[Hollyleaf looking at her reflection in a pool of water during sunset]

My Opinion On Hollyleaf by Briarshine

Briarshine shares their opinion on the forgotten warrior of ThunderClan, Hollyleaf.

Official art by Wayne McLoughlin

Hi, it’s Briarshine with another article! Today, I’m going to talk about my opinions on the very loved character, Hollyleaf.

I dislike -perhaps hate- Hollyleaf in the Power of Three arc. She was very bland, only sticking to the warrior code, despite breaking it various times.

-Visiting somebodyIdon’trememberwasitWhitetail? to make sure it’s all right when it’s obvious she shouldn’t go to thatcat’sClan without permission.

-Killing Ashfur. I don’t think killing him was exactly self-defense. In a way it was, but in a way, it wasn’t. Although he did endanger her siblings’ and her lives and her adoptive mother, it wasn’t then when she tried to kill him. She didn’t try to push him into the fire then. She killed him when Ashfur was hunting, completely off guard.
I’m not defending Ashfur, but I don’t think anything bad would have happened to Hollyleaf even if the secret went out (or my brain is currently frozen due to schoolwork so it can’t think of it). Maybe for Squirrelflight, but if my memory is correct, Hollyleaf gave a cold shoulder at Squirrelflight, saying she had no right to be proud of them, etc., etc. So that’s why I don’t think Hollyleaf’s murder can be passed aside for ‘self-defense’.

-Trying to kill Leafpool
Okay, I’ll give you guys one question, no, two:
Will you give your adoptive mother a cold shoulder when you find out she’s not your real mother?
Will you try to murder your real mother when you find out she’s been lying to you?
If you say yes to both… um…
Well, if you say no to both…
Oh, you know what? Forget it. Anyways, Hollyleaf answered ‘yes’ to both questions.
Even if she was shocked by the news, it doesn’t give her the right to try and commit murder.
Then… she lets Leafpool go just because she convinced Hollyleaf that she would be more miserable living. Oof. She let Leafpool go, trying to cause her more pain…

Okay. Okay. Then here are the other reasons why I can hate her.

-Leaving her brothers to deal with everything while she stayed in the tunnels until everything was calmed.
In Hollyleaf’s Story, I think, she refused to go back up, probably because she didn’t want to face all the whispering, after Fallen Leaves rescues, heals her.
This, I think, was cowardice.
*hears pitchforks, fires, and yelling*
I’m sorry… *whimpers*
But it’s my opinion. I truly think it was cowardly of her to leave the others to suffer while she’s hiding, waiting for the rumors, which she was the cause, to calm down.

-Making everyone so shocked, causing everyone pain.
Everyone was shocked and angry.
Squirrelflight and Leafpool got cold shoulders from like EVERYONE. They’re in obvious pain, seeing their loved ones turn away from them.
Leafpool was forced to (it says she resigned, but later, Jayfeather thinks ‘How would she keep on being a medicine cat if she had kits?’) retire as a medicine cat and become a warrior, losing her joy in her life.
Squirrelflight received hate from Brambleclaw (even though she kept the secret to make Brambleclaw love them as a true father, and if she told him, he would receive the cold shoulders he’s giving now…)
Jayfeather and Lionblaze had to face those whispering.

-Warrior Code
She thinks the Code might be broken forever because of like… five broken things. Then she thinks she doesn’t need to obey her leader because the code is dead!
Erm… can I kill somebody because five laws were broken? Does that make the law nothing? No.

-True Parent Issues
Are Leafpool and Squirrelflight the only ones who broke the code? No.
Are she and her brothers the only one who suffered from half-clan business? Nope!
Did Mistyfoot or Stonefur try to kill Bluestar and hate Graypool passionately just because they lied to them? Hey, I think I remember something about Bluestar. But they just hated her, didn’t try to murder her with deathberries, did they? No.
Did Mistyfoot and Stonefur hate Graypool, stop caring for her, give her a cold shoulder? No…
She wants to know her father, and when she does, she freaks out…
Maybe I can understand this one, but please excuse me as I’m extremely bitter when it comes to Hollyleaf.

-The Gathering Revealed
She humiliates everyone. She says the Clans can’t survive when there are cowards and… liars in the heart. She blames the codebreakers. (Right? I’m not sure about this and I’m to lazy to pick up the book when it’s just next to me) She’s publically insulting ThunderClan, and all the Clans. She’s also insulting…

*Uh… Willowbreeze and Graypool’s mother and father, Reedfeather and… someone. P… something?
*Graystripe
*Silverstream
*Bluestar
*Oakheart
*Graypool
*Crookedstar
*Bluestar
*Spottedleaf
*Crowfeather
*Leafpool
*Squirrelflight
*Dovewing
*Tigerheart
etc.etc!

If she did insult codebreakers, the list stretches.

*Firestar
*Graystripe
*Spottedleaf (the medicine cat code says not to LOVE, right? Which is obnoxious…)
*Bluestar
*Leafpool
*Squirrelflight (Did she actually disobey the CODE?)
*Hollyleaf (disobeying the leader…)
*Jayfeather (falling in love)
*Oakheart
*Willowbreeze and Graypool’s mother whose name probably starts with a P
*Crookedstar
*Graypool
*Feathertail
*Crowfeather
*Reedfeather
*Appledusk
*Tawnypelt
etc. etc.

Oof. It must hurt.
She only focuses on her mind being cleared, not worrying about the consequences of the other cats who had nothing to do with the deception.

Um, okay, it’s done for now.
She caused confusion, pain, but didn’t stay for the consequences. She was very bland, just sticking to the warrior code.

BUT! HOLLYLEAF RETURNS AT ‘THE FORGOTTEN WARRIOR'(WHICH IMPLIES FROM THE START THAT SHE’S GOING TO RETURN BY THE COVER AND THE TITLE), AND SHE’S BECOME STANDABLE!
Maybe it’s because it’s not her P.O.V(Point of View) anymore, but she matured. She’s awkward next to Leafpool (she doesn’t give a murderous look), later says she’s glad to die after getting to know her mother, and helps ThunderClan, showing them how to train in dark tunnels.
She’s become more helpful and has her personality. DEFINITELY.
She’s become likable in Omen of the Stars arc, and she dies saving Ivypool from Hawkfrost (or somebody like Thistleclaw?)

In StarClan *slight spoilers for Squirrelflight’s Hope*, she’s shown to have a neutral relationship with Ashfur, and she’s become warmer towards Leafpool and Squirrelflight (like in Omen of the Stars!).

I do feel sorry for her, but I think she’s overrated. She’s annoying, VERY annoying when she killed Ashfur to keep the secret, and BOOM when she learns she’s breaking the code by being alive, she reveals it, and I don’t think she showed any remorse for killing Ashfur (because she didn’t exactly need to…?)

I’m neutral on her, but I can’t stand the fact that Hollyleaf told Leafpool the warrior code might be broken forever because of her stupid, selfish actions… *cough*listentoelders*cough*
And trying to kill her.

Though I said I was neutral, honestly, I don’t like her at all. I haven’t read Hollyleaf’s Story yet, don’t want to, and I can’t get over how annoyed I was when I read POT. When I’m about the forget it, it just pops up again in my head.
People can like her all they want, but not me.

Thanks for reading!
Briarshine, out!

P.S. I can’t believe I wrote over 1000 words! Probably it’s the list of cats…

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