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{{Quote|<nowiki>'</nowiki>I have long been bound to [[Pasloe|this place]] and called its god. But I am nothing so great as a deity.<br />I am merely Holo.<nowiki>'</nowiki>|Holo to [[Kraft Lawrence]]<ref>[[Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1]], p.24</ref>}}
{{infobox character
 
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{{Infocharacter
|name = Holo or Horo
 
|image = File:Holo Infobox.jpg
+
| header = Holo
 
| image = <gallery>
|imagewidth = 250
 
 
Holo Infobox LN.png|LN
|affiliation = [[Kraft Lawrence]]
 
  +
Holo Infobox Manga.png|Manga
|first = [[Wolf and Best Clothes]]
 
  +
Holo - Full Body (2024).png|2024 Anime
|last = [[Volume 17]] (Light Novel)
 
  +
Holo Infobox Anime.png|2008 Anime
|voice = [[Ami Koshimizu]] (Japanese)
 
  +
</gallery>
[[Brina Palencia]] (English)
 
  +
| name = ホロ<br />''Horo''<br />Holo
|title = Holo the Wise Wolf, Holo the Sage Wolf
 
  +
| nickali =
|gender = Female
 
  +
| species = Nonhuman
|race = Deity
 
 
| gender = Female
|location = [[Yoitsu]] (homeland), [[Nyohhira]]
 
  +
| age = Ageless
|caption = Holo as seen in the anime}}
 
  +
| hcolor = Brown
  +
| ecolor = Red
  +
| status = Alive
  +
| residence = [[Nyohhira]] (current)<br />[[Pasloe]] (former)
  +
| relationships = [[Kraft Lawrence]] (husband)<br />[[Myuri]] (daughter)
  +
| occupation = Bathhouse mistress (current)<br />Harvest goddess (former)
  +
| title = Wisewolf
  +
| affiliations = [[Spice and Wolf (bathhouse)|Spice and Wolf]]
  +
| lightnov = [[Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1]]
  +
| manga = [[Chapter 1]]
 
| anime = [[Wolf and Best Clothes]] (2008)
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| vgame = [[Spice and Wolf: My Year With Holo]]<br />[[Spice and Wolf VR]]<br />[[Spice and Wolf VR 2]]
 
| voiced = [[Ami Koshimizu]] (Japanese)<br />[[Brina Palencia]] (English)
  +
}}{{Nihongo|Holo|ホロ|Horo}} is the deuteragonist of ''[[Spice and Wolf (light novels)|Spice and Wolf]]''. She is a nonhuman, a wolf spirit that lives in the wheat. Originally from [[Yoitsu]], Holo traveled south eventually arriving at [[Pasloe]] where she settled down as the village's wheat goddess. After centuries of watching over Pasloe, she escaped from the field she had been living in by inhabiting the wheat on a merchant's cart. She joined the merchant, [[Kraft Lawrence]], on his travels thereafter.
  +
When they decided to settle down, they picked [[Nyohhira]] where they opened the [[Spice and Wolf (bathhouse)|Spice and Wolf bathhouse]] before marrying. Holo operates the bathhouse alongside Lawrence. After their daughter, [[Myuri]], sneakily joined [[Tote Col]] on his travels, Holo and Lawrence began traveling again.
   
 
== Appearance ==
'''Holo''' (ホロ ''Holo'') is a female deity and the female lead of the light novel, manga and anime series "Spice & Wolf".
 
  +
Holo can take on two different bodies: one of a giant wolf- her true form- and the other of a human girl.
   
  +
Her wolf form's body is slightly larger than that of an elephant's. The upper half of her body is covered in wheat brown fur while the rest is off-white. Her eyes are red with yellow scleras.
==Character Background==
 
Holo is a wolf harvest deity that was bound to the town of [[Pasloe]], ensuring a bountiful harvest for the residents. As the villagers became more self-reliant with time, however, Holo was neglected and, feeling unneeded, skipped town with the traveling merchant, [[Kraft Lawrence|Lawrence]], by 'jumping' from the villagers' wheat to Lawrence's wheat in his wagon. She longs to return to Yoitsu, her snowy homeland, and makes a contract with Lawrence to accompany her there.<br />
 
   
  +
In her human form, Holo appears as a slender, light skinned, lovely and beautiful 15-year-old girl with red eyes and long flowing light brown hair that reaches her waist. A pair of wolf ears jut out from the top of her head and a long, thick wolf tail with a white tip grows out from the lowest part of her spine. The fur on both her ears and tail are the same color as her wolf form. Because her beast-like features could land her in hot water with the Church, she tends to cover up her ears with hoods or hats, her tail with long following skirts, or both with long hooded cloaks.
== Appearance ==
 
Holo is perhaps best described in her own words:
 
   
  +
The outfit she initially wore was a purple shirt with a black, fur-lined vest, a black skirt, black and white pants, and a long beige hooded robe. The linings were black bear fur.
"At certain times, Holo will appear in the village in the form of a pretty young woman, and she is always seen as a mid-adolescent. A lovely figure, she has long flowing hair as well as wolf ears and a beautiful dark brown tail with a splash of white at the end."
 
