Warriors: Omen of the Stars is a continuation of the previous arc, Power of Three, but in OotS‘s case, the protagonists finally get their coupling. Though only two of them are technically official and result in actual relationships, I find this list more interesting with that considered. Other than them, the couples are a bit harder to come by in this arc. Those rated below are canonical as usual and discuss the full length of their relationship (if possible, up to the latest release).
Please use caution when reading ahead, as major spoilers (deaths, for example) will be included!
Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves
Rating: 6/10
Starting this article off with Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves may be a bold choice, considering how their “relationship” is really only confirmed by one of the authors and the Warriors family tree website, despite Victoria Holmes saying it’s unlikely they become mates in StarClan. The truth is, Fallen Leaves and Hollyleaf don’t walk the same skies. While Hollyleaf dies in The Great Battle and ascends to StarClan, Fallen Leaves is one of the Ancients, assumingly not a member of the Clans’ ancestral skies. I think a majority of my love for them is the care that they show each other when Hollyleaf lives in the tunnels. Fallen Leaves nurtures her to health and keeps her company. The fact that Fallen Leaves even got company, in his tragic ghostly lifetime, is enough to make my heart ache. When Hollyleaf left him, I felt sorrow. I even requested art of them once (that I no longer have access to, R.I.P. my iPod touch), which fueled my love for the couple. I do acknowledge how weird their relationship is though. Fallen Leaves lived and has continued living as a ghost since before the Clans even existed, before even the Tribe existed. The technical age gap is strange in that case. I would also rather headcanon Hollyleaf as an asexual lesbian who never got into a relationship, or if she did, it would’ve been with Willowshine of RiverClan or Cinderheart of ThunderClan. Still, I wanted to give this couple a slightly better rating than average, considering how I felt about them in the past.
Jayfeather and Half Moon
Rating: 8/10
Like his sister, Jayfeather falls in love with a long-dead character, Half Moon. This situation is a little more complicated, however, even if the “age gap” is the same weirdness. When Jayfeather visits the Tribe of Rushing Water, he has several chapters where he relives his previous incarnation, Jay’s Wing. Back with the Ancients, the cats that would eventually split and form both the Tribe and the Clans, Jayfeather essentially possesses the body of his ancestor and makes crucial decisions that start the course of the Tribe’s and Clans’ histories. In the midst of all this though, he falls in love with the intelligent Half Moon, the cat who would become the first Stoneteller or Teller of the Pointed Stones, healer of the Tribe. I’m a sucker for their star-crossed-lovers story, separated by decades and decades and only reunited in the past. The tragedy is all the worse since Jayfeather can never “move on” in real time because he’s a medicine cat forbidden to have a mate or kits. I felt my heart hurt for him when he asked Rock why he couldn’t stay in the past and live out a life with Half Moon. To love somebody so deeply but be torn apart by responsibility (i.e. Jayfeather’s to fulfill the prophecy of his lifetime and Half Moon to be the first Stoneteller), deserves a high rating either way. There’s something about sadness and longing in Warriors’ couples that makes them all the better. Not to mention, in The Great Battle, they briefly reunite, her spirit wavering but staying strong. I imagine, or hope, that whenever Jayfeather joins StarClan, they may at least see each other.
Lionblaze and Cinderheart
Rating: 8/10
When Lionblaze and Cinderheart became a possibility in the books, I was all on board. After his failed relationship with Heathertail, I knew it was only a matter of time before he had another mate prospect. Since Cinderheart had a close friendship with his sister, Hollyleaf, and has her own plotline as Cinderpelt’s reincarnation, the books gave her plenty of characterization to rival Lionblaze’s. As two fully fleshed-out characters, their dynamic was interesting and real. I loved seeing how much concern Cinderheart had for Lionblaze’s recklessness, and how he finally couldn’t contain himself from telling her about the “kin of your kin” prophecy to ease her mind. It was even better that this didn’t ease her mind, but caused more conflict when she felt inadequate beside him. When Cinderheart received Cinderpelt’s memories, she struggled with the thoughts of unrequited love that Cinderpelt held. Yet, here was fulfillment for a love story that all Cinderheart had to do was accept. The scene where she lets go of Cinderpelt and gives an affirmative to Lionblaze was sweet in the midst of battle preparation. Usually, I’m not always for a back-and-forth relationship, but this tug-of-war between them was a fun side plot that supplanted the main plot. It’s also always nice not to get a “love at first sight” romance plot. We don’t see them as parents too much, but I loved how they named their first litter of kits after the ThunderClan she-cats who lost their lives in The Great Battle.
Dovewing and Tigerheart(star)
Rating: 8.5/10
I think this one might be a little controversial for one major fact: Tigerheart and Dovewing first met when Dovewing was about a month old fresh apprentice and Tigerheart was a freshly named warrior. They also started “dating” (in Warriors terms) secretly and became mates before she was made a warrior. In general, this is icky and problematic, but I want to make a case for its high ranking (not to mention that age gaps are unfortunately common for the series). For starters, they are one of the most complicated back-and-forth relationships that were followed from Omen of the Stars to Tigerheart’s Shadow, a Super Edition focusing on him and her, and are still mentioned frequently in the current series. From breakup to back together, the way these two can’t stay away from each other already boosts their score; they click. I remember when I was no longer reading the series—a tragedy—and heard that Dovewing left ThunderClan to be with Tigerheart in ShadowClan, I was devastated. It didn’t make sense why Dovewing would leave for him when she put her heart and soul into her birth Clan. Yet, when I finally read that part of the series, it made complete sense. Not only did she love him, but she needed to escape the place where she was nothing but a prophecy cat. ShadowClan gave her that shelter and a chance to grow as a character. Also, as I mentioned with Lionblaze and Cinderheart, I don’t like characters that can’t make up their minds. So, when these two were finally settled with being together, I was simply relieved. Though I disliked Tigerheart for a majority of his Super Edition, the relationship that continues to blossom between him and Dovewing was good. They grow together as a team for their kits, and in The Broken Code, they are essentially the perfect parents. It is so clear that Tigerstar will always put Dovewing and his family above anyone and I have to reward that sweet loyalty.
