An artist from Skyrim went incognito to improve the game's poorly designed werewolves, ensuring they wouldn't be scrapped. After presenting a demo to Todd Howard, he received an enthusiastic response: "This is f***ing awesome!"

The beauty standards surrounding werewolves can be quite perplexing. Should these creatures possess opposable thumbs? What about tails? Is it acceptable for them to be devoid of hair, or must every part of their bodies be covered in a thick layer of fur? These unanswered questions initially led to the werewolves in Skyrim appearing as rather unfortunate creations. However, former Bethesda senior artist Dennis Mejillones stepped in and provided them with a complete redesign, ensuring they remained a part of the RPG experience.

In a new interview with YouTube channel Kiwi Talkz, Mejillones laments that the process of designing werewolves for Skyrim was originally "going in a really south direction."

"It was terrible," he goes on. "I mean, it was genuinely terrible, and many people were saying, 'Wow, this is really bad.'" So, it’s safe to say, it was indeed terrible. After only witnessing the finished version, I believe that the werewolves in Skyrim perfectly embody the action RPG's blend of brutality and fantasy. However, Bethesda's initial concept for them resembled more of a scientific experiment – Mejillones describes it as "essentially a dog's head on a human body, complete with human hands and all."

He decided to take control of the situation himself. The werewolves were on the verge of being removed from Skyrim, but Mejillones was determined to keep them. He envisioned the player's metamorphosis into the lunar creature as a thrilling "power trip" that Skyrim lacked in other aspects.

"I designed a massive, ferocious werewolf character, and together with animator Jeremy Bryant, we focused on integrating it into the game." They spent countless late nights crafting a playable demo, which they kept under wraps until they had the chance to present it to director Todd Howard.

"We had just launched the game, handed him the controller, and provided a few tips about the werewolf," Mejillones recalls. "He took a look at it and exclaimed, 'This is amazing!'" And that's how the werewolves were rescued.