Does Ashfur Deserve StarClan? by Bramblefire

Bramblefire contributes to the debate about Ashfur’s placement in StarClan. Warning: This article contains sensitive topics, such as murder and emotional abuse.

Art by TheRealBramblefire (article author)

Bramble’s warning: This article contains descriptions of emotional abuse. You have been warned.

The controversy surrounding Ashfur and whether or not he deserves a position in StarClan is one of the most controversial of all. Many people defend him by saying Squirrelflight was in the wrong, he was a good warrior once, or completely ignoring what Ashfur did in the first place. However, it is difficult to excuse Ashfur that easily, after all, in real life, how many people would honestly defend someone who attempts murder on four people – three of them teenagers – because their crush didn’t return their feelings? It’d be madness. Ashfur doesn’t deserve a position in StarClan as he is an emotionally abusive cat, he attempted murder, and he never regretted his mistakes.

Ashfur felt entitled to Squirrelflight and her affections and never considered her feelings unless it directly benefited him. He felt like she had to be with him and that she was wrong for being in love with someone else. He openly blamed her for never seeing him as more than a friend and Squirrelflight wanted to be his friend even though she laid it out pretty clear for him. It wasn’t him misinterpreting it. He literally wanted her to suffer for something she couldn’t be blamed for. As stated in the list of emotional/psychological abuse examples, guilt-tripping, humiliation, ignoring, constant put downs, being controlling, and being unreasonably jealous are all examples of abuse. Ashfur is obviously doing some of these to Squirrelflight. He blames her and Brambleclaw for his own problems and guilt trips her on numerous occasions. He tries to control her and he’s downright awful to her after she explains that she wants to be friends. He fought aggressively with Lionblaze and was often less than pleasant with Squirrelflight. Of course, he doesn’t have to like her being with Brambleclaw, but it doesn’t give him a right to be a hateful jerk. When he confronts Squirrelflight in the infamous fire scene, he accuses her of everything and attempts to guilt trip her, stating that he is in pain from the choice she’s allowed to make. Ashfur states in the same scene of Long Shadows (pg 274) that he “can’t believe (Squirrelflight) didn’t know how much (she) hurt (him).” Later he explains that he wanted Firestar to die so she would know the true feeling of pain (more discussion in second paragraph). Also when he claims “But I love you! We’d be great together, Squirrelflight. I know we would,” its obvious Ashfur is attempting to entice and guilt Squirrelflight into a relationship. This is a warning sign of a bad relationship. Ashfur takes this a step further when he outright says his quarrel is with Squirrelflight. Of course, it’s not Squirrelflight’s fault any of this is happening. She should be able to choose what cat she wants to be with. Ashfur has no right to interfere. In fact, Ashfur obviously doesn’t care about Squirrelflight at this point either. He’s just obsessed with the idea of her. He’d do anything to maintain that image and would attempt murder for that idea. This doesn’t equate a good cat, in fact, he’s an extreme abuser and there’s nothing I can see that defends him doing this out of love or that he wouldn’t do this if they were in a relationship with her. Ashfur was an emotionally abusive cat that doesn’t deserve StarClan.

StarClan is also a place for benevolent non-violent cats who were loyal cats. A common argument made for Ashfur and his place in StarClan is that he was a loyal warrior. That is a true statement in the beginning at least. In A Dangerous Path, he is seen leading the dogs away towards the next runner with his sister and he was originally a good cat that was once good friends with Brambleclaw. This all changed when he became obsessed with Squirrelflight. He wanted to be with her and only her. He only wanted her for himself and entangled with his stubborn and violent tendencies. In Sunset, Ashfur is openly hostile to Brambleclaw, never congratulating him at being deputy and openly displays his mistrust of Brambleclaw. He accuses Leafpool of lying about the sign about Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight angrily attacks him. It’s obvious he was trying to start something and make Brambleclaw look bad. Ashfur also ignores Squirrelflight when she tries to be his friend and he grows more hostile in The Power of Three. When given Lionpaw as an apprentice, he is openly displeased and it is observed that he never forms a bond with Lionpaw as most mentors and apprentices do. In Dark River, Ashfur is hostile with Lionpaw when he can’t hunt a vole, this only gets worse in Outcast when the two cats fight, both of them fighting viciously. Later in Outcast, Ashfur rebukes him, stating that he’s like his father. It appears to be a compliment, but Ashfur obviously doesn’t mean it as such. Ashfur continues to be a cruel bitter cat until Long Shadows, where things take a dark turn. Ashfur attempts to murder his former apprentice and his siblings in front of Squirrelflight just to hurt her. His actions are hardly justifiable and they are obviously evil. As discussed in the previous paragraph, Ashfur asks Squirrelflight who she thought sent Firestar the message to go down to the lake where the fox trap was. He claims that he wanted his leader and her father to die so she’d understand his pain. Not only is this outlandish, Ashfur openly breaks the warrior code. In an attempt to kill Firestar, which he does lose a life, Ashfur betrays his leader and breaks the 14th rule forbidding murder. Ashfur knew this and it is difficult to claim he was doing this for the good of the Clans. He wanted revenge for something he had no control or no place in. Ashfur broke the code and deserves the Place of No Stars for his crimes.

