Darktail

Darktail is a ragged, big, muscular, glossy white tom with black spots breaking up the white, black spots around his vivid blue eyes, huge paws, and a long black tail.
Darktail was a rogue in the lake territories who brought disaster to the Clans. He was born to Smoke and Onestar in the old forest as Darkkit, and had siblings that died after birth. He was rejected by his father from joining WindClan, causing Smoke to teach Darkkit to hate the Clans that rejected them. At some point, he took on the name Darkpaw, and he later renamed himself Darktail. Darktail developed a cruel streak, attacking his Twoleg and killing Dudley. After his mother's death, Darktail sought revenge on his father. He revealed himself to Hawkwing as a loner and befriended him; however, after driving SkyClan from the gorge, Darktail and his group sought out to find the Clans after following Alderpaw and his companions back to the lake.
Darktail influenced many ShadowClan apprentices to join his group, and after gaining the majority of ShadowClan on his side, he took over ShadowClan, driving out Rowanstar. Darktail ruled with cruelty and fear among his cats and was not afraid to kill. When Darktail drove RiverClan from their camp, he held prisoners and killed Needletail after discovering she was a traitor. In the end, he faced one last battle with all five Clans, and while fighting with his own father in the lake, both of them drowned each other. Though his death brought peace, he still left long lasting effects on the Clans. Darktail went to the Dark Forest and worked for Ashfur to destroy StarClan and the Dark Forest. Darktail led rogue spirits to attack the living and dead cats, though his spirit fell to Needletail and Violetshine.
==History==
===A Vision of Shadows===
:When Alderpaw leads a small group of journeying cats to find SkyClan, they encounter Darktail, who claims to be the leader of SkyClan. However, Alderpaw's group discovers that Darktail had actually driven out SkyClan and escape overnight after being held captive, but unknowingly leave a trail back to the Clans for Darktail's group to follow.
:He and his rogues arrive at the lake territories and attack WindClan, eventually settling near ShadowClan territory, where Darktail's strong leadership appeals to many ShadowClan cats. They convince several apprentices to join them, including Sleekwhisker, Needletail, Violetpaw, and Juniperclaw. Meanwhile, when ShadowClan struggles under Rowanstar's weak leadership, this gives Darktail the opportunity to take over the Clan, naming the combination of ShadowClan cats and rogues the Kin. ThunderClan, WindClan, and RiverClan, along with ShadowClan cats who refused to join the Kin, attempt to drive them out. However, the battle is lost when Onestar suddenly calls for retreat. Later, the Kin drives out RiverClan, killing several warriors and keeping their injured cats captive, turning the old camp into a second base of the Kin. Afterwards, he becomes injured, and though Rain tries to suffocate him while he is sleeping, Darktail wakes up and kills his old friend, knowing that the tom would betray him.
:Eventually, many former ShadowClan cats regret joining the Kin, escaping to ThunderClan. However, those who are caught are drowned by Darktail and his rogues. Soon the remaining ShadowClan cats and RiverClan prisoners rise up against the Kin and force them out of RiverClan. After discovering that Violetpaw is working outside the Kin, Darktail punishes her by killing Needletail, and while Violetpaw escapes, Needletail retaliates and attacks Darktail, Sleekwhisker, and Roach, with all three killing her. Having lost one camp, Darktail sets his sights on WindClan. There it is revealed that Onestar is Darktail's father, and with the arrival of SkyClan, the Clans push out the Kin in a final, decisive battle. Darktail is confronted by Onestar, and the father and son both drown one another. With their leader dead, the Kin flees the area and soon disbands without Darktail. 
===The Broken Code===
:After his death, Darktail joined the Dark Forest and was pleased to have another chance to destroy the Clans by working with Ashfur. After Ashfur successfully managed to kidnap Bramblestar's body, harvest numerous spirits for his army, and seal the connections between StarClan, the Dark Forest, and the living world, the Lights in the Mist confronted Ashfur and his army in the Dark Forest. Using this opportunity, Darktail revealed himself to them, as well as admitted to his collaboration with Ashfur. As the battle ensued soon after, Darktail attacked Rootspring and almost managed to kill him, but got thwarted by Needletail and Violetshine, who with combined efforts managed to slay the vicious rogue and wipe out his spirit from existence in the process.
===A Starless Clan===
:Many moons after Darktail's reign, its consequences still affect Clan cats. Berryheart in particular grows extremely in favor of following the traditional warrior code, and not to let outsiders into ShadowClan, due to her daughter being killed when Darktail was let in.
