Tigerheart or Bumblestripe?

neither, they both suck

Bumblestripe, I honestly have grown to like him more as a character, but I feel like he deserved better in the end, especially better than a cat-like Dovewing. Tigerheart, imo is just as bad as her, so I don't care for him either. Bumblestripe is a genuine cat, with a good heart, who's also loyal to his clan.

In spite of Bumblestripe being kicked around by the writers, shaping him into a kind of needling cat, I still like him. And he showed a lot more maturity about Dovewing not loving him than Ashfur did.

Bumblestripe was fine before they dragged his character through the mud to make Tigerheart look like the best cat to ever live. Heck Tigerheart. I hate him with all the suns in the multi-verse

He wasn't...?

I'm not saying Dovewing is obligated to like him back, but he was interested in her, unaware she wasn't single cause lol forbidden lover and wanted to get to know her more. But the way Dove treated him was really no better as to how people claim he was clingy toward her. She practically used him like a scratching post sometimes, then gets mad when he doens't forgive her immediately. Imo he should have cut his losses there, he could have done better. Him being clingy when they're mates? Understandable. They just had a war, she lost her powers, he's worried about her, etc. They trashed him though, completely in AVoS, with all that kit talk even after he and Dove broke up and then made him paddle after her despite all the crap she's put him through, ugh, it made me cringe.

Imo he was an okay cat prior to being used as a rebound, then chucked aside in favor for the stereotypical hot tigertabby tom forbidden lover v2. Ah yes, the bad boy trope.

And also, why do people keep calling him clingy, when she was the one seeking him out a few times in their interactions, to take her mind off Tigerheart...? Bumblestripe wasn't clingy. We read her thoughts and she hung out with him on her own, too (ya know, when she wasn't with him and thinking how she'd rather be with Tigerheart, anyway -- when she lived in the moment, she seemed to like Bumblestripe quite a bit). Outside her POV, it comes off to both her Clanmates and him that his feelings are being reciprocated...

I think the exact same thing. The other instances he seemed clingy was when they were mates and Dovewing was struggling with the loss of her powers. Sure they weren't compatible and Bumble was trying to make things work because at the time they were mates.

The only instance I can agree with people not liking his behaviour was in AVOs when Purdy died and he asked Dovewing to have kits with him. I think it was an instance where he was desperate and it was wrong of him. Other times it was Bumble liking Dovewing, and Dovewing occasionally using him or thinking he was annoying. It doesn't make him clingy or obsessive, and he is nothing like Ashfur. 

When I read the books before she became his mate he just always wanted to be around her. I'm not justifying Dovewing's own actions and I do agree she should have treated him better, but Bumblestripe is clingy. He just doesn't seem to understand that she wants her own space. In TLH he was practically on her paws on their way to the Gathering. He wanted Dovewing with him while Graystripe was grieving over Firestar in Dovewing's Silence when it should be a father-son moment. He guilt tripped her for her not liking him back. These signs just shows he's really clingy and possibly even possessive to me... granted, Dovewing has a mouth and should have told him she wanted space.... But I think we can agree that both characters should've handled this better. It really is a shame how Bumblestripe was ruined for the sake of Tigerheart, though. He wasn't that bad until now.

As someone who just recently had an awful experience because a person didn't communicate with me, I do have to agree with you there. However I see this as guilt tripping because to me he guilt tripped Dovewing for, while I understand it was the way she treated him, he also put "you don't like me the same way I like you", and to me, that felt like he was guilt tripping for not liking him back. That's why I see it in that way.

I agree with you. If she really felt uncomfortable with him, she should have flat out told him. He was always very kind to her. And when they became mates, she was the one who was leading him on at that point. If she never intended to be his mate, or saw him as a temporary mate, then she shouldn't be upset with him when he tried to spend time with her. I mean, that's what mates do in warriors, they hang out with them, hunt with them, etc. Nothing different that Bumble was doing than any other tom (who is good natured of course, not like Ashfur) in the series. I really was excited with the prospect of them having kits during the time I was reading Bramblestar's Storm because I thought that was really cool that Dovewing changed after the whole dark forest battle, realized she was not the one for Tigerheart, and had moved on to a more mature life where her clan came first above all. 

Instead they threw that all away, had her break up with him, and then of course go right back to Tigerheart like nothing had ever happened. Then she runs away, has his kits somewhere random, comes back with him and immediately ditches Ivypool and joins ShadowClan. It's just so out of character in my opinion, but I guess the Erin's wanted that to be Dovewing's character. 

Bumblestripe reacted how anyone would react, I felt awful for him. Hopefully he can find someone else in the clan, it seems like he really wants to be a father. 

finally someone says it...!

tigerheart on his own is worse. bumblestripe is only seen a certain way because the WRITERS MADE HIM THAT WAY. they made him "bad" just to make tigerheart look "good." this is why i will never believe how people claim bumblestripe is like ashfur or that he's still "clingy." 

Bumblestripe is winning? Gross.

Bublestripe, in my opinion, is a much better mate
for Dovewing.

I like Bumblestripe, but I disagree with this. Dovewing and Bumblestripe were never right for each other, despite them liking traits in each other. They just couldn't communicate well enough to work, and Dovewing was always comparing herself and Bumblestripe to Tigerheart/star. Mind you before AVOS I didn't think Tigerheart and Dovewing couldn't work due to a lack of trust but //shrugs//