Martin the Warrior

Martin the Warrior is the main overall protagonist of the Redwall novels by deceased author Brian Jacques. Martin was a heroic figure who aided the poor, enslaved, and oppressed in his travels and quest for internal peace. Martin had a difficult life and he was pretty much a tragic hero; yet he was optimistic throughout and never considered giving up.

Martin was a mouse, typical of many protagonists of the series. Despite him being the overall main protagonist, little much is known of him. It is known he was named after his grandfather, Martin the First, and born on the Northland shore where Luke his father migrated to. Martin had his mother Sayna killed by Vilu Daskar when he was a kid, and he learned to fight sea rats at an early age. Eventually this fighting skills would be honed in on his successors and become a necessary for the survival of Redwall Abbey.

Origins
Martin was born in the Northlands shortly after Luke the Warrior settled there. Martin knew very little of parenthood; given that his mother, Sayna, was murdered by Vilu Daskar months into his youth and Luke set sail for vengeance shortly afterwards. Martin was a fighter from an early age, as rats and marauding forces attacked the coastal settlements.

Luke planned to capture the Goreleech, Daskar's ship, and steer it onto the beach near his cave, wrecking it. He would call for Martin, who would now be older and stronger, and have his tribe kill Daskar with his pirates. But this failed, because Luke saw Martin had been abducted, by Badrang the Tyrant. His cave was all smashed and in ruins. So Luke drove the Goreleech onto the giant rocks and killed himself and Daskar to free the world of Daskar's evil.

Enslavement
Martin had a terrible youth, being made to labour under Badrang's cruel empire, building his castle of Marshank for him. Martin was one of many young and old slaves, who were all close to death from constant abuse. One day, Martin fought back against Hisk, a cruel weasel slaver, and almost beat him to death. However, Badrang summoned Martin, intending to kill him. But then he considered making Martin a horde captain. However, because Badrang was wearing Luke's sword which he had stolen from Martin, Martin refused, and Badrang chained Martin up in between two poles overnight in a storm. He then tried to feed Martin to gulls in the morning, but Rose and her friend Grumm rescued Martin.

Badrang turned in Martin to the slave pit when he saw Truman Clogg approaching. Martin met fellow slaves, Felldoh and Brome, Rose's brother, in the pit. He then planned to break out and managed to after two days with Grumm's help. Then they escaped overseas to Noonvale, Rose's home, after many dangers.

On the way they were split up. Martin and Rose were enslaved by shrews, and Felldoh and Brome met the Rosehip Players, a rebellious group of actors. They were eventually reunited when they returned to Marshank to free the remaining slaves.

War of Marshank
Martin now had a grudge against Badrang and wanted to kill him by getting Luke's sword back. He fought a long and arduous campaign against Marshank, with Felldoh sacrificing himself in one-to-one combat with Badrang himself. However, Martin still didn't win until he had three combined armies break into Marshank and ambush all the slavers. Martin was about to get at Badrang when he killed Rose. However, Martin was then consumed by rage and killed Badrang ending his evil reign.

Martin was distraught about Rose's death and saw himself as a doomed creature to destroy others' lives. He vowed to leave South and go somewhere where no one knew of him. He promised never to reveal Noonvale's location, and he ended up in Mossflower. However, the old mole prophet Polleekin made a prophecy one day Martin would find happiness.

War of Mossflower
Having arrived in Mossflower, Martin found it under an oppressive rule by Tsarmina the wildcat and her family of wildcats, as well as ferrets, stoats, weasels and rats. These mercenaries formed the Army of a Thousand Eyes, ruled by Tsarmina's father Lord Verdauga, who, for a vermin, was actually honest, just and honorable. Tsarmina was not though, and she poisoned her own father after he captured Martin and allowed him to live after being expelled from Mossflower. Martin had told Verdauga he didn't know it was his land. Verdauga allowed Martin to be set free on that condition.

However, Tsarmina was angry and she snapped Martin's sword, having recently been freed from Badrang. This made her a lifelong enemy of Martin. Verdauga also recognized the warrior in Martin and told Tsarmina she had made a mistake.

