History Literature / Redwall

* [[NeverTrustATrailer Never Trust A Book Cover]]: Plenty of covers. But the by far most blatant ones, were made by a German cover artist. The [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060105021050/redwall/images/2/27/GermanRedwall.jpg Redwall]] one, for instance shows all animals nude. And further shows all Redwallers, including Constance and Basil, cowering behind in fear, while Matthias seems to be the only one brave enough to stand up against Cluny. The one for [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060106055125/redwall/images/f/f9/GermanMossflower2.jpg Mossflower]], however, is [[ItGotWorse worse]]. It shows nude Martin and his cronies ''riding'' the Salamandastron hares like on horses (apart from the fact that there are only [[RuleOfThree two]] hares present). And... wait a minute... who is that third mouse?! What do you mean, it's [[IAmNotWeasel supposed to be a shrew]]?! And why are the other two mice ''blue?'' Artist, are you blind? Or illiterate? Or high? Or everything at the same time? Anyway, it apparently took the publishers three of such covers, before they finally fired that cover artist. For his cover for [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060105021558/redwall/images/d/d5/GermanMattimeo.jpg Mattimeo]], he finally managed to draw a creature with clothes on, but apparently still does not know the difference between a [[TooDumbToLive ''combat axe'' and a ''spike club'']]. Especially, when the axebearer is explicitly called Orlando the ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Axe]]''! And Mattimeo was ''not'' a baby at that time anymore. And lastly, none of the scenes portrayed on these covers happened (or at least happened ''that way'') in the books.

Typical stories consist of some villainous horde laying siege to the abbey, while/or some of its inhabitants have to venture somewhere else. Either way, several exciting medieval-style battles ensue until the book's villains are defeated. Despite the lack of an ongoing story, continuity lovers will find much to admire in the consistency of the world surrounding Redwall; each book's inside cover features a map of the territory the story covers, and they all fit together very well (although forests and such change significantly in size over the years, and for the duration of one book a large lake suddenly morphs into an ocean). Other societies, like the badger lords and hare soldiers of the mountain fortress Salamandastron, or the wandering Guosim shrews, pop up frequently and have a real sense of history to them. As well, some of the most exciting times for fans came with the publications of the books ''Martin the Warrior'' and ''Lord Brocktree'', as the eponymous characters are mentioned numerous times in other books as legendary warriors from the past, meaning that with the titles alone Jacques was announcing that we would finally be seeing the real story behind those legends.

* PerilousOldFool: Bluddbeak was once a great adder killer, but is now old, rhuematic and blind. However, he thinks he can take on a trie of adders (and Ovus is only too happy to help.) The result? Skipper mourning "Brave, [[TropeNamer perilous ole fools]], why did ye try it?"

* ArchnemesisDad: Swartt Sixclaw, Veil's father. He completely neglects him, doesn't even name him, and abandons him in a ditch during a battle. That's not counting what Swartt does to him the next time they meet.

* EvilerThanThou: What tends to result if a book's "A-plot" villian confronts the "B-plot" bad guy (see EnemyCivilWar above). A good example is in ''Loamhedge'', when [[CompleteMonster Raga Bol]] and his searat crew encounters [[BigBadWannabe Badredd]] and his band.

** Mokkan (''Marlfox''), Slagar (''Mattimeo''), Vizka Longtooth (''Eulalia!'') and [[spoiler:Quean Vilaya (''The Sable Quean'')]] tried to cut and run as well. But unlike the first group, most of whom were either [[PunchClockVillain just doing their jobs]] or [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain were more incompetent than genuinely cruel]], these characters [[CompleteMonster relished in evil and wickedness]]. Fortunately, [[LaserGuidedKarma they couldn't outrun death...]]

* IAmNotWeasel: Hares hate being called rabbits. Eventually {{Justified}}: rabbits are shown to be harmless examples of BritishStuffiness antithetical to the one personality most hares share. One vermin soldier in ''Rakkety Tam'' gets the crap beaten out of him by a hare that knows boxing, partly for eating several other hares earlier in the book and partly for [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking repeatedly calling him a rabbit]].

