Redwall: Difference between revisions

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== <big>'''The books, by order of publication, are: =='''</big>

[[Author Existence Failure|Jacques died of a heart attack]] [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-12380763 on 5 February 2011], leaving his 22nd novel, ''The Rogue Crew'', finished but unpublished; the book was later released on May 3rd3, 2011.

* [[Abusive Parents]]: Nimbalo the Slayer's father, whose violent attitude drove his mother away. He then repeatedly beat Nimbalo and treated him extremely poorly until Nimbalo finally had enough one day and ran out. [[Laser -Guided Karma]] catches up with him though, but Nimbalo still cries over his body.

** A [[Karmic Death|karmic]] example happens in ''Outcast of Redwall''. Just when the Wraith is about to assassinate Lord Sunflash after climbing up to an open window, Porty throws two rockcreams at Folrig and Ruddle (who were hiding behind Sunflash at the time). The badger and two otters duck, and the rocks end up hitting Wraith, causing him to fall to his death--[[Hoist Byby His Own Petard|and also to stab himself in the jaw]].

* [[Action Girl]]: Quite a few, starting with Jess Squirrel and Constance in the first book. Mariel is probably the best known and most popular of them among the fandom.

* [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]]: "Vermin" -- the—the catchall term for rats, stoats, and other carnivorous mammals (other than badgers, otters, or shrews) -- are universally criminals. It borders on [[Fantastic Racism]] at times. Only [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much|about three named characters]] have ever pulled a [[Heel Face Turn]], and two of those [[Redemption Equals Death|didn't last long]].

** It should be noted that the degree of evilness exhibited by vermin varies between books, and even in the same book, there is often a distinction between [[Punch Clock Villain|punch clock vermin]], [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain|serving primarily as comedic relief]], like Flinky and most of his gang in ''Loamhedge'' or Lousewort and Sneezewort in ''Long Patrol''; and genuine, murdering villains. Quite a few of the former successfully pull [[Screw This I'm Outta Here|Screw This, I'm Outta Here]], and many of those are implied to give up banditry and such for good.

** Deconstructed in ''Outcast of Redwall''. A ferret child was found abandoned and taken in by a resident of Redwall; because he's a ferret, and everyone assumes ferrets ''are'' [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]], he tends to get the blame for anything that goes wrong, which leads to him becoming a thief and acting out most of the stereotypes placed on him. The only Redwaller that never pointed an accusing finger at him was his adoptive mother; she always argued for his innocence even when it was plain he was guilty and she truly loved him, and he sacrificed himself to save her from a vermin spear.

*** And ''Doomwyte'' has a Log-a-Log named Tugga Bruster. Unlike the other Log-a-Logs in the series, who were all good chieftains and relatively Badass in one form or another, Tugga was brutal (even killing the chieftain of a vermin gang when he was begging for mercy), harsh to his crew and a total [[Jerkass|prick to the Redwallers]]. At first, it's easy to assume he was [[Jerkass Facade|acting tough as a leader should]], but it's made clear that he's a genuine jerk, a coward and a thief.

* [[Animal Stereotypes]]: Obviously. Weirdly, it's averted with the owls; they're almost invariably goodnaturedgood-natured but absent-minded, and almost never "wise", as folklore would have it. Possibly [[Truth in Television|Truth In Literature]], as owls aren't terribly smart in real life. Also, the bats are fairly cute and harmless with a silly [[Verbal Tic]] (verbal tic, verbal tic...), as opposed to the usual portrayals of them as evil in fiction.

** Also unusual, rabbits are not at all flirtatious, [[Trickster Archetype|mischievous, or clever]]. The hares take that role, and the rabbits are universally [[The Load|prissy little weaklings]] who never factor heavily into the plot.

* [[Anthropomorphic Shift]]: Overall, the characters in Redwall are far more like actual animals at the beginning of the series than they are in the most recent novels. Even the cover art reflects this, as some of the {{[[media-|:mmcover.JPGjpg| earlier}}]] {{[[media-|:rwall.JPGjpg| books}}]] show the characters as far less anthropomorphic than some of the {{[[media-|:elala.JPGjpg| later}}]] {{[[media-|:rtam.JPGjpg| ones}}]].

* [[Anticlimax]]: You would ''think Mattimeo'' would end between a big showdown with Slagar and Matthias--orMatthias—or even Mattimeo himself. Instead, {{spoiler|Slagar runs and falls down a hole. And dies.}} Yeah.

** ''[[Zig -Zagging Trope|Triple]]'' [[Subverted Trope|subversion]] in ''Mariel of Redwall''. At first it looks like Rawnblade and Gabool are about to get into a massive swordfight...but then Rawnblade disarms Gabool with little effort. Then, after a small chase, {{spoiler|Gabool challenges Rawnblade to a fight using nothing but their paws, only for Rawnblade to fall into Skrabblag's chamber.}} Just when you think the fight will end with Mariel and her friends taking on Gabool themselves, {{spoiler|Rawnblade grabs the scorpion and throws it out the hole onto Gabool, [[Hoist Byby His Own Petard|where it promptly stings him in the head and kills him.]] And then Dandin chops the scorpion in half with ease.}}

* [[Anti -Hero]]: Jukka the Sling and her tribe from ''Lord Brocktree''. Even though they help the protagonists, they were mostly just there so they could steal more weapons from their enemies.

* [[Anti -Villain]]: Asmodeus is one. Yes, he's a Hero Killer and a source of High Octane Nightmare Fuel, but he isn't really evil, he just eats rodents like any snake would to survive.

* [[Armour Is Useless]]: Armour, mostly mail, is occasionally useful, but its weight, hotness, and restrictiveness is shown either realistically or overplayed. Mostly armourarmor is just rare or absent. Unless it's [[Plot Armour]].

* [[Arrows Onon Fire]]: The fire-swingers in ''Mariel of Redwall''.

