DIE YOUNG - Needletail AMV (cw: pink blood, canon-typical violence/death)

[@peppermint-moss]

🌲 VIDEO EXPLANATION: 🎆 Art direction: ✧ Blue = associated with Darktail/Needle’s loneliness ✧ Pink = associated with Rain/Needle’s selfish joy ✧ Purple = associated with Violetpaw/Needle’s selflessness 0:24 Needlepaw approaches her mentor Tawnypelt who’s talking to Rowanstar. Tawnypelt tells her she’s busy 0:31 Needlepaw is lonely in Shadowclan with no siblings, peers that fight, and warriors that don’t pay them much attention 0:37 Beepaw and Sleekpaw fight over prey again while the warriors do nothing but roll their eyes in disapproval. Needle leaves camp to wander the forest alone again 0:54 Needlepaw hears pawsteps and hurriedly hides. A Thunderclan patrol walks by (alderpaw, sandstorm, sparkpaw, molewhisker, cherryfall) 1:00 Suspicious and intrigued by the late-night patrol, Needle follows them 1:03 She finally reveals herself when she saves them from a fox. She insists they let her come along, having already overheard their mission to find Skyclan 1:06 She is nervous they’ll reject her (but tries not to show it). Alderpaw decides to let her join their quest. She is privately overjoyed 1:14 They find “Skyclan”. Darktail greets them warmly. 1:16 The group deliberates on what to do as they’ve realized Darktail’s cats are not actually Skyclan, but rather a group of vicious rouges that drove the real Skyclan out. Needlepaw is enjoying spending time with Rain, one of Darktail’s cats 1:19 The group escapes from Darktail’s Kin. The branch they use to cross a river suddenly breaks, sending Needle and Alder over a waterfall. Needlepaw hates water. 1:27 Separated from the others, the two search for their way back home together. 1:29 Needle insists they travel through a tunnel under the thunderpath, as per Alder’s dream telling him to ‘find a different path’ (despite his protests that that isn’t what his dream meant) 1:32 To their surprise, they find 2 abandoned kits. 1:34 With a gentleness that surprises Alder, Needle and he tend to the kits and vow to bring them home to the clans for proper care. They name them Twigkit and Violetkit, and Needlepaw is proud and happy to have saved them 1:40 At the next gathering, suspecting the two kits are part of Alderpaw’s prophecy, Shadowclan insists on taking one of the kits because Needlepaw helped find them 1:43 With a coldness Alderpaw doesn’t remember from their journey, Needlepaw takes Violetkit to Shadowclan, leaving Twigkit with him 1:46 Back in Shadowclan again, Needle is pleased at the attention that being part of Thunderclan’s quest has brought her 1:50 Tawnypelt snaps at her to gather some moss for the elders. Irritated at her mentor for ruining her good mood, she heads out into the forest 1:53 Needle secretly meets with Rain and the rest of Darktail’s Kin who are now near Shadowclan territory as the rogues had followed the group back to the clans. She agrees with his disapproval of how the clans operate 1:59 Needlepaw, Juniperpaw, and Sleekpaw leave Shadowclan to join Darktail. Needlepaw takes Violetkit with her, claiming ownership over her as she was the one to find her. Rowanstar yowls good riddance, letting them go 2:00 Now living with the Kin, Needletail gives herself a warrior name and continues flirting with Rain, ignoring Violetpaw 2:02 Rain challenges Darktail’s leadership 2:04 Darktail takes out Rain’s eye for his defiance. 2:07 With no healer, Needletail worriedly cares for Rain. Scared by Darktail’s viciousness and feeling increasingly abandoned with Needle’s attention on Rain, Violetpaw finally sneaks out to leave the Kin to return to Shadowclan 2:09 Needle wakes up to find Violetpaw gone 2:14 Darktail’s Kin takes over Shadowclan 2:17 They drive out Rowanstar, Tigerheart, and Tawnypelt. Despite mixed feelings on Darktail, the rest of Shadowclan chooses to stay 2:18 Needletail delights in Rowanstar’s ruin, but is dismayed as Violetpaw walks past her to leave with them 2:20 Needletail begs Violetpaw not to leave her again. She says Violetpaw is her kin, not like the other rogues are 2:25 Violetpaw hesitates a moment longer, but Needletail has convinced her. She joins the Kin. 2:26 Needle and Rain continue being together but now she and Violet spend more time together as well 2:28 After the Kin won a recent battle against the four clans, Needletail returns from hunting, satisfied and happy 2:30 Needletail is horrified to find Darktail standing over Rain’s body. Violetpaw witnessed Rain attempt to assassinate Darktail, only for Darktail to kill him instead. 