#harewillow

Harestrike is just such a fascinating character to me, until very recent events they only played a very small part in the main comic itself, but all of the side content released that went more into their backstory, their life, their time in the Dark Forest and role in StarClan, just made them so fascinating to me. They were right all along about StarClan being corrupt, but they took that right idea and used it as a cudgel to punish the Clans with, lashing out in hurt and anger under the guise of serving a noble cause. They suffered in the Dark Forest, then they suffered in StarClan serving under Applestar. They ended up serving the exact cause that they used to fight against, but even though in life they used their crusade against StarClan to lash out, they actually did believe in it and did hate StarClan for its corruption, and it was only the years of fear and suffering in the Dark Forest and the careful abusive control of Applestar that had Harestrike at her side as her lackey. But now, Harestrike has found the courage and the righteousness of realizing they were right about StarClan all along to strike back. They were right in life, but not good, and in the afterlife they suffered, and now after going through so much, I think they've finally found a right way forward, and a desire to finally put right all of these wrongs.

It was really this piece that made me become interested in the character, and made me predict their turn against Applestar years ahead of time (yes, I'm proud of myself for predicting that one, hush :P). Just something about the piece struck me, the balance between the dark and light parts of them, and their expression, it isn't straight regret, or anger or fear like we see from them in the comic so often. It's... intense, contemplative, serious and solemn and hard all at once. The way they regard their paws and the conflicting sides of themselves, I dunno. Its what really made me think there was more to this character than the comic had shown so far.

So when I realized this piece I was drawing, with the intense expression and the idea to show both the Dark Forest and StarClan sides to them, actually looked really similar to that piece, I decided to lean into it. I actually was going to have the Dark Forest and StarClan sides flipped, but changed it to resemble that piece more. XD The expression I drew was more just straight-up intense than contemplative like Razmerry's peice, but ah well, I just kinda wanted Harestrike staring piercingly at the camera, even though they're more of an anxious spiky disaster cat than a piercing-stare sort. :P

Harestrike here is surrounded by lavenders, with the one in front of them dripping blood, as a nod to the only cat Harestrike ever killed with their own paws, and the one whose murder served as a "point of no return", at least in life - their mentor, Lavenderwhisker.