** The traditional kind are aplenty as well. Greypatch burned a ship with flaming arrows in the same book.

* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]: A hare beats the snot out of an enemy both for killing the hare's friends and for [[I Am Not Weasel|calling him a rabbit]].

* [[Ass in Aa Lion Skin]]: See [[Wig, Dress, Accent]] and [[Dressing Asas the Enemy]].

* [[Back -to -Back Badasses]]: The hares' favored battle tactic when outnumbered. Of course, it's more back to back to back to back...

* [[Barbarian Tribe|Barbarian Tribes]]s: The Painted Ones, the Flitchaye, and the Darat.

** Actually, Martin's sword isn't really all that big. It's definitely awesome and [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|possibly magical]], but it's size is such that pretty much any reasonably fit woodlander can use it.

* [[Big Bad Ensemble]]: The number of [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s in ''Taggerung'' is surprisingly high compared to the other Redwall books.

* [[Big Bad Wannabe]]: Quite a few rather incompetent vermin 'leaders' fit this trope; notably Badredd and Gruven.

* [[Big Screwed -Up Family]]: The Marlfoxes.

* [[British Accents]]: A wide variety. Moles are somewhat [[The West Country|old-fashioned Somerset]], with a bit of Liverpool Scouse thrown in (Brian Jacques was from Liverpool, and based the moles off the speak of local sailors and longshoremen). Hares are mostly [[UpperclassUpper Class Twit]], except for Rockjaw Grang's [[Oop North]] twang. The occasional character speaks the grammatically correct version of [[Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe]]. Most vermin are generic uneducated thug with a dash of [[Talk Like a Pirate]], except for Dingeye and Thura in ''Salamandastron'' who are noticeably [[The Midlands|Brummie]] (especially in the audiobook), and the [[Big Bad]] villains tend to use Standard English. Several early books had briefly appearing characters (usually birds) with a Scottish accent, and ''Rakkety Tam'' introduced a couple of Highlanders.

** Generally any character on either side with an [[Oop North]] or Scottish accent is likely to be identified as a "[[Grim Up North|North]][[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|lander]]," at least in the early books where such characters are more common, especially hinted in their names, such as [[Man in Aa Kilt|the Laird MacTalon]]. But not all Northlanders have said accent (nobody in ''Martin the Warrior'' displays it, for instance, despite the whole story taking place there.

* [[Card -Carrying Villain]]: Lots. By ''Triss'', they're doing ''song and dance numbers'' about how "'tis nice to be a villain".

* [[Carnivore Confusion]]: See [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]] and [[Cats Are Mean]].

** The eating habits of the (almost) [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]] vermin? They're carnivores who by nature would eat mice, but in a setting like Redwall, that would be cannibalism. Mostly when they kill for meat, it's wood pigeons or sea gulls.

** Well, ''Outcast'' is set before ''Mariel''--maybe—maybe all the badgers with the "berserk gene" hadn't been killed off yet. Or something.

* [[The Chessmaster]]: Cluny. Every chapter has him adapting his [[Evil Plan]] to exploit some new development or preceived weakness.

* [[Co -Dragons]]: Several [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s have these, but most notable is Ungatt Trunn's group: [[Tragic Villain|Groddil]], [[Black Cloak|Grand]] [[Dark Chick|Fragorl]], and [[Mook Promotion|Ripfang]].

** This doesen't even begin to explain HOW cool Martin's blade is. Forged from [[Unobtanium|Meteoric Iron]] by the [[Ultimate Blacksmith|Badger Lords]]? This blade is obviously the [[Infinity Plus One+1 Sword]] of the setting.

* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: Redwall and Salamandastron are basically little [[Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowls]]s, but apparently everywhere else you're in imminent risk of marauding bandits, predatory birds, pirates, cannibalistic lizards...

* [[Crapsack World]]: Only and arguably in the later books. Eventually, the world consists of Redwall, Salamandastron...and in between, a wretched hive of [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]] vermin ready to kill or enslave anybeast who steps outside.

* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: ''Many'' characters, mostly hares who aren't on the Long Patrol- Basil Stag Hare, Tarquin L. Woodsorrel and most especially Cleckstarr Lepus Montisle aka. Clecky.

{{quote| '''Gerul:''' Ah well, d'ye see, sir, as me ould mother used t'say, there's not a bit of use shakin' claws with the other feller. If yer goin' t'fight then best get it done with proper so's yer foe don't come back fer more.}}

* [[Cute but Cacophonic]]: Dotti in ''Lord Brocktree''. Pretty haremaid, appalling singer, worse with instruments. All Hares seem prone to this.

* [[Cut His Heart Out Withwith a Spoon]]: Most notably, Clogg's announcement that he wishes to cut Badrang's head off and throw it in his face.

* [[Darker and Edgier]]: According to this '''SPOILER LADEN''' [[http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/News:<!-- 22Doomwyte22_%22Doomwyte%22_-_Reviewed_by_the_Redwall_Wiki Review]] of ''Doomwyte'', the series went this way with the later novels. YourMileageMayVary[[Your Mileage May Vary]] as to whether this actually represents a return to the tone of earlier novels in the series. -->

** If any of the later books, ''Rakkety Tam''. YMMV again; the book itself isn't exactly darker or edgier (since the series already has loads of [[Family -Unfriendly Violence]]), but the [[Big Bad]] is. He and his army are all cannibalistic and (relatively) competent villains. But like every other Redwall book, the amount of [[Sacrificial Lion|Sacrificial Lions]]s only ranges between one and five, and the book still has a rather light-hearted feeling to it.

* [[Dead Guy, Junior]]: Mattimeo's full name is Matthias Methuselah Mortimer. Two out of three are dead at the time of his birth.

{{quote| '''Cluny:''' "Get him! I want his head!!"<br />

* [[Death Byby Childbirth]]: Bluefen (Veil's mum).

* [[Death Byby Falling Over]]: ({{spoiler|Slagar the Cruel, Princess Kurda, Queen Vilaya,}})... it is amazing how many Redwall [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s never seem to look where they going ( {{spoiler|Especially Tsarmina ("UGH! SLIMY, WET, COLD WATER!"}}).

