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| “ | What cannot be tamed must be destroyed. | „ |
| ~ The Lord Protector's most famous quote. |
Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell is the main antagonist of the Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions animated film, Wolfwalkers. He is a real wolf hunter, who is the soldiers' boss, and Robyn and Bill Goodfellowe's arch-nemesis.
He was voiced by Simon McBurney, who also played Kreacher in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and Atlee in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
Biography[]
Oliver Cromwell is the Lord Protector from England and comes over to Ireland where he became ruler of Kilkenny; there, he assigns a wolf hunter, Bill Goodfellowe, to help exterminate the wolves so the woodcutters can continue their work unimpeded. However, when Bill's daughter Robyn was seen outside of Kilkenny, the Lord Protector scolds her for not working in his scullery and gives Bill two days to kill the wolves while he attends to matters further south.
When Robyn is working in the scullery on Cromwell's orders while the Lord Protector is away, she comes across a cage in his chambers. Before she can investigate further, she is ushered out by a maid. When Robyn returns in wolf form after having been turned into a Wolfwalker by her new friend, Mebh, Robyn discovers that Cromwell has captured Mebh's mother, Moll, and barely escapes when the Lord Protector discovers her. He shoots at her, thinking she is merely an animal, but fails. From there, the angry Cromwell plans to restore control of the town by showing the townspeople he can tame the wolf he's captured, and by extension, nature itself. He ignores Robyn's pleas to let Móll go and demotes Bill to a foot soldier for failing to eliminate the wolves when she tries to intervene in human form.
Later, Cromwell presents the captured Móll before the townspeople, trying to garner their support by taming Móll. An enraged Mebh attempts to free her, and when Bill restrains her, Móll bites him. Mebh flees, but she vows to return with her pack to rescue her mother. The enraged Cromwell orders Bill to kill Móll and leads his army to burn the forest down. Robyn protects Móll from Bill's attempt to kill her, then frees and reunites her with Mebh before she and her pack can attack Kilkenny, earning Mebh's forgiveness. Bill follows them and shoots Móll with an arrow out of fear, causing Móll's wolf form to become a spirit and return to her human form in the den, with Robyn, Mebh, and the wolves following it. As Bill laments what he's done and cradles Robyn's sleeping body, Cromwell and his army arrive, chaining Bill in shackles and begin razing the forest. As Mebh works to heal a grievously wounded Móll, Robyn and the pack stall the soldiers, attacking them and driving the vast majority of Cromwell's forces away. Mebh summons Robyn and her pack back, realizing she needs them present to heal Moll, but Robyn is knocked unconscious after disabling the army's cannon and causing the rest of the men to flee.
By this point only Cromwell remains to fight and proceeds to try and kill Robyn's wolf form as she lies injured at the base of the waterfall where Mebh and her mother make their home. By this time, he now realizes the Wolfwalkers are real and devolves into madness, desperate to eliminate this affront to his religion once and for all. Before the Lord Protector can kill Robyn, Bill, due to Moll's bite, transforms into a Wolfwalker to protect Robyn and overpowers the Lord Protector in his wolf form, breaking Cromwell's sword. As Cromwell attempts to shoot Bill after seeing his human body is vulnerable and connected, his gun is shot away by Robyn using her father's crossbow, and Cromwell makes a desperate last stand with his dagger near the entrance to the pack's lair, only for Bill to knock the dagger away and begin biting through his armor. Rather than either letting Bill kill him or suffer becoming a Wolfwalker due to being bitten by Bill, Cromwell commits suicide by falling into the sharp rocks at the base of the waterfall, his last words being to beg God to take his soul to heaven.
Physical appearance[]
The Lord Protector is a broad shouldered, heavyset man with shoulder-length brown hair that's turning grey. His face is stern and has a wart on his nose and chin. His eyes are steel gray.
Personality[]
Oliver Cromwell is a stern, humorless, cruel man who is a vessel for violent fanaticism. Overtly religious, he is extremely self-righteous and believes he acts in accordance with the will of God in spreading order and taming the wilds, a representation of the disorder and strife he hates and will not allow in the land that is his protectorate. However, this is is little more than twisted delusions of a fanatically devout tyrant, as Cromwell has no patience for children and would rather put them to work than allow them to run wild and misbehave, whilst having no problem threatening them to get back in line with his authority.
Due to his religion and his fanatical devotion to his beliefs, he abhors anything he considers to be pagan nonsense though after realizing the mystical Wolfwalkers are real, he declares their abilities to be witchcraft and that they must be destroyed, showcasing his fear of the unknown and his paranoia.
In his final moments, Cromwell chose to take his own life rather than die at the fangs of Bill Goodfellowe, who had become a Wolfwalker, and the Lord Protector allowed himself to fall to his death even though suicide is a sin according to his beliefs. Although, he hearkened his soul to the Lord with his final words, and the only remorse he expressed was failing in his duty.
Quotes[]
| “ | If you have grievances you should speak with me directly. | „ |
| ~ Oliver Cromwell |
| “ | So, wolf. Tomorrow, I will show them that I have tamed you, just as I will tame this land. They will have nothing to fear if they trust in the Lord’s will. | „ |
| “ | (brings out Móll) You see? This once wild creature is now tamed, obedient, a mere faithful servant! (shoves torch in front of Móll, causing her to cower) I will rid our land of all its wretched kind! | „ |
| “ | People listen to me, listen to me! Do not fear! Wild girls? On wolves? Because tonight, we will put an end to this! I will burn this forest to the ground! I will lead cannons to the den of these beasts and send them all to hell! […] We shall prevail! It is the Lord’s will! | „ |
| ~ Cromwell declaring that he will eradicate the wolves from the forest. |
| “ | (Robyn: No please! You can’t!) (Bill: Robyn! Stop this!) And for heaven's sake, put manners on that girl, or manners will be put on her. | „ |
| ~ Oliver Cromwell threatening Bill Goodfellowe to control Robyn for her behavior. |
| “ | By God's glory and punishment He vanquishes thee. | „ |
| ~ The Lord Protector as he prepares to kill Robyn in her wolf form. |
| “ | Into your arms, my Lord. (loosens breastplate armor) I commend my soul. | „ |
| ~ Cromwell's last words before he lets himself fall to his death. |
Trivia[]
- Though he is never referred by his real name, the Lord Protector is based on Oliver Cromwell, a real English General who lived during the English Civil War. The real Oliver Cromwell was extremely controversial and was responsible for genocidal or near-genocidal attacks on Catholics. He was considered by many Irish people to be a regicidal dictator.
- Additionally, his death differs from the film, as Cromwell died of natural causes (approximately 8 years after the events of the film) instead of falling into rocks.
- In regard to his title, he was already the Lord Protector by the time of the movie's setting (1650) and wouldn't obtain it until two years later in 1653 (the year the real Cromwell would start his rule).
- Sean Bean, the voice actor of Bill, has been known for his characters getting killed. During the climax, it almost appeared that the Lord Protector would succeed in killing him. Luckily, Bill was saved by Robyn, making this one of actually a few times that Bean's character wasn't killed.
- In a deleted scene, Cromwell was originally going to survive his fall instead of being instantly killed. This ending was ultimately scrapped, likely in favor of the latter scenario.