Cloudtail

"I've always believed in the warrior code, and I always will."

— Cloudtail confronting Darkstripe in The Last Hope, page 263

Cloudtail
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	ThunderClan
Past:	Kittypet LionClan
Biographical information
Age:	Approx. 145 moons (12.08 year(s)) old
Names
Kit:	None, Cloudkit
Apprentice:	Cloudpaw
Warrior:	Cloudtail
Senior warrior:	Cloudtail
Elder:	Cloudtail
Kittypet:	Cloudpaw
Kin
Mother:	Princess
Father:	Oliver
Foster mother:	Brindleface
Siblings:	Taylor, Livy, Nami, Zack
Foster brother:	Ashfur
Foster sister:	Ferncloud
Mate:	Brightheart
Daughters:	Whitewing, Ambermoon
Sons:	Snowbush, Dewnose
Education
Mentor:	Firestar
Apprentices:	Rainwhisker, Cinderheart, Toadstep
Unofficial apprentice:	Brightheart
Temporary apprentices:	Flametail, Cherryfall
Book appearances
Living	Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, The Darkest Hour, A Thief in ThunderClan, A Clan in Need, The Heart of a Warrior, The New Prophecy, The Lost Warrior, Winds of Change, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars, A Vision of Shadows, The Broken Code, River, Sky, Shadow, Thunder, Wind, Super Editions, Novellas, Battles of the Clans
Living	Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, The Darkest Hour, A Thief in ThunderClan, A Clan in Need, The Heart of a Warrior, The New Prophecy, The Lost Warrior, Winds of Change, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars, A Vision of Shadows, The Broken Code, River, Sky, Shadow, Thunder, Wind, Super Editions, Novellas, Battles of the Clans

Cloudtail is a heavy, snowy-white tom with blue eyes. He has fluffy, thick, and long fur.

Cloudtail is a ThunderClan elder under Bramblestar's, the impostor's, Lionblaze's, Graystripe's, and Squirrelstar's leaderships in the lake territories. He previously served as a warrior under Bluestar, Firestar, and Bramblestar in the forest and lake territories. He was born to Oliver and Princess, the latter a kittypet, alongside Zack, Taylor, Nami, and Livy, and his mother gave him to Fireheart to be raised in ThunderClan to become a warrior. He was named Cloudkit, and fostered by Brindleface alongside Ferncloud and Ashfur. He later was apprenticed to Fireheart as Cloudpaw and snuck to the Twolegplace before being captured by Twolegs. He later was rescued by Fireheart, Ravenpaw, and Sandstorm.

Due to him not believing in StarClan, Bluestar made him into a warrior as Cloudtail, and he became close with Lostface after she was mauled by dogs. Cloudtail helped see her beautiful spirit and unofficially mentored her before she was renamed Brightheart. The two later became mates and had Whitekit and Cloudtail became a mentor to Rainwhisker. Cloudtail participated in the Great Journey and mentored Cinderheart, Toadstep, and Hollytuft after arriving at the lake. He and Brightheart had a second litter, Dewkit, Snowkit, and Amberkit, before the Great Battle. Cloudtail later retired to the elders' den alongside Brackenfur and Brightheart.

History

Looking for a longer overview? Find one here!

The Prophecies Begin

Lostface: "Now I see. I'm sorry if the other cats feel upset when they look at me."

Cloudtail: "You're still beautiful to me. You always will be."

^{A Dangerous Path, page 264}

He is the firstborn kit of a kittypet named Princess alongside four other siblings. Princess gives her unnamed son to her brother, Fireheart, to take to live with the forest Clans and to become a hero, like his uncle. Fireheart brings his nephew to ThunderClan, where they are met with disapproval over the kit's kittypet heritage. Frostfur and Graystripe are the only cats who stand up for Fireheart, and Frostfur gives the kit to her sister, Brindleface, who had recently lost one of her own. After some hesitation, Brindleface agrees to take care of him. He is given the name Cloudkit and becomes an official member of ThunderClan. Later on, Cloudpaw is apprenticed to Fireheart. He begins sneaking off to a Twoleg nest to eat kittypet food, and despite Fireheart confronting him, Cloudpaw is kidnapped by Twolegs. Fireheart, Sandstorm, and Ravenpaw rescue him, and Cloudpaw learns his lesson, vowing to never go back.

