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This article contains major spoilers for the recently released, The Place of No Stars. This also includes the reveal of the identity of the impostor. Please proceed at your own discretion. |
"No, Mistystar. I will never feel welcome in a Clan where warriors are exiled unjustly. Icewing and Harelight risked their safety and their lives to oppose the evil presence inside Bramblestar. We should be thanking them, not sending them into exile. Besides, I chose to be a RiverClan cat, and I have served my Clan faithfully, and yet you drove me away because of my birth, which I had no control over. It will be hard for me to forget that." |
— Mothwing rejecting Mistystar's offer to rejoin RiverClan in Veil of Shadows, page 287 |
Mothwing is a dappled[11] golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes.[3]
Mothwing was a medicine cat of RiverClan that has served under Leopardstar's and Mistystar's leaderships in the forest and lake territories. She was born as Moth to Sasha and Tigerstar alongside her brothers, Hawk and Tadpole. After Tadpole died, Sasha brought her kits to RiverClan, and Moth became an apprentice as Mothpaw with Mistyfoot as her mentor. She later earned her warrior name of Mothwing, and when Hawkfrost revealed he faked an omen so Mudfur would accept Mothwing as his apprentice, she refused to believe in StarClan because of it.
Mothwing mentored Willowshine, though Leafpool taught her about StarClan and dreams. Despite Mistystar finding out about her not believing in StarClan, she demoted Mothwing as an elder; however, Mothwing retained her position after an omen. After a while, she revealed that she believed StarClan existed, but questioned their guidance and was named by a codebreaker by the impostor, eventually being exiled from RiverClan for her birth and took refuge in ShadowClan, becoming a medicine cat for the rebels. Although she was allowed back into RiverClan, Mothwing chose to remain in exile and joined ShadowClan under Tigerstar.
Contents
History
Looking for a longer overview? Find one here!
The New Prophecy
- "No, Leafpool. I don't believe the spirits of our warrior ancestors come back to speak with us. Stars are just unseeing specks of light in the night sky, not dead cats looking down on us. We can keep our old friends alive with memories, but if they're not here, they're nowhere. That's what I believe. [...] Because I believe in you, Leafpool."
- ―Mothwing to Leafpool Twilight, page 102
- Mothwing develops a close friendship with ThunderClan's medicine cat apprentice, Leafpaw, and she offers to teach Leafpaw how to fish and often disregards the warrior code for her friend. When Mudfur dies, leaving Mothwing as RiverClan's sole medicine cat, Leafpaw assures her friend that she will do great. Before the Great Journey, her mother, Sasha, arrives and asks for her kits to stay with her and reveals their father was Tigerstar. Hawkfrost and Mothwing gently decline their mother's invitation.
- At their new home, Mothwing accidentally poisons the elders with tainted water and tells Leafpaw that she doesn't believe in StarClan. Leafpaw has trouble accepting this revelation, but still acknowledges Mothwing as a brilliant medicine cat. Willowpaw becomes Mothwing's apprentice, and Leafpool walks in Willowpaw's dreams to teach her how to interpret omens and prophecies from StarClan. Hawkfrost threatens Mothwing to make up an omen to drive out Stormfur and Brook and calls his sister useless despite faking the moth's wing omen for her. Her brother is killed by Brambleclaw, freeing Mothwing from his manipulation.
Power of Three
- Mothwing: "It helps to share ideas."
- Jaypaw: "Does StarClan give you good advice, too?"
- The Sight, page 278
- Jaypaw, Leafpool's apprentice, is puzzled by Mothwing's lack of faith in StarClan, though he notes she is talented at her duties. He begrudgingly thinks that Mothwing enjoys the quick nap she gets at each half-moon meeting. Mothwing continues to chat with Leafpool and eagerly shares her herbs with WindClan when a bout of greencough breaks out. Mothwing makes Willowpaw a full medicine cat with the name of Willlowshine. From that point, Mothwing sends Willowshine to the half-moon meetings in her place.
