Notable Cats in Clan History
Storytelling is the clans' way of preserving their history. Cats that lived as far back as the founding of the clans are still spoken of today.
Many clan cats hope to earn their place in history by performing heroic deeds and having stories told about them to future generations.
The following are just a few examples of such famous cats, whose actions helped shape the clans into what they are today.
Gray Wing
A Windclan warrior famous for his clever battle strategies.
He was one of the strongest advocates for peace between the clans and was the one who proposed the forming of the Warrior Code.
He served as Wind Runner's most trusted advisor and earned the nickname Gray Wing the Wise.
Moth Flight
Daughter of Wind Runner, and the first medicine cat.
She discovered the moonstone and was the first cat to make contact with Starclan.
She proposed the idea that HSS cats use their gifts to help and heal others instead of for fighting; preventing a war between the clans.
Daisytail
A Windclan queen who led a protest when Windclan and Shadowclan were about to go to battle with cats as young as three moons among their warriors.
She convinced the leaders that kits shouldn't be trained for battle until they were six moons old; a rule the other clans also adopted.
Meadowpelt
A Riverclan medicine cat who came up with the idea of new warriors taking silent vigils.
He apparently despaired of always having to treat the injuries of reckless young warriors and; after seeking advice from Starclan; proposed the vigil as a way to emphasise the importance of their duty to the clan.
Graywind
A Riverclan medicine cat who witnessed three Windclan kits fall into a raging river.
She stopped her clanmates from attempting to rescue them as she didn't want them risking their lives for another clan's kits.
Later, she dreamed about the cats the kits could've grown up to be; seeing the good they could've done for the clans.
Consumed with guilt, she declared that all kits must be protected, regardless of which clan they come from.
Feathertail
A Riverclan warrior who took part in the Great Journey to the lake.
Along the way, the clans were attacked by a mountain lion named Sharptooth.
Feathertail managed to slay the beast by bringing a stalactite down on his head, but was fatally wounded in the process. She was buried with honour by the clans who vowed to tell the story of her heroism to all generations to come.
Maplewhisker
A Skyclan deputy who served under Beechstar and then his son Mothstar.
When Mothstar's inexperience got their warriors trapped in a raging river, Maplewhisker organised the rescue.
Mothstar then stepped down and told Maplewhisker that she should be leader.
From then on, clan deputies always succeeded the leader.
Darkstar
A Skyclan leader who decreed that clan leaders should always be obeyed without question.
This came about because his deputy opposed his decision to give away some of Skyclan's territory to Thunderclan at a gathering in front of the other clans; making them question his authority over his warriors.
There has been much debate over whether this was a good idea or not.
Cloudstar
The last Skyclan leader of the forest territory.
When their trees were torn down by twolegs, Cloudstar asked the other clans to make room for them in their territories. The other clans did not want to give up their land and so decided that Skyclan should leave.
Furious, Cloudstar led his clan far away to eventually settle in a gorge. They remained there for many years before finally reuniting with the other clans at the lake territory.
Redscar
A Shadowclan medicine cat.
Following the death of his leader, Redscar kept the new leader from travelling to the moonstone for her nine lives because she was sick with greencough. Unfortunately she died, without having named a deputy, leaving Shadowclan without any leadership.
Two warriors fought over the position of leader and killed each other. Wanting to avoid more deaths, Redscar named the warrior Flowerstem as leader and faked a sign from Starclan so that Shadowclan would accept her.
This led to the rule that new deputies must be chosen before midnight, following the death, retirement or promotion of the previous deputy.
Mossheart
A Shadowclan medicine cat who interrupted a vicious battle between Shadowclan and Windclan.
Several cats had already died in the fight including the young Shadowclan apprentice Spottedpaw.
Mossheart condemned the clans for robbing a young cat of his future and warned them that the cats they killed would be waiting to judge them in Starclan.
She helped set up rules that would avoid unnecessary killing between the clans.
Yellowfang
A Shadowclan warrior turned medicine cat.
Despite not possessing HSS, Yellowfang chose to train as a medicine cat when she became tired of the violence involved in a warrior's life.
When Brokenstar came to power, Yellowfang was one of the few cats who spoke out against her increasingly cruel edicts. This ultimately got her exiled but she returned and; with help from Shadowclan's elders and a group of Thunderclan warriors; drove Brokenstar out of Shadowclan.
Pinestar
A Thunderclan leader.
As a young warrior, he often took part in his father Oakstar's violent raids on Twolegplace to scare the kittypets into staying off clan territory.
During one such raid, he rescued a kittypet mother and her kits and, for the first time, saw the Thunderclan cats through their eyes; as vicious bullies.
He confronted his father and demanded that the raids stop. A surprising number of his clanmates agreed with him, so Oakstar conceded.
Upon becoming leader, Pinestar decreed that the clan laws of honour and mercy should apply to all cats whether they were part of a clan or not.