* FrothyMugsOfWater: [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] '''Hard.''' Canon states Matthias is the equivalent of about thirteen during the events of Redwall and you see him drinking ale and cider with the rest, and in British English, there is no such thing as ''hard'' or ''soft'' cider: cider is alcoholic by definition. In fact the FoodPorn has lots of gratuitous drinking, [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy vermin sentries are easily taken out of action by leaving Grog lying around were they will find it]], the multiple {{Poison Chalice Switcheroo}}s only work because of the senior vermin's love of a nice [[AGlassOfChianti goblet of damson wine]], and in earlier novels it is strongly implied that some of the adult good guys are [[AlcoholHic dead drunk at the victory feasts]].

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome: [[ShowWithinAShow The Duel of Insults]] in ''Marlfox''. The characters shout insults at each other and react as if actually wounded.
** Not to mention Sesstra, Zassaliss and Harssacss, they basically got a Hydra into this!
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Didn't some dormice let Cluny into Redwall or something? Some of the sparrows didn't die in Mattimeo, where did they go?
** It is implied that Plumpen was forgiven for letting Cluny in (probably something to do with his family being threatened and whatnot.) And it would be difficult for 4 sparrows to repopulate the whole thing without some level of [[KissingCousins Inbreeding.]]
*** The family of dormice including Plumpen are outright stated to be helping Foremole in the postscript of ''Redwall'', so either forgiven, given a minor punishment, or the Abbeydwellers never found out. The sparrows had also taken up residence in part of the Abbey yet only a handful of characters could speak their language, so they might have simply gone isolationist.

* ThePowerOfRock: In the audio book of ''Rakkety Tam'', "What is fear/I know it not/What is death/The foebeast's lot..."

* FeedTheMole: No! This is ''not'' related to [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Deeper N' Ever Turnip N' Tater Pie!]]

*** DidNotDoTheResearch: The rats are bigger assholes than even Jacques suspected. Fire is the most dreaded occurance aboard ship, because it is extremely difficult to stop. Flooding can be contained relatively easily if you're quick about it, and abovewater impacts typically won't put the ship at risk. Fire, however, cannot be contained, and with the tools available at that tech level, cannot be fought. If you start a fire aboard ship you're going to be fishfood shortly. The sea rats more than ''anyone'' should fear fire as a weapon.

** Ublaz, again. He's possibly the most pathetic BigBad the series ever had, spending almost the entire book under siege in his castle by his own rebellious pirate crews (constantly [[AWorldwidePunomenon outfoxed]] by their leader Rasconza) before dying when he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard steps on his own pet snake.]]

*** And it didn't hurt that the [[VillainousBSOD BSOD]] was also caused by [[spoiler:seeing Plugg being taken by [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent a trio of adders]].]]

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Practically every reptile and amphibian in the series is [[AlwaysChaoticEvil evil]]. Frequently, they are depicted as being far worse than the vermin. Nearly all are cannibalistic. Exceptions made for the ones which have occasionally been seen as pets - see FurryConfusion. Some come across a little more as TrueNeutral, however.

** Also baby Dwopple in a way, he's a freaking baby and yet he still is able to kill crows with a few sticks.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Do '''''NOT''''' fuck with badgers, especially Lonna Bowstripe. [[spoiler: He uses Raga Bol's body as a shield, and he's promptly impaled by a few spears. Afterwards, Lonna uses Raga's carcass as a flail to kill the other Searats. And then he chunks his grotesque body at a tree.]]

** Subverted with Gulo the Savage (''Rakkety Tam''), who often fought from the front alongside his vermin Mooks. Of course, considering [[TheBrute who]] [[ImAHumanitarian he]] is, aside from a badger lord or another wolverine, there wouldn't be too many threats to his person. And the fact he grows [[AxCrazy increasingly psychotic]] doesn't hurt either...

* TheAbridgedSeries: A YouTube user named Hethrin is in the middle of an abridged series based on the Redwall TV series, which often parodies the many changes that were made in the show, as well as some tropes that appear in the books.