Ashfur was not justified in his behavior and he was nothing but a murderer and abuser. If StarClan is a place for the ‘good’ it isn’t a place for Ashfur. As far as shown, Ashfur never openly regretted his actions, he said nothing. He caused more pain than he was worth and he destroyed lives. Whether or not he deserved to be murdered is an article for another day, but he certainty didn’t deserve the afterlife he received. Ashfur deserves to think about what he did for an eternity, an eternity in the Dark Forest where he can wander alone in his own thoughts.

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62 comments

Leave a Reply to Spencer (Warrior name Barkclaw) Cancel reply

  • I mostly agree with this article.
    I actually used to have a theory that cats got to choose where they wanted to go because Mapleshade was happy in the Dark Forest and Ashfur ended up in StarClan, but the problem with that theory is that Darkstripe was actually scared in the Dark Forest and would’ve chosen StarClan had he gotten the choice, so either Ashfur should be in the Dark Forest, or StarClan only allow certain cats to actually have a choice… but Idk 😛
    I don’t really hate Ashfur as a character though, but that’s only because I don’t really hate any characters from Warriors 😛
    Right now though, I’m leaning more toward Ashfur in the Dark Forest, it’s all just so confusing about how he’s in StarClan XD

      • He’d be an amazing villain if he was treated as such. The problem is the Erins getting super wishy washy over it and confusing people. Ashfur was in the wrong for his actions and what he did was abhorrent. He should’ve gone to the DF could you imagine the potential trouble he could’ve caused as a DF cat? The potential fight between him and Hollyleaf or him an dSquirrelflight that could’ve been and the clan realizing how no good he really was?

        He should’ve been a villain and treated like it. The whole loved too much makes me furious.

        • I think the Erins might actually regret putting him in StarClan, but Idk 😛
          Now that I think about it though, since Ashfur only appeared in StarClan like once or twice, and there are other random inconsistencies about certain things (like deaths and just random character mix-ups), would it really be that strange if he appeared again in the Dark Forest instead of StarClan? Then again, the Dark Forest may not ever come back, because we’ve already seen a lot of them and there isn’t really any other reason they’d come back (especially since Hawkfrost, Brokenstar, and Tigerstar are all gone, unless Mapleshade did something, but she’s also fading away), but Ashfur also might not appear in StarClan again either.

          • You heard the theories about Ashfur being the Imposter? I think this is their way of putting him where he belongs. Also, Ashfur was pointed out by Jayfeather and was discussed with Yellowfang.

    • I think the same. Some cats get a choice. Not Darkstripe (I liked him before he was evil) but Ashfur.

  • I totally agree! There was no reason for him to attempt murder. And Squirrelflight was always so nice to him! But I kinda see how the people who like Ashfur think: he was a loyal and trusted warrior until Squirrelflight broke up with him. He still carried on duties as normal. And trying to kill Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Lionblaze by burning them to death wasn’t fair at all. All they did was follow the warrior code and be some of the best warriors. If they died, the entire clan would’ve lost a lot.

    • To break up with someone, you have to be in a relationship first. Ashfur and Squirrelflight weren’t.

    • Squirrelflight and Ashfur never broke up as they were never “a thing.” This is why this argument is invalid. 🙂 But forgive me if I’m wrong.
      *looks at B-fire expectantly*

      • Yep, and Squirrelflight never gave any indication she every wanted to be more than friends, especially in Twilight when she wondered if she would have elope with Ashfur, as Leafpool did with Crowfeather (at least that’s what I think it was, if not, my point still stands) and she decides she wouldn’t as she loves Brambleclaw. That’s not leading Ashfur on or anything, that’s just knowing who is good for you in a relationship. For Squirrelflight, it wasn’t Ashfur.

  • Ashfur wouldn’t have been evil if he could just get it over with like Stormfur did (in Stormfur’s mind), and even though Ashfur was horrible Ashpaw wasn’t, so I hope this sentence changes most of your minds (many moons later, in StarClan, Barkclaw chasing every cat who does not like Ashfur into dark forest savagely with other members of StarClan who are on Ashfur’s side like Yellowfang).

  • if ashfur deserve starclan, mapleshade do!
    mapleshade probably deserve starclan more than ashfur.
    mapleshade have dreams of crying kits, and only revenge can silence them.

    P.S. I love mapleshade

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