The Last Battle

Shift is the old, cunning, and greedy ape who devises the scheme to pass Puzzle off as Aslan. In doing so, he allows Lewis to explore the repercussions of deception. Shift’s name indicates his shiftiness, and his deceitful character quickly becomes apparent in his mistreatment of his so-called “friend,” Puzzle. Shift ultimately deceives many Narnians into enslavement by the Calormenes.

Although Shift believes in neither Aslan nor Tash, he foolishly calls for help from the latter. Consequently, Shift’s deception leads to the destruction of the old world of Narnia as well as his own destruction by Tash. Lewis develops the book’s Christian allegory by portraying Shift as a kind of antichrist but Shift also embodies a more mundane form of evil: that perpetrated by people acting in self-centered ignorance, unable to conceive of any power beyond themselves.

Puzzle is a naïve talking donkey with “a soft, grey coat” and “a gentle, honest face” (151). His insecurity about his intelligence enables Shift to manipulate him: Despite his innate moral sense, Puzzle agrees to Shift’s demand that he wear a lion skin and impersonate Aslan.

Puzzle’s impersonation leads to great confusion and evil in Narnia, and by the time Jill Pole rescues Puzzle from his captivity in the Stable, he is ashamed of his role in the fraud. However, Puzzle is “the very first person” whom Aslan calls to him in the eternal world, demonstrating the possibility of redemption; after privately reprimanding Puzzle, Aslan forgives him.

King Tirian is the protagonist of The Last Battle. A strong young man with an honest face, Tirian is the last Narnian king and the best friend of the unicorn Jewel. He is a good but imperfect man; though he wants to follow Aslan, his faith is not strong enough (or at least not informed enough) to avoid faltering in the face of the false Aslan’s commands. However, when King Tirian hears Shift declare that Aslan and Tash are the same, he realizes his mistake, and it is his appeal to Aslan that summons Eustace and Jill to Narnia. King Tirian also makes the mistake of rashly killing unarmed Calormenes but repents, and Aslan commends him for never relinquishing his principles, even faced with death. In the eternal world, Tirian finally meets Aslan, “his heart’s desire” (134).

Jewel is a noble talking animal and the dearest friend of King Tirian; the two love each other “like brothers and each [has] saved the other’s life in the wars” (17). The relationship between King Tirian and Jewel is based on equality and trust, contrasting with the relationship between Shift and Puzzle, which is based on domination and deception.

Jill Pole is charmed by Jewel, who is “the shiningest, delicatest, most graceful animal she [has] ever met” (81). With his blue horn and white body, Jewel is “gentle and soft of speech” yet “fierce and terrible” in battle (81). Jewel accompanies King Tirian when they rashly defend a talking horse by killing unarmed Calormenes; Jewel and King Tirian both repent of their actions, allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. Jewel is loyal to the end, refusing to say he believes in the false Aslan even when threatened with execution. Though Jewel speaks nostalgically of Narnia’s peaceful eras, he realizes that he is truly home when he arrives in Aslan’s eternal world.

Roonwit is a large, golden-bearded Narnian who is half-man and half-horse. Extremely long-lived and an expert at interpreting the position of stars and planets in the skies, Roonwit issues the first warning to King Tirian that “some great evil hangs over Narnia” (20). He is a wise figure who recognizes that a lie is being spread in Narnia regarding Aslan’s return and cautions King Tirian to be wary even in “just wrath” (22). Roonwit dies when he is shot by a Calormene arrow, but he counts it a “treasure” to die for a righteous cause (85), modeling a Christian attitude towards death.

Tash is the false demonic god worshipped by the Calormenes; Shift and Rishda summon him to Narnia, though they do not believe in his existence. Tash is a smoky figure in “the shape of a man but […] [with] the head of a bird; some bird of prey with a cruel, curved beak” (76). Tash exudes the foul smell of death, and the grass withers as Tash glides over it; his arms give the impression of “want[ing] to snatch all Narnia in [their] grip” (76). His very essence is thus greedy and destructive—the opposite of the good god Aslan. Tash can only accept evil service, so anything good is actually done for Aslan. Tash ultimately consumes Shift and Rishda when they enter the Stable.

