Bravelands / Characters

This is a list of characters that appear in Erin Hunter's Bravelands series. Beware of unmarked spoilers for the first book!

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Lions

Swiftcub/Fearless Gallantpride

All of the Other Reindeer: He receives some ostracization from the Brightforest Troop for being a lion.
Anti-Hero: Fearless starts out a kindhearted, somewhat cocky cub who gets the rug torn from underneath him when his father is killed, causing Fearless to be run out of his pride. After being kicked out of the Brightforest Troop for being a lion, Fearless' more negative traits come to light. By the end of the second book Fearless has become a much meaner character under Titanpride and Stinger's deception. This trope is subverted in ‘’Blood and Bone’’ when Stinger reveals his true colors to Fearless. Shocked and outraged by this revelation, Fearless turns on Stinger and subsequently reconciles with Thorn and Sky.
Earn Your Title: Fearless is referred to as the "Cub of the Stars" by the Brightforest Troop. They found him in a tree and believe him to a blessing from the Great Spirit.
Happily Adopted: After being run out of his pride and left for dead, Fearless is adopted by a baboon troop. He loves his new family, but not all of the troop agree with keeping him around.
Interspecies Adoption: Having spent a large chunk of his cubhood amongst baboons, Fearless has to learn how to act like a lion. Even then, being raised amongst baboons gives Fearless insight and character traits that are rare amongst lions.
Interspecies Friendship: His best friends are two baboons, Mud and Thorn.
Kid Hero: At the start of the series he's only a cub, being a little over a year old at the end of the first book.
My God, What Have I Done?: After Nut nearly causes Mud to get killed by crocodiles and shows no concern at all, Fearless attacks him. But when he sees everyone terrified, he feels ashamed from having attacked a member of the troop.
Taking You with Me: At the end of the series. He is victorious against Titan, but sustains fatal injuries.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: In Code Of Honor, he ends up becoming a more cruel lion under Titan's reign, as opposed to the innocent and helpful lion cub he was in Broken Pride.
Young and in Charge: He becomes the leader of his own pride at only one year old.
You Killed My Father: Fearless is out to get revenge on Titan for murdering his father, Gallant, and taking his pride.
Unwitting Pawn: Fearless turns on Thorn after being mislead by Stinger who tells Fearless that Thorn is Bark Crownleaf's ruthless murderer as well as accusing Thorn of a few other crimes. In Blood and Bone Fearless realizes that Stinger is the bad-guy after the latter reveals right to the former's face that he betrayed him by killing Snarl and selling Fearlesspride out to Titan. Following this earth-shattering revelation, a repentant Fearless reconciles with Thorn and Sky.

Swift Gallantpride

Eye Scream: Jealous of her abilities, Artful blinded her. One of her eyes is outright missing while the other is scarred.

Gallant Gallantpride

Dark Is Not Evil: Gallant has a black mane but is a kind lion.
Plot-Triggering Death: His death results in Fearless being exiled from his pride.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He gets killed off the very chapter he is introduced.

Valor Gallantpride

Cool Big Sis: She's a year older than her brother Fearless. She's a nice older sister.
Disney Death: It initially seems like she was killed when Titan took over the pride, however it's later shown that he let her live.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Her charisma and hunting ability is pretty much the only thing keeping Fearlesspride together.

Titan Titanpride

Dark Is Evil: He has a dark black mane showing that he is a strong lion, but he is also brutish and cruel.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He's a cruel lion, but he cares for Artful, and especially his son Ruthless...until he eventually shifts his care for the latter over towards Menace after Menace's birth comes along after Ruthless has proven himself not to be the way Titan had hoped and the former he proves willing to leave for dead as he goes mad from his desire to gain more power and become immortal.
It's Personal: Titan hates Gallant because Titan once drove away his father.
Papa Wolf: He become even more threatening when cheetahs kidnap his son.
Would Hurt a Child: He has no issue attempting to kill Fearless.

Artful

Alpha Bitch: Artful, Titan's favorite lioness, immediately gets Fearless's contempt for being snooty and blinding his mother.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: As cruel as Artful is, she loves her mate and her son.
- Subverted in Shifitng Shadows. After Artful gives birth to Menace, she along with Titan show clear favoritism towards their daughter as well as disowning Ruthless when he disperses to join Fearlesspride. Artful eventally grows to fear her husband after he becomes increasingly megalomaniacal.
Green-Eyed Monster: She became so jealous of Swift that she disabled her and tried to get her kicked out of the pride.

