![[Mapleshade lays on a tree branch with a insidious smile]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/mapleshade_by_lunarkisa-da0r3q6-740x493.jpg)
Fan ArticlesFiretail wonders if Mapleshade was at fault.
Contains spoilers for Mapleshade’s Veagnance
The biggest mistake we make when thinking about Mapleshade, is judging her by what she did. If you went through what she had gone through, wouldn’t you have done the same thing? In fact, the first time I read Mapleshade’s Veagnance imeidietly felt sorry for Mapleshade. So, why is Mapleshade not completely evil?
Mapleshade was very-well thought of in the eyes of her clanmates. She was very good friends with Frecklewish, and the only secret she kept from her clan was that she loved Appledusk of RiverClan.
After having Appledusk’s kits, Ravenwing reveals to Oakstar that Mapleshade’s kits are not pure-blooded. Mapleshade begs for mercy, but Oakstar has none for her. Frecklewish then strikes her in the face. This is the first strike against Mapleshade.
After bitterly leaving her clan, which would be enough for me to lose it, she goes to find refuge in RiverClan. But the river between the two clans was too feirce, and her kits were swept away. Appledusk’s patrol finds the kits, washed up on the rocks, dead. Mapleshade was devastated. This is is the second strike.
Mapleshade enters the RiverClan camp, to find Appledusk has been cheating on her the entire time, and denys loving Maleshade to her face. Then, RiverClan’s leader heartlessly refuses to give her refuge, and she is exiled from the clans. This is the third strike.
Three strikes, you’re out.
Mapleshade was furious, and she could never sleep, because all she could hear was her dead kits screaming for help. So one by one, she avenged her dead kits. Now she did this in a very violent way, but what would I have done? Killed all of ThunderClan and RiverClan? Probably. So what she did was for the sake of the dead. Yes, she had evil intentions, but she was so devasted, she felt as if she had nothing to lose. She was a great cat, but was she evil? Was StarClan right to send her to the Dark Forest? The anwser is, yes, she was evil. And no, StarClan could’ve given her a chance. She was not in her right mind when she did those things, and her heart was broken. Yes, she did not regret going to the Dark Forest, but she could’ve had a chance. That’s all that matters. And did they give her a chance? No, they didn’t.
That is my point. Mapleshade was evil, but all of the things she cared abot were taken away from her, and other cats rubbed it in her face. Mapleshade is one of the most misunderstood cats for this reason.
Birchfoot![[an orange tabby stretches comfortably beside a pillow as they're petted by their owner]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/owner-petting-adorable-cat-scaled-385x300.jpg)
Embers of an Autumn Dawn | Emberdawn![[an orange cat crouches atop newspapers strewn across the floor]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cat-newspaper-385x300.jpg)
Goldenfawn
โงหยฐ๐พโหโก pineblossom (she/her) ๐ฆข๐ซ๐ฉฐ ainโt life just awfully strange? ๐จ๏ธ๐งธ๐ฏ๏ธmentor to skyshimmer! ๐ฒโโด๏ธห๏ฝกโ![[a close-up portrait of Rowanclaw stalking while the sun is low in the sky]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rowanclaw.FG-8.webp)
![[Honeyfern and Poppyfrost listen to Berrynose as he animatedly talks to them]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/chill_by_tusofsky_dbruado-fullview-385x300.jpg)
Um actually ThunderClan had every right to banish Mapleshade because her RiveClan ties comprised her loyalties to ThunderClan. Mapleshade was introduced as an entitled she-cat who didn’t think the rules applied to her.
Also she pretended that Birchface who had died was her mate. This is not only dishonest but sacrilege. Also Mapleshade could’ve prevent her kits from dying by crossing a bridge (There’s one that granted safe passage to RiverClan territory), She could’ve brought he kits to the Twolegplace and come back the next day when the water’s had died down. Or another option is wait for the RiverClan patrol to arrive and help Mapleshade and her litter across. Instead Mapleshade forced her kits to take and unnecessary risk which was how she’d lost them. It’s no wonder Appledusk blamed her for the death of their litter. Mapleshade also felt no remorse for misleading Frecklewhish (Birchface’s own sister) into believing that her kit’s were begotten by Birchface. Frecklewhish expected Mapleshade to correct her if she was wrong about Birchface being the kits father. But Mapleshade didn’t. When confronted about her lies and deception, Mapleshade once again displayed her entitled attitude when she insisted that Frecklewhish respected her due to her status as a ThunderClan Queen as well as reminding ThunderClan that she provided them three future warriors.
