who can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter transform into a normal wolf at will]] - they undergo no mental changes (and thus must ''learn'' how to live like a wolf), have no linkage to the moon, and gain no special invulnerabilities. It is a learned ability, somewhat like becoming a wizard who knows only one spell, but knows that one ''really well''. There are also [[spoiler: wolves that can take human form in the same way, and with the same limitations. The latter are technically termed ''wolfweres'']].
** The ''hexenwulf'' ("witch-wolf") uses an enchanted belt of wolfskin to transform at will, and becomes a dire wolf guided by demonic forces, which gives them a more violent personality which gradually bleeds over into the human form.
** ''Lycanthropes'' are people whose minds become wolf-like at full moons, and who gain increased strength and healing at the same time. They are related to Viking [[TheBerserker berserkers]].
** A ''Loup-Garou'' is a human subject to a powerful hereditary curse. Under the full moon, he transforms into a demonic man-wolf with enormous speed and strength, as well as immunity to injury by virtually any source except ''inherited'' silver. The demon takes over all control during this time, with the human personality completely submerged.
* In ''TheGraveyardBook'' by NeilGaiman, the role of Baloo is taken by a no-nonsense Hound of God named Miss Lupescu, who is hinted to be very different from ordinary werewolves for some values of the words 'different' and 'ordinary'. (The Bagheera role is taken by Silas, who is [[NotUsingTheZWord very heavily implied]] to be a FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire.)
* Laurell K. Hamilton's ''[[AnitaBlake Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter]]''.
** The series includes some werewolves, including one of Anita's {{love interest}}s, Richard. In her world, there's a ''vaccine'' for the infection; Richard caught Lycanthropy from a bad batch of the serum. Anita herself is currently a carrier (which should be impossible) for multiple strains (which should also be impossible) of the virus.
** The books also contain: wereleopards, werelions, weretigers ([[spoiler: including blue, red and black tigers in the last book ]]), at least 3 weredogs (their abilities are inherited not infection), weresnakes (at lest 2 species cobra and anaconda), swanmen (some are cursed others inherit their abilities like the weredogs), wererats, werebears, werehyenas and a lamia which is an immortal shapeshifter. Lastly there is Chimera, [[spoiler: a pan-were than can shape shift in to six animal forms ( each with a different crazy personality ]].) And then she has [[ReallyGetsAround sex with]] [[AnythingThatMoves all of them]].
* In P.C. Hodgell's ''ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'' series, the Wolvers are inverse werewolves; they are wolves that can transform into human form. Their young cannot achieve the transformation until they reach a certain point in their development. As humans, they are still quite hairy.
* John Hodgman's ''TheAreasOfMyExpertise'' includes handy lycanthropic transformation timetables, showing how and when different kinds of werewolves transform, and how to stop them, during each phase of the moon.
* In Tom Holt's ''Barking'', theriomorphy is transmitted in the classic style, and werewolves gain nigh-invulnerability in both human and wolf forms, including a massively extended lifespan, and most of the werewolf characters work for the same law firm, Ferris and Loop (a MeaningfulName, referencing "Fenris" and "Lupine"). [[FurAgainstFang They are of course rivals of the vampire firm Crosswoods]].
* The ''{{Wheel of Time}}'' series by Robert Jordan has 'wolfbrothers', men with the ability to communicate telepathically with wolves. Wolfbrothers gain greatly enhanced senses, as well as golden eyes which people remark as resembling those of wolves. Wolfbrothers are prone to acquiring wolf instincts, and in some cases have been known to completely lose touch with their humanity, becoming essentially wolves in men's clothing.
* In StephenKing's and Peter Straub's book ''The Talisman'', Jack meets a character called Wolf, who in the Territories is very Wolf like and every full moon turns into a werewolf. Later Jack refers to all people from this species as [[strike:Wolves]] Wolfs (the first one Jack meets laughs his arse off when Jack calls his people Wolves). These Wolfs once transformed have the irresistible urge to "run with the moon" which basically involves killing any small defenseless woodland animal they find. They also transform under extreme pressure. It only seems to be hereditary with only "bad Wolfs" ever attacking people or livestock in the first place.
** King's ''Cycle of the Werewolf'' has a more traditional, dire wolf, changes-with-the-moon type. Oddly enough the victim has no idea how he started InvoluntaryShapeshifting, and initially not even that it is happening. He does remember picking strange flowers in a graveyard before he started having blackouts, which is one of the less known/used methods of lycanthropic infection. Even if he never realized it, readers probably picked it up as a red flag anyway.
* The Arcadian and Katagarian wolf branches of the Were Hunters in ''[[TheDarkHunters Dark Hunter]]'' series can change between wolf and human easily and painlessly when conscious and alert.
* In CSLewis's ''[[{{Narnia}} Prince Caspian]]'', one of the two creatures to tempt Caspian to summon back the White Witch is a werewolf.
** And apparently not contagious, as it bites Caspian without transmitting its condition to him.
* In Peter David's ''Howling Mad'',the main character is a wolf who is bitten by a werewolf,which causes the wolf to [[spoiler: become a human during the full moon.]]
* The werewolves of Stephenie Meyer's ''{{Twilight}}'' saga are of the genetic 'dire wolf' type, descending through a line of La Push [[MagicalNativeAmerican Native Americans]]. (At least, they are treated as werewolves until ''Breaking Dawn'', whereupon it is revealed they are in fact 'merely' [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]], and not cursed with true "moon madness.").
** This curse can skip generations; the ability to transform, or "phase," is only induced in the [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday local teenage population]] when [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] are near their reservation for extended periods of time, as [[FurAgainstFang werewolves and vampires are natural enemies]].
*** Jacob Black is one of a family of werewolves, who live on a Native American reservation and hate [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. Jacob, of course, falls in love with Bella.
** These werewolves have an internal body temperature of well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (as opposed to [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] who are "cold and hard as marble") and are [[HealingFactor extraordinarily fast healers]] even in human form; though not quite MadeOfIron, they come pretty close. They [[VoluntaryShapeshifting phase at will]], communicate telepathically and intelligently with pack members while transformed, and have near {{Immortality}}, remaining at the peak of their physical prowess until they choose to stop transforming for good. Aside from the minor fact that ''{{Twilight}}'''s "werewolves" are required to follow their alpha wolf's mental commands in wolfish form, this variety of 'monster' is more or less CursedWithAwesome.
** They also '''explode''' to transform.
* LarryNiven's story "What Good Is A Glass Dagger?" is told from the POV of an idealistic Atlantean werewolf. The surprise bit comes when he discovers [[spoiler:that werewolves aren't people who become wolves, but rather wolves who turn into humans]].
* Constable Delphine Angua von Ãœberwald from TerryPratchett's "City Watch" series of ''{{Discworld}}'' novels. Angua can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter transform into a wolf at will]], but is [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting unable to prevent herself from changing]] during a full moon. Pratchett delves much deeper into the psychology of the werewolf than most writers, describing what the world looks like to a creature that uses smell as its primary sense, and also developing a cultural {{backstory}} for the werewolves, such as the term "yennork" being used to describe a werewolf that cannot change shape (and is therefore trapped in the body of either a wolf or a human) but is born to werewolf parents.
** The "smell as its primary sense" has to be reinterpreted by the werewolf when in human form; it is presented as synesthesia, with scent data being reinterpreted in terms of colours and sounds.
** ''Discworld/ReaperMan'' features two interesting specimens. One (Mrs. Cake's daughter Ludmilla) is, for three weeks out of the month, a young woman; the other is, three weeks out of the month, pretty much just an intelligent wolf. That fourth week, though, they meet each other half way, and it's implied they begin a relationship.
** Angua's type of lycanthropy is hereditary (infection by bite is alluded to but never actually demonstrated[[spoiler: in the books; it does happen in DiscworldNoir, which Pratchett worked on]]). Pure-bred werewolves change into a normal wolf (hybrids produce other forms). At least partial control is possible, although sometimes this takes some effort. Silver and fire are a werewolf's primary weaknesses; all other damage is temporary.
** During the involuntary moon-induced transformation there's an irresistible urge to eat meat, but enough control is maintained for the werewolf to choose which ''kind'' of meat is consumed. Angua, who's a vegetarian when she can help it, eats chickens (and always leaves behind payment for them, even when forced to steal them from out of the henhouse).
** Werewolves are generally referred to as undead. Despite uncertainty as to whether they truly should be categorized along with Zombies and Vampires the consensus seems to be "they're big and scary, they come from {{Uberwald}}, and if you stab them with a sword they don't die. What more do you want?"
* In ''HarryPotter'', lycanthropy is transmitted by bites, and results in uncontrolled transformations during full moon. Werewolves are discriminated against by the Wizarding society despite their relative innocence. They are dangerous to humans, but not to other animals (or Animagi). No cure exists, but a Wolfbane Potion allows them to keep control of their minds during the transformation. Good werewolf Remus Lupin takes the Wolfsbane potion to keep his, whereas the evil Fenrir Greyback doesn't care as he is bloodthirsty as a human anyway. In the books werewolves are Dire Wolves, with only a few superficial differences between them and real wolves. In the movies they are Wolf-Men that look more like Were-Chihuahuas than wolves...