   
  +
After these clothes were destroyed, Holo purchased a pink shirt with purple trim, black pants with matching cuff trim, a red silk sash, a light blue anklet on her right ankle, two high quality hooded robes, and cow leather traveling shoes. Later on, she acquired a headscarf made of white rabbit fur trimmed in dark red, and a black collared short cape fastened with a walnut button and matching trim.
In her human form, Holo appears as a young girl with long orange/brown hair and red eyes, although she still retains her wolf ears and tail, which appear remarkably like those of a fox. Due to her trademark ears and tail, Holo often has to wear baggy clothing that hides her unusual features from people, which she dislikes as she adores her tail. Holo's 'true' form is a giant brownish golden wolf. In her wolf form, her eyes stay red and her fur is the same color as her hair in human form, and she is much larger than normal wolves. In her wolf form she is able to talk normally, and is capable of reaching unimaginable speeds. After forming a contract with Lawrence, Holo wears clothes and a simple hood she found in Lawrence's wagon.
 
   
  +
Soon after meeting Lawrence, she began wearing a red drawstring pouch attached to a brown leather cord around her neck.
Holo is only able to change form when given a offering of wheat or fresh blood. (The English vocal script recorded that it was only human blood she could use, but that was not in the subtitle translation.)
 
   
  +
In Spice and Wolf VR and VR2, she's seen using a white and cream long dress and brown leather shoes. She also have her hair braided.
==Personality==
 
Holo is often considered to be flirtatious and manipulative with Lawrence. Throughout the series, she often mocks Lawrence's manhood by calling him a child, and questioning his negotiating skills. However, Holo is very soft on the inside and has a really deep fear of being alone and thus could be considered a Tsundere. Although she jokes about her affections for Lawrence at first, she slowly falls in love with him. 
 
   
 
== Personality ==
Holo is a bit of an alchoholic, often drinking when having the chance to do so and usually getting drunk because of it. She is also somewhat of a glutton. She often convinces Lawrence (usually using her feminine charm) in buying her food which is usually in large quantities and at time expensive. This might just be because she is really a massive wolf and needs the appropriate amount of nutrition. A perfect example of this was when she buying over 80 apples with Lawrence's''' '''money without his permission (which is the beginning of a large and growing debt with Lawrence). 
 
  +
Holo is smart and confident, though the latter is mostly seen around Lawrence. She is considered to be flirtatious and manipulative towards him, while often mocking his thinking and negotiating skills to the point of making him angered. However, she seems to have a really deep fear of being alone, and having grown fond of Lawrence as her company, she nurtures a strong affection for him, although Lawrence doesn't noticed it until Season 2. She is also seen to feel uneasy about showing him her wolf form, but will do so in order to protect him, even if it means putting her life at risk. She is usually good-humored and talkative. She speaks in a formal manner that might be expected of people during her younger centuries, and rarely, if ever, uses contractions.
   
 
Holo has a love for alcohol, often drinking when having the chance to do so and usually getting drunk because of it, though is still somewhat able to sustain her wit. She is also somewhat of a glutton. She often convinces Lawrence, usually using her feminine charm, to buy her food, which is usually in large quantities and, at times, expensive. A perfect example of this was when she bought over 80 apples, her favorite food, with Lawrence's money without him knowing about it. She also appreciates how different human food is compared to foraging in the forest, especially how cooking changes it.
Though she is a deity Holo still suffers from the same faults as many humans do, For one Holo does experience jealousy toward other girls who talk to Lawrence, This is not shown better than with her and Lawrence meeting the lovely shepherd girl Nora Arendit. Holo was against hiring Nora as a bodyguard not only because they didn't really need one but also for the fact that Nora and Lawrence became close very quickly. Given that shepherds are enemies of wolves is factored in to Holo's initial dislike for Nora. Holo is a very proud "wolf" but does understand that she does not know everything, An example of this is when Lawrence explains why people get sick via the four humors.
 
