Silverwing (TV series)

Silverwing is a children's animated television series based on the novel Silverwing.

Synopsis

Long before the first migration, there raged a Great Battle Between the Birds and the Beasts. This was fought to establish the balance of nature and the territorial limits of every species. The bats, being neither birds nor beasts, would not choose sides in the conflict. For this, a law was passed that forever condemned the bats to darkness. One young bat, Shade Silverwing, dared to break the law.

Characters

Shade

A young Silverwing bat who was teased by his friends for being the runt of the colony. When he dared to break the law of gazing on the sun, his colony lost its beloved roost at Tree Haven. Only after being separated from his colony does Shade discover the many skills and abilities that make him an extraordinary, heroic bat.

Marina

A young Brightwing bat that lived alone on an island until fate intervened and brought Shade to her. She was cast out of her colony because they felt the silver band the humans gave her would bring bad luck. Now Shade's closest friend and migration companion, she is a constant source of moral support and good advice. In the books, she becomes Shade's mate, but this element is not expanded upon throughout the series.

Goth

A huge and vicious cannibal bat from the South American jungle that was brought north for scientific study. After escaping the lab, he used his skills of deception to trick Shade into describing the Silverwing colony. Now anxious to sit down to a feast of Silverwing before flying back home, he is a constant threat to Shade and Marina's safety.

Throbb

Goth's portly brother in-law is not as fast or strong as he is, but is still a vicious adversary with the same craving for bat meat. He and Goth were brought north together and agree to work together to get back home. What Throbb doesn't know is that Goth plans to eat him if they don't find the Silverwing colony.

Frieda

The banded chief elder of the female Silverwings is a kind and gentle leader with an endless supply of wisdom for bats young and old. Trusted and respected by the colony, her loyalty was brought to debate after she refused to give Shade to the owls and caused Tree Haven to be destroyed. Still, she sees potential in Shade that no one else can see.

Bathsheba

A bitter member of the Silverwing elders with too much to say. She has been jealous of Frieda her entire life and cannot agree with any decision she makes. Bathsheba is determined to become a better leader than Frieda and will do anything to tarnish the leader's reputation, even if it means destruction of the entire Silverwing colony. She was leader for a time, but was quickly stripped of the title after her decisions nearly caused the colony to be wiped out. She greatly dislikes Shade because his actions lead to the destruction of Tree Haven.

Ariel

Shade's loving mother lost her mate, Cassiel, just before Shade was born and was left to raise the young Silverwing herself. She knows Shade wants to find his father, but never told him he was alive, fearing Shade would leave to find him. Ariel believes in rules and discipline, but she knows the law is wrong and cannot blame Shade for opposing it.

Chinook

The most promising hunter and flyer in Shade's generation, Chinook is boastful and proud of his skills. Knowing the hype surrounding him, he doesn't feel out of place flying alongside the elders or participating in colony politics. He might act like a bully sometimes, but he is noble-hearted and considers Shade both his friend and rival.

Mercury

The only adult male Silverwing that stays with the females, he serves as a messenger, scout and guardian for the female elders. He always flies near the front of the colony to keep an eye out for danger. Disciplined and quick to act, Mercury is also one of Frieda's most loyal supporters during times of crisis.

Brutus

The vengeful, war-mongering supreme commander of the owls. Brutus ordered the attack on Tree Haven after Frieda refused to give up Shade. Obsessed with war and hunting fugitives, he is always certain about his decisions and does not like to be advised by anyone. Not even his son, whom he is ashamed of for not sharing his views on the law.

Orestes

Brutus' timid, vegetarian son is disregarded by his own species because he believes the answers to conflicts lie in diplomacy, not war. After Shade and Marina rescue him from a human trap, Orestes decides that the only way to prove his point is to help clear Shade's name. He may be an owl, but he is also Shade and Marina's friend and trusted ally. He seems to like studying spider though ironically he is sometimes scared by them.

