Thistleclaw

Thistleclaw is a large, sleek, well-muscled, spiky-furred, unevenly mottled gray tom with a white face, large, wide, white shoulders, sharp amber eyes, yellow teeth, a broad muzzle, and a long, gray tail.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * Thistlepaw is first mentioned by Crookedjaw at a Gathering, where the RiverClan cat asks Poppydawn about how the younger cat is doing. Poppydawn mentions that her son is barred from the Gathering, as he is in trouble with Smallear. Windflight states that Sweetpaw and Rosepaw, Thistlepaw's sisters, stayed behind in camp to keep him company.


 * Thistleclaw is later seen as a warrior, training with Shredtail in the Place of No Stars, as Crookedjaw is racing through the Dark Forest in search of Mapleshade. He attempts a move that the two were training for once more, and is attacked by Shredtail as he thumps to the ground. He attacks back viciously, and is noted to have slash marks on his pelt as well as blood on his muzzle. He asks to try it again, and successfully completes the move. Thistleclaw declares that his time is coming, saying he'll be deputy before the next full moon. When Shredtail asks him if he knew Sunstar wouldn't pick Bluefur instead, he growls that Bluefur is weak and would be breaking her heart for moons.


 * Shredtail asks him if he was mourning Snowfur too, and he spits that Snowfur shouldn't have died, and it should have been Bluefur on the Thunderpath instead. Shredtail and Thistleclaw discuss his kit Whitekit, saying he is like his mother, that he has no fire in his belly. Thistleclaw suddenly says that he came there to train, not to talk.


 * He is seen later training with Silverhawk. He is seen by Crookedjaw when Silverhawk is teaching him to perform the killing bite. Thistleclaw mocks Silverhawk, and when his mentor challenges him to repeat it and Thistleclaw does, Silverhawk attacks him. Thistleclaw offers to teach Crookedjaw the killing bite. But when Crookedjaw declines, he is shocked, asking why he wouldn't want to learn such a powerful move.


 * He is seen at a Gathering afterwards, looking at Crookedjaw after he is announced as the new RiverClan deputy. He nods at Crookedjaw, as though thinking they were allies. Later, when Crookedstar is fighting with Oakheart about Silverkit, Crookedstar realizes with horror that he was about to use Thistleclaw's killing move that he learned in the Place of No Stars.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Thistlekit is born to Poppydawn and Windflight along with his sisters Rosekit and Sweetkit. He is named Thistlekit by Bluekit because of his spiky gray-and-white fur that sticks up all over the place, although Bluekit says it's softer than it looks.


 * Thistlekit is furious when Bluekit, now Bluepaw, and her sister Snowpaw become apprentices before he does, despite the fact that he is two moons younger than they are. Snowpaw offers to teach Thistlekit every battle move she learns, to which Thistlekit arrogantly replies that he is already a better fighter than she'd ever be, much to Bluepaw's shock. Bluepaw thinks that Thistlekit should respect the new apprentices.


 * He is spotted playing with his sisters in camp when Bluepaw and Snowpaw are being shown the forest. Thistlekit is seen complaining when Bluepaw is leaving to go to her first Gathering, annoyed once again that he is just as big as she is but she gets to go to a Gathering, and states that he should too. Windflight tells him he will be able to go when he's an apprentice and nudges him back towards the nursery.


 * He offers to go to the fresh-kill pile with Lionkit and is told to go play outside the nursery. His siblings are more worried about the weather, but Thistlekit agrees with his mother when she informs them a warrior isn't afraid of the weather and he tells his sisters that he'll make sure the wind doesn't blow them away. Thistlekit is once again seen, being spotted by Speckletail running towards the fresh-kill pile with his littermates. He is unable to see the vole that Goosefeather is talking about and is silenced by Speckletail. He is mentioned by Leopardpaw that he would be the most trouble for them in the battle, to keep him quiet.


 * The day before the battle with WindClan, Thistlekit uses his fresh-kill as a prop to show how he'd fight a WindClan cat. Poppydawn scolds him for abusing his fresh-kill. He is annoyed, telling her she just wants him to stay a kit forever and asks Pinestar if he can attend the battle. He is told no, but the Clan leader tells him that he is needed to watch the nursery. Thistlekit promises to keep it safe, and is delighted when Pinestar calmly agrees.


 * On the day of the battle, Thistlekit is seen with Lionkit, fluffing up his pelt to try to look bigger than him. Bluepaw sees him poking out of the nursery and disappearing inside. Thistlekit becomes an apprentice, Thistlepaw, with his sisters Sweetpaw and Rosepaw. His mentor is Adderfang. He starts to develop a small crush on Snowpaw. Snowpaw starts showing affection towards him, too.