   
 
Holo does experience jealousy toward other girls who talk to Lawrence, as she considers herself his lover during Season 2. One instance of this was shown during her and Lawrence's meeting Nora Arendt. Holo was against hiring Nora as a bodyguard not only because they didn't really need one but also for the fact that Nora and Lawrence became close very quickly, starting seeing Nora as her main rival ,even though Lawrence doesn't consider Nora as love interest. Given that shepherds are enemies of wolves also factored in to Holo's initial dislike of Nora. Holo is a very proud "wolf" but does understand that she does not know everything; an example of this is when Lawrence explains how people get sick via the four humors and that the only way to heal her fever was drinking sydra.<ref>Volume 2. Retrieved July 29, 2021.</ref>
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In the game, Holo still maintains her mischievous and playful behavior, but now she's more attentive, careful and more strict with Myuri, who always makes messes, but she also constantly displays a loving and caring side to Lawrence, playing with him (even he constantly plays with her) and also reacting lovingly to his flirting advances, something Myuri makes them both get embarassed.
==Abilities==
 
Holo is a wolf deity and because of this she has several supernatural abilities.
 
   
  +
== History ==
#'''Transformation: '''Holo has the power to transform into a massive wolf (bigger than an elephant) in this form she uses this to move at high speeds much faster than another known creature. She also uses her huge jaws in order to defend herself and Lawrence (as well as scare the crap out of her enemies).  To activate this form she must either consume wheat or human blood. 
 
 
Holo is a nonhuman that was bound by a promise to the town of [[Pasloe]] for several centuries, ensuring a bountiful harvest of wheat for the residents. As the villagers became more self-reliant with time, however, Holo was neglected. Feeling unneeded and that she had kept her promise long enough, she skipped town with a traveling merchant named [[Kraft Lawrence|Lawrence]], by 'jumping' from the villagers' wheat to Lawrence's wheat in his wagon. She longs to return to Yoitsu, her snowy homeland and makes a contract with Lawrence to accompany her there.
#'''Heightened Sense of Smell:''' This ability can be used both in her wolf and human form. Like most canines wolves have an excellent sense of smell and can pick up a particular scent from far distances far greater than humans. This allows Holo to be able to detect dangers such as wolves and other people much quicker than Lawrence.
 
#'''Eternal Youth:''' Holo has lived for many centuries and is not visibly aged past 17 years old (at least in her human form). She credits her wisdom from the experiences her long life has given her. However she is not immortal, she explains that if the wheat she dwells in is destroyed she would disappear. 
 
#'''Enhanced Hearing: '''Being a wolf Holo has great hearing, She is able to hear tiny sounds much farther away than humans. Her ears are so sensitive that she can hear the subtle differences in purity of coins by shaking them together. Holo's ears also have the ability to determine if a person is telling a lie or not. However she admits it's not 100% accurate.
 
   
==Quotes==
+
== Abilities ==
 
Holo is a wolf nonhuman and because of this, she has several abilities.
  +
* '''Transformation:''' Holo has the power to transform instantly into a massive wolf. In this form, she can move at high speeds, much faster than any other known land-bound creature, due to her large size accompanying the appropriate musculature and stride. She also uses her huge jaws in order to defend herself and Lawrence. To activate this form, she must either consume wheat or fresh blood. She can also transform only part of herself, such as one limb, but this takes several moments and puts a strain on her. Clearly, she is not used to doing so and it requires quite a bit of concentration.
 
* '''Heightened sense of smell:''' This ability can be used both in her wolf and human form. Like most canines, wolves have an excellent sense of smell and can pick up a particular scent from distances far greater than humans. This allows Holo to be able to detect dangers such as wolves and other people much quicker than Lawrence.
 
* '''Eternal youth:''' Holo has lived for many centuries and is not visibly aged past 15 years old (at least in her human form). She credits her wisdom from the experiences her long life has given her. However, she is not immortal; she explains that if the wheat she dwells in is destroyed, she would disappear.
 
* '''Enhanced hearing:''' Being a wolf, Holo has great hearing. She is able to hear tiny sounds much farther away than humans, or from the other side of solid walls and floors. Her ears are so sensitive that she can hear the subtle differences in the purity of coins by shaking them together. Holo's ears also have the ability to determine if a person is telling a lie or not. However, she admits it's not 100% accurate.
  +
* '''Intense howl:''' While she can howl perfectly well in human form, Holo can muster an extremely loud and powerful howl after taking a very deep breath. In an enclosed space, it can crack and disturb stonework. It was used in the underground tunnels of [[Pazzio]] to scare off a pack of tracking dogs. However, doing so is like intense, prolonged screaming that hurts the vocal cords, causing coughing and a sore throat.
  +
* '''Accelerated crop growth:''' Holo can cause nearby crops such as wheat or rye to grow and wither faster if needed almost instantly. However, since the crops need a great amount of nutrients from the ground that can only be replenished naturally, doing so puts great stress on the soil. Holo understands this cycle well, and when she first arrived in Pasloe, had warned that poor harvests were naturally inevitable for the fields to recover from several years of bountiful harvests.
  +
 
== Gallery ==
  +
: ''To view the gallery, visit [[Holo/Gallery]].''
  +
  +
== Quotes ==
 
''All quotes are from the English dub of the anime adaptation.''
 
