Fan Articles
Willowpaw examines the morality of controversial characters
Hello! It’s Willowpaw/fur, and today I’m going to be talking about controversial cats and whether they deserved the Dark Forest or StarClan.
1) Ashfur (SPOILERS FOR THE BROKEN CODE, POWER OF THREE, AND THE NEW PROPHECY)
Well, we knew this one was coming, didn’t we? Ashfur is a very controversial cat.
I think he deserves the Dark Forest.
He literally killed one of Firestar’s lives because Squirrelflight hurt him. Because of a crush. If Firestar was a warrior, he would’ve died. Plus, he threatened Lionblaze’s, Hollyleaf’s, and Jayfeather’s lives.
If he deserves the Dark Forest, you may ask, why didn’t he kill them? Why didn’t he kill them and then reveal the secret?
I honestly don’t know. What I think the reason is because he wanted to see them suffer. He wanted to get revenge on Squirrelflight for not choosing him, by making her see her adopted kits suffer.
That’s just wrong.
Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather didn’t do anything. It’s not like you can choose who your parents are.
Also, just because not killing them would be the lesser of two wrongs doesn’t make it a right.
He was also shown not to visibly regret taking one of Firestar’s lives. How do we know he would regret killing Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather?
And, of course, the impostor drama. Taking over Bramblestar’s body, and kidnapping Squirrelflight.
Honestly, that just adds on to why he deserves the Dark Forest.
This may change if he gets a redemption, depending on what it is, but this article was written before the Place of No Stars came out, and as of Darkness Within, he hasn’t received one.
2. Mapleshade (SPOILERS FOR MAPLESHADE’S VENGEANCE)
Another predictable cat. She’s controversial as well.
Personally, I think she deserved what she got. The Dark Forest.
Before all you Mapleshade lovers start screaming at me in the comments, hear me out.
I don’t understand why people say that Mapleshade was justified and Oakstar was not. They technically did the same thing.
Yes, sure, she lost her kits, but that is no excuse to murder three cats. Many queens have lost their kits. Did they go on a murder rampage? No.
Why should it be any different for Mapleshade?
Yes, Oakstar exiled Mapleshade’s kits and basically condemned them to death, but didn’t Mapleshade also try to condemn Reedshine’s kits to death?
People excuse Mapleshade’s actions by saying, “She was blinded by grief!” but wasn’t Oakstar blinded by grief, too?
Appledusk pretended to love Mapleshade. From Oakstar’s point of view, Mapleshade pretended to be Birchface’s mate.
My point is, you can’t just say Mapleshade is justified, and Oakstar is not, or vice versa. They are both wrong in their actions, but the difference is, Mapleshade killed, or tried to kill, more cats (including Reedshine and her kits).
Also, Oakstar didn’t know that they would die. Oakstar probably thought they had a chance with their mother.
At least he didn’t try to outright kill them, like Mapleshade tried to do Reedshine and her kits.
I get that she was grieving. I get she lost her kits. But that does not excuse murdering three cats.
3) Clear Sky (SPOILERS FOR DAWN OF THE CLANS)
I believe he deserved StarClan.
(Note: I’m just going to ignore Moth Flight’s Vision, because his character development literally disappeared in that book.)
Anyway, Clear Sky was evil at first (in Thunder Rising, the First Battle). I’m not denying that.
He exiled Jagged Peak and Frost because of injuries, and caused Thunder to leave. He also harmed Falling Feather.
Then the battle came.
It was caused by him holding Jackdaw’s Cry hostage, and not feeding him anything. As soon as they were going to negotiate, Jackdaw’s Cry caught a bat.
Clear Sky and his group were angry.
They started to attack Gray Wing and the others (which I don’t get, Jackdaw’s Cry just caught a bat) and they got trapped.
The only thing that saved them was Thunder. He was able to sneak away and get help from the moor cats.
During the battle, Clear Sky killed Rainswept Flower.
Because of this, Gray Wing attacked Clear Sky, and Clear Sky almost killed Gray Wing.
Gray Wing tells Clear Sky to kill him, and live with the memory, but he can’t. He declares the battle over.
Now comes Clear Sky’s turning point.
He regrets killing Rainswept Flower, and he says that Gray Wing and his group are welcome to come anytime they like.
Clear Sky seems like a good cat…until One Eye joins.
Mouse Ear tells him that One Eye is a bad cat. Clear Sky stubbornly refuses.
Wrong? Yes. Deserving of the Dark Forest? No. Clear Sky is a stubborn cat, but that shouldn’t be a trait that gets him in the Dark Forest. He didn’t see anything One Eye did for himself.
Finally, Clear Sky views One Eye’s villainy, and gets kicked out of his group.
So, Clear Sky obviously wants to get his group back. He plans with Gray Wing and the others to defeat One Eye.