When he reached his final life, he retired as leader and went to live with the kittypets.
Firestar
A Thunderclan leader.
Originally a kittypet, she joined Thunderclan as an apprentice after proving her courage in battle against one of their young warriors.
As a warrior she exposed the schemes of the traitor Tigerclaw and replaced him as Bluestar's deputy, eventually becoming leader.
She went on to lead the united clans against the rogue group Bloodclan and personally killed their leader Scourge.
Leafpool
A Thunderclan medicine cat apprentice who took part in the Great Journey to the lake.
She was the one who discovered the moonpool and made contact with Starclan there.
This achievement earned her the suffix 'pool' so that the clans would never forget what she had done.
Not all famous clan cats are to be emulated. The following stories serve as warnings to the clans that sometimes the greatest danger can come from within their own ranks.
One Eye
A Skyclan warrior who served under Clear Sky.
He worked behind his leader's back to undermine him and eventually led a coup; driving Clear Sky out of the clan.
He imprisoned any Skyclan warriors who refused to obey him and recruited rogues to boost the clan's numbers; setting his sights on Windclan next.
Clear Sky convinced the other clans that One Eye was a threat to all of them and, for the first time, they united to face a common enemy.
Thanks to some clever tactics by Gray Wing the Wise, the clans were victorious. Clear Sky killed One Eye and took back his position as Skyclan's leader.
This event led to the leaders agreeing that; while their first priorities would always be their own clans; they should be ready to stand together against enemies that threatened the clans' existence.
Brokenstar
A Shadowclan leader.
Daughter of Raggedstar, she murdered her father in order to inherit leadership of Shadowclan.
She blamed his death on Windclan and led her warriors in driving them out of clan territory; claiming their land for Shadowclan.
In order to make Shadowclan stronger, Brokenstar started making kits apprentices at the age of three moons. She also forced the clan elders to leave camp and fend for themselves in the forest so the apprentices could focus on battle training instead of caring for them.
Shadowclan's senior medicine cat Yellowfang openly criticised Brokenstar's decisions. Fearing she would challenge her rule; Brokenstar killed two kits, framed Yellowfang for their deaths and exiled her from Shadowclan.
Fortunately, Yellowfang was taken in by the elders who didn't believe she would murder kits.
Not satisfied with the progress of Shadowclan's kits; Brokenstar had her warriors kidnap kits from Thunderclan. When Yellowfang and the elders learned of this; they joined forces with a group of Thunderclan warriors who had come searching for the kits.
A fierce battle followed; during which Yellowfang forced Brokenstar to reveal the truth about the death of Raggedstar and the kits. This caused Shadowclan to turn on their leader and drive her out of their land.
Thunderclan got their kits back; Windclan got their land back; one of the elders Nightpelt became Shadowclan's new leader and Yellowfang was welcomed back as a hero.
Tigerclaw
A warrior of Thunderclan and their clan champion; Tigerclaw was respected by all the clans for his strength and fearlessness. But that was not enough for Tigerclaw. He wanted more.
He started by murdering the Thunderclan deputy Redtail; claiming he had died in battle with Riverclan.
Upon becoming deputy himself, Tigerclaw plotted with a group of rogues to attack the Thunderclan camp; intending to use the distraction to kill Bluestar and take her place as leader.
His plan was foiled by the warrior Fireheart, who had long suspected Tigerclaw of treachery. Upon being exposed, he was exiled from Thunderclan and became a rogue.
Some time later, he deliberately lured a pack of dogs onto Thunderclan's territory; hoping they would wipe the whole clan out. Bluestar sacrificed her life to save her clan and Fireheart became Firestar.
Tigerclaw's final attempt at revenge had him join forces with the rogue group Bloodclan. He intended to have them kill Firestar and most of Thunderclan's warriors so that the survivors would have no choice but to accept him as leader.
However, upon seeing how large and prey rich the clans' land was; Bloodclan's leader Scourge decided that they would take it all for themselves.
Furious at this betrayal, Tigerclaw attacked Scourge; only to be struck down and killed by the rogue. His last moments spent in agony and regret.
Fortunately, the clans were able to defeat Bloodclan; but Tigerclaw's bloodthirsty deeds would be the stuff of nightmares for many years to come.
Mudclaw
A Windclan deputy who took part in the Great Journey.
When the clans reached the lake territory; it became apparent that Windclan's leader Tallstar was approaching the end of his ninth life. As deputy, everyone expected Mudclaw to succeed him.
However when Tallstar passed, his nephew Onewhisker announced that, just before he died, he had said that he wanted Onewhisker to be Windclan's next leader.
Mudclaw was outraged and accused Onewhisker of lying in order to seize power. Onewhisker swore by Starclan that he was telling the truth. He didn't want to become leader, but had promised Tallstar that he would pass on his final orders to the clan.
