Wolfwalkers - Characters & Cast

Initially, her motivation is to win her father's respect and gain the freedom to hunt alongside him. This shifts dramatically to protecting her new friend, Mebh, and saving the wolf pack and the forest from the Lord Protector's tyranny.

Robyn begins as a dutiful but rebellious daughter, an outsider in a new land who seeks her father's approval by aspiring to be a hunter. Her worldview is shattered upon meeting Mebh. Her transformation into a wolfwalker forces her to abandon her ingrained prejudices and embrace a new identity. She evolves from a girl trying to fit into a restrictive society to a brave protector of the magic she once vowed to destroy, ultimately finding her true family and freedom.

Her primary motivation is to protect her pack and find her missing mother, Moll, whose spirit has not returned to her sleeping body. She is driven by a deep love for her family and her home in the forest.

Mebh starts as a fiercely independent and untamed spirit, deeply connected to the forest and her pack. She is playful but also burdened by the responsibility of waiting for her mother's return. Her friendship with Robyn forces her to trust an outsider and learn that not all "townies" are enemies. She matures from a solitary protector into someone who understands the value of friendship and shared strength, learning to be a bit more responsible like Robyn.

His core motivation is to protect his daughter, a promise he made to his late wife. This fear of losing her initially makes him oppressive, but it is this same love that ultimately allows him to defy the Lord Protector and join her world.

Bill is a loving father trapped by his duty to the Lord Protector and his overwhelming fear for Robyn's safety. He initially represents the oppressive force of the town, forcing Robyn into domestic roles and forbidding her from entering the forest. His arc is about learning to trust his daughter and overcoming his fear. His transformation is solidified when he, too, becomes a wolfwalker to protect Robyn, finally rejecting the Lord Protector's authority and embracing his daughter for who she has become.

Driven by religious fervor and colonial ambition, his goal is to impose order and control over Ireland. He seeks to destroy the forest, exterminate the wolves, and suppress any belief system that challenges his Puritanical worldview, believing it is God's work.

The Lord Protector is a static character who remains an unwavering antagonist throughout the film. He is a zealot who believes his mission to tame the Irish wilderness and its people is a divine one. He shows no capacity for change or empathy, viewing the wolves and wolfwalkers as demonic forces to be eradicated. His arc ends with his demise, consumed by his own rigid ideology as he chooses death over becoming the 'beast' he despises.