Diablo 4 open beta players are theorizing about the identity of the strange and powered Bloodied Wolf character seen throughout the game's first act. The betas for Diablo 4 don't provide access to the full game, but do include all of Act 1 of its story. Players are introduced to diverse characters, including the demon Lilith, the angel Inarius, and all manner of other odd NPCs in Diablo 4. But it's the Bloodied Wolf, which may be either malevolent or helpful, that has some players raising an eyebrow.
The Bloodied Wolf is one of the first characters introduced in Diablo 4. As shown in Diablo 4's opening cinematic, released as a trailer some time back, the player is traveling through the wilderness when their horse is spooked and killed in the darkness. It's implied that the player is being stalked by the Bloodied Wolf, who appears in a vision when the player huddles in a cave for the night. The Bloodied Wolf later claims it saved the player, and helps them on their adventure in a very strange way.
Players are persuaded that the Bloodied Wolf is more than it appears, and likely is or is related to a character from the Diablo franchise's past. A prominent clue has led to one theory rising above all others. The Bloodied Wolf features a strange rune on its head. In-game it's never touched on or discussed, but players believe they know where it's from. In the Book of Adria, a Diablo beastiary released in 2018, the same rune is shown as associated with Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred. Mephisto is also the father of Diablo 4's main antagonist Lilith.
Another possible theory, with admittedly less evidence, is that the Bloodied Wolf is Diablo, Lord of Terror. Players note the strange Bloodied Wolf vision the player experiences at the start of Diablo 4 is reminiscent of visions shown in Diablo and Diablo 2. The character is also associated with something closely tied to Diablo that's experienced in Act 1. Plus, there's the fact that it's a Diablo game, so the big red demon is expected to show up somewhere.
There are other theories beyond Mephisto and Diablo, of course. Some say the Bloodied Wolf sounds like Diablo 3 character Zoltun Kulle. Others think it could be Deckard Cain, hoping for the iconic Diablo character's return. Others yet joke that it's Wirt, the one-legged boy from Diablo that's been tied to Diablo 2 and 3's secret levels.
The mystery and theories surrounding the Bloodied Wolf are evidence that players are connecting with Diablo 4's story in a way the Blizzard will certainly be happy with. But that also puts pressure on Blizzard to make sure that the mystery is reasonably answered. Players will have to discover for themselves just who the Bloodied Wolf is when Diablo 4 launches later this year.
Diablo 4 releases June 6 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