* [[Death Byby Looking Up]]: {{spoiler|Cluny}}.

* [[Death Byby Materialism]]: [[Too Dumb to Live|Flogga.]] Sure, you should definitely trust Gabool just because he promised you treasure and completely ignore that [[Villainous Breakdown|he's spent the last several days going crazy]] and thinks you're Greypatch, the rat he's been trying to kill. [[Sarcasm Mode|Nothing could possibly go wrong]].

* [[Death Glare]]: Sister Alkanet gave such "icy glares" to anyone who discredited her, her infamous physicks or her perceptions of how dibbuns have to behave.

* [[Deconstruction Fic]] in the fandom commonly attempts to deconstruct the [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]] nature of vermin. Success varies.

** Subverted with Gulo the Savage (''Rakkety Tam''), who often fought from the front alongside his vermin Mooks. Of course, considering [[The Brute|who]] [[I'm a Humanitarian|he]] [[Nightmare Fuel|is]], aside from a badger lord or another wolverine, there wouldn't be too many threats to his person. And the fact he grows [[Ax Crazy|increasingly psychotic]] doesn't hurt either...

** And in a less known case (''Triss''), the Pure Ferret [[Royals Who Actually Do Something|King Sarengo]] was a major subversion of this, as he attacked and killed a full grown female adder solo. (Granted, he was only searching for a way to reach and plunder Redwall, and he died from his wounds--thoughwounds—though he wouldn't have if his son hadn't deserted him--buthim—but it's still a badass feat few others aside from Matthias could replicate. It's a pity that his genes didn't pass on [[Dirty Coward|to]] [[Psychopathic Manchild|his]] [[God Save Us From the Queen|descendants]]...

* [[Disability Superpower]]: Simeon from ''Mariel'' and Cregga in ''Taggerung'' are both [[Blind Seer|Blind Seers]]s. Probably inverted with Lord Asheye, who forced himself into the [[Unstoppable Rage|Bloodwrath]] so many times that he went blind.

* [[Disney Villain Death]]: See [[Death Byby Falling Over]]. Also {{spoiler|Ferahgo}} and {{spoiler|Swartt Sixclaw}}.

** [[Dragon Withwith an Agenda]]: Zwilt the Shade

* [[Dressing Asas the Enemy]]: Most notably in ''The Long Patrol'' where two hares diguise themselves as vermin seers.

* [[Dropped a Bridge Onon Him]]: In ''Pearls of Lutra'', the rebellion against Ublaz was started by a guy named Barranca. Shortly after the rebellion started Rasconza stepped into the plot, stabbed Barranca and took over as rebellion leader.

** {{spoiler|Princess Kurda}}. After her pathetic fight with Triss, she tries to run away...only to {{spoiler|[[Death Byby Falling Over|trip and stab herself in the chest with her broken sabre]]}}.

* [[Drunk Withwith Power]]: Mokkan {{spoiler|after he becomes the High King of Castle Marl and all the other Marlfoxes die}}. It got so creepy that it looked like he was having a borderline [[Villainous Breakdown]]...

* [[Dual -Wielding]]: Finbarr Galedeep's swords. Saltar in ''Mariel'' wields a sword in one paw and a hook in the other.

** Brockhall, which was dug out under a tree.

* [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones]]: Ferahgo openly states that he'd let Klitch live if he was caught plotting rebellion just because Klitch is his son, {{spoiler|Vilaya is very distressed by the death of her confidante Dirva, who was said to be something a mother figure}}, and a few of the minor vermin are clearly upset when their partners or friends are killed. In ''The Sable Quean'', a vermin speaking of her deceased mate actually says -- forsays—for the first time in the series -- theseries—the phrase, "I loved him."

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: It is said in ''Mariel of Redwall'' that alone out of all villains, sea rats are the only ones verminous enough to use fire as a weapon.

** Sawney Rath also refuses to kill a mother nursing a babe. Whether a villain is considered a [[I'm a Humanitarian|cannib-]] [[Carnivore Confusion|eating other speaking animals]] might also be a clue as to how monstrous they're supposed to be -- thebe—the threat of Cluny gobbling up beasts is offered as frightening to most inhabitants of Mossflower.

** Vizka Longtooth's pirate crew deserted him after he murdered two of his own crew members in cold blood and for no reason whatsoever.

* [[EverythingsEverything's Better Withwith Dinosaurs]]: Deepcoiler in ''Salamandastron'' and [[Stock Ness Monster|Slothunog]] in High Rhulain.

* [[EverythingsEverything's Better Withwith Spinning]]: The Guosim Windmill maneuver. A regiment of shrews work together to become a rotating shredder of death that cuts down an enemy horde pretty darn well.

** Ferahgo spends a full season sending trackers after a pair of [[Mook|Mooks]]s who [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here|tried to desert]]. They weren't even ''competent'' Mooks. And he'd probably have been better off leaving them alone, as that way the Abbeydwellers wouldn't have got involved ...

* [[The Evil Prince|The Evil Princess]]ss: Tsarmina.

* [[Evil Plan]]: Each book has one but they usually involve conquering Mossflower/Redwall/Salamandastron.

** The Legend of Luke is a inversion as 2/3 of the narrative is actually [[The Hero]] searching for the truth about his father's fate and then going home.

* [[Family -Unfriendly Death]]: Some characters die in fairly horrible ways. It can be [[Nightmare Fuel|disturbing]] to some.

** One of the most horrifying examples took place in ''The Legend of Luke''. Two rats are bullying a seemingly defenseless otter, taunting about how they're going to drown him [[For the Evulz|just because they can]]. Martin sees this, but Log-a-Log--knowingLog—knowing who this otter is--[[Genre Savvy|wisely tells him]] to keep Trimp and Chugger from seeing what happens next. And for good reason: Once one of the rats got too close, the 'defenseless' otter sinks his teeth ''directly into the vermin's throat''. But that wasn't all bad...at least the otter [[Carnivore Confusion|had some company for dinner...]]

