#tl;dr: to counteract the lack of real problems in canon he has been given so many new ones

[eldritchstarclan]

Brambleclaw And The Code

Brambleclaw was intended to be a caring father and mate in canon, but turned out abusive due to poor work on the Erins’ part.

His personality turned out rather bland, like many of the male protagonists of Warriors, leaving him adrift in a sea of different depictions and discourse.

He is so close to being something, but simply isn’t.

Then where does that put him in Eldritch StarClan AU?

Well, his one trait is how people go “oh wow! He looks like Tigerstar! Scary!”, and how he wants to step out of that shadow, despite following his father around like a lost puppy as an apprentice.

So I decided to lean on his fear of being his father a little more, and to take out some of the ground under his feet.

When Bramble is made into an apprentice, rather than being taken on by Fireroot (who is a medic anyway), he is taken on by Bluestar. 

Bluestar was the previous mentor of Tigerclaw, and when Tigerclaw turns against her, that stress is put onto Bramblepaw tenfold, due to not only his resemblance to his father, but also Bluestar feeling the need to ‘set things right’ where she couldn’t before.

Bluestar grows incredibly strict, and he’s taught less and less about battle, and more about the warrior code. She is harsh on him, causing his training to be much more of an obstacle.

Tawny urges him to escape Thunderclan with her, insisting they will only be seen as their father’s children, and that within ShadowClan, there might be resolve for them, even if it means being with their father. Bramblepaw— who has grown to despise his father— is disgusted Tawny would suggest such a thing, and refuses.

After Bluestar dies, Bramblepaw comes to feel he simply isn’t good enough, and is harder and harder on himself. The code becomes incredibly important to him, but there’s one thing that he is truly unable to break, even moreso than the rest of the code.

He could not kill anyone, even if he needed to.

Obviously, this sounds like a bump in the road when it comes to TNP; he must kill Hawkfrost, right?

But actually, Brightstar is the one to finish him. This scars Brambleclaw, causing him to become even more resolute in avoiding murder.

Still, he is praised for rescuing the leader, and is assigned the role of deputy.

In PO3, he imprints the importance of the code into the three— but Holly ESPECIALLY. She admires her father greatly, and probably even gets called his little ‘shadow’, as she tends to follow him around camp as a kit, watching him perform his duties. It is endearing, although it often results in Hollykit hearing the arguments between him and Squirrel.

Now... his devotion to the code doesn’t come back until he discovers what Hollyleaf has done.

When he discovers his daughter— his DAUGHTER— murdered Ashfur, he doesn’t know about Ashfur burning down the gathering island.

All he knows is that he’s worked so hard to distance himself from the violent legacy of his father, and the daughter he loves so dearly has UNDONE that. He will surely only be the son of a murder— the father of a murderer—

At the gathering island, this comes to a climax when he yells at Holly for what she’s done. The crime of killing a Clanmate is unforgivable without the context of what Ashfur had done, so she is chased into the tunnels.

After this, he is estranged from his family, and his position is taken from him. 

Jayfeather and Lionblaze are furious, refusing to talk to him. Squirrelflight, finally fed up, breaks up with him. Tawnypelt, who had discovered why Holly had murdered him due to Holly confessing, is horrified that he would oust her like that.

Brightstar reprimands his brash actions and his lack of restraint in dealing with this, as it should have been a private clan matter before being announced, and tells him his temper makes him unfit to be a leader, revoking his title as deputy.

He is left to think of his actions.

Brambleclaw is a incredibly bland character in canon, but I believe that given the right spin, he can be intriguing, preserving his flaws while giving the characters around him the power to impose consequences.