''All quotes are from the English dub of the anime adaptation.''
 
* “A trip is the most fun before one sets out on it. With dogs, the bark and not the bite is more frightening and women are almost always prettier when they are shrouded in mystery. I can never be as pretty as you imagine and I would never do something like that to you. Would it not be better to imagine?” (to Zheren, Season 1, Episode 2)
*"I am not so grand, not as a god. I am Holo, and Holo is all that I am." (Season 1, Episode 1)
 
*"I am Holo the Wise Wolf, and I am a very proud wolf." (Season 1, Episode 1)
+
* "Stupid potato!" (Season 1, Episode 2)
  +
* “When a person lies, what is important is not the lie itself. No, it is their reason. Their why.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 2)
*“A trip is the most fun before one sets out on it. With dogs, the bark and not the bite is more frightening and women are almost always prettier when they are shrouded in mystery. I can never be as pretty as you imagine and I would never do something like that to you. Would it not be better to imagine?” (to Zheren, Season 1, Episode 2)
 
  +
* “If you only get upset when you are tricked, you will not go very far.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
*"Stupid potato!" (Season 1, Episode 2)
 
*"Really? One true god did everything, and the humans are merely borrowing it? Nature is not a thing which can be created by someone." (Season 1, Episode 2)
+
* “All men are jealous idiots. And women are stupid too, to feel happy about it. It's true, there are idiots everywhere!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
*“When a person lies, what is important is not the lie itself. No, it is their reason. Their why.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 2)
+
* "I do not want to wake from my dream and discover that I am all alone. I am tired of being alone! I do not want to be cold! I do not want to be lonely!" (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
*“If you only get upset when you are tricked, you will not go very far.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
+
* “Loneliness is a disease that can lead to death. They might as well be the same thing.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
*“All men are jealous idiots. And women are stupid too, to feel happy about it. It's true, there are idiots everywhere!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
+
* “I am pretty, so human males have been known to fall for me. So it would be wise to remember I am too strong for a human. I am a wolf you know. I did warn them, 'Touch me and I will tear your thing off!' And can you believe, not one of them did.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 5)
*"I do not want to wake from my dream and discover that I am all alone. I am tired of being alone! I do not want to be cold! I do not want to be lonely!" (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
+
* “I need to have a drink, and I need one soon! (to Lawrence Season 1, Episode 6)
*“Loneliness is a disease that can lead to death. They might as well be the same thing.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
+
* “I want you to please understand the scales of my heart will always be swaying back and fourth. But there is something you should know. I will never lean to one side or the other due to the weight of gold coins.” (to Witz, Season 1, Episode 6)
  +
* “Males burned with jealousy are too sweet to eat!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 6)
*“I am pretty, so human males have been known to fall for me. So it would be wise to remember I am too strong for a human. I am a wolf you know. I did warn them, 'Touch me and I will tear your thing off!' And can you believe, not one of them did.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 5)
 
*“I am Holo the Wise Wolf so you shut up!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 6)
+
* “I know it's difficult to look past my brilliant tail, brain and looks, but I also have excellent ears and eyes.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
*“I need to have a drink, and I need one soon!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 6)
+
* “When you are experienced you can become overly confident and such confidence can prove fatal. I thought you learned this lesson from Chloe.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
*“I want you to please understand the scales of my heart will always be swaying back and fourth. But there is something you should know. I will never lean to one side or the other due to the weight of gold coins.” (to Witz, Season 1, Episode 6)
+
* “Stop pouting! You learned something valuable. Remember the lesson, not the disappointment.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
*“Males burned with jealousy are too sweet to eat!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 6)
+
* “It appears that human males do not mind having several females around.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 8)
 
* “Remember when I spoke of men being kind to women? Men should be measured by their kindness. However I am not your charity, and I have a tendency to consider things from only my perspective. A blink of an eye in my world is a lifetime in yours. A year or two is understandably precious to you. I forgot. I do not wish to waste your time.” ''Season 2 episode 1''
*“I know it's difficult to look past my brilliant tail, brain and looks, but I also have excellent ears and eyes.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
 
 
* “I believe I am drunk. I will put myself to bed before I say anything else I regret.” ''Season 2 episode 1''
*“When you are experienced you can become overly confident and such confidence can prove fatal. I thought you learned this lesson from Chloe.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
 
 
* “Good grief! I believe you to be much cuter when you are panicking.” ''Season 2 episode 3''
*“Stop pouting! You learned something valuable. Remember the lesson, not the disappointment.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
 
  +
* “Even if you have answers, you cannot always tell them to others. It is the way of the world.” ''Season 2 episode 3''
*“It appears that human males do not mind having several females around.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 8)
 