Cloudpaw begins to challenge the Clans' faith in StarClan, which alarms Fireheart and amuses Bluestar, who is also challenging StarClan. He is later given his full warrior name, Cloudtail, and the only apprentice made into a warrior, which angers his former denmates. This results in Swiftpaw's death and Brightpaw's maiming after they attempt to fight the dogs alone to prove themselves. Cloudtail is protective and supportive of Brightpaw while she recovers and disapproves greatly of her new name, Lostface. Cloudtail is also angered and heartbroken when his foster mother, Brindleface, is killed by Tigerclaw, and he vows revenge for her death. He also persuades Firestar to change Lostface's name to Brightheart and helps her train to fight with her disability. Due to this, he convinces Firestar to let her fight in the battle against BloodClan, in which he participates as well.

The New Prophecy

"—What did you say? Have you forgotten that your Clan leader was a kittypet? That I was a kittypet? I’ll show you that a kittypet can claw your ears off any time."

―Cloudtail being angry at Brambleclaw ^{Twilight, page 141}

Cloudtail is now a senior warrior with Brightheart being his mate, and now has a daughter: Whitepaw. He supports Firestar after Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw's disappearance. Twolegs begin to tear down the forest and set out traps. Cloudtail and Brightheart are captured along with a few other Clan cats and are later freed by a ThunderClan patrol. Cloudtail travels on the Great Journey with the Clans and settles in their new territories beside the lake. Daisy, a former loner, joins ThunderClan with her three kits, Hazel, Mouse, and Berry, and Cloudtail spends a lot of time with her, which makes Brightheart upset and jealous. However, he later rekindles his love with Brightheart.

Power of Three

Dustpelt: "We'll all have to watch our tails when these kits are old enough to leave the nursery. They have your blood, Cloudtail, and we all know what a hard time you gave Firestar when you were a kit."

Cloudtail: "They'll be fine warriors, Dustpelt, and I'll claw any cat who says different."

^{Sunrise, page 290}

Cloudtail's first apprentice, Rainwhisker, gets killed by a fallen tree. He gains another apprentice, Cinderpaw, and his daughter is now a warrior named Whitewing. Cinderpaw breaks her leg after she falls from the Sky Oak, and her training is put on hold to give her time to recover. He is patient with her while she recovers, and when Cinderpaw fails her warrior assessment, Cloudtail comforts her and is proud when she finally earns her warrior name, Cinderheart. Later on, Cloudtail is one of the first cats to fall ill to greencough, but makes a full recovery. His daughter gives birth to Birchfall's kits, Dovekit and Ivykit.

Omen of the Stars

Darkstripe: "So, you believe in StarClan now?"

Cloudtail: "I believe in evil!"

^{The Last Hope, page 263}

Cloudtail has served as a mentor to Toadstep and continues to serve ThunderClan as a senior warrior. He and Brightheart also have a second litter of kits, and Cloudtail becomes the father to Amberkit, Dewkit, and Snowkit. He fights in the battle with the Dark Forest and bonds with Dovewing when the two wait for the Dark Forest cats to attack. He confronts Darkstripe, condemning him for his past actions, but loses when Darkstripe gets reinforcements. He witnesses the death of Firestar and grieves for him along with ThunderClan.

A Vision of Shadows

"There are a lot of ifs and perhapses in what you're saying. If you ask me, all this talk of visions is a lot of thistle-fluff. You had a vivid dream, that's all."

―Cloudtail to Alderheart ^{Shattered Sky, page 58}

He becomes a grandfather to Snowbush's litter, Leafkit, Larkkit, and Honeykit. Cloudtail participates in the battles against Darktail and the Kin. He questions the legitimacy of Alderheart's visions to find SkyClan and voices his distrust of Finpaw and Twigpaw when they return to ThunderClan after defecting from SkyClan. His son, Snowbush, dies in a rockfall, and he and Brightheart attend his vigil. He also becomes a great-grandfather to Ivypool and Dovewing's respective litters.

