"Warriors don't attack medicine cats. And even if they did, it's worth the risk. Saving cats is why I became a medicine cat, and now I have to do this to save Mosspelt." |
— Willowshine to Mothwing about finding more watermint in River of Fire, Bonus Scene, page 21 |
Willowshine is a small,[13] lithe, sleek,[14] thick,[15] and soft-furred,[16] pale[17] gray[18] tabby she-cat with bright green eyes.[17]
Willowshine was a RiverClan medicine cat who served under Leopardstar's and Mistystar's leaderships in the lake territories. She was born to Mosspelt as Willowkit and almost immediately discovered a passion for learning and using herbs. She helped Mothwing during the time when several RiverClan cats became sick after drinking tainted water. She became a medicine cat apprentice as Willowpaw with Mothwing as her mentor. Leafpool also mentored Willowpaw in the ways of their warrior ancestors, as Mothwing did not believe in StarClan. When Hollypaw became a medicine cat apprentice, Willowpaw quickly befriended her. Willowpaw eventually earned her full medicine cat name, Willowshine.
When Mistystar announced that RiverClan wouldn't be interacting with any other Clans for sometime following Darktail's terrible reign, Willowshine and her mentor weren't allowed to go to the Moonpool or speak with the other medicine cats. However, Willowshine had a vision about a six toed cat, and she went to Alderheart to help her with the vision. She eventually became RiverClan's sole medicine cat after Mistystar exiled Mothwing for her being a codebreaker. During an attempt to rescue Squirrelflight from the Dark Forest, Willowshine volunteered to go, but was intercepted and killed by Ashfur, who dragged the she-cat into the Dark Forest and subsequently made part of his imprisoned ghosts under his control. Willowshine was forced to fight for Ashfur, but managed to break free. She fought against the dark warrior in the final battle, and joined StarClan after.
History[]
Looking for a longer overview? Find one here!
The New Prophecy[]
- "All of Willowpaw's medicine cat training would be taken care of: Mothwing would pass on her healing skills, while Leafpool could teach her to interpret the signs from StarClan."
- ―Leafpool's thoughts after agreeing to train Willowpaw Sunset, page 204
Power of Three[]
- "I didn't really think about it. It just sort of happened, and then I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Being a medicine cat is great!"
- ―Willowpaw to Hollykit The Sight, pages 76-77
Omen of the Stars[]
- "If StarClan told her to jump in the lake, she would!"
- ―Mothwing to Jayfeather about Willowshine's faith in StarClan The Last Hope, page 75
A Vision of Shadows[]
- "I hate talking like this. We're medicine cats. It's our job to help out sick Clanmates, not to argue about which of them deserves the treatment more."
- ―Willowshine to Mothwing about the cats with the vomiting sickness River of Fire, chapter 1 (Bonus Scene)
- Mistystar closes RiverClan's borders as a result of her Clan's devastation, and forbids Willowshine and Mothwing to attend the half-moon meetings. Willowshine worries about her short herb supply and the rising tensions between the other Clans and within her own Clan. Willowshine receives a vision of the camp on fire, but Mothwing brushes it off as a bad dream. Mosspelt, Willowshine's mother, falls ill and implores Mistystar about re-opening the borders, but she refuses. Lightning cause a fire to ignite in RiverClan's camp and ThunderClan comes to their aid. Recognizing the need for the Clans to work together, Willowshine participates on a journey to return SkyClan to the lake.
The Broken Code[]
- "But as his fury ebbed, a pang of pity for Willowshine stabbed through Rootspring. He remembered her when she was alive, how loyal she had been to her Clan and her calling as a medicine cat. It hurt him deeply to see her like this, reduced to obeying Ashfur’s evil commands."
- ―Rootspring's thoughts on Willowshine The Place of No Stars (book), page 228
Novellas[]
This section summarizes Willowshine's significant Novellas appearances. If you're looking for a full list, find one here!
- "Willowpaw was a natural medicine cat, and her instincts were sharp. She knew when she had to offer something Mothwing could not, and she was kind enough to keep that to herself. All she lacked was confidence. It would be good for her to take care of Voletooth on her own."
