Riverstar

Riverstar, formerly known as Ripple and River Ripple, is one of the overarching protagonists of Erin Hunter's Warriors books franchise.
Originally a Cat of the Park, Ripple was raised and taught by his mentor Arc to hunt, meditate and relax. When the Twolegs came and destroyed it, Ripple and the rest of the Park cats were forced to flee and separate. He eventually fell into a river which carried him downstream away from the Twolegs and the danger, and renamed himself River Ripple in honour of the river saving his life and feeling a deep connection to the river itself. Later, he would make his way into the forest and find the other early settlers, but often stayed out of their affairs while he set up his own group on the other side of the river. River Ripple later received his nine lives and be renamed Riverstar, and his group RiverClan. 
== Appearance ==
Riverstar is a silver, sleek-furred tom with green eyes.
== Personality ==
Riverstar is a laid-back, gentle cat whose personality was mainly influenced by his early life as a Park cat. After he became an early settler, he mostly keeps to himself away from the others’ affairs and battles. But encouraged by the spirit cats to be the ‘stepping stones’ for other cats to cross, he speaks up and tries to offer peaceful solutions to the other groups. Over the course of Dawn of the Clans, River Ripple is forced to confront issues and work with others despite his pacifism, and becomes assertive enough to drive back Clear Sky and his invading cats.
== Background ==
=== Riverstar’s Home/Dawn of the Clans ===
As a young cat, Ripple lived with the Cats of the Park, spending his days relaxing and meditating. He is guided by his mentor, Arc, who teaches him how to hunt. When Twolegs invade and capture the cats, Ripple is separated and falls into the river. He is swept away downstream until he reaches the forest, where he meets Night. He thanks the river for saving his life, and renames himself River Ripple.
He comes across the two loners Night and Mist, who teach River Ripple how to hunt and swim. However, he longs for the closeness of his former parkmates and his lover, Flutter. 
After spending more cold moons as a kittypet, River Ripple returns to the river and meets the other early settlers. While still distant, River Ripple is curious by their loyalty and closeness in their groups, though is confused by their insistence on claiming territory and not sharing. River Ripple decides to form his own informal group of loners with Night and Mist, and they welcome passing loners. However, the group has no loyalty towards each other, and the others come and go as they please. 
Spirit cats summon River Ripple to the four trees where a devastating battle occurs. They urge him to be the stepping stones to help them cross over, and soon the spirit cats materialize. River Ripple is called to be a leader for his official group. Despite Night's concerns, River Ripple welcomes all cats to his group. Later, the groups are named to Clans, and River Ripple's is called RiverClan. He soon earns his nine lives, but he is distraught to see his beloved Flutter in StarClan. She grants him his final life, and he is renamed Riverstar.
Seasons later, Arc abruptly arrives to the forest territories with a plea to help: Slash and his rogues have driven out the park cats from their new home. Riverstar feels torn between protecting his new Clan and his loyalty towards Arc and the park cats, but he eventually agrees to help. Riverstar, Arc, and Drizzle travel upstream to the Cats of the Park, and Riverstar loses his first life saving Drizzle from the river. At the park cats' forest home, Riverstar's battle plan to defeat Slash fails when he loses his second life to Snail, but his revival scares Slash's rogues away. Riverstar falls in love with Finch, one of the park cats, and is hesitant to leave her. Upon Drizzle and Arc's insistence, Riverstar eventually agrees to go home using a log to travel down river. 
Back in RiverClan, Finch gives birth to their kits: Arc Shadow, Ripple Shine, and Dusk Smoke. He also formalizes apprentice-and-mentor training partnerships and promotes Drizzle and Pine Needle to warriors. In Riverstar's two moons of absence and under Skystar’s insistence of the fallen tree from the storm (which created a bridge connecting SkyClan and RiverClan) being a omen from StarClan that SkyClan must invade, SkyClan has taken over part of their territory. Riverstar leads his warriors into battle against SkyClan and successfully defend their territory.
=== A Starless Clan — Thunder ===
Riverstar is first seen watching Frostpaw moments after her attack by Splashtail. While the young apprentice is recovering at the Twolegplace barn with WindClan medicine cat apprentice Whistlepaw and loners Smoky and his two kits, Riverstar comes to her aid and in a dream, he urges her to become stronger to help her Clan. She journeys to the Moonpool, where she is greeted by Moth Flight, Mistystar, Reedwhisker, and Riverstar. Riverstar promises they will help her choose RiverClan's next leader, but she must first journey by following the sunrise, and she will have to trust in her companion, who would be Nightheart, a ThunderClan warrior guarding the Moonpool for Squirrelflight to recieve her nine lives. So the black warrior agrees to travel with her. 
However, Frostpaw is still distrustful over Nightheart ever since her mother’s warning resonated even more since the attack. Riverstar urges her to follow a Thunderpath with three stripes. She and Nightheart are attacked by otters, and Frostpaw treats Nightheart's wounds. She slowly begins to open up to the ThunderClan warrior. After traveling through a Twolegplace, Riverstar tells Frostpaw to search for a salmon-colored tree. Nightheart suggests uses tree branches to cross a large river, and he comforts Frostpaw as she remembers her mother's death. They finally find a group of cats near a tree covered in pink lights. Frostpaw is determined that they've reached the area that Riverstar wanted her to find.
The two come across Riverstar’s Park cats, who still hold onto his memory and pass down stories of him. Frostpaw learns how to meditate from them. Later on, Riverstar sends her a vision of Curlfeather and Splashtail planning Reedwhisker's demise, and Frostpaw realizes that her mother is in the Dark Forest and is saddened and shocked at the betrayal.
== Navigation ==
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Category:Voice of Reason
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Category:Determinators
Category:Lawful Good
Category:Deceased
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Patriots
Category:Protectors
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Noncorporeal
Category:Spouses
Category:Nature-Lovers
Category:Nurturers
Category:Male
Category:Legacy
Category:Tragic
Category:Selfless
Category:Successful
Category:Fighters
Category:Rivals
Category:Merciful
Category:Rescuers
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Category:Warriors (Erin Hunter) Heroes
Category:Titular