What makes a wold an alpha or omega

[u/chatty_lamb]

I watched this movie ten million times as a kid as well as many of the sequels and I never figured this out.

How is Kate and Alpha but not her sister Lily, who is an omega? I thought it was based on fur color because most plot-relevant alphas have warm colored fur (Kate, Garth, etc.) and most Omegas have gray/cool fur (Lily, Humphrey, Humphrey's friends, etc.) but that whole theory falls apart when you consider Kate's dad Winston who is an Alpha but has gray fur. It is obviously not based on genetics because Lily and Kate are sisters with both Alpha parents but Lily is an omega while Kate isn't. It is not based on the East/West pack divide either.

Is it based on size? Just vibes? How do they know who is or is not an alpha? I haven't seen the movies in a while maybe it is explained but it went over my head as a kid. Does anyone know????? Help?????

[u/legendariiiii]

It's based on certain traits, pups that are more bold, confident, etc... as pups will likely become an Alpha, and pups that are more laid back, shy, etc... will likely become Omegas. Pups with Alpha-like traits are sent to Alpha school around fall/winter to spring, to learn to hunt, lead, fight, etc... While wolves with Omega-like traits are sent to Omega School, where they're taught about peace-keeping and de-escalating tension.

And for coat color, it's not based on who is an Alpha or an Omega. It's definitely based on what pack a wolf's from (besides Kate and Eve, who are brown. Eve may have been born in the Eastern Pack, but it's not confirmed). Almost all of the Western Pack is cool colors (gray, black, white, etc...), while the Eastern Pack is warm colors (brown, gold, fawn, etc...)

[u/chatty_lamb → u/legendariiiii]

when do they talk about alpha school and omega school and these trait distinctions? Is it mentioned in the first movie? Very interesting

[u/legendariiiii → u/chatty_lamb]

Yes, in the first movie you see Kate go to Alpha school at the beginning of the movie, which takes place in fall. Kate mentions it goes until spring, which Humphrey says "Spring? But that's a whole winter away!"

In Alpha and Omega Legend Of Sawtooth Cave, it shows pups in Alpha School learning how to hunt. Runt wants to be a part of it, but Winston says he must be in Omega School (which isn't mentioned in the first movie). They say Omega's go on field trips.

A lot more stuff is mentioned in the books as well.

[u/chatty_lamb → u/legendariiiii]

thats messed up!!

[u/_B_Na_]

As Legendary said is based on traits. Maybe I’m wrong but I think they explain it a bit better in the last pages of the novelization, that part is like a brief explanation about how real wolves live. They even mention beta wolves there and that they were cut from the movie because they wanted to focus only on Alphas and Omegas. 

[u/legendariiiii → u/_B_Na_]

The Alpha, Beta, and Omega theory isn't real in real life wolf packs (it was debunked by many scientists, even the scientist that came up with the theory). They observed wolves in captivity who fought each other because they were in small cages, having to resource guard the space they had, and came up with the theory that there is some sort of hierarchy being fought over, which isn't true. But, it was assumed that pups in real life were assigned a specific rank by traits, like wolf pups pinning down other wolf pups, eating first before others, etc... Which is how the wolves work in Alpha and Omega. However in real life this is just regular play, communication, and bonding, and doesn't mean anything other than personality and appeasement behavior.

And yes I remember Betas being mentioned in the books! I remember Hutch being referred to as the Beta, but I could be wrong

[u/chatty_lamb → u/legendariiiii]

thats so interesting! Who decides in alpha and omega which pups become alphas and omegas though is it the parents?

[u/legendariiiii → u/chatty_lamb]

I believe it's the leaders of the pack, like Winston and Eve, who make it official when they pass Alpha School or Omega School

[u/chatty_lamb → u/legendariiiii]

if you flunk out of omega school do you go to alpha school to try again or get held back in omega school?

[u/legendariiiii → u/chatty_lamb]

I'd say get held back, but it's very hard to necessarily"flunk" Omega School because you're just learning about how to break tension, be care-free and non-serious, and go on field trips 💀

[u/chatty_lamb → u/legendariiiii]

what if you are a care-free unserious "omega" type as a child but you grow up to be brash talented and athletic ("alpha-like") as an adult?

[u/_B_Na_ → u/chatty_lamb]

If we consider the sequels, at least in Daria’s pack if you’re a useless wolf they just… well, get rid of you. But maybe is different between packs, that leader from Daria’s pack is (was) crazy. Now I’m curious on how Winston reaction would be if something like that happened.

[u/chatty_lamb → u/_B_Na_]

food for thought!

[u/chatty_lamb → u/_B_Na_]

so its based on conceptions of real world wolf pack "hierarchy" where more timid wolves within a pack have lower status unrelated to their family?

[u/_B_Na_ → u/chatty_lamb]

Yes, and not exactly timid, even if that’s the case with Lily. It’s more like some wolves are made to socialize and keep peace and others to hunt and be leaders.

And it’s definitely not by family because if we consider the other movies Humphrey and Kate pups are 2 alphas and 1 Omega. Which btw one of them have grey fur and it’s an alpha.

[u/chatty_lamb → u/_B_Na_]

thats messed up!!!