  +
* “I am delicate, do not step on my feet!” ''Season 2 episode 3''
*“Remember when I spoke of men being kind to women? Men should be measured by their kindness. However I am not your charity, and I have a tendency to consider things from only my perspective. A blink of an eye in my world is a lifetime in yours. A year or two is understandably precious to you. I forgot. I do not wish to waste your time.” ''Season 2 episode 1''
 
*“I believe I am drunk. I will put myself to bed before I say anything else I regret.” ''Season 2 episode 1''
+
* “Pain makes one wise!' ''Season 2 episode 6''
 
* “For your information I am quite aware that you have been put through extraordinary distress after extraordinary distress since we began traveling together. However, do hope you'll remember that none of the trouble we experienced was my fault! The first for example, well I guess that was partially my fault.” ''Season 2 Eisode 7''
*“Good grief! I believe you to be much cuter when you are panicking.” ''Season 2 episode 3''
 
*“Even if you have answers, you cannot always tell them to others. It is the way of the world.” ''Season 2 episode 3''
+
* “You are desperate for me to tease you. I still believe you to be adorable.” ''Season 2 episode 7''
*“I am delicate, do not step on my feet!” ''Season 2 episode 3''
+
* “Even when wolf packs are having a violent war over territory, the forest looks as calm as it always does from a distance.” ''Season 2 episode 8''
*“Pain makes one wise!' ''Season 2 episode 6''
+
* “I am helping you because I believe in you with all my heart.” ''Season 2 episode 10''
  +
* “Men are onions. Many layers and all of them make you cry.” ''Season 2 episode 10''
*“For your information I am quite aware that you have been put through extraordinary distress after extraordinary distress since we began traveling together. However I do hope you'll remember that none of the trouble we experienced was my fault! The first for example, well I guess that was partially my fault.” ''Season 2 episode 7''
 
 
* “I have no fear of watching you grow old while I remain young. I'll even watch you on your death bed. I am no stranger to death. But your heart is like that of an innocent child. It has always accepted everything about me, without hesitation. Because of that, I am very afraid." ''Season 2 episode 11''
*“You Sir are desperate for me to tease you. I still believe you to be adorable.” ''Season 2 episode 7''
 
*“I am helping you because I believe in you with all my heart” ''Season 2 episode 10''
+
* “There is no better time to part, than when we wish for it never to end.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
*“Men are onions. Many layers and all of them make you cry.” ''Season 2 episode 10''
+
* “Once you taste poison, you might as well finish the meal. If it comes to that you would make as fine a dish as any.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
  +
* “I am going to drink so much that I vomit before I even start to feel drunk.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
*“I have no fear of watching you grow old while I remain young. I'll even watch you on your death bed. I am no stranger to death. But your heart is like that of an innocent child. It has always accepted everything about me, without hesitation. Because of that I am very afraid."<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal">''Season 2 episode 11''</p>
 
*“There is no better time to part, then when we wish for it never to end.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
 
*“Once you taste poison, you might as well finish the meal. If it comes to that you would make as fine a dish as any.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
 
*“I am going to drink so much that I vomit before I even start to feel drunk.” ''Season 2 episode 11''
 
*“I am Holo the Wise Wolf. I know that there are things in this world that I do not know and that makes me wise!” ''Season 2 episode 0''
 
   
==Trivia==
+
== Trivia ==
*There has been confusion on whether or not her name is spelled Horo or Holo. Yen Press has said that they were instructed by the Japanese licensor that her name was indeed Holo, and Funimation has also used Holo in the English dub of the anime. Also, in Episode 4 of Season 2, Holo is shown as having signed her name as "Holo."
+
* There was confusion on whether or not her name is spelled Horo or Holo, due to the known difficulty of discerning the letters L and R in Japanese. Yen Press has said that they were instructed by the Japanese licensor that her name was indeed Holo, and Funimation has also used Holo in the English dub of the anime. In Episode 4 of Season 2, Holo's signature is shown as "Holo."
 
* Holo snores in her sleep. However, she denies it every time it is brought up.
*She appears in the anime Durarara!! Episode one as a cardboard cut out that one of the main characters accidentally walks into. She also appears later in the same series as a toy.
 
  +
* Holo is a Wolf, while [[Dian Rubens]] is a Raven - Wolf and Raven are both Token Animals of the Norse-Germanic Polytheism.
*Holo snores in her sleep. However she denies it every time it is brought up by Lawrence.
 