Ruthless Titanpride

Son of Titan and Artful.

Children Are Innocent: Ruthless is unaware of the animosity between Fearless and Titan. He begins to admire Fearless after he is saved by him.
Distressed Dude: As a small cub in the first book, he ends up taken hostage by cheetahs.
Ironic Name: Ruthless' parents named him that because they hoped he'd learn to live up to it. Unfortunately, they named him earlier than with other cubs. He's barely older than the equivalent of a toddler when he's named "Ruthless". As a cub, Ruthless is not remotely ruthless. He's actually quite nice.
Royal Brat: Subverted. Fearless believes him to be this, but Ruthless isn't bratty.

Loyal

Big Brother Mentor: He acts as an older-brother figure to Fearless who helps him survive on his own and learn how to be a lion.
Big Damn Rescue: He saves Fearless in the Final Battle from Titan. He pays it with his life.
Luke, I Am Your Father: In Blood and Bone, he’s revealed to be Fearless’ father.
What Were You Thinking?: He asks Fearless this when growling that Fearless had made an oath he couldn't possibly keep.

Cunning

Ear Notch: His defining feature is his torn ear.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He only appears in a few scenes before being killed off by a cheetah in the first book.

Meanace Titanpride/Wolfpride/Meancepride

Royal Brat: Unlike Ruthless, Meance is shown to have inherited their father's cruelty. She also has no qualms subjecting her brother to physical and verbal abuse.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Meance has grown to form a genuine attachment to her adopted son, Terror (Who is actually a distant grandnephew of Fearless). She gives up her life so Chase can reunite Terror to his birth parents.
Cain and Abel: Meance constantly agonizes her elder brother by subjecting him to physical and verbal abuse.
Alpha Bitch: In Curse of the Sandtounge Meance is revealed to have formed her own pride. When Prance is exiled, Meance leads a hunting party as she attempts to kill Prance. They meet again when Meance takes Prance and Shortsight hostage.

Bold Noblepride

Alpha Bitch: Bold tricks Tailgrabber into leading her and her hunting party into the territory of the former’s clan. There Bold raids the Hyena den and kills all of the pups (Including Tailgrabber’s Nephew). Later Bold taunts a recently exiled Tailgrabber for the loss of the cubs. In retaliation, Tailgrabber fight’s and subsequently kills the lioness.

Baboons

Thorn Deeproot/Lowleaf/Middleleaf

The secondary Protagonist in the First Arc. By the end of Blood and Bone, Thorn becomes the Great-Parent.In Curse of the Sandtounge, Thorn is still the Great-Father but becomes a secondary character in that arc.

Interspecies Friendship: He was introduced to Fearless by Mud and the three have been close ever since.
Parental Abandonment: Thorn's parents died several seasons before the series began.
Secret Relationship: Thorn is in a relationship with Berry but must keep it a secret because of their differing ranks.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Thorn is the outgoing and proactive "manly man" while his best friend Mud is the quiet Non-Action Guy "sensitive guy".
Young and in Charge: He becomes Crownleaf of his troop and Great Father of Bravelands at only six years old.

Mud Deeproot/Lowleaf

Disappeared Dad: His father is never mentioned.
Geek Physique: Mud's very smart but he is also very small and thin. He's not much of a fighter and isn't very athletic either.
Interspecies Friendship: He was Fearless' first baboon friend. They've since become best friends.
Lovable Coward: Because he's so small, Mud gets scared easily. He's very cautious as a result.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Mud is the quiet and shy "sensitive guy" to Thorn's energetic and outgoing "manly man".
Shorter Means Smarter: In Mud's case, "smaller equals smarter". He's an unusually small and feeble baboon, but is one of the smartest in his group.
The Smart Guy: He's Thorn's smart and somewhat geeky best friend. This leads to him being bullied by the more athletic baboons.

Berry Highleaf

Missing Mom: Subverted in Blood and Bone: her mother is very much alive, just in a different troop.
Secret Relationship: She's in one with Thorn. They're not allowed to be together due to their different ranks.
Uptown Girl: Berry's a Highleaf while Thorn starts out as a Deeproot, the lowest rank. They're in love with each other despite their difference in rank. One reason why Thorn desires to become a Highleaf is so he can be with Berry.

