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Manga / Wolfsmund

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

Wolfsmund (originally 狼の口 〜ヴォルフスムント〜, or Ookami no Kuchi: Wolfsmund) is a 2009–2016 medieval Historical Fiction seinen manga by Mitsuhisa Kuji, of whom little is known except that she is a talented female artist born in 1978 who studied under two of the biggest names in manga art, Kentaro Miura (Berserk) and Kaoru Mori (A Bride's Story, Victorian Romance Emma). Kuji's art style and interest in the real-world setting both take more strongly after Mori's, but at the same time the gruesome content and grim tone are comparable to Miura's.

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


The manga plays fast and loose with real-life events and characters, focusing less on being an accurate retelling of history than trying to present a thrilling story. Still, the author has Shown Their Work on the early 1300s setting by offering a refreshingly realistic depiction of various aspects of the medieval world such as politics, architecture, clothing, weapons, armor, archery, and sword fighting.

For some other medieval and fantasy manga with elements of realism, try Knights, Maria the Virgin Witch, and Berserk.


This manga provides examples of:

  • Abusive Parents: Cedar to her daughter Juwel in chapter 6. She's not shy about beating her physically if Juwel angers her, and threatens to abandon her. Sadly, Cedar truly does love Juwel, but her self interest often wins out in the end, which ends up dooming Cedar herself.
  • Action Girl: Almost every woman involved in the war is a bonafide badass. Johanna and Hilde are both renowned warriors, with Hilde known as "The Ripper of Schwyz" for her prowess and merciless nature. Even the mistress of the inn can make a decent showing.
  • Anachronism Stew: Downplayed, as you have to be really into The Late Middle Ages to notice, but some forms of costumes, arms, and armor that didn't appear until the late 14th century are depicted in the early 14th century setting, and there's a few 15th century outliers like sallet helmets and the Lucerne hammer. The cranequin device that William Tell uses to span his crossbow wasn't invented until after 1400.
  • Animal Motifs: Wolfram is often likened to a hungry wolf, and his shadow occasionally reflects a wolf.
  • Annoying Arrows: Averted. Arrows and bolts, when they hit their mark, are as deadly as they should be.
  • Anyone Can Die: It's usually a coin flip if the main character of a story will be breathing by the end after their encounter with Wolfram. Wolfram himself quite horrifically discovers that he does NOT have Joker Immunity.
  • The Archer: Wilhelm Tell and his son Walter fit the archetype as masters of the crossbow, accustomed to operating independently in the wilderness, and practical as well as pragmatic.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil:
    • The Hapsburgs in general. They tax heavily their subjects to fund their wars and rarely they show mercy for those who defy them.
    • Wolfram takes the cake. Bad Boss, Dirty Coward, and Moral Myopia can explain reason his Karmic Death is very justified.
  • Ass Shove: Wolfram's execution is a particularly painful version, with a long spike being hammered up his ass slowly and VERY painfully, with various people getting a turn to hammer it in further. Needless to say it takes a while for him to actually die.
  • Authority Equals Asskicking: Sir Berthold as the gatekeeper knight of Wolfsmund, besting many skilled rebels that were able to slaughter the regular Hapsburg soldiers.
  • Badass Army: A side chapter details how a company of Swiss Mercenaries fought near to the death defending the pope, establishing the tradition that the Vatican would always be protected by Swiss soldiers.
  • Bad Boss:
    • The Hapsburgs in general. Though working for Wolfram can really suck. Delay telling him bad news, and you're likely gonna get defenestrated. Best case scenario, he'll force you to work in the freezing Alps until your death.
    • Aside from being clever in designing defenses and traps for his castle, Wolfram is a rather uninspiring military commander, more interested in keeping himself alive than leading his men effectively.
  • Big Bad: Wolfram is the most active villain in the story, as as the Bailiff of the Wolfsmund, he is the omnipresent threat of the story. When Wolfram is finally killed, Duke Leopold takes the role of the Big Bad and proceeds to utterly crush his enemies until finally being dealt a humiliating defeat at Morganten.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Most of the heroes including Walter die, but the cantons successfully drive out the Habsburgs, killing Wolfram and most of Duke Leopold's knights, and the epilogue tells us that the cantons eventually unite as one nation and became modern day Switzerland.
