Habitat
Dark Forest

The Place of No Stars (informally known as the Dark Forest) is the opposite of StarClan's hunting grounds. It is a place where cats that have committed great crimes against their Clans and against the Warrior Code go when they die. However, cats who commit crimes but believe they are following the Warrior Code by doing them can usually join the ranks of StarClan instead, like Mudclaw or Ashfur.

Description

There is no prey and cats can feel no hunger. Instead of walking the skies with friends and family, like in StarClan, cats here are banished to walk through the forest in solitude, though Tigerstar seems to have found a way to overcome this. Much like in StarClan, cats of the Place of No Stars who are forgotten by all living cats fade away to little more than ghostlike spirits, who haunt the Dark Forest.

Several cats can walk in the dreams of living cats. Usually in the dream, the cat finds him or herself in the Dark Forest, with the deceased cat(s) (Although this is not always the case, as with Hawkfrost visiting Ivypaw in a field she dreamed of). There seems to be no limitations on who the Dark Forest cats can visit, although if a cat consciously decides that they don't want to be visited any more, it seems to prevent it from happening again. Upon waking up from the dream, they will retain all characteristics acquired (for example, if they get wounded in the Dark Forest, they will have the same wound in reality as well. This also applies to fatigue, and skills practiced in the dream).

StarClan cats are able to pass into the Place of No Stars if they need to, but by doing so, they risk the chance of becoming lost and never finding their way out again. From StarClan, there is a barrier of sorts consisting of a great cloud of mist, that eventually leads to the Dark Forest. Living cats are able to visit the Dark Forest when guided by a StarClan cat, although on one occasion Leafpool was able to see it without any StarClan cat with her.

Territory

The Dark Forest is a dark, shadowy forest with lots of tall, dank, gray trees. It is mentioned to be a dull, vast empty place—the complete opposite of StarClan's hunting grounds, which are warm and sunny. The air is cold, thick, foggy and damp and it has an echoing silence. The Dark Forest also has a black and starless sky, and the trees are so tall, you can't see anything above them, allowing no light whatsoever to reach it. Mist is mentioned to wreathe the thick, sticky, bare forest floor. It has a sluggish river, its waters dark and lifeless with no stepping stones or fallen trees to be used to cross it, and around the river is sucking mud. Fungus sickly glows on trees, and there is no grass.

The border between the Dark Forest and StarClan is a white, eerie light. Here the grass is thin, and it eventually disappears altogether. At this point the air becomes so foggy, that any cat there finds themselves having trouble breathing.

Known Residents:

The spirits of the following cats are confirmed to reside in the Place of No Stars.

ThunderClan

• Darkstripe
• Mapleshade
• Thistleclaw

ShadowClan

• Brokenstar
• Clawface
• Tigerstar
• Redwillow

RiverClan

• Hawkfrost

WindClan

• Antpelt

Rogues

• Bee
• Beetle
• One Eye
• Slash

Cats of Unknown Origins or Clans

• Maggottail
• Shredtail
• Silverhawk
• Snowtuft
• Sparrowfeather

Known Trainees:

ThunderClan

• Ivypool
• Mousewhisker
• Blossomfall
• Thornclaw
• Birchfall
• Brambleclaw
• Thistleclaw
• Lionblaze

ShadowClan

• Ratscar
• Redwillow
• Tigerheart
• Applefur

RiverClan

• Beetlewhisker
• Hollowflight
• Minnowtail
• Icewing
• Crookedjaw
• Hawkfrost

WindClan

• Breezepelt
• Sunstrike
• Antpelt
• Furzepelt
• Larkwing
• Harespring

The Place of No Stars likely hosts more spirits, but only the presence of the aforementioned ones was confirmed in the books.