Since Jill Pole and her schoolmate Eustace Scrubb are the youngest Friends of Narnia in England, they are allowed to return to Narnia on a mission to help King Tirian. Jill first visited Narnia in The Silver Chair. This earlier adventure in Narnia proves to be important because she has learned to steer by Narnia’s stars and moves very quietly, making her a good guide. She also knows some archery and does significant work in battle—something she begs to be permitted to participate in despite knowing she could die—weakening the enemies prior to the Narnians’ charge.

Jill courageously takes the initiative in searching the Stable, disobeying King Tirian’s orders. Her effort allows the Narnians to acquire Puzzle and convince some creatures that Shift was deceiving them. Later, Jill learns that she was involved in a railway accident in England that enabled her to enter Aslan’s real, eternal world.

With his schoolmate Jill Pole, young Eustace Scrubb is allowed to return to Narnia on a mission to help King Tirian in The Last Battle; like Jill, he arrives by way of a fatal railway accident in England. Eustace is a cousin of the Pevensie children; he appeared in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. During his earlier visits to Narnia, Eustace learned to fight with a sword, which aids him in The Last Battle. Despite Eustace’s anxiety and misgivings, he fights very courageously and successfully on the Narnians’ side.

Eustace was very angry at the dwarfs who shot the talking horses of Narnia, so he is quite surprised to “recognize one of those very Dwarfs” among those admitted to Aslan’s right side during the final separation of good and evil creatures (140). From a Christian allegorical viewpoint, Eustace represents the limited human perspective on the mystery of redemption.

Peter Pevensie is the older brother of Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie. He appeared in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. In the Narnian world, Peter serves in the important role of the “High King” who presides “over all Kings in Narnia” (123). At the end of the book, it emerges that Peter was involved in a railway accident that sent him into Aslan’s eternal world.

Peter has a crucial role to perform at the end of the old Narnia. On Aslan’s command, he takes out a golden key and locks the door through which all of the creatures of old Narnia have passed for final judgment. In terms of Christian allegory, Peter is reminiscent of the biblical Peter, who played a leading role among the Apostles. In Matthew 16:18-20, Jesus tells Peter that he is the rock upon which the church will be built and will have “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Keys are a traditional symbol of authority.

The Pevensie siblings were introduced to Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and also appeared in Prince Caspian and The Horse and His Boy. Edmund and Lucy additionally featured in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In Narnia, the children become honored royalty. Susan does not return to Narnia or enter Aslan’s eternal world in The Last Battle; she is too intent on being “grown-up” to retain her faith in Aslan—a commentary on the human tendency to turn away from God in an effort to be (or seem) reasonable and mature.

Lucy and Edmund remain Friends of Narnia and die in a railway accident that sends them into Aslan’s real, eternal world. Lucy—the first of the Pevensie children to discover Narnia and the most profoundly attached to it—is described as “drinking everything in even more deeply than the others” in this new Narnia (129). Tender-hearted Lucy is also the most compassionate person towards the misguided dwarfs, asking if Aslan can do anything to help them.

Digory and his neighbor Polly first appeared as children in The Magician’s Nephew as witnesses to Aslan’s creation of Narnia. Later, when Digory is the elderly Professor Kirke, the Pevensie children stay at his country house in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In The Last Battle, Digory gathers together the Friends of Narnia for a dinner in England because he has a feeling that Narnia is in a crisis. At this dinner, the phantom of King Tirian appears, prompting the events that lead to the arrival of Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb in Narnia.