** It should also be noted that werewolves are only created when bitten by another werewolf while in wolf form. If bitten by a werewolf in human form, they may garner a few traits (a desire for bloody meat, a temper issue, etc.), but will not actually become a werewolf.
* In ''{{Magnus}}'' the nephilim Tsavo has the ability to transform into a slavering wolf as a result of a magic spell he casts.
* The "Wolf and Raven" stories, which are part of ''{{Shadowrun}}'s'' ExpandedUniverse, feature a man who is posessed by Wolf, one of the many animal totems of the world, which grants him powers and mannerisms similar to the classic Wolf Man (as well as a SplitPersonality, of sorts). It should be noted that this is very different from the game's usual take on werewolves.
* ''TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'' has Weres, who can change at will, but tend to give into the animal instincts and predatory tendencies on the night of the full moon. They can also be shielded from the light of the moon to help them, but they are tense, more easily agitated, and prone to violence and uncontrolled bloodlust during the full moon. Though it's not spelled out explicitly, werewolves may go over entirely to animalism during the full moon if they give into the change or are otherwise provoked into it. Additionally, the Were trait is hereditary and can be passed on to children.
** In addition, the series has [[ShapeShisting shapeshifters]], who can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change at will]] into various animals, but most choose one animal form and stick with it, for ease and comfort of transformation. On the full moon, they ''must'' change into their animal form. They maintain human intelligence the entire time, so far. The Shifter trait is hereditary and can be passed on to children. Unlike [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the vampire population]], the Were and Shifter populations are not known to humankind at large. There is [[FantasticRacism friction]] between the shifters and the weres; the weres consider themselves superior, but to everybody else, they are something akin to blue collar workers.
** Those bitten by weres have a chance at becoming a demonic monster form of that animal. [[spoiler:Jason, Sookie's brother, becomes a werepanther]].
*** [[spoiler: Sam, Sookie's boss, turns into a friendly collie]].
*** One shifter in New Orleans, though, turns into an Owl and looks the part slightly even as a human.
* The werewolves in ''Blood and Chocolate'' are of the genetic variety, and can only breed with other werewolves. They turn into something like a dire wolf, but Vivian notes they had only adopted wolf as a convenient term, and are truly known as the Loup-Garoux. They can transform at will, but transform involuntarily at the full moon, and are weak to silver in any form. They keep their minds when transformed, however, and are expressly forbidden to be seen by or kill humans, in order to maintain the {{Masquerade}}. They live in packs, with males fighting to be alpha, and females fighting to be the alpha's mate.
* In the ''{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''Werewolf Skin'', werewolves shed their skin during the daytime and can only resume their werewolf form if they put on their skin during the night. Burning the skin while it's unshed will kill the werewolf while stopping the werewolf from putting on its skin for one night cures it. ''The Werewolf of Fever Swamp'' features a more traditional werewolf.
** "The Werewolf's First Night," a ''{{Goosebumps}}'' short story, has a boy believing all the people at his camp are werewolves. Of course, it turns out he's the werewolf, and it's the full moon..
* In the ''Mercy Thompson'' series, lycanthropy is transmitted through a savage attack - most victims of werewolf attacks die of their injuries rather than turn into werewolves. Werewolves are forced to change at the full moon, but can also change more or less at will. Werewolves in human form are resistant to disease and poison, heal quickly, do not die of old age, and have VERY short tempers. For this reason, the average life expectancy for a wolf after becoming one is ten years.
** It is worth noting, however, that werewolves certainly don't ''always'' die young. The book takes place in the present day, and several wolves are thought to date from the Renaissance. If I remember correctly, there were even a few who called ''those'' young.
*** [[spoiler:The Marrok]] is implied to have known [[spoiler: the real King Arthur (and therefore being the real Sir Marrok)]]. [[spoiler: Samuel, his son]] and [[spoiler: Asil the Moor]] are almost as old.
** Werewolves also have a kind of magic, called pack magic, which allows an Alpha to draw strength from his pack and control them.
* In ''WelkinWeasels'', werecreatures spend most of their time as normal TalkingAnimal characters and turn into monstrous flesh-eating humans at the full moon. Fully transformed ones can only be slain by silver bullets, but when Maudlin is nipped slightly by one, they manage to purge the wereweasel infection from him by immediately applying silver to the wound.
* In Marie de France's ''lai'' ''Bisclavret'' from the 12th century, Bisclavret (for unknown reasons) must transform into a wolf every week. His wife steals his clothing, without which he can't change back, but one day, the king his friend goes hunting in the woods. Bisclavret jumps at him and paws his foot like a petitioner, and the king, impressed, grants the wolf his life. Then Bisclavret goes with the hunting party and stays at court. Everyone is so impressed by his nobility and gentleness that when his wife and her new husband appear at court, and he attacks them, the king concludes that they must have wronged the wolf and imprisons them until they confess. With his clothing back, Bisclavret can return to human form.
** Similarly, in a ''lai'' featuring KingArthur, ''Melion'', the wife actively transforms the husband into a wolf, but he again takes refuge in court and attacks his wife there, leading to his transformation back.
* In the ChivalricRomance ''William of Palerne'', the wolf that protects William and his love proves to be the son of the King of Spain, enchanted by his WickedStepmother.
* Werewolves, or Weres, in TheHollows novels are a separate race that descended from the union of demons and female humans. They can change on will into full wolves, possess enhanced strength and senses even in human form and cannot infect other humans [[spoiler:without the help of a demonic curse]]. They are organized into packs which can vary from hardcore survivalists, a baseball team or a corporation. [[FurAgainstFang They are of course rivals of the vampires for influence and power.]]
* In ''The Vampire's Assistant'' by Darren Shan, the wolf man is biologically half wolf and half human, and the mixture has induced madness, resulting in [[spoiler:Sam Grest being eaten, and R.V. having his hand bitten off, later becoming a major villain]]. He is basically humanoid with wolf claws, head and tail etc along with thick, wiry fur.
* The protagonist in Will Shetterly's {{urban fantasy}} novel ''Elsewhere'' calls an [[OurElvesAreBetter elf]] an "Elflands bitch." She tries to turn him into a dog, but magic in {{Bordertown}} is unreliable, and he becomes a wolf man, with hair, wolf ears, and a snout that makes it impossible for him to speak.
* In [=~Ryk E. Spoor~=]'s ''Digital Knight'', werewolves are VERY different, particularly in that they're powerful enough that even "the Great Demons" wouldn't lightly defy the will of the Werewolf King Virigar. Also, they devour souls. The narrator's FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire friend tells him:
--> "Their strength is immense, their cunning formidable, and their ability to shift shape, though confined to a wolflike predator on the one hand, is unlimited in the human range; they can be anyone at all. They do not fear night or day, nor does the phase of the moon have any effect on them. They also have a talent similar to my own to charm and cloud other minds.... There is nothing I have seen ... that I fear more than the Werewolf King."
** Consider the last sentence of that quote in light of the fact that the speaker is five hundred ''thousand'' years old and has [[SeenItAll seen the Great Demons reshape the continents of Earth]].
* The KittyNorville series by Carrie Vaughn focuses on a werewolf heroine ironically named...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Kitty]]. This series is closer to earth than most werewolf stories in a lot of ways.
** Rather than being a WolfMan, werewolves when shapeshifted are different from natural wolf in only three respects: vulnerability to silver, a HealingFactor for anything else and generally increased strength and toughness, and the most obvious difference is a lack of ShapeshifterBaggage. A healthy adult wolf in RealLife weighs about 80 lbs. or so, so an adult male werewolf would be twice the size of a real wolf.
** Werewolves can be killed without silver, they can just survive more damage than a normal human and heal faster, but being gutted or at ground zero of an IED kills a werewolf perfectly well.
** The first werewolf pack that we see in the books is led by a bullying, abusive alpha male, but from the second book on we can see that werewolf pack dynamics vary widely. At least two seem to be a normal group of people who just happen to spend full moon nights in the woods together.
** The ThemeNaming trope is subverted or just averted; the protagonist herself has a punny NonIndicativeName purely by chance, and few if any of the many other werecreatures encountered in the series have any connection between their name and what they do.
** Lycanthropy is infectious. Some characters have feared getting it from being exposed to a werewolf's blood or saliva while that werewolf is in human form, but it hasn't happened in the books themselves. In their human forms, werewolves have the same silver vulnerability, HealingFactor and increased strength that they do as wolves. Female werewolves can't carry a pregnancy to term; shapeshifting causes the fetus to miscarry.
* ''Warhammer'' had the Children of Ulric, but they were apparently wiped out in the same story where they were introduced ("Trollslayer").
** There was also Wolfgang von Newald in the ''Konrad Saga'' although it isn't revealed until the end of the last book.
* In Kit Whitfield's novel ''Bareback'' (understandably published as ''Benighted'' in the US) 99% of the world's population are werewolves; not being a werewolf is due to a ''birth defect''. Werewolves cannot change at will, but [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting do invariably change]] on the full moon and the nights before and after, and do not retain their human mind when they do. This has led to some complicated social structures. Their form is never described in detail but seems to be the dire wolf with some Man Wolf characteristics, for instance they normally run on all fours but can stand up.
