Line #64 Main/WolvesAlwaysHowlAtTheMoon


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6	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_lupinhowl.png]]]]
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8	->''"Listen in awe and you'll hear him...''\
9	''Bark at the moon."''
10	-->-- '''Music/OzzyOsbourne''', "Bark at the Moon"
11
12	In almost any work of fiction that features wolves, werewolves, or coyotes, the canine beasts will almost always be showing howling to the moon at night. On occasion this trope is applied to domestic dogs as well as their wild counterparts.
13
14	The howl at the moon is often used to show the power and mystery of the wolves. It also strays into a case of [[CanineConfusion not doing the research]] because one, wolves howl to communicate, and two, wolves howl just as much during the day as at night.
15
16	This trope is often combined with ClifftopCaterwauling to provide atmosphere to a scene. Bonus points if the wolf is silhouetted against the moon.
17
18	If the howler is a werewolf, this usually occurs right after they transform.
19
20	SpookyAnimalSounds, which are used to add to a creepy atmosphere, may involve howling wolves. Other creatures are occasionally shown howling at the moon, but wolves and werewolves are by far the most common.
21
22	See also HowlOfSorrow, for when a howl is used emotionally.
23
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:Advertising]]
29	* Eristoff Vodka uses the drawing of a wolf howling at the moon as logo. Howling wolves also feature in many of their advertising campaigns.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
33	* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Gabumon's transformation sequences as both [=WereGarurumon=] and [=MetalGarurumon=] have him howling at a full moon.
34	* In ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', the first time we see [[{{Familiar}} Arf]] transform was during the eve of a full moon in the first season. Naturally, this trope was required. In fact, it was the only time we've ever seen one of the wolf familiars howl in the series.
35	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'': When Ash's Rockruff evolves into the Dusk Form Lycanroc in Pokémon, it joins its other two forms (the Midday owned by Olivia, and Midnight owned by Gladion) in howling into sunset.
36	* ''Anime/VampireHunterD: Bloodlust'' does the werewolf version, with the WolfMan howling in front of the full moon after he transforms. With a maw that grows from his ''[[BellyMouth stomach]]''!
37	* The wolf characters from ''Anime/WolfsRain'' are actually invigorated during a full moon. It doesn't necessarily make them stronger or anything, but they feel tremendous joy and energy just seeing it in the sky. Joyous enough to want to howl at it.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
41	* ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': In Season 4 episode 30, Little M., who is dressed as a wolf, howls at the moon.
42	* The first episode of ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'' gives a reason ''why'' the wolves howl at the moon - it's to commemorate Martial Wolf's efforts to catch the goats.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* Parodied in the Italian series ''ComicBook/LupoAlberto'': set in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals, it has the title character not just howl at the full moon but set up ''recitals'', keeping up the [=McKenzie=] farm the whole night. And while the special effects are fantastic, he can't sing.
47	* ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'' story "Everything Must Go" (DC Comics, issue #48) has packs of wolves in Townsville howling at the moon. That's because the Amoeba Boys bought a lunar magnet from Mojo Jojo's yard sale and is drawing the moon towards earth.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
51	* In ''ComicStrip/PricklyCity'' when Winslow complains about how Earth has fewer moons than so many other planets, Carmen asks whether he would be howling all the time. Winslow tells her that such a cliche is shameful -- and yes, he would.
52	* Subverted in ''ComicStrip/SafeHavens''. Dogs aren't howling at the moon. They're howling at ''Mars''. [[spoiler:Eons ago, the GeniusLoci Mars and Theia were close to each other in the emotional sense, so much so that Theia tried to jump out of Earth's orbit and into Mars's, but miscalculated and crashed into Earth. Some of Theia's sentience still exists on Earth, along with its desire to join Mars, and when dogs got domesticated they were able to hear the Earth begging for spaceflight.]]
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
56	* Played completely straight in ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega''.
57	* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit'', where the were-rabbit howls at the moon doing a PrimalChestPound, making all the rabbits hearing it imitate him.
58	* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'', during the montage of reactions to Gru stealing the moon, a werewolf is seen howling at the moon, then turning back to normal ([[ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing and naked]]) as the moon disappears.
59	* The "Pecos Bill" section of Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/MelodyTime'' is used to [[JustSoStory "explain"]] this phenomenon in coyotes. [[spoiler:They are mourning along with Bill, who is lamenting his sweetheart Sluefoot Sue being stranded on the moon.]]
