Silver Fang

The young wolf Gin lives with his father on a puppy mill farm, where he listens eagerly to stories of the great leader of the wilderness. During a scavenging trip, the monstrous bear Akakabuto attacks. Gin's father sacrifices himself to save his son, leaving Gin consumed by grief and a desire for vengeance. After the bear departs, Gin seeks out an elderly dog named Gohee for training. Gohee is harsh, strict, and demanding, forcing Gin through a rigorous regimen. Upon reaching adulthood, Gin leaves to confront Akakabuto alone but is subsequently captured and confined within an animal laboratory.

Trapped inside the laboratory, Gin encounters a friendly German Shepherd named Mosa, who has been confined there since puppyhood. The two form a bond and orchestrate an escape. While sneaking through the facility, Gin's inadvertent sneeze alerts the workers, forcing a frantic flight that ends with them clinging for survival in a fiery pit. They are rescued by Daisuke, a male dog, and The Tod, a manipulative male fox. Exiting the laboratory through an air vent, Gin reveals his quest for vengeance, and the group, joined by Akatora, Chutora, and Kurotora, travels toward the forest. Seeking shelter from a rainstorm, they discover another male dog, Benizukura. Wary of this new arrival, Gin chooses to sleep distantly from him within the cave.

The following morning, the group encounters a pregnant female dog, Smith, and her elderly guardian, Grandpa Joe. The Tod attempts to help feed Smith by digging for roots but fails. When a nest of eggs falls and Benizukura consumes them all, Gin becomes enraged. The monstrous bear Akakabuto soon finds the group, forcing them to flee. During the escape, Smith slips and falls into a flooding underground cavern. The Tod, despite being unable to swim, jumps in to save her. Gin also dives into the rising water, retrieves the struggling Smith, and carries her to safety before he is swept downriver. He is rescued by a group of dogs called the Kongas and exits through a floodgate. The Tod and Grandpa Joe also reach shore with minor injuries. After Benizukura thanks the Kongas, Smith finds a place to give birth, and Gin names one of her puppies Weed. The Tod and Benizukura later converse on a hillside to warm themselves.

Akakabuto attacks the next morning. After Smith and Grandpa Joe secure the puppies in a distant, safe location, they return to help confront the bear. Gin challenges Akakabuto directly, but during the fight, the bear hurls him against a tree, rendering him unconscious. As the other dogs rush to his side, Benizukura tries to rouse him. Believing Gin is dead, Akakabuto gloats over his victory until The Tod trips him with his tail and Smith attacks in a fury. Gin regains consciousness and launches a final assault, throwing the bear against a cliff where he is presumed dead. While The Tod scolds Gin for causing worry, Benizukura praises his strength. The dogs then depart to protect the puppies, and Gin and Smith remain behind, beginning to bond and discuss the possibility of a family. Separately, Benizukura discovers that Grandpa Joe's leg injury is worsening.

Pursued by helicopters from the animal laboratory, the group flees. One puppy, chasing a butterfly, is captured by a laboratory worker. During the ensuing struggle on a cliffside, Gin fights to save the puppies but falls, grabbing a branch. Below, Grandpa Joe and Smith are swept into a river. To save Smith, Grandpa Joe sacrifices himself, telling her to swim to the surface as he is carried away. Gin pulls Smith from the water, but she is distraught. The dogs later find Grandpa Joe gravely injured. He assures them his time has come, instructs Smith and Gin to raise the puppies together, and dies peacefully. As the group mourns, Gin vows to protect the puppies and fulfill his quest for vengeance against Akakabuto.

Following Grandpa Joe's funeral, the group continues its journey. The Tod, refusing to travel further, remains behind to protect the puppies. As winter arrives, the dogs take shelter on a farm, where the puppies struggle to nurse. Gin solves this by allowing a puppy to drink from his own bowl of milk, sustaining them. During a blizzard, Gin overhears Benizukura express that he views Gin as a problem; devastated, Gin flees into the storm. He encounters and battles Silver, the leader of the Kongas, and an avalanche triggered by the fight buries them both. After digging himself out, Gin is found by the others. Benizukura apologizes and pledges his loyalty, becoming Gin's mentor and strengthening their bond. Meanwhile, Akakabuto, who survived his earlier fall, regains consciousness with a broken leg and vows revenge against Gin. While The Tod questions his own leadership, Mosa offers him encouragement as the dogs rest.

Gin and his allies pursue Akakabuto's gang and confront them in battle. Gin tells Benizakura that they must defeat their enemies if they are to survive. Benizakura initially refuses, but ultimately accepts this demand. During the fight, Akakabuto traps the other dogs under heavy logs and summons a giant bear to attack them. While some of the dogs cower, Gin faces the bear directly, but he is overpowered and pinned down. The trapped dogs struggle unsuccessfully to break free and help him. Benizakura, rejecting a vision of grand sacrifice, refrains from acting. Gin breaks free and sees Akakabuto escaping. In a subsequent argument with Benizakura, Gin unintentionally insults him, prompting Benizakura to confront Akakabuto alone. He is ambushed. The bear, which has a rope tied to its leg, attempts another strike. Racked with guilt, Benizakura leaps into the lake, dragging the bear with him and entangling them both. Akakabuto is struck by a log, but manages to escape and vows revenge. After freeing his comrades, Gin dives into the lake upon learning from Mosa that Benizakura is trapped below. Gin, Akatora, Chutora and Kurotora find Benizakura ensnared with the bear, which struggles violently. Akatora suggests cutting the rope to free the bear, which alarms Gin. Benizakura orders them to the surface to avoid drowning. While the others retreat, Gin attempts to rescue him, but is swatted towards the surface. Benizakura's final words encourage Gin to become a great warrior. As Gin is pulled to the shore, the cessation of air bubbles confirms that Benizakura has drowned. A single cherry blossom then appears on the water's surface, symbolising his death, and the pack mourns his loss.

Akakabuto returns bearing a scar, announcing to the other dogs that Gin is on the verge of defeat. Nevertheless, the pack resolves to continue the fight. Gin remains in mourning for Benizakura and is unresponsive to his companions' attempts to comfort him. When they meet the elderly dog Gohee, he reprimands Gin for his grief. Mosa intervenes, criticising Gohee for his harsh training methods and his willingness to let dogs die. Gohee relents and agrees to help train the group. Having had a change of heart, the Tod also assists. Once they are ready, Gin announces their plan to defeat Akakabuto. En route, enemy dogs attack and Gohee orders Gin to stay behind while he fights. The Tod lures the greyhounds away and sacrifices his life in the process, an act that moves Mosa. As humans approach, the dogs escape by swimming to the island that Mosa had described. Gin hesitates, recalling his traumatic training involving being forced to the bottom of a barrel. However, he overcomes his fear after seeing Gohee navigate the deep water. When the humans find the injured enemy dogs, they blame Gin's pack and pursue them. As the dogs continue to swim, Gin, exhausted and ready to give up, spots the island and urges the others forward. They finally reach the shore, collapse and are praised by Gohee for their bravery.