Crookedstar

Crookedstar is a huge, light brown, thick-furred, lean tabby tom with pale green eyes and a twisted jaw.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * In the beginning of the book, there is a flood, and Rainflower, a RiverClan queen, gives birth to two kits, Stormkit and Oakkit. They name them Oakkit and Stormkit because of the oak that protected them from the storm and because of the storm. Later, Stormkit is seen climbing a branch on a tree, and slips and falls into the water below, only to be saved by Tanglewhisker, one of the RiverClan elders. His mother is proud of him for being so brave.


 * Later on, he sneaks out to Sunningrocks with his brother, only to find Goosefeather, the ThunderClan medicine cat, picking herbs in their territory. After confronting him, Goosefeather is furious and chases them. Stormkit, while trying to flee, runs into the river and hits his jaw against a rock. He sees an orange-and-white she-cat, who tells him it is not his time to die. At this point it can be assumed Oakkit sees his brother and goes to get help. Brambleberry tells Stormkit his jaw is broken, and he has to stay with her in the medicine cat den. His mother Rainflower is horrified of his broken jaw, and thinks her son's good looks are ruined.


 * Soon later, Stormkit returns to the nursery to find Rainflower and Oakkit. Rainflower tells him he needs to sleep in the corner, apparently so he doesn't disturb Oakkit by moving around. Stormkit later listens in horror as his father, Shellheart, and his mother arguing. Rainflower plans to change Stormkit's name to Crookedkit because of his broken jaw. Shellheart defends Stormkit, and tells Rainflower he never knew she could be so cruel and that they are no longer mates. Stormkit feels bad and reacts by telling his parents that he will be renamed if they stay together. Rainflower goes to inform Hailstar about his name, and Hailstar holds a ceremony to rename Stormkit. Brambleberry assures him it won't be bad and tries to make him feel better by telling him she makes cats swallow herbs, and she should be called Swallowherb. Stormkit is renamed Crookedkit.


 * Crookedkit later watches Oakkit become an apprentice as well as the other kits, Beetlekit, Petalkit and Volekit. He congratulates his brother, though feels bad that he can't become an apprentice at six moons. Crookedkit tries to help the Clan, but they turn him down. Crookedkit receives news from Rainflower that she is moving into the warriors den and sharing a nest with Lakeshine, another warrior, thus leaving her kit in the nursery. Crookedkit panics and tries to win her back and make her impressed by climbing a tree, but Rainflower scolds him and tells him coldly not to show off.


 * That night, he decides to head to the Moonstone to find out why they could allow such cruelty to befall him. He makes it through WindClan territory before he falls asleep. He dreams of Mapleshade, a cat who he had seen before. She told him he had a great destiny. She told him she could be his mentor and give him anything he wanted if he promised her one thing: to be loyal to his Clan above anything else, even if that meant having to sacrifice someone he loved. Foolishly, he promised.


 * Throughout his whole life Mapleshade follows him and causes many deaths for those he loved. She constantly tries to harm Willowbreeze, because she was Crookedstar's mate. She succeeds in causing the deaths of Rainflower, Shellheart, and Hailstar. Crookedstar also blamed her for Bluefur having to give up her kits, because she was Oakheart's mate.


 * He became deputy and leader shortly after he became a warrior. He receives his nine lives from Hailstar, Duskwater, Troutclaw, Mossleaf, Lilyflower, Lightningpaw, Brightsky, Sparrowfeather, and Shellheart. He "wakes up" and sees not the Moonstone, but the Dark Forest. Mapleshade felt he should thank her for all that she did, but Crookedstar is angry at her for causing so many deaths and so much pain.


 * In the end, he is devastated when Willowbreeze, Willowkit, and Minnowkit die, but Silverkit lives. At first, he tries avoiding her, because he doesn't want her to die like everyone else he loved, but Oakheart persuades him to be more fatherly towards her.


