Paramount+ sent Teen Wolf fans into a frenzy when it was announced that a Teen Wolf movie would be coming to the streaming service in early 2023, with many of Beacon Hills’ most beloved residents coming back. Included in the cast list is Tyler Hoechlin, who played Derek Hale in the original series and acted as Scott McCall’s mentor and alpha for much of the show.
The movie will show a new softer side to Derek that fans didn’t get to see the first time since he was concerned with his family’s past and running from werewolf hunters, but the trademark Hale snark is sure to make an appearance. Derek’s demeanor has made him one of the more memeable characters on the show since he is stubborn but also has a dry sense of humor that isn’t always caught on the first watch of the show.
A Family Trait
Derek and his family are close even though they are literally at each other’s throats for most of the series. Their family resemblance appears when any of the Hales are exasperated with whoever they are talking to or when someone suggests a risky plan that everyone is likely to get killed before they reach a solution.
The signature Hale eye roll connects all generations of the pack and lets anyone in proximity know that they better step back before the eye roll becomes a snarl.
Giving Nothing Away
Much like his MCU counterpart Nick Fury, Teen Wolf leader Derek doesn’t show his emotions on his face and usually sports a stoic indifferent expression. While other characters show every emotion they feel on their face, Derek has been through so much in his life that he knows keeping his feeling inside help control his shifts and allows him to channel them when he needs them.
As the oldest member of his pack, Derek can’t be bothered with teenage drama, especially when more significant issues are at play.
A Never-Ending Debate
Every Teen Wolf fan has had arguments with other views over whom the best-looking character on the show is, with Derek high on the list for many fans. The show writers did an excellent job of ensuring that Derek’s looks worked to his advantage when getting information from the people of Beacon Hills.
Hale’s looks also help establish him as the alpha since he is clearly older than the other members of his pack and lets viewers know he is more experienced with the supernatural and meant to be looked at as a mentor rather than a friend or another high schooler.
Derek’s Always Grumpy
As the sour wolf in his pack, Derek is rarely seen flashing a smile, just like one of the internet’s most famous cats Grumpy Cat. Derek’s permanent frown isn’t intentional most of the time; it is just how he looks, even though he is grumpy for most of the show.
Fans came to expect Derek to look and act cranky, which became an important part of his dynamic with characters like Stiles, who was more upbeat and excited about the paranormal happenings in their little town.
His Lack Of Personal Boundaries
Derek is an expert at getting into places he shouldn’t be on Teen Wolf, including Scott and Stiles’s rooms which, upon re-watching, the show, is creepier than it initially seemed. When he was introduced, Derek seemed like he may be more of a scary villain than a hero since he appeared at the high school parties and the school uninvited, but quickly fans realized he wasn’t the one to be feared.
His ability to get into houses proved to be an asset when the pack needed places to hide out.
Always An Alpha
Beacon Hills is a revolving door for people with supernatural abilities, which stirs up trouble for everyone living there, but no matter who comes to the town, there is no one cooler than Derek Hale. Besides being comfortable in werewolf form, Derek is also confident as a human, which shows whenever he deals with a new potential pack member.
Issac thought he was one of the more vital members of the pack and got too confident too quickly, but his alpha promptly reminded him that confidence and cockiness are two different things.
Derek’s Not Allowed A Happy Ending
As one of the few characters who made it to the end of Teen Wolf from season 1, Derek has had a lot taken from him, which has affected him by robbing him of most of his happiness.
Even before the series, Derek’s backstory hinged on him not being happy and ready to take on the challenges of being a leader; he felt more comfortable sulking in the woods, lamenting what happened to his family. Scott and the rest of the pack help Derek feel better, but overall he is not a happy wolf.
Sterek
There can’t be a conversation about Derek Hale without talking about his relationship with Stiles. Their grumpy/sunshine dynamic became an essential part of Derek’s character development as it showed he could care about someone who wasn’t technically part of his pact and work with someone who got on every last one of his nerves.
Even though Stiles’s character can be summed up as sarcastic and more like an annoying little brother, Derek learned to love him and form a sibling relationship he had been missing.
The Bite
While Scott doesn’t see his new-found powers as an advantage, Derek always reminds him that Peter improved his life by biting him, which says much about Derek. Even though being a werewolf comes with a unique set of challenges, Derek would rather be a shape-shifter than an average human any day since it gives him the ability to be fast, stronger, and more capable than anyone around him.
By teaching Scott how to use his new abilities to his advantage, Derek thinks he has improved Scott’s life in all aspects.
The Great Outdoors
Derek has a strange habit of popping up in the forest and standing as still as possible, not because he doesn’t want to be spotted but because it makes him scarier and more intimidating to the people he is trying to ward off. His introduction to the series shows this habit and instantly tells viewers that Derek is the one to look out for until he becomes Scott’s mentor and friend.
Seeing this happen once made fans jump, but the more Derek stood stoically in the forest, the more fans found it comical than spooky.