Omen of the Stars
- "They're just dead warriors! Do you think that when they die, they get clever and brave? Don't you realize that some of them may be as foolish and wrong-headed as they were when they were alive?"
- ―Mothwing to Jayfeather Night Whispers, page 217
A Vision of Shadows
- "I admit something happened there. But if StarClan does exist, I still don't believe in their power, or that they know what's best for us. Why do these terrible things happen, if StarClan is on our side? [...] I'm not sure they work like that. They warn us about what will happen, but it's our responsibility to act."
- ―Mothwing describing her disbelief in StarClan to Willowshine River of Fire, page 12, Bonus scene
The Broken Code
- "No, Mistystar. I will never feel welcome in a Clan where warriors are exiled unjustly. Icewing and Harelight risked their safety and their lives to oppose the evil presence inside Bramblestar. We should be thanking them, not sending them into exile. Besides, I chose to be a RiverClan cat, and I have served my Clan faithfully, and yet you drove me away because of my birth, which I had no control over. It will be hard for me to forget that."
- ―Mothwing to Mistystar, choosing to remain in exile Veil of Shadows, page 287
Novellas
This section summarizes Mothwing's significant Novellas appearances. If you're looking for a full list, find one here!
- "We can't rely on our ancestors. We can only rely on one another."
- ―Mothwing's thoughts after the Dark Forest Mothwing's Secret, page chapter 8
- "I believe in the importance of learning from what has been discovered before. And in how precious health is, and how hard I must work to preserve it in all my Clanmates. The fact that the world of signs, omens, and dreams that have hidden meanings is closed to me doesn't feel like something is missing, Mistystar. I respect what you believe. You must respect what matters to me."
- ―Mothwing to Mistystar Mistystar's Omen, page chapter 10
Tigerstar and Sasha
- "Moth, keep going! You can make it, I know you can!"
- ―Tadpole encouraging Moth before he drowns Return to the Clans, page 48
- Sasha realizes the safest place for her kits to grow up is in a Clan, so she takes them to RiverClan and tells them about their father. Hawk and Moth are accepted into the Clan and given apprentice names. Leopardstar tells them about the horrors Tigerstar committed to RiverClan, and Sasha makes her kits promise not to tell anyone the truth about their parentage. Recognizing she will never belong in a Clan, Sasha leaves her kits in RiverClan to grow up as warriors.
Detailed description
- Mothwing is a triangular-faced,[16] thick,[17] sleek,[18] and long-furred,[16] dappled,[11] dark[19] golden she-cat.[3] She has rippling tabby stripes,[16] huge,[20] amber eyes,[3] a broad head,[20] and a fluffy tail.[21]
Character pixels
Please do not edit this gallery |
Official art
Please do not edit this gallery Mothwing on the cover of Return to the Clans Mothwing in Return to the Clans Mothwing in Return to the Clans Mothwing in A Shadow in RiverClan Mothwing on the cover of Mothwing's Secret Mothwing in The Ultimate Guide Mothwing's icon on the Warriors family tree |
Ceremonies
Mothpaw's apprentice ceremony | ||||||||
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Mothwing's medicine cat apprentice ceremony | ||||||||||
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Personality and Relationships
- Main article: Mothwing/PR
- Mothwing is patient, kind and strong-willed. While she and her brother Hawkfrost were close as kits, his manipulative ways forced Mothwing to cut ties with him. Mothwing also has a strong friendship with Leafpool. For more of Mothwing's personality and relationships, click here!
Family
- Main article: Mothwing/Family
- Mothwing's parents are Tigerstar and Sasha, and her brothers are Hawkfrost and Tadpole. For more of Mothwing's family, click here!
