Tadpole

Tadpole is a major character in Return to the Clans, the final book in the Tigerstar and Sasha manga trilogy. He is the brother of Mothwing and Hawkfrost, living out in the forest as a loner with their mother Sasha. Noticing how depressed his mother is, Tadpole and his littermates set out to cheer her up by finding her owners from when she was a kittypet. This ends in tragedy however when Tadpole drowns in a flooding basement after rescuing his siblings.
== Appearance ==
Tadpole is a small tom kitten with sleek black fur and yellow eyes.
== Biography ==
Tadpole is born to former kittypet Sasha along with his brother Hawk and his sister Moth, the three of which have Tigerstar as their father. Sasha is very proud of her three kittens, promising that she'll never let their father harm or even know of them. Tadpole is the bravest and most adventurous of the three, often being the one to comfort his siblings when their mother isn't around to. He promises his sister that he'll protect her when she worries of foxes, and encourages his brother to try again when he falls off a bunch of logs he was climbing.
While telling her children about her past life as a kittypet, Tadpole notices how sad his mom gets and one day he and his littermates decide to try and cheer her up by going into twolegplace to find her old owners. As they explore the twolegplace, Moth points out a tree that looks like the one from Sasha's old home that she had told them about, and Tadpole compliments her for her observation. When peering over the fence next to the tree, they see a twoleg child running around, and when Moth asks if their mother's owner Ken had any children, Tadpole says he doubts it because Ken is elderly. Suddenly, a strange noise causes the three kits to look up and see a twoleg woman glaring at them through a window, and Tadpole says they should leave, the three descending the fence and continuing their mission.
As their search continues, they run into Sasha's old friend, a kittypet named Shnucky. She offers to help them, but they deny needing any. They also meet some BloodClan cats who threaten to turn them into collars, as well as a group of rouges and some hostile dogs, chasing them all over twolegplace until the three of them are lost. While resting by a tree, Tadpole notices an open window leading into the basement of an abandoned twoleg house, and the three of them decide to shelter there.
As they explore the basement, Hawk notices a leaking and rattling pipe up above, and Tadpole tries to calm his nervousness by saying that it couldn't hurt them. Just then though, the pipe burst open and quickly began filling the basement with water. The three kits run for the window, climbing over boxes to reach it just as Sasha arrives to rescue them after tracking them down. Tadpole helps his littermates escape, but despite his and his mother's best efforts, is unable to climb out himself. Sasha tries to reach out to him, but he's too far away, and his family watches in horror as he slips beneath the water and doesn't resurface.
Hawk tries to go back in to save him, but Sasha stops him, telling him that Tadpole is gone while hardly able to believe what she's saying herself. In her dreams that night, she sees the spirit of Tigerstar and asks if their son is with him. He replies that Tadpole does not reside in the afterlife of the Clans, but that he is safe now.
== Gallery ==
File:HawkMothTadpole.webp|Tadpole, Hawk and Moth on the cover of Return to the Clans
File:TadpoleFamilyTree.webp|Tadpole's icon on the family tree
== Trivia ==
* Him having yellow eyes was revealed on author Victoria Holmes' Facebook.
* Victoria says that since he's not a Clan cat, Tadpole didn't go to StarClan when he died.
== External Links ==
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== Navigation ==
Category:Warriors (Erin Hunter) Heroes
Category:Book Heroes
Category:Manga Heroes
Category:Animals
Category:Anthropomorphic
Category:Male
Category:Kids
Category:Tragic
Category:Deceased
Category:Inconclusive
Category:Siblings
Category:Related to Villain
Category:Chaotic Good
Category:Adventurers
Category:Supporters
Category:Determinators
Category:Rescuers
Category:Posthumous
Category:Bond Protectors
Category:Protectors
Category:Optimists
Category:Selfless