* In Lisa Williams' ''Family Bites'', lycanthropy is hereditary. The Rivers family, being easy-going and friendly werewolves, are described as looking like large friendly dogs in wolf form. They can [[VoluntaryShapeshifter change shape whenever they feel like it]], although they sometimes do it at full moon without meaning to.
** ''Family Bites'' [[LampshadeHanging hangs a bit of a lampshade]] on this and OurVampiresAreDifferent; Sophie Rivers (werewolf) and Daniel Alfonz (half-vampire) look each other up in the mythology books, and are completely bewildered by what they find. Then they look themselves up and get even ''more'' bewildered.
* In ''Never Cry Werewolf'', the titular werewolf controls his full-moon turnings with medicine. He keeps his human mind during his time as wolf, however.
* In ''The Wolf's Hour'' by Robert [=McCammon=], the werewolves mainly follow the standard man into full wolf pattern and can shift at will. The main difference is that the werewolves age as wolves while in wolf form, so it avoids the issue of everything being solved by turning into a wolf.
* In ''[=WerewolveSS=]'' by Jerry & Sharon Ahern, you start off with the standard Man-Wolf of Wolf-Man bipedal death machines that change under the full moon. Given time and [[StupidJetpackHitler Nazi science]] (thus the SS in the title), the remnants of project Werewolf determine that, by using specific types of music, werewolves and their shape-shifting abilities can be controlled. This results in the neo-Nazis running about infecting people with lycanthropy and then using loudspeakers to play Wagner operas that turn them into a [[{{Ghostapo}} goose-stepping werewolf army]].
* The werewolves in Nick O'Donohoe's ''Crossroads'' trilogy (''The Magic and the Healing'', ''Under the Healing Sign'', and ''The Healing of Crossroads'') are a separate species; they [[VoluntaryTransformation shapeshift at will]] (although it's [[PainfulTransformation painful]], physically taxing, and [[BodyHorror disturbing]] to [[AppendageAssimilation watch]]) and have something of a HealingFactor. While they're generally attractive in human form, they're secretive, brutally pragmatic, rather feral, and ''arrogant as hell''. [[spoiler:Despite this, they're basically on the side of good after the first book.]]
* Arguably {{Indigo}}, although her shapeshifting ability seems to be tied to her friendship with a [[BigBadassWolf Big Badass]] [[TalkingAnimal Telepathic]] [[NonHumanSidekick Wolf]].
* In Toby Barlow's epic poem/novel ''Sharp Teeth'' various gangs of werewolves live in [[AliensInCardiff the area of Los Angeles]]; them becoming aware of each other is the main plot of the book. They change voluntarily into what can be mistaken for stray dogs, some hiding in pounds and even getting adopted.
* In [[JRRTolkien J.R.R. Tolkien's]] ''[[TheSilmarillion Silmarillion]]'' werewolves are evil spirits transformed into the shape of giant, monstrous wolves. Sauron, who used to be infamous for his shapeshifting powers, was at one point known as the Lord of Werewolves and turned into one in order to fight the mystic wolfhound Huan. '
** There are also the Wargs in ''TheLordOfTheRings''; giant evil wolves that are sentient and have a language of their own. It's unclear if they're actually related to the werewolves, but some fans have speculated that they're the result of werewolves mating with ordinary wolves.
* The wolves in Maggie Stiefvater's WolvesofMercyFallsSeries receive their ability when they are bitten by a person already infected with the werewolf disease. Unlike traditional werewolves, they turn into wolves only during the winter; in warm weather they are normal human beings. The older they get however, the longer they stay wolves, until finally one summer they don't change back at all. And they can't just move south; if they do they only become more sensitive to temperature change, to the point where even the slightest change in temperature can cause them to shift. The first book ''Shiver'' is about a boy and a girl who try to find a way to fight this.[[spoiler:In the sequel, we find out that the cure from the first book might not be a cure at all- and that the reason they change into wolves might have more to do with brain chemistry than the weather.]]
* The FelixCastor series defines weres as what happens when a human ghost possesses an animal body. The ghost moves in and [[BodyHorror redecorates]]; first timers usually create something that looks like a hunter's worst nightmare, but those with experience can make the body look downright human. It usually maintains some animal qualities, however, and the were can shift back and forth at will. If the ghost is ever exorcised from the were body, it collapses utterly, and the ghost has to go back for another round.
* Petronius's ''Satyricon'' contains a story told about a werewolf who is a wizard, able to transform his clothing into stone and back (so that it remains undamaged while he's changed) and changing fully into a wolf at will. He does not have any kind of accelerated healing and retains his wounds when he changes back (so that a pike through the neck as a wolf becomes a grievous wound that requires a surgeon's attention as a human). (Incidentally, this segment is also well-known to Latin scholars for containing the ''hapax legomenon'' "''circumminxit''", describing the method for transforming his clothes to stone - he ''pisses in a circle around'' them.)
* In the ''LonelyWerewolfGirl'' books werewolves are mainly vulnerable only to silver, certain magic weapons, and other werewolves; they have accelerated healing only in werewolf form though. Speaking of werewolf shapes, they have three modes: human-looking, a wolf-man[=/=]woman half and half mode, and a full wolf mode. They must change on the night of the full moon into one of the latter, but "royal werewolves" can change at anytime so long as it is dark outside. A lunar eclipse [[ModeLock locks]] them into their human forms, and make them ill while it passess. They are born werewolves (although BigBad Sarapen does have a human minion who thinks Sarapen is going to turn him into a werewolf if he serves well enough. Since Sarapen gives him the old "YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness" treatment the question is left open). Having been born in wolf shape, while her mother was in wolf shape, on the night of the full moon, protagonist Kalix feels as if she lives in a permanent lunar eclipse.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: LiveActionTV]]
* ''DoctorWho'' has had several different examples:
** "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" featured a lycanthropic girl who could be forced to transform by nothing more than an "old devil moon" stage lamp gel.
** In the new series, "Tooth and Claw" involved an alien intelligence that could possess people and turn them into a WolfMan form, and jump between bodies by biting.
** A society of werewolves also appears in the BigFinish audio ''Loups-Garoux'', in which the Doctor notes that "There are so many forms of lycanthropy," presumably to avoid any problems with continuity.
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had Oz, who learned to suppress his normal transformations, but could also be triggered to transform outside of a full moon by stress. The series also had Veruca -- a minor love interest of Oz -- who had embraced the wolf inside her, making her a bad puppy.
** The most interesting aspect of Buffyverse werewolves is that lycanthropy can be transmitted by bite even if the werewolf is in human form at the time. Oz was bitten by his baby cousin Jody.
** ''{{Angel}}'' showed another species of werewolves that walked upright and reverted to human form when killed. It also introduced a werewolf as a recurring love interest for the title character.
** In Season Three, Oz started to display a heightened sense of smell in human form. It's possible that if Oz hadn't left the show in Season Four, his werewolf nature would have been more fully explored.
* The short-lived series ''Wolf Lake'' revolved around a community of lycanthropes based (roughly) on Native American werewolf mythology.
* {{FOX}}, in their inaugural season, aired a series, ''{{Werewolf}}'', which depended upon a rare (and completely bogus) astronomical conjunction which caused the moon to be full for ''eight nights in a row''.
** The above poster mis-remembers the series' mythology. Transformations by the hero (and his enemies) could happen for eight nights in a row, because their timing was random and had nothing to do with the lunar cycle.
** It also borrowed Siodmak's pentacle (see below), but has it appear on the werewolf's ''own'' palm during twilight hours as a harbinger of the coming change. It also introduced the idea of escaping the curse by killing the werewolf who started the "bloodline" (although the series didn't have time to explain how bloodlines get started in the first place).
* Gou Fukami of ''JukenSentaiGekiranger'', thanks to a DangerousForbiddenTechnique. He did eventually cure the wolf within him, but since his very fighting style is wolf-based, it still sort of applies.
** His counterpart RJ, of ''PowerRangersJungleFury'', is basically the same in terms of affliction.
* ''BigWolfOnCampus'' follows the life of good WolfMan Tommy Dawkins. He transforms at will or involuntarily when stressed; he also is forced to transform during the full moon. Tommy keeps full control of his mind at these times. Lycanthropy is, again, transmitted by bite but if a person is fed a Wolfsbane potion before their first full moon they can avoid becoming a werewolf. Most other werewolves are evil and part of a syndicate of evil werewolves, but Tommy acts as a town protector instead.
** In fact, it's demonstrated that becoming a werewolf ''makes'' you evil. It wasn't explained why this didn't happen to Tommy, but BWOC was never big on explanations anyway. Curiously, Lori and Merton were the only ones who went evil when they became werewolves.
*** It seems to be hinted that Tommy didn't turn evil because he was bitten at the full moon, not giving the werewolfish nature a chance to dig in over time. For example, during a WhatIf scenario, Tommy's place was taken by someone else when the wolf bit him. He wasn't precisely evil, just a massive dick. And he was like that before he was bitten.