  • Book-Ends: Volume 1 ends with the Innkeeper wishing to see Willhelm Tell once more. Volume 2 ends with Walter Tell saying he'll be seeing the Innkeeper soon. And both the ones they wish to see are dead by the time they say it.
  • Broken Tears:
    • The last we see of Duke Leopold, his dreams have crumbled, his army is lost, and his family is on the back foot against their rivals. He's left shivering by a fire, weeping in frustration and feebly swearing revenge.
    • Everyone seem to break into tears upon's Wolfram's well-deserved execution.
  • The Brute: Berchtold, Wolfram's chief enforcer. He's a brutish, hulking knight who prefers to beat his enemies to death. However, he's more intelligent than what the trope suggests.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: The Austrians are fond of torturing prisoners with methods such as the rack and burning coals. Wolfram considers it a helpful tool and a delightful hobby.
  • Cool Old Guy: William Tell is a very easygoing and charismatic fellow.
  • Crucified Hero Shot: Many times, a rebel being tortured or executed by Wolfram will be in a pose reminiscent of a Christian martyr.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Happens every story. Heroes will often face nasty ends. Villains too, with both Sir Berthold and Wolfram meeting very harsh deaths.
  • Death by Adaptation: Unlike in the manga, William Tell in the original legend lived to see the rebellion succeed and was still alive several decades after the Battle of Morgarten.
  • Decoy Protagonist: The plot opens up not too unlike several dark medieval settings with Lise, a daughter of a rebel noble, attempting to escape the country. What seemed like a Riches to Rags story goes downhill really fast at the introduction of Wolfram. This ends with Lise's death in the very first chapter. Afterwards, everyone with their name in the chapter titles is probably dead at their chapters' end.
    • Grete, the innkeeper, is probably the best example of this, though. She lasts two volumes, however.
  • The Determinator: William Tell's son, Walter, absolutely refuses to give up.
  • Dirty Coward: Wolfram himself is revealed to be this when he abandons his own men when the fighting goes south, his own Dragon stating his disgust at his master's actions. It shows again when he's about to be executed, despite subjecting countless people to horrific ends, he goes out sobbing that putting him to death is unjust.
  • Disc-One Final Boss: For all the boasts Wolfram makes about his power, he is still a vassal to Duke Leopold. When he dies, the Duke himself takes the matters into his own hands and personally rides out to deal with the rebellion. During the Battle of Morgarten, the Duke is aghast as seeing what the rebels did to Wolfram.
  • The Dragon: Wolfram to the Hapsburg Duke. For the Wolfsmund alone, the brutish Berthold functions as Wolfram's Dragon.
  • Evil Genius: Wolfram is absolutely brilliant and often has people figured out the second they arrive at his Checkpoint.
  • Eyes Always Shut: In keeping with his Faux Affably Evil behavior, Wolfram often has his eyes cheerfully shut.
  • Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: Wolfram, the keeper of the titular fortress, is a handsome, gentle looking man who often appears wearing a sweet expression of a dainty smile on his face. It's a mask for the devious sadist he really is.
  • Fallen Princess: Lise is the daughter of nobleman and rebel leader Ernst of Schwyz, and loses everything when her father is executed for treason. She has only one knight, Georg, and is forced to disguise as a knight's boy servant to escape detection.
  • Fate Worse than Death: Grete says this verbatim when the rebels suggested selling Hans' wife, Eva, to slavery. So she simply sentences her to death.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Wolfram is unfailingly polite and genteel at all times, but he views everyone around him as a toy he can hurt.
  • Foregone Conclusion: Duke Leopold will fail in conquering the Swiss cantons and the rebels will formed and become the nation of Switzerland.
  • Foreshadowing: Wolfram's first appearance should tell you he is not a good person.
  • For the Evulz: Wolfram will kill and publicly display his prisoners even if he is ordered to send them to his master. He even refers to the Wolfsmund as his little "Mountain Pass of Pleasure."
  • Gorn: Jesus, this manga is brutal...Still, considering just WHO the author has worked with, is anyone surprised?
