StarClan

StarClan are the deceased warrior ancestors of the Clans who live on in spirit form after dying, and watch over the living cats.

General
Clan cats and their descendants who followed The Warrior Code and led a honorable life will reach StarClan when they die, even if they were not part of a Clan at the moment of their death (such as Pinestar or Leafstar's mother).

When a cat dies and is going to be guided to StarClan, they merely close their eyes and reopen them a few moments later. When leaders lose lives, those lives appear in StarClan as copies of the leader, but they are unable to hear, speak, or touch other StarClan cats until the leader loses their final life.

StarClan cats leave starry paw prints, their eyes shine like moons, and their pelts glow with a pale light, which makes them look like they have stars dappled in their fur. Cats' spirits remain in StarClan until they are forgotten by all living and dead cats over a long time and earned their own peace, causing them to fade away to little more than ghost-like images of themselves.

Territory
StarClan's hunting grounds is described as a moonlit night landscape in greenleaf, a land of mist and shadows. It resembles the landscape of The Forest, and several locations exist in both the waking world and in StarClan.

For the living cats, StarClan's territory appears as a large, cloudy-looking swath of stars, which has been confirmed to be the Milky Way. Clan cats believe that, upon dying and joining StarClan, a new star appears in Silverpelt. On the other hand, the stars are sometimes regarded as representing the living cats instead of the dead ones.

When the Clans migrate to a new territory, StarClan cats follow them in the sky so they can continue watching over them. When SkyClan moved to a new territory, their ancestors separated from StarClan and left with them. When the remaining four Clans left the forest and went to live by the lake, StarClan traveled along with them through unknown sky paths.

Fourtrees
The sacred places of the Clans exist in both the waking world and StarClan's hunting grounds. One of these locations is Fourtrees, seen by most cats in their dreams when visiting StarClan (such as a cat during his or her leader ceremony). Even if it was destroyed by Twolegs, Fourtrees still exists in StarClan, as it will always be remembered by the cats.

Warm-Rocks
Warm-Rocks is a place in StarClan territory, mentioned in Fading Echoes, when Silverstream was looking for her daughter, Feathertail. It is not described in detail, however, the name suggests that it is a relaxing spot, similar to Sunningrocks in the old forest.

Relation to Living Cats
StarClan cats watch over the Clans from the sky and send prophecies to guide them or warn them of impending danger. Ancestors usually watch over the living cats of their former Clan, and especially over cats who were close to them in their lifetime; for example Spottedleaf generally gives advice to ThunderClan cats, but most often to Firestar. Living cats visit StarClan in their dreams, although StarClan cats are able to appear even in the waking world.

Medicine cats have a special bond with StarClan, and they are the cats who are usually contacted by the ancestors. At every half-moon, the medicine cats and medicine cat apprentices of each Clan go to their "sacred place" (Moonstone or Moonpool) to speak with StarClan and receive advice about the future. To receive the signs of StarClan, medicine cats either drink the water at Moonpool or touch noses with the Moonstone, initiating the dream.

Besides medicine cats, StarClan cats sometimes send messages to leaders (Firestar is known to have received several warnings and prophecies), warriors (such as when Brambleclaw is invited to undertake a quest), or even non-Clan cats (such as Smudge). Other creatures (such as Midnight) may also be given a warning, or prophecy for the Clans.

Ceremonies
All Clan ceremonies are believed to be supervised by StarClan. The Clan Leader performing a ceremony calls upon the warrior ancestors, and promotes a cat by the powers of StarClan.

StarClan has the greatest role during leader ceremonies, when they give nine lives to the new Clan leader. Each of the lives are granted by a single ancestor, usually from the same Clan or a cat they knew when they were living, as a gift of an attribute.

Influence
There is contradiction in the books about how much influence does StarClan have over the living world:
 * Lionheart and Bluestar state that StarClan has no control over what happens to cats in the living world; the most they can do is to warn cats in dreams
 * In Firestar's Quest, Spottedleaf appears in the waking world and offers a bundle of burdock root to Sandstorm, implying that StarClan cats can physically influence and change the living world
 * If cats fight during a Gathering, StarClan covers the moon with clouds and lightning, even if the sky was clear before, implying that they have power over nature
 * In Twilight, StarClan makes Cinderpelt to reincarnate as Cinderheart, Brackenfur and Sorreltail's daughter, instead of accepting her spirit among them, implying that they have power over life and death

Life in StarClan
Cats in StarClan are restored to the age in which they were happiest (i.e. Yellowfang is old because she was happiest near the end of her life in ThunderClan, but Bluestar is young again because she was happiest at the peak of her youth). Cats who die keep their name at the highest rank they had or would have achieved; Smallkit, for example, becomes Smallstar, as had he survived longer he would have become leader.