  +
* She appears in [[w:c:durarara:Durarara!! Episode_01|episode 01]] of the anime, ''[[w:c:durarara|Durarara!!]]'' as a cardboard cut out that [[w:c:durarara:Mikado_Ryuugamine|Mikado Ryuugamine]] accidentally bumps into upon arriving in [[w:c:durarara:Ikebukuro|Ikebukuro]].
  +
** She also appears later in [[w:c:durarara:Durarara!! Episode 20|episode 20]] as a figurine holding a yellow flag inside a manga shop. She is then shown fighting [[w:c:toradora:Taiga_Aisaka|Taiga Aisaka]] from ''[[w:c:toradora|Toradora]]'' during the explanation of the origins of the [[w:c:durarara:Yellow Scarves|Yellow Scarves]].
  +
* She briefly appears in the [[w:c:eromanga:Dreaming Sagiri and Summer Fireworks|eighth episode]] of ''[[w:c:eromanga|Eromanga Sensei]]'' as [[w:c:eromanga:Elf Yamada|Yamada Elf]] gives a speech about defeating Dengeki Bunko, the publisher of the ''Spice and Wolf'' and ''Eromanga Sensei'' light novels. She is shown with a menacing grin and glowing red eyes while holding gold coins in between her fingers.
  +
  +
== References ==
  +
<references />
   
==Gallery==
 
<gallery orientation="none">
 
Holo.png|a Deity is a half Human and a half wolf.
 
Holo Profile.gif
 
Holo Naked.jpg
 
Holo Infobox.jpg
 
Konachancom-35412-apple-horo-spice and wolf-white.png
 
Holo in Battle (S1E13).png
 
Mid Transformation.jpg|Holo transforming into her wolf form.
 
Size Compare-Holo and Lawrence.jpg|Size Compared to Lawrence
 
S&W Funimation.jpg
 
Spicewolfopsample2dg6.jpg
 
Horo.jpg
 
Wiki.png
 
Holo Apple.jpg
 
Holo grooming.jpg|Holo grooming her tail
 
Holo and Lawrence Dance.jpg
 
Holo's Signature.jpg
 
Holo Hungover.jpg
 
Holo 's scarf.jpg|Holo with Fox scarf
 
Holo Angry Face.jpg|Holo angry
 
Holo's Angry Face.jpg|Holo really angry
 
Holo Drinking.jpg
 
Holo eating.jpg
 
Holo Facepalm.jpg|Facepalm
 
Silly Holo.jpg|Silly Holo
 
</gallery>
 
 
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Characters]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
  +
  +
[[fr:Holo]]
  +
[[ru:Хоро]]

Latest revision as of 19:04, 18 March 2024

'I have long been bound to this place and called its god. But I am nothing so great as a deity.
I am merely Holo.'
— Holo to Kraft Lawrence[1]

Holo (ホロ, Horo) is the deuteragonist of Spice and Wolf. She is a nonhuman, a wolf spirit that lives in the wheat. Originally from Yoitsu, Holo traveled south eventually arriving at Pasloe where she settled down as the village's wheat goddess. After centuries of watching over Pasloe, she escaped from the field she had been living in by inhabiting the wheat on a merchant's cart. She joined the merchant, Kraft Lawrence, on his travels thereafter. When they decided to settle down, they picked Nyohhira where they opened the Spice and Wolf bathhouse before marrying. Holo operates the bathhouse alongside Lawrence. After their daughter, Myuri, sneakily joined Tote Col on his travels, Holo and Lawrence began traveling again.

Appearance

Holo can take on two different bodies: one of a giant wolf- her true form- and the other of a human girl.

Her wolf form's body is slightly larger than that of an elephant's. The upper half of her body is covered in wheat brown fur while the rest is off-white. Her eyes are red with yellow scleras.

In her human form, Holo appears as a slender, light skinned, lovely and beautiful 15-year-old girl with red eyes and long flowing light brown hair that reaches her waist. A pair of wolf ears jut out from the top of her head and a long, thick wolf tail with a white tip grows out from the lowest part of her spine. The fur on both her ears and tail are the same color as her wolf form. Because her beast-like features could land her in hot water with the Church, she tends to cover up her ears with hoods or hats, her tail with long following skirts, or both with long hooded cloaks.

The outfit she initially wore was a purple shirt with a black, fur-lined vest, a black skirt, black and white pants, and a long beige hooded robe. The linings were black bear fur.

After these clothes were destroyed, Holo purchased a pink shirt with purple trim, black pants with matching cuff trim, a red silk sash, a light blue anklet on her right ankle, two high quality hooded robes, and cow leather traveling shoes. Later on, she acquired a headscarf made of white rabbit fur trimmed in dark red, and a black collared short cape fastened with a walnut button and matching trim.

Soon after meeting Lawrence, she began wearing a red drawstring pouch attached to a brown leather cord around her neck.

In Spice and Wolf VR and VR2, she's seen using a white and cream long dress and brown leather shoes. She also have her hair braided.

