Bigby Wolf stands on a cold Fabletown street, lighting a cigarette. He’s just closed the case. The Crooked Man is dealt with, the Crane mystery is buried, and peace—or the depressing, neon-soaked version of it—has returned to the Bronx. Then Nerissa says something. She walks away. And suddenly, the last ten hours of gameplay feel like a fever dream.
If you’ve played The Wolf Among Us, Nerissa is the character who likely lives rent-free in your brain. She isn't just a supporting player in Telltale Games’ 2013 masterpiece; she is the structural foundation of the entire mystery. But here is the thing: half the people who finished the game still aren't entirely sure who she actually was. Was she the Little Mermaid? Was she Faith in a magical skin?
It’s been over a decade since the finale of Season 1, and with the sequel finally on the horizon, we need to talk about why the identity of The Wolf Among Us Nerissa is the most debated topic in the Fables gaming community.
The Girl in the Ribbon: Who is Nerissa?
In the lore of the Fables comics by Bill Willingham, Nerissa is the Little Mermaid. She traded her tail for legs, but in the gritty reality of Fabletown, that didn't lead to a "happily ever after" with a prince. Instead, it led to a life of poverty, debt, and eventually, working at the Pudding & Pie strip club.
When Bigby first meets her, she is a tragic figure. She’s wearing that iconic, suffocating black ribbon around her neck—a magical "silencing" spell used by Georgie Purgie to keep the girls from talking about their work or their clients. Honestly, it’s one of the darkest concepts in the game. If they try to tell the truth, the ribbon glows, and they literally cannot speak. If they take it off? Well, ask Faith what happens when you remove the ribbon.
Nerissa is the one who sets the entire plot in motion. She "finds" Faith’s head on Bigby’s doorstep. She nudges him toward the Crooked Man’s conspiracy. She plays the role of the damsel who needs saving, but she’s way smarter than Bigby gives her credit for. She’s navigating a world where the law (Bigby and Snow White) is failing, and the criminals are winning. She chooses a different path: manipulation for the sake of survival.
The Theory That Broke the Fandom
Okay, let's get into the weeds. The ending.
As Nerissa walks away from Bigby in the final scene, she says, "You’re not as scary as everyone says you are." This is the exact same line Faith said to Bigby in the opening minutes of Episode 1. Bigby has a flashback. He realizes that the Nerissa he’s been talking to for five episodes might not be Nerissa at all.
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There are two main camps here.
Camp A: Nerissa is Faith.
In this version, Faith survived the first episode. She used a "Glamour"—a magical disguise—to look like Nerissa. She sacrificed the real Nerissa (whose head we saw at the start) to get Bigby on the case and take down the Crooked Man. It’s cold. It’s brilliant. It means Faith is the ultimate puppet master of Fabletown.
Camp B: Faith is Nerissa.
This one is slightly different. It suggests that the girl we met in Episode 1 was actually Nerissa glamoured as Faith. She wanted to escape, but when the real Faith was killed, she had to maintain the lie to stay alive and guide Bigby to the killers.
Which one is right? Telltale has always been cheeky about it. They left it ambiguous on purpose. But if you look at the dialogue cues and the way the "donkey skin" coat is used in the game, the evidence leans heavily toward the girl at the end being the same person we met at the very beginning, regardless of whose body was actually on that doorstep.
Why Nerissa Matters for the Sequel
For years, fans begged for The Wolf Among Us 2. Now that it’s actually happening, the Nerissa situation is the elephant in the room. You can't just ignore a cliffhanger that big.
The character of Nerissa represents the failure of Fabletown’s social systems. She had to resort to a massive, deadly deception just to get the Sheriff to do his job. That’s the core of the "noir" genre—the system is so broken that even the "good guys" are just tools being used by people who are desperate.
If Nerissa returns, she’s a liability. She knows too much about how the Crooked Man’s empire functioned, and she knows how to play Bigby. Many players are wondering if she will be an ally or the surprise antagonist of the next story. Honestly, she’s too good of a character to just be a one-off mystery.
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The Tragedy of the Pudding & Pie
Working at the Pudding & Pie wasn't just a job for Nerissa; it was a prison. Georgie Purgie wasn't just a pimp; he was a jailer using magical contracts to bind these women. When we talk about The Wolf Among Us Nerissa, we have to acknowledge the sheer trauma the character went through.
She watched her friends—Faith and Lily—die. She lived in constant fear of the ribbon. When Bigby finally confronts Georgie, and the truth comes out, Nerissa’s testimony is what seals the deal. But even then, she isn't "free." She’s still a Fable living in a world that doesn't want her.
Her character arc is a direct critique of the "Happy Ending" trope. She got her legs. She got to the human world. And it was a nightmare.
Spotting the Clues: A Replay Guide
If you're going back to play the game before the sequel drops, keep your eyes on Nerissa. Look at her body language.
- The Cigarettes: Pay attention to how she smokes and the brand.
- The Mirror: In the comics, the Magic Mirror has a specific relationship with the Fables. In the game, the mirror is "broken" regarding certain details about the girls.
- The Look: When Nerissa looks at the picture of Faith, her reaction is layered. It’s not just grief; it’s guilt.
The game is littered with these tiny, breadcrumb-style hints. Telltale's writers were meticulous. Every time Nerissa enters a room, the music shifts slightly. It’s lower, more somber.
How to Handle the "Ending Realization"
When the credits roll and Bigby has his "aha!" moment, the game gives you a choice: run after her or let her go.
Most people run. They want answers. But she doesn't give them. She just smiles and walks into the crowd. It is the perfect ending because it forces Bigby—and the player—to accept that they don't control Fabletown. You solved the murder, but you didn't solve the person.
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Moving Forward in Fabletown
If you're looking to dive deeper into the mystery of Nerissa and the world of Bigby Wolf, there are a few things you should do right now to get the full picture.
First, read the Fables comic arc "The Animal Farm." It gives a lot of context to how Glamours work and why they are so dangerous. The game is a prequel to the comics, but the rules of magic are consistent.
Second, check out the "Fables: A Wolf Among Us" digital-first comic series. It actually goes into some of the internal monologues of the characters during the game's events. It clarifies some of the ambiguity regarding the ribbon and the girls' plan to escape Georgie.
Finally, keep an eye on the official Telltale social channels for the Season 2 character reveals. There has been a lot of speculation that the "New York winter" setting of the sequel will bring back several familiar faces from the Pudding & Pie, even if it's just in flashbacks.
The mystery of Nerissa isn't something to be "solved" like a math equation. It’s a mood. It’s the realization that in Fabletown, the truth is usually wearing a mask.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Replay Episode 1 and Episode 5 back-to-back. You will notice dialogue parallels that are invisible on a first playthrough.
- Pay attention to the "Donkey Skin" coat. It is a major plot point in the comics that explains how characters can hide their true identity even from magical detection.
- Support the developers. With the rocky history of Telltale, the best way to see the resolution of Nerissa's story is to support the official release of the sequel.