Brightflower

"This was my last litter. I'd thought that once they were out of the nursery, I'd become an elder. Join you in your camp. I know I'm no elder yet, but...Nightpelt, I just can't face being in the ShadowClan camp without my kits."

— Brightflower to Nightpelt about the death of her kits in Exile from ShadowClan, page 124

Brightflower
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	StarClan
Past:	ShadowClan
Names
Kit:	Unknown
Warrior:	Brightflower
Queen:	Brightflower
StarClan resident:	Brightflower
Kin
Mother:	Silverflame
Siblings:	Three unnamed kits
Mate:	Brackenfoot
Daughters:	Yellowfang, Rowanberry, Marigoldkit
Sons:	Nutwhisker, Mintkit
Education
Apprentice:	Wolfstep
Book appearances
Living	Tallstar's Revenge, Yellowfang's Secret, Exile from ShadowClan, Into the Wild
Living	Tallstar's Revenge, Yellowfang's Secret, Exile from ShadowClan, Into the Wild
Dead	The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition
Dead	The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition

Brightflower is an orange tabby she-cat with a broad, flat face, a snub nose, wide-set amber eyes, and traces of gray around her muzzle.

Brightflower was a ShadowClan warrior under Cedarstar's, Raggedstar's, Brokenstar's, and Nightstar's leaderships in the forest territories. Her mother was Silverflame, and she was mates with Brackenfoot. She and Brackenfoot had two litters of kits; Yellowkit, Rowankit, and Nutkit in the first litter, and Marigoldkit and Mintkit in the second litter. Brightflower also mentored Wolfstep. During Brokenstar's tyranny, Brightflower's newest litter of kits, Marigoldkit and Mintkit, were found dead outside of the ShadowClan camp by Yellowfang. Brokenstar convinced the Clan that Yellowfang killed them, and Brightflower, enraged with grief, believed him. Following her death, Brightflower went to StarClan.

History

In The Prophecies Begin arc

Into the Wild

"There was nothing I could do. When their mother came to see them, Brokenstar was with me. He said that he had found me standing over their dead bodies."

―Yellowfang about Brightflower's kits ^{Into the Wild, page 249}

Brightflower is mentioned, but not by name, when Yellowfang is talking to Firepaw. She is the mother of two ShadowClan apprentices who are only four moons old. Brokenstar pushes them too hard and they are killed in one of his brutal training sessions. He drags the two kits back into camp and gives them to Yellowfang so that they can be prepared for their vigil. When Brightflower shows up later, Brokenstar lies and says that he found Yellowfang standing over their dead bodies. Later, when ThunderClan attacks the ShadowClan camp, Brokenstar says to Brightflower that he has killed the kits, not Yellowfang.

In the Super Editions

Yellowfang's Secret

"Be brave, little one. We have to accept that it's time for her to walk with StarClan."

―Brightflower to Yellowpaw when Silverflame is dying ^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 53}

Brightflower is the mate of Brackenfoot, and the mother of Yellowkit, Rowankit, and Nutkit, and her mother is Silverflame. When Brightflower's three kits are preparing to defend themselves from Raggedkit and Scorchkit, Nutkit calls them kittypets. She tells them that since they can't play sensibly, they were to come back to the nursery.

She shares a vole with her mate, Brackenfoot, while keeping an eye on her kits. Seeing that her mother is watching, Yellowkit pretends to be the mother of Nutkit and Rowankit. Brightflower amusingly tells Yellowkit that she will make a great queen. She supports Yellowkit when she wants to become a warrior. She ushers her kits during Raggedkit and Scorchkit's apprentice ceremonies. She tells her kits to hush, and later hisses at Yellowkit when she gets a thorn in her paw. When Yellowkit interrupts the meeting with her squirming, Brightflower snaps and checks Yellowkit's paw only to find nothing there.

That night, Brightflower tells Yellowkit to stop squirming so she could sleep. When Nutkit gets a bellyache from eating crowfood, she angrily takes him to the medicine den. Yellowkit asks if she can come too, since her stomach is hurting as well, and Brightflower queries if she had eaten the bad food. Brightflower fetches Sagewhisker who gives both kits yarrow to induce vomiting. She gives her kits comforting licks as they vomit. When Yellowkit denies ever touching the prey, Brightflower accuses her daughter of being a liar, and Yellowkit is hurt by this.

During the kits' first snowfall, Brightflower explains to her kits what snow is. After Yellowkit returns from the elders' den, Brightflower hurriedly ushers Yellowkit towards the Clanrock where Nutkit and Rowankit were already well-groomed. She fiercely licks her kit clean for her apprentice ceremony. She and Brackenfoot are seen standing side by side with pride in their eyes.