Seed "Stinger" Highleaf/Crownleaf

The Bad Guy Wins: Both Broken Pride and Code of Honor end with him taking a position of power, first as the leader of Brightforest Troop and then as the supposed Great Father to all the animals of the savanna.
Broken Pedestal: Thorn is in complete disbelief that Stinger, the friendly and charismatic leader he had always looked up to, had broken the Code by murdering both Bark Crownleaf and Grub.
- Fearless (Who is younger and more naive) Look up to Stinger and never doubted his jugement even when he ordered the former to betray Thorn under the pretexts that he was the code-breaker. However Fearless is shocked and heartbroken when Stinger reveals that he sold the former and his newly formed Fearlesspride out to Titan. Which makes Fearless realize that Thorn was telling the whole truth when he tried to warn Fearless about Stinger at the end of Code of Honor
History Repeats: Back when he was a member of Crookedtree Troop, he smashed the Crownleaf’s head with a rock. Seven years later, he kills Bark in the same way, only this time his plan actually succeeds and he gets away with it.
Hypocrite: In Broken Pride, he accuses the stubbornly traditional Grub of being a tyrant over the Brightforest baboons, wanting to be more open-minded to change. But in Code Of Honor, he ends up becoming even more of a dictator and even more close-minded than what he accused Grub of being.
The Leader: He becomes Crownleaf after Grub dies.
Only Known by Their Nickname: "Stinger" being a nickname isn't even mentioned until 3/4ths through the first book.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Stinger, the baboon who let Fearless be accepted in the troop, is friendly and popular with the other baboons because of his calm and level personality. That is, until he reveals that he killed the past two troop leaders.
The Smart Guy: He's abnormally smart and is one of the best tool-makers in his troop.
The Sociopath: He doesn’t necessarily care for anyone except for his own daughter(and even that came in spades), and only mated with Pear to carry his legacy. He uses everyone as a pawn in his plan, and faked affection to Fearless and Thorn since they were useful enough.
Trademark Favorite Food: He loves scorpions. This is one of the hints that he killed the previous leaders. He used his scorpions to poison one of them.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: After Grub's murder, Stinger turns out to be quite the tyrant in Code of Honor.
Villain with Good Publicity: Code Of Honor sets him up to be an example of this, with the other baboons and even the rest of the savanna animals being swayed by his way with words and skillful manipulation of emotions.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Stinger believes that he would be the best leader for his troop. This leads him to murder the leader and then also murder the newest leader when he gets chosen instead of Stinger.

Nut

The Bully: He and his friends are constantly bullying Thorn, Mud, and Fearless.
Malicious Misnaming: Nut believes that Fearless' name is an Ironic Name and that a more appropriate name would be "Big Talk".
Mistaken for Murderer: He is exiled from the troop when it is thought he killed Grub Crownleaf. The true murderer was Stinger.
Reformed Bully: He changes for the better, stops bullying other baboons, and even becomes Thorn’s friend.

Grub Highleaf/Crownleaf

Jerkass Has a Point: He is aggressive toward Fearless, but since lions can sometimes eat baboons, he's justified.
Killed Mid-Sentence: He dies midway through a meeting, explaining there was nothing wrong with him.
Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: He's a mean and conservative baboon with beady yellow eyes.
Short-Lived Leadership: In the first book, he is dubbed The Leader of Brightforest Troop after the previous leader is (supposedly) killed by a hyena. His rule as Crownleaf only lasts a few days at best, because a jealous Stinger Highleaf soon poisons his food. With Grub dead, Stinger is free to become the new Crownleaf.
Tampering with Food and Drink: He dies from eating dik-dik meat poisoned with scorpion venom by Stinger.
Red Herring: When Great-Mother reveals that Bark had been assassinated by one of her troopmates, Thorn suspects Grub to be the culprit due to the latter's conservatism as well as receiving the opportunity to become Crownleaf following Bark's death.

The Starleaf

Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": "The Starleaf" is a title given to baboons. Baboons give up their old names and are exclusively referred to as "the Starleaf" or sometimes just "Starleaf".
Spell My Name with a "The": She's usually referred to as "the Starleaf".