* [[Family -Unfriendly Violence]]: Yep.

* [[The Farmer and Thethe Viper]]: Veil. {{spoiler|[[Redemption Equals Death|Subverted with his dying actions.]]}}

* [[Five -Man Band]]: There have been a few of these in the series, but the group from ''Marlfox'' seems to fit the tropes best.

* [[Flanderization]]: It becomes common knowledge that hares have big appetites. This is taken [[Up to Eleven]] with Bescarum (who will steal from various hosts when he gets hungry) and Diggs (who simply never talks about anything else.)

** Also in ''High Rhulain'', Riggu Felis orders one of his top mooks to do this to one of [[Overlord, Jr.|his son]]'s spies.

* [[Foe -Tossing Charge]]: Badgers do this, from time to time.

** [[Word of God|Jacques]] said in a meet the author that growing up in a food rationed era, he was always annoyed by the lack of descriptions of food in the books he read, and would often just read recipe books.

* [[Frothy Mugs of Water]]: [[Averted Trope|Averted.]] '''Hard.''' Canon states Matthias is the equivalent of about thirteen during the events of Redwall and you see him drinking ale and cider with the rest, and in British English, there is no such thing as ''hard'' or ''soft'' cider: cider is alcoholic by definition. In fact the [[Food Porn]] has lots of gratuitous drinking, [[The Guards Must Be Crazy|vermin sentries are easily taken out of action by leaving Grog lying around were they will find it]], the multiple [[Poison Chalice Switcheroo|Poison Chalice Switcheroos]]s only work because of the senior vermin's love of a nice [[A Glass of Chianti|goblet of damson wine]], and in earlier novels it is strongly implied that some of the adult good guys are [[Alcohol Hic|dead drunk at the victory feasts]].

* [[General Failure]]: While many of the Redwall villains exhibit this from time to time, Gruven from ''Taggerung'' seems stuck in this mode. His mother, Antigra, believes that her son is the rightful ''Taggerung'', [[Refused Byby the Call|even though Grissoul and the signs say different]], and fills his head with that knowledge. When he finally does go on his journey to kill Tagg, he [[No Sense of Direction|shows he can't differentiate between left and right]], is all but ignored by his group and is outright bullied by self-appointed leaders [[The Archer|Vallug Bowbeast]] and Eefera ([[Deceptive Disciple|who's been given secret orders to kill Gruven if he shows fear]]). When he and his two remaining allies attempt to kill Vallug and Eefera via ambush, he is reduced to a sobbing, weeping little bitch who manages to escape in a later battle, only to get recaptured by [[The Stoic|Ruggan Bor]]. But take heart, for Gruven does technically become the Taggerung... [[Losing Your Head|for about all of ten seconds]]. He does have the excuse of being a spoiled teenager.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Sawney Rath (''Taggerung''); he's heard all the stories about warlords with great armies and vast hordes trying to take Redwall and dying in the process, and he won't have his name added to that list. Thus, he [[Raised Byby Orcs|captures baby Deyna]] without going within a mile of Redwall, and hauls considerable ass once the deed is done. In fact, many vermin leaders have become slightly aware of Redwall's reputation and won't use head-on warfare anymore.

** One of the rats in ''Marlfox'' was fully aware of what the [[Big Bad]] does to [[You Have Failed Me...|subordinates who fail him]]. After he's captured and starts to get interrogated, he ''kills himself'' so the Marlfoxes won't.

* [[Give Chase With Angry Natives]]: Running through hornet's nests or crow-infested trees while making ungodly noise is a common tactic for Redwallers, and the hapless pursuing vermin fall for it every time.

* [[Go Out Withwith a Smile]]: Most notably {{spoiler|Lady Cregga Rose Eyes}}.

* [[Good Scars, Evil Scars]]: Subverted occasionally; Folgrim has terrible facial scarring and a lost eye, but he turns out good.

* [[Gorn]]: The description of the pus-oozing, festering wounds on Baliss's face are a bit ''too'' enthusiastic. You almost feel sorry for it. Also, the infamous searat ballad "Slaughter of the Crew of the ''Rusty Chain''", which is [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin]].

** In the first book, Cluny has a very vivid nightmare/vision involving the shades of his dead captains--andcaptains—and each ghost still bears the marks of their deaths by crushing, falling, poison, ''boiling alive'', etc.

* [[Half -Dressed Cartoon Animal]]: Played straight in the animated series, possibly subverted in the books as prisoners are occasionally stripped as a form of humiliation.

*** A funny note of trivia - this goes back to ''[[The Wind in Thethe Willows]]'', where the four main characters Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad were drawn anthropomorphic, but minor character Otter was drawn as a regular old otter.

* [[Hatedom]]: Many fans have an intense hatred of Badrang the Tyrant ([[Evil Overlord|and]] [[Magnificent Bastard|with]] [[Cold -Blooded Torture|good]] [[ItsIt's Personal|reason]]).

* [[Hoist Byby His Own Petard]]: Some of the [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s die this way. [[Karmic Death|Which makes their death that much more enjoyable to read about.]]

* [[How Dare You Die Onon Me!]]: "No! Don't die! If you die, I'll kill you! Oh, I'm sorry, dear."

* [[I Am Not Weasel]]: Hares hate being called rabbits. Eventually [[Justified]]: rabbits are shown to be harmless examples of [[British Stuffiness]] antithetical to the one personality most hares share. One vermin soldier in ''Rakkety Tam'' gets the crap beaten out of him by a hare that knows boxing, partly for eating several other hares earlier in the book and partly for [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|repeatedly calling him a rabbit]].

* [[Impaled Withwith Extreme Prejudice]]: [[Squick|Cludd's death]], in particular. Also Cheesethief.