As Yellowpaw returns from her tour of the territory with Deerleap, she goes to check on Silverflame, and sees Brightflower emerging from the elders' den. She tells her daughter that she is growing weaker and that it is her time to walk with StarClan. She tells Yellowpaw that she can visit, but she must stay quiet. She waits outside the den, gently telling Yellowpaw to go for a walk with Littlebird after Silverflame has died.

As new-leaf approaches, Brightflower accompanies her apprentice, Foxpaw, during a training exercise, giving Yellowpaw an inquiring look as she hisses at Foxpaw and Wolfpaw for crushing the stems of a herb. Foxpaw soon detects the scent of WindClan on ShadowClan territory, and Brightflower is the one to track the pawprints of the WindClan cats. It is noted she has a keen sense of smell. Her confirmation of the rival Clan's scent leads to her kits' first time in battle as apprentices, something they are very excited for.

She is present at Yellowpaw's second Gathering, telling her daughter that she will be fine. While Yellowpaw is asking Brackenfoot who the RiverClan cats are, Brightflower adds that they look plump and shiny because they eat fish from the river. She is assigned to Cedarstar's patrol by Stonetooth, to go hunt rats at Carrionplace. She follows Cedarstar in squeezing under the fence with Rowanpaw and congratulates Yellowpaw when they return to the camp, Yellowpaw having caught the biggest rat. She and Brackenfoot tell her that she had made them so proud.

She has her tail entwined with Brackenfoot's as they look proudly at their kits, now warriors with the names of Yellowfang, Rowanberry, and Nutwhisker.

She asks her daughter if she is badly hurt when she storms out of Sagewhisker's den after the battle with kittypets and rogues. Though Yellowfang mutters to her that Sagewhisker fixed everything, Brightflower tells her that she needs to rest, and looks shocked when Yellowfang snaps that she is fine. She, Lizardfang, Littlebird, and Sagewhisker sit together for Red's and Boulder's apprentice ceremonies.

Featherstorm and Brightflower are sitting outside the warriors' den when Yellowfang returns with an injured Raggedpelt. She races to the medicine den when Yellowfang tells her that Raggedpelt was attacked by a badger, calling for Sagewhisker. Later, Brightflower emerges from the warriors' den asking if Yellowfang was okay. After Yellowfang snaps at her, Brightflower explains that Raggedpelt was asking for her. She and Poolcloud share a pigeon watching Nutwhisker demonstrate a battle move to Wolfpaw and Rowanberry. When Foxpaw informs Yellowfang that she passed her assessment that morning, Brightflower tells Poolcloud how well her kits were doing in their training. During Foxpaw and Wolfpaw's warrior ceremony, both she and Blizzardwing affirm their apprentices' readiness to be warriors to Cedarstar.

After a battle with a WindClan patrol, Brightflower rushes over to Yellowfang and supports her to Sagewhisker. Sagewhisker tells Brightflower to assess Amberleaf's wounds instead. At Yellowfang's medicine cat ceremony, Brightflower looks happy and proud of her kit, telling Yellowfang how much it was an honor to become the next medicine cat.

During the battle with the rats, Nutwhisker and Rowanberry drag a rat off their mother's shoulders. Brightflower helps usher the Clan deputy, Stonetooth, away from the battle site. During Yellowfang's diligent vigil over the ill Cloudpaw, Brightflower fetches a vole for her daughter and orders her to eat every morsel.

When Sagewhisker dies, Brightflower comforts her daughter by resting her tail over shoulders, saying that the former medicine cat served her Clan well. When Raggedstar appoints Foxheart as his deputy, Brightflower exclaims that she knew something was going on between the two. Brightflower and Brackenfoot emerged from the warriors' den with Amberleaf, Blizzardwing, and Frogtail for Brokenpaw's warrior ceremony.

After Brokenkit's birth, Brightflower frets over Yellowfang's tiredness. She explains to Yellowfang how she had noticed Nutwhisker spending time with Fernpaw, and hopes that he will settle down and have a family with her soon. When Lizardstripe's kits open their eyes, Brightflower reports to Yellowfang the good news as the four kits take their first steps outside.

After the death of Mosspaw and the banishment of Featherstorm, Brightflower excitedly tells Yellowfang that she is expecting kits again, much to Yellowfang's remorse. Later, Brightflower gives birth to Mintkit and Marigoldkit. As her new kits suckle, Brightflower tells Yellowfang that she would have made a great mother. Brightflower informs Yellowfang how strong her new kits are. She mentions to Yellowfang that she will be joining the elders soon, and she misses having them around. When Yellowfang comments that her mother was not that old, Brightflower gently reminds her that no one survives forever.

