Hopeful

***Spoiler Warning:** This article contains spoilers for the comic!*
> I doubt cacklers treat their kin like you've treated all of us. I'm only sorry your Queen doesn't see it. [...] All this time, he wanted me dead, and you've treated me like a failure. I'm leaving, this is no longer my home, and you're no longer my parents.
>
> **Hopeful** to Jasper and **Vicious**, Chapter 14: No Contact

## Basic Information

### Name(s):

* Hopeful, Hope, Hopeless
* Sis (by Adamant)
* Little Ray (by Clever)

## Identity

### Voice:

Hillary Taylor
AnimalCrazy (cub)

## Relations

### Siblings:

Adamant and Quiet
Troublesome, Aggravating and Joyous (half-siblings/cousins)

### Other:

Watchful, Wild, Jasper the First and Breccia (grandparents)
Clever and Careful (aunts)
Bold and Cheerful (cousins)
Daffodil (first cousin, once removed)

### Mate(s):

Storm

**Hopeful**—**Hope** for short—is the main protagonist in the webcomic, *I Hope So.* She is currently a Traveller alongside Adamant and Storm.

## Summary

> *Hopeful was the only survivor of her siblings, but just the same has a very positive perspective on life. She loves to sneak away from the pride where she feels like she can be herself. Despite what others say, her lack of a fourth leg doesn't hold her back.*
>
>

## Appearance

Hopeful is a lioness with a golden-yellow coat that is missing her right hind leg. She has dark brown-rimmed ears with a paler chest, muzzles, belly and dark tipped tail. She has multiple dark freckles on her body. Her eyes are a striking yellow, but after Chapter 11, she gained a large scar over her left eye by Vicious, making it permanently blind.

## Personality

Hopeful is a kind and caring lioness. Despite the hardships that come her way, she overall has a very positive perspective of life. Additionally, she is very determined, insisting on taking part in a hunt with her mother and sisters, which, even though it nearly kills her, is a major example of her bravery. She's also very confident and, despite what others say, her lack of a fourth leg does anything but hold her back. Despite the pride's (mainly her parents) initial reluctance to accept her assistance, she still does her best to be helpful, like catching prey or offering to look after the pride's cubs.

While Hope seems to have great patience of others' negative behaviour most of the time, she knows when to draw the line and call someone out, as well as defend and stand up for herself and others when mistreated. She does not view Vicious in the same paternal and primary caregiver light as she does Clever, mainly due to Clever actually watching over her because of Vicious' abusive behaviour. Although she initially had a rather strained relationship with her siblings, following both Adamant and Quiet showing respect for her after she tried to take down a zebra, their bond slowly turns in a more caring light from that point on, with Hope becoming very protective of them. Her nurturing nature also extends to non-lion creatures, as she was willing to take care of a 'cackler' (hyena) cub, Junior, despite hyenas being considered enemies by most lions.

Hopeful also shows a cheeky and affectionate side in her relationship with her mate, Storm, often acting flirtatiously around her, like nuzzling her and brushing her tail under her chin.

## History

She was born to Vicious and Jasper's first litter, along with her two other siblings who were stillborn. Jasper was willing to kill a newborn Hopeful for being born sickly and with a missing limb, but Vicious stopped him (though likely this was less out of compassion than a desire to avoid the 'failure' of having a litter with no surviving cubs). Clever, stating that it was the will of the Great King that Hopeful lived, said she had "the soul of a survivor."

A short while later, young cub Hope came across another cub named Storm, whom she became fast friends with. The two began meeting with each other to play once in a while, until Vicious confronted Storm and her mother, Tempest, and demanded they leave the territory.

## Trivia

* Name meaning:
	+ Hopeful: *"Feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event."*
* She is the sole survivor of her siblings, due to them being stillborn.
	+ If her siblings survived, they would've been named "Bashful" and "Defiant."
* Originally, Hope was going to have an injured leg, rather than one missing.
	+ This was changed due to the creators not wanting her disability to be a *"tragic life event that hung over her head,"* as well as to avoid further similarities with the YouTube animated series *"My Pride."*
* Hope's concept name(s) were "Fearless" and "Brave."
	+ Fearless was rejected due to it being the name of another lion protagonist in the book series, Bravelands.
* Hopeful has Barbary lion ancestry through Jasper.
* If Hopeful was...
	+ ...a Traveller, her name would be "Daylight."
	+ ...in Red Stone, her name would be "Iris."
	+ ...in Thundering Mountains, her name would be "Citrine."

## Gallery

Reference artwork for HopefulHopeful after receiving her face scarHopeful as an heirHopeful as a cubHopeful as a young cubHopeful (center) on the official banner for the comicHopeful, Adamant, and Quiet as cubsHopeful catches a babbler capable of speaking lionHopeful expression sheetStorm tending to Hopeful's face scratchHope and Storm as cubsHope making Storm laugh with a silly faceHopeful licking a lovestruck StormOld reference artwork of HopefulHopeful rubbing her face against a lying StormPride art of Storm and Hopeful embracingHope and Storm cuddling for Lesbian Visibility WeekDisability pride art featuring Daffodil, Tempest, Hope, Storm, Diamond, Amber, Aloe, Hyacinth, Bronze, Opal, and LilyConcept artwork of Hope with her non-canonical littermates: Bashful (left) and Defiant (right)Concept artwork of Storm and HopefulConcept artwork of Storm and HopefulConcept artwork of adult Hopeful and StormHopeful enamel pin (@TheOutli3r)
## References

1. ↑ https://ihopesocomic.tumblr.com/post/650349182363762688/as-of-the-most-recent-chapter-how-old-are-all-the
2. ↑ https://toyhou.se/8161178.hopeful
3. ↑ https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/789892141240549397/1041808044281053254/image.png
4. ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/ihopesocomic/652614664330575872/thank-you-for-replying-to-my-last-question-now?source=share
5. ↑ https://ihopesocomic.tumblr.com/post/664135335605911552/do-you-an-idea-of-what-hopes-siblings-may-have
6. ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/ihopesocomic/680347814619938816/how-did-you-choose-hopes-disability-and-why-did?source=share
7. ↑ File:JasperBrecciaJSrBarbary.png
8. ↑ https://ihopesocomic.tumblr.com/post/672418528997081088/chapter-14
9. ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/ihopesocomic/653372053843558400/heyy-love-this-comic-so-far-ive-seen-the-talk?source=share