In heraldry, a mullet is a star-like charge, most often shown with five straight points, and it traditionally represents honor, divine guidance, aspiration, and noble service. It should not be confused with the fish of the same name. The heraldic mullet probably began as the rowel of a spur, giving it strong associations with knighthood, readiness, travel, and military distinction. Because a spur rowel was linked to mounted service, the mullet can suggest chivalric rank, active courage, and the duty to move forward in honorable pursuit.

The mullet also has celestial meaning, especially when interpreted as a star. It may symbolize hope, heavenly favor, ambition, or a guiding light in darkness. In English cadency, the mullet is commonly used to mark the third son, so it can also indicate family position and differencing within a lineage. It appears widely in British, Scottish, French, and American heraldry. A famous example is the arms of the Washington family, which include red mullets above red bars and helped inspire the visual language later associated with the United States flag. The arms of George Washington remain one of the best-known uses of mullets in armorial tradition.

A mullet may be pierced, meaning it has a small hole in the center, or unpierced; it may have five, six, or more points depending on the blazon. It can appear singly, in groups, on a chief, or scattered across the field as symbols of guidance and distinction. Useful references include Parker’s A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, examples at Heraldry of the World, and guidance from The Heraldry Society. In coats of arms, the mullet remains a bright emblem of knighthood, aspiration, guidance, and inherited honor.