2:40 Darktail becomes suspicious of Needletail’s loyalties because of how close she was to Rain 2:44 Needle grieves for Rain. Violet stays by her side 2:51 Needletail appreciates Violetpaw’s presence more than before 2:56 Aware of Darktail’s distrust, Needle is afraid of what he might do to her 3:05 Darktail’s Kin attacks Riverclan. Too scared to disobey, Needle fights against Reedwhisker (Riverclan deputy), as Darktail relishes in driving Riverclan out 3:12 In the aftermath, Needletail watches Darktail soothe Violetpaw, who is crying over Max’s body (one of the kittypets Darktail recruited) 3:17 Needletail remembers when she first rescued Violetkit in the tunnels, truly realizing how dire of a situation she’s gotten them both in 3:20 Alderheart notices Needle’s fear, despite her attempts to hide it. (Needle convinced Raven to let Alderheart+Mothwing in to retrieve herbs in exchange for them teaching Puddleshine how to use herbs (A lie. Puddleshine already knows how lol) 3:22 Raven reports to Darktail about how Needletail allowed clan cats to take their herbs 3:24 Darktail confronts Needle about this disloyalty while Violet begs him not to hurt her 3:26 Darktail imprisons Needle with the Riverclan cats he had imprisoned from the battle 3:27 Trapped in the small den with 4 Riverclan cats who are justifiably angry at her helping Darktail drive out their clan, Needle tries to ignore them and sleeps restlessly 3:29 Needletail reflects: Alder and Needle bringing Twigkit and Violetkit home to the clans 3:30 Needle feels well-liked by her peers and enjoys the attention that finding Violet has brought her 3:31 During Needle’s time with the Kin, Darktail has been secretly dealing with cats who try to leave the Kin by drowning them. In this scene, he kills Birchbark. 3:33 The 4 clans attacking the Kin (the battle right before Rain’s death). Needle and Rain urge Violet to attack her sister, Twigpaw 3:34 Darktail killing Mistcloud. 3:36 Needle regularly steals prey from the elders, as per Darktail’s ideals that every cat hunts and cares for themself 3:37 Darktail with Dawnpelt’s body. 3:39 A fond memory of Rain, interrupted by the scene of his death. But it’s Violetpaw’s terrified face that sticks with her 3:42 Needletail wakes to Reedwhisker dropping part of a fish in front of her. 3:45 Reed still doesn’t like Needle, but he will not just let her die either (Darktail barely shares prey with the prisoners and they’re starving). Needle realizes how compassionate this gesture is, and how undeserving she feels of it. 3:47 Time passes. All the prisoners are hungry. Violet sneaks Needle an extra piece of prey 3:48 To Violet’s surprise, Needle gives it to the Riverclan cats. She’s made a newfound friendship with them during their imprisonment together. 3:49 Despite the circumstances, Violet is warmed to see Needletail’s new selflessness. 3:51 Violet carries out her part of the plan she made with the clans: to lace prey with poppy seeds so that the Kin will be weakened when the clans attack that night 3:54 But Darktail discovers Violet’s plan. 3:56 The prisoners wake, confused and wary. As Darktail nears, Needletail realizes something terrible is about to happen. 4:00 Roach holds Violet back as Darktail waterboards Needle: this is Violet’s punishment for her betrayal 4:07 Darktail relents to Violet’s pleads to stop. He offers Needle a second chance to prove her loyalty: kill Violetpaw. 4:09 Violet is terrified and convinced Needle will go through with it. Needletail makes her choice. 4:17 Claws sheathed, Needletail pins Violetpaw to the ground and tells her to RUN. 4:23 Needletail attacks Raven, gaining a momentary advantage from the Kin’s shock. Again Needletail urges Violet to flee, to make this count. 4:28 Violet escapes. The Kin recover quickly. 4 against 1, they soon overwhelm Needletail 4:34 Needletail continues fighting in the lake, catching a glimpse of Raven chasing after Violet. All she can do now is keep the other 3 occupied by fighting her 4:36 Darktail finally manages to force her underwater. 4:43 With Darktail and 3 of his cats away, the Riverclan prisoners have taken the opportunity to fight back (needletail’s actions have given them a chance to escape too… augh) 4:44 As per the original plan Violet+the clans made, clan cats rush in and join the attack against the Kin. With their help, the Kin are driven out of Riverclan territory. 4:45 Alder asks Reedwhisker if he knows where Needletail and Violetpaw are. 4:47 Reed tells him that Darktail took them away earlier. Alderheart fears the worst, and he is right: Needletail is dead. 4:56 Needle returns as a ghost. 4:59 Needle searches for Violet to make sure she got away and finds her reuniting with her sister in Thunderclan. 5:02 Twigpaw introduces Violetpaw to their father: Hawkwing, Skyclan deputy, who she found on her own journey. Their mother’s ghost, Pebbleshine, watches over them. Violetpaw is overjoyed to have found her family. 5:09 Moons later, Tree makes the ghosts of Darktail’s victims visible so they can talk to the clans. 5:11 Alderheart and Violetshine tearfully greet Needletail. 5:15 The ghosts’ message delivered, Needle says goodbye to them and the ghosts are released to join Starclan at last. (ghosts: beenose, dawnpelt, mistcloud, needletail, lioneye, birchbark) 5:21 Violetshine says goodbye :’)

