Fan ArticlesHollyleafTheGreat shares their opinion on some characters and whether they should or shouldn’t enter the Dark Forest in their afterlife.
Hey everyone! I, the great Hollyleaf, am here to share with you 5 cats people think should go to the Dark Forest, but really don’t (And one cat these people are right about)
5.) Onestar: Onestar was pretty awful, and did the one thing Tallstar mad him deputy to prevent Mudclaw from doing, but he was being prideful and stupid. He was trying to make WindClan look stronger. He didn’t have evil intentions.
4.) Mudclaw: Mudclaw was a villain for less than one book. Mudclaw was upset, and reasonably so, because he was replaced last minute by someone when he’d been a loyal deputy for moons. Maybe Tallstar didn’t think he should be leader, but he wasn’t evil. Angry and maybe he’d have made poor decisions, but not evil.
3.) Hollyleaf: Hollyleaf killed someone, and gets to go to StarClan? In her defense, her whole life was falling down, and at a fast rate, and Ashfur deserved it, so she was justified when she came back and tried to right her wrongs, and she redeemed herself. She didn’t do it because she was evil. She was just shattered
2.) Rainflower: Rainflower abandoned her son, Crookedstar, and treated him worse than dirt. And I hate her. But I don’t think she was evil. I think she wanted to disown him because she thought he’d die, and when it was clear he’d be fine, she was afraid to take it back, afraid he wouldn’t accept her, and hate her for what she’d done. And she couldn’t give him a life as a punishment. Shellheart tells Crookedstar that she’s there, watching his ceremony, but his last life is his to give. The other cats got first dibs, so Rainflower’s punishment was only giving him a life if they ended up short. And when he dies, she’s there to welcome him. Horrible? Yes. Cowardly? Yes! Evil? No. Regretful? Absolutely.
1.) Appledusk: Do you know just how many people think Appledusk deserved to go to the Dark Forest, and not Mapleshade? It’s a lot. But Appledusk was nothing more than a jerk. Not evil. And I agree with Mapleshade when she says it was an accident. I don’t think Appleusk tried to kill Birchface, and sometimes cats die in a battle. Most cats that kill in a battle never meant to kill anyone. So he’s no saint, but not evil
The trend: These cats are all cats who have done bad things, and so people want them sent to the Dark Forest. But these cats are not evil. Onestar made bad choices, and was an idiot, but wasn’t doing it with malicious intent. Mudclaw was angry that, after serving as deputy for moons, was not made leader, and thought he could help his clan, and didn’t do it because he wanted to hurt, Hollyleaf had her whole world be destroyed before her eyes, exiled herself, and came back to redeem herself, Rainflower commited horrible actions, but only on one cat and likely thought she could never go back, and Appledusk was mean but he never did anything truly evil. The Dark Forest is not just a place where bad cats go. Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean they should suffer eternal hunger while slowly fading. That’s like saying Millie should go to the Dark Forest because you prefer GrayxSilver. But Millie wasn’t evil.
And now:
The cat who DOES deserve to go to the Dark Forest is:
Ashfur: You all saw this coming. He tried to let 3 cats BURN TO DEATH to make Squirrelflight hurt. Not only that, but he took one of Firestar’s lives. Not because these cats did anything wrong, or he was delusional like Mapleshade, but because he wanted Squirrelflight to be in pain. And the only reason he didn’t was because he now had a secret that could destroy Squirrelflight, her foster kits, and Brambleclaw. There is no reason that Ashfur, who is EVIL, should go to StarClan. He’s not an idiot like Onestar, he’s not reasonably upset like Mudclaw, his world wasn’t breaking around him and nor did he redeem himself like Hollyleaf, he’s not a coward who can’t admit when he was wrong like Rainflower, and he wasn’t just a jerk like Appledusk. He was genuinely evil.
Goldenfawn
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Edit (I think Spammy ate my comment) Wait didn’t Hollyleaf kill him by accident?