 * In the manga at the end of the story, he is worried about Silverstream because she was acting strange lately. He worries not because she is his daughter, as she thinks, but because she is the last cat he loved who hasn't yet died. He was expecting it when he dreams one night of Silverstream walking into the forest in StarClan. He knew she would live on in her kits, then Featherpaw and Stormpaw. He passes away shortly afterwards, welcomed to StarClan by his family and friends. One cat, Willowbreeze walks up to him and greets him.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Crookedpaw makes his first appearance as a new apprentice at a Gathering. He starts talking with Bluepaw, a ThunderClan apprentice, and tells her that he started his apprenticeship late because he had been sick when he was a kit. He jokes with her that his warrior name will have to be Crookedjaw, because of his crooked jaw, unless something were to happen to his tail. After being told by others to be quiet one time after another, Crookedpaw points out his brother Oakheart to Bluepaw when the RiverClan leader, Hailstar, announces him as a new warrior. Crookedpaw goes on to say that when his brother becomes leader, Oakheart promised to make him deputy.


 * A few days later, when RiverClan is trying to take over Sunningrocks, Crookedpaw and Bluepaw meet in battle. He doesn't hesitate one moment before attacking her, unlike Bluepaw, even though they were friendly towards each other at the Gathering. He tells her that she should expect no mercy from him. He is close to beating her, when Snowpaw, Bluepaw's sister, comes over to help her. Together they fight off Crookedpaw until he is forced to retreat.


 * At the next Gathering, Crookedpaw is once again friendly towards Bluefur, acting as if the fight never happened. Bluefur tells him that she is even better at fighting now that she has become a warrior. Excited, he tells her that he is a warrior now, and Bluefur guesses that his name is now Crookedjaw. He purrs with amusement and asks how ever could she have guessed. She points out that nothing happened to his tail, referring to his old joke.


 * Many moons later, Crookedjaw is made RiverClan deputy, and is forced to give up his friendship with Bluefur. He is head of the patrol that finds ThunderClan waiting to be taken to the RiverClan camp so that they may speak to Hailstar. Still seeming suspicious of them, his patrol escorts them to RiverClan's camp.


 * A while later, Crookedjaw becomes RiverClan's leader after Hailstar loses his ninth life to a rat bite. He makes Timberfur his deputy, although he makes good on his promise and asks Oakheart to be his deputy first. However, Oakheart declines, saying that he has not yet earned the position of deputy. At some point, after Timberfur dies or retires, Crookedstar must have asked Oakheart to be his deputy once again, because Oakheart is his deputy in Into the Wild.

Into the Wild

 * Crookedstar is first seen at a Gathering when Graypaw points him out to Firepaw. At this Gathering, when Brokenstar asks if he can have hunting rights in other Clan's territories, he is the first leader to allow Brokenstar to have hunting rights in the river. He is most likely afraid that if he refuses, Brokenstar and his Clan will drive him and RiverClan out of the forest, like they had done with WindClan, although he does show some resignation with agreeing.


 * The cats of RiverClan are horrified and humiliated, because Crookedstar did not consult with them before making this decision. He claims it is for the good of the Clan, and that he thinks it is better to share the plentiful fish in the river than to spill blood over it.


 * He thinks it is the best thing for all the Clans to do, but for all of his justifying, his Clan is still outraged.

Fire and Ice

 * At a Gathering, Nightpelt demands that Crookedstar allow ShadowClan to still hunt in their river. Crookedstar angers ShadowClan by saying that he will no longer allow them to hunt in his territory, and only when Bluestar intervenes is peace restored. Crookedstar and Nightstar plan to hunt on WindClan territory since they had been driven out.


 * But Bluestar provokes Crookedstar and Nightstar by saying that WindClan must return. Crookedstar does not want this, since Twoleg activity along the river means his cats cannot fish, plus, his Clan had begun hunting in WindClan's territory to survive.


 * Bluestar eventually convinces the other leaders that WindClan must return since there have always been four Clans in the forest.


 * Crookedstar's only daughter, Silverstream, begins meeting secretly with Graystripe of ThunderClan, and he knows nothing of it, except that a single ThunderClan warrior has been repeatedly scented on his territory.


 * At another Gathering, Bluestar angrily accuses Crookedstar of hunting at Sunningrocks. Crookedstar is first panic-stricken, but retaliates by mentioning Whiteclaw's death once more. Crookedstar even claims that he has scented a ThunderClan cat spying on RiverClan. Bluestar is shocked at this, but Fireheart knows that the warrior is Graystripe.


 * When WindClan returns, he forms an alliance with ShadowClan and attempts to drive WindClan out once more, since he still wants their territory to hunt in. When ThunderClan arrives to help WindClan, Crookedstar battles with Tigerclaw, finally retreating when the dark warrior gives him a near fatal bite to the spine.