- ―Mothwing's thoughts on Willowpaw Mothwing's Secret, chapter 6
- In Mistystar's Omen, Willowshine offers to go with Mistyfoot for her leadership ceremony, but Mistyfoot insists Mothwing should come instead. When Mistystar discovers Mothwing doesn't believe in StarClan, she realizes Willowshine knew all along. She questions Willowshine about her training, but Willowshine defends her mentor and how Leafpool taught her, too. Mistystar forces Mothwing to retire and makes Willowshine the Clan's sole medicine cat. Reedwhisker is almost killed by a dog, and Willowshine is overwhelmed by his injury. After speaking with Stonefur, Mistystar lets Mothwing help Reedwhisker and become a medicine cat again.
Character pixels[]
Main images[]
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. |
Alternate images[]
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. |
Official art[]
Please do not edit this gallery |
Ceremonies[]
Willowpaw's medicine cat apprentice ceremony | ||||||||
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Willowshine's medicine cat ceremony | ||||||||||
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Family[]
Members[]
Mother:
Half-sister:
- Dawnflower:[19] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Half-brothers:
- Pebblefoot:[20] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Half-nieces:
- Minnowtail:[20] Living (As of Thunder)
- Tumblekit:[21] Deceased, verified StarClan member
Aunt:
Tree[]
Unknown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hailstar ♂ | Echomist ♀ | Lakeshine ♀ | Cedarpelt ♂ | Marshcloud ♂ | Fallowtail ♀ | See more | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voleclaw ♂ | Petaldust ♀ | Beetlenose ♂ | Sunfish ♀ | Frogleap ♂ | Mosspelt ♀ | Emberdawn ♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Whiteclaw ♂ | Grasswhisker ♀ | Vixenleap ♀ | Robinkit ♂ | Dawnflower ♀ | Woodkit ♂ | Willowshine ♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pebblefoot ♂ | Minnowtail ♀ | Tumblekit ♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
= Tom
= She-cat
= Gender unknown
Appearances[]
- Dawn (First appearance)
- Twilight
- Mothwing's Secret
- Sunset
- Leafpool's Wish (Allegiance only)
- The Sight
- Dark River
- Outcast
- Eclipse
- Long Shadows
- Sunrise
- Hollyleaf's Story (Allegiance only)
- The Fourth Apprentice (Allegiance only)
- Mistystar's Omen
- Fading Echoes
- Night Whispers
- Sign of the Moon
- The Forgotten Warrior
- The Last Hope
- Dovewing's Silence (Allegiance only)
- Crowfeather's Trial
- Bramblestar's Storm (Allegiances appearance; mentioned in text)
- The Apprentice's Quest
- Thunder and Shadow
- Shattered Sky
- Darkest Night
- Tigerheart's Shadow
- River of Fire
- Tawnypelt's Clan (Allegiance only)
- The Raging Storm
- Squirrelflight's Hope
- Lost Stars
- The Silent Thaw
- Veil of Shadows
- Darkness Within
- Graystripe's Vow (Allegiance only)
- Daisy's Kin (Allegiance only)
- The Place of No Stars †
- A Light in the Mist
- River
- Sky (Mentioned only)
- Cats of the Clans
- The Ultimate Guide
Trivia[]
Mistakes[]
- Willowshine was initially described as dark gray,[23] and has been shown with dark blue eyes.[24][25]
- She also has been described as grayish-white,[5] and said to have blue eyes.[26]
- In the original version of Twilight, Willowshine was described as pale gray.[5][27] This was later changed in the reprinted version of Twilight to dark gray.[28]
- On the Warrior Cats website, Willowshine is also depicted as a dark gray tabby on her profile page.[29]
- Willowshine is mistakenly said to be too young to take on the full duties of a medicine cat, despite being approximately three years old at the time.[26]
Continuity[]
The following information is from sources considered non-canon or retconned.
- In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Willowshine was described as a very pale gray tabby she-cat with bright green eyes, and her father was Frogleap.[30]
Quotes[]
- "Of course I'm fine! That monster was never going to catch us."