No that was just a lie that Bramblestar figured out to protect Hollyleaf:)
yeah, Hollyleaf killed Ashfur on purpose. But I would have too ;P Ashfur had it coming
Onestar I hated him for a long time but after what happened in AvOs I felt so guilty and I loved him again
I agree with these(even though I hate rainflower)
I mean I get mudclaw and rai flower may have been stupid for thinking that but she still loved him
I’m sorry but I still hate appledusk for what he did to mapleshade
And I love holly leafs sacrifice for like 5 books we thought she was dead and she magically appears and then dies which makes me mad at Erin! And I like fallenXholly it’s cute fallen leaves deserves some love but yeah
So the only one I disagree on (even know your right) is appledusk because I just despise him
Appledusk is a horrible cat. I agree with you there. He’s a cheater and a jerk. Also FallenxHolly is my favorite ship :3
I agree with all of these plus I don’t think a cat should be put in the dark forest because they are terrible parents
I seem to not remember Mudclaw killing anyone, but it has been a long, long time since I’ve read The New Prophecy. In the case where he kills many cats in his revolt, that makes him evil and deserving of the dark forest, as he killed cats because he was angry. Sorry about that, I just sort of stopped remembering details of TNP after 25 Chapters of Walking (couldn’t they have done a timeskip to when they arrived at the Lake?)
A absolutely agree about all of these especially Ashfur whi tried to kill hi ex kits just becuase she ended up with him
I plead innocent for Ashfur!
And btw why didnt firestar never suspect Ashfur? When Ashfur sent th message that Blackstar wanted meeting he relized that Blackstar wasnt there and it was a trap. theeeeeen whhy didnt firestar even think about that maaaaaaaaaybe ashfur gave him the wrong information? he didnt even think about it
For a more out-there opinion on who deserves the Dark Forest – It’s Goosefeather.
I’ll give my reasoning:
1) He makes up omens just to impress kits, despite knowing how seriously they’re taken. It’s implied he does this often.
2) He constantly abandons his duties. Such as Spottedpaw’s injuries and Leopardfoot’s almost fatal birth.
3) He’s shown making regular trips to the Dark Forest. He does nothing to warn the Trainees like Croookedjaw and Spottedpaw. Even insulting the latter, calling her foolish under his breath.
4) He covered up Bluefur’s Forbidden Relationship.
5) He falsely accused Stormtail of attampting to murder with him with a badger. Despite his mentor, sister and Stormtail himself pointing out he was getting help. For all his life, Goosefeather never apologised or admitted he was wrong.
6) Goosefeather got Thunderclan to attack Windclan unprovoked during Leafbare – Using the dirty method of destroying herbs. This endangered the lives of all of Windclan’s members, including Queens, Elders and Kits. He also indirectly got Moonflower killed. The Ulimate Guide stated he was unrepentant.
7) After Pinestar had a dream from Starclan demanding he kill Tigerkit, Goosefeather tells him to listen. He’s telling a father to murder his only surviving infant. He mocks Pinestar’s hesitation and leaves before he can ask questions. Goosefeather himself also acts aggressive towards Tigerkit.
8) He pressured Bluefur, a nursing queen to get rid of her kits. Indirectly making her drag them through a snowstorm, endangering all of them:
Bluefur: “StarClan made me sacrifice everything I loved. My kits—”
Goosefeather:“They’re alive, aren’t they?”
Bluefur:“Not Mosskit.”
Goosefeather: “Starclan will honor her loss”
Bluefur: “What about my loss?”
Goosefeather: “It is small compared with the fate of your Clan.”
He sounds surprised that the whole litter isn’t dead. Had Goosefeather expected Bluefur to murder them? And neither does he care to hear about Mosskit’s death.
