Hige

Hige
Profile
Japanese:	ヒゲ
Romaji:	Hige
Species:	Mexican wolf
Affiliations:	• Kiba • Toboe • Tsume • Blue • Pack of Strays (Formerly) • Hige's Pack (Formerly)
Interests:	• Food • Females • Blue • Paradise
Powers:	• Wolf-Guise • Enhanced speed • Superior sense of smell
Human Characteristics
Gender:	Male
Hair color:	Sandy brown
Eye color:	Red-orange
Animal Characteristics
Fur color:	Light, sandy grey-brown with lighter sandy-brown on face
Eye color:	Gold-yellow
Voiced by
Japanese:	Akio Suyama
English:	Joshua Seth

{{{English}}} (ヒゲ , Hige) is a light-brown Mexican wolf with a carefree attitude. He is quite comfortable with living disguised as a human instead of revealing himself to be a wolf. After meeting Kiba, he goes along with the idea of searching for Paradise without much of an argument, though he doesn't show the same passion for it as Kiba.

Appearance

Human-guise

In human form, Hige's clothes were designed to give him a casual, wear-every-day appearance. He wears a mustard yellow short-sleeve jacket over a long sleeved dark grey T-shirt, pale grey sweatpants, and a pair of dark grey sneakers. The casual and warm clothes were designed to match his friendly personality. He wears a leather collar around his neck that has a metal plate inscribed with the letter "x".

Wolf Form

Hige appears to be a Mexican Wolf due to his tawny coloring and his longer fur. Tsume refers to him as "porky," and as well as sporting a fluffy coat, he is a bit chubby.

Personality

Hige is very detached and carefree at the beginning of the series. At times, his easy-going nature allows him to see what the others might not, such as when he points out to Kiba that "pride" means staying alive to live as a wolf, but it doesn't mean much if you're dead. As he has the keenest sense of smell, he follows his nose into both trouble and adventure. He seems to value the pack but does not need it, being perfectly fine on his own. Once he finds out that he was meant to betray the pack, he becomes more serious for a while and attacks Lady Jaguara, showing his ultimate loyalty to the pack. He holds a very close relationship with Blue, and it is heavily implied that they are romantically involved.

Hige is one of the more sensible members of the pack. He'd rather strategize than run right into battle, unlike Kiba or Tsume. He tends to use his intuition more than the others, but only when he is not thinking with his stomach instead. Hige is something of a womanizer and is always on the look-out for a female companion. He starts off as a laid back joker, though he matures as the series goes on due to unforeseen companions and events that shape his character.

Background

Before meeting the others, Hige and his pack were brainwashed into being Lady Jaguara's lapdog by searching for wolf packs and leading troops to the wolves. The collar that he wears is actually a transmitter that allows him to wander freely through Jaguara's city and is always under surveillance. The collar was also what controlled his memories, as he was trapped in an endless migraine before it was shot off by a soldier. At least 22 other wolves were collared in this way, all of which were killed after returning to Jaguara's city.

Plot

Anime

Hige is introduced after Kiba is captured by scientists in Freeze City in his human form. After convincing him that pride wasn't worth dying over, Kiba uses his human form and the both of them escape the laboratory. Kiba then tells Hige about his search for Paradise, and while not entirely convinced, Hige agrees to join him in his journey.

OVA

At the end he is fatally wounded by Lord Darcia III. He has bite marks and scratch marks and Blue dies in his arms. While dying a slow, painful death, he convinces Tsume to put him out of his misery. Right before he died, he said, "Let's meet again next time, in Paradise." After Earth's regeneration, Hige is seen at a city in his human form, eating a hot dog. He glances up, but does not do anything particularly noted.

Relationships

Kiba

Kiba and Hige form the first friendly bond among the wolves. Hige displays friendship toward the white wolf and despite differences Kiba accepts him and shows to reciprocate.

After the revelations of Hige's past, Kiba was the first to show acceptance to Hige.

Blue

Blue and Hige form the most clear pairing between two wolves in the story. At first, Blue was an antagonist and chased the wolves with her master, Quent. She lived her life as a pet dog and helped Quent hunt down every last wolf, believing that wolves destroy her home and family in Kyrios.

However, upon meeting Cheza and Kiba's pack, her wolf blood is awakened and she is unable to continue hunting down members of her own kind. Instead, she chooses to join Kiba's pack in the search for Paradise. After Blue joins Kiba's pack, she grows closest to Hige and a bond of love ends up growing between them. Despite the possibility that Paradise won't accept Blue because she is a half wolf and half dog, she promises to follow Hige, no matter what happens.

Tsume

Although Tsume and Hige are pack members, they tend to clash the most. Hige often ignores Tsume's sharp remarks. Despite their differences, Tsume still respects Hige as a pack member.

Toboe

Often assuming more of a big-brother role, Hige often gives advice as well as orders to Toboe. They are often paired together when performing tasks.

Cheza

Just like the other wolves, Cheza is considered a beacon and guide to Hige. He too feels the "fluttering sensation" upon taking in her scent. He also protects Cheza as she is the only way to Paradise. Hige also remarks that Cheza is "...not his type." making it known that he has no romantic or sexual interest in her.

Lady Jaguara

Although Hige doesn't formally talk to Lady Jaguara, she is in essence, his master. Hige was brainwashed and had forgotten his life within Lost City; acting as a lure as well as a GPS for Jaguara's troops.

Quotes

• “Let’s meet up again in Paradise.” 
• "You're a strange one, all right. But having pride doesn't count for much if you're dead, you know?"
• "I won’t! Please, Blue, if I know you’re waiting for me I’ll make it back no matter what! It’s the only thing that can get me through this. If I know you’re here. I won’t give up. I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to you. I promise. I’ll never leave you alone, Blue."
• “Man, you really screwed up. I mean, I’ve seen one of us get hurt before, but never this badly. And you’re caught, too.” 
• “You gotta do what you can to survive. Keep looking like that, and you’ll be back here in no time at all. It draws too much attention.” 
• “No reason. It smelled like something interesting was going to happen, and I just followed my nose, you know? Besides, I’ve got nowhere else to go.”
• “That hot dog must’ve fried your brain!” 

Gallery

• Anime
• Manga
• Settei
• Misc.

Hige in a trap set by Moss and other members of Zali's pack.

Volume 1 English Back Cover.jpg

Back Cover of Volume 1

Volume 2 English.jpg

Hige's character settei.

Hige's face and expression settei.

Hige's wolf-form settei.

Wolf mouth settei.

Trivia

• Voice actor Akio Suyama notes that Hige is a humorous character whose actions and lines often break the tension in an otherwise serious series. This made it fun for him to play the character.
• In the anime, Hige forms a relationship with Blue. In the manga, he does not.
• The collar that Hige wears is actually a transmitter that allowed Jaguara to keep track of him.
• Although nothing is known about his past, it's been revealed that Hige has been with another pack.