Warrior Cat Names and Characters Reviewer [CLOSED]

[Arcaii]

Some people have asked me how to write a proper villain, and I figure that there's no better time than now to talk about it, so without further ado...

ARCAII'S VILLAINOUS METHODS OF VILLAINY

(Or, the basics of how to write a compelling and realistic villain)

I should note here that I haven't taken any classes or such about character creation - this is literally all I do in my spare time, so most of this was self-taught. I'm telling you now, in case some of what I say here is contradicted by people who actually do this for a job.

As well as that, this isn't going to be incredibly in-depth. This will just cover the most important parts of creating a villain.

There's no real set rules on character creation, just as there are no set rules for artists. Instead, there are suggestions and guidelines, which are optional to take, but generally recommended, because they often lead to a better character or art piece. However, there is one rule that I consider a complete necessity, and that is the HAT rule.

The HAT Rule, or Hero of Another Tale Rule, states that "every villain is the hero of their own story". Basically, your villain needs to firmly believe that what they're doing is right and just in order to be believable. That doesn't mean that you need to agree with what they're doing - you just need to understand why they're doing it, because this is the backbone of your villain's actions.

People are very much capable of convincing themselves they're doing the right thing, even if what they're doing is abhorrent. Take a look at how many people consider themselves morally correct for violently protesting against the existence of gay people, or how many slave-owners there were and are in the world. Your villain may believe in something terrible, but if they truly believe in it, then they will consider themselves a hero.

This, of course, requires a motive. The "why" is an important part of any character, but it's especially necessary for a villain. Without a motive and goal, your villain will fall flat.

I know what you're thinking. A motive to do evil things? A goal that those evil things are leading towards? A firm belief that they're in the right? That's all it takes to make up the basics of a good villain? Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

That's because, honestly, it is simple.

Writing a villain is not as hard as people make it out to be. It's essentially the same thing as writing a hero. That's why there are so many speeches about the hero and villain being "a lot alike" - they are a lot alike, at least in structure.

An analogy: Compare owning a Great Dane to owning a Chihuahua. People tend to treat these two creatures very differently - they'll let a Chihuahua jump all over them, bark at strangers and bite whoever they want, but they won't let a Great Dane do that. But why? They're the exact same animal, just a different size and shape. You wouldn't let a Great Dane jump on the mailman and bark at him, but with a Chihuahua it's seen as cute and harmless.

People assume that the Chihuahua is very different from a Great Dane, because they just seem so different. The truth is, there's no difference between them, and there's certainly no difference between training a big dog and a little dog.

Your hero and your villain are the same way. Both have goals and motives, and both firmly believe in what they're doing as right. Both will have character arcs, both will have backstories, both see themselves as heroes. The only difference is that your hero is considered a hero by the readers, and your villain is not. A Great Dane is considered a dog like any other breed, a Chihuahua isn't. Write your villain like you would write your hero, and you will find it to be much easier than you thought.

This is sort of a clunky post, but it gets the more important points across. Hopefully this helped someone. Let me know if something is unclear, and I'll do my best to answer it.

[elfish]

-cough- I finally got my fic up! Hopefully I can get chapter one up soon why is my muse escaping me

Aaaand here's a new cat!

Image/Description: bloop.
Name: dawnleaf
Gender: female
Clan: fanclan
Rank: medicine cat
Personality/Skills:
as a kit, dawnleaf displayed remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness - two of the main reasons why everyone thought she was destined to become the medicine cat's apprentice. she was always observant, picking up on little things that others commonly miss. since everybody knew her path would eventually lead to the medicine den, they treated her differently, which ultimately lead to her inflated ego. she's arrogant, prideful, and patronizing when talking to others. as the medicine cat's apprentice, she was quite successful and even prodigious, which lead to her being named -leaf. however, dawnleaf despises working with warriors, apprentices, and kits. she simply doesn't have the patience to deal with rowdy, energetic apprentices and kits, and thinks that the warriors cannot possibly understand the complexity of medicine. the only cats she seems to get along with well are the elders, and rumor says that it's because she knows that the elders can't question her. she also appears to be snappy and insecure around other medicine cats, afraid that any one of them could best her in medicine. still, everyone can admit that she has a determined mindset and is an extremely hard worker.
Important Notes: none!

