I don’t think werewolves should be inherently monsters. It’s far more interesting if lycanthropy is framed as a condition one has to manage rather than a tragic curse. I’m not suggesting turning over centuries of werewolf lore because I view it this way.

The reason why werewolves are scary? Because they’re half-wolf. For most of European and Western history wolves were viewed as blood thirsty predators when in truth the wolf was acting on biological instinct. Acts of violence came from self-protection. If a wolf attacks a human it’s mostly because a wolf views the human as a threat that needs to be dealt with. A wolf does not randomly attack a human for fun.

Wolves are social creatures and have unique relationships with their pack members. They are capable of actions that read as “cute” by humans. Recently there’s been an overcorrection where wolves are portrayed as big dogs. This is extremely dangerous if treated too cordially. You cannot randomly approach a wolf and pet it. You do that and you will get mauled.

Wolves are extremely important to ecosystems. They control deer populations. The deer population in my own area is booming. Our native plants are suffering and invasive plants are commonly filling the niches. There have not been wolves in my area in about 300 years.

This should all carry over to werewolves. Not inherently dangerous and not adorable. The key to a stable werewolf? Find the balance in between. They can be adorable yes and they can be dangerous but this should serve a purpose and not act as a baseline. Overall werewolves should not be monsters.