9) He attacked Stormkit and Oakkit next to a river as a Medicine cat – He was charging and screaming at them while they leapt over a raging river. He then slashed at Stormkit’s tail, making him fall into the river and break his jaw. Stormkit almost died. And unlike his other crimes, there’s no grand purpose behind it, he almost killed two kits for no reason
Goose feather had a tough life abd that’s StarClan’s fault
Many cats have had tough lives, much more so then Goosefeather, but none of them neglect their medical duties and endangered lives, including 6 kits – Which actually succeed in getting his sister and kitten niece killed and disfiguring another kit for life.
Goosefeather never suffered any major deaths in his childrenhood. Neither did any of the other cats with difficult powers like Yellowfang, Rootspring, Tree, Dovewing, Jayfeather, etc. use their powers as excuses to endanger cats with reckless abandon and have no guilt for it.
Goosefeather is adult who has agency over himself – Starclan may have sent the messages, but it was Goosefeather’s choose on which methods he used to enforce them. And the chooses he used, were needlessly extreme, cruel and negligent.
The way he dealt with Tigerkit: Abandoning his mother and littermates to die during birth, in hopes he’d die alongside them. Then when that doesn’t work, ordering and insulting his father into murdering him. There were way less extreme ways Goosefeather could’ve of gone about that: Warning Tigerkit directly of his destiny, making Tigerkit go with Pinestar as kittypets, encourage him to be a Medicine cat, ensuring Tigerpaw as a mentor who’s anyone other then Thistleclaw, etc.
To prevent Thistleclaw becoming leader, Goosefeather could’ve of simply spoken to Sunstar – That’s it. Yet he needlessly keeps it a secret and put the responsibility on a nursing queen. He pressures a Queen to relocate her kits, alone and in his leafbare. He didn’t even bother to help and had no guilt about Mosskit’s death.
Attacking Crookedkit and Oakkit wasn’t Starclan’s fault – There was no omen behind that. It was entirely Goosefeather’s choose to do that.
First off, wow. That’s a very nice bullet point list you have there.
Second, for me, Goosefeather is a very hard character to relate with. He’s almost like Jayfeather, but instead he let his powers overtake him and it drove him mad. Maybe that’s why we see him roaming in and out of the Dark Forest and Starclan. He’s basically shunned by everyone and can’t bear seeing the dead cats who “haunted” him during his life.
I have a tiny bit of sympathy for Goosefeather, but then again, all your points indicate that he truly was not a good cat. And I wholeheartedly agree with that conclusion.
COME ON, A SPOILER ALERT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE! I NEVER READ THOSE BOOKS! (except Crookedstar’s Promise)
I feel that mudclaw should have still gone to Starclan. The warrior code states that The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled, so he all the rights to attack windclan. Also one star was also a bad leader and most likely worse than if “mudstar” was ever a thing.
Cats I agree should go to the df; Ashfur, Appledusk, Onestar
I’ve read Crookedstar’s Promise (bought it actually) so Ik what Rainflower’s done, but I’m gonna strangely defend her 😛
Ashfur tottaly does deserve to go to The Dark Forest now that I think about it. Lovely article!
I don’t really see the difference between Ashfur abd Hollyleaf here
Except Hollyleaf actually did kill someone and Ashfur didn’t
except ashfur fully intended to kill 5 cats, and it shows how weak he is that he couldn’t, and Hollyleaf is remorseful and guilty about murdering a cat however mean he was.
Consider this: Hollyleaf did everything in a short span of time, everything she ever cared about shattering in front of her. It was a lot on her. Ashfur took one of Firestar’s lives, and after years of having time to think over his revenge on Squirrelflight, he still tried to kill the three. Hollyleaf only had time to think after she did everything on impulse, and came back to fix it. Ashfur trying to let three cats who did nothing to him burn to death was not impulsive: he had a lot of time to change his mind about killing someone to hurt Squirrelflight.
I agree with most of it except Mudclaw who is evil through and through
I think most of these are very reasonable though, great job!