Top ten best apprentice-mentor bonds by Mountainstorm

Mountainstorm ranks some iconic Apprentice-Mentor bonds

Hi, kits, apprentices, warriors, elders, medicine cats!
Welcome back to another fan article!
We all know how important mentors are in the warrior cats world! They are cats who pass on their knowledge to a new generation, teaching them the ways of the warrior (or medicine cat) code, how to hunt and fight and track, and everything else a cat might need in its life! Some mentors are just there, like a relationship you’d have with a parent’s coworker. Those kinds of mentors teach you what you need to know, but you don’t share a tight bond with them. Some mentors are amazing! (Like my mentor, Coldheart!) In the warriors books, these relationships are much similar to what a person’s relationship would be with their grandparent. They teach them new things, and they are really wise, yet they are like a best friend at the same time. And some mentors…are not so good. Either they neglect the apprentice, or are cruel and unkind towards them, or are abusing them in some way, like Darkstripe abused Fernpaw/cloud.
Among all these different types of relationships apprentice and mentor share, I will be listing some of the best duos in the warriors books! (This is just my opinion, though!)

10. Featherwhisker & Spottedpaw
I think Featherwhisker and Spottedpaw share a pretty good bond! Featherwhisker is an easy-going, funny medicine cat who enjoys making others laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, after all!
He offered to train Spottedpaw as a medicine cat many times before she accepted, driven to the job after realizing Thistleclaw’s true self, and realizing that she didn’t want to injure other cats, she wanted to heal them.
But even before Featherwhisker got her as an apprentice, he was always supportive of her, and gave her advice when she needed it. When he got her as an apprentice, he was always kind to her, and reassured her if she was worried or nervous. Spottedpaw was a great apprentice in turn, and later became a great medicine cat, proving how well Featherwhisker had trained her!

9. Lionheart & Greypaw
I always liked this duo! I especially love how much respect and admiration Greypaw held for his mentor, and how well they seemed to work together!
It was so sad when Lionheart died, and how heartbroken Greypaw was at the time over the death of his mentor.
Their relationship is sweet, and Lionheart’s mentoring certainly got Greypaw far in life!

8. Whitefang & Leopardpaw
After reading Leopardstar’s Honor, I find that I greatly admire the strong tom who trained Leopardpaw to become a warrior! He was always kind to her, accepting her fear of water and not forcing her to go in, instead finding ways for her to get over her fear, like building it up gently; getting in a shallow pool at first, then a deeper pool, etc.
He was so proud of her when she finally got over her fear of swimming, and Leopardpaw was very happy that she could make her mentor joyful at last, because before she learned to swim, she was always guilty that she was letting her mentor down, which goes to show how much they care for each other.

7. Leopardfur & Whitepaw
Yes, another good mentor-apprentice relationship with Leopardstar in it!
After Whitefang got killed at a sunningrocks battle, Leopardfur got Whitepaw, whose mentor was originally Whitefang. At the same battle, Sunfish, Whitepaw’s mother, received multiple deep wounds that she eventually died from. Before Sunfish joined StarClan, she made her best friend, Leopardfur, promise to look after her son. Leopardfur promised her, and later, comforted Whitepaw when he realised Sunfish had died. That was such a sad moment, but the way Leopardfur comforted Whitepaw- pulling him close and hugging him tight- is just so sweet.
Leopardfur never failed to show Whitepaw love, looking out for him, making sure he was happy, making sure he was progressing in his training, and everything in between.
Their bond was something more- more like mother and daughter but stronger than most family bonds in the warriors world.
Whitepaw became an awesome warrior, a cat Leopardstar was very proud of!

