Username: xbloodywhalex
Cat Name: Ripplewing
Clan: PotClanRank: Warrior
Gender: Female
Age: 20 Moons
Prompt: - Spoilers for Squirrelflight's Hope -
I just do not like her?? Probably in part due to the fandom being stuck on saying that she did nothing wrong (which is entirely untrue LOL). Weirdly enough, she is far more likable as a non-POV character! I did enjoy reading about her in The Silent Thaw, but in the books that she does have a POV I cannot
stand her. She's presumptuous, prideful, annoying, entirely incompetent, and close-minded, to name just a few of her faults. She just grinds my gears LOL
In TNP alone, she was super judgmental of Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost- simply because Tigerstar was their dad (which she did state on multiple occasions), and was trying to control Brambleclaw, even after they had broken up by who he was allowed to talk to and what he was allowed to do. She lead Ashfur on largely in hopes of making her ex jealous, got angry at him for trying to defend her from Brambleclaw, picked fights with him and gets upset when Brambleclaw (obviously) doesn't want to talk to her anymore.
Her relationship with her mate was such a hot mess- she never communicated. She got angry and jealous when he was talking to his (albeit shady LKAJDSLFKA) half-brother because she
thinks he might be a bad person (really only because Leafpool didn't like him) and whenever Brambleclaw stood up for himself, she got even madder. On top of that, Squirrelflight blamed him for the fights
she caused. Her reasons for not trusting Hawkfrost largely boil down to "well my sister doesn't like him because he has bad vibes LOL" yet she still treated Brambleclaw like garbage for being friends with him.
Even after the whole thing blew over, she never apologized.The time they were happiest was when she was lying to him about the parentage of their children, to put it frankly.
In her own Super Edition, which was a
hot mess by the way, she's hardly improved. She still cannot see the possibility that she could be wrong and instead blames others for the consequences of her actions. At the beginning of the book, the leaders call a gathering to discuss borders. Squirrelflight, a deputy who really
doesn't have that much say in this, tells Leafstar that she thinks SkyClan should move further back from the lake.
She doesn't ask Bramblestar what his opinion on this is, when she really should have, seeing that he represents ThunderClan's perspectives and ideas. Squirrelflight is the deputy- not the leader. (Of course there was absolutely merit in the idea, but Bramblestar refuses to see this. But that's something for another time LOL)
But Squirrelflight is either not very smart or assumes that everyone will be on board with her idea regardless, so she provides her (largely unwanted) opinion anyways. She thinks that all the other clan leaders think like ThunderClan does (aka let's do something that benefits everyone and not just me), but they don't think this way because they're not very good people. She refuses to see that people think differently from her and believes that everyone has the exact same motives as she does.
With this unreasonable mindset, she therefore (metaphorically LAKSDJLFKAJS) throws SkyClan under the bus. The other leaders immediately jump on this idea and try to pressure Leafstar into moving further back from the lake, because it would benefit them personally.
Bramblestar is angry because Squirrelflight is doing exactly what he didn't want to happen- the other Clans pushing SkyClan around because they can, basically. However, she continues to not see anybody else's point of view except her own, because that's the only one she considers valid.
She argues with him in front of the leadership of the other clans (which is a really bad move, because this shows that the relationship of ThunderClan's leader and deputy is not doing well and could be easily taken advantage of). I would complain a bit about Bramblestar's unwillingness to see the possibility that Squirrelflight's idea could be useful, but this isn't about him.
Because Squirrelflight has no respect for Bramblestar, she abuses his trust, goes behind his back without basically even making an attempt to communicate with him, and goes to Leafstar to do what she wants to do (exactly what a deputy should not be doing. the deputy is there to support the leader, not undermine them). and throughout the book continually argues with Bramblestar publicly and refuses to communicate with him- even after it is shown that talking and communicating with him is ultimately better.
In fact it was at least partially
her fault that the Clans attacked the Sisters in the first place! Had she and Bramblestar privately gone to Leafstar, they could have made a decision on her idea without anybody else pressuring them. And TBH? None of the other leaders would have thought of it because they're not that bright LOLLL
If Leafstar chose to explore the area, she would have taken a patrol and found the Sisters herself, and they could have been left alone until Moonlight was ready to move- the entire horrible book literally could have been avoided if Squirrelflight actually acted like a decent deputy. But she didn't, and ultimately paid the price.
In the end, her own incompetence and pride ultimately killed Moonlight and
her own sister as well as endangered the lives of many others.