[Arcaii]

-cough- I finally got my fic up! Hopefully I can get chapter one up soon why is my muse escaping me

Aaaand here's a new cat!

Image/Description: bloop.
Name: dawnleaf
Gender: female
Clan: fanclan
Rank: medicine cat
Personality/Skills:
as a kit, dawnleaf displayed remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness - two of the main reasons why everyone thought she was destined to become the medicine cat's apprentice. she was always observant, picking up on little things that others commonly miss. since everybody knew her path would eventually lead to the medicine den, they treated her differently, which ultimately lead to her inflated ego. she's arrogant, prideful, and patronizing when talking to others. as the medicine cat's apprentice, she was quite successful and even prodigious, which lead to her being named -leaf. however, dawnleaf despises working with warriors, apprentices, and kits. she simply doesn't have the patience to deal with rowdy, energetic apprentices and kits, and thinks that the warriors cannot possibly understand the complexity of medicine. the only cats she seems to get along with well are the elders, and rumor says that it's because she knows that the elders can't question her. she also appears to be snappy and insecure around other medicine cats, afraid that any one of them could best her in medicine. still, everyone can admit that she has a determined mindset and is an extremely hard worker.
Important Notes: none!

I totally forgot about this, I'm so sorry.

Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: I have nothing really to say on this name. It's perfect for her.
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: Excellent, excellent, excellent.
I really adore that she's very aware of her talent, and that her title is important enough to her that she's insecure around other potential healers. (Woe betide her and the next cat to be named -leaf...) It's a great concept for a cat with a suffix that directly notes prodigious cats.
Character Suggestions: None! She's golden.

[~Saturn~]

Image/Description: Pretty, lithe white cat with a plumed tail and amber eyes
Name: Snowheart
Gender: Molly
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Senior warrior
Personality/Skills: Snowheart is a kind, wise figure in the clan. She is firm in her beliefs and is actually quite stubborn when it comes to change, so these recent times have tested her confidence. Still, she manages to hang on to her ways, even in these times of hardship. Many cats in the clan look up to her for guidance when their own faith in the system falters. Faithful to her clan and StarClan above all, Snowheart prides herself in being a great warrior to defend and protect her clan in this harsh time.
Important Notes: Neh.

Image/Description: Slender ginger cat with green eyes. He has long fur that ruffles up around his neck like a mane.
Name: Lionfoot
Gender: Tom
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Lionfoot is a friendly, happy-go-lucky tom. He is kind to all cats, even those not of his clan. He would prefer resolving conflicts peacefully and then using claws if necessary. He doesn't see the need for pointless bloodspill. In his duties as a warrior, he relies on his swiftness to hunt, which makes him a valuable asset to the clan.
Important Notes: Father of Honeykit, Sparrowkit, and Mottledkit.


Image/Description: A gray tabby with yellow eyes
Name: Ashstorm
Gender: Tom
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Ashstorm is a particularly hard-to-read cat. When he is not visibly happy and laughing with his clanmates, his gaze is steely and emotionless. Once he becomes like this, his moods may become unpredictable. Sometimes, there is just no telling how a particular event will make him react. But now, as he is getting older, this unpredictable behavior seems to be calming a bit. Hopefully one day he will act a bit more . . . normal not crazy.
Important Notes:

