I didn't pick up on this at all during my first playthrough of the game. The 2nd time I played it I noticed a lot of things in the game that suggest Von Glower may have been the black wolf, although there are also a lot of things that don't make sense if this is true.

On one hand the hunting club's philosophy according to VG involves encouraging humans to act like beasts or some such thing, and that seems suspicious. Secondly, when Gabriel tells VG what he learned of Von Zell, VG says that he is responsible for VZ. I thought that meant that VG was the reason VZ was in the club but now I realize it could mean that VG is the reason VZ is a werewolf. It would also explain why VG didn't kill VZ himself. Also VG's letter to Gabriel says a lot of things that imply he may have been the black wolf, and Grace learns that Von Glower is the son of Von Rolic who was a black wolf so maybe VG inherited it from his dad. Lastly, during the ending, Grace asks Gabriel what Von Glower WAS like and Gabriel tells her what VG WAS like. WAS? What do you mean WAS? The only thing I can think of that would sensibly answer that question would be that VG was the black wolf and Gabriel killed him at the end of the game.

But on the other hand, some things seem to suggest that VG couldn't have been the black wolf. The biggest of these things is the fact that VG is still human at the end of chapter 5. Also why would the Black Wolf have teamed up with Gabriel to get rid of Von Zell? It would explain why VG didn't kill VZ but it would also contradict the fact that VG asked Gabriel to kill VZ rather than vice-versa. If VG was the black wolf, then Gabriel should have been trying to fend off 2 werewolves with his talisman and he obviously shouldn't have had any help from a human VG. There's also the fact that VG wasn't a complete jerk, especially to Gabriel, like VZ. I would think the black wolf would have more to be worried about than VZ.

There's a few things that are ambiguous too. For example, during the opera, you don't see VG turn into a wolf unless I missed it, but then why else would he have been so desparate to escape? Also who else could have been in the basement with Gabriel in wolf form? Also, I see nothing to suggest that the other club members are werewolves. Then again, there is also nothing to suggest that they aren't. It would explain Dr. Klingman's love of wolves. There's also the fact that Von Zell in wolf form isn't black, he's reddish brown. But on the other hand, Gabriel isn't reddish brown he's gray, which suggests that getting bitten by a werewolf doesn't necessarily turn you into a wolf of the same color as the one that bit you.

VG turned VZ into a wolf, because he chose him as an companion, like later he did with Gabriel. But VZ got out of control, because he was not strong enough, and raised too much attention. So VG had to get rid of him. Since he could not kill him personally, he made Gabriel do it.

VG did not turn into a wolf during the opera immediately, because the opera-house was rebuilt and a bit smaller than the original, so the sound-effects were not exactly like they should be. As an old, experienced werewolf VG could resist them some time, longer than Gabriel, but not long enough to make it to the end of the opera.

I don't think that the other club-members are werewolfes, they just share some interests with VG, so he likes to have them around for his personal entertainment.

Thank you ClusterRat.

So it's the opera music that turns people into wolves if they are werewolves? Now I'm kind of confused again. Because if it's the opera music that does it, that would explain why VG didn't become a wolf in chapter 5. But then where would VZ have heard opera music?

I may have gotten that wrong. But, if I am wrong about this, then why wasn't VG a wolf at the end of chapter 5?

Either way, I'm guess I'm confused at the end of chapter 5 as to why VZ changed but VG didn't.

It's not the opera music itself, that forces werewolfes into their wolf form. But this opera was written especially for this purpose. The chandeliers in the Wagner opera house cause a special vibration that has this effect when this special opera is played. But since the opera house was rebuilt and has now a different size, the vibrations are a bit different than planned. That's why the effect is less intensive than it should be.

There are different things that force a werewolf into his wolf form. One of them are these vibrations. Another one is hearing a wolf howl. When VZ is shot, you can see VG take something out of his ears. He had to close his ears to avoid turning into a wolf if he hears VZ howl.
VZ on the other side was not forced to change into his wolf-form. He just let his "dark nature" take over. He was to weak to control his wolf-side, that's why VG had to get him killed. Sooner or later someone would have found out about VZ being a werewolf, which would have meant a great danger to VG as well, since nobody should know at all that werewolfes exist and live among "normal" people.

that was one of the main problems I had at the hunting lodge, it seems that it never crossed gabe's mind that von zell might not be the only wolf. hell if one was a werewolf its resonable to suspect the entire lodge of being wolves. I also had a problem with the whole wolves escaping from the zoo part too

Oh! So that's the importance of the chandeliers, and why Grace was nervous when the chandelier installation had to be changed. That's another mystery solved. Thank you ClusterRat.

Oh, I just read VG's letter again. The other club members are NOT werewolves. VG was going to turn them all into werewolves, but decided against it when VZ turned out to be a disaster.

It's really one of my favorite games because of how they do the Werewolf story, characters, music, the German setting, even the FMV acting is pretty strong a lot of places, imo. I'm glad you like it/played through it again, there is a lot to it that makes it very good, imo that is worth at least 2 playthroughs. I've been itching to start my 5th playthrough of it ever for about the past year+, but I want my partner to either play with me/watch me play, because I know she will like it if she gives herself a chance, so I have been waiting until she might want to, and am patient. But, gah! Looking at all this justmakes me itch to replay it even more!

You should definitely check out GK3 next! I think it is also great!

Yes, Von Glower is the Black Wolf; he inherited the werewolf curse from his father.

The reason why he didn't turn into a wolf in chapter 5 was that he had about 200 years of experience in restraining his bloodlust. Notwithstanding their greater longevity, older werewolves are pretty good at passing themselves off as ordinary humans.

The opera in chapter 6 wasn't 100% effective in exposing Von Glower because the dimensions weren't 100% accurate, since the opera house had been rebuilt. But it did put Von Glower on tilt, enabling the howling noise from Wolf-Gabriel to push Von Glower over the edge in a way that Von Zell's howling from chapter 5 could not.

That's why Gabriel had to be in the auditorium during the opera; Von Glower wouldn't have been forced into his wolf form if he hadn't heard Gabriel's howling as well as the opera music echoing off the crystal chandeliers.

Unfortunately, judging from the system requirements and the many threads on it here, GK3 probably won't work on my computer. I'll have to either get it from somewhere else or find a patch of some kind.