At the end of The Last Battle, Lord Digory and Lady Polly (whom the Pevensie children call “Aunt Polly,” even though she is not related to them) witness the ending of the old world of Narnia. As a professor, Lord Digory helps explain the concept of “Shadowlands” by referring to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Emeth is a young officer in the Calormene army who sincerely believes in the god Tash, whom his culture worships: He is brave and desires to see his god even if it means his own death, so he volunteers to enter the Stable. Emeth is young, tall, and slender: “rather beautiful in the dark, haughty, Calormene way” (102). When Emeth realizes that the Calormene sentry is perpetrating a falsehood, he fights him; even the Narnians admire Emeth’s integrity, believing that he is “worthy of a better god than Tash” (103).

In fact, Emeth does not encounter Tash but finds himself in Aslan’s eternal country. The name “Emeth” means “truth” in Hebrew, and Aslan informs Emeth that his search for truth was actually a quest to find Aslan: Emeth’s good service was done for Aslan. Emeth represents the possibility of redemption for those who do not practice Christianity explicitly.

Rishda Tarkaan is the captain of the Calormenes stationed at Stable Hill. Although Rishda is brave in battle against the Narnians, he conspires with Ginger to control Shift. Rishda does not believe in either Aslan or Tash and is surprised when Ginger exits the Stable in terror. When Rishda concludes that the demon Tash is real, he “hopes to win Tash’s pardon for his unbelief” by throwing his Narnian enemies through the door as an offering (108). Instead, Tirian pulls Rishda into the Stable, where Tash kills him. Rishda is an example of the arrogance and danger of meddling with supernatural forces in the belief that they don’t truly exist.

Ginger is initially described as a ginger-colored talking cat with big green eyes and a “silky voice” (74). He is sly, deceptive, and clever and does not believe in either Aslan or Tash. Colluding with Rishda Tarkaan, Ginger begins to control Shift, hoping to profit when the Calormenes conquer Narnia.

Ginger represents a kind of superficial cleverness that is in fact foolish. When Ginger strolls through the Stable door expecting to act as if he sees something inside, he encounters the demon Tash. Ginger runs for his life but loses the power of speech, becoming an ordinary cat and disappearing up a tree, never to be seen again.

The eagle’s name, “Farsight,” describes his ability to see things from a great distance and symbolically hints at his wisdom. A loyal follower of Aslan and King Tirian, Farsight announces the terrible news that Narnia has fallen to the Calormenes. Since Farsight “has the best eyes of all living things” (106), he also notices that Rishda Tarkaan is as surprised as everyone else when he realizes that the evil god Tash really does devour creatures in the Stable. Farsight correctly perceives that Rishda called on a god he did not really believe in.

Poggin is the only featured dwarf who remains loyal to Aslan and to King Tirian, maintaining a clear understanding of good and evil. He is an example of the importance of individual choice; though the rest of his group falls victim to irrational skepticism, Poggin’s example proves that a different path is possible. Poggin is also helpful to the novel’s protagonists, not only providing a hearty breakfast stew with his hunting and gathering skills but also offering crucial information about the maneuverings of Ginger, Rishda, and Shift. With his knowledge of the enemy movements, Poggin helps King Tirian formulate a plan of action and shows courage in battle for the Narnian cause. Poggin reunites with the Narnian heroes in Aslan’s eternal world.

Griffle is a foil to Poggin; the chief dwarf is an example of someone who has “chosen cunning instead of belief” (135). After learning about the deception regarding the false Aslan, this dwarf leader distrusts the real Aslan: “We’ve been fooled once and we’re not going to be fooled again” (69). Griffle adopts an insular and self-interested perspective, deciding that the dwarfs do not need to look out for anyone but themselves. He jeers equally at King Tirian and at Shift. Under Griffle’s leadership, the dwarfs shoot the Narnians’ talking horses since they do not want either side to win the battle. Consequently, Griffle’s unbelief leads to tragic consequences for Narnia. Griffle himself ultimately remains in the prison constructed by his own mind, unable to receive Aslan’s help.