Character Relationship Map: Buba

Characters

• Jakob Otto / Buba (played by Bjarne Mädel) — protagonist

  Jakob Otto, also known as Buba, is the central character and a small-time criminal shaped by an unhappy childhood and a belief that every good thing must be paid for. With Dante Otto, he impersonates...

• Dante Otto (played by Georg Friedrich) — supporting

  Dante Otto is Jakob's older brother and longtime criminal partner. Once presented as Jakob's only ally and a protective figure, he persuades Jakob to pursue a larger criminal scheme by posing as membe...

• Jule (played by Anita Vulesica) — supporting

  Jule is the woman with whom Jakob becomes emotionally involved while he is trying to maintain his criminal life. Jakob explains his situation to her through a fairy tale, using it to describe his sens...

• Doro (played by Maren Kroymann) — supporting

  Doro is the criminal figure on whose behalf Jakob and Dante Otto initially pretend to collect protection payments. Their false claim to represent the same criminal world helps launch the brothers' lar...

• Ingrid (played by Eva Weißenborn) — minor

  Ingrid is Jakob's grandmother and the main caregiver during his unhappy childhood, when his parents are usually absent. She raises him through grim German fairy tales, harsh punishments, and the convi...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Jakob Otto / Buba → Jule (Romantic Interest) — Jakob seeks emotional connection with Jule while struggling to disclose his criminal identity.

  Jakob becomes involved with Jule and tries to explain his criminal life to her through the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

• Jakob Otto / Buba → Doro (Professional Criminal Associate) — Jakob becomes connected to Doro through the brothers' criminal collection work.

  Jakob and Dante collect payments from local businesses on behalf of Doro while pretending to be the new Albanians.

• Jakob Otto / Buba → Ingrid (Family Grandson) — Jakob is Ingrid's grandson and was brought up under her harsh worldview.

  Ingrid raised Jakob while his parents were usually absent.

• Jakob Otto / Buba → Dante Otto (Family Brother) — Jakob and Dante are brothers whose bond shapes Jakob's personal history and criminal life.

  The plot identifies Dante Otto as Jakob's brother and describes him as Jakob's only ally during childhood.

Story Analysis

A criminal shaped by family loyalty and fatalistic beliefs gradually questions whether he is merely a victim or has become the wolf in his own story.

Plot Progression

1. A Life Shaped By Fear — The film introduces Jakob as a solitary small-time criminal and then revisits the childhood that shaped him. Ingrid's harsh upbringing and Dante's apparent protection establish Jakob's ideas about loy...
2. The Brothers Raise The Stakes — As adults, Jakob and Dante work together in minor criminal schemes while dreaming of California. Dante convinces Jakob to pursue a larger operation connected to Doro.
3. Impostors Under Fire — The brothers impersonate new Albanians and collect payments from local businesses. A violent confrontation exposes the danger of their deception and brings retaliation.
4. Crime Becomes A Trap — Jakob and Dante steal cocaine from a bakery while Jakob suffers another injury. Jakob's criminal life also becomes entangled with his attempts to connect with Jule.
5. The Wolf Looks Back — Jakob recognizes that his faith in Dante has helped sustain the lies. Although he claims he is free to choose, Jule rejects him, leaving him to question whether he was a victim or became the wolf.