** One episode of season 1 introduced us to a French exchange student who was a werecat.
* ''TheMunsters'' had Eddie. Eddie is a werewolf but the only indication of such (besides his UnusualEars and CuteLittleFangs) is his sometimes-catchphrase "Awooooooooo-tragious!" In one of the feature-length movies, he finally turns into his wolf-form and he looks like a Lon Chaney Jr. style werewolf.
* Wolfie the werewolf from ''{{Beetleborgs}}'' is treated more like a house pet than a monster at Hillhurst, although in one episode he accidentally bit Jara and turned her into a werewolf.
* An episode of ''{{Dinosaurs}}'' had Robbie tell a scary story to his baby bro where he ''gets bitten by a rabid [[FurryConfusion caveman]]'' and becomes a ''were-man''. (Of course, ''were'' means ''man'' [[DidNotDoTheResearch anyway]], but you shouldn't go to this show for one hundred percent accuracy.)
** That may have also been a case of ViewersAreMorons.
* The [[PettingZooPeople half-wolves]] of ''TheTenthKingdom''. Although only one example is extant in the series, Wolf, judging by him the half-wolves are hereditary [[WolfMan Wolf Men]] with heightened senses who live in packs (we never see any so don't know about the existence of alphas, though they're highly likely) and do not seem to be vulnerable to silver. They change only on the three nights of the full moon, and while changed have no control over their actions and no memory of what they have done. They also seem to be afflicted by the 'take on lupine mannerisms and characteristics' aspect of this trope, since Wolf is constantly scratching at his temple, whines and whimpers and growls, nuzzles Virginia, and scrapes the ground with his feet to cover his tracks--although this may merely be a product of actor Scott Cohen's enthusiastic character immersion.
** What makes the half-wolves interesting is the twists: they ''always'' possess tails, even in human form, [[FreudWasRight which change size with the time of the month]] and apparently act as [[FantasticArousal erogenous zones]], and explicit reference is made to the female cycle by how Wolf starts gaining PMS-like symptoms as the full moon approaches and, when fighting the change, ends up with... [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything cramps]].
** Still more interestingly, it is never truly explained what the term 'half-wolf' actually means. Are they the literal product of [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction a coupling between a full wolf and a human]], and this is what grants them their ability to change forms? Or is it merely a euphemism for werewolf, which could be considered a half-wolf because they can also appear as humans? Or is it even possible, taking into account the [[FantasticRacism prejudice]] against them in the Kingdoms, that the term is meant to be parallel to mulattos, quadroons, and octaroons in the real world--so if a half-wolf had a child with a human, their offspring would be a quarter-wolf, and so on?
*** Wolf's sole TransformationSequence during the miniseries is inconclusive, since all we see is him becoming a typical Lon Chaney WolfMan. According to [[WordofGod Simon Moore]], however, Wolf was intended to become a Dire Wolf, but they didn't have the budget for such special effects. What this says about the nature of half-wolves isn't clear.
* The ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' episode "Beware Wolf" has Justin kiss a girl who is a werewolf and turn into one himself.
** And the werewolf acts like a dog, when he is in his human form.
* The horrifying werewolves of ''{{Supernatural}}'' are of the mortal/cursed variety. As for their appearance: [[{{Narm}} slightly longer fingernails and fangs.]] Pull out their teeth and file down their nails and they'd be indistinguishable from any other AxeCrazy psycho. Which actually makes a kind of sense, as they're not obvious to {{Muggles}}. They always remove the heart from a dead victim.
** There are also shifters (ShapeShifting {{Doppelganger}}s), rougarou (humans who transform into hideous, cannibalistic monsters) and okami (who look like humans with wolf teeth, have [[LightningBruiser superhuman athletic ability]] and have NighInvulnerability against anything other than a [[KryptoniteFactor bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto priest]]).
* Jiro/Garulu from ''KamenRiderKiva'' is a Wolfen, one of the 13 Demon Races represented in the series. He can voluntarily change from human to Wolfen form, and feeds by using his claws to pull the soul from a human's body and devour it. Thanks to his supernatural origin, his human form seems to have superhuman levels of strength, speed, and endurance, as well as an enhanced sense of smell (and a fondness for coffee).
** And in an extreme twist of transformation tropes, as part of his involvement in the titular character's transformations Jiro becomes the ''sword'' of Garulu Form.
* George from ''BeingHuman'' has to change during the full moon. When in wolf form he appears to act purely on instinct and can't remember what he's done once he's changed back into a human. The question of whether or not he can transform at will hasn't been explored yet (the second season may or may not bring it up) but in the pilot he speaks of how all of his senses are heightened in the days running up to his transformation.
* ''OutOfJimmysHead'' has Yancey, the alien sister of the main character, dating one. He's harmless for the most part, but does retain canine features and strengths.
* The fake documentary ''Werewolves: the Dark Survivors'' features a pack of werewolves who have a non-lethal strain of rabies and porphyria (which causes them to crave blood). Their transformation is simply their skin tightening when certain toxins reach a critical point every couple months or so (some use wolfsbane to force a change) making it look like their nails, teeth, and hair are growing. It seems unlikely that they're invulnerable in any way and the full moon is just the only time when ordinary humans can see their monthly hunts.
* ''MysteryScienceTheatre3000''. Repeat after me: "He's a werecrow! A WERECROW!"
* ''TrueBlood'' has werewolves who shift into a normal-looking wolf form. They can shift anytime they want but pack leaders have the ability to force a shift on other weres. They don't appear to have any special vulnerability to silver but ordinary bullets can kill them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: {{Music}}]]
* The ''Jon Spencer Blues Explosion'' song "She Said" involves a man getting lycanthropy by cheating on his girlfriend (that's a new one), and the transformation is triggered by the blooming of wolfsbane. The song ends with him being killed with a silver bullet.
* "Werewolves Of London" by Warren Zevon. Some versions mentioned Lon Chaney Jr while some other ones mention Jack Nicholson.
* The music video "Thriller" by Michael Jackson has Michael turn into a werecat.
** I don't know about the "were" part, but he also changed to and from a panther in the hyperextended "Black or White" video.
* Similarly enough, the Bjork music video ''Hunter'' had her changing back and forth into a bear and back into herself. Although she seemed to be holding back her bear transformation.
* Frank Hayes's "Silver Bullet Blues."
* Flippy T. Fishead had a song about becoming a Were''cow''. There is another were''cow'' which he is engaged to (who is female when human, and whom he "turned"). The how-and-why of the male-to-female transformation is not addressed.
* ''Of Wolf And Man'' by {{Metallica}}
* ''Zomby Woof'' by FrankZappa.
* ''Bark at the Moon'' by OzzyOsbourne
* ''She Wolf/Loba'' by {{Shakira}}.
* [[{{Rammstein}} Go watch]] ''[[{{Rammstein}} Du riechst so gut]]''.
* "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio.
* ''Full Moon'' by Sonata Arctica.
* Pentagram, "Sign of the Wolf".
* ''Horror Of Our Love'' by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludo_(band) Ludo]]. Also contains [[TheUndead Vampires]] and Ghosts
* "[[http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/615563 Midnight Hunger]]" by Thornwill.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mythology]]
* The werewolf of medieval tradition tended to fall in the devil's deal category, with the bargainer typically gaining the ability to become a normal or dire wolf through the use of a magic wolf pelt or wolfskin belt.
** The most well-known werewolf of this type would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stumpp Peter Stumpp]].
** It should be noted that according to the church of the time, Satanists wouldn't be powerful enough to change their physical forms--that level of control over the fabric of reality was reserved for God. Satanist werewolves weren't actually shapeshifters, just [[MasterOfIllusion illusionists]] who liked to terrify their victims before slaughtering them. When they killed people with their bare hands and [[ImAHumanitarian ate the corpses]], they were fully human and [[MoralEventHorizon fully aware of what they were doing]]. ''Benighted'' (''Bareback'' to all you British readers) discusses the mythology in some detail in an appendix.
* The other common variety is an average, sometimes even faithful man, cursed to be a wolf for a certain amount of time, usually ten years. In this case they had all their normal intelligence and personality, but were trapped in the wolf's body.
** Notably, the cursed variety is normally described to be completely harmless, even less dangerous than ordinary wolves. Often they were described as such lousy hunters that it makes you wonder how they survived their cursed period, at all.
* The tale of Bisclavret, from the ''Lais of Marie de France'', features a man cursed to turn into a beast once a fortnight or so; in order to become a man again, he must find his human clothing and put it back on. His wife, upon learning this, sends a knight to steal his clothes, effectively trapping him as an intelligent beast.
** In one version the word gets out and he is returned to normal, but not before biting the guilty wife's nose off and having her banished.
* An interesting variation was the Hounds of God. In the Baltic regions, it was believed that Werewolves were given their powers not by the Devil, but by God to battle the forces of the devil. OurWerewolvesAreDifferent indeed.