===Super Editions===
:In Onestar's Confession, after being rejected by Onewhisker, Smoke gives birth on the moor by herself but only one kit survives. She names him Darkkit in hopes he may join WindClan with his father. After their Twoleg dies, Smoke asks for her and Darkkit to join WindClan so they will not be separated by animal control, but Onewhisker refuses out of fear of his Clanmates learning the truth. With the Clans ready to leave on the Great Journey, Onewhisker makes a false promise to return for Smoke and Darkkit one day, though Smoke vows to raise their son to hate the Clans if he does not come back. Darkkit eventually renames himself as Darktail and he and his mother live with their new Twoleg. However, Darktail grew up vengeful and full of hate, killing Dudley and harming his Twoleg's kit. After his mother's death on the Thunderpath, Darktail disappeared from the Twolegplace. Onestar became fearful of Darktail returning and hunting him out of retribution.
:Seasons later, Darktail and his Kin arrive at the lake and he blames Onestar for Smoke's death. Darktail manages to take one of Onestar's eighth life in battle. After being warned that he might lose everything to defeat Darktail, Onestar turns his back on the other Clans to keep WindClan safe from Darktail's treachery, including refusing to help ShadowClan with their sickness. Meanwhile, Darktail takes over ShadowClan and RiverClan, and while the other Clans wish to attack Darktail and drive him away, Onestar is hesitant to kill his own son. Onestar finally reveals the truth about Darktail and faces him in battle, knowing he must be the one to kill Darktail once and for all.
:In Hawkwing's Journey, Darktail comes across SkyClan at the gorge and convinces Hawkwing to take him to the camp. He lives with SkyClan briefly and is treated with respect, but also suspicion by some members of the Clan, including Hawkwing. Darktail claims to know the whereabouts of the other Clans and sends several cats on journeys to find them, both ending in failure. His friend, Rain, joins SkyClan temporarily as well, and the two are often seen together. After gathering up his rogues and causing damage to SkyClan by raccoon attacks, Darktail leads his band of rogues to take over SkyClan's camp and drive them out of the gorge. The battle is a bloodbath, and many of SkyClan's warriors are killed, including the deputy Sharpclaw. 
==Detailed description==
===Scars and injuries gained===
*Ragged fur gained from his time in the Dark Forest.
==Character pixels==
===Main images===
===Alternate images===
==Official art==
==Killed victims==
*Dudley
*Bouncefire
*Sharpclaw (Alongside Rain)
*Mistfeather
*Rain
*Beenose
*Mistcloud
*Lioneye
*Birchbark
*Dawnpelt
*Needletail (Alongside Sleekwhisker and Roach)
*Onestar (Last two lives)
==Personality and traits==
:Arrogant, cunning and viciously ruthless, Darktail has no mercy, compassion or respect for his enemies or for cats that are weaker than himself. He is extremely cruel and sadistic, and likes to physically and psychologically torture his victims. A prime example of Darktail's sadism is shown when he captured four injured RiverClan cats and tortured them by leaving their wounds to fester, depriving them of food and humiliating them by forcing them to swear an oath of loyalty to him in return for food, and then continuing to starve them anyways. Another example of Darktail's sadism is shown when he attempted to punish Violetpaw for betraying him by drowning her best friend, Needletail, right in front of her. As stated by Darktail himself, he did this because he knew killing Needletail would hurt Violetpaw more than anything else.
:However, Darktail is also undeniably intelligent and charismatic; he is a master manipulator. He was able to gather a very large number of rogue cats to him and gain their fanatical loyalty. He is also a highly skilled and capable fighter and tactician, notably defeating Mistfeather, Rowanstar, Reedwhisker and Onestar, all of whom were fully trained warrior cats, in single combat, respectively. However, it should be noted that all these cats were not at the peak of their strength at the time; Mistfeather was half-starved and weakened from living as a loner, Rowanstar was still recovering from an illness, Reedwhisker was already exhausted due to fighting, and Onestar was very old and not quite as strong as he once was. Regardless of this, Darktail is still a formidable opponent.
:Darktail is also treacherous and, despite his claims to the contrary, has no personal sense of honor or responsibility; he is a liar and a hypocrite. At one point, he states that he believes sharing is "very important", but this is a downright lie because, as mentally noted by Violetpaw, Darktail only shares when it suits his own personal needs. Furthermore, despite being a strong and capable fighter and tactician, he is not above using brutal or underhanded methods to win battles; e.g. ordering his accomplices to attack his opponent while their back is turned or sending the weaker cats onto the battlefield first as fodder. Darktail has no respect for his enemies, and demonstrates this by refusing to bury their bodies or even to let their friends bury them.