  • Gratuitous German: The title of the work combines the Japanese and German ways of saying "Wolf's Maw", and the title page includes a summary of the story in Gothic-font German that presumably cannot be read by the intended Japanese readers.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: Duke Leopold of the Hapsburgs. Though he did not actively kill people himself initially and even orders Wolfram to keep the captives alive. After returning from helping his brother, he is shown reveling in leading cavalry while they mow revels.
  • Hate Sink: Wolfram, just try and count how many things above and below landed him here before he was executed.
  • The Hero: Many a character in this series appear to take this role only for them to fail horribly and die in gruesome fashion. The series goes out of it's way to crush all hope of such a person to exist and survive in its cruel world. Thankfully Walter takes this role later on the series, he's the longest surviving character fighting against the Empire and he's even the one to defeat the (first) Big Bad Wolfram in single combat.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Subverted in chapter 3. In a desperate attempt to escape from Wolfram, who intercepted them in the mountains, Wilhelm and Walter are in peril. Walter is clinging to the ledge with his ice axe, and his father is dangling over the abyss by the rope connecting them. Wilhelm tells Walter to cut the rope and escape, and when Walter refuses he begins to cut it himself. However, seeing that he's already surrounded, Walter lets go and falls with his father before he can sever the rope. Walter survives, Wilhelm doesn't.
  • Hero Antagonist: The manga of the trope. The people Wolfram kills are genuinely fighting for their homeland. Cue angry reviews from modern Swiss readers of the French translation. Although it's made pretty clear Wolfram is the bad guy pretty early on, and isn't serving any sense of patriotism, but rather his own sick sadism.
    • Walter is placed in this role as the series progresses. He's one of the few named surviving characters in opposition to Wolfram. He embodies several heroic traits and can be classified as a good guy. Later on, he's even the one to finally defeat Wolfram.
    • Walter arguably ditches the Antagonist part by the story's end.
  • Hope Spot: If there were ever a manga to exemplify this trope and what it stands for, this would be it. Although, some genuine hope begins to grow as the third volume comes to a close...
    • Ironically Wolfram himself falls victim to this. During his bout with Walter he's got the latter on the ropes and is ready to land the final blow ensuring his escape from his enemies. Only for Walter to counter his move and break both his arms. This action finally leads to his utter defeat in the hands of the alliance.
  • Humiliation Conga: Wolfram not only gets beaten by the commoner rebels he looked down upon but also gets the most painful and humiliating death ever. His master, Duke Leopold, not only failed in conquering the Swiss and loses most of his knights by commoners but is forced to give up helping his older brother become the next King of Germany.
  • I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: "Oh, the only way through is that place called The Wolf's Maw. Have a nice time!"
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Wolfram finally dies by being impaled with a giant wooden spike that is hammered through his body.
  • It's Personal: Walter Tell's hatred of Wolfram boils over into a seething fury after Wolfram executes his mother and little brother just to draw Walter out.
  • Karmic Death: Wolfram has possibly the most horrific, vomit-inducing death in this series, and one could argue he deserved a hell of a lot worse.
  • Kick the Dog: Every chapter has Wolfram doing something horrible to someone. Even worse as the first chapter presented him as a nice, reasonable fellow.
  • Kill the Cutie: Poor, innocent Lise gets beheaded in the first chapter. That's just the beginning.
  • Knight in Shining Armor: Georg is a true knight to his very core. He's resourceful, skilled at fighting, incredibly brave, but most important is his Undying Loyalty to his damsel, Lise. She has no one else to protect her from the evil oppressors who executed her father, and Georg subordinates his entire being to making sure she gets to safety.
  • Leave No Survivors: The Swiss rebels are not particularly merciful to the Hapsburg soldiers, as the latter certainly never showed them any mercy when the situations were reversed.
  • Mama Bear: Subverted. If Cedar had actually been one of these, Wolfram would have let them pass. As it is, while she was protective, she just wasn't protective enough.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Wolfram is a genius at manipulating people's emotions so that they'll play into his hands.