Forest of Secrets

 * Crookedstar is first seen at a Gathering, and he behaves aggressively towards WindClan, showing he still does not want them in the forest, but after Bluestar calms the other leaders down, he seems to accepts their presence and the fact that they belong in the forest with the other Clans.


 * When leaf-bare gives way to newleaf, the river floods because of melting ice, forcing Crookedstar and his Clan to evacuate their camp. After Graystripe and Fireheart save two of Mistyfoot's kits from drowning, Leopardfur brings them to Crookedstar to let him decide what to make of their story of saving the kits, or trying to decide if they were stealing the kits. Crookedstar decides that Fireheart and Graystripe's story made sense, and he is forced to thank them grudgingly, and reluctantly accepts their offer to bring RiverClan prey until the flood has gone down after Graypool convinces him to let them help.


 * He is later seen at the Gathering when Nightstar announces that ThunderClan has been sheltering Brokentail. He and his Clan are the calmest, because of all the Clans, RiverClan has the least history with Brokentail. After the argument about Brokentail is over, Crookedstar takes his turn to speak and reports about the damages done to the RiverClan camp after the floods. When the Gathering is over, he offers ThunderClan a way home after Nightstar refuses to let them return through ShadowClan territory. He is shown to be grateful to Fireheart and Graystripe for helping RiverClan, and says that in hard times all cats should help each other.


 * He is said to have an unusually strong bond with his kit, so when Silverstream dies, he is stricken with grief for his daughter, until he hears her kits survived. He sends his deputy, Leopardfur to retrieve them from ThunderClan, and Graystripe, their father, ends up going with them to RiverClan.

Rising Storm

 * During a fire in ThunderClan's territory, Crookedstar allows ThunderClan to stay in RiverClan territory until the fire is gone.


 * Crookedstar is seen at a Gathering sitting silently with Stonefur. He calls the Gathering together and gives Bluestar the rights to speak first. It was mentioned that he and his Clan must be happy with ThunderClan because they helped RiverClan survive the floods, and gave Graystripe's kits over without a fight. It was also mentioned that he was extremely fond of his grand-kit, Featherkit because she reminds him of Silverstream.


 * When ThunderClan is driven out of their own territory because of a fire in their camp, Crookedstar comments Leopardfur for showing mercy on the ThunderClan cats, and he lets them stay and recover in RiverClan's camp until the fire has gone out, as he decides that they are no threat, and he can possibly be returning the debt he owes Fireheart and Graystripe for giving RiverClan prey during the flood. Although his first concern is for his Clan, Crookedstar seems willing enough to help ThunderClan.


 * He allows Graystripe to accompany Fireheart back to ThunderClan camp to look for Yellowfang and Halftail, knowing that if they had died, Fireheart would need the comfort of an old friend. Crookedstar accepts Bluestar's gratitude and debt for the help he and his Clan gave to ThunderClan, although it's not mentioned if he planned to use it quite like his deputy.


 * He is also shown to be growing weaker and looking older than before.


 * Crookedstar is last seen at the last Gathering, demanding to known who ShadowClan's new leader is.

A Dangerous Path

 * Crookedstar is first seen at a Gathering, greeting Tigerstar as the new leader of ShadowClan. Crookedstar is impatient to start the Gathering, complaining that the Clans are wasting moonlight. He starts the Gathering, and gives Tigerstar the permission to speak first. When it is Crookedstar's turn, he announces about new apprentices and warriors, and news of more Twolegs by the river. Fireheart remarks that Crookedstar looks much frailer and older than he ever had before, most likely due to the recent stress for his Clan. His deputy, Leopardfur, begins taking charge of more things in RiverClan that the leader should be doing. Crookedstar is also looking very tired.


 * He is later visited by Tigerstar at the RiverClan camp. Graystripe announces to Fireheart that Crookedstar had lost his last life. At the next Gathering, Leopardfur also mentions that Crookedstar has lost his last life due to greencough, and that she is the new leader of RiverClan, Leopardstar. Leopardstar chooses Stonefur as her deputy.