Bark Crownleaf

The Leader: She's the leader of Brightforest Troop at the start of the series.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Compared to her two successors, Grub and Stinger. She’s said to be a wise, benevolent baboon.
We Hardly Knew Ye: She's killed early on in the first book.

Pear Goodleaf

Break the Cutie: Oh yes. She’s so traumatized by Stinger’s actions (murdering a Crownleaf, and running away with their daughter after he was caught) that she stops speaking for seven years.
The Voiceless: After her Break the Cutie incident, she doesn’t speak for seven years.

Elephants

Sky Strider

Harmful to Minors: Her mother was killed in front of her when she was a very young calf.
Missing Mom: Sky's mother Mist Strider was killed by lions who preyed on her because she was still weak from giving birth.
Nephewism: Sky was brought up by her grandmother with help from her aunts.
Raised by Grandparents: Sky was predominantly raised by her grandmother.

Moon Strider

Cheerful Child: Moon is Sky's plucky younger cousin. He is very curious and loves to play.
Death of a Child: He ends up getting killed by Titan.

Great Mother/Sun Strider

Cool Old Lady: Her wisdom and calm attitude has earned her the respect of many animals in the Bravelands. She's calmed down an argument between a zebra and two wildebeests, talked the rhinos down from a rampage, and agrees to let Fearless and Thorn arrange a peaceful impasse with the cheetahs. Her murder by Stronghide saddens her entire herd, and even the vultures willingly don't eat her body.
Establishing Character Moment: She peacefully settles a dispute between a group of zebras and wildebeests by suggesting a compromise.
Only Known by Their Nickname: The Great Mother's real name was "Sun Strider".

Boulder

Big Brother Instinct: He can be very protective of Sky, and is noticeably not at all happy to see her with Rock on account of how Rock had previously accidentally killed the last elephant he'd hoped to mate with.
The Ghost: In the first book he is referenced but unseen. He left to roam with other bulls years ago. Averted in Shifting Shadows, in which he finally makes a physical appearance alongside the very bulls he'd left to roam with.

Rock

Big Damn Heroes: He saves Sky and Moon from Titanpride. Unfortunately, he is too late to save Moon. Moon dies as a result.
My Greatest Failure: He has never quite forgiven himself for accidentally killing River, the first female he'd loved. She didn't return his feelings, being already in love with Boulder, and Rock fought a duel with the latter. Unfortunately, Rock got too blinded by the instinctual Rage (musth) of male elephants to realize she had gotten in the way.
The One Guy: He’s the only male elephant in the series, (at least until Boulder and his group of other males appear in Shifting Shadows) as well as the only male in Sky’s little trio. Justified, since Sky is a female elephant, and adult male elephants live in their own herds.

Starlight Great-mother

Cool Old Lady: Like Sun Strider, Starlight is also a wise leader.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Starlight Great-mother is a wise and competent leader.

Miscellaneous

Windrider

The Leader: She is the leader of her group of vultures.

Grandmother

Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Is far more massive than any known extant species of snake, to say the least.
Big Bad: Grandmother is the Primary Antagonist in the Curse of the Sandtounge Arc
Snakes Are Sinister: Is a giant snake that serves as the Big Bad of the Curse of the Sandtongue Arc.

Gorillas

Bramble Greenback/Brightback/Silverback

Bramble is a protagonist of Curse of the Sandtounge

Interspecies Friendship: Bramble befriends the Leopardess, Chase and the Gazelle, Prance.
Missing Mom: Bramble's Mother is revealed to have died when he was young.
Young and in Charge: By the end of Blood on the Plains Bramble becomes his troop's Silverback after his father died.

Moonflower Mistback

Cool Big Sis: Moonflower servers as a secondary and supporting character throughout the Curse of the Sandtounge arc. She journeys with her younger brother to the Plains and provides her support.
Hyper-Competent Sidekick: Moonflower provides excellent support for Bramble and co. By the end of the 2nd arc, Moonflower succeeds her mother as her troop's Mistback

Cassava Brightback

Big Brother Instinct: Cassava looked out for his siblings (especially Bramble).
Plot-Triggering Death: Cassava's death is a major reason Bramble and Moonflower travel to the Plains.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Cassava is killed early on in Shadows on the Mountain

Burbark Silverback:

The Leader: Burbark is the leader of Burbarktroop.
Redemption Equals Death: Following Grandmother's Death, Burbark is freed from her mind-control, but dies soon after from a combination of the venom in his body and the blunt force trauma of having fallen from a high height into a small lake over the course of a fight he'd engaged in against Bramble prior to Grandmother's death.