  • McNinja: Although there's no indication she was trained in actual ninjutsu, Johanna is basically what you get by transferring the idea of a female ninja or kunoichi to 14th century Europe. She disguises herself flawlessly as an old woman in her attempt to pass the St. Gotthard Pass checkpoint, uses her wiles to break out of her cell and infiltrate the castle, and dispatches multiple guards using her deadly martial arts skills. The inclusion of such a character in this setting is simply justified by Rule of Cool.
  • Medieval Morons: Significantly Averted. Being smart was just as important in the Middle Ages as it was in any other period, and any characters playing the game of subterfuge have to be quick with their wits.
  • Morton's Fork: Many of Wolfram's victims fall into these situations, where options both leave possibility of being caught as a suspicious traveler.
    • Cedar and Juwel in Wolfram's strip search. Cedar willingly letting the guards check her daughter would have Wolfram stop her for not caring enough for her daughter. Cedar resisting the notion could end with Wolfram apprehending them for resisting authorities.
    • Hedwig and Wilhelm in the short sword choice. Wolfram never specified the direction of the sword that would select the victim, so if the option was unfavorable, he would simply reverse the pointer to his intended target.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Hilde"The Ripper of Schwyz". A blonde, buxom woman dressed in skintight clothing who is introduced in a three-way lovemaking session with her two cowhands/apprentices.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "The Ripper of Schwyz". It does make an impression on Wolfram's soldiers.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: Wolfram's....excesses drive the people to the point where rebellion is inevitable.
    • Wolf's Maw defenses would have been impregnable if not for the fact that Wolfram drove the Swiss to such rage that a lot of them did not mind sacrificing themselves to bring him down.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: While Wolfram's mind always made him extremely dangerous, Walter and others assumed that physically Wolfram is a Sissy Villain. But the final surprise Wolfram had prepared for those seeking to corner him is himself being a skilled, dangerous fighter. That surprise claims Hilde's life.
  • Oh, Crap!: Wolfram has this HARD when he sees how he is going to be executed. This is the one time in the manga when he is actually terrified. Which is rather ironic, considering just how many people he caused to have this over the years.
  • Older Than They Look: Wolfram looks like he's in his early twenties, but looked the exact same about ten years prior, as shown in flashbacks.
  • Papa Wolf: William Tell fights ferociously to protect his son when Wolfram's troops catch up to them.
  • Pay Evil unto Evil: After all he's done, it is damn hard to blame the Swiss for subjecting Wolfram to an absolutely stomach-churning execution.
  • Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Hans received a downplayed version from Lord Leopold. After being discovered by the rebels, he seeks shelter under Leopold's protection, but he sends him away noting that nothing good can come from a man who would sell out his own neighbors.
  • Right for the Wrong Reasons: Wolfram's assumption to Johanna's pass as a forgery. He starts by saying that there was a needle-sized hole in the real deal, but then reveals that it was a lie. Whether he knew precisely that the document was a forgery or was just provoking Johanna to accidentally reveal the fact is up in the air.
  • Sadist: All the gods above, Wolfram. He outright declares he's in it only for the fun involved and clearly delights in the atrocities he commits.
  • Sadistic Choice: Wolfram is fond of forcing these on his victims. However, he inevitably rigs the games he sets up and confesses he simply enjoys fucking with people's heads.
  • Satan: At the beginning of the 13th century, St. Gotthard pass was fluded with lake water. It couldn't be crossed due to the consist dangers of the area preventing construction, bringing people to realize the pass had the devil in it. One day, a girl of the mountains makes a deal with the devil, who agrees to lift his curse from upon the pass, in exchange for the life of the first person who passes through it. The people of the mountain manage to outwit the devil by sending a lamb down the pass, thus bringing his wrath upon themselves. The devil accepts the life of the lamb, but vows that, one day, he will avenge the disgrace. 100 years later - in that same place named St. Gotthard pass - a barrier now stands. The magistrate of the invading hapsburgs, imprisons the mountain people who moved through the pass, and a man rumored to be the devil's messanger - captures and kills the warriors who fight for independence - and who is that other than our main big bad, the bailiff Wolfram.