* [[Instant Expert]]: It seems that any good character who wields the Sword of Martin becomes an expert swordsman and all-around warrior...even if they haven't been shown to wield a sword before (Triss, though some may claim she'd [[In the Blood|be inherantly skilled because her dad was a swordmaster]]). Even if, in the case of Laird Bosie (Doomwyte), the user has explicitly stated they are bad at using swords because they're unwieldly.

* [[Instant Sedation]]: The Flitchaye tribe uses knockout gas (resembling ether or chloroform) to anaesthetise travelers, to rob and to kill them. Oh, and No! [[Hollywood Science|You cannot nullify the knockout gases' effect on you by stuffing ramsons or garlic or whatnot up your nostrils!]]

* [[Interspecies Romance]]: Although Bragoon and Sarobando probably come the closest, this never actually occurs. It does, however, show up in songs.

* [[ItsIt's All About Me]]: Ublaz.

* [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold]]: Pakatugg comes off as nothing more than a common [[Jerkass]] in ''Mariel of Redwall''. {{spoiler|Up until he sacrifices his life to ensure the rescue of a bunch of oarslaves he doesn't even know.}}

** [[Xkcd (Webcomic)|Xkcd]] [http://xkcd.com/370/ has something to say about their religious mentions].

** In ''Redwall'' (the novel), the Abbey inhabitants were expressly stated to be an "order", with robes and prayers and all that. Of course, a lot of what happened in ''Redwall'' has been unofficially declared [[Canon Dis ContinuityDiscontinuity]].

* [[Judge, Jury, and Executioner]]: Warden, a heron who keeps the reptiles and amphibians of his swamp under control by eating them strategically when they commit a serious disturbance; also [[Shout -Out|a nod]] to [[An Aesop|Aesop]]'s fable "[http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frogs_Who_Desired_a_King:The Frogs Who Desired a King|The Frogs Who Desired A King]]".

** In ''Loamhedge'', [[Big Bad Wannabe|Badredd]] and his cronies ran off into Mossflower after escaping from the clutches of Raga Bol. (But seeing as they were [[Affably Evil]] [[Punch Clock Villain|Punch Clock Villains]]s, it is doubtful that any readers would ''want'' them dead.)

** Any vermin who [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here|successfully desert their army]], such as Sneezewort, Lousewort, {{spoiler|Ashleg}}, {{spoiler|Ripfang}}, {{spoiler|Grand Fragorl}}, and more.

** Some of the minor villains or [[The Dragon|Dragons]] have karmic deaths too. For instance, Brool and Renn are killed by Veil shortly after they tied him up and stole all his food and gear; the Wraith is accidentally knocked off Salamandastron by Porty; {{spoiler|Klitch drinks the water Farran poisoned just when he thinks he's survived the gruesome battle at Salamandastron; Karangool was presumably whipped and killed by Bucko Bigbones, whom he had tortured in the past}}.

** {{spoiler|Tugga Bruster is [[Impaled Withwith Extreme Prejudice|stabbed in the chest by Tala]] as revenge for killing her husband Chigid}}. This is rather interesting case. Unlike all the names listed above, {{spoiler|Tugga Bruster}} wasn't evil or even a vermin. He was just [[Jerkass|an asshole]] who made even the [[Punch Clock Villain|Punch Clock Villains]]s look good. Not even the Redwallers missed him.

{{quote| "There's worse cooks aboard than me."<br />

"What was that?"<br />

* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: "[[How Dare You Die Onon Me!|Wait, you'll never speak to me again if I die?]]"

** "[[Big Screwed -Up Family|We're Marlfoxes, born to stealth and deceit.]] [[The Starscream|Only one of us could ever rule the island.]]"

** "[[Dirty Coward|You have lived the life of a coward,]] [[Face Death Withwith Dignity|now learn t'die like a soldier, sir!]]"

** "So, {{spoiler|Tugga Bruster's}} wicked ways [[Laser -Guided Karma|finally caught up with him]]. [[Karmic Death|Got what he deserved, I think.]]"

{{quote| '''Clecky:''' What ho, the jolly old camp! Rovin' fighter returnin' with tales of derring-do, high adventure, and all that nonsense, wot!}}

* [[The Last Thing You Ever See]]: In ''The Pearls of Lutra'', the [[Big Bad]] tells Martin that the last thing he'll ever hear is the [[Big Bad]]'s name.

* [[Left -Justified Fantasy Map|(Left Justified)]] [[Fantasy World Map]]

* [[Leeroy Jenkins]]: Felldoh. His rousing nature {{spoiler|and ultimate death nearly cost the life of all the Fur'n'Freedom fighters}}. Idiot.

* [[Linked -List Clue Methodology]]: The reason [[Only Smart People May Pass]].

* [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane]]: A variety of [[Plot Coupon]] artifacts and trinkets, notably Martin's sword and the tapestry depicting him. (Easy answer for those two is that they're mundane by themselves but Martin's spirit uses them to reach out to others.)

{{quote| ''Give him a name and leave him awhile, Veil may live to be evil and vile. Though I hope my prediction will fail, and evil so vile will not live in Veil.''}}

** [[Word of God]] says that Cluny's name was meant to rhyme with "loony".

*** Furthermore, Cluny's name may also somehow be related with [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluny_Abbey:Cluny Abbey|Cluny Abbey]] in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire. This early medieval Benedictine monastery does seem to have inspired some of Redwall's more prominent architectural (if not even cultural) aspects. So why is this Abbey honoured in the novel by providing a name for the [[Big Bad]]? [[Fridge Brilliance|Because it's]] [[Acceptable Targets|French, naturally]].

* [[Minion Withwith an F In Evil]]: Some of the [[Mooks]]. Lousewort and Sneezewort are probably the best example.

* [[Mix -and -Match Critters]]: The Wearets (part weasel, part ferret).

* [[Mook Promotion]]: Tends to happen a lot, especially when [[The Dragon]] or one of the [[Co -Dragons]] is killed halfway through the novel and the [[Big Bad]] needs a replacement. But more than likely, said mook will not handle his or her new promotion well and will either get demoted or killed off even faster than said dragon. Just ask Zurgat, Lousewort, Graywort or Hogspit, to name a few.

