Slatepaw discusses some of the antagonists from the Warriors series.

This is just my opinion and my first article!
If you disagree, remember that I didn’t know what to write and came up with a random topic. Only my opinion, not anything that’s really true and stuff.
Have you noticed how, behind every bad guy, there’s a story? It explains why they act horribly but tries to put the blame (that a villain was created) on someone else. Take Darktail, for example. It was his fault that he turned so bitter, but it got blamed on Onewhisker, who rejected Darktail as a kit. Tigerstar (the Tigerclaw one) as well! They blame it (partially, because Tigerstar was such a big antagonist) on Pinestar. It was Tigerstar’s fault (and Thistleclaw’s, but Tigerstar should have realized Thistleclaw was rather crazy), not PINESTAR’S, that he became such a bitter, ambitious, and prejudiced cat!
A lot of books and movies seek to make their perfectly villainous villains into understandable victims, sometimes destroying the whole effect. I enjoy books that have dead-end bad characters, not books that seem to send a message that “Ooh, everyone is nice and very cute, it’s someone ELSE’S fault that they’re so vicious”. Not that these backstories are bad, but really it makes me feel stuck. Back when Tigerclaw was a horrible cat, everything felt pretty amazing that Fireheart/star was battling him. But after I saw about Pinestar’s issue, Tigerstar suddenly became understandable, and reading the first arc again was like everything suddenly became stagnant water — stinky, boring, and NOT flowing anywhere.
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Here are some more examples:
1) Mapleshade: She was so vengeful! It was satisfying for me to see her vicious cunning and revenge, but after I read Mapleshade’s Vengeance, the wind stopped blowing. Villain became a victim! I do hate Appledusk more than Mapleshade, though…
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3) Breezepelt: Now, Breezepelt was something else. I thought he was actually pretty complicated of a character, and when the backstory came in Crowfeather’s Trial, I felt that it made Breezepelt even more complicated. He seemed so horrible in the other books, but suddenly it was all very heart-warming. I feel like the Erins kind of tried too hard to make him likable when he’s probably not.
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4) Brokenstar: Ah, yes. It was definitely not Yellowfang’s fault. Or Raggedstar’s fault, although Raggedstar WAS blind to Brokentail’s faults most of the time. Brokenkit was born as an angry kitten, fierce, and a fighter. Although it didn’t help that Lizardstripe didn’t even want kits to care for, it was his own personality that set him on the wrong path in the end.
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5) Scourge: This one is completely different, but worth a mention. Back when Scourge was a little kittypet named Tiny, Tigerpaw (Tigerclaw/star) fought him for trespassing. From what I’ve learned, he became bitter and wanted revenge. There weren’t many details, but I have a tiny theory: maybe the Erins made Scourge related to Firestar because they wanted Scourge to be more likable. Or, it could just be the appeal of brothers killing each other, eh? (*cough* Bramblestar and Hawkfrost *cough*)
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6) Sol: Apparently, it was because SkyClan rejected him that he became determined to destroy the Clans. Okay, whatever.
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7) Ashfur: Okay, sorry, he loved too much, but with all the rumors flying around that Ashfur is possessing Bramblestar’s body, locked StarClan in the Dark Forest, became obsessed with codebreakers, and still tries to flirt with Squirrelflight, I think it’s worth a mention (this was written June 2020). Ashfur loved too much, apparently. Okay fine! Whatever! Why is he still padding after Squirrelflight, then? He’s prejudiced against the half-Clan cats or the cats who broke the code or the cats born of breaking codes. What does that have to do with everything? Confusion, help meh.
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Thanks for reading my first article! Just my opinion, I hope you didn’t get offended.
I AM NOT OFFENED. INSTEAD, I’M FEELING AMAZED BY THE QUALITY OF THIS ARTICLE. This is a brilliant, greatest of the greats article. I am amazed and astounded. I LOVE how you put that Ashfur was soo evil and then still tries to flirt with Squirrelflight, it made me laugh sooo hard!! I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!!
Oh shoot i wrote 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
how did i not notice while proofreading
(btw not offended)
I actually think Mapleshade is one of the most intresting cats because she became evil pretty much on her own accord. She is the first real root of evil in the warrior seris (Not including dawn of the clans) I think most evil in the series really could be traced back to her.
That’s very true. In the tigerstar novella, it showed that mapleshade was actually somehow in his mind, which doesn’t make too much sense, but she was guiding him along. And we all know how big of an original villain Tigerstar the First was…
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Omg Slatepaw, this is such an awesome article and I am not offended.
So true…
You’re so right about Ashfur but you should know he is Bramblestar’s impostor
I have to disagree. I prefer complex villains to just people who are evil for no reason.
Ashfur did take control of Bramblestar. it’s in the spoilers. (yes, I got it from multiple sources, not from the books.)