60	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' has the line "Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?" and a shadow wolf howling at the moon in the song ''Colors of the Wind''.
61	* Spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/RoverDangerfield''. The film opens on a coyote howling, but the camera reveals that he is actually howling in pain as another removes cactus needles from his butt.
62	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'', Mebh and Robyn's first night together as wolves culminates with them howling silhouetted against a full moon.
63	* Demonstrated in ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', when Judy fakes a howl to get a wolf security guard to howl, which triggers a "Howl", causing all the wolves in the area to howl and be distracted.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
67	* In the german comedy ''Film/DerSchuhDesManitu'' a wolf sings his lone song in the distance. As in, literally sings a song at the moon. Before being shot.
68	-->"Strangers... in the nigh--" '''bang'''
69	* In the ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' movie [[spoiler: Lupin]] howls at the moon right after he transforms into a werewolf.
70	* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/TheVillain''. We see a wolf apparently doing this, then it turns out to be Cactus Jack wrapped up in a wolfskin, and the howls are from the Indian braves he's with, working themselves up for tomorrow's battle.
71	* In a spectacular example of research failure, ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' has Silver Fox tell Logan a legend from her people about why ''wolverines'' howl at the moon. Because everyone knows wolverines are just wolves with extra letters.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Literature]]
75	* The first time the ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' morph wolf, they can't stop howling at each other.
76	* In ''Literature/{{Dracula}},'' as Jonathan is being transported to Dracula's castle, the moon comes out and he realizes that the carriage is surrounded by wolves. They had been dead silent as they surrounded them, but "all at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them."
77	* In the short story ''Beneath a Crescent Moon'' from ''Literature/TheDreamEatersAndOtherStories'', Lucas [[spoiler:a werewolf]] howls at the moon of the title.
78	* ''Literature/AWolfInTheSoul'' averts this in combination with a FreudianSlip:
79	-->'''Gregory:''' That's a myth. Wolves don't howl at the moon.\
80	''[laughter]''\
81	'''Gregory:''' Why are they laughing?\
82	'''Rafael:''' What did you expect would happen when you said, "We don't howl at the moon"?
83	* In ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'' Holo is introduced howling at the moon; a pretty powerful scene, as though she is in a human form, the howl is definitely that of a wolf.
84	* In ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'' this is called the "Great Howl". At night and especially during a NamingCeremony, dogs (and wolves) sit in a circle and howl to [[AnimalReligion the Spirit Dogs]]. It's also mentioned that Alpha (a wolf-dog raised amongst wolves) does a more personal howl alone by himself.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
88	* The wolf howl that kicks off the TitleSequence of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (the title is superimposed over a full moon).
89	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E2ToothAndClaw "Tooth and Claw"]] features an alien werewolf howling at the Moon.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Music]]
93	* The Music/BlueOysterCult [[Music/TyrannyAndMutation album track]] ''Baby Ice Dog'' ends on a protracted wolf-howl, which also cues in the following track ''Wings Wetted Down'', concerning sinister creatures on a rainswept moonlit night.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
97	* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': Dinos howl at the moon. Howling Day is the day a male dino first gets to howl (''a la'' a Bar Mitzvah).
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Video Games]]
101	* Werewolves in ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' can attack by howling and summoning a projection of the moon.
102	* The wolf boss Lykane from ''VideoGame/DustyRevenge'' is introduced in a cutscene where he howls at the moon. And does that again in the middle of the fight against a smashed window with the moon in the background.
103	* When you first visit [[MeaningfulName Garoh]] in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'', the music is interspersed with howls due to it being nighttime. Sadly, the howls are absent from the regular music.
104	* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', whenever the sun sets and the moon rises, a wolf howl is heard.
105	* The introductory cutscene of ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterPC'' features a werewolf - one of the many monster mooks you'll fight on the game - howling against a full moon. Before a LightningReveal shows the titular hero making his entrance.
106	* In ''VideoGame/NetHack'' you can sometimes hear "a wolf/jackal howling at the moon" if there is a werewolf/werejackal on the level. The howling happens more often if it is night, full moon, or both (the real life date/time is taken into account).
107	* Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}''. Amaterasu howls a few times to summon the moon, and the 'sundown' animation involves a wolf howling. But she's more often seen howling at the ''sun,'' because she's the sun goddess.
