Spoiler: America's once-massive population of buffalo is eventually destroyed by the rise of railroads and industrialization, as well as by wasteful, out-of-control hunting by the white frontiersmen. Ouch. Because we know things like this (y'know, being in the future and all), these seemingly small details end up taking on massive importance.

When Glass decides to take on a pack of wolves, we were pretty sure that the dude had gone bananas. He should know more than anyone how quickly a wild animal can make mincemeat out of us fleshy humans, right? Even after he walks away victorious, we don't know whether to commend him for his bravery or slap him for his stupidity.

Glass's rumble with the wolves displays both his strength and ingenuity. First, it shows his ingenuity because he's able to craft a weapon using only gunpowder and sage, showing his skills as a proto-MacGyver. But it also shows his strength because, well, it takes some serious chutzpah to go face-to-face with one of nature's most feared predators.

Like his rifle, Glass's bear-claw necklace becomes another testament to his strength and tenacity. It's also worth noting that it was Jim Bridger—one of the men Glass is hunting down—who slipped the claw into Glass's bag in the first place.

We love that the narrative makes a brief aside to present the wolf's thoughts on Glass. What's more, the fact that the wolf sees Glass as another "animal" in the frontier's "pecking order" shows how wild our wild man has become. Although really, of course, in a sense we're all just animals in a certain pecking order, no matter how much we may not want to admit it.

After getting some rest, healing up, and stealing a buffalo corpse from a band of wolves (long story), Glass finally feels something that resembles peace. It's like a breath of fresh air. Although his ordeal is still far from over, this moment of relaxation feels like a million bucks after the suffering he's endured over the past several weeks.