Sol (Warriors)

Sol is an important villain in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. His numerous acts of revenge affected the clans in many ways. He was once a housecat called Harry, living with his family and dreaming about Skyclan after he had been told exciting tales about them. His mother Cinders abandoned him at a young age, promising him food and a new owner. Strangely, his father and siblings have never been named. Once he even predicted a prophecy about a solar eclipse saying that a great darkness will approach the clans. Surprisingly, he was right. Out of shock Blackstar made him temporary leader of Shadowclan but was later exiled due to his lying. The stubborn cat was last seen during the events of The Forgotten Warrior. In this book he was chased away by Hollyleaf and has not been seen since but he may return.

Appearance
Sol is a tall, lean, mottled, bright tortoiseshell-and-white tom mixed with ginger, black, dark brown and white patches, a face that tapers at the muzzle, and a thick, brown-and-white, curving tail which is bushed at the tip. He has pale yellow eyes, large, wide-spaced, tufted ears, a long, thick, sleek, soft pelt, a broad head, and fur around his neck that stands like a sun-shaped mane. His looks have been compared to a lion’s.

Quote
"Never! Not until I've destroyed everything the Clans stand for. Many seasons ago, I knew another of your Clans, far away in a gorge. They scorned me, too; they told me I wasn't good enough to be one of their precious warriors! So I vowed to prove to all of you that the warrior code means nothing. In the end, you will kill one another for reasons that aren't worth so much as a mousetail."

- Sol to Hollyleaf in The Forgotten Warrior.

Personality
Proud, stubborn, bossy, hostile, clumsy, bitter, arrogant, restless, unholy, hopeful.

Goals and ambitions
-To destroy all five clans in the forest

-To control Shadowclan

-To be made a warrior

-To convince other cats to listen to him

-To destroy the warrior code

Appearances
-The Rescue

-Beyond the Code

-After the Flood

-Eclipse

-Long Shadows

-Sunrise

-The Forgotten Warrior

-Hollyleaf’s Story

-The Ultimate Guide

Childhood and meeting Leafstar
Sol is born to Cinders and an unnamed tom. Cinders never gave them names and always complained, unless she was telling stories to him and his littermates about the Clan that lived on the clouds, fought for good, and could fly.

Sol promised his mother he would be a SkyClan warrior. One day, Cinders' mate came to her and told her that he found a new mate who didn't complain so much and left her. Cinders left her kits at a different twoleg den each.

Sol was given to an elderly woman who named him Harry. Harry lived there until Leafstar and her kittens came. Leafstar had been kidnapped by the person and befriended Harry.

When SkyClan came to rescue her, she found a way out and Harry helped her and her kittens escape. Leafstar named Harrykit after him. He came, saying he wanted to be a warrior, and revealed his name was really Sol.

Life as a skyclan warrior
Sol returns from a hunting patrol. Honeypaw and Birdpaw complain he doesn't have to do apprentice duties, and then that he should have a warrior name. Sol helps Harrykit when he cuts his nose. On the next hunting patrol, Sol convinced Patchfoot to split the patrol. He returns to camp mouths full of prey.

Leafstar asks to join his next patrol, and he agrees. He then shows a shocked Leafstar that he really stole the food from a fox- a mother fox. Leafstar is horrified, and banishes Sol from ever doing it again. Sol is asked to join a training session, and struggles.

The foxes find the camp and attack. Sol is scared stiff and doesn't respond when Leafstar calls to him. Sol apologizes to Leafstar, and explains about his kithood and dream to be a SkyClan warrior. Leafstar agrees to train him. Leafstar trains Sol well, and is pleased.

During a SkyClan gathering, he says he wants to be a warrior. When Leafstar says it doesn't work like that, Sol storms away just before the flood. After the flood, Sol asks Leafstar if the Ivy he found could line the new nest. Leafstar says no, because they could be poisonous, and he glares before leaving. Sol and Leafstar look for herbs for Echosong, and Sol finds yarrow.

He once again asks to make him a warrior, and Leafstar explains he needs to be assessed, and learn more about the warrior code. The next day, Leafstar assesses Sol. Sol catches a squirrel, and accidentally leads her to the twoleg nest where Petalnose and Shrewtooth's old abusive owner used to live. Leafstar explains how they taught him a lesson, and they stay away from it because of bad memories for several warriors.

When Firekit, Harrykit and Stormkit disappear, Sol is sent on a patrol to find them. Leafstar sees Sol leaving, followed by Shrewtooth, and follows. She notices Shrewtooth is stalking him like prey. She is shocked when she hears the kits' voices coming out of the bush, and realizes Sol was hiding them.

Shrewtooth attacks Sol, and they fight before Leafstar joins in and sends Shrewtooth to camp to get help. Sol tells Leafstar he was going to prove himself a warrior by finding the kits, and nobody in SkyClan respected him. Leafstar told him that he could never be a warrior, and he was banished.

Sol argues, but just then Shrewtooth's patrol arrives and chases him away. Sol swears he will destroy their warrior code.

Trivia
-Male cats cannot appear tortoiseshell but Sol does

-One of Leafstar's kittens, Harrybrook, is named in honor of him when he was called Harry.

-Vicky revealed that Sol's appearance is based on a cat who lives across the street from her: Nutmeg.

-When asked if the readers would ever find out where Sol was from, and where he went, Kate replied with a firm "no" and also said "He was a fabulous drifter. Knowing where he came from, and where he went, would spoil an essential part of his nature."

-Vicky may be considering an e-book about Sol.