[@Hedge-pr5wr]

woahh so excited!!

[@TheBestPplAreHere]

ARGHGHGHG IM SO EXCITED I CANT WAIT CAN YOU PLZ JUST SHOW IT NOW? i’ll be your best friend if you do :D

[@muffinstar9188]

THIS IS INSANE! It’s definitely one of the best Warriors AMVs, and the only ones I think are on par with it were also made by you lol!

[@PlipPlap]

as someone who read the story a long time this was super helpful with refreshing my memory! thank you for taking the effort to write all of that out!

[@Ucatty2]

the play by play is wonderful and very helpful. I am glad you typed it out and made this MAP

[@Oiyll]

the peppermint-moss method: *disappears for a year or so* "ok here's the most badass amv ever" *disapears for a year or so* "it gets even better"

[@peppermint-moss]

pretty much lmao

[@Joyridemirror_wcue]

@@peppermint-mossPEPPER I CRIED I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD /j

[@Carissime]

i love how you displayed needletail’s bad doings, her selfishness, i don’t see it in a lot of needletail animatics. they mostly skip over those parts and make her out to be just a hero who redeemed herself because of her mistakes and that was it, not fully going/showing into depth what those mistakes were and the effect/consequences it had on herself and the people around, only the climaxes of it. you did this so well, im always amazed by your work and im glad to see so much effort, details, in your work. it’s inspiring.

[@nonerdsherexx]

I haven’t read this arc since I honestly have been eating the content through animations/FANART since after Power of three but damn this one goes hard, honestly might read the arc now I love her being a shit head and ending up still saving Violet this eats!!! It’s so much better to add these details as they help add magnitude to how much she changed over the arc!!! Good shit!!! 💞💞

[@c.r.4985]

4:47 ALDER'S HEART MARKING BREAKING AGHHH

[@Annagator-ze8oo]

woah I didn’t notice that, THATS SUCH A COOL DETAIL

[@kristinarogovich2750]

@@Annagator-ze8oo yea-

[@Priscistarr]

Its a really good detail including the fact Alder had a crush on needle at the time!

[@namikkou]

​@@Priscistarr i always felt so sad when reading AVoS. Even if it was never stated, it was so obvious he liked her. And then she died :(

[@RydertheWriterSmileyface]

​@@namikkouthat's what they do, they get you attached and then they drown them. that seems to be a trend of the Erin's right now 😂

[@snowedinokaly]

FINALLY A NEEDLETAIL AMV!! I will die on the hill that Needletail and Violetpaw have the most underrated relationship in the series. So tragic and complex and you’ve perfectly explored that here.

[@Sodacaramel]

AGREED

[@captainsnake8515]

REAL. They’re definitely some of the best characters. It’s actually tragic that some people skip AVoS when the first three books are so incredible, in large part due to needletail

[@misfit_raven4367]

Honestly WHY do people skip avos?? ITS MY FAVOURITE ARC

[@otterholly3603]

EXACLTLY!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH YOU DONT KNOW

[@xzSaturnzx]

EXACTLY THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANIMATIONS YETTT😭

[@Pebble_Kitty]

Honestly, one of my favorite parts of this AMV is the fact that you showed off her relationship with Rain. A lot of Needletail MAPs/AMVs skim over or completely ignore their relationship, when in reality they were practically mates. He was one of the main cats who got her into the Kin and his death was the starting point for her leaving Darktail, not to mention it was a very important relationship in her life and her caring for him during his eye injury was one of the first times we see her compassionate side.

[@imaginarylivingbody7154]

Probably because the age gap is big and kind of gross.

[@mooneatsworms]

​​@@imaginarylivingbody7154 considering the fact he started bonding with her as a child when he was a grown cat makes it literally textbook grooming, so many options and they just go for the oldest guy holy macaroni 😞 Personally, I like to just pretend it was a more mentor and apprentice-esque relationship, Needle looking up to him a lot

[@siqxyre8473]

@@imaginarylivingbody7154I mean we never get a true confirmation on how old Rain is, who knows, he could be right out of apprentice age!

[@leninha0908]

​@@siqxyre8473 Yeah I like to believe he was her age but acted like he was older

[@bashfulwolfo6499]

@@mooneatswormsAs others have said, we were actually never given Rain’s age. All that we were told is that he’s big and muscular. It’s quite possible that they were actually around the same age.

[@sleepydevil8208]

I adore this because not only does it actually show Needletail being a flawed character and not just a hero, but highlights how selfish she was in the beginning and how, well, morally-grey she was until she noticed her ways, another thing I saw was for once a needletail amv not focusing on her and sleekwhisker with violet in the background as a "Oh she'll be important later", type thing.

[@NiftyMoons]

"This is a masterpiece!" -we all say in unison

[@BrynHirschman]

So true

[@5UMM1T]

This is very much so a masterpiece

[@xzSaturnzx]

Real, beyond masterpiece

[@Asherrr-q4p]

It’s so good there isn’t a word to describe it

[@Espurrso]

I like the detail that when Alderheart realizes Needletail is dead his chest heart starts to crack 4:47

[@jaelyyymar8071]

3:30 One thing I noticed is in the memories of Needletail have transitioned from being happy and feeling included to her stewing on the memories and thinking over who she hurt in the background of her story. Most of the dead bodies up to that point were fuzzed out for her, but then she has crystal clear focus of Violetpaw and Twigpaw fighting, stealing food from old and hungry cats with her love interest, and just overall the tyranny she became involved in. Being imprisoned gave her time to think on what she did, and just who exactly paid the price for her actions.