Image/Description: Scruffy white cat with large patches of gray and black tabby with golden eyes
Name: Patchclaw
Gender: Molly
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Patchclaw is a former rogue, only recently joining the clan. She is feisty and slightly reserved around her new clanmates, but she is slowly warming up to them. On her first encounter with the clan cats, she tried to shred Silverstar's ears. Then, on her next encounter with them, she asked to join them. Her change of heart probably came from the fact that she had just found out she was pregnant with kits and a clan was a much safer environment for raising kittens. Silverstar, with visible amusement, accepted her into the clan and named her after her fighting skill which she had almost demonstrated on him.
Important Notes: Her mate is a kittypet named Herby :3 >>
Rogues and kittypets are more likely to be accepted into this clan because it is a young clan. There have been only a few generations of cats in this clan, therefore, they cannot really say that they have "pure clan blood." To her new clanmates, Patchclaw's arrival and the birth of her kittens is just more warriors and new blood for the clan.

[Also, these loners/rogues and kittypets are a bit more tough than your average type. For the kittypets, they're not your average housecat-that-lives-on-the-edge-of-a-forest type. The houses are actually a little ways off from civilization and therefore, they know what "living in the woods" is like. And really, congratulations to any rogues/loners that don't have trouble living here, because, even for a clan, it can be difficult a lot of the time. They're always eaten by a coyote sooner or later, though. It's sad, really.]

I'm also looking for ideas for the kittens :T she's having a litter of four and so far, I've come up with only three:

Nightkit - black she-cat with white paws and golden eyes
Mistkit - gray tom with pale tabby stripes and copper eyes
Brightkit - white tom with splotches of ginger and blue eyes

If you could suggest a look for the fourth one, I'd be grateful. The father is a ginger tabby with golden eyes.

[Arcaii]

Image/Description: Pretty, lithe white cat with a plumed tail and amber eyes
Name: Snowheart
Gender: Molly
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Senior warrior
Personality/Skills: Snowheart is a kind, wise figure in the clan. She is firm in her beliefs and is actually quite stubborn when it comes to change, so these recent times have tested her confidence. Still, she manages to hang on to her ways, even in these times of hardship. Many cats in the clan look up to her for guidance when their own faith in the system falters. Faithful to her clan and StarClan above all, Snowheart prides herself in being a great warrior to defend and protect her clan in this harsh time.
Important Notes: Neh.

Image/Description: Slender ginger cat with green eyes. He has long fur that ruffles up around his neck like a mane.
Name: Lionfoot
Gender: Tom
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Lionfoot is a friendly, happy-go-lucky tom. He is kind to all cats, even those not of his clan. He would prefer resolving conflicts peacefully and then using claws if necessary. He doesn't see the need for pointless bloodspill. In his duties as a warrior, he relies on his swiftness to hunt, which makes him a valuable asset to the clan.
Important Notes: Father of Honeykit, Sparrowkit, and Mottledkit.


Image/Description: A gray tabby with yellow eyes
Name: Ashstorm
Gender: Tom
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Ashstorm is a particularly hard-to-read cat. When he is not visibly happy and laughing with his clanmates, his gaze is steely and emotionless. Once he becomes like this, his moods may become unpredictable. Sometimes, there is just no telling how a particular event will make him react. But now, as he is getting older, this unpredictable behavior seems to be calming a bit. Hopefully one day he will act a bit more . . . normal not crazy.
Important Notes:

Image/Description: Scruffy white cat with large patches of gray and black tabby with golden eyes
Name: Patchclaw
Gender: Molly
Clan: PineClan
Rank: Warrior
Personality/Skills: Patchclaw is a former rogue, only recently joining the clan. She is feisty and slightly reserved around her new clanmates, but she is slowly warming up to them. On her first encounter with the clan cats, she tried to shred Silverstar's ears. Then, on her next encounter with them, she asked to join them. Her change of heart probably came from the fact that she had just found out she was pregnant with kits and a clan was a much safer environment for raising kittens. Silverstar, with visible amusement, accepted her into the clan and named her after her fighting skill which she had almost demonstrated on him.
Important Notes: Her mate is a kittypet named Herby :3 >>
Rogues and kittypets are more likely to be accepted into this clan because it is a young clan. There have been only a few generations of cats in this clan, therefore, they cannot really say that they have "pure clan blood." To her new clanmates, Patchclaw's arrival and the birth of her kittens is just more warriors and new blood for the clan.

