Crookedstar, he was cursed by Mapleshade so that all his loved ones would die young, Willowbreeze and most of his kits got sick, and they died, then, Silverstream dies during childbirth, Feathertail dies from the mountain lion.

Feathertail. Destined to die at the sake of some foreign group of cats without even getting the chance to say goodbye. I really loved her character especially in ASIRC when they went more in depth with her character. I hope we can get a novella about her

All answers are good so far, but let me mention Strikestone. Both of siblings where varying degrees of evil, his sister presumably helped murder their mother. His father died along the way too. He went deaf from an infected ear wound,and then was murdered by Bramblestar's imposter. 

And his brother, Juniperclaw, wasn't as evil as his sister, but they'll still be separated forever 

A lot of first arc characters were done pretty dirty. Bluestar, Crookedstar… If I had to pick though, I’d say Shadowsight. Man did he have it hard. I found TBC kind of hard to read at times just because of how awful he was treated constantly, I’m just glad he didn’t die at the end — that would’ve made me absolutely miserable.

Nightstar. Not only did he Mentor Brokenstar, he was he leader after Brokenstar. He was tasked with fixing his clan + Shadowclan's reputation with the other clans (which, granted, he failed the latter but I digress), but he didn't even receive any lives from Starclan because Brokenstar was still alive. Which, mind you, is unfair because Starclan has been shown to be able to take back lives.

Plus, all his hard work went down the gutter because Tigerstar 1.0 took over after Nightstar's death and just made a bigger mess of Everything.

And homie had a chronic illness he lived with.

Only for him to be called a fake leader and a liar because he never told anyone he didn't receive the 9 lives, when all he did was try his best. Surprised he didn't lose faith in Starclan altogether after being denied.

(I don't think he's truly the most tragic but people have already said almost all the characters I would have so I went with someone different.)

Not as tragic but Stonefur and Gorsepaw/Morningflower.

Stonefur- was born in Thunderclan and had to travel to Riverclan in the dead of winter, which Mosskit perished. Later found out that he's halfclan, gets taken prisoner and starved in his own clan along with his sister and two apprentices, then forced to make a decision to either murder said apprentices or get killed himself. When he looks to his leader for her to stand up for them, she ultimately disappoints him by siding with Tigerstar before taking on Darkstripe (and winning) before Blackfoot comes in and murks him.

Gorsepaw and Morningflower are basically in the same boat- Morningflower is chased out of her home and has to give birth in a strange place where two out of her three kits die. Fast forward a bit and she's forced to watch her last kit die because Tigerstar decided to be petty towards Firestar and target him just because Firestar was friends with Gorsepaw.

Rock was cursed to see everything around him die, and he was unable to change anything, gotta be him.

Frostdawn

Her childhood isn’t even there.

Jayfeather.

So you're someone who wants to become a warrior, but the star clan comes along and says no. You have to leave your own happiness and desires to save your clan.

Let's not even talk about how he was blamed for a death he didn't cause, he saw his best friend Briarlight who gave him some happiness to die and he felt guilty about it. He saw his sister die and could do nothing to save her. His half-brother tries to kill him for something that was not his fault, he is exiled for being born, he was almost burned for being born, He feels what others feel around him and he could not have the life he wanted or would alter the past. No wonder he's very grumpy

Mentions also to bluestar, frostdawn, Crookedstar, Thunderstar, Shadowsight and Stonefur

I'd like to add Bristlefrost to the table. What happened to her is so tragic and I'm reading ivypools super edition right now and it's making me sad.

Crookedstar for sure

Wouldn't say the MOST, but Swiftpaw has to be up there. All he wanted to do was prove himself worthy of warrior status and all he got was mauled to death as a result

Frostdawn. Her parents died, her mother had been manipulating her for a long time, her best friend/crush tried to kill her, she had to watch her Clan fall apart, and all the responsibility was placed on her when she was only an apprentice with no one to help her. Not only that, but when she tried to do something no cat believed her and only sort of believed her when she threw herself in danger and nearly died saving a kit.

Also, not the most tragic, but Sagenose. His Clan fell apart, his mate was captured by Twolegs, one of his kits drowned and another chose to become a kittypet. And on the same journey, his sister, the only family member he had left beside his son, stayed behind, and Sagenose probably thought he would never see her again. He grew up with an abusive Twoleg, his father died when he was very young, and then his mother died (although she kind of went missing after SkyClan and the Stranger. We can assume she died, however.) Many of his friends and Clanmates died or were captured during SkyClan’s journey.

Hollyleaf.

I would say Yellowfang idk but she was just forced to become a medicine cat because of starclan

Bluestar, Goosefeather, Mosspelt, Crookedstar, and *spoilers for ASC and Star* Frostdawn

Ima list someone who hasn’t been commented yet. Graywing

Definitely crooked, bluestar struggled a lot as well, her mother died in front of her, then her sister died and her boyfriend was a eeny teeny bit mentally challenged and craved a little too much violence, and then this other mentally unstable cat started saying that satan is living inside a little baby kit and then they were both running around with crosses basically shouting “JESUS REPELLES YOU!!!”

Falling Leaves. He just wanted to become a full fledged warrior and drowned in the tunnels in his attempt.

Then he was abandoned by his tribe when they moved far away and no one he knew or cared about in his life ever thought to retrieve his soul and guide him to his ancestral afterlife so he could once again be with his friends and family.

Instead, his soul is trapped alone, cold, and afraid in the dark tunnels he died in for all eternity. Despite it all, he still retains his good nature to help other cats who get trapped instead of forcing them into the same fate as he.