Prey is always plentiful and cats have no defined tasks (such as hunting and training), and are free to do as they please, so they are mostly content, except when seeing living cats suffer.

StarClan has no hierarchy, thus there is no defined leader or deputy, although cats respect those who were their leaders or mentors in the living world.

Once a StarClan cat ceases to be remembered by any living or dead cats, they will slowly seem to appear as the faintest star and will live their life in StarClan peacefully and alone. Usually, they do not send dreams to any living cats.

Other Ancestors
The opposite of StarClan is the Place of No Stars, made up of cats who committed unforgivable evil deeds during their life. It has a sort of border with StarClan's hunting grounds, appearing as a wall of mist. StarClan cats can enter the Place of No Stars, but when they do, they risk never being able to escape. Cats who make up the Place of No Stars, such as Tigerstar or his son Hawkfrost, on the other hand, have no choice but to stay where they are.

The Tribe of Rushing Water have their own spirit ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Feathertail, who is a RiverClan cat, but dies protecting the Tribe, is able to walk with both StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting.

Formerly part of StarClan, SkyClan's ancestors left, along with SkyClan and are now separate. However, it is unknown if they have rejoined StarClan after Leafstar's leader ceremony, when they were able to meet each other again.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Bluestar is sure that she can see Snowfur and Moonflower in the stars watching over her with their expressions and opinions of whatever she's doing speaking silently to her. Examples of this include after she had gone to meet Oakheart at the Fourtrees and when she gave her kits to Oakheart and RiverClan.


 * When Bluefur has her leader ceremony she sees many StarClan cats. The only ones mentioned by name are the ones giving Bluestar her lives: Pinestar, Mumblefoot, Larksong, Sweetpaw, Sunstar, Goosefeather, Mosskit, Moonflower, and Snowfur.

Firestar's Quest

 * Bluestar tells Firestar about SkyClan, and to worry about ThunderClan, not a forgotten Clan.


 * In Leafstar's leader ceremony, Redstar, Birchstar, Dawnstar, and Swiftstar appear from StarClan and apologize to Cloudstar for not allowing SkyClan to stay.

Into the Wild

 * StarClan sends Spottedleaf a sign through a falling star. She interprets the message as "Fire alone will save our Clan". The fire turns out to be a kittypet named Rusty, who joins ThunderClan soon after, and fulfills his prophecy.

Fire and Ice

 * Spottedleaf enters Fireheart's dream to give him a message from StarClan.

Forest of Secrets

 * Spottedleaf tells Fireheart, "StarClan is calling you... do not be afraid." Fireheart thinks that meant he was dying, although StarClan was telling him that he was about to become deputy.

Rising Storm

 * Spottedleaf tells Fireheart to "beware an enemy who seems to sleep".


 * Bluestar loses her faith in StarClan, and even declares war on them after a fire destroys most of ThunderClan's territory.

A Dangerous Path

 * Spottedleaf and Yellowfang visit Fireheart in a dream. Together, they show him WindClan territory, telling him that this is where a "battle will not be fought". Bluestar tells Fireheart that he was the fire that would save the Clan.

The Darkest Hour

 * Bluestar tells Fireheart that "four will become two, lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest", thus warning him about the dangerous battle with BloodClan and to become LionClan. Fireheart also gets his nine lives from the following StarClan members: Lionheart, Redtail, Silverstream, Runningwind, Brindleface, Swiftpaw, Yellowfang, Spottedleaf, and Bluestar.

Midnight

 * The cats of StarClan came together and chose four cats, one from each Clan, to go on a journey to find a new home for the Clans.


 * Cinderpelt receives a sign in a clump of burning bracken: "Fire and tiger will destroy the Clan." This means that the daughter of "Fire" (Squirrelpaw) and the son of "Tiger" (Brambleclaw) will destroy the Clan. Firestar tries his hardest to separate the two, in fear of the destruction of ThunderClan. However, the prophecy became true, but "destroying the Clan" meant that the two cats would destroy the suffering Clan and rebuild it by leading them to the lake territory.

