![[Nightheart looks over his shoulder with a surprised expression in profile view]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/tumblr_d983fc3a8191508969556a7fad11c283_51aa2b60_1280-740x740.jpg)
Fan ArticlesMothsun relates experiences to Nightheart’s struggles in River.
![[image description: Nightheart looks over his shoulder with a surprised expression in profile view]](https://blogclan.katecary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/tumblr_d983fc3a8191508969556a7fad11c283_51aa2b60_1280-300x300.jpg)
[image description: Nightheart looks over his shoulder with a surprised expression in profile view]
When reading both of the books for the newest arc (A Starless Clan) there was something that constantly nagged me in the back of my mind when I was reading the perspective of ThunderClan’s newest protagonist. Now, I’m aware that there will likely never be any form of canon LGBTQ+ content in Warriors (much to my dismay) but as a trans person reading, Nightheart struck a chord with me.
Nightheart feels like a closeted trans person- at least in River.
Flipping every page of his chapters, there was an undeniable sense of relatability, at least for me, when seeing his perspective- something I went through myself. Feeling like everyone sees you as someone you aren’t. On the whole, at least in the eyes of Nightheart, his clan -his family- saw someone in him that just was not there. This was sealed when Nightheart did something that I have never seen in warriors, a cat rejecting the name someone gave him. And his settlement for something akin to the name he was “supposed” to have? It felt like a trans person contorting their chosen name to fit into their family’s image.
Why did this stick so hard with me? I did the exact same thing.
Why does Nightheart’s first(?) chapter in Sky hit close to home? I was also named after people in my family, and rejecting that name is enough to have people “mourn the loss of my child”. Rejection is something often found to be in the lives of many trans people, specifically in the way of family, specifically in my life.
On the whole, I am well aware that I am reading too much in between the lines, that my mind is making connections that most likely are not there. On the pages, I don’t believe that there was intent behind this (unlike Tallstar and Jake/Ravenpaw and Barley). This is not going to be another Rowanstar- who is only headcanoned as trans due to editing errors. Nightheart is a protagonist, his gender is set in stone.
I would like to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this! I haven’t seen much discussion on this other than passing phrases or art. ^^
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Very interesting article! Actually, Bright Guardian Akira made a video about the same topic. (It is called ‘Is Nightheart a girl?’)
yes, i watched it
Cool article! This does actually make a lot of sense.
Great article, I didn’t even know Rowanstar was called a girl for grammer errors! That’s not what trans is! Plus some people use all pronouns despite having a specific gender, or the gender they were born with! I completley agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!