Redtail/History

Moth Flight's Vision

 * Redtail is one of the cats present during Firestar's leader ceremony. Moth Flight witnesses Redtail, among other cats present, giving Firestar one of his nine lives. She is unable to speak to them.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Redkit is born alongside his littermates, Spottedkit and Willowkit, to Swiftbreeze and Adderfang. Their older siblings are Patchpelt and Leopardfoot. Redkit and his sisters are seen with their mother just before the Clan meeting.


 * He is made an apprentice, and receives Sparrowpelt as his mentor. Later while training, Thistleclaw chastises him for not swiping high enough, much to Bluefur's dismay. When Bluefur takes her kits to RiverClan, Stonekit brags that Redpaw has already shown him how to do the hunting crouch.


 * Near the end of the book, Redtail is now a warrior and the deputy of ThunderClan. He is seen sitting with Bluestar, watching his apprentice, Dustpaw, his daughter Sandpaw, and the other apprentices, Ravenpaw, Graypaw.

Into the Wild

 * During one of the many battles between ThunderClan and RiverClan over the Sunningrocks, it is clear that ThunderClan are outnumbered and do not have the power to win the battle. Redtail, ThunderClan's deputy, realizes this, and decides that it is time for ThunderClan to retreat, concluding that RiverClan's numbers will overpower his patrol, and cause more cats to be wounded. Redtail calls to Tigerclaw, telling the senior warrior of his worries. Redtail then urges Tigerclaw to abandon the battle, explaining that Bluestar would not want them to risk their warriors by trying to fight a battle that cannot be won. Disregarding Tigerclaw's protest, he leaps onto a boulder, and yowls to ThunderClan, ordering a retreat to ThunderClan's camp. As Redtail and the others retreat into the woods, Tigerclaw hesitates for a moment, staring at the battlefield with a grim face, mulling over the lost territory. He eventually follows Redtail's patrol back into the trees, towards ThunderClan's camp.


 * Not long after the initial skirmish, another breaks out over the Sunningrocks. Redtail dies at the claws of Tigerclaw in an act of treachory. Tigerclaw lies to the Clan about Redtail's death, telling them that the RiverClan deputy, Oakheart, had slain Redtail in battle. Tigerclaw says that he had killed Oakheart to avenge his fallen Clanmate's death. However, it is revealed that Tigerclaw's apprentice, Ravenpaw, had witnessed the truth. Ravenpaw later tells Firepaw of this, stating that Oakheart had been killed by a rockfall while fighting Redtail. Upon Redtail's escape from being crushed, Tigerclaw turns on the ThunderClan deputy, and murders Redtail for his position in the Clan's hierarchy.


 * Ravenpaw describes Redtail as very brave, which is then confirmed by Bluestar, refers to him as a noble cat who was never swayed by pride or self-interest. A wail of grief is heard from Dustpaw, devastated when he hears that his mentor has died. Tigerclaw's disappointment is palpable as Bluestar chooses Lionheart as the deputy instead. After a ShadowClan patrol raids the camp, Lionheart is killed. Tigerclaw shares tongues with his friend's body before being chosen as the new deputy, thus achieving his ambition at last. Tigerclaw's influence extends throughout the Clan, and his suspicion of Ravenpaw's knowledge brings him to sabotage the apprentice's image in the Clan. Fearing for his life, he flees to Barley's farm to avoid Tigerclaw's persecution.

Forest of Secrets

 * Fireheart continues to investigate Tigerclaw's crime, accumulating more details of Redtail's murder. He is mentioned by Fireheart multiple times, as he questions different cats and aims to bring justice to the fallen deputy.


 * Tigerclaw's treachery is finally exposed after his assassination attempt of Bluestar. This opens up a window for Fireheart to reveal Tigerclaw's part in Redtail's death to the rest of ThunderClan. Tigerclaw is declared a fugitive, and he turns to his closest supporters to follow him into exile. Among them is Redtail's former apprentice, Dustpelt. Trembling with anguish, Dustpelt states that no matter how much he admired Tigerclaw, he owed more to Redtail than any cat. He declares that he would rather die than follow him. Tigerclaw leaves, snarling an equivalent of "Then Perish."