6. Dawnstripe & Tallpaw
Tallpaw was originally meant to be a tunneler- spending days underground in the mud and much, carving away dirt from the crumbling walls. But Heathestar realised that he would be much better for a Moor runner- observing how he couldn’t recite the temptation to run like the wind when the breeze caught his fur. Dawnstripe was assigned to be his mentor, and she was a really good one, still Tallstar’s loyal friend even after he became a warrior.
But while Tallpaw was an apprentice, she trained him really well, teaching him how to sprint and encouraging him when he felt like giving up. When Sandgorse was mean to him, Dawnstripe was always there, comforting him, and giving him advice. She always looked out for his mental and physical; health- and the two always and always will share a really tight bond!

5. Bluestar & Firepaw
Bluestar took on training the eager apprentice a few moons after he joined the forest. She didn’t give up on him easily- making sure he became a warrior that no one would tease ever again.
She was quite kind and friendly towards him- joking to lighten the mood, and showing him really useful battle moves that later saved Firepaw many times in his life.

4. Mudclaw & Crowpaw
I don’t know…they’re just a really good match. 😛
Both are somewhat shy and unfriendly towards other cats, but both are loyal and always want the best for their family and friends. And Mudclaw did train Crowpaw pretty well! Later on, Crowpaw wasn’t afraid to stick up to Mudclaw- which goes to show that Crowpaw wasn’t abused or hurt in any way. Maybe the angry Mudclaw had a soft spot for the apprentice, and treated him with kindness and love instead of cruelty like would be expected of him. 🙂

3. Nightcloud & Hootpaw
Yes! This is probably my second favorite apprentice-mentor relationship!
The unfriendly Nightcloud is just so kind and loving towards her apprentice, who mourns her greatly when she supposedly dies.
Anyways, Nightcloud always comforted her apprentice when he was distressed, and was a very good mentor, training him very well in the ways of the warrior code, battle tactics, hunting, tracking, running- insuring her apprentice would have the honor of becoming one of the best warriors in the Clan.

2. Talltail & Deadpaw
I find it very honorable and sweet how Tallstar helped Hopkit to train, and made sure he became a warrior just like any other. When the rest of the Clan had given up on Hopkit, not wanting to make him an apprentice because of his twisted paw, Talltail made sure his Clan didn’t toss Hopkit away because of his disability, and confine him to the elders’ den for life.
Tallstar was very good at training his apprentice, and it was obvious they cared for each other a lot.

Time for number one! Drumroll please….🥁🥁

1. Yellowfang & Cinderpaw!
This is for sure the best apprentice-mentor relationship in the warriors series!
Yellowfang was the ShadowClan medicine cat, but after being driven from her home by her own cruel son, Brokenstar, she took refuge in ThunderClan. ThunderClan had been left without a medicine cat- so Yellowfang took the job! Cinderpaw was originally training to become a warrior, but after getting caught in a trap not actually meant for her, her back leg got badly injured.
Yellowfang took great care of her, making sure the young apprentice survived her injury..and she did, but sadly her back leg wasn’t working correctly, which stopped her from becoming a warrior.
Because of this, Cinderpaw fell into depression, not wanting to do the exercises Yellowfang assigned her, not wanting to get up from her nest, calling herself useless and a burden to the Clan.
But Yellowfang came to the rescue! She motivated Cinderpaw, gave her a future as a medicine cat, and comforted her in a….Yellowfangish way. But that way worked, and Cinderpaw was up on her paws again, confident and engar once more from Yellowfang’s encouragement.
Yellowfang’s love didn’t stop there- when Cinderpaw blamed herself for Silverstream’s death, Yellowfang was there, nudging her back onto her feet and helping her regain her spirit.
They are both just so supportive of each other, Cinderpaw giving advice to Yellowfang in her short manga, Yellowfang helping Cinderpaw through all her difficulties- their relationship reminds me so much of a loving grandmother-daughter friendship and it’s just so sweet, inspiring, and beautiful!
Cinderpelt became an awesome medicine cat, and she never ever lost her friendship with her wonderful mentor!
Which is why I think this relationship definitely deserves first place! 🥇

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best mentor-apprentice relationships! What’s your favorite, and in your opinion, which one is the best?
Thank you very much for reading, ✨May StarClan light your path!✨
-🏔️🐾