Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

"We have to let the warrior code rule our hearts. The death of a warrior does not mean victory."— Hollyleaf explaining to why she let go in , page 314-315

Affiliations

Current: StarClan Past: ThunderClan, Loner
Biographical information

Cause of death:Killed by Hawkfrost

Names

Kit:Hollykit

Apprentice:Hollypaw

Warrior:Hollyleaf

Medicine cat apprentice:Hollypaw

StarClan resident:Hollyleaf

Loner:Hollyleaf

Kin

Mother: Leafpool

Father: Crowfeather

Adopted mother: Squirrelflight

Adopted father: Bramblestar

Brothers: Jayfeather, Lionblaze
Half-brother: Breezepelt

Half-siblings: Two unnamed kits

Mate: Fallen Leaves

Education

Mentors: Leafpool, Brackenfur
Book appearances

Living

Leafpool's wish, Power of Three, Hollyleaf's Story, Omen of the Stars, Field Guides

Dead

The Last Hope, The Ultimate Guide, Darkest Night, Lost Stars 

Hollyleaf is a black she-cat with green eyes.

Hollykit, alongside her brothers Lionkit and Jaykit, are the kits of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. She is logical and faithful to the warrior code. At first, Hollypaw trains as a medicine cat apprentice under Leafpool, but switches to train as a warrior under Brackenfur instead. When she learns of her littermates' destiny to become more powerful than StarClan, she grows concerned about her own power. She becomes a warrior and is named Hollyleaf. During a fire, Ashfur corners Hollyleaf and her brothers and Squirrelflight is forced to reveal they are not her kits. When she discovers Leafpool and Crowfeather are her true parents, and thus broke the warrior code, Hollyleaf kills Ashfur and hides in the tunnels. The rest of ThunderClan  believes she is dead, but Hollyleaf survives thanks to Fallen Leaves. She returns to ThunderClan to help them fight WindClan in the tunnels. During the Battle Of The Dark Forest, Hollyleaf saves Ivypool and is mortally injured by Hawkfrost. As she dies, Hollyleaf finally forgives Leafpool and goes to StarClan. Hollytuft, one of Lionblaze's daughters, is named after her.

History

Looking for a longer overview? Find one !

"Coward! I'm not afraid of the truth! Leafpool is our mother, and Crowfeather–yes, Crowfeather of WindClan–is our father. These cats were so ashamed of us that they gave us away and lied to every single one of you to hide the fact that they had broken the warrior code. It's all her fault. How can the Clans survive when there are cowards and liars at the very heart of them?"—Hollyleaf revealing the truth at the Gathering page 306 

Hollykit is born to Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, along with her brothers Lionkit and Jaykit. She is shown to be curious and logical as kit. She initially becomes the medicine cat apprentice to Leafpool, taking the name of Hollypaw, because she takes an interest to the path of a medicine cat. During her apprenticeship, she befriends Willowpaw of RiverClan. Hollypaw realises she is not cut out to be a medicine cat as treating injuries make her squeamish, and is re-apprenticed to Brackenfur on the path of a warrior. She becomes close friends with Cinderpaw. Hollypaw believes strongly in the warrior code and follows it very closely. She is disapproving when she discovers her brother Lionpaw meeting Heatherpaw in secret in the tunnels that connect WindClan and ThunderClan. 

Hollypaw and her siblings travel to the mountains to help the Tribe of Rushing Water fight off some intruding rogues, and Jaypaw tells Lionpaw and Hollypaw about the Kin of your Kin prophecy. Hollypaw is stressed about the prophecy and wonders what her powers are, and how they can be used to preserve the warrior code.

She is the first cat to see Sol on ThunderClan territory and claims she saw a lion. Nobody believes her, but her littermates help her find the strange cat, and are mesmerised by his foreshadowing abilities of the sun disappearing. She is later made a warrior alongside Lionpaw and Cinderpaw and is given the name Hollyleaf. After Sol convinces ShadowClan to stop believing in the warrior code, Hollyleaf helps her siblings, Tigerpaw, Flamepaw, and Dawnpaw create a fake sign from StarClan which later turns into a real sign after StarClan cats appear.

After a fire starts near ThunderClan camp and Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, and her siblings are trapped in it, Ashfur blocks the only way out and threatens to kill Squirrelflight's kits to get revenge for her loving Brambleclaw instead of him. Squirrelflight shocks every cat by announcing that Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather are not her kits. Hollyleaf quickly begins to resent Squirrelflight for keeping this secret from all of them their entire lives.