This caused a rift in Windclan. Some cats argued that, even if Onewhisker was telling the truth; Tallstar had no right to go against clan law and deny his deputy leadership.
Others pointed out that, as clan leader, Tallstar had the final say on who his successor should be; and Onewhisker was a trustworthy warrior who wouldn't lie to his clanmates.
With no proof either way; the clan agreed to let Starclan decide. The moonpool had recently been discovered so Onewhisker and Mudclaw would travel there the following night along with Windclan's medicine cat Barkface.
Barkface would contact Starclan and seek their counsel on the matter. Their ancestors would decide which of the two warriors should become Windclan's next leader.
No one knows why Mudclaw chose not to follow this plan. Perhaps he knew of a reason why Tallstar didn't want him to be leader.
Regardless, as the three toms travelled beside the lake on their way to the moonpool; they were ambushed by two of Mudclaw's supporters. Mudclaw took this opportunity to attack Onewhisker, while his supporters held Barkface down.
As the two warriors fought, a storm broke out and lightning struck a tree on an island just offshore in the lake. The tree fell, crushing Mudclaw and forming a bridge to the island.
Barkface saw this as a sign from Starclan that Onewhisker was Windclan's true leader.
The island then became the clans' new gathering spot and the tree bridge served as a reminder of Starclan's power.
Hawkfrost
A Riverclan warrior.
Born to a loner named Sasha, Hawk and his sister Moth were brought to Riverclan as kits.
They adapted quickly to clan life, but their mother couldn't handle being around so many cats; so she left once her kits became apprentices.
Hawkpaw was mentored by the clan leader Leopardstar, who saw great potential in him. Under her guidance, he grew into a strong and fearless warrior; earning the name Hawkfrost.
Not long after Hawkfrost became a warrior, the twolegs and their monsters began destroying the clans' territory. The clans had no choice but to leave in search of a new home.
Just before they left, Sasha appeared and tried to convince her kits to stay with her instead of leaving with the clans. Hawkfrost and his sister Mothwing refused, saying they were Riverclan cats now.
In a last effort to get her kits back; Sasha revealed to the clans that their father was none other than Tigerclaw, who had met Sasha after being exiled from Thunderclan.
The clans were shocked, but Leopardstar stood by her former apprentice; saying she believed that Hawkfrost would become a greater cat than his father.
While on the Great Journey, Hawkfrost heard stories about his father from Thunderclan. They spoke of his treacherous deeds; but also his great strength in battle.
Hawkfrost became obsessed with surpassing his father. He believed the only way to do that was to succeed where Tigerclaw had failed and become a clan leader.
He started by ingratiating himself with Riverclan's deputy Mistyfoot. He volunteered for extra duties, helped her watch over their clanmates and comforted her when her former apprentice Feathertail died killing Sharptooth.
By the time the clans reached the lake, the two of them had become close friends.
After Riverclan had settled into their new home and the moonpool had been discovered; Hawkfrost began the next stage of his plan.
Waiting until Leopardstar was alone, he told her he had found evidence of Shadowclan trespassing on Riverclan's land. Leopardstar asked to see it and followed Hawkfrost to the lake.
Unbeknownst to her, Hawkfrost had actually discovered a snare trap left by twolegs. He led Leopardstar straight into the snare, costing her one of her lives.
Leopardstar revived, but was trapped and at Hawkfrost's mercy.
Before he could finish her off, Hawkfrost was confronted by Mistyfoot. She had overheard him and Leopardstar talking and had decided to follow them.
Hawkfrost tried to convince Mistyfoot to let him kill Leopardstar. Once she was dead; Mistyfoot would become Riverclan's leader and Hawkfrost could be her deputy.
Mistyfoot, however, refused to betray her leader and pulled the snare's stake out of the ground; saving Leopardstar.
Hawkfrost attacked her and, in the ensuing fight, got stabbed in the throat by the stake.
Despite his actions, both Leopardstar and Mistyfoot mourned Hawkfrost and the great warrior he could've become had he not been so desperate to escape his father's shadow.
The life of a clan cat is neither simple nor easy. From the moment a cat becomes a warrior, they are expected to devote themselves completely to their clan and the Warrior Code.
They must work hard every day to protect and provide for their clanmates and; with the constant danger of battle, predators, twolegs and nature itself; there's no guarantee they'll live long enough to retire.
However, their clan is just as devoted to them. A warrior never faces danger alone and their clanmates will take care of them when they are sick or injured.
They may raise a family and watch their kits grow, knowing the whole clan will fight to protect them. A clan stands together through hard times and shares in each other's joys.
As much as the history of the clans tells of sorrowful tragedies; it also contains great triumphs and being a part of that history is considered an honour and privilege.
The clans have survived many challenges over the years and; with Thunderclan's strength, Riverclan's cleverness, Windclan's faith, Shadowclan's loyalty, Skyclan's resilience and Starclan's guidance; they are prepared to face whatever the world throws at them next.