  • Senseless Sacrifice: In the first chapter, Georg goes down fighting in a heroic attempt to protect Lise. Tragically, his death only delays the inevitable for a few seconds, since after he's dead, Wolfram executes her.
  • Set Swords to "Stun": Plays with and possibly Justifies the use of this trope. Some of Wolfram's knights find Johanna escaping through the castle, and—remembering that they're not supposed to kill her—decide to grip their swords by the blade and beat her unconscious with their hilts. Shown Their Work, as this is a legit technique from German Longsword called mordhau.
  • Sex Slave: Hans' wife was threatened to be sold to this by rebels. Grete was having none of it and simply had her shanked.
  • Slasher Smile: Wolfram often grins when he's ordering someone's death.
  • The Sociopath: Wolfram refers to the Wolfsmund as his 'little pass of pleasure.' He doesn't seem capable of empathy or care for other people.
  • Stuffed into the Fridge: Wolfram did more public executions and corpse displays than you can stand. He enjoys them. Which makes his death more ironic as he is made into a display.
  • The Stoic: The Hapsburg Duke never betrays any emotion whatsoever.
  • Tempting Fate: After a close call saves from Walther's crossbow, Hilde tells Walther not to pierce her heart while he's at it. She is then killed by Wolfram exactly in that manner.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Hans' wife. She went out on the street showing off the jewels that Hans gave her, which allowed rebels to discover that he was the traitor.
  • Undignified Death: Wolfram himself finally has his when he is caught by the rebels and gets executed in the most horrifying and humiliating manner. The execution is slow and drawn out, ensuring all of his painful and terrified moments are thoroughly enjoyed by the delighted crowd.
  • Undying Loyalty: Georg risks his life for the sake of his dead master's daughter Lise, and gives it up trying to protect her to his last breath.
  • Unholy Ground: In its semi-mythological origin, the St. Gottard pass killed hundreds of its developers until a little girl swears to the Devil that the first individual to cross it will be sacrificed. The developers learn what the little girl did and try to sacrifice her for her Deal with the Devil once a safe pass through the lake springs out of the gelid waters, but a baby lamb crosses first and the devil, offended, accepts this sacrifice. A hundred years later, once the fortress of Wolfsmund stands, the Devil sent his lackey Wolfram to acquire the lives due to him.
  • Very Loosely Based on a True Story:
    • In real life, the Swiss forest cantons were already largely independent of Habsburg rule by the time the manga begins; their main concern was stopping any Habsburg attempts at reconquest. Basically, Wolfram would have had nowhere near the level of authority over the Swiss that the manga depicts.
    • While the St. Gotthard Pass did play a major role in medieval European history, it does not seem to have been the site of any major battle between the Swiss and Austrians during the early 14th century, though its siege in the manga seems to have taken inspiration from the legendary Burgenbruch.
    • Wolfram himself is wholly fictional, as is the Wolfsmund.
  • Villainous Breakdown:
    • When the Wolf's Maw is finally under siege and being brought down, Wolfram snaps enough to even throw one of his own soldiers out his window just for questioning him.
    • Occurs again as Wolfram is taken to his execution he starts screaming and telling the rebels that his Lord and God will punish them and that they will go to hell if they kill him. Considering what he did to the people over the years, the jackass has no right to talk about hell.
  • Werewolf Theme Naming: Wolfram's introduction in the first volume starts with a peasant woman whispering about an existing gossip, according to which Wolfram was born as a result of a union between a wolf and a human woman.
  • You Just Told Me: Wolfram pulls one on Johanna. He states that her pass was a forgery due to the absence of a tiny needle hole on the document. Surrounded by guards, this prompted Johanna to make a run for the exit, falling into a water trap. Once captured, Wolfram reveals to Johanna that the needle hole was a lie, and that he tricked her to reveal her true intentions. Amusingly, considering that Johanna's pass was indeed forgery, whether he simply provoked Johanna or was Right for the Wrong Reasons is up in the air.

Alternative Title(s): Ookami No Kuchi Wolfsmund, Okami No Kuchi Wolfsmund


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