There’s no denying that Game of Thrones features a rich lore with many fantastic beasts. Direwolves — massive wolves that are closely associated with the Stark family — are one of the most recognizable and appreciated beasts in the series. However, direwolves don’t always measure up to wolves from other series or mediums. With that in mind, here are five anime wolves that the Stark family would be better off associating with.
Fenrir from Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children
Fenrir is the name of a lot of things in Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children. It is the name of the Cloud’s motorcycle, it’s the name of a logo that has come to be closely associated with Cloud, and it’s an actual wolf.
While the wolf itself is actually pretty bland and unimpressive, what the wolf symbolizes easily earns it a place on this list. Fenrir represents Cloud’s depression, sense of helplessness, and the people that he has lost in the events before the film. Some fans even believe that Fenrir is meant to be the spirit of Cloud’s dead friend and mentor Zack.
While direwolves have come to hold deep symbolic and metaphorical meaning in the Game of Thrones book series, the show has never really showed the importance of that symbolism. Fenrir easily beats out direwolves in terms of symbolic meaning and the Stark family would be better off borrowing Cloud’s logo for their banners.
Holo from Spice and Wolf
Ya’ know what direwolves aren’t? Waifu material. Ya’ know who is? Holo from Spice and Wolf. Holo is a wolf harvest spirit that takes the form of a young woman so that she can return to her homeland with a traveling merchant named Lawrence.
On top of being adorable, Holo’s distance from humanity allows her, and the show, to examine and poke fun at society and culture. As a character, Holo grows over the course of the show as she deals with very relatable issues such as loss and loneliness.
While the Stark family may not be as feared with a portrait of Holo as their sigil, they will at least become known as the cutest family in Westeros.
Moro from Princess Mononoke
Moro from Princess Mononoke is everything cool about direwolves multiplied a few thousand times over. As the God of Wolves, she is massive, ferocious, and very aware of how awful humans can be.
She isn’t cruel, though. Before the Studio Ghibli film begins, Moro adopts and raises one of the protagonists — San — after her parents abandon her while running away from Moro.
A banner bearing Moro’s image would represent strength, respect for nature, and maternal love; all great qualities for the Stark’s to associate themselves with.
Sajin Komamura from Bleach
Say what you will about Bleach as a series and its rather rapid decline, but you would be hard-pressed to find an anime with as many distinctively cool characters and character designs. Sajin Komamura exemplifies this as a nine-and-a-half foot tall, sword wielding, wolf man.
When he was first introduced, he wore a mask that covered his whole head, which immediately intrigued viewers. Few were expecting a wolf man underneath, though.
Described by the series’ creator, Tite Kubo as, “unshakable and subtly loyal,” the Stark family would be far better off with Sajin by their side instead of direwolves.
Gabumon from Digimon Adventures
Gabumon from Digimon Adventures is far cooler than direwolves simply due to the amount of variety it and its other forms offer. By itself, Gabumon is an adorable, horned wolf cub that would make for a lovable pet.
Its next form, Garurumon, is a massive digital wolf that can breathe blue fire. The form after that — WereGarurumon — is a bipedal kickboxing wolf adorned in military garb. Finally, Gabumon’s final form — MetalGarurumon — is an android wolf that can fly, shoot rockets, and fire laser beams from its mouth.
While direwolves might be able to compete with one of Gabumon’s forms, they do not come close to matching all of the different possibilities present in this little bundle of fur.