Moonrise

 * In Moonrise, it is discovered that the members of StarClan are not the only warrior ancestors in the sky; the mountain Tribe, the Tribe of Rushing Water, has their own set of ancestors, the Tribe of Endless Hunting. From the Tribe of Endless Hunting: "A silver cat, not from this tribe, will save us from Sharptooth." It was thought to be Stormfur, but it was actually Feathertail, his sister.

Dawn

 * Spottedleaf leads Squirrelpaw to her sister Leafpaw at the Twolegplace. Firestar loses yet another life when he, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelpaw are leading ShadowClan to safety; he gets crushed under a falling tree. Later, StarClan reveals the path to the new territory, by showing a "dying warrior." The dying warrior turned out to be a shooting star, as Squirrelpaw discovered, which showed the Clans where to go. In the mountains, Spottedleaf visits Leafpaw and tells her that StarClan is always watching the Clans.

Starlight

 * Spottedleaf leads Leafpaw to the Moonpool, the new gathering place for the medicine cats to share tongues with StarClan.

Twilight

 * StarClan tells Cinderpelt that she will be joining them soon, though they do not know when.

Sunset

 * Spottedleaf tells Leafpool that Cinderpelt was reborn to life as Cinderkit, one of Sorreltail's kits.

The Sight

 * Spottedleaf interrupts Jaypaw's conversation with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost.


 * Also, the prophecy about Firestar's "kin of kin" is revealed to Jaypaw.

Dark River

 * Lionpaw makes friends with a WindClan apprentice Heatherpaw and they secretly play in some tunnels. When the tunnels flooded and Jaypaw, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, Breezepaw, Heatherpaw, Sedgekit, Swallowkit, and Thistlekit are trapped inside, StarClan was powerless to help them. It was only with the help of Fallen Leaves and Rock that they survived.

Outcast

 * The Tribe of Endless Hunting tell Jaypaw about the prophecy told to Firestar: "Three will come, kin of the one with fire in his pelt, who hold the power of the stars in their paws."

Eclipse

 * In the prologue, Spottedleaf is seen chasing a mouse, and accidentally disturbing a flea-infested Yellowfang. Whitestorm and Bluestar then come and join them, and they begin arguing about the three kits in the prophecy.


 * Later, when Jaypaw travels to the Moonpool, he walks in Littlecloud's dream, where Runningnose is talking to him about restoring Blackstar's faith in moving to the lake. Sol also deludes Blackstar and convinces him StarClan is not always right. After the Gathering, Jaypaw is visited by StarClan in a dream, where Yellowfang reassures him that all answers will come in time.

Long Shadows

 * In the prologue, Thunder, Shadow, River, and Wind are arguing with Midnight over why she told Sol about the Clans.


 * Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Tigerpaw, Dawnpaw, and Flamepaw fake a sign to make Blackstar believe in StarClan again, but it turns out to be real.

Sunrise

 * In the prologue, Bluestar and Yellowfang are seen arguing about the kits finding out about the prophecy. Yellowfang attacks Bluestar, who reminds her she's her leader.


 * Later, Yellowfang comes to Jayfeather in a dream. She tells him she can tell him who his father is, and gave him a crow's feather.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * Between the last series and this book, Barkface died, Leopardstar lost her seventh and eighth lives, and Firestar lost his fifth.


 * During the prologue, Bluestar, Yellowfang, Lionheart, and Spottedleaf discuss the Prophecy, and Feathertail appears as well. Yellowfang later appears in a dream to Dovepaw telling her that she is a part of the Prophecy, therefore one of the Three.


 * When Jayfeather follows Poppyfrost to the Moonpool and they are attacked by Breezepelt and a cat from the Place of No Stars, Honeyfern appears from StarClan and drives off Breezepelt and the mysterious attacker. She also tells Jayfeather to tell Poppyfrost that Berrynose truly loves her, he is just afraid of losing her like he did herself.


 * Jayfeather and Lionblaze begin to suspect that a war between StarClan and the Place of No Stars is coming.

Fading Echoes

 * When Jayfeather visits the Moonpool, he tries to step into Flametail's dream, but Yellowfang meets him and takes him to another part of StarClan's hunting grounds. They discuss Jayfeather's suspicions that the Dark Forest is planning something, so they and Spottedleaf decide to visit the Dark Forest. Along the way they see five of Firestar's lives, and Yellowfang explains how leaders' lives go to StarClan as they lose them, but until their final life is lost, the lives will not be able to hear or speak to other StarClan cats.

Trivia

 * During Into the Wild, Graypaw accidentally says StarClan is a tribe.