Brightflower wakes up Yellowfang explaining that her kits were missing. Yellowfang helps her mother search the camp. After following Clawface's suggestion that the kits might have left camp, the two she-cats encounter Blackfoot's patrol who has not seen them either. Brightflower wails in terror for her lost kits. After returning to camp with Russetfur, Yellowfang finds them, but not before they have been gruesomely slain; Yellowfang realizes at once that they are dead, and believes it was the work of a fox. She carries them back to camp when Brightflower accuses Yellowfang of murdering her kits after Brokenstar suggests it. Yellowfang claims it was a fox that killed them, but Brokenstar tells the Clan Yellowfang's scent is all over the kits. Yellowfang is shocked her own mother would accuse her of such a thing. Though Newtspeck, Nutwhisker, Runningnose, and Rowanberry jump to her defense, Brokenstar exiles Yellowfang while Brightflower stares at her coldly.

In the Novellas

Blackfoot's Reckoning

Before attacking the ThunderClan camp, Blackfoot thinks about Brightflower's dead kits, beginning to feel righteousness.

In the Stand-Alone Graphic Novels

Exile from ShadowClan

While teaching Volepaw how to hunt, Nightpelt and Volepaw discover Brightflower wailing by herself in the forest. She yowls that her kits, Mintkit and Marigoldkit, were killed, and Brokenstar had claimed that Yellowfang had killed them then promptly exiled her. Nightpelt is skeptical of her claims, though allows her to join their group when her grief becomes too much to return to ShadowClan's camp. Featherstorm comforts her Clanmate, and an enraged Nightpelt speaks to Runningnose about the situation.

Brightflower watches as Nightpelt tries to convince the others to fight Brokenstar to save ShadowClan, and Brightflower also glares at Yellowfang when she arrives in their camp, not wanting anything to do with her daughter, despite the affirmation from Yellowfang that she did not kill Marigoldkit and Mintkit. After Brokenstar's defeat, Brightflower rejoins ShadowClan's camp.

Character pixels

Main images

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Kit Version Warrior Version Queen Version StarClan Version

Alternate images

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Alternative Queen Version Alternative Queen Version

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Brightflower in Exile from ShadowClan Concept artwork for Brightflower Brightflower's icon on the Warriors family tree

Kin

Members

Mother:

Silverflame: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Siblings:

Three unnamed kits: Status unknown

Mate:

Brackenfoot: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Daughters:

Marigoldkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Yellowfang: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Rowanberry: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Sons:

Nutwhisker: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Mintkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Grandsons:

Brokenstar: Deceased, no residence

Stumpytail: Deceased, verified the Place of No Stars member

Cinderfur: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Granddaughters:

Hopekit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Wishkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Great-grandkits:

Turtlekit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Quietkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Rubblekit: Deceased, verified StarClan member

Tree

Silverflame ♀

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Brightflower ♀

Brackenfoot ♂

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Toadskip ♂

Raggedstar ♂

Yellowfang ♀

Mintkit ♂

Marigoldkit ♀

Nutwhisker ♂

Rowanberry ♀

Clawface ♂

Nightstar ♂

Brokenstar ♂

Hopekit ♀

Wishkit ♀

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Ashheart ♀

Cinderfur ♂

Stumpytail ♂

Turtlekit

Rubblekit

Quietkit

    = Tom

    = She-cat

    = Gender unknown

Appearances

• Tallstar's Revenge (Allegiance only)
• Yellowfang's Secret
• Into the Wild (First appearance)
• Exile from ShadowClan
• Blackfoot's Reckoning (Mentioned only)
• The Prophecies Begin, volume 1 (Indirect mention only)
• The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition

Trivia

Interesting facts

• Brightflower has the best sense of smell in ShadowClan.

Mistakes

• She was described as black-and-white, and depicted with white.
• In Yellowfang's Secret, when Foxheart and Wolfstep are getting apprenticed, it is unclear as to whose mentor was whose. Brightflower was first described as Foxheart's mentor, and then later she was described as Wolfstep's mentor. Since a third spot in the book mentions Blizzardwing as Foxheart's mentor, Brightflower is likely intended to be the mentor of Wolfstep.
• Brightflower is in camp when Brokenstar reveals he killed her kits in Into the Wild, but in Exile from ShadowClan Brightflower doesn't return to camp until after Brokenstar's defeat.
• Brightflower is not listed in the allegiances of Leopardstar's Honor and Onestar's Confession, though she should be a warrior of ShadowClan at the time.

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• On Vicky's Facebook, Su Susann wrote that Brightflower resides in the Dark Forest since she was filled with hate when she thought Yellowfang killed Mintkit and Marigoldkit, and was subsequently shocked and no longer sane when Brokenstar revealed the truth about the death of her kits.

Quotes

Brightflower: "Nutkit! You know what I've told you about eating crow-food. You too, Yellowkit. How could you be so stupid?"

Yellowkit: "But I didn't!"

^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 23}

"Did you kill my kits?"

―Brightflower enraged at Yellowfang ^{Yellowfang's Secret, page 490}

External links

• Clan or Kin? on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
• The forest map: ShadowClan on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Fan content

• Winners of the September 2022 fan challenge + new challenge announcement on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Exile from ShadowClan elders artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)