Writing Project-Alliteration of Firestar as a Christ Figure

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This is an essay I wrote for English

No matter what religion you follow, or what religion you choose not to follow, the American culture today is widely based off of Christian values. Many writers of the present age create characters that follow the values that are imbued into society. Through this process, many characters can become figures much like Christ when they indirectly take on the values of Christianity. Firestar, a character with importance throughout Erin Hunter’s Warriors series, which has values like that of stories from the Bible, serves as a Christ figure.
In the first place, Firestar is a warrior, which means he lives his life by the warrior code, which is similar to the law and warnings found in the Bible. This code is the glue that binds all facets of clan life together. It is centered on such values as loyalty, compassion, honor, and respect. Multiple parts of the code are seen as useless to some cats, but really, just like multiple warnings found in the Bible, they are used to prevent disasters from happening. These kinds of disasters have happened multiple times in the clans’ past, like when ShadowClan was left without a leader or deputy(Hunter, Code of the Clans, 87), but a law was created to prevent such things from happening, even though some see that particular law as useless. Similarly, laws found in the Bible are often seen as too strict, but they are really meant to stop bad things from happening in the future.
Next, Firestar’s life follows prophecies that are given to him and other cats of the Warriors series. Jesus’s life was also planned, if not guided, by prophetic scripture of the Old Testament, as well as prophecies said by Jesus himself. Both Firestar and Christ were prophesized to be the saviors of the respective areas that they lived in. “There will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In… the future he will honor… The people walking in darkness/ have seen a great light;/ on those living in the land of deep darkness/ a light has dawned”(New International Version Bible Isaiah 9:1-2). Jesus was prophesized to begin his enlightenment of the Jews in Galilee. Firestar emerged in light of a similar way. “Fire alone can save our Clan”(Hunter, Into the Wild, 5). He was prophesized to save ThunderClan before he was even known to the clan. However, both Jesus and Firestar didn’t just save the places that they each called home. Jesus’s ministry has spread across the entire world, and his light has touched the hearts of hundreds of millions. Though not as impressive in comparison, Firestar went on to save the other three clans from both BloodClan(Hunter, The Darkest Hour) and the Dark Forest(Hunter, The Last Hope) in times of utmost distress.
   Furthermore, both Jesus and Firestar were warned of an enemy that was seen as otherwise. Jesus knew that he was to be betrayed by one of his own disciples. “Even my close friend, / someone I trusted,/ one who shared my bread,/ has turned against me”(Psalm 41:9). This scripture foretells the actions of Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’s disciples. He betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees, who eventually had Jesus crucified. Jesus also warned his disciples of this event during the Last Supper. Firestar was warned that a comrade of his was not to be trusted. "A battle is coming, [Firestar]. Beware a warrior you cannot trust"(Hunter, Fire and Ice, 313). Firestar faced the deception and treachery of Tigerstar, one of his own clanmates, after receiving this warning. The guiding principle of prophecy in Firestar’s life suggests that he is indeed a Christ figure.
   Next, multiple events from the warrior series that include Firestar seem to mirror events from the Bible. For instance, in Firestar’s Quest, Firestar sets out on a journey to save SkyClan from being completely wiped out, even though he warned by StarClan that he should stay with his clan. When he finds the clan, it is perceived that he is too late, since the clan was long disbanded and no cats actually lived in the abandoned camp. However, Firestar was eventually able to resurrect the clan and fill the abandoned camp with life. This story mirrors the story of Lazarus from the eleventh chapter of the book of John. Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, but his disciples warned him not to travel back to the town where Lazarus lived, because the Pharisees there wanted to stone him. However, Jesus went to Lazarus to heal his sickness. When he finally reached Lazarus, the man was already dead and buried in a tomb. Jesus prayed to God and brought Lazarus back to life, though.
   Furthermore, another string of events from the Bible, the sending out of the disciples, is mirrored in the Warriors series. Each of the disciples was sent out into the world to spread the testimony of Jesus in order to save the lives of many people. In the second arc of the Warriors series, Firestar’s daughters, Squirrelflight and Leafpool, take on leading roles and through their actions, the four clans eventually find a new home after the humans destroy their home in the forest. Also, in the third and fourth arcs, Firestar’s three grandkits and his great-grandniece take the point of view. Through the actions of Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Dovewing, the clans were able to stand up against the immense threat of the evil Dark Forest cats. The descendants of Firestar are similar to the disciples of Jesus through this.
On another point, Firestar finds challenges from those who have seniority over him. Similarly, during Jesus’s days of teaching, one of his main struggles were the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who were seen as authorities at that time. The figures of authority challenged both Jesus and Firestar at every chance. Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees, who called him a blasphemer because he called himself the Son of God. They also challenged him, saying that he was led by and also commanded demons. “But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons’”(Matthew 12:24).