* [[The Movie]]: Averted. Literally ''half a dozen'' times! Most of the projects failed primarily due to [[Word of God|Brian Jacques']] general distaste of movie adaptions. The ones who didn't suffer from this actually made it into pre-phase before it was discovered they lacked the rights. Those who had rights and made it into pre-phase turned out to be mere [[Dude, Not Funny|practical jokes]] or misunderstandings. Currently, however, a [[Deviant ART]] [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|group]] is working on a feature-length adaption of ''Mossflower'', the second book of the series. Not to be confused with another so-called ''"movie"'' that was brought out (which was just a re-edited version of the animated series with the [[Filler]] episodes removed).

* [[Murder Ballad]]: [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|"Slaughter of the Crew of the Rusty Chain."]]

* [[Murder Byby Mistake]]: It happens a lot...

* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: Some of the Redwallers who haven't experienced war have this reaction after killing someone. Burlop from ''Rakkety Tam'' breaks down and starts crying before he decides to head back to Redwall after killing one of Gulo's soldiers.

* [[Naked People Are Funny]]: When Badrang's in need of a piece of rope, he cuts a random minion's belt, causing said minion's kilt to drop off and everybeast to start laughing at him.

** Which is [[Fridge Logic|kind of weird]] considering they're all ''[[Half -Dressed Cartoon Animal|animals...]]''

* [[NamesName's the Same]]: [[Black AdderBlackadder|Friar Bellows]] in ''Salamandastron''. Probably not intentional.

* [[Never Trust a Trailer|Never Trust A Book Cover]]: Plenty of covers. But the by far most blatant ones, were made by a German cover artist. The [http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060105021050/redwall/images/2/27/GermanRedwall.jpg Redwall] one, for instance shows all animals nude. And further shows all Redwallers, including Constance and Basil, cowering behind in fear, while Matthias seems to be the only one brave enough to stand up against Cluny. The one for [http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060106055125/redwall/images/f/f9/GermanMossflower2.jpg Mossflower], however, is [[It Got Worse|worse]]. It shows nude Martin and his cronies ''riding'' the Salamandastron hares like on horses (apart from the fact that there are only [[Rule of Three|two]] hares present). And... wait a minute... who is that third mouse?! What do you mean, it's [[I Am Not Weasel|supposed to be a shrew]]?! And why are the other two mice ''blue?'' Artist, are you blind? Or illiterate? Or high? Or everything at the same time? Anyway, it apparently took the publishers three of such covers, before they finally fired that cover artist. For his cover for [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060105021558/redwall/images/d/d5/GermanMattimeo.jpg Mattimeo], he finally managed to draw a creature with clothes on, but apparently still does not know the difference between a [[Too Dumb to Live|''combat axe'' and a ''spike club'']]. Especially, when the axebearer is explicitly called Orlando the ''[[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|Axe]]''! And Mattimeo was ''not'' a baby at that time anymore. And lastly, none of the scenes portrayed on these covers happened (or at least happened ''that way'') in the books (with which I am referring to the actual [[Never Trust a Trailer|trope]]).

* [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain]]: {{spoiler|Thank you, Searats, for killing Raga Bol in a stupid attempt to take out Lonna Bowstripe}}. [[Sarcasm Mode|You guys deserve a medal]].

* [[No Hugging, No Kissing]]: The word "love" is rarely used, and even Rose and Martin hardly even hold paws onscreen, but their relationship is still very clear and a firm favourite with a lot of the fans, possibly ''because'' it's subtly handled. [[Justified Trope]] in that the target audience seems to consist mostly of ten-year-old boys. There are also no references to any kind of sexuality: no female characters are shown pregnant or nursing for example.

* [[Officer and Aa Gentleman]]: The Long Patrol hares.

* [[Off Withwith His Head]]: It's a fairly common form of death for the villans due to the high [[Family -Unfriendly Violence]]. Notable ones include {{spoiler|Gulo, Asmodeus, Vallug Bowbeast, and Gruven.}}

* [[One -Hit Kill]]: Even some of the burliest of characters will go down quite easily. Just ask Bluggach, who, after his [[Badass Boast]], gets whacked in the head by Gurgan's mallet just ''once'' and dies.

* [[Pendulum War]]: Almost every military engagement in the series that isn't a [[Curb Stomp Battle]]. Let's say, that whenever there is a big battle in the end, vermin usually have an upper hand at the beginning, until heroes manage to close the gap in numbers/invent a better plan. However, smaller skirmishes against named heroes usually are curb stomps in said heroes favor (even if villains manage to bury one or two of them under their own dead). [[Conservation of Ninjitsu]]?

* [[One -Man Army]]: Badgers, or any creature for that matter, under the Bloodwrath can carve through a horde with ease.

* [[Only Known Byby Their Nickname]]: Was a fan assumption about the vermin until ''Loamhedge'', when it was made explicit. [[Even Evil Has Standards|Evidently even vermin aren't sadistic enough to inflict names like "Stinky" on their offspring at birth.]]

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: The [[Big Screwed -Up Family|Marlfoxes]] have no problem at all doing each other in, but if an outsider kills one of them, [[Avenging the Villain|hoo boy ...]]

* [[Out, Damned Spot!]]: Veil suffers from this, which leads to his downfall and capture.

* [[Overlord, Jr.]]: Klitch to Ferahgo, and Pitru to Riggu Felis. Mostly subverted with [[You're Not My Father|Veil]] to [[Parental Neglect|Swartt]].

** As does Laird Bosie Mc Scutta of Bowlaynee (''Doomwyte'') and now, Subaltern Meliton Gubthorpe Digglethwaite (''The Sable Quean'').