 * He is put on a hunting patrol with Bluefur much to his and her dismay. When the hunting patrol's leader Bluefur is trying to catch prey, he yowls loudly asking if they were going to hunt at Snakerocks. His mentor, Adderfang scolds him. He is then put on watch duty while everyone else is hunting, calling out false alarms to make Bluefur's job as leading the patrol difficult. Finally he scents real danger of dogs in the forest. The cats escape unharmed but one of the dogs continues toward the camp. Thistlepaw attacks the dog alone. Pinestar is pleased with the young cat, and gives him his warrior name, Thistleclaw. At the end of the day, he curls up with Snowfur much to Bluefur's dislike.


 * Thistleclaw's sister Sweetpaw dies after eating a tainted dead mouse. Thistleclaw insists on burying her himself; Snowfur tells Bluefur that he is such a loyal brother, much to her sister's disgust. Thistleclaw starts spending more and more time with Snowfur, even telling her that he will someday be deputy and then leader. He is overjoyed to learn that she will be having his kits. Thistleclaw is sent away when Snowfur begins her kitting, being told by Featherwhisker to fetch her water. He is happy to return and see that Whitekit had been born, telling that Snowfur could name him whatever she wished.


 * Thistleclaw is devastated when Snowfur dies after being hit on the Thunderpath, blaming Bluefur for her death and yelling at her. However, Bluefur's father Stormtail tells him to leave and that it wasn't helping any cat. Shooting a last angry glance at Bluefur, he leaves. He threatens her to stop looking after Whitekit, or he'll make her. He is then seen pushing Whitekit to practice battle moves, but is stopped by Bluefur, who states that Whitekit is too young to be learning those moves. Thistleclaw is given Tigerpaw as his first apprentice. He is shown to be quite fierce with him, fighting with him harder than most mentors and apprentices. It is noted by Leopardfoot that Thistleclaw had to almost sit on Tigerpaw at a Gathering because he wanted to join in fighting amongst some other Clan's apprentices. Thistleclaw continues to call Bluefur soft as she is angry at him for letting Tigerpaw attack the kittypet kit called Tiny. When Bluefur threatens to tell Sunstar about the incident, he blames Tigerpaw by saying it was his problem. Then both Thistleclaw and Tigerpaw walk away while Bluefur  walks further behind. Thistleclaw attacks Oakheart and questions Bluefur's loyalty to her Clan when the tom is found on their side of the river. He asks her if she knew the RiverClan cat. He is then annoyed when she states that she only knows him from Gatherings and Oakheart escapes. Thistleclaw goes crazy by saying that they need to mark the Clan borders with their enemy's blood, much to Bluefur's horror.


 * As Thistleclaw watches Bluefur's deputy ceremony, his face is twisted with jealousy. When the Clan calls Bluefur's name, Thistleclaw is seen yowling at the sky so that their Clanmates think Thistleclaw is giving the new deputy his full support, but he's actually furious that Bluefur was chosen, and not him.


 * It is mentioned that Thistleclaw is furious when Bluestar, now Clan leader, chooses Redtail as her deputy instead of him. Many moons later, Thistleclaw is found dead in a pool of his own blood, just as Bluestar and Goosefeather saw in their vision. It is said that he died as he had lived - attacking a RiverClan patrol by himself, claws unsheathed, seeming somewhat hungry for battle and power.

Forest of Secrets

 * Thistleclaw is mentioned by Bluestar when she informs Fireheart about why she gave up her kits. He is described by her as being a fine, strong, and brave warrior, however, his answer to everything was fight. She also describes him as being arrogant and wild. Bluestar says that he would drown out the forest in blood if he became leader, and that she gave up her kits in order to keep Thistleclaw from becoming deputy, and then leader.

Night Whispers

 * Thistleclaw is one of the new cats to help train the forest cats in the Dark Forest. Ivypaw, a young ThunderClan apprentice, is introduced to him by Hawkfrost. Thistleclaw is in charge of the training session in the Dark Forest. In the training session, Ivypaw is knocked aside by a WindClan warrior, Antpelt. Thistleclaw tells Antpelt that he said they were supposed to work together and rips Antpelt's ear. When Sparrowfeather tries to drag Shredtail off the training rock, Thistleclaw accuses her of cheating and knocks her off her paws. Ivypaw is worried because Sparrowfeather isn't getting up when Ivypaw sees her twitch. Thistleclaw then tells her to get up and to not cheat this time.