** Wait, so ''VanHelsing'' wasn't just [[AluminumChristmasTrees making shit up]]?
*** And neither was White Wolf Game Studio. (Take a look under Tabletop Gaming.)
* In NorseMythology, berserkers were warriors devoted to Odinn, who turned into wolf-men or bear-men in the frenzy of battle. The usually accepted etymology for the word in ''bar-sarkr'', wich meant bear pelt, but it is debatable. Tolkien had those guys in mind when he created the character of Beorn.
* In French-Canadian mythology, the therianthrope is usually a man who has failed to perform his religious duties for several years straight, often seven. They were then either cursed to take an animal form until freed, or only at night until freed. In most case, the curse can be broken by a neighbor pricking the were's skin with a needle.
** Note the use of therianthrope: legends have been recorded involving people turning into wolves (either full wolves, or a being with the normal form of a wolf but walking on two legs), dogs, hellhounds, cats, imps and at least one pig.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: TabletopGames]]
* In ''DungeonsAndDragons'', there are multiple varieties of lycanthrope , including were-bear, were-rat, and were-tiger, each taken from a different real-world mythology. They've always been able to take on the normal animal form and infect with a bite, but other details have cropped up with the evolution of the game, including the addition of a "hybrid" form equivalent to the Man-Wolf, the existence of natural lycanthropes in addition to infected ones, and the imposition of a whole new alignment (and personality) not just on the nonhuman forms but on the human(oid) as well. The most recent edition has the Lycanthropy template, allowing one to make were-''anything'' characters.
** The game later inversed the process with the wolfwere (and subsequent varieties of beast-were), who is an evil, intelligent, shapeshifting wolf who assumes a human form to mingle in society and lure potential victims. Werewolves and wolfweres both share intense loathing for each other.
** The {{Ravenloft}} setting took this trope to heart for all monsters, introducing "salient abilities" that could make any werewolf (or vampire, golem, mummy, etc) different from any other of its kind. The ''Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts'' gives exhaustive details on all forms of lycanthropy.
** Recent publications introduced the Shifter player race, descendants of humans and lycanthropes, who were effectively "lycanthrope-lite."
** 4th edition D makes yet another change. Shifters are presented as playable races in Monster Manual 1 and Player's Handbook 2. Regular werewolves, however, are monsters only... and they no longer transmit the "curse of lycanthropy" upon biting someone, just a generic disease.
* ''{{Shadowrun}}'' has a virus which turns people into mindless Neanderthal types which get stronger and vicious during the full moon. However, they don't gain animal traits, beyond the extra hair. What Shadowrun does have are Shapeshifters, as in normal animals of all varieties spontaneously giving birth to magically active stock able to take on human form. Not to mention all the dragons who've learned the ability...
* ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' brings us the Wulfen, werewolves InSpace. With guns.
** Actually the guns belong to the Space Wolves. The Wulfen are failed Space Wolves.
*** To clarify, the curse is present in all Space Wolves due to it being imbued into their genes during their trials. Those who fail to overcome the curse during the trials turn into wulfen. However, since it is still in the genes of the Space Wolves, they gradually turn more and more bestial over the years. Some look like real wolves wearing power armor after a while. The Thirteenth Great Company is a prime example of this, since they have spent ten thousand years inside the Eye of Terror, coming out later with the curse with a high hold of their bodies. The best thing is, they are still sane ''and'' loyal to the Emperor. Indeed, the wulfen curse reacts strongly to chaos, acting as some kind of automatic mental shield against the taint of chaos. In short, the wulfen curse is only a bad thing if you can't overcome it, meaning the Space Wolves have a high natural resistance against the taint of chaos due to it.
*** {{Power Armor}}ed Viking Werewolf Super soldiers. In Space!
* ''Werewolf: The Apocalypse'' from TheWorldOfDarkness line casts the {{Player Character}}s as werewolves-qua-species. Its "Garou" may breed with both normal humans and wolves (as well as with other Garou, although those offspring are deformed outcasts); they actually have access to ''all'' the various forms, changing to any as they find useful, but the form they were born in lacks the invulnerability of the others. However, they must struggle with controlling their rage; loss of this control can cause them to frenzy (which can be either an UnstoppableRage or running away, usually involving taking on a better form for the task). Oh, and they also have a very tight connection to the [[AnotherDimension spirit world]] (including the inherent ability to travel between the worlds almost at will) and were made as super-warriors to protect the Earth from the {{CosmicHorror}}s of the said spirit world. Of course, this being TheWorldOfDarkness they screwed up in their duty, so that it falls to {{Player Character}}s to set things right. Maybe.
** The game also has 11 other major breeds of shapeshifters, described in their own {{Splat}} books, like corax (were-ravens), gurahl (were-bears) and bastet (were-cats). All of these are near-extinct through zealous genocide by the werewolves. In theory (in practice, many of them are very numerous throughout most parts of the world, but like to use the past wars as an excuse to be jerks).
** The reboot, ''Werewolf: The Forsaken'', has the Uratha, which are somewhat similar to the Garou, but simplified. Unlike the Garou, the Uratha all start as human and can ''only'' breed with humans (or [[HalfHumanHybrid wolf-blooded]]); trying to mate with other Uratha leads to the [[FetusTerrible "ghost children"]]. Interestingly, the antagonist tribes, the Pure, are almost ideologically identical to the Garou... In addition, the other weres were left out of the werewolf line and covered instead in a mainline book, [[DisContinuity Changing Breeds]] errr, I mean [[AuthorsSavingThrow War Against The Pure]].`Which, may I mention, has were-cocroaches.
*** Certain aspects of werewolf lore are said to be the result of misunderstandings about certain Uratha customs or powers. For example, the idea that biting people causes the transformation is based on the fact that werewolves can often detect people on the verge of the First Change, and bite them in order to acquire their scent so that they can be kept track of. Also, the supposedly curative properties of wolfsbane come from their ability to imbue that plant with a wolf spirit in order to create a minor magical item which forces Uratha to return to human form.
* In ''ArsMagica'', lycanthrophy is the result of a curse which can be magical or faery in nature, and is tied to the moon cycle. If taken as a blessing, transformations can be controlled. Were-bears and were-lynxes are also possible in the setting.
* ''{{Rifts}}'' and other games in Palladium's ''Megaverse'' have them as a separate species, ranging from Wolves to Bears, and some of the big cats (and even further, Werepanthers are different than Werejaguars).
** Rifts also features the Loup-Garou, a werewolf species with a god complex and the statline to back it up against an unaugmented human. It also must die twice, once in Wolf or Man-Wolf form and once as a Human, in order to be truly killed. Killing it only once "kills" that form, preventing it from changing into it ever again.
* A set of semi-official articles in Palladium's magazine/book ''The Rifter'' expands the Werebeasts to the ''Nightbane'' game. There Weres form clans collectively known as the Children Of The Moon. These clans run the gamut from {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s, Mercenaries, Seers, Insane Beasts, Superpowered Mutants, and their own internal police force. According to their creation legend, Humans were originally Were''apes'', but lost their ability to change to their animal forms due to a curse that also gave the Werebeasts their vulnerability to silver.
* In {{Deadlands}}, the Classic Collection, the DuPonts are a branch of the mad Whateley family who are known for being werewolves, as well as inbred mad magicians. Mina Devlin has a few of them working for her at the Hunt-Phelan house.
* The werewolf template in ''{{GURPS}}'' is an uncontrollable problem triggered by the full moon. They're very hard to kill but curiously don't have any special level of strength like most werewolves.
* In ''Terror T.R.A.X: Track of the Werewolf'' (reviewed by Spoonyone), the werewolves seem to possess few characteristics that separate them from normal humans. They can be killed by ordinary methods, speak clearly, and fight using ''automatic weapons''.
* The LawfulNeutral Wolfen from''Confrontation''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: VideoGames]]
* Free MMOFPS game ''WolfTeam'' revolves around this. SuperSoldiers with the Lycanthrope gene that can transform at will and go melee on people. Some game modes allow for "mutated" versions of Wolf, permanent Lycans with radical powers.
* ''GabrielKnight: The Beast Within''
* Werewolves are a common enemy in the PC game ''Nocturne'', appearing in all but one chapter, and they can be killed with any weapons; it's just that silver bullets kill them a lot faster.
* One of the main "dual nature" gimmicks in ''TheLegendOfZelda: TwilightPrincess'' is that Link transforms into a wolf when he enters the Twilight Realm. It's quite an [[BigBadassWolf impressive step up]] from the unarmed, pink bunny he turned into in ''ALinkToThePast'''s Dark World.
* Saberwulf of KillerInstinct is looking for a cure for his condition. Although his ending in the first game does give him one, that ending is not canon and he actually comes out ''worse'' before the second game, both failing to get a cure and losing his arms in the process, forcing him to get new bionic arms.
* Goro Okami in ''Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii [[OsuTatakaeOuendan Osu! Tatake! Ouendan 2]]'' turns into a werewolf when he sees round objects. The entire goal of his level is to try and have a date with a girl he likes while suppressing the transformation in the face of multiple round objects (balloons, balls, ice cream, etc.). Winning the stage reveals that the girl loves dogs. Losing shows Goro being carted off to the pound.
