Fan ArticlesBeechpaw shares why they think there might not be a need for the Dark Forest.
Hello BlogClan!
This is my first article, and it’s on something that you guys are totally going to disagree with me on: Should there really be a Dark Forest?
1st Point: Tallstar
Okay, if you’ve read Tallstar’s Revenge, you know that Tallstar sought out revenge to kill Sparrow after he *supposedly* killed his father. Even though Tallstar didn’t end up killing Sparrow, he still sought out revenge to kill for his father, who was already quarreling with him anyway. Tallstar makes it into StarClan, after years of service and leadership to his Clan, leaving the Sparrow incident behind. Sound familiar? See the second point below.
2nd point: Hollyleaf
Okay, I’m 99% sure Hollyleaf got into StarClan, even after murdering Ashfur cold-blooded. Why? Because she was scared everyone would view her as a half-Clan, or a no-Clan rogue or stray. However, she had no proof that Ashfur was even going to mention anything about her lineage at the Gathering, or if Ashfur even believed Squirrelflight. For all he knew, Squirrelflight was just telling a lie to protect her kits, which could’ve been 100% possible. In conclusion, Hollyleaf only murdered Ashfur out of self- protection, fear for her own life, and shame. She later disappeared in the tunnels when she couldn’t handle the pressure of the whodunit mystery.
Point 3: Ashfur/Mapleshade
Yes, Ashfur did “attempt” the killing of four cats, but it was out of heartbrokenness and his love life being flipped on its side and smashed to pieces. Mapleshade’s story was extremely familiar, except she succeeded in killing cats. She was even exiled out of her own Clan. She vowed revenge. Back to Ashfur, in StarClan I remember someone saying that Ashfur “understood what he had done” and “learned his lesson”, and his wisdom was “welcome in StarClan.” Does this mean that Mapleshade’s love for her kits and her ferocity against the people who ruined her life mean she doesn’t get into StarClan? It seems to me like the Mapleshade issue was another story of people getting a taste of their own medicine.
Point 4: Thistleclaw
Thistleclaw apparently got into the Dark Forest because he was battle-hungry and also because he went against the warrior code and trained his kit when he wasn’t apprenticed yet. He also trained in grueling battle moves. Sometimes I think that some Dark Forest warriors only go against StarClan because StarClan locked them out. They actually wanted to go to StarClan, but StarClan just turned their back on them. It is said that Bluestar chased Thistleclaw into the Dark Forest, which might’ve been because of her view of him as arrogant and rude, plus think about how sometimes Thistleclaw would tell her to “stay off of his son.” Verdict: Thistleclaw really originally was in StarClan, so he should probably be in StarClan.
Point 5: Tigerstar
This, many of you will totally disagree on, but when I originally thought of Tigerstar dying, I imagined him going up to StarClan, learning from his life lessons, and becoming a wise StarClan warrior. But, NO. He apparently sneered StarClan during his stay in the Dark Forest, personally which I think is from the same thing Thistleclaw had against StarClan. And, when you think about it, he didn’t deliberately kill people. He just… led dogs into camp, and rogues, and threats into the forest, but he never personally killed anyone (until his time in the Dark Forest). It’s kind of like bringing deathberries into a camp, but not deliberately feeding them to kits. Which brings me to my final point, Darkstripe and Hawkfrost.
Point 6: Darkstripe/Hawkfrost
I’m going to make this short and sweet: These two cats fell into a treacherous trap. Darkstripe was just Tigerstar’s friend, but when his treachery began was when Tigerstar began to (I think) make Darkstripe do things like feed Sorrelkit deathberries. Hawkfrost only got into the Dark Forest because he felt he had to be loyal to his bloodlines, and therefore when his father trained him in the Dark Forest, he thought he was just making his father happy.
Verdict: I think all cats should have an oppurtunity to go to StarClan, because sometimes its just not fair, the judging. Sometimes its extremely biased, and they look at the bad things in their life, not the good things. Hope you liked it, comment down below to voice your opinion!