[@Raccoonboi634]

Thumbnail goes so hard

[@gacha_alice3975]

Fr

[@Kitsu_ItezaCreates]

FRR looks like a detective scene!!

[@that-travler-th4rian]

Fr. Fr

[@Raccoonboi634]

@@Kitsu_ItezaCreates YES

[@Your_local_galaxy_.2]

İt really does

[@pinkliondoodles3989]

Oh my gosh I've never gotten such an emotional response to an AMV like this before, I'm crying actual tears right now. The colors choices to explain Needletail's internal emotions, the facial expressions. The part that got me the most was Needletail reflecting on Violetpaw's life having taken a nose dive concerning her emotional state. She thought that Darktail would give her freedom away from the faces of clan cats who showed disdain for the way the younger generation want to live their lives, but its ruining the innocent smile Violetpaw had. Gosh this is incredible.

[@peppermint-moss]

awh thank you!!

[@evelutioncor]

The most of an emotional response I've gotten was being disgusted at Darktail's actions.

[@puffy8271]

4:24 the song at this part as it changes its tone fits this scene so incredibly well. it captures the anxiety that violetpaw would be feeling as she is forced to leave her friend to get gruesomely mauled and drowned by 4 cats, and how needletail desperately cries out for her to 'run and make this count'..... i want to cry.

[@OceanGlow-jv8kj]

I've never seen Needletail's character potrayed as well as it is here! I feel like you've struck a very fine balance between holding Needletail accountable for her actions but also showing how lost she truly was and how much she changed as a cat! Amazing job as always

[@giingersnaps]

incoming peppermint moss banger

[@Willowleaf_wc]

👀

[@-TheCatsEyeZZ-]

@@Willowleaf_wcOMG WILLOWLEAF HAII >:D

[@Willowleaf_wc]

@@-TheCatsEyeZZ-HAII LOLLL😂❤

[@RosieLittlekiity]

Fr

[@blueberrybagel3325]

I love how when Needletail 'attacks' violetpaw, you can see her claws are still sheathed!

[@RosieLittlekiity]

This is why I love Needletail so much. Despite not being the perfect cat, she realized in time that she had made mistakes, and made up for them by saving Violetshine. Even though she was selfish at times, she always cared about Violetshine, which is really sweet. It makes me happy she finally made it to Starclan.

[@estherlover60]

BRO STOP THIS IS ACTUALLY SO GOOD!!! THAT LIPSCYNCING?!? AND THAT RAW EMOTION?!???? GOT ME CRYING AND AMIRING OVER HERE 😭😭💖💖💖

[@peppermint-moss]

tysm!

[@EmeraldSands]

Yeah the use of lipsync is so good and meaningful every time, but in particular Needletail saying “we’ll keep dancing ‘til we die!” before she turns on the Kin to give Violetpaw time to escape hits so hard and I can’t get over it

[@BluezPlant]

"Oh what a shame you came here with someone" AND CAMERA PANTS TO VIOLETPAW. Who Needletail brought into the Kin in the first place. Truly a shame

[@rubyyy0529]

3:38 hits so hard in my soul omfg ToT that part was did so incredibly well and heart breaking

[@DemiseReturns]

Absolutely incredible, I love how it portrayed Needletail's eventual redemption.

[@BeanKally]

4:18 not even ashamed to admit I teared up here It’s very rare that an animation will make me cry, but this was just so beautifully crafted…

[@picat3422]

im ngl i dont really remember avos but i do remeber needletail was one of my fav characters,, i love this sm the emotions and everything are done so well omg i was on the verge of tears seeing needletail choosing violetpaw over herself omg

[@wildtail1683]

THIS GOES INSANE? My Die Young to a serious and heartjerking animation is not what we expected tonight but we'll soooo take it. I literally got goosebumps

[@HarmlessJesting]

I feel like you showed a lot of relationships that Needletail had with cats that not many people mention. Rain and Alderheart (as well as Violetpaw obv) were big parts of her life as well as her mentor and resenting apprentice duties. You gave her a side that no one talks about and I really loved watching it! The background colors that you explained make so much sense for Needletail's overall life. Not many people really talk about Rain and the impact he had in getting Needletail to join The Kin. This was stunning!