Though as stated, Tsarmina killed Verdauga, and framed her brother, Gingivere, (who like Verdauga was a good wildcat and had stood up for Martin) for the crime. Martin knew that Gingivere was kind and wouldn't have done such a thing. He was shocked by the sudden change and new empire, and that Tsarmina was now a traitor. He escaped prison with Gonff the mousethief, who had luckily got himself caught. But Gonff and Martin returned to the Council of Resistance in Mossflower, and they inducted Martin as their new secondary leader.

After a long trip to Salamandastron mountain to reforge Martin's sword, and defending Mossflower from sea rat invaders, Martin and the Council began a siege of the wildcat city Kotir, in which many prisoners were freed or escaped, Martin challenged Tsarmina to an epic battle, and drowned her, keeping his promise of vengeance.

Martin suffered many injuries in this battle and it almost killed him. He got amnesia when waking, and suddenly he hung up his sword, and vowed never to fight again.

He planned the formation of Redwall Abbey, a place where all the freed citizens of Mossflower could live together.

Total recall
Martin was constructing Redwall with the woodlanders, when suddenly one day in the Summer a hedgehog named Trimp came into the country and she found her way to Redwall. She was welcomed and stayed for lunch but over the construction of the bellfry she began to sing a song about Luke's life to keep their morale up. This suddenly jogged Martin's memory and he began to remember everything that had happened to him. He remembered his mother and the time with Tsarmina, however some events like Daskar and Badrang seemed beyond recall.

When he got his memory back, he vowed to return to the North and find his home and see if Luke was still there.

The journey
Martin set off with Trimp, Gonff, and Dinn the Foremole. They encountered many obstacles such as the cannibalistic Flitchaye weasels and rats. Martin picked up Folgrim, an insane otter who had dishonored his tribe and took to barbarity. Folgrim was slowly cured under Martin's influence.

They also found Chugger, a squirrel who was going to be eaten by the Flitchaye, but escaped with them. Finally after many dangers they got to the Northlands under guidance from the Dunespike tribe of hedgehogs who prided themselves on "fright, not fight." Then the questers reached the Northlands and Martin remembered everything he forgot. He found Vurg, the oldest mouse he had lived with, and took him along. Vurg thought Martin was Luke from his looks. Then Vurg took them to the Arfship which was the remains of the Goreleeech. They met Beauclair Cosfortingham, the old mad hare who was one of Vurg's company and the rest of the old crew. Together, after a meal, they recounted from their thick journal, the story of Luke the Warrior and Daskar.

Return to Redwall
Martin finally matured upon hearing the story. He learned that his father saved the world from a terrible threat at the cost of his own life. Martin then resolved never to fight again at all upon hearing the cost of his father. He returned with his friends to Redwall and he became a monk like the other inhabitants. His sense of humour returned though and he became a father figure to the youngsters of Redwall. Martin hung up his sword on the weathervane and told the eagle king where a future warrior would find it.

Post-mortem
It is unknown how Martin died, presumably of old age though. He returned as a ghost, and lived on at Redwall, haunting the place in times of danger. He was often invoked by the inhabitants to scare their enemies.

The three most notable times of his presence were in the Great Summer Wars against Cluny, the time of Ublaz from Sampetra island, and during Dandin's time at Redwall. He would often possess elders and get them to speak in riddles, which would reveal a secret to Redwall's survival.

Personality
Martin was honest, and never forgot the warrior's code, that one does not abuse their power. He only hated those that dishonored him or his family. He was different from Daskar, who was also a quester yet wanted to steal from others, he was different from Badrang because he was a warrior yet not a corrupt or power-hungry one, and he was different from Tsarmina because Martin kept family honor unlike her. Martin was essentially the equivalent of Jesus in the Redwall universe, someone all noble creatures aspired to be like. His life story is also somewhat similar to Moses, given that his rebellion against Hisk is like Moses' murder of the Egyptian slaver. Also he and Moses become leaders of the rebellion.