Top five Ashfur moments
BY THE EDITOR
In the beginning, this ThunderClan warrior seemed as loyal and true-hearted as any other. But when Squirrelflight’s feelings led her back to Brambleclaw’s side, his love for the fiery she-cat turned to obsession, and he allowed jealousy and rage to consume him until nothing remained by the desire to wholly possess – or destroy – the she-cat who had rejected him. In this article, we’ll be looking at all the best, cruelest, most impressive, and most terrifying moments in Ashfur’s life of hunting for revenge and love.
5 – Avenging his mother
While most of the moments we’ll be looking at on this list showcase Ashfur’s cruelest tendencies, this scene from his youth shows a more honorable side to his character. After Tigerstar killed their mother to give the pack a taste for cat, Ashpaw and Fernpaw insisted on being part of the patrol that would lead the pack away from camp and towards the gorge. This determination to avenge a loved one, while remaining focused on the protection of the whole Clan rather than just taking revenge for its own sake, shows a certain nobility of character. Ashfur had all that he needed to be a truly honorable warrior – but he chose his obsession and entitlement to Squirrelflight’s love instead, and allowed it to turn him into a monster. That above all else truly highlights the tragedy of this scene, and helps it earn its spot on our list.
4 – Their eyes through his
A particularly creepy moment showcasing Ashfur’s twisted use of his powers as a spirit comes from this scene towards the end of Darkness Within. As Ashfur attempts to manipulate Shadowsight into setting him free, he convinces him by showing him the spirits he has trapped within his power by apparently allowing the spirits to assume brief control of Bramblestar’s body. First Spiresight, then Bramblestar, with Spiresight’s spirit turning the eyes of Bramblestar’s body from amber to yellow and his body becoming hunched in terror, and Bramblestar’s spirit giving his body the noble bearing it had held when its true owner had occupied it. The horror of seeing Bramblestar’s battered and beaten body contorted in so many ways, seeing Spiresight’s terror and his eyes glowing unnaturally from Bramblestar’s face, and the uncertainty of whether what he was seeing was the truth, all left Shadowsight floundering in fear and uncertainty of which was the right path to take.
3 – False skin shed
What’s creepier than seeing a cat’s body twisted this way and that as a host of false spirits are shoved into it? Seeing that body slither lifeless to the ground, discarded like the shed skin of a snake, while the false spirit who wore it stands before the cat he tried to kill with malice in his eyes. The scene begins with Shadowsight’s between-life-and-death spirit stealing invisibly into ThunderClan camp in the hopes of finding proof that the false Bramblestar had been his attacker. After he followed the false leader into his den, he was shocked and terrified when “Bramblestar” suddenly turned and stared right at him and began speaking directly to him. The evil spirit shed Bramblestar’s skin and left it lying carelessly on the floor as he began to warn Shadowsight not to pry too far into his plans – or else. The chiling nature of this scene certainly earns it this spot on our list!
2 – Agony of the spirits
As creepy as the previous two scenes were, by far the most horrifying moment during Ashfur’s time as the impostor is the Sister’s summoning of all the ghosts from around the lake. The Clans had been hoping to find out whether the true Bramblestar’s spirit was still beside the lake, but what they found instead was the spirits of all of the cats who had died since StarClan had been cut off, and far more besides. Their eyes were black as holes, their bodies contorted in agony, wordless wails of anguish ripping from their throats. Rootspring and the Sisters could only look on in horror as the spirits writhed in unimaginable pain, twisted into something that wanted to bring harm to their living Clanmates. And through all of the chaos and agony around him, stood a single spirit watching the torment of the ghosts with cold pleasure – Ashfur. His cold delight through the cruelty of the spirits’ agony makes for a scene so horrifying, it can only be beaten out by one other.
1 – The fire scene
Not only is this Ashfur’s best moment, but also one of the most famous moments in all of Warriors. A dramatic escape from a burning camp. A villain unveiled, our three heroes held hostage among the flames, and a confrontation as searing as the fire surrounding them. Iconic lines like “You have no idea how much pain I’m in. It’s like being cut open every day, bleeding onto the stones. I can’t understand how any of you failed to see the blood…” And then – a confession, a reveal so big that it shattered the foundations of everything our protagonists knew. And for Ashfur, while he chose to let the Three leave alive, he left the encounter with an even greater way to bring harm to the she-cat he loved and hated in equal measures. His parting shot to Squirrelflight of “Your suffering has only just begun” would prove truer than any cat could ever imagine as, seasons later, Ashfur would go on to bring suffering and torment to the Clans like no cat had ever managed before. But this moment, this intimate confrontation among the flames that turned everything upside down, remains Ashfur’s greatest moment.
