Warriors: A Comparison
By Vitora
Two warriors: one a cat, the other a
mouse. Mortal enemies? Perhaps, if they could meet. But Fireheart and Martin live in two
different worlds—in fact, two different universes. Martin’s world is like the Middle Ages, where
mice and rats battle each other for dominance and peace; he exists in the Redwall series, written by Brian
Jacques. Fireheart protects his tribe,
the ThunderClan, as he and his fellow cats fight to survive in the harsh world
described in Erin Hunter’s Warriors
series. Although Fireheart and Martin
are both strong, war-like characters who strive to protect those who look up to
them, they differ in several ways, three of which are their ideas on revenge,
their life goals, and their conduct in battle.
First, the warriors have different
ideas on revenge. Fireheart believes
that justice is more important than retribution, and displays this in his
behavior. When he first joins ThunderClan,
a clan cat named Longtail torments him with the scornful name “kittypet”
(meaning that Fireheart has lived with humans), and although the newly-named
Fireheart fights him at first, he slowly forgives the older warrior. And when his best friend, Graystripe, deserts
their friendship for a female from another clan and then returns later after
she is dead, Fireheart kindly forgets their quarrels and eagerly accepts
Graystripe as his companion again.
Martin the Warrior, in contrast,
holds grudges and nurtures them until they nearly overcome him. When he is captured by the evil stoat tyrant,
Badrang, the young mouse vows to slay his adversary someday—this promise drives
him on to raise an army and destroy the tyrant’s fortress once and for all. Sadly, his first and only love, Laterose, is
killed in the decisive battle. Left
alone in the world, Martin travels through Mossflower Woods and ends up
defeating yet another oppressor, Tsarmina the wildcat. Eventually, he lays down his sword and founds
the peaceful abbey of Redwall, but the need for revenge on all vermin does not
leave him, even to the end of his days.
Secondly, both fighters have chosen
different ambitions. Fireheart feels
that justice is the highest honor, and proves this when he pursues the mystery
of Tigerclaw, the peculiarly innocent deputy around whom strange rumors
circulate. Eventually, he solves this
mystery, only after risking his life several times by braving Tigerclaw’s wrath
to warn his leader, Bluestar. Only after
Bluestar is severely wounded and the treacherous deputy is brought to justice
is Fireheart recognized, and even given the position of deputy in Tigerclaw’s
place. The young flame-colored cat’s
motive for everything he does is this: protect the clan, even if it means my
own death.
On the other hand, Martin the
Warrior’s chief goal is to bring about the demise of all vermin. He has several reasons for this, one of which
is the fact that villainous creatures like Badrang and Tsarmina killed his
entire family. When Martin arrives in
Mossflower Woods and sees the woodlanders under the iron paw of their wildcat
queen, he immediately jumps at the chance to free them and destroy the pattern
of tyranny. In doing so, he runs the
risk of losing some of his newfound friends—this does not stop the determined
warrior. Even when he puts down his
sword and takes up the habit of Redwall, Martin remembers with hatred how
vermin mercilessly murdered his family—a recollection that haunts him all his
life.
Finally, both Fireheart and Martin
fight in a different way and with a different spirit. In the book Fire and Ice, Fireheart and his clan engage in a battle against a
rival tribe; during this fight, Fireheart lets Silverstream, Graystripe’s mate,
escape. At other times, when he can
deliver a killing blow, the young cat holds back and allows his enemies to
escape with their lives, taking with them only minor injuries and wounded
prides.
Quite the opposite, Martin the
Warrior shows no mercy to his foes. He
suffers from a condition known as the Bloodwrath; while in the heat of battle,
the mouse is blinded by a red mist and strikes down anyone who steps in his
way. His friends are in danger when the
Bloodwrath overcomes Martin, and his enemies are at a much greater risk. Even the wildcat Tsarmina, who is larger and
stronger than Martin, falls before his blade.
And there is no mercy in Martin’s heart; only a burning hatred for
vermin.
Overall, Fireheart and Martin the
Warrior, though warriors both, are very different characters, most distinctly
in their revenge motivations, their goals in life, and their combat
behavior. Both are the heroes of their
books; both are meant to teach lessons.
Fireheart is the brave young warrior, and Martin is the strong but
imperfect protector. Their creators
intended them to be memorable, and indeed they both are—for very different
reasons. Two warriors: unique characters
both.
Author’s Note: If you hadn’t notice,
I actually like Fireheart’s character better than Martin’s. *hides from the crowd shouting, “Blasphemy!”* So that’s why I was so down on Martin. But I say you should read the books before
forming your own opinion – don’t just be a copycat (ha ha).