The Real Reason 'Wildwood's Coyotes Serve The Dowager Governess

There are numerous different factions in Wildwood (2026), but of all of the groups vying for power in the woods, the coyotes are the most feared. They serve Alexandra, the Dowager Governess, and are a well-oiled militia, complete with swords, muskets, and even trebuchets. Sure, the Dowager Governess is powerful, but without her coyote army, she wouldn’t be anything.

But why exactly do the coyotes serve her? We’re shown Alexandra’s extensive and depressing backstory, including her ostracization from Southwood, but never how she was able to recruit the coyotes to her cause, or even what the coyotes have to gain from allying with her. It’s a point that’s never really explored in the film, but thanks to the original books, we can see that both Alexandra and the coyotes are actually two peas from the same pod.

What Were the Coyotes Like Before Serving the Dowager Governess?

There is a semblance of order in the woods. Cities exist with clearly defined borders, but outside of those borders, the woods are a lawless place, and within it, the coyotes lurk.

Before Alexandra became the Dowager Governess, the coyotes were seen as dangerous but ultimately minor threats to the woods. Why? Because of just how disorganized they were. They had no real leadership and, therefore, never had the capabilities of becoming genuine threats. While other animals, like the rabbits, bears, and members of the Avian Principality, would be seen interacting with humans and living alongside them, the coyotes never were. They hunted on all fours, attacked whomever they saw fit, and acted out of a more survivalist mindset than not. They were, to put it bluntly, wild animals. And then Alexandra showed up.

Why Do the Coyotes Serve the Dowager Governess in 'Wildwood'?

While the timeline is never specified for when Alexandra and the coyotes began to work together, we do know how Alexandra was able to do it, and that’s because she saw them as kindred spirits. She was an outcast, just like the coyotes, and saw them as a group that could understand the betrayal she experienced. But she knew that the coyotes wouldn’t be able to help her as they were. In small packs, the coyotes were weak, but united, they could be a fearsome force, like how kobolds in Dungeons & Dragons are incredibly dangerous when faced as a group. 

So she manipulated the coyotes with her words. She validated their resentment towards the others who live in the woods, and the coyotes ate it up. Alexandra is an adept manipulator, after all. She did convince Prue that her brother was dead, so it stands to reason that domesticating simple creatures like coyotes wouldn’t be that difficult. After all, they viewed her as a kindred spirit, ostracized by society and forced to live in the woods, and she gave them the dignity they craved.

That doesn’t mean that their animalistic traits were completely removed. In Prue’s first encounter with a squad of coyotes, we see Maksim, the head of Alexandra’s army, chastise his soldiers for acting like feral beasts as they marked their territory. Maksim is, above all else, loyal to Alexandra, and he does what he can to keep his men in line and cultured. However, it isn’t long until we learn that when faced with intense emotion, like anger or fear, a coyote will revert to its more base tendencies, shifting from running on two legs and attacking with weapons to bounding on four legs and using their claws and teeth to maul prey. That’s perfectly fine with Alexandra, though, as long as they know that she’s in charge and together, the coyotes will get the respect they deserve.

Why Do the Coyotes Stop Serving Alexandra After She's Defeated?

All the promises and sympathy Alexandra throws the coyotes' way crumble after her death, and once the coyotes learn of it, they react unexpectedly; they become feral creatures once more. 

In the world of Wildwood, mammals that are civilized are depicted as wearing clothes. Whether it’s the farmer bears of Northwood or the bodyguard dogs of Southwood, if an animal is a functioning member of society, they’re shown as wearing clothes. The same is true for the coyotes, wearing militaristic uniforms as they perform Alexandra’s deeds. But once she dies and the promise of power fades away, so too does their loyalty to the cause as they revert back to their original, untamed selves.

By the end of the film, not only is Alexandra dead, but so is Maksim, and together, they kept the coyotes in line. The coyotes needed effective leadership to be seen as a threat, and without it, they shed their clothes and run on all fours back into the woods, overtaken by the fear of dying. You can’t really blame them for fleeing. It’s a fight-or-flight response, and with no one to tell them to keep fighting, they run away, their dreams of attaining power burning away before their very eyes.

But the lessons that Alexandra taught them remain. Later novels show the coyotes descending into chaos, with some trying to maintain their militaristic lifestyle and others returning to lawlessness. It’s a sad fate, and you could make the argument that they probably would have been better off without ever having a leader, but you can’t blame the coyotes for serving Alexandra. She manipulated them into her private army, and if her plan succeeded, then they would be set for life.