 * He then appears when Ivypaw visits the Dark Forest again. When Ivypaw is about to wake up, Thistleclaw attacks her and she screeches for him to get off. He triumphantly tells her that begging doesn't work on the battlefield. Ivypaw manages to escape his grip and warns Thistleclaw that she won't be an apprentice forever. He then informs her later on that he once had an apprentice in the Dark Forest, but that she didn't pass her warrior assessment.

Sign of the Moon

 * Thistleclaw is seen supervising a training session between Antpelt and Ivypaw, who is now named Ivypool. He shouts at them to fight like warriors and unsheathe their claws. When Ivypool stumbles, Antpelt waits for her to get back up. Thistleclaw takes this as a sign of weakness and attacks the WindClan warrior, inflicting serious wounds to his back and throat. Ivypool begs Antpelt to wake up and when he disappears, Thistleclaw scolds Ivypool for defending him.


 * He taunts WindClan and describes them as cowardly and quick to run. When Ivypool asks to leave because she has no fighting partner, Thistleclaw attacks her. The two fight and eventually Ivypool emerges as the winner announced by Mapleshade, but Thistleclaw argues with Mapleshade as to why she has won. Mapleshade bluntly tells him to leave and he stalks away angrily.

The Forgotten Warrior

 * Thistleclaw is briefly seen training with Tigerheart in the Dark Forest.

The Last Hope

 * Thistleclaw is seen fighting in the battle versus the Dark Forest. He later fights Tigerheart before cornering Ivypool along with the help of Snowtuft. After fighting Ivypool he flees into the gorse.


 * He is later seen in the patrol that attacks ThunderClan. Once Brokenstar, murdered for a second time by Yellowfang, fades away, he calls the retreat signal.


 * He is later seen in combat with Boulderfur.

The Rise of Scourge

 * He is seen in a patrol lead by Bluefur and accompanied by Tigerpaw. While patrolling their territory, they run into a young kittypet named Tiny. Thistleclaw thinks he should be attacked and maybe killed for trespassing, but Bluefur defends him and says that he is only a kit. Thistleclaw says she was being soft on him because he was a kittypet. He then asks his apprentice, Tigerpaw, what he thought, and Tigerpaw says that he thinks Tiny should be taught a lesson. Thistleclaw asks his apprentice to attack; Tigerpaw does so, and almost kills Tiny, but Bluefur stops him. Thistleclaw is shown to be watching with a bored expression on his face. Tigerpaw attacks the small cat, swiping the bell off of Tiny's collar and almost tearing the collar off his neck. Afterward, Tiny blindly runs farther into the forest, tired and hurt.

Secrets of the Clans

 * The former ThunderClan leader, Owlstar, says that if Bluestar had stayed in the nursery with her three kits, Thistleclaw would have become deputy. Owlstar also asks other StarClan cats who would have wanted to see more cats joining StarClan because of the battles Thistleclaw would have started.

Cats of the Clans

 * When Rock talks about Bluestar, he mentions that she gave Mistystar, Stonefur, and Mosskit up so that she could become ThunderClan's deputy instead of Thistleclaw, who would have sliced through the forest until the paths ran red with blood.

Trivia

 * It was said by Vicky that she always imagined Thistleclaw as a dark brown tabby, though he was described as gray and white in Bluestar's Prophecy. Later though, he is accidentally described as a dark brown tabby.
 * Vicky says that Thistleclaw was originally in StarClan and gave Tigerstar one of his nine lives, but when Bluestar joined StarClan, "she must have chased Thistleclaw to the Dark Forest."
 * Thistleclaw has WindClan blood because his father, Windflight, is half WindClan.
 * He has been mistakenly described with green eyes.
 * In The Rise of Scourge, he is depicted as having darker legs and tail and only having a white muzzle and tail tip.
 * Thistleclaw is the first name Cherith came up with.

Members
Mate:
 * Snowfur:

Mother:
 * Poppydawn:

Father:
 * Windflight:

Sisters:
 * Rosetail:
 * Sweetpaw:

Son:
 * Whitestorm:

Grandsons:
 * Sootfur:
 * Rainwhisker:

Granddaughter:
 * Sorreltail:

Great-Grandsons:
 * Molepaw:

Great-Granddaughters:
 * Poppyfrost:
 * Cinderheart:
 * Honeyfern:
 * Lilykit:
 * Seedkit:

Great-Great-Grandsons:
 * Molepaw:

Great-Great-Granddaughters:
 * Cherrypaw:

Great-Great-Grandkits:
 * Unnamed Kits: