The Ultimate Guide/Animals Outside the Clans

"Midnight was no ordinary badger. With Rock, she had watched the very first sunrise over the lake and had seen reflected in the fiery surface the future of the Clans, Tribes, Ancient cats, and more. Together, Midnight and Rock watched over the cats by the lake and prepared for the day that could have been the sunset of the ways of the Clans, but instead heralded a new dawn."

— Narrator about Midnight in The Ultimate Guide, page 208

The Ultimate Guide
Chapter number:	Animals Outside The Clans (of 19)
Page numbers:	192-208
Point of View:	None
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for the Animals Outside The Clans chapter of The Ultimate Guide. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article. If you are looking for the 2023 edition, see here.

Chapter description/Characters described

Below is a list of the animals outside the Clans mentioned in The Ultimate Guide along with the descriptions given on their pages in a summarized version.

Ravenpaw and Barley

Ravenpaw was never destined to be a ferocious warrior, and as soon as Tigerclaw was appointed as his mentor, his fate was sealed. He preferred to seek compromise and agreement, and Tigerclaw saw this as cowardice, pushing his apprentice to the point of hysteria. When he had the misfortune to see Tigerclaw kill Redtail, then lie about it, he got himself into more trouble than he could've ever imagined. Firepaw brought his friend to a safe place, away from Tigerstar, and one that offered the peace his heart had longed for. He also met his best friend, Barley, a plump black and white mouser that lived at the barn also.

Barley had been born in the Twolegplace, along with his sister Violet, whom he insisted on staying with against Scourge's orders. Because of this, he was forced to watch as his closest allies, none other than their remaining littermate, attack Violet and nearly kill her. She survived and became a kittypet shortly after. Barley led a happy life on the farm until Ravenpaw's happy arrival. Neither of them forgot Ravenpaw's Clan origins, helping the forest cats many times over such as in the BloodClan battle, and letting the Clans hunt at their farm before the Great Journey. Ravenpaw was much missed by his ThunderClan friends, but not one of them would force him to return to where Tigerclaw had caused him so much misery.

Smudge and Princess

Smudge was the kittypet that first sensed Rusty's love for the forest, and although he was in no hurry to go explore it for himself, he was a loyal friend to Rusty, who would become Firestar. When he began having dreams of SkyClan, he went to find Firestar. Why send dreams to a kittypet? Perhaps StarClan became a little less judgmental of cats with different living lifestyles than of living in the Clans.

Princess was the kittypet sister of Firestar, and went to live with different housefolk as a kit. She had no clue of what had happened to her brother until a chance encounter at the edge of the forest, in which her brother told her about Clan life. Although she had no wish to lead a wild life, she was proud enough of her brother to give her firstborn, Cloudtail, to Fireheart, wishing for him the same noble life Firestar spoke of. The wisdom of her decision was questionable at times, but it all worked out in the end. Firestar sometimes still thinks of his sister, and she still thinks of him, knowing that he and her precious son have traveled far away, but with no means of finding out if they are still alive.

Scourge and Bone

Scourge was born on the edge of the Twolegplace, the kittypet son of Quince and Jake, who also went on to father Firestar and Princess with another kittypet named Nutmeg. He was originally named Tiny, and relentlessly mocked by his littermates, Socks and Ruby. He began exploring the forest, to prove he was equal. This is where his first battle happened, when he encountered a ThunderClan apprentice called Tigerpaw. Tiny was soundly defeated and he never forgot the injustice of the uneven battle. He decided to live as a rogue, and soon gained a reputation. He led BloodClan, and gathered the cruelest cats he could find to enforce the rules he introduced.

When Tigerstar came to him with another former BloodClan cat, asking for an alliance, he recognized him immediately, and agreed to help with no real intention of falling in with his plans. When he got to the forest, he declared his real motives: to take over the forest. Tigerstar protested, so Scourge killed him with one blow, taking all his nine lives at once. He met Firestar, his half-brother in battle, and he struck the first deadly blow. Firestar quickly recovered, since StarClan had given him nine lives. With only one life to lose, Scourge died at Firestar's claws, leaving his rogues to scatter back to the Twolegplace in shame.

Bone was Scourge's closest ally, never viewed by Scourge as his equal, but valued for his brute strength and courage in battle. He killed Whitestorm, then after had his own life taken by a swarm of Clan apprentices. It was a shame that he never had the opportunity to lead a life as a true Clan warrior.

Sol

Sol was a loner with a burning passion to destroy the warrior Clans, due to an incident earlier in his life with SkyClan cats. He joined their Clan, but was too selfish to fit in, and he got exiled from SkyClan in one last, desperate attempt to impress Leafstar by stealing her kits. He wanted to play a big role in finding them, but his plot was discovered. He was told by Leafstar he could never be a true warrior, so he set out to destroy the Clans and prove their code worthless. He met Midnight, and gleaned her of Clan information to appear wise to the Clan cats. He came to ThunderClan saying he intended no harm, but soon started sowing seeds of discontent to Jaypaw and Leafpool. Firestar sent him away, and Leafpool wasn't inclined to listen to him since he had no affiliation with StarClan.

During a great battle between all 4 Clans, the sun disappeared, and this played in Sol's favor, setting him on a path to almost destroy the Clans forever. He found an audience with Blackstar, who under Sol's influence stopped attending Gatherings with his Clan and forbade his medicine cat from going to Moonpool. ShadowClan began to crumble from within, to the dismay of the other Clans. It was Jayfeather's fake StarClan sign that brought Blackstar's faith in StarClan back, and he banished Sol.

When Ashfur was killed, many cats thought that Sol was responsible, and Brambleclaw led a patrol to track him down, eventually finding him in the ruins of Purdy's Twoleg den. The other Clans were outraged that Firestar had brought him back to the lake and demanded he be banished permanently. He came back seasons later, claiming to have rescued kits from a fox, which made some cats welcome him. He encouraged some cats to attack WindClan, while at the same time visiting WindClan to stir up anger against ThunderClan. Dovewing and Ivypool overheard his plan, and warned ThunderClan so they were ready for the attack. Hollyleaf took on Sol and defeated them, but he left behind fretful, disunited Clans, vulnerable to the Dark Forest's influences. Sol came close to destroying the Clans by the lake, but the code held strong, and Sol remained as alone and bitter as he had always been.

Rock

Rock was discovered by Jaypaw after the Cans moved to the lake. No cat knew anything about his history, or even if he had ever lived in open air. Rock watched Lionpaw and Heatherpaw play in the underground cavern, tolerating the disturbance only because solitary could weigh so heavy, even on him. When WindClan kits were lost in the tunnels, Rock revealed himself to Jaypaw, recognizing in the blind medicine cat someone who would understand the messages he had to pass on. He helped Jaypaw find the kits and escape, sending his scratched stick of history with Jaypaw to remind him of the history he had stumbled upon.

When Jaypaw went to the Tribe, Rock walked in his dreams showing him there were other ancestors than StarClan. Also, showing Jaypaw that these cats were connected to the Clans, sending their kin to establish them. These cats had been waiting for Jaypaw a long time, knowing he held the future of the Clans in his paws. Rock guided Jaypaw to walk along the Ancients as Jay's Wing, where he played a role in sending the cats to settle in the mountains. Nothing Rock would do could prevent the Dark Forest battle, but he could show Jaypaw how important it was that they survived. That he must keep alive the circle of cats that had rolled out since the very first sunrise around the lake.

Rock also blamed the Three for coming, for fulfilling the prophecy. If they had not come, the Dark Forest would not have risen. Rock, in his rage, also blamed the Clans for clinging to the memories of the cats in the Place of No Stars, keeping them in existence, and giving the power to walk in restless cats' dreams.

Rock didn't take part in the Great Battle, he watched from the tunnels. He knew the prophecy had been fulfilled, had saved the cats that lived beside the lake in this age. There would be others, and others after them. Rock would watch over them all, tireless, blind, and alone in his underground world.

Fallen Leaves

Fallen Leaves lived beside the lake many seasons ago, in the time of the Ancients. As a young cat, he was sent into the tunnels to become a sharpclaw, the equivalent of a warrior in the Clans. Fallen Leaves drowned in the tunnels when they flooded, leaving his mother Broken Shadow to grieve endlessly. His spirit stayed in the tunnels, watching the cats who came down in the tunnels and wishing he could join their games.

Fallen Leaves found Hollyleaf in the tunnels, and healed her broken leg. He taught her how to fish in the underground river, and showed her how to survive in the underground. For several joyous moons, he was happier than he had ever been, with Hollyleaf's company. Then, she grew restless, and he encouraged her to go back to her Clanmates, where she belonged. His heart broke when she left, on the night Dovewing and Ivypool were lost in the tunnels, because it was yet another reminder that he could not lead a life in the daylight.

When the Dark Forest came, he ran into battle along with his mother Broken Shadow, and he fought alongside Hollyleaf. He was there when she died, and was saddened that she could not keep her promise to see him again, as they would walk different paths now. But the battle with the Dark Forest had finally set him free, and he stayed with Broken Shadow and the other Ancients, lost in the mist of long-forgotten memories, but free from the confines of the caves.

Midnight

Midnight was first mentioned in the dreams of 4 Clan cats who were told to meet at the new moon and do what midnight tells you. Baffled, the journeying cats Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Crowpaw, and Feathertail went on a quest, accompanied by Squirrelpaw and Stormfur. Eventually the journeying cats arrived at Midnight's den by the sea. They found a badger, known as enemies to cats, but this badger was different. She could speak their language and was only hostile when she had to tell them to leave their homes before the Twolegs came and destroyed them. To find a new home, they must stand on Highrocks and follow a dying warrior, which happened to be a falling star that led them to the lake.

Midnight appeared again when the badger attacked ThunderClan, and fought on the side of the warriors. Later, after Sol had come to cause trouble, he visited Jayfeather in his dreams and asked why he had told Sol so much, and Midnight replied that he knew that the Clans were going to soon face a challenge, and she wanted to test the Clans' loyalty to StarClan. If they could resist Sol, they had a chance at defeating the Dark Forest.

She returned again to help the Clans in the Dark Forest battle. Midnight was not ordinary; she watched the first sunrise over the lake with Rock, and had seen reflected the history of all cats. Together, Midnight and Rock watched over the cats by the lake and prepared for the day that could have been the sunset of the ways of the Clans, but instead heralded a new dawn.

Characters

Major

• Ravenpaw
• Barley
• Smudge
• Princess
• Scourge
• Bone
• Sol
• Midnight
• Rock
• Fallen Leaves

Mentioned

• Tigerclaw
• Bluestar
• Redtail
• Violet
• Firepaw
• Cloudtail
• Quince
• Jake
• Nutmeg
• Socks
• Ruby
• Whitestorm
• Leafstar
• Jaypaw
• Leafpool
• Blackstar
• Ashfur
• Brambleclaw
• Purdy
• Dovewing
• Ivypool
• Hollyleaf
• Lionpaw
• Heatherpaw
• Hollypaw
• Broken Shadow
• Crowfeather
• Hawkfrost
• Tawnypelt
• Feathertail
• Stormfur
• Squirrelpaw