Two Wolves
A parable of inner conflict: feed the wolf you want to win.
The "Two Wolves" is a widely circulated story of uncertain origin, often presented in popular culture as a Cherokee or other Indigenous American teaching. It typically features an elder, such as a grandfather, explaining to a younger person that a battle between two wolves rages inside every individual, symbolizing an internal moral struggle. When asked which wolf prevails, the elder replies, "The one you feed." Though many versions exist—sometimes swapping wolves for dogs or altering the conflict's specifics—the most common framing contrasts white and black, or good and evil.
The story has appeared in various media. It is referenced in the 2015 film *Tomorrowland*. In the television series *Luke Cage* (Season 2, Episode 2), a pastor recounts a "Cherokee Legend" where a boy asks which wolf is stronger, and his grandfather answers, "It's the one you feed." In a *Daredevil* comic, the character Echo hears a version from Wolverine, who learned it from a Chief, though he calls them dogs; Echo reveals her late father originally told that story to the Chief. The tale appears in *Knightfall* (Season 1, Episode 4) as a flashback told by Godfrey to Landry, and in *12 Monkeys* (Season 1, Episode 6), Cole tells it to Aaron, noting that Cassie feeds the good wolf. The marquee of the Tarkovsky Theatre in *John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum* advertises a performance titled "A Tale of Two Wolves."
Earlier printed versions, often told by Christian ministers, use dogs instead of wolves. A 1962 piece in *The Daily Republican* (Monongahela, Pennsylvania) by William J. Turner Jr. describes a traveler meeting a mountaineer with two fighting dogs; asked which wins, the mountaineer says, "The one I feeds the most." Reverend Billy Graham's 1978 book *The Holy Spirit* tells of an Eskimo fisherman who fixes dogfights by feeding only the dog he wants to win, linking it to inner spiritual warfare. Baptist pastor John R. Bisagno's *The Power of Positive Praying* (1965) features a Mohave Indian convert named Joe who says a black dog and a white dog fight inside him, and the one he feeds most wins. Similar accounts appear in Fritz Ridenour's *I'm a Good Man, but…* (1969), George Godfrey's *How to Win Souls* (1973), *The Presbyterian Journal* (1975), and Eliot Rosen's *Experiencing the Soul* (1998), each attributing the story to a Native American or missionary encounter.
- origin
- Unknown; commonly attributed to Cherokee or other indigenous American peoples
- first_known_print
- 1962 (dog version in The Daily Republican)
- field
- Folklore, parable, metaphor
- known_for
- Metaphor of inner conflict between good and evil, resolved by 'whichever one you feed'
- variants
- Wolves or dogs; black vs. white; good vs. evil
Lore & Background
The story of the Two Wolves is a memetic legend of unknown origin, commonly attributed to Cherokee or other indigenous American peoples in popular retelling. The legend is usually framed as a grandfather or elder passing wisdom to a young listener; the elder describes a battle between two wolves within one’s self, using the battle as a metaphor for inner conflict. When the listener asks which wolf wins, the grandfather answers 'whichever one you feed.' While many variations exist (replacing wolves with dogs, changing the nature of the conflict, etc.), the usual conflict uses the imagery of white versus black and good versus evil.
Versions with dogs appear in print prior to the Two Wolves story. An early variation was published in The Daily Republican, Monongahela, Pennsylvania on November 16, 1962, by William J. Turner Jr., featuring a mountaineer with two fighting dogs. A version was published in 1965, then in 1978 by Reverend Billy Graham in his book The Holy Spirit: Activating God's Power in Your Life, telling of an Eskimo fisherman with a black dog and a white dog used for match fixing. Baptist pastor John R. Bisagno in The Power of Positive Praying (1965) gave a version with a Mohave Indian convert named Joe. Other versions appear in works by Fritz Ridenour (1969), George Godfrey (1973), and Eliot Rosen (1998).
Reader's Guide
The Two Wolves story has become a widely recognized metaphor for inner moral conflict, often used in popular culture and religious discourse. Its significance lies in its simplicity and adaptability: the core message—that one's choices determine which inner nature prevails—resonates across cultures and belief systems. The story appears in media such as the 2015 film Tomorrowland, the television series Luke Cage, Daredevil comics, Knightfall, 12 Monkeys, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Its legacy is complicated by uncertainty about its origin; while commonly attributed to Cherokee or other indigenous American peoples, the earliest known printed versions involve dogs and Christian ministers, not wolves or Native American elders. This ambiguity has not diminished its popularity, and it continues to be quoted and referenced as a parable of self-discipline and moral choice.
Did You Know?
- The earliest known print version (1962) features a mountaineer with two dogs, not wolves.
- Reverend Billy Graham published a version in 1978 about an Eskimo fisherman with a black dog and a white dog.
- The story appears in the 2015 film Tomorrowland.
- In the Daredevil comic series, Echo reveals her late father originally told the story to the Chief.
More in Legends 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record