[Also, these loners/rogues and kittypets are a bit more tough than your average type. For the kittypets, they're not your average housecat-that-lives-on-the-edge-of-a-forest type. The houses are actually a little ways off from civilization and therefore, they know what "living in the woods" is like. And really, congratulations to any rogues/loners that don't have trouble living here, because, even for a clan, it can be difficult a lot of the time. They're always eaten by a coyote sooner or later, though. It's sad, really.]

I'm also looking for ideas for the kittens :T she's having a litter of four and so far, I've come up with only three:

Nightkit - black she-cat with white paws and golden eyes
Mistkit - gray tom with pale tabby stripes and copper eyes
Brightkit - white tom with splotches of ginger and blue eyes

If you could suggest a look for the fourth one, I'd be grateful. The father is a ginger tabby with golden eyes.

Sorry for the wait, if there was one.

Snowheart
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: She seems a tad mellow for a -heart cat, but given that she's a senior warrior, I'm making the assumption that she's older and thus has had time to calm down. Therefore, her name fits perfectly!
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: I can't see any real issues. She sounds like a good warrior, and a good personality to have as one of the older members (and thus a representative) of the Clan.
Character Suggestions: None.


Lionfoot
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: I'm never sure what exactly makes people automatically give Lion- cats something like a mane - maybe it's just the first canon cat? It's not entirely necessary. Though, I suppose that if you had to choose two traits most associated with Lion-, excluding color, it would be size and fur.
Anyway, his name fits him just fine.
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: Like above, I can't see any problems. I'm surprised he isn't as flighty as most -foot cats are, but that's a positive here. Stereotypes can be dull.
Character Suggestions: None.


Ashstorm
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: The pattern of good names continues!
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: -storm cats are always a difficulty to create and judge...
I should ask if he just has the resting b-face, or if he's genuinely steely when not joking around. Other than that, he seems fine.
Character Suggestions: None.


Patchclaw
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: Aaand nothing to say here. Let's get to the character section.
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: Ah, 'feisty', my old nemesis. (It's on the front page, before you ask.)
I don't really know how she can be feisty and reserved at the same time, as the definition of feisty is lively and outgoing. However, depending on your definition, maybe it fits. I'm not sure. I never know what people mean by feisty.
Regardless, she needs more of a personality than that. Her history isn't as important to this review.
Character Suggestions: I suggest either removing feisty (much more so) or reserved.
Removing feisty, is she naturally wary of other cats, which makes Clan life a little difficult at first? Does she just not have much to say, or does she not know how to say what she thinks? As she was a loner/rogue, does she feel more self-reliant, and have to swallow her pride and accept help?
Removing reserved, what do you mean by feisty? Is she quick to fight due to her upbringing? Does she feel grateful to have cats around to talk to, and thus is incredibly chatty? How easy is it to rile her up?
Pick one of the two above, and answer those questions.

I suggest the fourth one be a red-and-white or golden-and-white patched kitten You could name it Poplar- or Nerite-.

[Keriae]

pssst red gene is awkward and both parent cats must show it in order for any kittens to be red (can't be carried, dominant to black)
mother has silver so smoke/silver babies are possibilities

[Arcaii]

Remind me to start sending those questions to you, Ker. I never know the proper coat genetics.

[mistywater]

Hi Arcaii! Just thought I'd drop in and say 'Merry Christmas!' because here, in Poland, we have all the main celebrations today [beetroot soup, 'pigeons', that's a dish, that cheesecake I baked and Mass at midnight] including the presents! I thought you may also want to know, I set up a Warrior Cats Name and Character Review on another site.