The Broken Code

"Careful what you say. Bramblestar hasn’t been in the best of moods since he lost a life."

―Cloudtail warning Finleap about Bramblestar ^{The Silent Thaw, page 98}

Cloudtail and Brightheart have retired to the elders' den with Brackenfur, joining Graystripe. He comments on the difference in personality after Bramblestar lost a life. Lionblaze gave him two shrews despite Bramblestar telling the tom that leaders and deputies will eat before the elders, as Cloudtail was eager to get some prey when a patrol arrived. After Graystripe returned from his wander, Cloudtail greets the old warrior warmly, happy to have his friend back in ThunderClan.

A Starless Clan

Coming Soon

Character pixels

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

Official art

Please do not edit this gallery Cloudtail on the cover of Rising Storm Cloudtail in The Heart of a Warrior Cloudtail in Ravenpaw's Path Cloudtail in A Thief in ThunderClan Cloudtail on the cover of A Thief in ThunderClan Cloudtail in Winds of Change Cloudtail in Bramblestar's Storm Cloudtail in The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition Cloudtail's Warriors website fact sheet Cloudtail's Warriors website fact sheet for The Prophecies Begin Cloudtail's icon on the Warriors family tree

Ceremonies

Cloudpaw's apprentice ceremony
Bluestar: Fireheart, you are ready for another apprentice, and Cloudpaw is your sister's kit. You will be his mentor. Bluestar: Fireheart, you know what it is to be one of us, yet born outside the Clan. I rely on you to pass on all you have learned to Cloudpaw, and help him become a warrior the Clan will be proud of. Reference: Forest of Secrets, page 249

Cloudtail's warrior ceremony

Bluestar: Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life? Cloudpaw: I do. Bluestar: Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cloudpaw, from this moment you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your courage and independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Reference: A Dangerous Path, page 208-209

Personality and traits

Cloudtail is a cat with a very sharp tongue, often making snarky comments to his Clanmates. While this often surprises cats who aren't close to Cloudtail, this does not stop him from being a loyal ThunderClan cat. Even though Cloudtail has had moments where his loyalty has been tested, he is a cat who always keeps his word, no matter what. He has been described as compassionate and loyal, but also stubborn and defiant.

Despite having said to not believe in StarClan, Cloudtail is a firm believer of the warrior code, and believes in the existence of good and evil in the world. His lack of faith in StarClan causes him to question many aspects of Clan life, such as going to Highstones to obtain nine lives, and the legitimacy of visions that medicine cats have.

Cloudtail is very defensive of his kittypet roots, and is one of the first to jump to a kittypet's defense if need be, often reminding his Clanmates of both he and Firestar's origins.

Family

Main article: Cloudtail/Family

Cloudtail's parents are Oliver and Princess, and his littermates are Zack, Taylor, Nami and Livy. His mate is Brightheart, and Whitewing, Ambermoon, Dewnose, and Snowbush are their children. For more of Cloudtail's family, click here!

Appearances

• Onestar's Confession
• Fire and Ice (First appearance)
• Forest of Secrets
• Rising Storm
• Tigerclaw's Fury
• A Dangerous Path
• The Darkest Hour
• Blackfoot's Reckoning (Allegiance only)
• A Thief in ThunderClan
• Firestar's Quest
• Graystripe's Vow (Then)
• A Clan in Need
• The Heart of a Warrior
• Mothwing's Secret (Allegiance only)
• Midnight
• Moonrise
• Dawn
• Starlight
• Winds of Change
• The Lost Warrior (Vision or Dream)
• Twilight
• Sunset
• Leafpool's Wish
• The Sight
• Dark River
• Outcast
• Eclipse
• Long Shadows
• Sunrise
• Hollyleaf's Story (Allegiance only)
• The Fourth Apprentice
• Mistystar's Omen (Allegiance only)
• Fading Echoes
• Night Whispers
• Sign of the Moon
• The Forgotten Warrior
• The Last Hope
• Dovewing's Silence
• Crowfeather's Trial
• Bramblestar's Storm
• The Apprentice's Quest
• Thunder and Shadow
• Shattered Sky
• Darkest Night
• Tigerheart's Shadow (Allegiance only)
• River of Fire
• Tawnypelt's Clan (Allegiance only)
• Spotfur's Rebellion
• The Raging Storm
• Squirrelflight's Hope
• Lost Stars
• The Silent Thaw
• Veil of Shadows
• Darkness Within
• Graystripe's Vow (Now)
• Daisy's Kin (Allegiance only)
• The Place of No Stars
• A Light in the Mist (Allegiance only)
• River
• Sky (Allegiances appearance; mentioned in text)
• Shadow
• Thunder
• Wind
• Ivypool's Heart (Allegiance only)
• Secrets of the Clans (Retconned)
• Cats of the Clans
• Battles of the Clans
• The Ultimate Guide
• The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition
• After Sunset: We Need to Talk
• The Clans Decide