[@angryowl_jay]

1:23 love the foreshadowing

[@jjsstikbotvideos4421]

Oh shit yeah, paralleling 4:53

[@2Navalie]

subtle foreshadowing

[@ILikeBirdsAWholeBunch]

The fact that you're using Penny's cover of Die Young from the fandubs has me kicking my feet and squealing I'm so excited for this, your videos go so hard

[@FelisGalactus]

I loved the part where Darktail showed Needletail his Gamer Pad

[@ILikeBirdsAWholeBunch]

@@FelisGalactus The idea of Needletail as Red's version of Silver & Darktail as Chase's Mephilis made me snort extremely loud, obsessed

[@axelf9947]

I feel like Violetpaw would fit Snapcube Silver better lmao… Needle can be Blaze in that scenario 😭

[@pastadraws8885]

I forget what a refreshing and strong character Needletail was from the very beginning; the clans had just finally gotten a chance to breathe, for someone like her to be able wander into other clans for kicks and giggles, leave the territories without telling anyone, etc to thrive. Even when she meets darktail for the first time she’s such a confident speaker and her anti-neurotic personality has this weird ability to seep into genuine threats and break them down from the inside. There were so many instances of insane battles of will between the two of them and good lord, does needletail just add depth and interest to every character around her, from starting out as an Alderheart antithesis to someone who turns Darktail from just another villain-of-the-arc to someone with such a threateningly destructive drive that I only started to take seriously once it started to shake needletail. And the fact that even in the end he was never really able to truly break her like he broke other cats,, she still went out getting everything she wanted so long as Violetpaw was safe. She’s everything I love about characters like Ivypool but has the best character relationship moments like Cinderpelt, you did an insane job as always in adding life to these characters that the authors themselves weren’t even able to capture !!

[@briqhtlightss]

i just HAVE to gush for a second: the beauty in your colour schemes, the simple motions you add in characters' body language and/or movements, the slightest shift in expressions, and the messy clarity of your work always blows me away. you are seriously such a massive inspiration, and, incredibly, you manage to one-up yourself every single time. the amount of details, planning and intricacy that goes into every little scene - you re-spark the magic that this series had for me as a kid and reimagine it into life in just the best way possible. hands-down my favourite warriors' artist, let alone my favourite warriors' animator

[@peppermint-moss]

;w; that means a lot awugh thank you so much!!!

[@briqhtlightss]

@@peppermint-moss of course!!!! it's always a joy to see art from you:)

[@muffin-r6m]

i don’t know how to put my feelings about this pmv into words. i think it’s actually one of the best pieces of animation out there. i kept rewatching bits over and over just because i needed to see every detail, burn it all into my memory, just because they were so stunning. you animate really beautifully, but along with that, you also somehow manage to capture the emotions and story so well. not to mention the colour symbolism, which is so creative and well-thought out. i’ve never been super into needle tail or avos, but this pmv some just changed that. it told the story in such a wonderful, amazing creative way. I’m actually thinking about rereading the series because of this. you made this story so much better than the Erin’s ever did. you showed what the story could’ve been, unlocked all the hidden potential and drama and emotion behind it. you’re not just a great animator, but a storyteller. i think i could compliment this all day long- the designs, colour pallets, movement, colour palettes (i really liked the colour pallets) but i think i’ve said enough. simply put, this is one of the best things i’ve ever seen, and possibly will ever see. you are absolutely amazing.

[@peppermint-moss]

aw thank you so much!!

[@inkymkk]

RYAGAFGGHHD 2:51 THE WAY NEEDLETAILS EYES SLOWLY TURNED FULLY PURPLEEEE

[@SomeRANDOMpersonwhodraws]

Needle tail was one of my favorite characters, I think I might have cried when she died, but at least she saved violet, another Favorite.

[@boog9578]

i will literally never get over the cinematography and pacing in your animatics it genuinely makes you feel like you're there. i havent even read avos and i was tearing up at the end

[@peppermint-moss]

thank you so much!!

[@justlikethewizard]

In which Peppermintmoss makes me cry AGAIN. Gosh this is so good, I'm so happy to see this tribute to Needletail. She was such an interesting character

[@goosegyatt]

this made me so happy. nobody captures violetshine and needletsils complex yet sweet relationship and this did it perfectly. another masterpiece from peppermint-moss

[@lune_falls]

every time a new peppermint-moss amv/pmvs drops, i get so excited, but then i find out it's also centered around one of my all-time favorite characters, needletail?! you knocked it out of the park with this peppermint! i definitely can't form all of my praise into coherence text, but i'll try some! the emotions you can just feel with her are incredible. i'm fr tearing up... you managed to highlight so many of the little things that make up needletail and why i think she's so interesting and complex! she's not all selfish and horrible to violetpaw, she's not all the cool perfect sister figure, she's just a kid herself a lonely kid who made some very poor decisions who loved violetpaw with all her heart and would literally die to keep her safe- and the art... my jaw is on the floor! from the actual animation that's astonishingly perfect, the gorgeous color choices for needletail's different feelings, along with the expressions full of such emotion they make my heart clinch... i've always loved how you leave timestamps with explanations as to what's happening but your composition is so admirable because the story you're trying to tell is just so straightforward and easy to comprehend to the point where someone unfamiliar with the books could understand the general idea of what's supposed to be happening! also, one last small thing, but you're one of the first people i've seen actually make needletail noticeably emaciated during her sacrifice! that detail is always left out even though in the book, she'd been actively starved with some cats imprisoned alongside her with the same punishment, not making it. i think this makes what she did for violetpaw even more impressive. she was so frail and so weak but managed to fight off 3 healthy, very skilled fighters, long enough for violetshine to get away! ty for these fandom classics that you obviously work so hard on that that you casually drop and make my entire week with! ❤️

[@peppermint-moss]

Tysm!!