[cujo.]

image ;; view
name ;; honeystream.
gender ;; tom.
clan ;; mehclan.
age range ;; 21 - 23 moons.
rank ;; warrior.
personality / skills ;; when she was younger, honeystream was the kit that managed to get under every cats skin ; she thought she was always right, with a nosey attitude she managed to always put her paw in it. as she grew from apprentice to warrior she matured. honeystream is stubborn, even if there's no hope this optimistic she-cat rarely gives up. her stubbornness matched with her patient nature is what led her to be the excellent swimmer she is today. she's a bit of hopeless romantic, she tends to fall head-over-tail a little too easily. while she loves kits and can often be found playing around with the young ones in the nursery, she was not motherly enough to earn the suffix -flower. a generally cheery she-cat with a kind heart - which may lie as the root of the problems at her below-par fighting skills - and an open ear matched with a shoulder to cry on ; however, every cat has their demons and honeyleaf has self-esteem issues. she has a stutter and was often teased as a kit because of it, made worse by absent-mindedness and being one of the clumsiest cats in her clan. she doesn't often have bad days with her own problems, she enjoys being happy and "keeping up the spirits of her clanmates." [ honeystream is an excellent swimmer and an above-average hunter and tracker. she is not notably skilled with fighting nor with kits. ]
important notes ;; none.
she's a new character so could use some work ^^

also, if you could spare a moment, what colour is this cat? i can't figure it out.

[~Saturn~]

Sorry for the wait, if there was one.

Snowheart
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: She seems a tad mellow for a -heart cat, but given that she's a senior warrior, I'm making the assumption that she's older and thus has had time to calm down. Therefore, her name fits perfectly!
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: I can't see any real issues. She sounds like a good warrior, and a good personality to have as one of the older members (and thus a representative) of the Clan.
Character Suggestions: None.


Lionfoot
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: I'm never sure what exactly makes people automatically give Lion- cats something like a mane - maybe it's just the first canon cat? It's not entirely necessary. Though, I suppose that if you had to choose two traits most associated with Lion-, excluding color, it would be size and fur.
Anyway, his name fits him just fine.
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: Like above, I can't see any problems. I'm surprised he isn't as flighty as most -foot cats are, but that's a positive here. Stereotypes can be dull.
Character Suggestions: None.


Ashstorm
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: The pattern of good names continues!
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: -storm cats are always a difficulty to create and judge...
I should ask if he just has the resting b-face, or if he's genuinely steely when not joking around. Other than that, he seems fine.
Character Suggestions: None.


Patchclaw
Name Type: Traditional
Name Reasoning: Aaand nothing to say here. Let's get to the character section.
Alternate Name: None!

Character Assessment: Ah, 'feisty', my old nemesis. (It's on the front page, before you ask.)
I don't really know how she can be feisty and reserved at the same time, as the definition of feisty is lively and outgoing. However, depending on your definition, maybe it fits. I'm not sure. I never know what people mean by feisty.
Regardless, she needs more of a personality than that. Her history isn't as important to this review.
Character Suggestions: I suggest either removing feisty (much more so) or reserved.
Removing feisty, is she naturally wary of other cats, which makes Clan life a little difficult at first? Does she just not have much to say, or does she not know how to say what she thinks? As she was a loner/rogue, does she feel more self-reliant, and have to swallow her pride and accept help?
Removing reserved, what do you mean by feisty? Is she quick to fight due to her upbringing? Does she feel grateful to have cats around to talk to, and thus is incredibly chatty? How easy is it to rile her up?
Pick one of the two above, and answer those questions.

I suggest the fourth one be a red-and-white or golden-and-white patched kitten You could name it Poplar- or Nerite-.

Haha, I actually based Lionfoot and his mate Dapplecloud off of two real-life cats and the first thing I noticed about the cat was that he looked like a lion, so that's what I called him X3 he was handsome. Actually some of the cats are based off real cats...which I think is cool.

I'll just need to work out a few kinks with Patchclaw and she should look better...so a red and white kitten wouldn't be likely? I think I'll do the golden and white kitten ^^ not sure what I'll call it yet, but I'll work on that, thanks!