| “ | The stars have looked down on this place for countless seasons. The stone beneath my paws has stood for endless moons. This great rock did not rise from the ground for me to sit on it. These trees did not grow to give you shelter. The grass did not cover the moor to soften our paw steps. The rabbits didn't hollow burrows for us to shelter in. The forest did not burn to destroy your home. This land isn't ours. We live here for a few short moons then disappear. But the land lives on. It isn't ours to claw into morsels and share like prey. We must honor it and protect it. It feeds us and shelters us. Can we be united in that? | „ |
| ~ Tall Shadow to her and Clear Sky’s cats. |
Shadowstar, better known as Tall Shadow, is one of the overarching protagonists of Erin Hunter's Warriors books franchise.
The founder and first leader of ShadowClan, she was born in the Ancient Tribe in the mountains alongside her brother Moon Shadow. Due to lack of prey and the arrival of rough leaf-bare, as well as a vision from the Tribe's Stoneteller, Tall Shadow was one of the cats that traveled the Sun Trail in order to find a new home. Following Shaded Moss' death during the journey, she took charge of the group and upon arriving into the forest territories, she was distrustful of strangers. After her brother's death, grief-strickened Tall Shadow handled the leadership over to Gray Wing while she recuperated mentally, but due to the latter's health problems she soon returned to her position to co-lead with her close friend.
Surviving the original Great Battle and having grown fond of the pine forest, Tall Shadow moved there with her group. Not long after, she met her nephew Sun Shadow and the two found peace in one another. She helped the other Settlers during the search for the Blazing Star and later during the hardships against Slash and his group. After her group has been renamed to ShadowClan, Tall Shadow renamed herself to Shadowstar and went on receive the nine lives like other leaders. After one Gathering however, she and Sun Shadow were ambushed by dogs, resulting in the latter's death. Having grown paranoid due to her first deputy and nephew's death, Shadowstar exposed Quick Water as the culprit behind the dogs' attack, which subsequently caused a battle between the Clans and ended with both she-cats' deaths. The two made amends upon ascending to StarClan and Shadowstar went on to watch over her Clan for the next seasons and generations that would come.
Appearance
Shadowstar is a sleek and thick-furred, night-black she-cat with dark green eyes.
Biography
Dawn of the Clans
Tall Shadow lives in the Ancient Tribe alongside her brother Moon Shadow. When Stoneteller suggests for some cats to journey down the mountains to find a new home, Tall Shadow is amongst the cats to go, led by Shaded Moss. After Shaded Moss dies from a Twoleg monster, Tall Shadow takes charge and leads the rest of them into their new home, but gets into an argument with Clear Sky over whether to live in the forest or moor. This leads to the settlers splitting up, with Tall Shadow setting up her group in the moor and Clear Sky in the forest. Later on, her ‘group’-mate Gray Wing brings Clear Sky’s kit Thunder to her group to be raised (after Clear Sky rejected his kit).
Later in a forest fire, Moon Shadow dies, sending Tall Shadow into a depression and she tries to give her leadership to Gray Wing, despite his lack of confidence and determination. Soon, she recovers and helps Gray Wing and Thunder confront Clear Sky. She tries to encourage the cats into not fighting and Clear Sky to not be selfish and keep claiming land as his. But when that fails, she later leads the battle against Clear Sky’s cats in the forest. The battle is stopped when spirit cats of their fallen friends appeared and demand the leaders to unify.
Afterwards, Tall Shadow decides she wants to move to the pines across the Thunderpath and meets her nephew, Sun Shadow, Moon Shadow's son, soon after. She helps lead her new group to find the blazing star and against One Eyeand Slash. Her group is named ShadowClan, and herself appointed leader and renamed Shadowstar after receiving her nine lives.
Shadowstar’s Life
During a Gathering between all Clans, Shadowstar tries to reassure Skystar about the lack of threat from Twolegs who come into the forest from time to time. On their way back, she reminiscences about her late brother to her nephew and deputy, Sun Shadow. Suddenly, they are attacked by dogs, and the latter dies. She recalls a pair of amber eyes watching them die and becomes increasingly paranoid at the thought of someone wanting her dead and avoids picking Sun Shadow's successor. Shadowstar admits to Pebble Heart that she is on her ninth life, and ShadowClan might crumble if she dies. A cat pushes Shadowstar onto the Thunderpath, but she narrowly avoids death, and Raven Pelt reveals it was Quick Water. Skystar exiles her, and Shadowstar appoints Raven Pelt as the new deputy, grateful for his loyalty to her and his devotion to ShadowClan. ShadowClan and WindClan go to war with SkyClan and ThunderClan over Quick Water, and Shadowstar and Quick Water kill each other. Shadowstar forgives Quick Water in StarClan, leaving Raven Pelt to lead ShadowClan in her place.
Trivia
- She is the first ever Clan leader to lose all of their nine lives.
External Links
 Heroes
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ThunderClan RiverClan ShadowClan WindClan SkyClan Outside of Clans | ||