Ursa

Being the only Kermode bear around, Brutus felt Ursa would be the ideal neutral creature to serve as leader of the beasts. She didn't want the position, as Ursa had no interest in helping anyone, but was later convinced by Shade to rally most of the beasts and boycott the war. Now an ally of the bats, Ursa's position of authority is invaluable.

Luger

The leader of the wolves is a sinister and conspiring character who wished to rule all beasts. When he was not selected as leader, he and his wolves began killing more than their fair share of prey, causing many animals to seek protection from Ursa. Luger cares not for Brutus' war and even plots to help Goth and Throbb fulfill their dastardly deeds.

Atlas

Brutus' second-in-command is an owl of few words, but shares similar views on the enforcement and execution of the law. Although not as fast or strong as his boss, Atlas is still a fearsome warrior who should not be taken lightly, which he proves in a wing-to-wing battle with Throbb.

Todd

A young and somewhat fat Silverwing bat that used to hang out with Shade and Chinook. A voice of reason, Todd tried to convince Shade not to see the sun, but Shade ignored his advice. Todd also blamed Chinook for losing Tree Haven and reminds him coldly about the consequences of showing off before Chinook tried to bite him.

Breeze

A young female Silverwing and a friend of Shade, Chinook and Todd. Like Todd, she had tried to warn Shade and Chinook about the sun and the owls, but her pleas were to no avail. Her actions suggest that she might like Chinook, but after the sun-gazing incident, Breeze's mother refused to let her hang out with her friends anymore.

Zephyr

A wise and blind Albino bat who lives in the spire of a cathedral, Zephyr serves as "bat traffic controller" and makes sure that all bat colonies are migrating safely. He lends his extensive knowledge to Shade and Marina by teaching them star navigation, herbal remedies and echoprojection, all of which prove to be effective against Goth and Throbb.

Remus

The paranoid, arrogant and insane side of a duo of rat kings, Remus rules with an iron claw and will jail any of his followers if he feels the least bit threatened. The truth is, as the younger brother of Romulus, he is not meant to be a king at all. Remus thinks his destiny is to rule all beasts, and will do absolutely anything to achieve his goal.

Romulus

The rightful king of the rats is stuck sharing the job with his brother Remus, who convinced him that the wing-like skin under his arms made him a freak that cannot rule alone. Cautious and loyal to his kingdom, Romulus soon learns from Shade that one must stand up for one's rights when one is the true ruler.

Scirocco

The charismatic leader of a colony of banded bats that dwell in a cabin on a snowy mountain. He won the respect of his followers by promising them that their bands will, one day, allow them to transform into humans and reclaim the day. However, his promises are lies boosted with echoprojections that force Marina to make a tough choice.

Penelope

A young Brightwing bat from Marina's colony that was banished because of her band, although Marina heard the elders say she died from it. Penelope was misled by Scirocco's fake promises and became one of his most prominent followers, but realizes where her loyalty should be when she learns Scirocco's secret from Shade.

Hector

Chinook's father and one of the male Silverwing elders, Hector is fast, strong and a good leader. He and the other male Silverwings had to leave their own roost early because of an owl attack, but were reunited with the females at Hibernaculum. Hector is also an old friend of Shade's father and reveals the truth to the young bat that Cassiel is still alive.

Episodes

Cast

• Shade: Bill Switzer
• Marina: Sharon Alexander
• Goth, Atlas: Michael Dobson
• Brutus, Throbb, Zephyr: Richard Newman
• Frieda: Pam Hyatt
• Bathsheba: Shirley Milner
• Ariel, Penelope: Randall Carpenter
• Chinook: Matt Hill
• Mercury, Todd, Scirocco: Ian James Corlett
• Orestes, Remus: Richard Ian Cox
• Ursa: Candus Churchill
• Luger, Romulus, Hector: Lee Tockar
• Breeze: Stevie Vallance

External links

• Official Website
• Silverwing at TV.com
• Silverwing at the Internet Movie Database