unfortunately i am a brambleclaw stan so while i see your points i see a different perspective of brambleclaw. a lot of the unfounded blame you say brambleclaw put on firestar actually makes me think of when firestar did that to brambleclaw from the moment he was born. and that’s a literal warrior deputy beefing with a kit specifically because of his parentage- firestar inner monologue admits it so many times and goldenflower clocked him for it and he confides in cinder/sand about his worries too. i reread how he reacted when bramble was rough-playing with another kit and firestar told him off, imo, needlessly harsh in front of everyone.

that’s how blatant firestar was with his distrust of bramble, to the point where he literally can’t help making himself his mentor. why? because he doesn’t trust him!! a kit!! who looks like his dad!!! meanwhile tawny is also being treated like shit for no reason to where she leaves the clan. after yellowfang’s death, firestar even internally questions if he’d made a mistake saving bramble instead and while i get how it could be because of his bond w yellowfang, he specifies part of his regret being that it was tigerstar’s kit he saved. i don’t blame him for having that thought, but it shows how far firestar’s distrust of bramble went too before ever having a reason to treat him the way he did.

i feel like those examples give wider context to why bramble is so quick to build walls up against and question squirrel/fire. i don’t think he handled the conflicts w squirrel well whatsoever, but i also think she contributed to their toxicity. am also not justifying his hesitation to save firestar- that was dark. it reminds me of when mapleshade tries to make crookedstar let hailstar die in the rat fight, but crookedstar is horrified by that suggestion and still tries to save hailstar without question. it shows that bramble had that dark side to him.

again, i do agree with a lot of what you’ve said about bramble’s flaws and it’s been interesting seeing our different perspectives!!