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Goldenfawn
โงหยฐ๐พโหโก pineblossom (she/her) ๐ฆข๐ซ๐ฉฐ ainโt life just awfully strange? ๐จ๏ธ๐งธ๐ฏ๏ธmentor to skyshimmer! ๐ฒโโด๏ธห๏ฝกโ![[a close-up portrait of Rowanclaw stalking while the sun is low in the sky]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rowanclaw.FG-8.webp)
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Hollyleaf did make up for what she did, and gave her life to her clan. Ashfur, on the other hand, didn’t. He was going to tell the clan, because he said so in the book. Hollyleaf did the hard thing, and prevented her family from getting hurt because of her lineage and saved them in the Dark forest. She made up for her wrong doings and acknowledged that they were wrong. Ashfur did not.
I have mixed feelings about this. I do think every cat should have an equal chance to go to StarClan, but shouldn’t those cats be punished? How about, you go to the dark forest long enough to learn your lesson, and if you truly regret what you did, you can go to StarClan.
Tigerstar going to StarClan and getting character development wouldโve been wonderful! But I think he reached a point where StarClan was long gone for him. Ashfur definitely shouldโve been the Dark Forest. Hollyleaf made up for what she did. Nice article!
I agree with Cheetahpaw and Prowlclaw (you’re back! I haven’t seen you in a while). Everyone needs and deserves forgiveness, no matter how wrong they are. Everyone has a chance to redeem themselves. They have a chance but push it away. That’s what gets them into the Dark Forest. The offer is there but they don’t want to accept it. And some think they don’t deserve it. But there’s nothing sweeter than the day one finds (and gives) forgiveness ^^
The thing is, if you go to the Dark Forest, and hate StarClan, like all of the cats you listed went to the DF did, then why would they want to be in StarClan? If they hate it so much, why should they be there?
(I don’t know a whole lot about Thistleclaw or Mapleshade yet though)
Interesting! I personally think that the rules to be in StarClan should be more concrete. I mean, if Mapleshade’s in the DF, surely Ashfur should be there for doing something even worse? The rules are blurred and unclear. I think that only the truly evil cats who became evil totally on their own should go to the DF.
Beechpaw tigerstar did kill cats before he was in the dark forest he killed brindleface to give the dogs some cat blood he killed redtail also
And Gorsepaw, and Runningwind, and Stonefur was murdered on his orders, and he caused Cinderpeltโs accident, and he tried to get a pack of vicious dogs to maul the entity of ThunderClan to death, and he would have killed all of ThunderClan and WindClan to take them over.
Yes we all agree that Tigerstar was a bad kitty ๐
Tigerstar actually did kill cats deliberately. Examples of this are Redtail, Runningwind, Brindleface, and Gorsepaw.
So true ๐
NO MY DEAR RUNNINGWIND!!
Thats what i ment
Hmm, that’s an excellent idea.
Your points are flawed though, because Tigerstar, Darkstripe, Hawkfrost etc. were not remorseful. Sure, Hollyleaf killed Ashfur, but she regretted doing it and even exiled herself from the Clan for it. Hollyleaf deserved to go to StarClan because of that. But Hawkfrost wanted to kill, and did not regret the lives he took. He was a bad cat and so deserved to go into the Dark Forest.
Agreed
Nice article! But I think some cats e.g. Tigerstar and Darkstripe must go to the Dark Forest, as a punishment for what they’d done when they’re alive. Maybe an area between Starclan and Dark Forest can be made for those cats who’s “between good and bad”, e.g. Ashfur (though I don’t really like him ๐), Thistlecalw (I don’t like him either ๐) and Hollyleaf (YES YES YES ๐), and after a certain period of time of ” observation, send them to the place which suit them most ๐.
SPOILER (for those who haven’t read Darkest Night or AVOS in general……..like me ๐)
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There is kind of a place now that’s in between as of AVOS ๐ (that’s where Needletail and some others ended up when they die
I like this idea! Although Tigerclaw/star did kill Redtail, Brindleface, and Runningwind (and he attempted to kill more, as well as ordered his followers to kill other cats, like Lionheart) before he died, so I doubt he’d ever get into StarClan. Personally, I think that cats from the Dark Forest should be allowed to cross the border to StarClan if they change after death (and visa versa–it would be really cool to see a StarClan cat go bad :P). It would make it more believable for cats like Ashfur and Rainflower, who weren’t good but weren’t really evil, to be in StarClan, since it could be that they were originally sent to the DF but after reflecting on what they did and showing remorse they were allowed into StarClan.
I agree! except Tigrstar, who deserved it. Nice article
Very good article!