Midnight

 * He appears very briefly in the prologue, when StarClan is choosing cats to journey to the sun-drown-place to find the badger Midnight. When Oakheart asks for permission to choose the representative for RiverClan, Crookedstar gives his permission to Oakheart. Oakheart chooses Feathertail, and Crookedstar approves of his choice.

Starlight

 * Crookedstar appears very briefly when StarClan has reached the new territory and are at the Moonpool. When Nightstar mentions a warrior hungry for power in RiverClan that is not deserved, Crookedstar is furious, and leaps to the defense of that warrior, who is later revealed to be Hawkfrost.
 * He is seemed to be extremely agitated by Nightstar, since he had accused a RiverClan warrior of trying to grab undeserved power. Once Nightstar rephrases his comment, Crookedstar asks Nightstar if he would have all the RiverClan warriors timid as mice.

Twilight

 * He appears very briefly in this book among the cats of StarClan telling Cinderpelt that her death is approaching. He tells her that she will be honored by all the Clans when ever the story of the Great Journey is told. He joins the other leaders in grieving over her death.

Sign of the Moon

 * Crookedstar is seen in StarClan catching a fish. Yellowfang compliments him on his catch, and he offers to share it with her. However, she declines, telling him that she might later.

Cats of the Clans

 * It is revealed that when he was a kit, RiverClan had control over Sunningrocks and would go on the rocks just to antagonize ThunderClan cats. When he and his littermates were playing on the rocks too roughly, it resulted in him falling and breaking his jaw, which gave him his name, Crookedjaw. He had to work harder than any other RiverClan cat to earn respect, because in RiverClan, weakness was not welcome.


 * It is also mentioned that he knew of Bluestar and Oakheart's hidden affair, but allowed it because it would give Bluestar a weakness when launching an attack on RiverClan in the future. He was not as willing to let Graystripe into his Clan. Crookedstar and RiverClan had no place for a warrior with divided loyalties. He did nothing to stop his Clan from tormenting his daughter's former mate.


 * He is said to have been the wisest RiverClan leader ever to have lived in the forest. He wanted a united Clan, not one that argued with each other.

Secrets of the Clans

 * He is seen in the story Flood!, told by Silverstream. When Silverstream tells him that the river has risen, he gruffly replies that it may lower soon. Later, when he and his Clan cross the river to safety because of the flood, he thinks that he and his Clan are no more powerful against the river than any other Clan, and realizes that everything that makes them RiverClan has been taken away from them. When he listens to Graystripe and Fireheart explaining how they had found the kits, he knows that this finding-of-the-kits episode must be a sign from StarClan, saying that he should not refuse help from other Clans, especially when RiverClan really needs it.

Trivia

 * He has been described with amber eyes.
 * He has also been described as a stocky gray tabby.
 * His mother has been mistakenly listed as Lilystem. This was changed to prevent an inconsistency in a scene in the book.
 * In Crookedstar's Promise, he was mistakenly called Crookedpaw before becoming an apprentice.
 * In Crookedstar's Promise, he was called Crookedstar before getting his leader name.
 * In Crookedstar's Promise, he was mistakenly called Crookedpaw when already named Crookedjaw, though this might be just a typo.
 * In Secrets of the Clans, Graypool was said to be Crookedstar's apprentice. This was false, for Graypool's mentors were Brightsky and Piketooth.

Quotes
"No Mapleshade, you are wrong. I still have a Clan that I love, and am proud to lead, and now... now everything is precious to me here, in StarClan. My family is waiting here for me, when my ninth life has passed." - Crookedstar to Mapleshade, Crookedstar's Promise, Manga

Members
Mate:
 * Willowbreeze: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Daughters:
 * Silverstream: Deceased, Verified StarClan member
 * Minnowkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member
 * Willowkit: Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Father:
 * Shellheart: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Mother:
 * Rainflower: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Brother:
 * Oakheart: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Grandson:
 * Stormfur:

Granddaughter:
 * Feathertail: Deceased, Verified StarClan and Tribe of Endless Hunting member

Great-Grandson:
 * Pine That Clings to Rock:

Great-Granddaughter:
 * Lark That Sings at Dawn:

Nieces:
 * Mistystar:
 * Mosskit: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Nephews:
 * Stonefur: Deceased, Verified StarClan member

Great-Nephews and Great-Nieces:
 * Reedwhisker:
 * Three Unidentified Kits: Status Unknown