Things I Hate About Warriors Fanfiction

Insane characters

And why you shouldn't write them.

Insane can considered a slur - an ableist one. This is because it's used in a negative manner to describe someone who's "out of their mind." and often used to describe murderers, or people who commit horrible crimes, all while relating to people in the past who've been mentally ill and have been called insane and chucked in asylums where they underwent trauma. Either way, it's used against those who are mentally ill - particularly people who have experienced psychosis.

Now, the way the fandom describes someone who is insane are characters who kill without emotion, usually possess no empathy and are typically written as edgy. You know, the "psycho, insane killers." (Fun fact- psycho can also be  considered an ableist slur due to the derogatory way it's used against people with psychosis, and has a long history with misogyny too.)

This fandom depiction of insanity is immature and inaccurate. Not only is it not what true insanity is at all, but is actually inaccurate to most murderers as well.

What is true insanity? To be blunt, psychosis is the closest you'll get. (Though don't use the term to describe psychosis or I'll eat you.)

And there is actually one cat in Warriors who experiences psychosis, though it's written in the form of a power.

Goosefeather.

Technically, he experienced auditory hallucinations. He saw, heard, even touched things that couldn't be seen, heard, or felt like others. It negatively impaired his life, and went in for over six months - it went in for his entire life. The dude fits the criteria of psychosis.

So your local edgy murder who bathes in blood every night , sharpens their claws on bones, cuts themselves with their own claws (not biologically possible) and murders their entire family isn't really insane.

Goosefeather and cats like him are. Or, the better, non ableist term would be Goosefeather and cats like him are psychotic.

So there you have it.
Short but necessary.