[@quailez7608]

The second I saw the thumbnail, I was ecstatic!! I LOVE how you show how Needletail made bad decisions and how she didn't really process their negative effects on Violetpaw. But when she realizes this, she reflects on her actions and subsequently sacrifices herself to save her close friend in the end.

[@roxypuppyy]

I just wanted to say that this AMV is gorgeous and one of my favorite WC videos ever right now. I love the colors, the song choice, the designs, the dynamic shots! It's all so amazing! I'd also like to say that this song choice is genius for Needletail's story. By all definition, it's a song about freedom, love, having a good time, etc. all things Needletail desired and later gained due to her selfishness. But as the song becomes more intense and crescendos, we get to see the literal "dying young" that the characters are experiencing. Both physically with Needletail and other young warriors being drowned, but also emotionally. Violetpaw has become traumatized. Their young innocent minds have died. I especially need to shoutout the scene where Rain is lovingly looking at Needletail before it switches to reality, where he is brutally murdered. But how Needletail's gaze lingered more on Violetpaw's traumatized tearful expression. She'd failed to protect the one cat she really wanted by her side the entire time. Not Darktail. Not Rain. Not Sleekwhisker. Violetpaw. I commend you for making this masterpiece and if it wasn't so late for me I'd totally make a longer comment dissecting the entire thing because god is this AMV so good. I can see this becoming a big well known warriors animation!

[@peppermint-moss]

tysm!!

[@Riverthunder]

I think the use of the pink blood is so effective because towards the end when Needletail dies and it’s much darker it really hits home that this is it for her. Such a lovely AMV!! Thank you so much for making it and sharing it!!

[@Shsy7573]

My favourite part about this whole thing has got to be the way you can LITERALLY see the improvement. Like. The whole thing is gorgeous, but by the end you can see how much each frame has caused you to grow as an artist, and it just makes the payoff of Needles final sacrifice, naturally, so much more gratifying to watch. Just. GAH! You, my friend, and incredible. Loved this sm.

[@raptoria1705]

Wow this is SO GOOD! 3:39 is probably my favorite part from the whole video because of how abrupt/visceral it is

[@MlSTAHPH0NE]

This gonna be epic EDIT: I WAS NOT EXPECTING NEW AND BETTER ANIMATION THIS WAS SO SIGMA 1000/10 thank u for feeding us after 8 months moss also rip needletail

[@Stormwolf4]

Boy did I really start to feel emotional at the end there, really nailed those hard hitting emotions! Love the change in Neddletail as the video went on, always enjoyed her confident attitude, but the way her choices changes everything for her, it just so great seeing how she reacted to it all

[@rozaliaa_]

I never once cried over a AMV about NeedleTail, you did such a amazing job portraying the story and NeedleTail's redemption. This might be my favorite NeedleTail AMV i've watched, its so rare to see someone portraying her as selfish warmonger, some instead portrayed her as a "flawless" hero.

[@MingoPJ]

I'm not really *that* into warrior cats, but wow... that animation was incredible! The way the characters moved, the attention to detail, and the emotions they captured were just on another level. I couldn’t help but get pulled into the story. The talent and creativity behind it are seriously impressive. This is so good I rewatched it at least 5 times already, amazing work!

[@peppermint-moss]

thank you so much!

[@Froggo1357]

Needletail's death was heartbreaking to read and im so glad to kept that kind of energy at the scene. The cover made it all so better

[@VolleyPuppy91]

This is the most beautiful Needletail video. She’s one of my all time favorite characters and I just feel this captures her perfectly 🥺

[@_CasualWarriorsFan_]

Love that it’s not just the backgrounds that shift color due to her thoughts and intentions. It’s her EYES, especially in the scene where she’s sitting with violet paw and they slowly shift from blue to purple. The silent commitment to being selfless for violets sake. ❤

[@tetezinhageek2163]

This was simply PERFECT! Every detail about Needletail's life is shown here like I haven't seen in any other PMV! Your designs are just GORGEOUS! Can't wait for more of your projects! 😻🥰

[@cipherfiedart7338]

One of the ways you mesmerize me in these videos is how you draw expressions. I feel like I actually need to study from you to unlock how well you’re able to convey every thought in the face. Mind blowing stuff!!

[@peppermint-moss]

Tysm!

[@vendettasguidance]

Never once have I cried because of a warrior amv. I usually watch them with a stone-face because I know almost all of the lore with the characters I watch.. but this.. something about the way Needletail cries while attacking Violetshine, then begins to go after the others- and the way Violetshine is animated running away.. It made me cry. You’ve outdone yourself, moss. (Hope it’s okay I’ve called you just moss)

[@nyx6360]

2:50 i love this scene, the blue mixing with the purple in the background showing that she's still lonely, but she's with someone she loves. I relate to that a lot.

[@nerfthat]

needletail is my favorite wc character, her arc is so memorable...you conveyed everything so beautiful and perfectly through both emotions and art direction skill. fantastic video, always a treat when you upload !

