Lionheart

Lionheart is a minor supporting character in the Warriors series. He was the mentor of Graystripe and unofficially Firestar's mentor as well, and upon Redtail's death he was deputy of ThunderClan for a short time. After his own death, he watched over his Clan from StarClan, helping guide them in times of crisis.
== Appearance ==
Lionheart is a large, bulky tom with thick golden fur. His eyes are green, and he has a ring of fur resembling a lion's mane around his neck.
== Biography ==
=== Bluestar's Prophecy ===
Lionkit is born to Speckletail and Smallear alongside his sister Goldenkit. A little while later, Speckletail gives her kits some mice, and when Goldenkit complains that it's too chewy, Lionkit offers to eat her share. His mother tells him to go get some food of his own from the fresh-kill pile, and her is more than happy to do so. When Goosefeather claims that a shrew's fur being blown back by the wind is a sign to attack WindClan, Lionkit challenges this despite Speckletail's efforts to hold him back with her tail.
Much later, Lionpaw and Goldenpaw become apprentices, with their mentors being Swiftbreeze and Dappletail, respectively. During a hunting session with Bluepaw, he tells the blue-gray she-cat not to be so grumpy and comments that her sister Snowpaw has good ideas. He then starts admiring the snow-covered forest, saying he loves snowy days as an annoyed Bluepaw mutters that he loves everything and is constantly upbeat.
Bluepaw is surprised at how calm Lionpaw is at his first Gathering. Later, while training with Lionpaw, Swiftbreeze tells Bluepaw that her apprentice needs to think ahead before rushing into things. He struggles with trying to learn a half-turn belly rake attack due to twisting too early, but when he finally gets it right, Bluepaw notes his strength with admiration
=== Battles of the Clans ===
While out on a patrol with Swiftbreeze, Sunfall and Bluepaw, he encounters a group of ShadowClan cats trespassing. He becomes scared when the ShadowClan group's leader Foxheart threatens his patrol, and runs away in fear when a battle starts. He runs all the way to Snakerocks and hides in a cave. Ashamed of abandoning his Clanmates, he thinks that he can't return to ThunderClan and wonders how he'll survive on his own.
Swiftbreeze and Bluepaw arrive, looking for him, and he tries to hide from them. He then becomes even more ashamed that he can't even bring himself to face them and comes out of hiding. The two she-cats greet him warmly, and when he says that he can't come back to ThunderClan, they assure him that he can. He then asks if he'll be punished, to which Swiftbreeze says that he won't but that Pinestar wishes to speak with him. Relived, Lionpaw promises himself that he'll work to be a better and braver warrior.
=== Pinestar's Choice ===
After Lionpaw catches him talking to a kittypet named Jake, Pinestar claims that he was just trying to learn more about kittypets, and afterwards begins taking alternate routes to get to the twolegplace so he won't be spotted again. Later, when sent to deliver a message to Pinestar that RiverClan is invading, he sees the leader hanging out with kittypets and eating kibble. When he tells Lionpaw that he can't come to the fight, the apprentice worries that kittypets hurt him, but Pinestar assures him that there are no kittypets around.
The golden tom then asks what his leader is doing, saying that Clan cats can't be friends with twolegs. Pinestar tells him that he's leaving ThunderClan to become a kittypet, and to tell his Clan that he's dead. Lionpaw is shocked, and adamantly refuses to fake his death, telling him he needs to be honest and upfront with his Clan. The two then go back to camp, where Pinestar announces that he's stepping down to live in the twolegplace, a decision met with outrage. Lionpaw defends his choice, asking the Clan if they want a leader who doesn't wish to lead. Pinestar thanks him, and as he leaves camp for the final time, tells him that he would have given him the warrior name Lionheart. Later, when Lionpaw becomes a warrior, he ends up being given the name Lionheart just as the former leader wanted.
=== The Prophecies Begin ===
Many moons after becoming a warrior, Lionheart is now the mentor of Graypaw. While on a patrol with Bluestar, his apprentice runs off and ends up in a fight with a kittypet named Rusty. He and Bluestar watch from the bushes, seeing how brave and skilled Rusty is for a house cat, and once the fight is over they reveal and introduce themselves. He's angry with Rusty for trespassing and trying to steal prey, and when Bluestar offers that he join ThunderClan, the golden tom tells him that she doesn't make the offer lightly, stating that he can't live with a paw in each world. The three Clan cats agree to come back the next day to give Rusty time to think before they return home.
The next day, the three cats return, now with Whitestorm as well. Lionheart, who didn't think Rusty would take up the offer, is surprised to see the orange tom waiting for them atop the fence. The group leads him to ThunderClan's camp, with Lionheart being more friendly as he tells the young house cat about the Clans and the warrior code, describing the camp as well. After Rusty is introduced to the Clan, a warrior named Longtail challenges him to a battle to prove he can handle life in the forest, and Lionheart encourages him to stand up for himself. When Rusty's collar is broken off in the ensuing fight, Bluestar making him into an apprentice named Firepaw. Along with teaching their own apprentices, Lionheart, Whitestorm and Tigerclaw all become Firepaw's unofficial mentors for the time being.
After Ravenpaw announces that ThunderClan's deputy Redtail had been killed in battle, Bluestar appoints Lionheart as the new deputy in his place. The next day, Lionheart and Tigerclaw give Firepaw a tour of ThunderClan's territory. When the orange tom asks why all four Clans can't just share their territories and resources, Tigerclaw snaps that such a thought is traitorous, but Lionheart calms him by pointing out that Firepaw is still learning before praising the young tom's confidence to speak his mind.
At Firepaw's, Graypaw's and Ravenpaw's first Gathering, Lionheart tells them of the mythical LionClan, TigerClan and LeopardClan. This catches the attention of a ShadowClan apprentice named Littlepaw, and Lionheart asks how old he is. Littlepaw nervously claims to be six moons old, the minimum age for an apprentice to be. The golden tom, slightly suspicious, remarks that he's very small for six moons old, and Littlepaw responds that his mother was also small, hiding the fact that ShadowClan's leader Brokenstar has been making kittens like himself start their training far too soon.
Later, when ShadowClan raids ThunderClan camp, Lionheart is fatally wounded by an unknown enemy warrior. Spottedleaf tries to save him, but his injuries are too severe, and he dies soon after. Graypaw wails in grief at his mentor's death, and during his vigil Bluestar is noted to be especially heartbroken as well. She then appoints Tigerclaw as the new deputy in his stead.
==== The Darkest Hour ====
Many, many moons later, after Bluestar dies, Fireheart goes to the Moonstone to receive his nine lives from StarClan and become the new leader of ThunderClan. Lionheart appears during his ceremony to give him his first life, a life of courage, and tells him to use it to defend his Clan. Later, in the battle against BloodClan, Firestar loses his first life and wakes up in StarClan as his body recovers. There he sees the spirits off all nine cats who gave him his lives, as well as the recently deceased Whitestorm. When he returns to the living world, he feels all nine cats fighting alongside him as he lands a killing blow on Scourge, the leader of BloodClan.
=== The New Prophecy ===
==== Sunset ====
Lionheart, Bluestar and Yellowfang all appear to Leafpool in her dreams to inform her that her life will soon change unexpectedly, and she's walking down a path few medicine cats have traveled before. They then warn of a dark future that StarClan can not control, with Lionheart comforting her and giving her strength as he licks her between the ears.
=== Leafpool's Wish ===
Lionheart, Bluestar and Yellowfang visit Leafpool in her dreams once more, with the golden tom introducing himself. Leafpool says she's honored to meet him and asks what's happening. As Bluestar explains that the medicine cat has a dark future ahead of her, Lionheart comforts her by touching her shoulder with his tail. He then says that they're here to give her strength, and Bluestar continues that they'll be with her every pawstep of the way.
=== Ravenpaw's Farewell ===
Lionheart visits Ravenpaw in his dreams alongside Bluestar and Whitestorm, all three StarClan cats dipping their heads in respect. Lionheart then says that the three of them are there to do something that should've been done long ago: give Ravenpaw a warrior name. The black tom politely declines however, and Lionheart understands, telling him that when their times come, there will be a place in the afterlife for him and Barley. He then says that Ravenpaw will always be welcome in StarClan, and touches his muzzle as the black tom falls asleep.
=== Omen of the Stars ===
==== The Fourth Apprentice ====
He appears in the prologue with Bluestar, Spottedleaf, Yellowfang and Feathertail in StarClan. The five are debating who to send a sign that Dovepaw is the third cat prophesized to save the Clans, having trouble deciding between Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Dovepaw herself. While Bluestar argues that they shouldn't be meddling, the other four agree to send a sign to Dovepaw.
==== The Last Hope ====
When the battle between the Clans and the Dark Forest commences, Lionheart is one of the many cats who come to aid their descendants. When Firestar orders Dustpelt and Runningwind to chase out some of the Dark Forest spirits, Lionheart offers to go too, eagerly stating that it's been a while since he's gotten to chase "that kind of prey". After killing Tigerstar's spirit, Firestar succumbs to his wounds and loses his final life, passing away for good. Afterwards, Lionheart and all the other cats who had given Firestar his nine lives (minus Spottedleaf, who had been killed again in the battle and thus faded away) and begin to recite to lives they had given him. Afterwards, all the StarClan cats return to the sky.
== Quotes ==
== Trivia ==
* Lionheart is one of author Kate Cary's favorite characters.
* While reciting the lives they had given Firestar in The Last Hope, Lionheart mistakenly says that he gave a life of justice, when in actuality he gave a life of courage, and the life of justice was from Redtail.
* In 2007, Secrets of the Clans stated that Sunstar was Lionheart's mentor. In 2009 however, this was retconned in Bluestar's Prophecy, where Lionheart's mentor is Swiftbreeze and Sunstar's apprentice is Bluestar.
== External links ==
Lionheart on the Warriors Wiki
== Navigation ==
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