Rippletail (RC)

"I only ever wanted to help my Clan. My life was worth that."

— Rippletail to Mistyfoot in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 3

Rippletail (RC)
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	RiverClan
Biographical information
Cause of death:	Killed by a beaver
Names
Kit:	Unknown
Apprentice:	Ripplepaw
Warrior:	Rippletail
StarClan resident:	Rippletail
Education
Mentor:	Reedwhisker
Apprentice:	Mallownose
Book appearances
Living	Twilight, Sunset, Leafpool's Wish, Power of Three, Hollyleaf's Story, The Fourth Apprentice
Living	Twilight, Sunset, Leafpool's Wish, Power of Three, Hollyleaf's Story, The Fourth Apprentice
Dead	Mistystar's Omen
Dead	Mistystar's Omen

Rippletail is a dark gray tabby tom.

Rippletail was a RiverClan warrior under Leopardstar's leadership in the lake territories. As an apprentice, Ripplepaw was mentored by Reedwhisker, and aided Leafpool and Mothwing with treating the ill from tainted water. After earning his warrior name, Rippletail mentored Mallownose. During a drought that dried up the lake, Rippletail and Petalfur were chosen to represent RiverClan on a journey to free the lake water. Rippletail died while fighting the beavers, and Dovepaw was traumatized by his death. He ascended to StarClan and gave Mistyfoot one of her nine lives.

History

In The New Prophecy arc

Twilight

When RiverClan is infected with sickness, Ripplepaw manages to remain healthy, unlike many of his Clanmates. When the ThunderClan medicine cat, Leafpool, comes to help, he is introduced to her by his mentor, Reedwhisker, who also thanks Leafpool for saving him when he was still a very young apprentice. They volunteer to fetch yarrow for the sick cats, and return with the herbs that are used to cure all the sick in RiverClan.

In the Power of Three arc

The Sight

After several moons of training, Ripplepaw earns his warrior name of Rippletail.

Long Shadows

Rippletail is appointed as Mallowpaw's mentor.

In the Omen of the Stars arc

The Fourth Apprentice

«Rippletail was facing the creature defiantly, with teeth bared and claws extended, but Lionblaze could see that he didn't have a chance.»

—Lionblaze watching Rippletail fight a beaver ^{The Fourth Apprentice, page 229}

Rippletail's apprentice, Mallowpaw, is now a warrior named Mallownose. Rippletail and his Clanmate, Petalfur, are chosen to represent RiverClan to go on the patrol upstream to see what happened to the water, as a drought is currently happening and the stream is blocked by something. The cats journeying with them are Lionblaze, Dovepaw, Sedgewhisker, Whitetail, Tigerheart, and Toadfoot. They are mentioned to be weaker and more easily tired than the other cats because of the drought and famine, which is worse in RiverClan because the lack of water causes a lack of fish.

Later, when dogs attack the patrol, he reveals that he, Petalfur, and the WindClan cats don't know how to climb trees, as there aren't many on their territory. The ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats have to assist them, and they all make it up safely. When one of the cats is wounded, Rippletail treats them, and it is mentioned that he learned about herbs from Mothwing in preparation for the journey.

When they reach the beaver dam, he and Petalfur stop and start playing in the river, happy to be back near water. The beavers then start swimming after them and almost catch the RiverClan warriors. When they reach the beavers, he and the other cats attempt to fight with them. In the battle, a couple of beavers corner Rippletail. The biggest beaver rips a large wound in his shoulder with its huge, jagged teeth. Petalfur brings him out of harm's way, but the wound is too much for him to recover from without proper care, and he suffers all night. He slowly dies when dawn comes, as he is the only cat who knew which herbs to use.

The other seven cats bury him by the stream as they would have been unable to bring him home, and they vow that they will find a way to bring back the water so that he will not have died in vain, but they realize that they must do so without fighting the beavers. While the remaining seven cats struggle in the flood, Dovepaw and Petalfur eventually meet up, and Petalfur helps Dovepaw, saying that Rippletail won't have died in vain.