** A [[KarmicDeath karmic]] example happens in ''Outcast of Redwall''. Just when the Wraith is about to assassinate Lord Sunflash after climbing up to an open window, Porty throws two rockcreams at Folrig and Ruddle (who were hiding behind Sunflash at the time). The badger and two otters duck, and the rocks end up hitting Wraith, causing him to fall to his death--[[HoistByHisOwnPetard and also to stab himself in the jaw]].

** In ''The Sable Quean'', [[spoiler:Brother Tollum swings into the attic windows of the abbey, but a shocked Globby ends up stabbing him with a kitchen knife. [[MutualKill Simultaneously, Brother Tollum's paws smash into Globby's chest, mortally wounding him as well.]]]]

* ActionGirl: Quite a few, starting with Jess Squirrel and Constance in the first book. Mariel is probably the best known and most popular of them among the fandom.
* {{Aerith and Bob}}: Martin and Gonff, for example. This is more common in the earlier books when a large number of the characters still had human-ish names.

** It should be noted that the degree of evilness exhibited by vermin varies between books, and even in the same book, there is often a distinction between [[PunchClockVillain punch clock vermin]], [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain serving primarily as comedic relief]], like Flinky and most of his gang in ''Loamhedge'' or Lousewort and Sneezewort in ''Long Patrol''; and genuine, murdering villains. Quite a few of the former successfully pull [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere Screw This, I'm Outta Here]], and many of those are implied to give up banditry and such for good.

*** And ''Doomwyte'' has a Log-a-Log named Tugga Bruster. Unlike the other Log-a-Logs in the series, who were all good chieftains and relatively Badass in one form or another, Tugga was brutal (even killing the chieftain of a vermin gang when he was begging for mercy), harsh to his crew and a total [[JerkAss prick to the Redwallers]]. At first, it's easy to assume he was [[JerkassFacade acting tough as a leader should]], but it's made clear that he's a genuine jerk, a coward and a thief.

** Also unusual, rabbits are not at all flirtatious, [[TricksterArchetype mischievous, or clever]]. The hares take that role, and the rabbits are universally [[TheLoad prissy little weaklings]] who never factor heavily into the plot.

* {{AntiVillain}}: Asmodeus is one. Yes, he's a Hero Killer, but he isn't really evil, he just eats rodents like any snake would to survive.

** The traditional kind are aplenty as well. Greypatch burned a ship with flaming arrows in the same book.

* BigBadWannabe: Quite a few rather incompetent vermin 'leaders' fit this trope; notably Badredd and Gruven.

* TheChessmaster: Cluny. Every chapter has him adapting his EvilPlan to exploit some new development or preceived weakness.

* CrapsackWorld: Only and arguably in the later books. Eventually, the world consists of Redwall, Salamandastron...and in between, a wretched hive of AlwaysChaoticEvil vermin ready to kill or enslave anybeast who steps outside.

* CuteButCacophonic: Dotti in ''Lord Brocktree''. Pretty haremaid, appalling singer, worse with instruments. All Hares seem prone to this.

* DarkerAndEdgier: According to this '''SPOILER LADEN''' [[http://redwall.wikia.com/wiki/News:%22Doomwyte%22_-_Reviewed_by_the_Redwall_Wiki Review]] of ''Doomwyte'', the series went this way with the later novels.

* DeathGlare: Sister Alkanet gave such "icy glares" to anyone who discredited her, her infamous physicks or her perceptions of how dibbuns have to behave.

* DeconstructionFic in the fandom commonly attempts to deconstruct the AlwaysChaoticEvil nature of vermin. Success varies.

** Subverted with Gulo the Savage (''Rakkety Tam''), who often fought from the front alongside his vermin Mooks. Of course, considering [[TheBrute who]] [[ImAHumanitarian he]] is, aside from a badger lord or another wolverine, there wouldn't be too many threats to his person. And the fact he grows [[AxCrazy increasingly psychotic]] doesn't hurt either...

** Brockhall, which was dug out under a tree.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: It is said in ''Mariel of Redwall'' that alone out of all villains, sea rats are the only ones verminous enough to use fire as a weapon.