Personality

Holo is smart and confident, though the latter is mostly seen around Lawrence. She is considered to be flirtatious and manipulative towards him, while often mocking his thinking and negotiating skills to the point of making him angered. However, she seems to have a really deep fear of being alone, and having grown fond of Lawrence as her company, she nurtures a strong affection for him, although Lawrence doesn't noticed it until Season 2. She is also seen to feel uneasy about showing him her wolf form, but will do so in order to protect him, even if it means putting her life at risk. She is usually good-humored and talkative. She speaks in a formal manner that might be expected of people during her younger centuries, and rarely, if ever, uses contractions.

Holo has a love for alcohol, often drinking when having the chance to do so and usually getting drunk because of it, though is still somewhat able to sustain her wit. She is also somewhat of a glutton. She often convinces Lawrence, usually using her feminine charm, to buy her food, which is usually in large quantities and, at times, expensive. A perfect example of this was when she bought over 80 apples, her favorite food, with Lawrence's money without him knowing about it. She also appreciates how different human food is compared to foraging in the forest, especially how cooking changes it.

Holo does experience jealousy toward other girls who talk to Lawrence, as she considers herself his lover during Season 2. One instance of this was shown during her and Lawrence's meeting Nora Arendt. Holo was against hiring Nora as a bodyguard not only because they didn't really need one but also for the fact that Nora and Lawrence became close very quickly, starting seeing Nora as her main rival ,even though Lawrence doesn't consider Nora as love interest. Given that shepherds are enemies of wolves also factored in to Holo's initial dislike of Nora. Holo is a very proud "wolf" but does understand that she does not know everything; an example of this is when Lawrence explains how people get sick via the four humors and that the only way to heal her fever was drinking sydra.[2]

In the game, Holo still maintains her mischievous and playful behavior, but now she's more attentive, careful and more strict with Myuri, who always makes messes, but she also constantly displays a loving and caring side to Lawrence, playing with him (even he constantly plays with her) and also reacting lovingly to his flirting advances, something Myuri makes them both get embarassed.

History

Holo is a nonhuman that was bound by a promise to the town of Pasloe for several centuries, ensuring a bountiful harvest of wheat for the residents. As the villagers became more self-reliant with time, however, Holo was neglected. Feeling unneeded and that she had kept her promise long enough, she skipped town with a traveling merchant named Lawrence, by 'jumping' from the villagers' wheat to Lawrence's wheat in his wagon. She longs to return to Yoitsu, her snowy homeland and makes a contract with Lawrence to accompany her there.

Abilities

Holo is a wolf nonhuman and because of this, she has several abilities.

  • Transformation: Holo has the power to transform instantly into a massive wolf. In this form, she can move at high speeds, much faster than any other known land-bound creature, due to her large size accompanying the appropriate musculature and stride. She also uses her huge jaws in order to defend herself and Lawrence. To activate this form, she must either consume wheat or fresh blood. She can also transform only part of herself, such as one limb, but this takes several moments and puts a strain on her. Clearly, she is not used to doing so and it requires quite a bit of concentration.
  • Heightened sense of smell: This ability can be used both in her wolf and human form. Like most canines, wolves have an excellent sense of smell and can pick up a particular scent from distances far greater than humans. This allows Holo to be able to detect dangers such as wolves and other people much quicker than Lawrence.
  • Eternal youth: Holo has lived for many centuries and is not visibly aged past 15 years old (at least in her human form). She credits her wisdom from the experiences her long life has given her. However, she is not immortal; she explains that if the wheat she dwells in is destroyed, she would disappear.
  • Enhanced hearing: Being a wolf, Holo has great hearing. She is able to hear tiny sounds much farther away than humans, or from the other side of solid walls and floors. Her ears are so sensitive that she can hear the subtle differences in the purity of coins by shaking them together. Holo's ears also have the ability to determine if a person is telling a lie or not. However, she admits it's not 100% accurate.
  • Intense howl: While she can howl perfectly well in human form, Holo can muster an extremely loud and powerful howl after taking a very deep breath. In an enclosed space, it can crack and disturb stonework. It was used in the underground tunnels of Pazzio to scare off a pack of tracking dogs. However, doing so is like intense, prolonged screaming that hurts the vocal cords, causing coughing and a sore throat.
  • Accelerated crop growth: Holo can cause nearby crops such as wheat or rye to grow and wither faster if needed almost instantly. However, since the crops need a great amount of nutrients from the ground that can only be replenished naturally, doing so puts great stress on the soil. Holo understands this cycle well, and when she first arrived in Pasloe, had warned that poor harvests were naturally inevitable for the fields to recover from several years of bountiful harvests.

Gallery

To view the gallery, visit Holo/Gallery.

Quotes

All quotes are from the English dub of the anime adaptation.