Dovewing and Bumblestripe
Rating: 1/10
When I first read this arc, I was cheering for Dovewing and Bumblestripe to get on. I loved Dovewing with Tigerheart, but I understood their relationship was done, so I was encouraged to see her getting close to a cat from ThunderClan. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that she didn’t feel for Bumblestripe what she did for Tigerheart, which soiled the relationship. Though they tried to make it work, it was obvious the two of them would never be mates for real. This is primarily why I rated them at a one, but it also pertains to Bumblestripe’s attitude. I get it, it sucks to think that you’ve found the love of your life only to be broken up with. Their relationship is one of the more realistic of Warriors, as Dovewing’s struggle with losing her powers and trying to fit into ThunderClan greatly affects and eventually ends her relationship with Bumblestripe. Plus, it’s salt in the wound when she eventually leaves the Clan to be with her true love in ShadowClan. However, it was wrong of Bumblestripe to brand her a traitor and become incredibly hostile towards her because of it (in A Vision of Shadows). It’s also important to mention how insistent he is about having kits when they are together, often bringing it up and later even trying to get back with Dovewing to start a family. In general, I dislike Bumblestripe too, especially for his harshness towards wanting to punish “code breakers,” which was really a dig at Dovewing. I only granted them a point because of how realistic their situation is.
Breezepelt and Heathertail
Rating: 5.5/10
While Lionpaw and Heatherpaw weren’t meant for each other (discussed in my previous article), Breezepelt and Heathertail likely were. As Heathertail gets sharper and Breezepelt gets softer in later books, they mold and grow together as mates and characters. It was clear early after the forbidden relationship ended, that the “annoying” Breezepaw, later Breezepelt, would be slated for Heathertail’s mate. I’m fairly sure he’s always liked her from the beginning, even though we don’t get their perspective unless looking through ThunderClan POV’s. At the end of the day though, I don’t have much to say about them. Their coupling makes sense and they’re well-rounded characters instead of randomly thrown together. I’m not a fan of Breezepelt’s character, and I could take it or leave it with Heathertail. I like how dedicated they are to each other, especially with how much Heathertail defends his character, but that’s about it. I wanted to give them half a point above average to recognize the good points of their relationship, but they remain in the middle mainly due to them not being one of my favorites.
Berrynose and Poppyfrost
Rating: 4.5/10
On the flip side of Berrynose and Honeyfern’s romance (discussed in my previous article), Berrynose’s official relationship is rated lower and more complicated because of it. I’ve already talked about how I don’t generally like Berrynose, but I’ve been mostly indifferent and even grown to dislike Poppyfrost based on more current Warriors books. Going all the back though, I find her love story with Berrynose a bit sad and tragic because of Honeyfern’s passing. As Jayfeather begins to watch over Poppyfrost, who is now mated and bearing Berrynose’s kits, he follows her one day to the Moonpool. Here she attempts to contact Honeyfern, believing that Berrynose will never love her since he loved her sister first. This builds into the plot of The Dark Forest when Breezepelt and a DF warrior attack both her and Jayfeather, but Honeyfern’s spirit comes to the rescue. She reassures Poppyfrost that Berrynose does love her and wants to protect her. The reason this all came up though is the overbearing and controlling attitude Berrynose uses when dealing with Poppyfrost’s pregnancy. The behavior, though explained, is not excusable. I don’t want to be mean, considering this is Poppyfrost’s worst fear confirmed in this paragraph, but Berrynose and Honeyfern were better together. I believe that Berrynose does love Poppyfrost, but my thoughts stand. I do like how realistic it is that the two got close due to Honeyfern’s death, but this relationship is just “eh” to me.
Owl Feather and Jagged Lightning
Rating: 5/10
Technically, Owl Feather and Jagged Lightning should’ve been in the Power of Three article; however, with eight couples already in that and needing one for this, I decided to shift them. They do have some features in Omen of the Stars regardless, so it’s not a huge shift. To jump right into it, they’re the middle-of-the-road couple for the article so I don’t have much to say. Being Ancients, their only cameos are throughout Jayfeather’s chapters, and in those they’re brief. They also appear in the prologue of The Last Hope when the Clans are preparing to battle The Dark Forest. I always found them interesting, considering their early disagreement about the Ancients leaving or staying beside the Lake. When Jagged Lightning votes to leave, Owl Feather votes to stay. Later, when they’re struggling in the mountains, Jagged Lightning makes an effort to be there for his family. In the prologue of the above-mentioned book, Owl Feather states she will fight against the darkness alongside Jagged Lightning and their kits. For a relationship that’s seriously in the background, they at least have enough substance to garner a rating.
Check out my other articles for this series:
“Rating Canon Warriors Couples – The Prophecies Begin”
“Rating Canon Warriors Couples – The New Prophecy”
“Rating Canon Warriors Couples – Power of Three”