[@peppermint-moss]

thank you!!

[@rookey8406]

Needletail and violetpaw had the most interesting relationship where you got to see character growth develop in the pages. Beautiful AMV.

[@skibidicumshots]

a vision of shadows is such an underrated arc, and also my favourite arc. needletail finally gets the attention she deserves. this amv includes lots of background details which are usually not animated, and you really portrayed needletail as the character she is: while she is more mischievous at the start, near the end she suffers immense guilt for all the events that happened. it's such an awesome amv, thank you for making such amazing eye candy ❤

[@LGDC_Revues]

This is one of the few AMVs I've seen that truly captures Needletail as she is presented in canon, with her strengths and accomplishments as well as her flaws and mistakes. I really appreciate that her selfishness and sometimes (often) unhealthy relationship with Violetshine are highlighted. It's refreshing, and it reminds me why I love this character so much: she's so complex and well-executed!

[@-Koneko-]

Loved all of this! Your use of colors really adds more emotion :,) 3:30 and 4:20 had me rewatching those sequences a whole bunch. It really matched the glory and horror that surrounded Needle. Adrenaline is one hell of a drug to have kept Needle up so long in her final moments and do the amount of damage she did to Dark and his lackies. Canonically she took on all four and did some damage to them in the process. Loved the fight scene! 🫶

[@Scarlett_MC]

Have you ever sobbed like your best friend just died while watching a warrior cats animatic? Yeah. Yep. Me too Btw I have to say this is the absolute best amv I have seen ever, the expressions and movements and scenes are absolutely BREATHTAKING

[@silverofkitty6271]

Don't know how this makes me sob every time I watch it, but it does. Great work!! Also no one seems to be talking abt this but I love the cobweb & herb patches on cats trying to heal themselves in the Kin, really shows the lack of community & medicine cat

[@jempsters9223]

THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GOD- I'm just staring, MESMERIZED, at the scene where violet is pinned by needle while she cries and mouths the lyrics, I'LL BE REPLAYING THIS FOR A WHILE!!

[@RosesArtChannel]

I've never seen an AMV that shows just how TRAGIC Needletail's story is more than this one 😭😭

[@JayKataltacc]

I saw this when I just woke up and I ended up crying. I rewatched it many times to pause and stare at the art because its so good, all the little details. I read the video explanation and all, you're a genious peppermint, fr. Every new amv/pmv gets better than the last even when I thought it couldnt istg. I love warrior cats but you make me love them even more, this is beautiful

[@flailyfragile]

OMG THIS LOOKS LIKE A MOVIE COVER I CANT WAIT!

[@TaliaTheCat]

Can’t wait, love your art style, it’s so good that that’s how I image warrior some cats(Thrushpelt, Jayfeather, etc)

[@Starlight_787-r9k]

It kept hitting me hard to think about how young she was with all this, she was only a year and a half old. She was a rebel since she was little and that led her down a bad path with bad influences at an early age. Needletail made a lot of mistakes, she act selfish and troublemaker and only in the end did she realize that and give her life fixing it. That's what makes her a good character, that despite all the trouble she caused, she made an effort to fix it and redeem herself. She defended the kit that she had found and in whom she found comfort at the end of her days. She was very brave and that's what I like about her. And also, great video ❤❤❤ it's so beautiful...

[@Wolfy_11]

Wooo I‘m excited! I always loved ur pmvs, and your art style The thumbnail looks sick/pos

[@SnowcatArt]

Oh my gosh Moss!!! You've absolutely outdone yourself with this one. I really haven't been keeping up with warrior cats in a few years but this nearly brought me to tears

[@celinaaleyda3911]

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING PEPPERMINT HAS EVER MADEE😍😭

[@heroicallyheroic]

this is just AMAZING. first of all, your use of colours to evoke feeling is amazing. second, the way you blend moving pictures with animation is perfect----pmv type stuff where there needs to be, and movement for impactful moments. the way each scene transitions into another is also just perfection. i think some of my favourite part was 3:39 - 3:42 because its just...i dont know its just great!

[@peppermint-moss]

Tysm!!

[@fluffyfloppastudios]

HEHEHEHEHRHRHEHWHEHHH I’M WAITING Edit: 2:26 that one moment where everything is perfect. And then that moment ends-

[@Kolasheep22]

4:00 - 4:52 is so insanely dramatic and well paced its AWESOME vro

[@Iris-0724]

I never really liked this arc but this truly just changed my whole perspective. Genuinely i want to cry right now. 🥹 Also this amv was absolutely beautiful, i loved the parts where needletail was going back and forth with memories, the transition was seamless!! Truly beautiful work 💗

[@dawnanimations8010]

The art direction is perfect and the emotion conveys the story perfectly- I adore how you draw emotions, it always adds SO MUCH LIFE to your animations

[@anonymous-rq2lh]

just wanted to say i *love* how you arrange/animate fight scenes! your poses are always so dynamic and sharp, and they feel frantic and desperate in a way that really drives home that these cats are fighting for their lives

[@yay29823]

Why are Needletail maps/amvs/pmvs always competing to see who makes the cutest Violetpaw? I swear she continues to get more and more adorable each animation that comes out

[@applyn4099]

I keep rewatching this because it’s so so good! Needletail is my most favorite character in Warrior cats and this animation portrayed her so well!