Merchandise

Toys and Plush

Cloudtail & Longtail - Mini Collector Figures

Cloudtail and Longtail

• Series 5
• These toms both struggled in certain ways to prove their loyalty to ThunderClan. The Longtail mini features him at the very beginning of his character arc, with the iconic blue collar still hanging from his jaws and a fresh nick in his ear marking the start of his rivalry with Firestar. While Cloudtail’s disregard for the rules and a worrying fondness for kittypet comforts made his Clanmates despair of him, he also rose above the uncertainty of his youth to become a true ThunderClan warrior.
• Approximate individual price is $12.99 USD, and the three-pack bundle is $38.97 USD.

Trivia

Interesting facts

• Cloudtail has the best tracking skills in ThunderClan.
• Despite being younger than his foster littermates Ashfur and Ferncloud, he was made an apprentice first.
• As a young warrior, Cloudtail had a catchphrase. When a warrior's vigil would be announced, he often said "While the rest of us get a good night's sleep," or something similar.

Author statements

• Kate thinks that after the Dark Forest battle, Cloudtail would believe in StarClan, because it's difficult to deny something you've seen with your own eyes. Vicky later stated that he still doesn't believe in StarClan, although she later contradicts this, saying Cloudtail is a Clan cat through and through.
• Kate thinks his kittypet name was "Fluffypaws". She also likes the name "Claude".
• Vicky has said she feels Brightheart respects his lack of faith in StarClan.

Mistakes

• Ferncloud and Ashfur are mistakenly said to be his adopted littermates.
• Spiderleg is incorrectly listed as Cloudtail's apprentice.
• He is listed as Fireheart's apprentice in the allegiances of Forest of Secrets, even though he doesn't become Fireheart's apprentice until much later in the book.
• He is originally mentioned to have been Hollytuft's mentor, but this is later changed to Blossomfall. Kate has stated on her blog that she thinks Hollytuft switched mentors from Cloudtail to Blossomfall, but this is later confirmed to be untrue, as Cloudtail's character profile does not mention Hollytuft as one of his apprentices.

Continuity

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

• In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide, Brightheart credits Cloudtail's love for her even after her accident for her recovery. Cloudtail later tells about how he broke the warrior code by taking kittypet food from Twolegs and ended up getting captured. He says that he didn't understand some parts of the warrior code and so he decided to only follow the rules that he thought made sense. He began visiting Twolegs every day, but was later caught and put in a wire web inside the belly of a monster. He was upset, but thought that ThunderClan would be glad to be rid of him. However, he wanted to let his Clanmates know that he had been taken against his will, and deep down he wanted to become a warrior. Luckily, he was spotted by Fireheart's friend, Ravenpaw, who told Fireheart where Cloudpaw had been taken to, and was rescued.
• In The Clans Decide, Cloudtail votes for the individual leaders to lead their own Clan during a harsh leaf-bare.
• Cloudtail's father and siblings were first revealed on Vicky's Facebook.

Quotes

Fireheart: "Listen, warriors like Darkstripe think being a kittypet is something bad. It's not. It just means we have to work twice as hard to make them see that kittypet blood is nothing to be ashamed of."

Cloudkit: "I don't care! I'm going to be the best warrior in the Clan. I'll fight any cat who says I'm not. I'll be brave enough to kill outlaws like old Brokentail."