* ''Fighters Destiny'' for N64 has a character named Piere who is a french clown, there's a cheat you can use which turns him into a werewolf.
* The ''{{Fable}}'' series has Balvarines, humanoid wolf-creatures. When someone is infected, they turn into a Balvarine and stay that way. Permanently.
** When infected you have a chance of becoming a white balverine, an especially powerful and intelligent kind that usually leads packs of regular balverines.
** There are two cases of balverines who shift back to human form: in the flash game, the white balverine turns out to be [[spoiler: the mayor of town, who involuntarily changes forms at night]], and in Fable 2 [[spoiler: a woman who you escort through a balverine-infested forest turns out to be a white balverine in disguise, luring you into a trap for her "children".]]
* The ''Bloody Roar'' games have a whole ''menagerie'' of therianthropic characters like this including some kind of metalic bug-like beast called the ''unborn'' and a penguin who [[MagikarpPower becomes a Phoenix]].
* The Beast Kingdom in ''Seiken Densetsu 3'' is inhabited by a race of werewolves known as Beastmen. They are generally more humanlike during the day, and become [[WolfMan Wolf Men]] at night, but due to the presence of the Mana Stone of the Moon, the entire country is cast in perpetual night. One of the potential player characters, Kevin, hails from this place and transforms at night. This effectively gives him two sets of moves to the other characters' one.
* ''{{Castlevania}} 64: Legacy of Darkness'' has a "Man-beast," Cornell, as one of the playable characters. Very little is given about the race, but what can be inferred from the text, a Man-Beast is different from a werewolf in that they're usually not evil because their powers are usually sealed away and can only transform after {{Training from Hell}}. Cornell, unusually, has the ability to shoot endless [[RazorWind blades of wind]] from his hands even as a human. In Castlevania Judgement, he also gained the ability to [[MakeMeWannaShout howl out blasts of supersonic waves]]. His rival, another Manbeast who was a werelion, sold his soul for the power to become a werechimera.
** Both wargs and werewolves are featured in the series proper. Werewolves, however, have a few pyrokinetic skills
* The most recent ''FireEmblem'' games have the laguz, which can shapeshift for limited amounts of time. A "Halfshift" ability can be applied to let them take on a less powerful transformation at will, certain items can make them instantly shift, and the kings and queens of each tribe can stay in their animal forms indefinitely. And yes, there are wolves.
* [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Tinek/T'Nique/whatever]] Arcana from ''StarOcean'' is part of a race called lycanthropes, and transforms into a werewolf before every battle. He isn't explored very much, but he does say in Private Actions that he has to train constantly so he doesn't lose his senses and go berserk while transformed.
* In ''SonicUnleashed'', [[SonicTheHedgehog the titular hero]] can turn into Sonic the ''Werehog'' at night. During his transformation, Sonic is a bigger, furrier and werewolfish version of himself with huge stretchy arms. He's nowhere near as fast as he is in his normal form, but he is ''much'' stronger. Unlike most examples of lycanthropy, however, he's able to fully control himself.
* The second ''GoldenSun'' game has Garoh, a village of friendly werewolves who are also psychic. Though they don't want you to know their secret. A cutscene suggests that the lycanthropy and PsychicPowers both come from exposure to [[GreenRocks Psynergy Stones]].
** Promo material for ''Dark Dawn'' hints that a new playable character, Stella, may be from Garoh.
* [[TheElderScrolls The ''Elder Scrolls'' universe]] features a variety of therianthropic creatures, including werewolves, wereboars, and even weresharks.
** The validity of weresharks is not definite, however, as the character who mentioned them was "M'aiq the Liar"
** Weresharks were mentioned in the in-universe book "On Lycanthropy" in ''Daggerfall'' long before M'aiq mentioned them, and by professional scholars, no less.
* [[{{Touhou}} Keine Kamishirasawa]], rather than a werewolf, is a were-[[http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Hakutaku hakutaku]]. While her transformation only occurs during a full moon, she's doesn't turn evil. Though it would be a good idea not to interfere in her work, lest you be {{Unperson}}ed or simply [[MemeticMutation CAVED]].
* In ''{{Okami}}'', the Oina tribe can transform into a wolf-like form at will. Oki even does this to aid Amaterasu in battle.
* The Worgen of WorldOfWarcraft avert most of the werewolf tropes, being wolf-people from a whole separate dimension. The true 'werewolves' of the setting are the villagers of Pyrewood Village, who transform into worgen every night after being experimented on by the mad Archmage Arugal. Also a Forsaken quest reveals an undead was turned into a worgen. [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Think about that for a second]].
** With the Cataclysm expansion, Worgen will also become a player race, though it hasn't been revealed if the interdimensional Worgen or the humans-turned Worgen will be the playable ones.
** The official trailer makes it pretty clear that the playable Worgen belong to the nation of Gilneas and used to be humans, though their inclusion in the Alliance seems to hinge on an old bond the Worgen had with the Night Elves (the Scythe of Elune is probably related to this as well). It's been hinted that worgens will have a "human" form and a "wolfman" form, but other information from Blizzard is spotty at best right now.
** The "human" form is more a cosmetic bonus though. By default the playable worgen will be in a "manwolf" form and will revert to this form if they are in human form as soon as they initiate combat. It has been revealed that the playable worgen are worgens that are given cure that allow them to retain their human mind even when transformed, not that they won't abuse the added strength of being a werewolf than just a mere human and being able to transform at will.
* In MegaManStarforce, [[MeaningfulName Damian Wolfe's]] takes upon the appearance of an anthro wolf as his EM form, Wolf Woods. It's hard for him to control himself in this form.
* Warwolves in ''CityOfHeroes'' are a mysterious variant of SuperSoldier used by the [[StupidJetpackHitler Fifth Column]] and Council. After a certain level, random Council {{Mooks}} have a chance of [[OneWingedAngel transforming into them when defeated]].
* In ''Muppet Monster Adventure'' Fozzie Bear is turned into a Wocka Wocka Werebear which is a bear-like werewolf with the power to climb, the main character Robin later gets to turn into this as the one of the powers he gets from [[TransformationTrinket the amulet powerups]].
* ''Sabreman'', the intrepid explorer from the classic, eponymous 8-bit computer game series, is cursed with lycanthropy in 'Knight Lore' by the dire wolf Sabrewulf and forced to find a cure within 40 days before the curse becomes permanent. Sabreman transformed into a "werewulf" every night, the most notorious game effect being our poor hero marked as an enemy by Melkhior's magic cauldron, the only artifact that can prepare the cure for his affliction.
* [[DragonAge Dragon Age: Origins]] features werewolves that were created by [[spoiler: the Keeper of a Dalish (Elf) clan who cursed the humans who destroyed his family. They can only become human again if the Keeper agrees to end the curse, an act that will also kill him.]] These werewolves have learned to speak, but are regrettably cursed with frequent pig-like snorting when doing so.
** These aren't the only werebeasts in the setting. Most werecreatures are actually humans or animals possessed by demons from [[SpiritWorld the Fade]] and subsequently mutated.
*** It is also mentioned that because of that, there is pretty much no one "true" version of werewolf. Some change when the moon is full, some when they are angry, some turn into wolf-men, some into large wolves, some are only vulnerable to silver... It all depends on the exact demon involved.
* ''QuestForGlory 4'' has Gypsies, who are [[VoluntaryShapeshifter Voluntary Shapeshifters]] who turn into wolves (just wolves, no hybrid form) and scoff at the traditional werewolf legends. The local villagers believe in the classic version of the werewolf legends, and nearly burn a Gypsy at the stake for the "murder" of the gravedigger; however, they don't know about the Gypsies' shapeshifting, and simply jumped to the conclusion that "Gypsy = Werewolf".
* ''FinalFantasyV'' has a whole town of creatures ''called'' werewolves, but they always appear in humanoid wolf form, never transforming either way. They're also pretty friendly, for the most part.
* ''TheSims 2: Pets'' allows Sims to become werewolves by interacting with a glowy-eyed wolf or getting into a fight with a transformed werewolf. Werewolves transform every night and are still controllable in their wolfy forms, though they tend to freak out other Sims. Their personalities tend toward extremes and, even in human form, they get along with animals much better than regular Sims. The condition is curable.
* ''{{Diablo}} 2: Lord of Destruction'' has the Druid, with an entire skill tree dedicated to transforming into a werewolf or a were-bear, and special attacks that can be used in those forms.
* ''League of Legends'' has [[http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Warwick Warwick]]. Once a mercenary, he obtained a fully controllable version of lycanthropy as punishment for genocide. He hardly leaves his new form and is mentally the same (which isn't all that different from a wilder mindset). Essentially Soraka's punishment made things a hell of a lot worse.
* ''AlteredBeast'' features the player becoming a werewolf in two levels.
* Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, Rachel's [[MemeticBadass Badass]] BattleButler in {{Blazblue}} is a werewolf. Contrary to most examples, he's very cultured and cool-headed. Not only is he capable of changing into a wolf completely (or even partially) at will, it's actually a part of his gameplay. In wolf form he's much faster and has some powerful moves, but he can't block.