In the same way, as Firestar tries to help his clan, Bluestar often stands in his way as leader of the clan when she slips into dementia. Firestar tried to advance the apprentices of ThunderClan to warriors, but Bluestar did not trust their mentors, so she kept them from becoming warriors, though they deserved that honor. Bluestar’s dementia also caused her to declare war on WindClan. When Firestar heard of her battle plans, he went to WindClan to try to resolve the dispute behind Bluestar’s back, which ultimately was the right thing to do. Before Firestar took his place, Tigerstar was the deputy of ThunderClan. The two were rivals, and Tigerstar created challenges for Firestar many times over.
Of course, both Jesus and Firestar were able to answer their challenges. Jesus often was able to turn around the Pharisee’s carefully chosen words so that he could challenge them instead.
“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why
do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’ He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition”(Matthew 15:1-3)?
In this example, the Pharisees thought that they hurt Jesus’s reputation by pointing out that He and His disciples did not follow the traditions of the elders. Of course, those traditions were often held so high that God’s commandments were ignored in light of them, which is what Jesus in turn pointed out. Firestar, as well, was able to escape the fate that Tigerstar tried to create for him. Multiple times, Tigerstar tried to either have Firestar killed or have his reputation destroyed. The challenging authorities Firestar faced is another Christ-like principle that he takes on in Hunter’s writing.
On a separate note, both Jesus and Firestar are somewhat known for their humble beginnings. Jesus was from the town of Nazareth, which was a small, humble town that wasn’t much to speak of at all. He was also originally a carpenter, and some doubted him because of his simple career. He was even born in a barn with only a trough as a crib. Similarly, Firestar was born a kittypet under the name of Rusty. He became a clan cat after being invited by Bluestar. This fact is also a source that cats like Longtail and Tigerstar used to challenge Firestar. In the clans, kittpyets, which are cats that live with Twolegs, or humans, are seen as soft and weak. Firestar was originally seen as too weak to join ThunderClan, much less become its leader, because he was born a kittypet.
Another important attribute to a Christ figure character is the symbol of the lion. Jesus was referred to as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” in Revelation 5:5. In fact, the  lion is used many times throughout the Bible as a symbol of variable attributes like strength, judgment, and power. One of the most widely recognized Christ figures, Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia, is in fact a lion. Aslan is recognized as a Christ figure because of multiple aspects from C. S. Lewis’s series, like his relation to the almighty Emperor-beyond-the-sea, his defeat of evil beings like the White Witch(Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and his passing of judgment on the world after he destroyed it(Lewis, The Last Battle).
In The Darkest Hour, this symbol is used pointedly. Firestar, newly appointed as leader, was by himself in the forest, taking a drink from a stream. As he looked into the water, he saw his reflection transformed into the face of a lion. Spottedleaf then gave him a prophecy that led him to unite the clans into LionClan, telling him that he would need to become what he saw in the water(Hunter, The Darkest Hour).
Finally, Firestar even takes on resurrection, similar to that of Jesus’s. In The Darkest Hour, during the battle with BloodClan, their leader, Scourge, kills Firestar. However, StarClan grants every leader nine lives when they take on their position. This is so that they can lead their clan to the full extent, being the first in the line of battle, and the last to take their share of food. Firestar had not lost any lives before, so he soon was resurrected by the power of StarClan to defeat Scourge.
Also, at the end of The Last Hope, when Firestar loses his last life, a scene very similar to Jesus’s ascent into heaven follows. “The StarClan cats drew closer around Firestar’s body… A shadow stirred over the orange shape… Firestar stood up”(Hunter, The Last Hope, 327). Even though he was dead, Firestar stood up before leaving his clan to join his ancestors in StarClan. The Gospel says that Jesus arose from his grave after being crucified. About forty days later, “he was taken up to heaven”(Mark 16:19). This was witnessed by his disciples, similar to how Firestar was seen by his clan one more time before he went to StarClan’s hunting grounds, which was pretty much the warrior cats’ version of heaven.
In conclusion, Firestar serves as a Christ figure in a story that centers on values that can be found in the Bible. As stated before, the culture of modern times has values rooted in the Bible, and there is no denying it, even though many modern values and perceptions are contradictory to the teachings of Christ.



Works Cited
Hunter, Erin. The Darkest Hour. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.
---. Code of the Clans. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print.
---. Fire and Ice. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.
---. Into the Wild. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print.
---. The Last Hope. New York: HarperCollins, 2012. Print.   
Lewis, C. S. The Last Battle. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
---. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Zondervan. Michigan, 2005. Print.