  • “A trip is the most fun before one sets out on it. With dogs, the bark and not the bite is more frightening and women are almost always prettier when they are shrouded in mystery. I can never be as pretty as you imagine and I would never do something like that to you. Would it not be better to imagine?” (to Zheren, Season 1, Episode 2)
  • "Stupid potato!" (Season 1, Episode 2)
  • “When a person lies, what is important is not the lie itself. No, it is their reason. Their why.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 2)
  • “If you only get upset when you are tricked, you will not go very far.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
  • “All men are jealous idiots. And women are stupid too, to feel happy about it. It's true, there are idiots everywhere!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 3)
  • "I do not want to wake from my dream and discover that I am all alone. I am tired of being alone! I do not want to be cold! I do not want to be lonely!" (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
  • “Loneliness is a disease that can lead to death. They might as well be the same thing.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 4)
  • “I am pretty, so human males have been known to fall for me. So it would be wise to remember I am too strong for a human. I am a wolf you know. I did warn them, 'Touch me and I will tear your thing off!' And can you believe, not one of them did.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 5)
  • “I need to have a drink, and I need one soon!” (to Lawrence Season 1, Episode 6)
  • “I want you to please understand the scales of my heart will always be swaying back and fourth. But there is something you should know. I will never lean to one side or the other due to the weight of gold coins.” (to Witz, Season 1, Episode 6)
  • “Males burned with jealousy are too sweet to eat!” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 6)
  • “I know it's difficult to look past my brilliant tail, brain and looks, but I also have excellent ears and eyes.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
  • “When you are experienced you can become overly confident and such confidence can prove fatal. I thought you learned this lesson from Chloe.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
  • “Stop pouting! You learned something valuable. Remember the lesson, not the disappointment.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 7)
  • “It appears that human males do not mind having several females around.” (to Lawrence, Season 1, Episode 8)
  • “Remember when I spoke of men being kind to women? Men should be measured by their kindness. However I am not your charity, and I have a tendency to consider things from only my perspective. A blink of an eye in my world is a lifetime in yours. A year or two is understandably precious to you. I forgot. I do not wish to waste your time.” Season 2 episode 1
  • “I believe I am drunk. I will put myself to bed before I say anything else I regret.” Season 2 episode 1
  • “Good grief! I believe you to be much cuter when you are panicking.” Season 2 episode 3
  • “Even if you have answers, you cannot always tell them to others. It is the way of the world.” Season 2 episode 3
  • “I am delicate, do not step on my feet!” Season 2 episode 3
  • “Pain makes one wise!' Season 2 episode 6
  • “For your information I am quite aware that you have been put through extraordinary distress after extraordinary distress since we began traveling together. However, do hope you'll remember that none of the trouble we experienced was my fault! The first for example, well I guess that was partially my fault.” Season 2 Eisode 7
  • “You are desperate for me to tease you. I still believe you to be adorable.” Season 2 episode 7
  • “Even when wolf packs are having a violent war over territory, the forest looks as calm as it always does from a distance.” Season 2 episode 8
  • “I am helping you because I believe in you with all my heart.” Season 2 episode 10
  • “Men are onions. Many layers and all of them make you cry.” Season 2 episode 10
  • “I have no fear of watching you grow old while I remain young. I'll even watch you on your death bed. I am no stranger to death. But your heart is like that of an innocent child. It has always accepted everything about me, without hesitation. Because of that, I am very afraid." Season 2 episode 11
  • “There is no better time to part, than when we wish for it never to end.” Season 2 episode 11
  • “Once you taste poison, you might as well finish the meal. If it comes to that you would make as fine a dish as any.” Season 2 episode 11
  • “I am going to drink so much that I vomit before I even start to feel drunk.” Season 2 episode 11

Trivia

  • There was confusion on whether or not her name is spelled Horo or Holo, due to the known difficulty of discerning the letters L and R in Japanese. Yen Press has said that they were instructed by the Japanese licensor that her name was indeed Holo, and Funimation has also used Holo in the English dub of the anime. In Episode 4 of Season 2, Holo's signature is shown as "Holo."
  • Holo snores in her sleep. However, she denies it every time it is brought up.
  • Holo is a Wolf, while Dian Rubens is a Raven - Wolf and Raven are both Token Animals of the Norse-Germanic Polytheism.
  • She appears in episode 01 of the anime, Durarara!! as a cardboard cut out that Mikado Ryuugamine accidentally bumps into upon arriving in Ikebukuro.
  • She briefly appears in the eighth episode of Eromanga Sensei as Yamada Elf gives a speech about defeating Dengeki Bunko, the publisher of the Spice and Wolf and Eromanga Sensei light novels. She is shown with a menacing grin and glowing red eyes while holding gold coins in between her fingers.

References

  1. Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1, p.24
  2. Volume 2. Retrieved July 29, 2021.