The Last Battle Summary

Shift, an ape, and Puzzle, a donkey, find a lion’s skin in Caldron Pool, an area in the west of Narnia. Shift fashions the lion’s skin into a costume for Puzzle and tricks Puzzle into thinking it would be a good idea to pretend to be Aslan. A few weeks later, King Tirian and his best friend Jewel, a unicorn, are excited because they hear news that Aslan has returned to Narnia after a long absence. However, they grow skeptical after hearing that Aslan is working with the Calormenes, natives of the Calormen, which is south of Narnia. The Calormenes are known for their barbarity and worshipping Tash, a different deity who is Aslan’s antithesis. Tirian and Jewel fight with some Calormenes and then allow themselves to get captured so the Calormenes will take them to Aslan. However, instead of meeting Aslan, they only find Shift, who claims he is acting as Aslan’s mouthpiece. Tirian calls Shift a liar, so Shift has him tied to a tree. That night, Tirian watches from afar as Shift lights a large bonfire and displays Puzzle in the lion’s skin to his new followers. It is too dark for Tirian to tell if the figure is actually Aslan, but he doubts it.

Desperate, Tirian calls out to Aslan for help. Then, he has a dream in which he sees the seven great kings and queens of Narnia. A few minutes after Tirian wakes up, two children materialize before him. One is Eustace Scrubb and the other is Jill Pole, both of whom have been to Narnia before. Eustace and Jill free Tirian, and then they travel together to a nearby tower of Tirian’s to rest and figure out their next move. There, Tirian gives the children weapons and disguises them, and himself, as Calormenes. The following day, Tirian and the children return to Shift’s hideout—which the locals have begun calling Stable Hill—to rescue Jewel, who is still being held captive. As Tirian is untying Jewel, Jill sneaks off to get a glimpse of Aslan. Instead, she sees Puzzle, who does not realize Shift has been using him for selfish purposes. Jill rescues Puzzle, whom Tirian realizes they can use to expose Shift’s scheme. Once everyone is together, Tirian sees a group of dwarves and Calormenes coming to Stable Hill. He decides to meet them before they arrive and show them Puzzle. The Calormenes quickly grow angry, and a fight breaks out, though the Narnians dispatch them quickly. Once the fighting is over, Tirian is surprised to learn that the dwarves do not want to follow him. They think Tirian is lying about Aslan just like Shift and do not trust him because he resembles a Calormene. However, one dwarf, Poggin, does decide to join forces with Tirian.

Everyone retreats back to the tower to determine what to do next. There, they see Tash, the Calormene deity, moving in the direction of Stable Hill. Poggin informs the others that Shift and a Calormene leader named Rishda have been claiming Tash and Aslan are the same deity, even though Rishda thinks both are made up. Tirian makes plans to return to the Narnian capital, Cair Paravel, to get reinforcements. However, shortly after the group sets off, an eagle named Farsight finds them and tells them that the Calormenes have captured Cair Paravel and killed all of the Narnians. No longer able to go to Cair Paravel, Tirian and the others head to Stable Hill to confront the Calormenes head on. There, they see Rishda and Shift convincing various people and creatures to go into a stable and look upon Tashlan (their combination of Tash and Aslan) because some creatures are expressing doubt. However, whenever a creature goes in, they either come out changed for the worse or do not remerge at all.

Having seen enough, Tirian steps forward and rallies whatever Narnians will join him. Then, the last battle of Narnia begins. The Narnians are far more effective fighters than the Calormenes, but the Calormenes far outnumber the Narnians. Meanwhile, the dwarves do not take a side and instead fire arrows at whoever is winning. The Calormenes begin throwing the Narnians and dwarves into the stable, offering them as sacrifices to Tashlan. Eustace and Jill get thrown in the stable and Tirian realizes he is about to end up there as well. At the last moment, Tirian grabs Rishda, and they both tumble into the stable together. Then, Tash appears and grabs Rishda. Before Tash can do anything to Tirian, a voice commands Tash to go away in the name of Aslan. Tash vanishes and, in his place, stand the seven great kings and queens of Narnia, including Eustace and Jill.

Suddenly, the inside of the stable turns into an Edenic paradise. Aslan appears and thanks Tirian for his bravery in the last battle of Narnia. Then, via a doorway standing in open space, Aslan welcomes all of the worthy Narnians into his paradise while casting everyone else out. In Narnia, Father Time awakens from his long slumber and blows his horn, causing the stars to fall from the sky. Large creatures rise from the ground and destroy Narnia until there is nothing left, and then they die themselves. When Narnia is no more, Aslan instructs Peter, one of the great Narnian kings, to shut the door and lock it using a golden key. Then, Aslan invites everyone to come “farther up and farther in.” The group, led by Tirian, explores Aslan’s paradise, which they discover is like Narnia, only grander and more beautiful than they could ever imagine or describe. There, they meet all of the famous Narnians that came before them and are reunited with loved ones, with whom they get to spend the rest of eternity.