I very heavily condemn Mapleshade but I would like to point out that while I do not believe Oakstar to be an evil cat, it is actually against the code to exile Mapleshade and her kits. Although the storm didn’t start until after Mapleshade had left camp, Oakstar still let his emotions get the better of him and made a reckless decision that in part contributed to the deaths of the kits. Of course Mapleshade is mostly to blame for the reasons you stated and more, but Oakstar and the clan that showed Mapleshade no support at all are not blameless.
I have to respond. GIVE MAPLESHADE SOME SYMPATHY! This cat fell in love had beautiful kits, but when ThunderClan found out they were half clan they suddenly hated her and the kits. Then she seeks refuge in RiverClan, and loses her litter to the river. Then she heads to RiverClan camp to find that her mate cheated on her so… Think about what she has been through, put yourself in her pawsteps what would you have done?!
https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/2022/09/17/mapleshade-what-does-she-deserve-by-floofpaw/
This article and the comments on it have all my points
Unless did you mean to reply to Penguinpaw? ๐
You know, people can feel bad for Mapleshade without trying to justify what she did. I mean, Mapleshade’s a really cool villain! And I feel bad for her because she had a lot of hard things happen in her lifetime. However, i still believe that she should be in the dark forest. I don’t think murder is okay. And for the record, i think Ashfur should be in the DF too. However, i know that if I lost someone close to me, i would not go on a murder rampage. People always say “put yourself in Mapleshade’s paws. What would you do?” But to me that always sounds like they’d expect to murder a bunch of cats too. And I wouldn’t do that. So I’m sorry if this sounded rude but I wouldn’t kill people and I don’t think what Mapleshade did was excusable.
I agree. I really dislike Mapleshade because she practically caused her kits death, even if she was gone crazy with grief. She isn’t a responsible parent either. But I believe Oakstar was in the wrong- I think it could have been expected that Mapleshade would be exiled, but the kits didn’t deserve to be kicked out for their parentage.
(This is just in detail about the first comment) Im sorry but I had to say that Mapleshade went through a lot can you give her a bit of sympathy First, she falls in love, what’s wrong with that (Leafpool anyone?!) Second, she has kits, and to protect them she says they are Brichface’s (Bluestar moment?!) Third, the clan finds out and they suddenly hate her for it and exile her. Fourth she tries to take THREE kits across a RIVER, and when she couldn’t her kits were swept away in the river. Fifth, when she seeks refuge in RiverClan her mate denies the fact that they were even mates, and cheats on her! Finally in grief and anger she attacked all that betrayed her and ended up dying of and injury.
This video by Moonkitti and Bright Guardian would provide a better explaination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0bmVv-oq4&t=4s
To be fair, if Ashfur can get into starclan, so can Mapleshade. I feel bad for her since I believe that the death of her kits drove her crazy. She deserves better ๐
ASHFUR DIDNT KILL THREE PEOPLE THOUGH!!! IM NOT DEFENDING ASHFUR BUT ITS LITERALLY SHOWN IN THE BOOKS THAT LETTING HIM BE IN STARCLAN HAD FATAL CONSEQUENCES!! THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH MAPLESHADE TOO!!!!!!!!
She still killed 3 cats tho. People need to understand that. Sure she wasnโt right in the mind but sheโs stillโฆ evil. She shouldnโt go to starclan.
I agree! She was hallucinating! Put yourself in her paws! Wouldn’t you be grief stricken and go crazy, too?
Uh…… No? I mean i might be sad but i wouldn’t go kill people…..
Lol I always get concerned when people say put yourself in her shoes. Like would they go on a murderous rampage because they made some terrible life decisions? Like what?
Its not like Mapleshade just decided to kill people.
She was inane and I think I should provide the definition from google.
Inane
1. in a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill.
Mapleshad could clearly not think straight and thought she herself was the victim and she was doing the right thing. If you put yourself In Mapleshades shoes she thought she was doing the right thing or she was not able to realize what she was doing was wrong. Insane people don’t think they are insane , they think they are correct.
Shadeleap I don’t think you really understand what hallucinations are. The type of hallunation Mapleshaded experienced is the worst kind and its bound to drive them insane. She didn’t kill three other cats because she was sad or mad , she killed 3 cats because she was insane.
And Starclan wasn’t kind enough to offer a Mental Hospital.
I think youโre all missing a pointโฆ frecklewish was the one who said birch face was the fatherโฆMapleshade DIDNT say anything.. she told herself she would tell the clan the truth later-