Bramblestar (Warriors)

Brambleclaw, formerly known as Bramblestar, is one of the main protagonists in the Warriors book series by Erin Hunter. He is a son of Tigerstar and Goldenflower, brother of Tawnypelt, Squirrelstar's mate, father of Alderheart and Sparkpelt, a half-brother of Hawkfrost and Mothwing and the retired former leader of ThunderClan.
He serves as a supporting character in The Prophecies Begin arc, a Super Edition Firestar's Quest, the novellas Leafpool's Wish, Dovewing's Silence and Spotfur's Rebellion and a graphic novel Winds of Change, one of the main protagonists of The New Prophecy arc, the tritagonist of The Broken Code arc and a major protagonist in Power of Three, Omen of the Stars and A Vision of Shadows arcs and the super edition Squirrelflight's Hope. 
==History==
===The Prophecies Begin===
Bramblekit is born to Goldenflower and Tigerclaw along with his sister, Tawnykit. His father is shortly exiled after his birth after attempting to murder Bluestar. When a fire rages through the ThunderClan camp, Fireheart saves Bramblekit, who was stranded on the branch of a tree. Fireheart frequently views Bramblekit with distrust since he heavily resembles his father, and he mentors Bramblepaw to keep an eye on him. Bramblepaw completes most of his apprenticeship without Tawnypaw since she runs away after continually being judged for who her father is, which upsets Bramblepaw. When Tigerstar offers Bramblepaw to join his family in TigerClan, Bramblepaw refuses and participates in the battle against BloodClan. He tries his hardest to complete his training, and he eventually earns Firestar's trust.
=== Firestar’s Quest===
Bramblepaw finishes his warrior training and is named Brambleclaw, his suffix coming from his father's warrior name, Tigerclaw. Firestar feels guilty for still seeing Tigerstar in his son, but knows Brambleclaw is loyal to ThunderClan and the warrior code. At the Gathering, Brambleclaw discovers that Tawnypelt has also earned her warrior name.
===The New Prophecy===
StarClan chooses Brambleclaw, Feathertail, Tawnypelt, and Crowpaw to make the journey to the sun-drown place (the ocean) to hear StarClan's message from Midnight the badger, with Stormfur and Squirrelpaw accompanying them. Brambleclaw naturally takes on a leadership role of the journeying cats and they grow to respect him, and he and Squirrelpaw become close. They return to the Clan with terrible news that the Twolegs (humans) were going to destroy their home and the Clans have to move to a new place. He helps lead the Clans alongside his friends from the journey to their new home by the lake.
Brambleclaw becomes close to his half-brother, Hawkfrost, after learning that the RiverClan warrior was his kin. Squirrelflight distrusts Hawkfrost, and she and Brambleclaw fight about his relationship with Hawkfrost, and they end up breaking up. He and Hawkfrost train with their father in the Dark Forest and Tigerstar plots his sons' takeover of the Clans. After a badger attack, however, the two realize how much they really mean to each other and becomes mates.
With Graystripe still missing after being taken by Twolegs, StarClan sends Leafpool a dream approving Brambleclaw as the rightful deputy of ThunderClan; despite having not trained an apprentice, Brambleclaw is named deputy and promised to mentor Berrykit. Hawkfrost, encouraged by their father Tigerstar, sets up a trap for Firestar so that Brambleclaw can kill him and become leader. Brambleclaw realizes his loyalty is to ThunderClan and his leader, and kills Hawkfrost, fulfilling the "blood will spill blood" prophecy. 
===The Power of Three ===
Brambleclaw becomes a father to Lionkit, Hollykit, and Jaykit. He raises them with pride and love, and he later becomes the uncle to Tawnypelt's kits, Tigerkit, Flamekit, and Dawnkit. He also mentors Berrypaw who was promised to him earlier. Brambleclaw leads the journey to assist the Tribe with his family and becomes temporary leader when Firestar and half the Clan fall ill to greencough. Later, it is revealed that Leafpool and Crowfeather are the true parents of the Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. Deeply wounded by Squirrelflight's deception, Brambleclaw turns his back on her.
Despite splitting up with his mate, Brambleclaw still acts as a fatherly figure for Lionblaze and Jayfeather nonetheless. He defends Hollyleaf's actions when she returns to ThunderClan, proving his undying loyalty to his adopted kits. Brambleclaw eventually grows to understand that the reason why Squirrelflight lied to him was that she was protecting her sister. He participates in the Great Battle and kills Hawkfrost after he discovered his half-brother killed Hollyleaf. Firestar dies from his wounds after fighting Tigerstar, and Brambleclaw becomes leader of ThunderClan. He appoints Squirrelflight as his deputy because he believes that he can trust her more than any other cat.