==Relationships==
===The Kin===
:Darktail is an extremist and a Social Darwinist, believing only the strong deserve to survive. As noted by Dragonfly, one of his followers, he is not only intolerant of sick cats, but actually despises them and outright abuses them, berating them for being sick and even attempting to prevent them from healing themselves, believing they do not deserve to live. While Darktail does value his followers for their loyalty and usefulness, he will abandon them without a second thought if any of them get sick, even if that cat has been one of his most loyal followers.
===SkyClan===
:
===Smoke===
:There is a deeper motivation behind Darktail's actions. According to Onestar and Darktail himself, Smoke was Onestar's secret affair, and when she became pregnant with his kits, she asked him if she could join WindClan. Onestar denied her, and she gave birth to her kits soon after. However, with no one to help her, all but one of her kits died, and she came to WindClan again to ask Onestar if her kit could join the Clan. Onestar rejected her again, and Darktail's dark nature and actions against the Clans are rooted from his father's rejection of him as a kit and his mother, Smoke, subsequently teaching him to hate the Clans for this rejection.
===Onestar===
:
===Needletail===
:
===Violetshine===
:
==Kin==
===Members===
Father:
:Onestar: 
Mother:
:Smoke: 
Half-sisters:
:Heathertail: 
:Galekit: 
Siblings:
:Unnamed kits: 
===Tree===
==Appearances==
==Merchandise==
===Toys and Plush===
====Onestar & Darktail - Mini Collector Figures====
*Series 7
*Though we didn't always know it, and Onestar tried to run from it as long as he could, this father and son duo were always fated to die at each other's claws. Onewhisker was a friendly, easy-going WindClan warrior and a close friend of Firestar's, but when Tallstar's deathbed decision left him as leader, he turned cold and hard to become the leader he thought his Clan needed - and to hide the shameful secret that had plagued him since his warrior days. Darktail's burning desire for revenge brought him to the lake, where he rained havoc down on the Clans. Through it all, his fierce longing for kin came out in him forming the twisted, dysfunctional Kin - though every cat understood that Darktail's favor was as fragile as a cobweb.
*Sturdy mini figure of Onestar and Darktail, approximately 7cm in height.
*Also included in a three-pack bundle with the rest of Series 7: Berryheart and Splashtail, and Briarlight and Purdy.
*Approximate individual price is $12.99 USD, and the three-pack bundle is $38.97 USD.
==Trivia==
===Interesting facts===
*Darktail has WindClan blood via Onestar and kittypet blood via Smoke.
*He is also a descendant of Windstar through Mistmouse.
*Darktail was named after his tail.
===Author statements===
*Kate doesn't think Darktail had feelings for Violetpaw; he was just using her as he used all cats.
*Kate's pretty sure Sleekwhisker had a crush on Darktail, but can't clearly remember.
===Mistakes===
*Darktail was mistakenly depicted as white with black markings on his fur and tail, excluding his black tail.
*Darktail is mentioned in Mothwing's Secret to be in the Dark Forest with Tigerstar and other cats. However, he is still alive at the time and has not encountered the Clan cats or the lake yet.
===Continuity===
*In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Darktail's half-siblings are Willowclaw, Emberfoot, Rustlepaw, a golden tabby tom with a white belly and chest and green eyes, and Drizzlepaw, speckled brown-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.Revealed on Vicky's Facebook
==Quotes==
==External links==
<tabber>
|-|
Featured=
* 
*
*
*
* 
* 
* 
|-|
Author Composed=
* 
* 
|-|
Book Specific=
*
* 
*
* 
*
* 
* 
* 
* 
|-|
Character Specific=
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
|-|
Themes and Concepts=
|-|
Merchandise and Website=
* 
* 
* 
*
*
|-|
Fan Content=
*
*
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
</tabber>
==Notes and references==
de:Dunkelschweiffi:Tummahäntäfr:Plume Sombreit:CodaScuranl:Donkerstaartpl:Ciemny Ogonru:Темнохвост
Category:Characters
Category:Toms
Category:Leaders
Category:Rogues
Category:ShadowClan cats
Category:Groupless cats
Category:Dark Forest cats
Category:Loners
Category:Deceased characters
Category:Faded cats
Category:Main characters
Category:Kittypets
Category:Darktail's cats
Category:Characters with merchandise