Blackclaw

Blackclaw is a broad-shouldered, muscular, and long-legged, smoky black tom with a long tail.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * Blackkit is born to Shimmerpelt and Piketooth, along with his sister, Skykit. He makes an brief appearance hiding under Crookedjaw's belly in an attempt to hide from the search party that consisted of his littermate, Skykit, and his denmates, Reedkit, Loudkit, and Sedgekit. They see Blackkit, and leap on him in triumph.


 * A couple moons later, Blackkit is apprenticed with Skykit, taking the names of Blackpaw and Skypaw. Blackpaw's mentor is the Clan leader, Hailstar.


 * Moons later, he earns his warrior name, Blackclaw, with Skypaw, who becomes Skyheart. He comes with the battle patrol to help the other patrol to defeat the rats. His mentor, Hailstar, dies in the battle with rats.

Fire and Ice

 * Blackclaw is seen at a Gathering as a young warrior. He is seen with Wetfoot, who introduces him to Fireheart. He scornfully tells Fireheart who Leopardfur is.


 * Later, when Fireheart and Graystripe are looking for WindClan, they see Blackclaw and some other RiverClan warriors hunting rabbits in WindClan territory. Fireheart remarks that they aren't very good at it. Fireheart and Graystripe hide from the RiverClan cats in a bager set. When Blackclaw's hunting patrol is considering going into the badger set in search of a rabbit, Blackclaw tells them not to, saying that the scent of the rabbit they are chasing led away from the set, and the two ThunderClan cats go undetected.


 * Blackclaw is also seen fighting with Dustpelt during the battle when ThunderClan goes to help WindClan against an attack by ShadowClan and RiverClan. It is noted that it looked like Dustpelt needed no help to fight Blackclaw.

Forest of Secrets

 * Blackclaw is first seen on a patrol with Silverstream and a younger cat whom Fireheart guesses to be Blackclaw's apprentice, Heavypaw.


 * Blackclaw is later seen on a nearby patrol when Fireheart and Graystripe rescue Mistyfoot's missing kits, and he demands rudely to know why the two ThunderClan warriors are trespassing on RiverClan territory. Even after he realizes that they rescued Mistyfoot's kits, Blackclaw remains very aggressive towards the two young ThunderClan warriors, but is told off by Leopardfur. It is noted that Blackclaw takes one of the kits and stalks threateningly alongside Fireheart and Graystripe. When the ThunderClan warriors are brought to confront Crookedstar, Blackclaw claims he doesn't believe them, and argues against Fireheart and Graystripe. He is eventually reprimanded by Crookedstar. When Silverstream observes that the ThunderClan warriors' story makes sense, Blackclaw turns his back with a snort of disgust and walks away.


 * When ThunderClan is attacked by rogues led by Tigerclaw, Blackclaw is among the RiverClan warriors that help drive them away. Later, after Silverstream's kits are born, Blackclaw, Leopardfur, Mistyfoot, and Stonefur return to ThunderClan, and demand that they are given to RiverClan, arguing that kits belong in their mother's Clan. When they win the argument fairly easily, he and Leopardfur seem suspicious of their easy victory.

A Dangerous Path

 * Blackclaw appears in the battle at Sunningrocks, fighting with Fireheart. Fireheart seems to be having difficulty until Cloudpaw comes to his aid, clinging to Blackclaw's back and pulling him off of Fireheart. It is also noted at the end of the battle that Blackclaw is at the head of the patrol returning to RiverClan territory.

The Darkest Hour

 * Blackclaw makes a brief appearance fighting off the BloodClan cats along with the rest of the newly formed temporary Clan, LionClan.

Midnight

 * At a Gathering, Leopardstar announces that Blackclaw and Stormfur killed some rats that were in RiverClan territory. He also protests when Tallstar asks Leopardstar to let them drink water from RiverClan, saying that WindClan would take their prey. He is then countered by Mistyfoot.