When it is discovered that her biological parents are Leafpool and Crowfeather, Hollyleaf is distraught because she and her siblings are the result of two cats breaking the warrior code. She is horrified after Ashfur threatens to tell the truth to every cat at the Gathering and murders him at the edge of ThunderClan territory to keep him quiet. Leafpool is the only cat who knows she really killed Ashfur, and Hollyleaf threatens to kill her with deathberries, but backs off.

 Wracked with guilt and horror, Hollyleaf announces at the Gathering who their real parents are, shocking all of the Clans. Jayfeather and Lionblaze try and talk her down from leaving the Clans once she realises her mistake. They fail, and she runs into the tunnels which collapse behind her. They force themselves to believe the truth that she may be dead, and they report back to their Clan that she died chasing a squirrel into the tunnels.

"No, they made a mistake. They were just trying to make it better. No one should have died because Leafpool's heart led her along the wrong path. Doesn't every cat do that sometime in their life?"—Hollyleaf to Lionblaze page 137

Living hidden in the tunnels, Hollyleaf, who survived the tunnel collapse, helps and escape the tunnels when they spy on WindClan, and tells them who she is to get them to trust her. After this, she goes home with them, returning to her Clan. Hollyleaf's return leaves a lot of mixed feelings in ThunderClan. While her mother, Leafpool and adopted mother, Squirrelflight are overjoyed she's alive, her brothers feel hurt they they were lead to believe she was dead for so long. A lot of cats also are wary on her loyalty, especially when she reveals that she was there when Ashfur died. Right before she is about to reveal that she is Ashfur's killer, Brambleclaw stops her and instead tells the Clan that he was there when Ashfur died and that he slipped and hit a rock and Hollyleaf was only defending herself. The Clan comes around to her, and accepts this as the truth.

She prepares ThunderClan for WindClan's surprise attack by teaching them how to fight underground. Her plan succeeds, and they win the battle. During it, she confronts Sol and nearly kills him, but lets him go, saying that the warrior code is still in her heart and she found no reason to kill him. She makes Sol promise he won't come back to again, and he leaves.

During The Great Battle, she sees Ivypool get swarmed by Hawkfrost, Snowtuft  and Thistleclaw. Hollyleaf intervenes and drives Hawkfrost away, saving Ivypool but in the process she gets her neck sliced open. Distraught, Ivypool carries her back to camp, where Hollyleaf and Leafpool make amends before Hollyleaf dies. When The Ancients join to help fight the battle, Fallen Leaves mourns for his friend briefly before joining the fight. After the battle, Hollyleaf's spirit is seen rising from her body and following the others that perished during the battle, leaving with StarClan.

This section summarises Hollyleaf's significant appearances. If you're looking for a full list, find one !

In Crowfeather's Trial, Crowfeather often thinks of his ThunderClan daughter and regrets not spending time with her before her death. Later on, as he and Leafpool discuss their kits, the two are both upset that they won't be able to see her anymore, and Leafpool admits that Hollyleaf couldn't accept the fact that she was half-clan.

In Bramblestar's Storm, Bramblestar misses Hollyleaf, and recalls he believed her to be his daughter and loved her like she was his own, and misses her greatly. At the end of the book, Hollyleaf's niece, Hollykit, is named in honour of her aunt, bearing a striking resemblance to her as well.

In Leafpool's Wish, Leafpool and Squirrelflight travel away from ThunderClan so Leafpool can give birth. A black she-kit is born first, and Squirrelflight suggests naming her Hollykit since her fur is as dark as holly bark. Leafpool believes Hollykit to be gentle and thoughtful. Leafpool and Squirrelflight take the kits back to ThunderClan, and Leafpool promises to watch over them.

In Hollyleaf's Story, Hollyleaf narrowly escapes the tunnels collapsing. She cries for help, but fades out of consciousness. She wakes up to find Fallen Leaves tending to her wounds. Fallen Leaves heals her and offers to show her the way out when her injuries heal. She says no, and she stays with Fallen Leaves in the tunnel in a form of self-exile. She lives underground, and occasionally goes up to the surface to help ThunderClan. She saves Blossomfall and Ivypool when they get lost, and later Cherrypaw and Molepaw. Fallen Leaves tells her that she should return home, and when WindClan starts to plan an attack with Sol, she gives in.Detailed descriptionHollyleaf is a slender, long-legged, black she-cat with soft and long fur. She has green eyes, and a bushy tail.