===A Vision of Shadows===
Squirrelflight and Bramblestar have a litter of four kits, Dandelionkit, Juniperkit, Alderkit, and Sparkkit. Dandelionkit and Juniperkit die during kithood, but Alderkit and Sparkkit go on to be apprentices. He encourages Alderpaw through his fumbled warrior training before switching his path to become a medicine cat. He and Squirrelflight begrudgingly allow their kits to go on a quest to find SkyClan after Alderpaw received a vision. Bramblestar tries to act as a voice of reason when SkyClan returns to the lake, although he is against giving up his territory for them. He is against his nephew Tigerheart claiming the leadership of ShadowClan, fearing he would become like Tigerstar, Bramblestar's own father was many years ago. He also tries to help SkyClan stay at the lake, but ultimately gets distracted when Juniperclaw is accused of poisoning SkyClan, which turns out to be true. He then gives up some of ThunderClan's territory so SkyClan can stay, along with the other four leaders.
Bramblestar struggles to maintain the peace between the Clans and isn't as eager to have another litter as Squirrelflight is. The two continually argue when Squirrelflight seems to favor the Sisters over her own Clan, and even questions her legitimacy as his deputy. He and Squirrelflight find some peace spending time with Sparkpelt's kits, Finchkit and Flamekit, after Larksong and Flickerkit die. Squirrelflight convinces Bramblestar to not attack the Sisters, and he mourns for her after she is fatally injured from a cave in. After Squirrelflight returns from StarClan, the two reconcile.
=== The Broken Code ===
During a harsh leaf-bare, Shadowpaw receives an omen from an unnamed spirit cat that Bramblestar will fall seemingly incurably ill. When Bramblestar suddenly falls ill, Shadowpaw, guided by the unnamed spirit, suggests an unorthodox method to cure him but ends up killing Bramblestar. The spirit possess the ThunderClan leader's corpse, stranding Bramblestar in the ghost residence. Bramblestar desperately asks for help from Rootpaw, who is the only cat who can see him. Bramblestar's situation is later realized by several cats from across the Clans, convinced by Rootpaw and Tree. However, the rebels debate whether to murder Bramblestar's body to free the Clans from the impostor's nefarious deeds and thus leaving Bramblestar trapped as a spirit. The impostor traps Bramblestar in the Place of No Stars until Shadowsight frees him.
It is later revealed that his body is possessed by Ashfur and his body is in ShadowClan. 
In The Place of No Stars, Bramblestar reunites with his body and his paw begins to move. As Rootspring, Squirrelflight, and Bramblestar escape the island along the narrow muddy path, Ashfur meets them at the shore. Determined to save the ThunderClan cats, Rootspring charges at Ashfur and flings himself at the dark warrior, catching Ashfur off guard with his boldness. Snowtuft aids Rootspring, and he and the living cats flee in the chaos. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight soon return to the living world. 
== Physical appearance==
Brambleclaw is noted by many to look almost exactly like his father Tigerstar; he is a huge and muscular dark brown tabby tomcat who has amber eyes and large paws with long, curved claws. He also has thick fur, a wide forehead, and broad shoulders, one of which has a long scar on it. Due to Ashfur not taking care of Bramblestar's body while possessing it, he has an unkempt coat, shredded ear tips and chunks of missing fur after the events of The Place of No Stars.
==Personality and traits==
Brambleclaw is a complex cat. He is resolute, careful, devoted, moral, smart and wise. Haunted by his father, Tigerstar's dark past, he is determined to prove to every cat that he is a good and loyal warrior, even though some others doubt him. Although he is tempted for a short while by Tigerstar's promises of power and glory, he ultimately stays true to his Clan. Brambleclaw had a natural gift for leadership, and a kind and caring heart. He is always determined to do the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be.
Brambleclaw firmly believes forgiveness is stronger than hatred. Despite this, he is perfectly capable of holding a grudge. Perhaps the greatest example of this is him holding an extremely bitter grudge against Squirrelstar for lying to him that Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf were his kits. It takes at least two years for him to finally forgive her, and even longer to forget.
Brambleclaw can also be somewhat arrogant and stubborn at times. Despite his love and respect for his mate Squirrelstar, he doesn't always listen to her, much to her frustration.
==Relationships ==
===Squirrelstar ===
Bramblestar and Squirrelstar's relationship has gone through many changes over the course of it. 