** Vizka Longtooth's pirate crew deserted him after he murdered two of his own crew members in cold blood and for no reason whatsoever.

* EvilerThanThou: What tends to result if a book's "A-plot" villian confronts the "B-plot" bad guy (see [[EnemyCivilWar Enemy Civil War]] above). A good example is in ''Loamhedge'', when [[CompleteMonster Raga Bol]] and his searat crew encounters [[BigBadWannabe Badredd]] and his band.

* EvilPlan: Each book has one but they usually involve conquering Mossflower/Redwall/Salamandastron.
** The Legend of Luke is a inversion as 2/3 of the narrative is actually TheHero searching for the truth about his father's fate and then going home.

* FacialHorror: Riggu Felis, post-osprey. Eeeeee.

* {{Flanderization}}: It becomes common knowledge that hares have big appetites. This is taken UpToEleven with Bescarum (who will steal from various hosts when he gets hungry) and Diggs (who simply never talks about anything else.)

** Also in ''High Rhulain'', Riggu Felis orders one of his top mooks to do this to one of [[OverlordJr his son]]'s spies. We never find out if he went through with it, but one of Riggu's soldiers mentioned the spy was chopped to pieces. Which isn't much better.

** [[WordOfGod Jacques]] said in a meet the author that growing up in a food rationed era, he was always annoyed by the lack of descriptions of food in the books he read, and would often just read recipe books.

* FrothyMugsOfWater: [[AvertedTrope Averted.]] '''Hard.''' Canon states Matthias is the equivalent of about thirteen during the events of Redwall and you see him drinking ale and cider with the rest, and in British English, there is no such thing as ''hard'' or ''soft'' cider: cider is alcoholic by definition. In fact the FoodPorn has lots of gratuitous drinking, [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy vermin sentries are easily taken out of action by leaving Grog lying around were they will find it]], the multiple {{Poison Chalice Switcheroo}}s only work because of the senior vermin's love of a nice [[AGlassOfChianti goblet of damson wine]], and in earlier novels it is strongly implied that some of the adult good guys are [[AlcoholHic dead drunk at the victory feasts]].

* GiveChaseWithAngryNatives: Running through hornet's nests or crow-infested trees while making ungodly noise is a common tactic for Redwallers, and the hapless pursuing vermin fall for it every time.

* InstantExpert: It seems that any good character who wields the Sword of Martin becomes an expert swordsman and all-around warrior...even if they haven't been shown to wield a sword before (Triss, though some may claim she'd [[InTheBlood be inherantly skilled because her dad was a swordmaster]]). Even if, in the case of Laird Bosie (Doomwyte), the user has explicitly stated they are bad at using swords because they're unwieldly.

* InstantSedation: The Flitchaye tribe uses knockout gas (resembling ether or chloroform) to anaesthetise travelers, to rob and to kill them. Oh, and No! [[HollywoodScience You cannot nullify the knockout gases' effect on you by stuffing ramsons or garlic or whatnot up your nostrils!]]

* InterspeciesRomance: Although Bragoon and Sarobando probably come the closest, this never actually occurs. It does, however, show up in songs.

* JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: Warden, a heron who keeps the reptiles and amphibians of his swamp under control by eating them strategically when they commit a serious disturbance; also [[ShoutOut a nod]] to [[AnAesop Aesop]]'s fable "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frogs_Who_Desired_a_King The Frogs Who Desired A King]]".

** Some of the minor villains or [[TheDragon Dragons]] have karmic deaths too. For instance, Brool and Renn are killed by Veil shortly after they tied him up and stole all his food and gear; the Wraith is accidentally knocked off Salamandastron by Porty; [[spoiler: Klitch drinks the water Farran poisoned just when he thinks he's survived the gruesome battle at Salamandastron; Karangool was presumably whipped and killed by Bucko Bigbones, whom he had tortured in the past]].

** "So, [[spoiler: Tugga Bruster's]] wicked ways [[LaserGuidedKarma finally caught up with him]]. [[KarmicDeath Got what he deserved, I think.]]"