Starlight

 * Blackclaw is mistakenly mentioned as a WindClan cat in this book. Blackclaw is also accidentally mistakened for Blackstar on a later page.


 * Blackclaw is seen congratulating Hawkfrost after he explores the island and pronounces it a good camp for RiverClan. It is obvious that the two warriors are good friends. It is mentioned that he and Hawkfrost drove out a badger that was in RiverClan territory.


 * Blackclaw, along with many others, joins the rebellion against Onewhisker. He appears to be a strong supporter of Hawkfrost, and in this and following books, he is often seen with him.

Twilight

 * Blackclaw has a new apprentice, Beechpaw.


 * Blackclaw and Hawkfrost start to spread rumors behind Mistyfoot's back, saying she is not a proper deputy, and that Hawkfrost should be deputy instead. When a pool of Twoleg liquid is making the cats of RiverClan sick, Blackclaw helps Hawkfrost build a barrier around the pool, to keep cats and prey from being contaminated, and agrees when Hawkfrost comments that if patrols had been organized properly, they would have caught the threat.

Sunset

 * Blackclaw is first seen at the Gathering, defending Hawkfrost when he almost starts a fight about RiverClan needing more territory.


 * Blackclaw is one of the many cats that don't wish for Brook to reside in RiverClan, and when Hawkfrost points out that she had chased a squirrel over the ShadowClan border, he demands she be exiled. He quarrels with Stormfur, Brook, and Hawkfrost for a few moments and shortly after this, he is told to break up a fight between Hawkfrost and Stormfur. He pulls Stormfur away more roughly than is necessary, and claws the gray warrior's nose.

The Sight

 * His apprentice, Beechpaw, is appointed a new warrior and receives his name, Beechfur.

Dark River

 * Blackclaw is in charge of overseeing the fortification of the RiverClan camp, in order to make it inaccessible to Twoleg kits. He has the idea to build a dam to make the river wider, and thus less accessible to the Twoleg kits.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * Blackclaw is shown to have retired to the elder's den sometime during the six moon time skip between Sunrise and The Fourth Apprentice. He is seen at a Gathering, yelling at Mistyfoot that it isn't her decision to send cats with the patrol.

Fading Echoes

 * Blackclaw does not formally appear, but is mentioned once. Mistystar tells Firestar that Blackclaw, Voletooth and Dawnflower all die from hunger and thirst as a result of the drought.

Battles of the Clans

 * Blackclaw leads a patrol consisting of Dawnflower, Reedwhisker and Pouncetail through ThunderClan territory during the great battle, when RiverClan and WindClan are fighting against ThunderClan. Blackclaw knows a perfect place for an ambush, as he had been in the territory previously with Mothwing, and leads the patrol to an abandoned Twoleg nest. When he hears noises inside, he directs them to attack.


 * Three ShadowClan cats are inside, and the patrol quickly sends them retreating. The patrol then finds the ShadowClan warrior Spiderfoot hiding, too afraid to help his Clanmates. Pouncetail directs Spiderfoot to walk up a sloping plank of wood, and Blackclaw thinks he's going to push him off, and compliments him on the idea. When Pouncetail lets the warrior go, Blackclaw angrily tells him he missed a chance to show ShadowClan the strength of RiverClan cats, and Reedwhisker replies that there would be no honor in that.

Ultimate Leader Election: Firestar

 * Blackclaw is seen only once, fighting against Tornear.

Return to the Clans

 * Blackclaw is seen on the RiverClan patrol that confronts Sasha and her kits, Hawk and Moth, when they are crossing the river. When Sasha asks to join the Clan, Blackclaw disagrees and predicts that they will drain their resources.


 * He is later seen training and hunting with Hawkpaw and Mothpaw.

Trivia

 * He has been described as dark gray.
 * He was mistakenly referred to as Blackstar in Starlight.

Members
Father:
 * Piketooth: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Mother:
 * Shimmerpelt: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Sister:
 * Skyheart: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member