* ''{{Darkstalkers}}'' has Jon Talbain (Gallon in the Japanese version). He seems to be in control of himself as a werewolf, although he fears that he will lose himself in bloodlust and become a beast completely, and is desperately searching for a cure for his condition. [[spoiler: He does find a cure in the endings of the first two games, although the third game's ending suggests that he's jumping headlong in the ''other'' direction.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WebComics]]
* ''[[http://www.clanofthecats.com Clan of the Cats]]'': Chelsea Chattan and her older sister Melpomene are both were-leopards and witches; Chelsea in particular is the rare 'purebreed' who transforms completely into a black panther. The family is under a curse, which does not cause the panteranthropy, but rather makes it uncontrollable.
* ''[[HannaIsNotABoysName Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name]]'': first off, they look like [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=447 this]]. Second, they transform at will and third, they are very rare.
** Actually, Toni's (who by the way, normally looks like [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=756 this]]) ability to change at will is "cheating." (Mentioned [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=562 here]] at the bottom and explained [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=759 here]].)
** Toni has ''different'' wolf forms, too, depending on how complete her transformation is. The one depicted above is actually an incomplete form, and her [[http://hanna.aftertorque.com/?p=762 latest form]] is...just...[[{{Squee}} waaaaaay too cute.]]
* ''CryHavoc'' has four werewolves as its main characters. They have greatly enhanced size strength and resistance, given to the point that they can effectivly fight battle tanks head on. They transform during a full moon, and during their wolf phase are considerably larger than normal humans. They stand approximately six feet tall at the shoulder when on all fours, and nearly 12 feet tall when erect. They posses tough skin augmented by their resistance to non-silver weapons. They also have greatly improved senses. When transformed they may have difficulty controlling their actions due to bestial and pervasive 'wolf mind' that works subconsciously toward a fully animal state of mind. They can communicate with one another through a language that to observers sounds like growls and barks, but is understood only by other werewolves.
* ''CollegeRoomiesFromHell'': Roger and Lily Pepitone, whose family have a hereditary were-coyote curse
* ''[[http://shifters.comicgen.com/ Shifters]]'' is yet another 'weres versus vampires' series.
* ''{{Peter is the Wolf}}'': Just about every major character in this is a werewolf, though there is at least one kitsune (were-fox). Has both a 'general' and 'adult' version; the former is only vaguely Ecchi, while the latter is definitely {{NSFW}}.
** It uses the title of this page as an advertising tagline.
* ''GirlGenius'' has the fanged, green, and hairy Jagermonsters. They mix elements of the WolfMan, JekyllAndHyde, and SuperSoldier. On top of that, they're just plain goofy.
** [[FunetikAksent Unt don' anybody forgetink ze silly German akzent!]]
*** Und der ''[[NiceHat hats]]''.
* ''[[http://alphaluna.net/ Alpha Luna]]'', in where the werewolves are born that way and can change at will, but the first transformation appears to be non-controlable. The actual comic itself is fairly good, with slightly wonky dialogue (Deu to the fact that the writer has English as his second language) but gorgeous artwork.
* One of the supporting characters in ''[[http://www.noroomformagic.com/ No Room for Magic]]'' is Roy, [[http://www.noroomformagic.com/d/20050915.html whose dad turned him into a werewolf]] so that he could survive gym class. [[http://www.noroomformagic.com/d/20051208.html It's made him less shy, but he feels compelled to sniff strangers' butts]].
* DominicDeegan contains an entire race of werewolves. These werewolves can transform at will. Infact, many of the race prefer their wolf-man form, only taking a human form for diplomatic purposes. Their strength is based on the moon, with their wolf-man forms becoming stronger and more proficient with magic. Although the race is inherently more brutal, there is no loss of sanity or any other such ill effect from the transformation.
* ''TheWotch'' has a few lycanthropic minor characters (a hereditary werewolf (Samantha "Wolfie" Wolfe) and an inflicted werecat (Katie [=McBride=]). Transformations occur involuntarily under a full moon (or a spell capable of duplicating those conditions), and victims lose their normal personalities while transformed (though both above characters can overcome this thanks to a magic amulet). A particularly odd example is the villain Yukio, who became a were-''woman'' apparently spontaneously. His female form could be considered a SuperPoweredEvilSide (she's a separate personality, and is very understandably miffed at the world, see WhereIWasBornAndRazed), but Yukio's already pretty amoral.
* The werewolves in ''Lunatic Chaos'' are caused by heredity. However, the 'when' is cleverly subverted. Upon entering puberty, a werewolf will change some random night. Whatever moon is out that night is what they become 'linked' to. They can transform at will, but will be forced to take on their wolf shape on there personal phase. However, when a werewolf becomes linked to the full moon, they become bloodthirsty monsters whenever they are forced to transform.
* ShapeShifting being one of main themes of ''ElGoonishShive'', there are several variants.
** Grace is sometimes referred to as a "Were-Squirrel," since she's a [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] with human, squirrel and a squirrel/human hybrid forms, due to genes of human, squirrel, and two shape-shifting aliens. She and the other "chimerae" in the series cannot spread their powers through bites, though.
** The backstory for the Dewitchery Diamond mentions a traditional curse-based Were-Wolf. It was shown as a man-wolf and infected a victim.
*** Then a new term was coined from its purpose and nature of the last "curse" it "removed": ''[[GenderBender weregirl]]''.
* Neauria from ''{{Earthsong}}'' and her species provide the inspiration for the werewolf legends on Earth. They're anthropomorphic dog-like humanoids, but that's about the only similarity they share with Earth's werewolves.
* In ''[[http://www.taoofgeek.com The Tao of Geek]]'', a horde of werewolves was caused by a voodoo curse found on the Internet. The first person affected became the Alpha Wolf, and all subsequent cursed people became members of the Alpha's pack. Killing the Alpha was mentioned as a way to reverse the curse on the other afflicted people. [[spoiler:Removing the curse on the Alpha works just as well.]]
* Wally from ''Zebra Girl'' can transform to a wolf or wolf-man and change his size to some degree, but only at night - he's stuck on whatever shape he takes during the day. His power level seems tied to his status within the "pack" - his old alpha could turn into a wolf the size of a ''house''.
* In ''DandyAndCompany'', Bernard is turned into a werewolf by the demon Skeezicks. As such, he's basically a PettingZooPeople version of a wolf (well, inasmuch as an animal in this comic can be otherwise) 24/7, but transforms into the classic humongous, bloodthirsty monster when exposed to the light of the full moon. (Cloud cover is enough to block out the effect.) The only way to restore normalcy is to challenge Skeezicks to a battle for Bernard's soul.
* In ''{{Sorcery101}}'' werewolves do not retain their full human consciousness, but they do seem to retain a certain level of control. For instance, even in his wolf form, Brad will not harm anyone he likes. Brad is also colorblind, but it's never been stated whether or not this is do to his werewolfism. Werewolves in Sorcery101 turn into full wolves, without any form of humanism to them. Werewolves also have hyper healing powers. Also, there is a cure. If a werewolf has his tail removed, they become human again. However, any wound that they suffered as a werewolf will come back if cured. Werewolfism is also hereditary, as Brad's daughter has it without being bitten.
* First off, the creatures in ''AnsemRetort'' are actually werePIRES (though they seem to take more after their were-side). All that is known so far is that their natural predators are sharks. And their beast forms look like, well, [[Film/BeautyAndTheBeast the Beast]]. Oh, and apparently they make cute reindeer.
* Two of the protagonists of ''TheDragonDoctors'' become inflicted with Lycanthropy. The titular doctors are able to cure nearly any malady, but they're only able to ''control'' lycanthropy rather than get rid of it entirely. The two werewolves became so because a horrific entity bent on consuming all life tried to absorb their minds and souls, and this awoke within them an "inner beast." This is treated differently than "standard" lycanthropy, which is contagious, but it's also difficult to cure because you can't really get rid of the inner beast without killing a person's will to live, and getting it to settle back down is the only way. Kili and Greg have to wear magical arm-bands and exercise a lot to burn off their excess energy, and one side-effect is that their hair is now [[RapunzelHair incredibly long]].
* ''FamilyMan'' features an entire town based around the local werewolf population, though the majority of townspeople are by no means werewolves. Lycanthropy, in females, at least, seems to coincide with menstruation, and the transformation is preceded by a ritual including the donning of a wolf skin. Evidence suggests that werewolves can arise from genetic inheritence ''and'' from...some means of transmission. At least, that's what we know so far: there's still much to be revealed on the subject.
