Darkclaw was a solid, reliable rat captain in the horde of Cluny the Scourge. He was considered by everyone in the horde, himself included, to be the third-in-command under Cluny and Redtooth. Cluny believed that Darkclaw was an intelligent Captain.
When Redtooth disappeared in mysterious circumstances (he was thrown to his death by Constance, but Cluny never learned this), Cluny promoted the eager Cheesethief over Darkclaw, though it was a ruse to get rid of an over-ambitious potential rival. The trick worked perfectly, as Cheesethief was killed by Constance, who thought he was Cluny.
In the aftermath of the siege tower's failure, Cluny temporarily lost confidence in his leadership abilities, and Darkclaw took charge until he recovered, appointing Fangburn and Killconey as his lieutenants. He tried to get the horde into Redwall Abbey through the tunnel that Killconey had built. Unbeknownst to the rats, Chickenhound had informed the Redwallers about the tunnel, and the moles had discovered the exact route. The Redwallers set a trap for the vermin, and the moment Darkclaw poked his head through the tunnel exit, he was drenched by a cascade of boiling water that was poured into the tunnel, instantly killing him. Shortly after his death, Cluny saw Darkclaw in a dream featuring several of his dead captains.
Nelvana Redwall TV Series[]
In the Nelvana Redwall TV Series, Darkclaw is Cluny's second-in-command from the beginning and appears as a large, strong, and cunning rat with Redtooth serving as a subordinate under him.
In the episode A Favour Returned, when Cluny's horde attempts to enter the Abbey through a tunnel, Darkclaw is unable to exit the tunnel in time ands ends up doused with boiling water by Constance. Unlike Redwall, Darkclaw survives with injuries. He is killed off-screen in The Final Conflict episode, the season one finale.