Martin the Warrior

Gender: male

Species: mouse

Appears In: Martin the Warrior, Mossflower, and The Legend of Luke (physical); all books except Lord Brocktree (spirit)

Mentioned In: Lord Brocktree




Martin is the co-founder of Redwall Abbey along with Germaine, its first Warrior, and considered to be one of the bravest creatures who has ever lived. He is the paternal grandson of Martin, maternal grandson of Windred, and son of Luke and Sayna. He is a skilled fighter, incredibly loyal, extremely brave, and refuses to bow down to tyranny. He is born in a cave on the North Shores and named after his paternal grandfather. His mother is murdered by Daskar's crew when he is only a few days old, and he almost becomes an orphan when Luke attempts to drown himself in the sea. A young Martin is then given his father's sword before he leaves to pursue Daskar, and he is lovingly raised by Windred. He dislikes the fact that Timballisto is in charge of the tribe but agrees to listen to him, and one day while chopping driftwood with the sword he is found by Windred. Before they can go anywhere they are surrounded by some of Badrang's soldiers, and Martin bravely tries to send them packing. He is knocked unconscious, Badrang steals the sword, and he and his elderly grandmother are chained to the slave line. They are forced to march for two seasons, with Windred dying from a combination of hunger and vicious beatings, and Martin becomes a slave in Marshank. He protects Barkjon from being whipped by an angry Hisk, attacking the weasel and being sentenced to death by Badrang who has him tied outside between two poles during a fierce storm. Thanks to Grumm, Rose, and the slaves he is rescued from being eaten by hungry gulls the following morning, however after attacking Badrang he is thrown into the Prison Pit where he meets Brome and Felldoh. The friends escape with assistance from Grumm, Keyla, and Rose (whom he falls in love with), and along with the mole and mousemaid he travels to Noonvale in hopes of asking Urran Voh to allow his creatures to join him in the fight against Badrang. Upon returning to Marshank, now with a large army, Martin plans a final assault that sees the vermin army totally defeated. Badrang attempts to flee when he realizes he is losing by diving into Grumm's tunnel, but the mole bravely tries to stop him. Rose then leaps onto the Tyrant and attacks him with a loaded sling, however he easily overpowers her and hurls the mousemaid at a wall which results in a fatal concussion. Martin witnesses the entire thing and bursts into a fierce rage, briefly dueling with the Tyrant before finally getting his revenge when he stabs Badrang in the heart with his father's sword. He is then overcome by a terrible grief and journeys south to Mossflower as he cannot return to Noonvale. An unknown amount of time later he is captured by Kotir soldiers and brought before an ailing Verdauga who arrests him for carrying a weapon but allows the mouse to "cool his paws" in the castle dungeon as he sees that he is a warrior. Tsarmina, angry at being overruled, then breaks the sword and forces Martin to wear the handle around his neck. The Warrior vows to kill her and is thrown into prison where he spends the remainder of the winter before meeting his best friend Gonff and escaping with him that spring. Along with him, Big Club, and Dinny he travels to Salamandastron where Boar forges him a new sword from a fallen star. He assists in stealing Bloodwake during Boar's Battle and returns to Mossflower where he demands that Tsarmina stop her evil reign. She refuses and the CORIM launch an assault on Kotir, flooding the ancient fortress and using ballistas to destroy its stones. Martin then dons his armour and eventually finds Tsarmina, hurling insults at the Queen who attacks him in a rage. The two enemies duel viciously, with Martin falling and rising twice despite suffering horrific wounds. He eventually emerges victorious by forcing her into the lake where she drowns, however almost immediately after he collapses from his wounds. He is so near death that he speaks to Boar at the gates of Dark Forest, and he is brought to Brockhall where he remains unconscious for twenty days before several creatures nurse him back to health. He is then told of Germaine's plans to construct an Abbey, becoming its very backbone, and some seasons later he is reminded of his past when Trimp recites a poem about Luke. Along with his friends he travels to the North Shores where he is told about his very young seasons and the story of his father's pursuit of Daskar. Upon returning to Redwall he brings with him a tapestry depicting his grandfather and asks Krar to hide his sword on the weathervane. The tapestry is then made into a picture of himself and hung in Great Hall. Martin goes on at least one more quest, eventually passes away from old age (presumed), and is buried in a special tomb underneath the stairs that connect Great Hall and Cavern Hole. Despite his death his spirit remains in Redwall - it is widely believed that his very being is within the Abbey walls as well as his tapestry - and often visits creatures in their dreams, particularly during troubled times. He can also influence others, as seen when he enters Rawnblade's body and has him throw Skrabblag out of the pit during the Battle of Terramort, and affects enemies by either haunting their dreams (Cluny) or clouding their visions (Mangiz). Martin the Warrior is the guiding spirit of Redwall and while there have been others like him, he himself is a legend.