He volunteers to be One Eye’s bait. One Eye gets killed, Star Flower gets rejected, and the rogues disperse…for now.
Then comes Star Flower.
Thunder persuades Clear Sky to let Star Flower in, and Clear Sky accepts. He falls in love with Star Flower. Thunder warns him not to, but he ignores him.
Clear Sky definitely should have listened to his son, that I’ll admit. But he thinks Star Flower’s changed. Even Tall Shadow and Thunder recognize it.
So, Clear Sky- definitely a cat who’s made mistakes, but I think he’s a good cat overall.
4) Star Flower (SPOILERS FOR DAWN OF THE CLANS AND MOTH FLIGHT’S VISION)
As much as I dislike Star Flower, I’m going to have to go with StarClan.
Yes, she betrayed Thunder, but she was only listening to her father. Of course she
would love her father over Thunder!
She also stated that she truly liked Thunder and her first meetings with him were all her idea.
And then, of course, the Clear Sky drama.
Star Flower falls in love with Clear Sky, Thunder is afraid for his father, jealous, and annoyed all at the same time.
He warns Clear Sky to not love her, but Clear Sky doesn’t listen. He keeps meeting Star Flower.
Honestly, this is definitely not a reason Star Flower should go to the Dark Forest. Star Flower fell in love again. That happens. That’s not a reason to suffer.
She also helped the groups against Slash, and she taught them some fighting moves.
Questions:
1) Where do you think Rainflower, Goosefeather, and Lizardstripe should go? Why?
2) Where would you put Ashfur, Mapleshade, Clear Sky, and Star Flower? Why?
3) Are there any other controversial cats that you know of? Where would you put them?
So, that’s it for this article! I hope you have a good morning/afternoon/evening! Thank
you for reading!
🩵🦅 Eagleflight (Aquila)🍃🎶
![[a full-body design of Ravenwing uneasily looking over her shoulder alongside her colour palette]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ravenwing-warrior-cat-designs.png)
As an extension of my comment above, those are some of Goosefeather’s crimes:
1) Set up an unprovoked battle, risked the entity of Windclan to preventable illnesses, unrepentant for Moonflower’s death.
2) Abandoned Leopardfoot’s fatal birth, which results in Nightkit and Mistkit dying of complications. Goosefeather ordered Pinestar to murder his only surviving son.
3) He covered up Bluestar’s forbidden romance. Then he held a nursing queen solely responsible for stopping Thistleclaw. He came up with the plan for Bluestar to drag her kits to Riverclan camp, alone and in leafbare. He didn’t offer his help. Afterwards, he was surprised every kit wasn’t dead and didn’t care about Mosskit’s death. (This to me, proves Goosefeather is aware of his actions, not just ‘insane’. He came up with a premeditated plan and knew the consequences.)
4) He attacked Oakkit and Crookedkit next to a river. He yanked Stormkit’s tail as he dangled above the water, breaking his jaw and almost drowning. Goosefeather abandoned him to die and never apologised.
5) Witnessed Dark Forest training first-hand and did nothing to warn the young cats being manipulated, including Crookedjaw and Spottedpaw. He was also aware of Thistleclaw manipulating Spottedpaw. But didn’t bother to report it, only victim-blaming her by insulting her as foolish.
6) He abandoned his duties constantly, such as sleeping during herb gathering or ignoring an injured apprentice coming into the Medicine den.
I aggre.
Rainflower –> Dark Forest
Goosefeather –> StarClan
Lizardstripe –> ? I don’t really know, I haven’t read about her yet!
Also, Rainflower is my least favorite cat in the whole series. (But I love her name!)
Lizardstripe was Brokenkits unwilling fostermother. She was reluctant to be a mother at all, to be “banished” to the nursery, and most of all she let Brokenkit feel it. You can read about it in “Yellowfang’s Secret”.
I disagree with Clear Sky/Skystar but great article!! 😀
Great article! Rainflower overall was decent- I guess- as a warrior. As a mother, she deserved to die. But StarClan for her. Goosefeather should have gone to the DF. Please. He delivered useless prophecies, lazed off on his medicine cat duties, tried to kill kits (Tigerkit, Crookedkit), and overall I’d say DF.
Lizardstripe- DF. She’s basically the whole reason Brokenstar became Brokenstar. EVIL Brokenstar. Or maybe ShadowClan cats are just awful foster mothers. Pinenose was pretty awful too.
I think Goosefeather should go to Starclan. He never asked for his curse, and even silently cried out to Starclan, asking them why they had given him his power and pleaing for mercy. Maybe he was a little crazy, but i think i would be driven mad with all those overwhelming prophecies that weren’t even relevant in my time.
You have a good point but I personally think that Mapleshade should be in starclan.