* TheLastThingYouEverSee: In ''The Pearls of Lutra'', the BigBad tells Martin that the last thing he'll ever hear is the BigBad's name.

* LeeroyJenkins: Felldoh. His rousing nature [[spoiler:and ultimate death nearly cost the life of all the Fur'n'Freedom fighters]]. Idiot.
** Sadly he [[spoiler:never learned]] his lesson, that leading a small, personal war against the main antagonist, whilst all of his friends fight the big, official war against the main antagonist, does ''not'' pay off. And yet he's still an EnsembleDarkhorse.

** WordOfGod says that Cluny's name was meant to rhyme with "loony".

* TheMovie: Averted. Literally ''half a dozen'' times! Most of the projects failed primarily due to [[WordOfGod Brian Jacques']] general distaste of movie adaptions. The ones who didn't suffer from this actually made it into pre-phase before it was discovered they lacked the rights. Those who had rights and made it into pre-phase turned out to be mere [[DudeNotFunny practical jokes]] or misunderstandings. Currently, however, a {{deviantART}} [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits group]] is working on a feature-length adaption of ''Mossflower'', the second book of the series. Not to be confused with another so-called ''"movie"'' that was brought out (which was just a re-edited version of the animated series with the {{Filler}} episodes removed).

* NakedPeopleAreFunny: When Badrang's in need of a piece of rope, he cuts a random minion's belt, causing said minion's kilt to drop off and everybeast to start laughing at him.

** As does Laird Bosie Mc Scutta of Bowlaynee (''Doomwyte'') and now, Subaltern Meliton Gubthorpe Digglethwaite (''The Sable Quean'').

* PendulumWar: Almost every military engagement in the series that isn't a CurbStompBattle. Let's say, that whenever there is a big battle in the end, vermin usually have an upper hand at the beginning, until heroes manage to close the gap in numbers/invent a better plan. However, smaller skirmishes against named heroes usually are curb stomps in said heroes favor (even if villains manage to bury one or two of them under their own dead). ConservationOfNinjitsu?

** There's some TruthInTelevision[=/=]FridgeBrilliance to this. Ferrets, weasels, and stoats, along with foxes, do produce a stronger odor than, say, mice or squirrels. It's completely natural and expected of them. So it stands to reason that vermin consider frequent baths and flowery soaps to be unnatural and unattractive.

* PokemonSpeak: "Asmodeusssssss!"

* ReforgedBlade: In ''Mossflower'', Martin the Warrior's sword, which belonged to his father, is broken in his travels. It is then reforged by the great lord of Salamandastron, using a "fallen star" (a meteorite, rather) to rebuild it into a purely unbreakable sword, which also begins its legendary status. All during one book of the series. Martin wears the broken hilt around his neck through most of the book, until he finally gets it reforged and proceeds to kick much ass.
* {{Reincarnation}}: Matthias is established to be a reincarnation of Martin, and it's possible that so are all the other Swordbearers. Cornflower ''might'' be [[ReincarnationRomance Rose's reincarnation]], but it's not spelled out.

* RodentsOfUnusualSize: Damug Warfang is a "Greatrat", twice the size of a normal rat.

* ThroughAFaceFullOfFur: The Redwall critters are constantly turning red from rage, green from seasickness, white with fury or fright, and pink with pleasure.

** This is addressed in ''Loamhedge'' when [[BigBadWannabe Badredd]] gets garbage dumped on him and he takes a bath (his last one being last Spring): "Every vermin knows that bathin' weakens ye."

* UngratefulBastard: A lot of major villains, thanks to running on ItsAllAboutMe, exhibit utter lack of gratitude or obligation to those who just helped them. Vilaya is probably the biggest example, killing a {{Mook}} who saved her life and still was on her side more or less just because said {{Mook}} refused to grovel before her.

** Tsarmina in ''Mossflower'' also does this. Granted she's being driven insane by a constant dripping noise and the fact that everything she tries to destroy the resistance fails.

** Used again in ''Doomwyte'' with the Gonflins, a literal tribe of [[LovableRogue thieves and robbers]].

* [[WorldOfBadass World Of Badass]] [[BadassAdorable Adorable]]