Firepaw (formerly Rusty, later Fireheart) is the story’s protagonist. He begins the novel as Rusty, an ordinary house cat who dreams of adventure beyond his stifling kittypet life and is rechristened as Firepaw when he becomes a ThunderClan apprentice in Chapter 3. Firepaw’s primary motivation in the novel is to fit into his new community and develop the skills he needs to become a warrior; along the way, he learns about fellowship, loyalty, and honor.

Firepaw is the archetypal hero in the novel’s modified hero’s journey plot structure. Firepaw enters the secondary world from humble beginnings (his kittypet origins) and has special abilities that set him apart from others, signaling him as uniquely capable to resolve the narrative’s primary conflicts. Firepaw’s singularity is foreshadowed by his association with the prophecy introduced in the prologue. Unbeknownst to Firepaw, his arrival was foretold by the prophecy Spottedleaf receives: “Fire alone can save our Clan” (5). Later, Bluestar selects Firepaw’s apprentice name because of his “flame-colored coat” (37); the association in both name and appearance establishes Firepaw as the symbol of the prophecy. Although Firepaw does not realize that he is a walking symbol of hope and renewal, the framing prophecy in the prologue establishes him as the narrative’s hero and signals to the reader that his character arc will resolve the novel’s core conflicts.