At first, the two are at odds, as Brambleclaw thinks Squirrelpaw is an incompetent and annoying nuisance, while she thinks he's is an arrogant know-it-all. However, during their journey to the sun-drown place, Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw begin to grow closer and become friends. Eventually, their friendship turns into love and they are thinking of becoming mates when Brambleclaw discovers Hawkfrost. Brambleclaw doesn't listen to Squirrelflight's warnings about Hawkfrost's Tigerstar-like ambition, and is upset that she seems to distrust him and his half-brother because of their heritage. Squirrelflight disapproves of the two brothers' strengthening friendship and begins spending time with Ashfur instead. However, Brambleclaw eventually ends his connection with his half-brother and their father, and he and Squirrelflight reconcile.
When Squirrelflight reveals her kits to Brambleclaw, he is excited and proud. He and Squirrelflight raise the kits together, and love them. He shows his love and loyalty to Squirrelflight many times, staying by her side when she is gravely injured in a battle with WindClan, and promising to protect her when some of their Clanmates suspect her of killing Ashfur. However, when Squirrelflight’s deception about Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf's parentage is finally revealed, Brambleclaw feels deeply betrayed and breaks up with her. For moons afterwards, he barely speaks to her and occasionally shuts her down when she speaks out in public.
However, Bramblestar eventually grows to understand that Squirrelflight does everything for the best of reasons, and he lets her back into his life as his deputy. Squirrelflight accepts his offer, and the two eventually become mates again, and have their own kits together.
However, their relationship becomes strained again when Squirrelflight strongly desires to have more kits and makes a major suggestion to the other Clans without talking to Bramblestar about it first, the former of which Bramblestar isn't particularly eager and the latter he feels undermined. It gets worse when Squirrelflight defends and seems to favor the Sisters over ThunderClan, stressing out Bramblestar as he tries to keep the relations between the Clans peaceful and Squirrelflight continually going behind his back and undermining his authority. It gets to the point where Bramblestar questions her legitimacy as deputy and the only serenity the two share is looking over their grandchildren. However, they make up after Squirrelflight almost dies.
By his own admission, Squirrelflight is the cat Bramblestar cares most about and has been the deepest influence on him. However, despite their love for each other their relationship has gone through many ups and downs, as they are sometimes distant and disagreeable, and sometimes loving confidants.
===Tawnypelt===
Tawnypelt is Brambleclaw's sister. They were very close as kits. When Tawnypaw left to join ShadowClan, Bramblepaw was very shocked and missed her dearly, but accepted her decision. Despite this, the two siblings still love and trust each other, and help one another when they can.
=== Hawkfrost===
When Brambleclaw finds out that he and Hawkfrost are both sons of Tigerstar, he relates to him and trains with him and their father in the Dark Forest. Even when he is warned multiple times of Hawkfrost’s Tigerstar-like ambition, Brambleclaw refuses to believe it. However, Brambleclaw finally realizes Hawkfrost’s true intentions when he attempts to murder Firestar, and he kills his own brother to end his ambition. When Hawkfrost's spirit appears in the Great Battle and murders Hollyleaf, Brambleclaw kills him again in revenge.
==Gallery==
File:ADangerousPathOG.webp|Bramblepaw and Fireheart on the original cover of A Dangerous Path
File:MidnightOG.webp|Brambleclaw on the original cover of Mindight
File:MidnightReprint.webp|Brambleclaw on the reprinted cover of Midnight
File:ALightInTheMistCover.webp|Bramblestar on the cover of A Light in the Mist
File:BramblestarsStormOG.webp|Bramblestar on the original cover of Bramblestar's Storm
File:BramblestarsStormReprint.webp|Bramblestar on the reprinted cover of Bramblestar's Storm
File:BramblestarTheUltimateGuide.webp|Bramblestar in The Ultimate Guide
File:BramblestarFactSheet.webp|Bramblestar's fact sheet on the official website
File:BramblestarFamilyTree.webp|Bramblestar's icon on the family tree
==Trivia== 
*Brambleclaw's name and appearance are based off of author Cherith Baldry's cat Bramble. The dedication at the beginning of A Dangerous Path refers to her pet, calling him "the real Bramblepaw".
*He is one of author Kate Cary's least favorite characters, as she is appalled by his ruthless ambition and for a time resented him for replacing Graystripe as ThunderClan's deputy. When asked what she would change about the series if she could, she stated that Brambleclaw wouldn't become leader and that he and Squirrelstar wouldn't get together as she finds their relationship dull.
==External Links==
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