Appearances
- Return to the Clans
- A Shadow in RiverClan
- Mothwing's Secret
- Midnight (First appearance)
- Moonrise
- Dawn
- Starlight
- Twilight
- Sunset
- Leafpool's Wish (Allegiance only)
- The Sight
- Dark River
- Outcast (Mentioned only)
- Eclipse
- Long Shadows (Mentioned only)
- Sunrise (Allegiance only)
- Hollyleaf's Story (Allegiance only)
- The Fourth Apprentice (Allegiance only)
- Mistystar's Omen
- Fading Echoes
- Night Whispers
- Sign of the Moon
- The Forgotten Warrior
- The Last Hope
- Dovewing's Silence
- Crowfeather's Trial
- Bramblestar's Storm
- The Apprentice's Quest
- Thunder and Shadow
- Shattered Sky
- Darkest Night
- Tigerheart's Shadow (Allegiance only)
- River of Fire
- Tawnypelt's Clan (Allegiance only)
- Spotfur's Rebellion (Mentioned only)
- The Raging Storm (Mentioned only)
- Squirrelflight's Hope (Allegiance only)
- Lost Stars
- The Silent Thaw
- Veil of Shadows
- Darkness Within
- Graystripe's Vow
- Daisy's Kin (Allegiance only)
- The Place of No Stars
- Cats of the Clans
- Battles of the Clans (Mentioned only)
- The Ultimate Guide
- The Clans Decide
Trivia
- Main article: Mothwing/Trivia
- Did you know Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry have stated that Mothwing will go to StarClan, although she would be very surprised? For more trivia about Mothwing, click here!
Quotes
- Mothwing: "But does it really matter? I mean, there's nothing to stop us from finding the right herbs and..."
- Leafpaw: "Mothwing means we can carry on looking after our Clanmates while we wait for StarClan to speak to us."
- Starlight, page 39
- "Stop pretending, Leafpaw. To me, StarClan, our warrior ancestors, these signs we're supposed to interpret--they're nothing but a bunch of stories to keep the Clans happy."
- ―Mothwing admitting she doesn't believe in StarClan Starlight, page 248
- Mothwing: "No, Leafpool. I don't believe the spirits of our warrior ancestors come back to speak with us. Stars are just unseeing specks of light in the night sky, not dead cats looking down on us. We can keep our old friends alive with memories, but if they're not here, they're nowhere. That's what I believe."
- Leafpool: "I know. But if you don't believe in StarClan, why take any notice of Feathertail's warning?"
- Twilight, page 102
- "I can't, Leafpool. I've never told Leopardstar about a dream before this, and I probably never will again. It wasn't my dream. I just don't have prophetic dreams from StarClan. I have to find my own way of being a medicine cat, without StarClan. Trust me, Leafpool. I want nothing more than to care for my Clan, but it has to be on my own terms."
- ―Mothwing to Leafpool Twilight, page 126
- "I can't! I couldn't lie about that. Being a medicine cat means I have to be trustworthy. The way that it happened—that you tricked Mudfur into thinking he'd gotten a sign about me from StarCan—I've always been ashamed of that. I've been afraid of any cat finding out I'm not a proper medicine cat. It's like heavy paws pushing me down sometimes, knowing that the whole Clan would turn on me if they knew. I can't lie again. Being a medicine cat is the most important thing in my life."
- ―Mothwing to Hawkfrost about not faking a sign to force Stormfur and Brook out of RiverClan Mothwing's Secret, page chapter 5
- "You have your beliefs. I have mine. The cats you see in your dreams guide and protect you in ways I have lived without. I am skilled at healing and caring for my Clanmates, and that has been enough to serve my Clan."
- ―Mothwing to Mistystar over StarClan Mistystar's Omen, page chapter 4
- "I realized that Mothwing didn't believe in StarClan quite quickly. But I never saw any reason to challenge her. I could tell she was going to be a good medicine cat. She was smart and calm, and kinder than I was to cats in pain! Being a medicine cat is first and foremost about serving your Clan, and I knew that Mothwing would do that with every beat of her heart."
- ―Mudfur about Mothwing Mistystar's Omen, page chapter 10
- "I am not my brother. I have always chosen a different path from him. My loyalty is to living Clanmates, not dead littermates."
- ―Mothwing to Jayfeather The Last Hope, page 32
- "I envy your faith. You can always find hope, even in the darkest moments."