[@SshadowSnap]

this has got to be the most beautifully perfect needletail piece in the ever ever, ive always loved your art direction and storytelling talent especially with 'fine, great' but this is a whole new level of me bawling you matched the emotion and power of pennys die young cover so well too, im devouring this amv right now

[@pokefan1241]

i know im gonna be rewatching this one for a long time, WOW!! what a banger! was so excited for this, needletail is one of my favs and i love snapcube. and it absolutely did not disappoint! you have such a talent for portraying raw and nuanced emotion in characters, i genuinely teared up at the end. incredible work as always!

[@Mewshrooooooom]

THIS SLAPS LEGIT SO FLIPPING HARDDDDD OMGGGG To start off, the color scheme is absolutely STUNNING! The blues and turquoises with the vibrant green and pinks really make the entire animation absolutely unique and stunning in every way! I absolutely adore the colors palette used for the sunsets and how it changes with needles emotions! Also the animation is at its peak, it’s so smooth and beautifully done!! The expressions are absolutely amazing, and you can tell what’s going on so well!! I just want to give needle a hug! Also THE SONG CHOICE? I LOVE THIS SONG!!! Keep up the amazing work!!

[@MoonJayy]

THAT COVER IS SOO COOL IM SO EXCITED also welcome back !!

[@HeartCreations-kv3n]

When i saw dis upload i was like: *ANOTHER ONE? FROM PEPPERMINT?N-NEEDLETAIL?* Gotta say, i aint dissapointed. Protect this piece of art at all costs.

[@Munchmunchboom]

I haven't had a warrior cat amv make me cry in a long time, absolutely perfect

[@folkmore.forever]

I love Needletail, I feel like no one ever talks about her! She’s such an underrated character imo

[@FruitEevee]

After reading A Vision of Shadows, I almost cried. The books were already sad, but this AMV has a lot more emotion put into it. Well done, Peppermint!❤

[@ElloryTheCelery]

DUDE. Needletail has always been my favorite character ever since I read that arc. I love her so much. And you are my favorite warriors animator! It’s such a dream to have my favorite warriors animator animate my favorite warriors character!! This is sooooo good too!! Gosh thank you for animating this! It’s so cool :D

[@k1ttymel0nn]

found ya :)

[@ElloryTheCelery]

@@k1ttymel0nn LOL HI

[@maryjanescott5183]

"How many times have you watched this?" "Yes". For real though, this is stunning, beautiful, and heartbreaking. I simply adore all your warriors videos, your art is amazing!!!!

[@Lazysketchz]

You never disappoint to bring a smile to my face! Ever since I’ve seen the Thrush Pelt PMV you just inspired me so much ❤

[@loomlove7828]

No words can describe how incredible this is- from the thumbnail to the colors and emotions that you can feel right through the screen. Thank you for blessing us with this masterpiece

[@Annagator-ze8oo]

1:11 wow, this cat looks so happy, I bet that nothing bad is going to happen to her from now on! 😊

[@darkpurplx]

THIS IS PHENOMENAL OMGGG your art literally alwyas goes so hard and i havent thought about needletail in a while but your storytelling in this made me remember she was my absolute favorite cat and now she might be again 😢 i love her so much and i love how you portrayed her!!! amazing work, i cant imagine how long this took!!! such good quality and so much effort!!!!

[@Pokemon_Fan_Since_2009]

This gave me literal chills bro

[@alixdied4713]

Amazing like always! Im also glad to see appreciation for this song, Penny makes amazing music!!!

[@ENILD_HAM]

You are one of my favorite animators so I already know this is gonna be awesome!

[@Whvsrx]

That was woah, I was never a big fan of NeedleTail but this AMV hits pretty hard I’m actually in tears. This AMV is incredibly emotional and this is so mesmerizing. I love it.

[@AnakinAndPadme_1]

2:51 anybody notice that needletail’s pupils slowly turned all purple as she looked at violetpaw?

[@muteduser.]

DAMN, I never noticed this! such a great detail..

[@SkiggsMoDiggs]

this was actually so amazing and emotional. needletail and violetshine's relationship really shines here, and their designs are so cute

[@Treemisty1]

OMG!! IM HAPPY THAT YOU MAKE MORE PMV AND AMV VIDEO!! I LOVE UR ART SO MUCH!! Keep up the good work. ^^✨

[@sunk1sed]

ugh i love that you used this song its so iconic, i adore this. side note, i super appreciate the explanations in the comments, i have not read this far into the series and im glad i can follow along : ) amazing job as always

[@NiftyMoons]

WHOA- this is absolutely amazing and I've only seen the thumbnail!! :D

[@bwo2004]

The scene where need needletail turns around to fight off the kin and screams for violetshine to run gave me chills. This was amazing and must've taken forever to make!