108	* Exaggerated in ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan 2'' where a WolfMan has to fight the urge to howl (and then transform) at any round object.
109	* The fight against ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s resident [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]] (naturally) takes place during a full moon, and involves howling. Lots of howling.
110	* [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Worgen]] in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm'' are shown howling to the moon.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Webcomics]]
114	* Buster in ''Webcomic/BusterWildeWeerwolf'' has [[http://www.furnation.com/BusterWilde/comics/buster027.gif an unhealthy habit]] of howling while sitting at the edge of building rooftops.
115	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', has a '''cow''' ''[[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-08-26 mooing]]'' at the moon.
116	* In ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'', [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1000/fv00992.htm Florence notes that a new moon is being moved into place, and she's going to be the first wolf to howl at it.]]
117	* {{Defied\|Trope}} in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. [[http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/2200 The resident werewolf says that the moon has absolutely nothing to do with wolves howling besides confirmation bias]], and he's sick of the stereotype. [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent It also has nothing to do with how weres change shape, either]].
118	* Sometimes shows up in ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'', usually in regard to Rudy. He and his canine friends [[https://www.kevinandkell.com/2008/kk0525.html see it as a kind of contest]], and on [[https://www.kevinandkell.com/2013/kk0223.html one occasion]] he proves himself by out-howling RL.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Web Original]]
122	* [[http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Three-Wolf-Short-Sleeve/dp/B002HJ377A The Three Wolf Moon Shirt]]. Intrinsically sweet and worth five stars by itself. In a case that may be an AscendedMeme, the shirt now actually ''does'' glow in the dark.
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Western Animation]]
126	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/The7D'', the moon goes under different color changes, one of them causes Happy to turn into a werewolf and he howls at the moon.
127	* In a halloween special of ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2017'' series, the mayor transforms into a werewolf and howls at the full moon.
128	* In ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', Dexter gives a dog the ability to speak, revealing that when he howls at the moon, he's actually saying "Mooooon!"
129	* WesternAnimation/{{Fangface}} is a werewolf who always howls at the moon when he turns.
130	* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' "The Honking" were-car Bender howls/honks at the moon.
131	* Done on an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', as Jimmy is running frightened through the woods.
132	* Timber Wolf from ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes2006'' does this at least twice in the series. His first ever appearance before the opening credits had a full shot of him howling at the moon before jumping down the cliff.
133	* On the ''WesternAnimation/PlutoThePup'' cartoons featuring the coyote Ol' Bent Tail and his son, the two are usually introduced howling at the moon. One cartoon ends with Pluto joining them.
134	* On an episode of ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'', the [[SpeciesSurname Wolfe]] family are seen howling at the moon from their rooftop. Heffer joins them as a full-fledged member of the pack, even though he's a steer, and the elk dinner he was supposed to bring home consisted of soy-based elk substitute.
135	* ''WesternAnimation/SkullIsland2023'': A variation in [[Recap/SkullIsland2023S1E6TermsOfEndearment episode 6 "Tears of Endearment"]]. In the flashbacks to Annie and Dog's first meeting, the vaguely bulldog-like Dog howls at the moon in the night sky in mourning after realizing that his father isn't alive out there.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
137	** In some episodes of ''Island'', the campfire ceremony is preceded by a scene of a wolf on a cliff that howls at the moon. In "[[Recap/TotalDramaNoPainNoGame No Pain, No Game]]", the wolf is replaced with Chef Hatchet.
138	** After being rejected by Sky in "[[Recap/TotalDramaHurlAndGoSeek Hurl and Go Seek]]", Dave proclaims himself a lone wolf and starts howling on all fours on a rock. The camera pans upwards to the moon bright in the sky as other wolves answer Dave's howl.
139	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' a switch from Dally-centered part of plot to Yugo-centered bit is telegraphed by [[{{Hellhound}} Igole]] (chasing after Yugo at the moment) taking an opportunity for a dramatic howl at the full moon.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Other]]
143	* [[https://youtu.be/kwqbp-y7vos Wolf Films]], the production company of ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' creator Creator/DickWolf, [[{{Pun}} naturally]] features this. [[https://youtu.be/5AuS01xPrFA The longer, original version]] also featured [[SpookyAnimalSounds an owl hooting]] and the rising of the moon.
144	[[/folder]]

Context Main / WolvesAlwaysHowlAtTheMoon