- ―Mothwing to Jayfeather The Last Hope, page 171
- "I'll always be here if you need me. I may not share your faith, but I will always help you fight for what you believe in."
- ―Mothwing vowing to help Jayfeather The Last Hope, page 171
- Mothwing: "Now that you asked, but with time to reflect on what happened in the Great Battle, and everything that happened with Darktail and the cats we lost...I no longer deny that StarClan exists."
- Kestrelflight: "What?"
- Lost Stars, pages 77-78
- Mothwing: "This is nonsense! This proves what I've always thought. We shouldn't let our ancestors guide us. Why should every cat suffer because a few have made mistakes?"
- Willowshine: "We can't turn away from StarClan when we disagree with them. They see everything. They have more knowledge than us."
- The Silent Thaw, page 162
- Mistystar: "I'm sorry, Mothwing. Your mother was a rogue and your father was the first Tigerstar, who, whatever he was, was not a RiverClan cat. I must send you into exile."
- Mothwing: "But—"
- Veil of Shadows, pages 65-66
- "All of us can do with reminding ourselves of our skills from time to time. Even experienced healers like me."
- ―Mothwing trying to comfort Shadowsight about his demotion Darkness Within, page 87
External links
- Warrior of the Week Gallery #56 - Mothwing on the Warriors official website (Warrior of the Week #56) (backup link)
- Nothing But Stories on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Cats of The New Prophecy on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Role of a Medicine Cat on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- Building a Religion on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- Codebreakers: Brainstorming The Broken Code on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: Lost Stars on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- The Silent Thaw on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Exclusive! Veil of Shadows: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: The Silent Thaw on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Veil of Shadows and A Warrior's Spirit on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- Exclusive! Graystripe's Vow: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Exclusive! Darkness Within: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Exclusive! The Place of No Stars Except on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- Exclusive! A Warrior's Choice Excerpt on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- The Place of No Stars: A look at the most popular fan theories on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: Darkness Within on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- A bully with no brains on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Outpacing other 'Paws (and Mentors) on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Evil Lives Forever on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- When Omens Are False on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- Winds of Change on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Asking a Great Deal on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Too Much History on the Warriors official website (Mentioned only) (backup link)
- True warriors? on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
- Which Warrior is Worthy - The Return on the Warriors official website (poll option) (backup link)
- Send Us Your Art: A Warrior's Spirit on the Warriors official website (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ Revealed in Veil of Shadows, page 288
- ↑ Revealed in Return to the Clans, page 68
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Revealed in Midnight, allegiances
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Revealed in Veil of Shadows, pages 65-66
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Revealed in Veil of Shadows, page 121
- ↑ Revealed in Return to the Clans, page 3
- ↑ Revealed in Return to the Clans, page 75
- ↑ Revealed in Midnight, page 48
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Revealed in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 6
- ↑ Revealed in Midnight, page 50
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Revealed in Starlight, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Graystripe's Vow, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Mothwing's Secret, chapter 1
- ↑ Revealed in Sunset, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Veil of Shadows, page 66
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Revealed in Midnight, page 51
- ↑ Revealed in The Apprentice's Quest, page 38
- ↑ Revealed in Return to the Clans, page 78
- ↑ Revealed in Starlight, page 44
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Revealed in Midnight, page 257
- ↑ Revealed in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 3
![]() | |
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Leader | Tigerstar |
Deputy | Cloverfoot |
Medicine cats | Puddleshine • Shadowsight • Mothwing |
Warriors | Snowbird • Tawnypelt • Scorchfur • Icewing • Dovewing • Berryheart • Sparrowtail • Grassheart • Stonewing • Yarrowleaf • Slatefur • Whorlpelt • Snaketooth • Flowerstem • Harelight • Cinnamontail • Blazefire • Gullswoop • Pouncestep • Lightleap • Spireclaw • Hollowspring • Sunbeam • Flaxfoot • Hopwhisker |
Apprentices | N/A |
Queens | N/A |
Kits | N/A |
Elders | Oakfur |
- Characters
- The Ultimate Guide characters
- Females
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