Dayflower Mistback

The Mistback of Burbarktroop, Mother to Moonflower as well as the Stepmother to Bramble and Cassava.

Leopards

Chase Born-of-Prowl

Disappeared Dad: Chase's father is unknown
Mama Bear: Chase becomes extremely maternal towards her cousin Seek after becoming his sole care-taker.

Prowl

Mama Bear: Prowl advises her daughter to look after herself and their leap.

Seek Born-of-Slink

Missing Mom: Slink dies of unknown causes
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Seek is introduced as a kind and innocent cub. In The Venom Spreads however, Seek becomes aggressive and antagonistic after being brainwashed by Grandmother. Subverted in Blood on the Plans. Seek is revealed to no longer be under Grandmother's mind controll.
Sneeze Interruption: Seek unintentionally alerts a Bush Piglet Chase was trying to hunt to her presence when he sneezes.

Shadow Born-of-Stealth

Foreshadowing: Shadow becomes suspicious of Range's motives and tries to warn Chase about the former. However Chase assumes he's just trying to scare her and Seek. When Range reveals his ties with the Sandtounge Cult, Chase realizes that Shadow was right about Range from the beginning.
Jerk Witha Heart Of Gold: Initially teased Chase with his condensing attitude. However he displayed sympathy towards Prowl's death. In The Venom Spreads Shadow provides Chase shelter and assistance when Seek is captured by Grandmother.

Range Born-of-Sprint

Foreshadowing: Range's existence his hinted by Shadow when he informs Chase that he spotted a Large Male Leopard on the latter's territory.
Nice Guy: Range is introduced as noble and compassionate. However, Range is revealed to have been brainwashed by Grandmother near the end of Shadow's on the Mountain.

Buffalo

Whisper

Whisper is a Cape Buffalo Cow as well as one of the three protagonists in the Thunder on the Plains arc. Her younger brother is Echo.

Cool Big Sis: Whisper is very protective of Echo. When Echo is ambushed by Gutripper’s Clan, Whisper goes out of her way to fend them off. Unfortunately, Echo falls into the river and is subsequently swept away.

Echo

A Child Shall Lead Them: Echo was chosen to succeed Bellow as leader despite the former being a calf.
Disney Death: Echo is believed to have died after Holler conspires with Gutripper’s Clan to assassinate the former. However Echo is revealed to still be alive in the epilogue.

Thunder

Bellow's mate and mother to Murmur. Thunder is polyandrus, taking Bellow and at least one other bull as her mates.

Murmur

Murmur is the calfhood friend of Whisper's and Thunder's daughter.

Break the Cutie: Murmur is initially smitten with Quake before he leads her and Whisper into pool of quicksand and leaves the cows for dead. Whisper manages to escape, Murmur however, isn’t as fortunate.

Quake

Holler's son. Formerly the love interest of Murmur. Before he Betrays her and Whisper and leaves the cows to drown in quicksand.

Bellow

Leader of Whisper and Echo's herd. The Great-Sprit appoints Echo as Bellow's successor after the latter is wounded by a crocodile. However it's later reveled that Holler was at fault for wounding Bellow.

Holler

Holler is Bellow's treacherous brother. He had been jealous of Bellow ever since the latter has been appointed leader ahead of him.

The Bad Guy Wins: Holler succeeds in wounding Bellow as well as displacing Echo in order to take over as their herd's leader.
Cainand Abel: Holler mortally wounds his brother, Bellow in order to supplant the latter as leader.
Would Hurt a Child: Holler had no qualms conspiring, with Tailgrabber’s Clan in order to assassinate, Echo.

Hyenas

Ribsnapper

“Bony”

Known Only by Their Nickname: “Bony’s” real name is unknown.

“Fat-Belly”

Known Only by Their Nickname: Similar to “Bony”, “Fat-Belly’s” real name is also unknown.

Characters / Bravelands

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