- ―Willowkit to Leafpaw when she asks if she's okay Dawn (book), page 237
- "Is this what it feels like to be a medicine cat? It's the best thing ever!"
- ―Willowkit to Leafpool and Mothwing Twilight, page 169
- Feathertail: "That will be your task. You have no apprentice yet—and no need for one. You will be here to serve your Clan for many seasons more. So will you sometimes visit Willowpaw in RiverClan and speak to her at the Moonpool? You can teach her everything she needs to know, without having to walk in her dreams again."
- Leafpool: "Yes, of course."
- Sunset, pages 203-204
- "I would never betray one of Mothwing's secrets."
- ―Willowpaw to Leafpool Mothwing's Secret, chapter 7
- "That's okay. Next time I hope you fall in!"
- ―Willowpaw to Jaypaw when he apologizes for attacking her when she rescues him from a rabbit hole The Sight, page 266
- Willowshine: "What's the matter? Is someone sick?"
- Jayfeather: "I needed to talk to Mothwing."
- The Last Hope, page 75
- "It feels great, doesn't it? Wait till you get home. The older cats will start treating you with respect. And when you're busy in your den, apprentices will bring you prey. There's more responsibility, of course, but Puddleshine will still help you. And learning new things is half the fun."
- ―Willowshine to Shadowsight after he earns his full name The Silent Thaw, page 38
- "We can't turn away from StarClan when we disagree with them. They see everything. They have more knowledge than us."
- ―Willowshine about the codebreakers The Silent Thaw, page 162
External links[]
- Willowshine's profile on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: The Raging Storm on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Outpacing other 'Paws (and Mentors) on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Codebreakers: Brainstorming The Broken Code on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- The Journey So Far: Lost Stars on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Writing a Good Prophecy on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Exclusive! Veil of Shadows: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: The Silent Thaw on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- The Role of a Medicine Cat on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
- Exclusive! Graystripe's Vow: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Allegiance only)
- Exclusive! Darkness Within: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Exclusive! The Place of No Stars Except on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
- Exclusive! A Warrior's Choice Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Exclusive! A Light in the Mist: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- The Journey So Far: The Place of No Stars on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
- Bristlefrost: A Tribute on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Introducing… Frostpaw of RiverClan on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- Exclusive! River: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
- Exclusive! Sky: Excerpt on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
Fan content[]
- The Place of No Stars Artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Lights in the Mist artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- Ashfur's ghost army artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- A Light in the Mist: A look at the most popular fan theories on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Mentioned only)
- Winners of the December 2021 Fan Challenge + New Challenge Announcement on the Warriors official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Revealed in A Light in the Mist, page 291
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Revealed in Sunset, allegiances
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Revealed in The Place of No Stars, page 78
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Revealed in The Place of No Stars, page 199
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Revealed in Twilight, page 167
- ↑ Revealed in Long Shadows, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Eclipse, page 141
- ↑ Revealed in Sunset, page 203
- ↑ Revealed in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 6
- ↑ Revealed in Veil of Shadows, page 66
- ↑ Revealed in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 10
- ↑ Revealed in The Place of No Stars, page 90
- ↑ Revealed in The Raging Storm, page 253
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 268
- ↑ Revealed in The Apprentice's Quest, page 38
- ↑ Revealed in The Sight, page 264
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Revealed in The Sight, page 133
- ↑ Revealed in Sunrise, allegiances
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Revealed in Leopardstar's Honor, page 320
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Revealed in Twilight, allegiances
- ↑ Revealed in Twilight, page 269
- ↑ Revealed in Leopardstar's Honor, page 112
- ↑ Revealed in Dawn, page 237
- ↑ Revealed in Cats of the Clans, page 75
- ↑ Revealed in The Ultimate Guide, page 137
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Revealed in Mistystar's Omen, chapter 4
- ↑ (screenshot)
- ↑ Revealed on the reprinted version of Twilight (screenshot)
- ↑ Willowshine's profile on the Warriors official website (backup link)
- ↑ Revealed on Vicky's Facebook