* [[Papa Wolf]]: Matthias is an all around nice person throughout the series, but mess with Cornflower, Mattimeo or Redwall abbey in general and you'll meet the end of his blade. {{spoiler|Just ask Cluny, Asmodeus and Slagar to name a few.}}

** There's some [[Truth in Television]]/[[Fridge Brilliance]] to this. Ferrets, weasels, and stoats, along with foxes, do produce a stronger odor than, say, mice or squirrels. It's completely natural and expected of them. So it stands to reason that vermin consider frequent baths and flowery soaps to be unnatural and unattractive.

** [[Up to Eleven|Taken to extremes]] in ''Taggerung''. With the exception of Rillflag and {{spoiler|Cregga Rose Eyes}}, the only good guys who die in the novel are nameless [[Red Shirt|Red Shirts]]s or characters who were forgotten shortly after their death.

* [[Psycho for Hire]]: Baliss, who was hired by Korvus Skurr to strike fear in the Redwallers. [[What an Idiot!|Not his best decision...]]

* [[Put Onon a Bus]]: Some of the vermin characters run away rather than being killed, and are never seen again.

* [[Raised Byby Orcs|Raised By Vermin]]: The entire point of ''Taggerung''.

* [[Reforged Blade]]: In ''Mossflower'', Martin the Warrior's sword, which belonged to his father, is broken in his travels. It is then reforged by the great lord of Salamandastron, using a "fallen star" (a meteorite, rather) to rebuild it into a purely unbreakable sword, which also begins its legendary status. All during one book of the series. Martin wears the broken hilt around his neck through most of the book, until he finally gets it reforged and proceeds to kick much ass.

* [[Reincarnation]]: Matthias is established to be a reincarnation of Martin, and it's possible that so are all the other Swordbearers. Cornflower ''might'' be [[Reincarnation Romance|Rose's reincarnation]], but it's not spelled out.

* [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent]]: Practically every reptile and amphibian in the series is [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil|evil]]. Frequently, they are depicted as being far worse than the vermin. Nearly all are cannibalistic. Exceptions made for the ones which have occasionally been seen as pets - see [[Furry Confusion]]. Some come across a little more as [[True Neutral]], however.

* [[Rewarded Asas a Traitor Deserves]]: Damug Warfang drowns some traitors in ''The Long Patrol''.

* [[Rodents of Unusual Size]]: Damug Warfang is a "Greatrat", twice the size of a normal rat.

** Also, some [[Fanon]] suggests that-- tothat—to solve issues with scale and such-- mostsuch—most of the animals are human-sized or thereabouts and objects are scaled to in a similar manner, with badgers and such things being around ten feet tall. This doesn't apply to the first book, due to [[Canon Displacement]].

* [[Romantic Two -Girl Friendship]]: Piknim and Craklyn.

* [[Rule of Cool]]: Salamandastron is a ''hollowed out volcano fortress'' ruled by ''berserker and often seer badgers'' all of whom [[Took a Level Inin Badass]] with a standing army of posh hares whose job primarily consists of stopping Pirates and Mook Hordes from ''taking over the world!'' and they have a catchphrase: ''Eulaliaaaa!''

* [[Same Story, Different Names]]: ''Pearls of Lutra'' is a [[Shaggy Dog Story]] about a [[Big Bad]] who wants pearls and will torment the Redwallers in any way to get them. ''Doomwyte'' is a [[Shaggy Dog Story]] about a [[Big Bad]] who wants his jewels back and will torment the Redwallers in any way to get them.

** Many of the novels' plots are ''very'' similar. Redwall's in trouble. A hero carries Martin's legendary sword and [[Badass|kicks ass]]. [[Family -Unfriendly Violence]] occurs. [[Sacrificial Lion|Someone important]] (or not important, [[Sacrificial Lamb|but very kind or innocent]]) dies. More [[Family -Unfriendly Violence]]. The [[Big Bad]] gets a daily dosage of [[Laser -Guided Karma]] and dies. Redwall is saved. The end.

* [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here]]: Lousewort and Sneezewort, Fragorl, Ripfang, Greypatch, Wulpp, Ullig, Wilce, etc. Dingeye and Thura ''started'' a book's plotline by trying (and failing) to do this, whereas most characters who do this do so at the end.

** Fragorl pulls what is probably the most impressive desertion in the series, by taking around a third of Ungatt Trunn's massive army with her in the process. [[What Happened to Thethe Mouse?|Said 300-strong army of deserters is promptly never mentioned again.]]

** Mokkan (''Marlfox''), Slagar (''Mattimeo''), Vizka Longtooth (''Eulalia!'') and {{spoiler|Quean Vilaya (''The Sable Quean'')}} tried to cut and run as well. But unlike the first group, most of whom were either [[Punch Clock Villain|just doing their jobs]] or [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain|were more incompetent than genuinely cruel]], these characters [[Complete Monster|relished in evil and wickedness]]. Fortunately, [[Laser -Guided Karma|they couldn't outrun death...]]

* [[Seldom -Seen Species]]: Stoats and pine martens, most prominently.

* [[Sequel Escalation]]: In the early books, the vermin armies keep getting bigger and the [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s' titles more impressive, up to "Emperor" Ublaz (whose domain was actually just an island). In both cases this process stopped when it couldn't go any further.

{{quote| "So, what happens when the bally precipitation ceases?"<br />

"Precipitation ceases?"<br />

* [[Shout -Out]]: A possible one to ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' of all people: The self-proclaimed Warden of a marsh with a tendency to use the phrase "I AM THE LAAAAAAAAW!"

* [[Smug Snake]]: Ublaz again; he's possibly the most pathetic [[Big Bad]] the series ever had, spending almost the entire book under siege in his castle by his own rebellious pirate crews (constantly [[A Worldwide Punomenon|outfoxed]] by their leader Rasconza) before dying when he [[Hoist Byby His Own Petard|steps on his own pet snake.]]

** Vilu Daskar too. He always acted as though he was the most intelligent creature around ([[Surrounded Byby Idiots|which was true for the most part]]), and that everything was under his control.