When the warriors return to the lake, Lionblaze and Dovepaw offer to go to RiverClan with Petalfur to break the news of Rippletail's death, but she declines, saying it is something that she must do alone. It is noted that Petalfur is still grieving heavily, but silently, for her lost Clanmate.

Fading Echoes

"You might feel as if you are responsible for his death, but you're not. You have a destiny, but so does every other cat. Rippletail was always going to be part of the quest to unblock the stream. He was born with courage, and you couldn't have succeeded without him. His death steered your path, helped you find another way to defeat the beavers. He died saving the lives of his Clanmates. StarClan led him to the battle that killed him, not you."

―Jayfeather to Dovepaw about Rippletail ^{Fading Echoes, chapter 1}

Dovepaw and Petalfur continue to grieve heavily for him. As she dreams, Dovepaw hears Rippletail's lonely whimper ring into her ears. Later on, Jayfeather asks Dovepaw if she was dreaming about Rippletail. He goes on to tell her that Rippletail was always going to be part of the quest to unblock the stream, and that he was born with courage and the cats couldn't have succeeded without him. Jayfeather continues by saying that his death steered Dovepaw's path in helping her find another way to defeat the beavers. It is said that StarClan led him to the battle that killed him, not Dovepaw. Afterward, it is mentioned that Dovepaw felt peace for the first time since Rippletail's death.

In the Novellas

Mistystar's Omen

"Rippletail died saving the lake, and all the Clans. He will be honored forever."

―Mistyfoot telling Leopardstar her opinion on Rippletail ^{Mistystar's Omen, chapter 1}

Rippletail is present among the ranks of StarClan during Mistyfoot's leadership ceremony. When he comes to give the new leader a life for curiosity, Mistyfoot gratefully tells him that his sacrifice had brought back the water in the lake, leaving out the fact that the fish had yet to return. Rippletail notes that he doesn't regret losing his life if it meant helping his Clan.

Character pixels

Main images

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Kit Version Apprentice Version Warrior Version StarClan Version

Alternate images

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Alternative Apprentice Version

Ceremonies

Lives granted

The following is a list of gifts Rippletail (RC) has granted during nine lives ceremonies:

Lives granted
Gift Receiver Curiosity Mistystar

Appearances

• Twilight (First appearance)
• Sunset (Allegiance only)
• Leafpool's Wish (Allegiance only)
• The Sight (Allegiance only)
• Dark River (Allegiance only)
• Outcast (Allegiance only)
• Eclipse (Allegiance only)
• Long Shadows (Allegiance only)
• Sunrise (Allegiance only)
• Hollyleaf's Story (Allegiance only)
• The Fourth Apprentice †
• Mistystar's Omen
• Fading Echoes (Mentioned only)

Trivia

Author statements

• Kate mentioned that he may be one of Mistystar's kits. However, Reedwhisker is confirmed to be one of her kits that were swept away in a flood by Vicky in the same chat, making Rippletail too young to be from the same litter.
  • Later it is revealed that Graymist and Rippletail are not Reedwhisker's littermates, and that the litter Fireheart saved from the river consisted of Reedwhisker, Perchkit, Primrosepaw, and Pikepaw.

Mistakes

• Rippletail has been mistakenly called a silver she-cat.

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Grasswhisker and Mallowtail were the parents of Beechfur and Rippletail. Rippletail was also described with yellow eyes.

Quotes

Mistyfoot: "Oh, Rippletail. I'm so sorry you didn't return. You saved the lake, you know? The water came back!"

Rippletail: "I only ever wanted to help my Clan. My life was worth that. The life I give you is for curiosity, for the courage to find out what lies beyond the horizon. Never turn down a chance to learn something more."

^{Mistystar's Omen, chapter 3}

External links

• More Ways to Live on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only) (backup link)
• Stand Together or Fall Divided on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
• More Than Life Itself on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
• Character Spotlight - Leopardstar on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
• Reach Beyond Borders on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Fan content

• Changing Seasons Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Our Favorite Journeys Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)