The Darkest Hour

 * Redtail manifests as a StarClan warrior when Fireheart arrives at the Moonstone. He gives Fireheart his second of nine lives, the life of justice. He thanks the new leader for revealing the truth when no one else would, referring to Fireheart's determination in exposing Tigerclaw's treachery.


 * Later, Redtail is mentioned when Ravenpaw comes out of the barn he and his mate, Barley, share. It is said that Ravenpaw was the only cat who knew the true nature of Redtail's death.


 * During the battle against BloodClan, Firestar sees a flash of dark fur and a bushy red tail, indicating the presence of Redtail, along with all the other StarClan cats that gave him his nine lives.

Outcast

 * Longtail is telling the story of Tigerstar's treachery to Foxkit and Icekit, mentioning that Redtail was murdered by the dark tabby in cold blood.

The Last Hope

 * After Firestar's death, Redtail appears once named by Jayfeather. The medicine cat is going over the cats who gave Firestar his nine lives. Jayfeather mistakenly notes that Redtail gave Firestar the life of courage, when Redtail actually gave him a life of justice.

Code of the Clans

 * Redtail briefly appears in one of the short stories, inflicted with greencough. Longtail overhears the deputy speaking with Bluestar about hunting patrols. He orders Longtail and Darkstripe to hunt for their ill Clanmate's, being healthy enough themselves.

Battles of the Clans

 * In "Dustpaw Speaks: Shadows in the Forest", Dustpaw mentions that Redtail was stuck in camp with a bellyache after eating a rotten blackbird, so he went out training with Tigerclaw instead. Tigerclaw asked if Redtail ever taught Dustpaw how to catch prey in trees, whilst teaching him how to swing from branches. His name is mentioned when Tigerclaw, Dustpaw, Darkstripe and Longtail confuse the attacking ShadowClan patrol with multiple Lightning Strikes. Dustpaw then calls out to Redtail, fooling the ShadowClan patrol into thinking that there are more cats in ThunderClan's patrol then there really was.

The Ultimate Guide

 * It is mentioned on Tigerstar's page that in a clash over the Sunningrocks, Tigerclaw saw his chance to become deputy of ThunderClan in killing Redtail. As his alibi, Tigerclaw blames it on their rivals. Though not immediately, Tigerclaw is eventually made deputy.


 * Redtail is also mentioned on Ravenpaw and Barley's page. Ravenpaw witnessed the slaughter, thus put in terrible danger of his own mentor.

Spottedleaf's Heart

 * Redkit is playing a warrior with Spottedkit, and attacks Brindlekit, who is pretending to be one of the rogues. Spottedkit yells at him because she had not signalled for him to attack yet and tells him he can no longer play as the deputy. Redkit says he doesn't want to play with Spottedkit because she is too bossy. Redkit jumps at Thistleclaw and winds him, causing Whitepaw to fetch Featherwhisker. He then announces that they hurt Thistleclaw very badly.


 * Redpaw is apprenticed to Sparrowpelt, along with Spottedpaw and Willowpaw. During the apprentices' ceremony, Tigerpaw is seen glaring at the newly appointed apprentices. Redpaw tells Spottedpaw not to worry about it. He is taken to see the territory with Halftail, Thistleclaw, Tigerpaw, Thrushpelt, Spottedpaw, and Willowpaw join them.


 * Redpaw notices Spottedpaw is out of the medicine cat den and goes over to talk to her.


 * The tortoiseshell tom is seen dragging a squirrel that Willowpaw had caught through the gorse tunnel with her. When asked whether Willowpaw caught it he says it nearly flew off with her.


 * He wakes Spottedpaw up after her visit to the Dark Forest, and asks where she was the night before.

Ravenpaw's Farewell

 * Barley reminds Ravenpaw why he left ThunderClan: Tigerclaw knew Ravenpaw saw him kill Redtail, and was planning his demise for witnessing it.

Tigerclaw's Fury

 * When Tigerclaw invites Dustpelt to follow him into exile, the latter refuses, because Tigerclaw killed his mentor, Redtail. Tigerclaw instantly remembers Redtail, thinking he deserved to die because he was too much like Bluestar, always seeking peace. The dark brown tom is jerked from the memories of the red slash opening in Redtail's throat when Bluestar begins talking.