* [[Sociopathic Hero]]: Folgrim (''The Legend of Luke''), though if you learn his backstory, [[Cold -Blooded Torture|you will]] [[Nightmare Fuel|see why]].

** Also Major Cuthbert Frunk from ''High Rhulain''. His [["The Villain Sucks" Song|anti-vermin song]] was quite bloodthirsty.

* [[Species -Coded for Your Convenience]]: Played to a T. Vermin are evil; mice, badgers, moles, and so on are good.

* [[Surrounded Byby Idiots]]: The [[Armies Are Evil|Armies]] of most [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s consist of hundreds of complete morons who [[ItsIt's Probably Nothing|ignore obvious clues]] and frequently [[The Starscream|want to take command]] too.

* [[Taking You Withwith Me]] {{spoiler|Cregga Roseyes, Lord Stonepaw, Lord Urthstripe, Luke the Warrior}}

* [[Talking to Thethe Dead]]

** And many [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]s have names like "Verminname the somethingevilsounding," "Verminname Combinationofonesyllableevilsoundingwords," "Verminname Punbasedonactualtraithad" and "Two-syllables one-syllable".

* [[They Call Him "Sword"]]: Sunflash the Mace from ''Outcast''. Also, Orlando the Axe.

* [[Through a Face Full of Fur]]: The Redwall critters are constantly turning red from rage, green from seasickness, white with fury or fright, and pink with pleasure.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Ungatt Trunn, the [[Big Bad]] of ''Lord Brocktree''. He has the single biggest army in the series, and he attempts to feed them by sending out only a few small foraging parties -- withparties—with predictable results.

** {{spoiler|Ovus}} and {{spoiler|Bluddbeak}}, two very old birds--onebirds—one of whom is borderline blind--tryblind—try to kill a trio of adders. By themselves. Guess who dies?

* [[Took a Level Inin Badass]]: Matthias, occurring literally as he gets his hands on Martin's sword. All of a sudden he has the strength, stamina, and fighting experience to go toe-to-toe with Cluny, a powerful and experienced rat warlord.

* [[Two -Faced]]: Slagar the Cruel of ''Mattimeo'', under his mask.

* [[Two Lines, No Waiting]]: Along with the usual reasons, this structure takes advantage of previous supporting cast (such as the Guosim shrews or the hares and badgers of Salamandstron) while still allowing for a new and unique party of adventurers to explore a new setting.

** This is addressed in ''Loamhedge'' when [[Big Bad Wannabe|Badredd]] gets garbage dumped on him and he takes a bath (his last one being last Spring): "Every vermin knows that bathin' weakens ye."

* [[Ungrateful Bastard]]: A lot of major villains, thanks to running on [[ItsIt's All About Me]], exhibit utter lack of gratitude or obligation to those who just helped them. Vilaya is probably the biggest example, killing a [[Mook]] who saved her life and still was on her side more or less just because said [[Mook]] refused to grovel before her.

** Gulo starts out as being creepy, scary, and menacing, but after he survives falling down the waterfall, he becomes [[Ax Crazy]], starts [[Laughing Mad]], rambles about his dead brother and talks to himself--andhimself—and inanimate objects, making him even scarier and creepier. Needless to say, his soldiers were scared out of their wits of him.

** Tsarmina in ''Mossflower'' also does this. Granted she's being driven insane by a constant dripping noise and the fact that everything she tries to destroy the resistance fails.

** The Flitchaye could certainly count for this in ''Mariel of Redwall'. Their temporary capturing of Mariel and her friends serve little to no purpose but to add a couple of chapters extra padding. And after it's over, [[BigNon LippedSequitur Alligator MomentScene|the travellers never mention them again]].

** Used again in ''Doomwyte'' with the Gonflins, a literal tribe of [[Lovable Rogue|thieves and robbers]].

* [[What Do You Mean ItsIt's Not Awesome?]]: [[Show Within a Show|The Duel of Insults]] in ''Marlfox''. The characters shout insults at each other and react as if actually wounded.

* [[What Happened to Thethe Mouse?]]: Didn't some dormice let Cluny into Redwall or something? Some of the sparrows didn't die in Mattimeo, where did they go?

** What happened to [[Those Two Guys|Sneezewort and Lousewort]]? After [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here|they ditch the Rapscallions]], they're only mentioned one more time in ''The Long Patrol''. After that it seemed like even the author forgot about them.

* [[What Measure Is a Mook?]]: Even the ones [[Nominal Importance|with names]] almost invariably die.

* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: Toran borderline verbally abuses Martha {{spoiler|after she learns how to walk}}, all because she was upset that {{spoiler|Bragoon and Saro went to Loamhedge for no reason}}.

* [[Wicked Weasel]]: Weasels are [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil]], so...

* [[Wig, Dress, Accent]]: See [[Dressing Asas the Enemy]]. Jukka Sling, a squirrel, passes for a rat by shaving her tail.

* [[World of Badass|World Of Badass]] [[Badass Adorable|Adorable]]

** If that's true, Jacques must have had an ''impressively'' [[Badass]] [[Never Mess Withwith Granny|grandmother...]]

* [[Yank the DogsDog's Chain]]: {{spoiler|So Martin's gathered up thousands of warriors, Marshank is slowly being overrun, Badrang is running away from his fortress in shame, and the Fur and Freedom Fighters have been saved. And after Badrang's gone, Martin and Rose will surely fall in love and live a peaceful life. What could possibly go wrong? ...Cue Badrang abruptly killing Rose.}}

{{quote| "I'll kill you just like I killed Log-a-log!"<br />

* [[You Have Failed Me...]]: The villains in the Redwall series sure do have a habit of killing their own henchmen....

** Jukka the Sling and Fleetscut in ''Lord Brocktree'', which is even more impressive considering they spent most of the book [[Vitriolic Best Buds|viciously insulting each other]] and nearly [[Teeth -Clenched Teamwork|coming to blows]] more than once.

[[Category:ChildrensChildren's Literature]]