Why Leafpool Isn’t As 😎 As You Think by Meadowpaw and Rainpaw

Meadowpaw and Rainpaw share their opinions on Leafpool.

Hi BlogClan! It’s Meadowpaw and Rainpaw back with another article, this one about why Leafpool isn’t as 😎 as everyone thinks she is. *Before you read any further into this article, just be aware that this is our opinion, not yours, and you can like or dislike Leafpool.*

So let’s get into it!

First of all, let’s talk about Leafpool in the New Prophecy arc, namely when she left the Clan to be with Crowfeather, and the problems it caused. When Leafpool was debating whether or not to tell anyone about Crowfeather, she almost told Sandstorm but didn’t because Dustpelt was busy talking to her. She could’ve told either Squirrelflight and Cinderpelt, who were both worried for her and were cats Leafpool could trust, but instead she snapped at both of them and pushed them away. This caused Cinderpelt to get frustrated with Leafpool, since she knew it was about Crowfeather. Leafpool had already been getting distracted and sleepy while doing her medicine cat tasks because of her nightly meetings with Crowfeather and it was understandable of Cinderpelt to worry for her apprentice and her duty as a medicine cat being ruined by her affairs with Crowfeather.

Yet Leafpool still kept seeing Crowfeather, even if she knew it was messing up her role in her Clan as a medicine cat, until it reached Cinderpelt’s breaking point, and Leafpool decided to run away with Crowfeather. The only reason why Cinderpelt had been acting so aggressive was because she knew she was going to die soon and the Clan would need Leafpool, but she still ran away. Leafpool was very much aware of how much Squirrelflight and the rest of her Clan were going to react, but she didn’t really seem to care about that other than seeing her Clanmates before leaving to say goodbye.
Let’s jump ahead a few books. In Leafpool’s Wish, when Leafpool and Squirrelflight were looking for a place for her to give birth to her kits, Leafpool kept on being picky and shutting all of Squirrelflight’s ideas down. When she heard Squirrelflight’s belly growling, she was happy when they didn’t stop to hunt because she wasn’t hungry. Leafpool even tried to make Squirrelflight take the kits, even when she expressed her misgivings about the situation numerous times.

When she finally finished begging Squirrelflight to take care of her kits, immediately after she starts getting angry that Squirrelflight is acting like a mother to them when that was what Squirrelflight was lying to everyone for. She had agreed to lie to her mate, family, and Clan, and yet Leafpool still was reluctant to let Squirrelflight name her daughter, since she wanted to name the kit Crowkit, after her father, Crowfeather. (And honestly Hollykit suited her better anyways). And once, when Jaypaw got hurt, Squirrelflight was worried and was trying to comfort him like a mother would, but Leafpool got irritated at this and shooed her out of the medicine den, saying she could take care of her own apprentice. And still, after all that, Squirrelfight even suggested that Hollypaw be named Hollyleaf in honor of her sister. Even when Leafpool didn’t even want her to name the kits she would be taking into her care and raising.

Even though she’s described as loving and gentle, which she usually is, there were many times when she got impatient, snapped at her Clanmates, and didn’t do her medicine cat duties correctly because of selfish reasons. Sure, she was shy as an apprentice, but that doesn’t mean she was an angel when she grew up.

Now let’s talk about her relationship with Jayfeather. From the start, Leafpool had always wanted Jaykit to grow up to follow her pawsteps as a medicine cat. She tried to persuade him numerous times, trying to lead him on the “right” path for him. (Because he obviously couldn’t become a warrior without sight. Ugh.) Eventually, she begins to be forceful and Jaypaw finally gives in to being trained as a medicine cat. Leafpool knew Jaypaw had always wanted and dreamed of being a warrior. And even if he can be difficult to work with sometimes, instead of encouraging and trying to be there for him, she acted unsympathetic and short-tempered to him.

Then, throughout the Power of Three arc, she tries to control Cinderheart because she is Cinderpelt’s reincarnation. I get that she was determined for Cinderheart to lead a better life than Cinderpelt did, but she didn’t have to be so bossy about it. Let Cinderheart live her own life, like Cinderpelt always wanted to. She also acted like it was the end of the world when Cinderheart got injured. She wasn’t useless, just like Cinderpelt wasn’t useless when she broke her leg. Oh, sure, Leafpool, breaking her leg will mean she can’t do anything for the rest of her life. That makes perfect sense. /sarcasm

Over the years as Leafpool got older, we, Meadow and Rainlet, believe that she consistently got more grumpy, unsympathetic, and ableist as she matured into her actual self. So what is your opinion on Leafpool? Has your opinion been swayed? Let us know in the comments!

This was Meadowfern and Rainbrook, and we’ll be (hypothetically) back with our next article! BYEEEE! 😀