* ''[[http://www.vladthevegan.com/ Vlad the Vegan Vampire]]'' got a pal, Estragon the were''panda''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WebOriginal]]
* The ''WhateleyUniverse'' features all kinds of characters who could be considered 'weres' of some kind or other. The 'regular' ones were created by the Sidhe in ancient times to serve as warriors in the fight against the Great Old Ones; their community near Whateley Academy (which is in fact built on their tribal territory) includes feline weres and at least one werebear in addition to plain old werewolves, and there are others scattered at least over the US. They are capable of infecting humans and most mutants by way of a quick-acting magical virus transmitted by biting, but this isn't currently common practice. At the school, one might also run into Harry Wolfe a.k.a. Techwolf, who's basically a wolf-man due to a family curse, or Bloodwolf, who's about as easy to get along with as his name indicates and seems to be getting his powers from some kind of wolf ''spirit''. A secondary character living at Hawthorn Cottage is actually a wolf who turns into a human. There's the supervillain Lycanthros, who looks kind of caveman-ish normally, and can turn into a massive werewolf when he wants; he wears a bunch of pelts that might be wolves or maybe even werewolves, so he may fall into the 'deal with the devil' category of mythology...and finally (for now) we have the creatures nicknamed 'Voodoo Wolves' or more generally 'Voodoo Weres', who are part-regular were, part-EldritchAbomination, serve somebody who goes by the meaningful title 'The Bastard', and can actually infect 'normal' weres and transform them into their own kind.
* [[LimyaaelsFantasyRants Limyaael]] is more concerned with [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/452888.html werewolves]] drowning in the {{Wangst}} than in playing with myths.
* What do you get if you mix the OurWerewolvesAreDifferent and EveryoneIsGay tropes? You get the werewolves at [[http://cyoc.net choose your own change!]] WARNING: May not be sfw - since it is a FetishFuel station)
* The ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum have had a number of were-somethings. Werewolves, [[EverythingsBetterwithPenguins werepenguins]], weretigers, and even a were-sea-anemone.
* ''AboveGround'' also features all kinds of werecreatures, although the predominant one remains werewolves. Whatever their animal type, their bite is not infectious: it is a trait inherited genetically. Furthermore, the weres are VoluntaryShapeshifters who learn how to control their change as they grow older. To be able to fully control the change back and forth is their passage into adulthood.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Gargoyles}}'' had an episode where Xanatos' [[ArtifactOfDoom engagement gift]] [[UnholyMatrimony to Fox]] turned her into a wolf-like being every night until he and the gargoyles were able to forcibly remove it.
* ''{{Freakazoid}}'' did a parody of the original ''The Wolf Man'' with an obvious Lon Chaney Jr. parody coming to Dexter for help with his werewolf problem. Freakazoid, after forcing him to suffer numerous indignities, ultimately cured him by dumping him into the internet and back out again.
** This same episode even parodied the fake frame-by-frame transformations of the original Wolfman, for both the Lon Chaney Jr. {{Expy}} and Freakazoid himself.
* ''TheSimpsons'' did it during a ''[[HalloweenEpisode Treehouse of Horror]]'' episode where Ned Flanders gets bitten by a Dire Wolf and becomes a Man-Wolf; a rare case of two types in one show.
* The title character of the Ruby-Spears cartoon ''Fangface'' would transform whenever he saw the full moon ... or a photograph of it... or anything which vaguely reminded him of it. HilarityEnsues, of course. The reverse transformation was similarly triggered by the sun. Or any other sun-like image.
* ''BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' has a very "mechanical" twist to our friend the werewolf, called the wirewolf.
** They also spoofed vampires with "NOS 4A2" ("{{Film/Nosferatu}}"), an energy-draining robot vampire.
* ''Gravesdale High'' had a rather nerdy werewolf teen named Reggie Moonshroud.
* ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'' has two characters who are weredogs, Valerie (a girl who is an honor student) and Ms Thompson (the teacher), Numbuh 5 got turned into one in "Operation D.O.G.H.O.U.S.E."
* An episode of ''TheRealGhostbusters'' had Egon turn into a werechicken.
** There was also an episode where a [[FurAgainstFang clan war between werewolves and vampires]] finally got bloody, and when they fought...
---> Peter: "Egon, not to be intrusive or unduly nosy, but what do you mean by [[ItGotWorse "worse"]]?
---> Egon: "Well, when a vampire bites someone, he becomes a vampire, right?"
---> Peter: "Right."
---> Ray: "And when a werewolf bites someone, they become a werewolf too!"
---> Egon: "Exactly! [[MixAndMatchCritters So what happens when a werewolf bites a vampire, and a vampire bites a werewolf]]?"
* In a direct parody of ''An American Werewolf in London'' (and ''TurboTeen'' - of course), ''{{Futurama}}'' has a curse that can turn any mild-mannered robot into a were''car''.
** But unlike the hovercars the characters in the show are familiar with, these cars are "crawling around on wheels...like a wolf!"
* In the ''{{Ben 10}}'' episode "Benwolf" we were introduced to an alien version of the werewolf called a Loboan or Yenaldooshi. It scratches the Omnitrix thus causing Ben to slowly turn into this alien werewolf. Later, the creature is added to the Omnitrix's Big List Of Heroes and he later dubs it Benwolf.
* An episode of ''DaveTheBarbarian'' had Dave get bitten by a cow and turn into a werecow. Also halfway through the middle he gets turned into other things like a cat, Oswitch, a hamster, Lula, an egg beater, a gym teacher, and finally... himself! But the twist comes at the end where Faffy ends up turning into a weredave.
* An episode of ''MonaTheVampire'' had a wereclown concept.
** A Halloween episode of ''Dexter's Lab'' also had a wereclown concept where Dexter gets bitten by a pair of clown dentures and turns into a MonsterClown whenever he laughs.
* An episode of the ''AceVentura'' cartoon had Ace go to a village to hunt down a killer moose, it later turns out that it was a weremoose. And then almost everyone Ace runs into in the village happpens to be a weremoose, even his own pet monkey Spike gets turned into one. Later on, it turns out that the very person who brought him there is the original weremoose and has the power to transform at will via a [[TransformationTrinket special talisman]] and the very reason he brought Ace over to the village is so he could turn him into one, telling him that he'll be granted special powers and that together they'll create a race of moose men.
* In the ''Kappa Mikey'' episode Night Of The Werepuff, there is a creature called a werepuff- it's a furry creature that eats clothes. Mikey gets turned into one.
* Aisling in ''TheSecretOfKells'' is a fairie that takes on the form of a wolf and commands a pack of them. But eventually, [[spoiler: TheMagicGoesAway and Brendan is only able to see her wolf form]]
* ''{{Animaniacs}}'' featured a somewhat unusual version in the Minerva Mink short "Moon Over Minerva." A geeky wolf, named Wilford B Wolf, would turn into a hunky wolf when exposed to the full moon. Minerva won't give his geeky self the time of day, but she goes crazy for his moonlit self. Need I say the short is pretty heavy on the {{Fanservice}} for both the male and female audiences?
* ''{{Wallace and Gromit}}: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit'' had ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: a giant lycanthropic rabbit. Fortunately, it's only dangerous to vegetables (but this just makes it much funnier).
** Vegetables are, apparantly, SeriousBusiness to the townspeople.
* On ''UglyAmericans'', werewolves turn shortly after being bitten, but retain their intelligence. They're still pretty viscious though, one tore a man's arm off just to get tickets to a magic show. After turning, that man grew his arm back, albeit very slowly (it took the entire episode just to grow the arm to half its original size). They also don't turn back, or it hasn't been shown anyway.
* One episode of ''JohnnyBravo'' involved Johnny finding out that his date was a werewolf. He went on the date anyway, reasoning that he just had to stick it out until sunrise for her to turn back into a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, it was a Wednesday, and it turns out that on Wednesdays she turns into an annoying little man named Melvin who keeps trying to show people his stamp collection.
* In ''TheRealAdventuresOfJonnyQuest'', the transformation into a werewolf comes because of a genetic disorder that only affects men.
* ''MaryShelleysFrankenhole''. The Wolfman can only be killed by a silver bullet. The death with only be temporary and he will heal as soon as the bullet leaves him (even if he has to rot and decay for 70 years before the bullet leaves). The only way for him to permanently die is if a lover fires the silver bullet.
* ''AdventureTime'' has the Whywolves, which are werewolves-like creatures born out of inquiry and '''bloodlust'''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: RealLife]]
* Vampires were originally very similar to (or basically were) werewolves. In some historical lore, vampires would turn into wolves rather than bats.
** The "vampires turn into bats" trope is just a bit over hundred years old in any case, only first thought up by Bram Stoker when he heard of blood-drinking bats in South America. Before that there has been no connection between the animal and the mythical monster.
** The connection is made even further with beliefts that if one fails to properly dispose of a werewolf's corpse, it will rise up as a vampire.
* Some legends say that witches were also blamed for making potions (with extreme hallucinogenic properties) that made men into werewolves (or at least made them believe they were wolves).
* It is also thought that the rabies virus may be to blame.
** There may also be a conection to leprosy, in some medieval legends, werewolves in thier human forms had no noses.
* Perhaps unsurprisingly some [[FurryFandom Furries]] claim to be werewolves or other "shifters." Since they obviously can't change physically, they state that their shifting is (mostly) mental or spiritual in nature, often with connections to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection astral projection]] or Native American style totemism.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_lycanthropy Clinical lycanthropy]] is a rare disorder where sufferers think they have transformed into an animal.
** It affects the parts of the brain that manage a person's body image, so they actually experience shifting shape into something that isn't human, and interpret it as turning into an animal.
[[/folder]]
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