^{Forest of Secrets, page 82}

"Whatever else he might do, Cloudpaw always keeps his word."

―Ashpaw about Cloudpaw ^{Rising Storm, page 144}

Fireheart: "I never thought he would care for a cat as much as that."

Cinderpelt: "You didn't notice? He's been padding after Brightpaw - Lostface - for a season now. He really loves her, you know."

^{A Dangerous Path, page 227}

See more

"I'll flay Tigerstar! I'll scatter his entrails from here to Highstones! He's mine, Fireheart, and don't you forget it!"

―Cloudtail to Fireheart, mourning Brindleface's death ^{A Dangerous Path, page 288}

"It's only your belief in ancient traditions that make you believe you can't be leader without dragging all the way up to Highstones and back. As far as I'm concerned, you've already proved yourself to be the true leader of this Clan, Firestar."

―Cloudtail to Firestar ^{The Darkest Hour, page 68}

«Then he reminded himself this was Cloudtail, Firestar's kin and former apprentice, well known for his barbed tongue and ready scorn. His impudent talk didn't stop him from being a loyal warrior to his Clan.»

—Brambleclaw's thoughts after Cloudtail's disrespectful comment ^{Midnight (book), page 9}

"After all that, I knew better than to go near Twolegs again. And I realized there were parts of the warrior code I might not understand but they were there for a reason. Seeing my Clanmates listen to my story so eagerly, made me want to be a warrior, like Fireheart, who really was a hero. More than anything, I wanted to be a loyal ThunderClan warrior."

―Cloudtail ^{Secrets of the Clans, page 119}

Cloudtail: "Darkstripe! I'm not surprised to see you're with the Dark Forest traitors."

Darkstripe: "So, you believe in StarClan now?"

^{The Last Hope, page 263}

External links

• Featured
• Author Composed
• Book Specific
• Character Specific
• Themes and Concepts
• Merchandise and Website
• Fan Content

• Cloudtail's profile on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Outpacing other 'Paws (and Mentors) on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Exclusive title and cover reveal! Upcoming 2023 graphic novel on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Top five Cloudtail moments from The Prophecies Begin on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• The Prophecies Begin characters - a visual guide on the Warriors official website (backup link)
• Warrior of the Week Gallery #75 - Cloudtail on the Warriors official website (Warrior of the Week #75) (backup link)
• Firestar's Family Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Building a Religion on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Exclusive! Veil of Shadows: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Exclusive! Graystripe's Vow: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Exclusive! Darkness Within: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Exclusive! The Place of No Stars Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Exclusive! A Warrior's Choice Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Winds of Change - Sneak Peek! on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Exclusive! A Light in the Mist: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Exclusive! River: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Exclusive! Sky: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

Exclusive! Shadow: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

New release: A Thief in ThunderClan on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Exclusive! Thunder: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

First look at brand new Warrior Cats artwork from The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Exclusive: Wind chapters on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Best Warrior Cats book with a mystery on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Interview with the writers and illustrators of The Prophecies Begin graphic novel! on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Top five deputies of The Prophecies Begin on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

Best Warrior Cats romance books on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Exclusive! Ivypool's Heart chapters on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)

A Legacy of Fire on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Ashfur: Did StarClan Make a Mistake? on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Brightheart and A Thief in ThunderClan on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Firestar and Graystripe: a friendship for the ages on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

The Act of Giving Thanks on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

A Lost Tradition on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

Evil Lives Forever on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Stand Together or Fall Divided on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

Asking a Great Deal on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)

Missing the old days on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

The Forest Map: ThunderClan on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

New Series Five Warriors Minis! on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Winners of the July Fan Challenge + New Challenge Announcement on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Winners of the The Prophecies Begin comic fan challenge on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Winners of the holiday tradition fan challenge on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Winners of the Valentine's Day card fan challenge on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Winners of the TPB favorite character fan challenge on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Mothers and Kits Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Mentors and Apprentices Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Family Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Warrior Ceremony Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Leafbare Scenes Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Our Favorite Darkstripe Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Our favorite The Prophecies Begin scenes artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Warrior Cats love stories on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Notes and references

Author references