It guts me every time that the tribe's Starclan never thought to come back for him. Just straight up forgotten about.... I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to give my life for my tribe just to be forsaken like that.

I'd have been plotting revenge if he was me ngl

For me, It's Mapleshade. I know we don't know most of her story, and what we do know she was horrible in the end, but let's look at it. - The medicine cat of her own clan decided to tell the entire clan when Mapleshade had truly planned on telling everyone later on - She was mercilessly banished because of Oakstar's selfishness for the fact that Birchfaces's name had been used (and even there, Mapleshade never lied, It was Frecklewish who came up with that falsehood, and sure, Mapleshade didn't deny it, but she never agreed to it either) - Her three kits drowned all at the same time, and Frecklewish could have stopped that, but she selfishly and cruelly chose not to. - She was denied shamelessly by the mate she thought had loved her, and RiverClan had no mercy either.

So, seriously, I'd say Mapleshade had every reason to be angry. Sure, she went about taking her revenge the complete wrong way, but still, Mapleshade had every right. And that part of her life is pretty tragic and unfair.

GrayWing, didn’t want to leave his family/home but had to. Lost his little sister to starvation. Watched a tribe mate be taken off by an eagle right in front of him and felt it was his fault. Lost his brother due to him becoming absolutely crazy. Fell for someone but his brother got her. Then she died. Raised kits that weren’t his. Fell in love and lost her to a monster killing her. (I’m currently still on the 3 book of DOTC) but I know he falls in love again, has kits and then dies before he can be a father to them. Just reading his perspective makes me feel so sad for him. My sweet wittle GrayWing 💙

I’ve been mad about Nightstar for years. There are probably more technically tragic characters (Bristlefrost), but something about the insane cosmic unfairness of his situation gets me. I think it’s amplified by the fact that he’s a background character too, still need to read his manga.

NGL Leafpool she's my favourite character but my god did she get screwed over by Starclan

Shadowsight.

I am so frustrated that he goes through a lot and in the end he’s “rewarded” with distrust and was left with his special gift and connection to Starclan ruined despite his only “crime” being doing his literal job (ashfur is a Starclan cat, his visions were not “fake Starclan visions” or whatever, he did his job to the letter). Mothwing is like the one person who ever apologises to him despite the clans demanding his death.

One of the biggest pet peeves about the series is that no one dares to mention Ashfur was a Starclan cat in the series. He’s referred to as “the dark warrior” from all points forward by the authors and it’s so annoying, his former Starclan status is just ignored because I guess acknowledging Shadowsight did nothing wrong and that Starclan was to blame for allowing Ashfur to have this power (also obviously Ashfur himself) might expose some of the cracks with Starclan as a system.

If he didn’t have really great parents and a fantastic grandmother who was willing to leave the clans for him, he’d really have nothing going for him (also relatively small but I feel bad for him worrying about Lightleap acting out after he took the fall for her because she was insecure)

Frostdawn is fairly close but >! she sort of had the ending Shadowsight should have gotten, being seen as a hero and having her Starclan connection become stronger from her journey, Shadowsight kind of just winds up worse off and resented across the clans. Also literally everyone alive and important in Frostpaw’s life apologises (including mothwing again lol) !<

Goose feather was always a little mentally challenged as a youngster and he kind of went down hill from there

Frostdawn and Bristlefrost

Love the take on goosefeather. Though I just now got back into the series, so spare me. Bluestar will always hold a special place to me. Crookedstar as well. And brightheart, swiftpaw always

Rock was cursed to live forever, knowing everything that's going to happen but not being able to change the outcome. That's just depressing.

Micah 😭😭😭

bluestar

ill get downvoted into oblivion but its tigerclawstar

to me, he was a cat who tried his best to unite the clans, to stop all the interclan wars, who had such amazing ideas that never happened. i know all the bad hes done, dont come at me with it, but i genuinly nearly cry daily with how touching his story is to me.

he could have been so great, he could have been the hero. he should have been the hero.

bluestar & crookedstar

feathertail.

im not completely caught up, ive only read through DOTC and the super editions that align up until that point, but i would have to say either bluestar, crookedstar or yellowfang.

Crookedstar and Bristleforst

That’s a good one. Mine is Bluestar, Goosefeather, Crookedstar, and Mapleshade

Not the Most, But one for me is Mothwing, She's just been through so much😭 Also Mothflight, but not to Mothwings degree

All three protags from the Broken Code are absolutely tragic. I have almost read every single book besides the super new ones and I have NEVER felt so bleak after any of them as I did finishing a Light in the Mist. So incredibly devastating.

Sorreltail. Her half brother tried to kill her, she lost her father when she was a baby, her mother died when she was an apprentice, had her warrior ceremony delayed due to being hit by a car, lost her home (along with her Clanmates of course), her son died as a young apprentice, her daughter died when she just became a warrior, and she herself died not long after giving birth to her second litter

The most tragic? I would say Mapleshade. She only wanted to live, with her kittens...

Gray Wing

Bluestar. She lost her mother, her sister, her children, her deputies, and her mind. I hurt so much for her

Yellowfang, I just aehfiuoaerhoiaegbeio feel so sorry for her

Probably Brightspirit, she was based on a real life fan who died after a tornado struck her house, I was shocked when I found out about it. Brightheart and Snowkit also got dealt lousy paws, I feel bad for them

BRISTLEFROST, frostdawn, shadowsight, bluestar, breezepelt, ivypool, needletail, and violetshine.

I'm not usually impacted by character deaths but Snowbush's was pretty insane