13 things you need to know about Warrior Cats

BY THE EDITOR

There are a lot of characters

With over a thousand named characters, the cast list for Warriors is extensive. Luckily, each book comes with an Allegiances, which is a list of every relevant character and a brief description for each.

There are a lot of books

Currently, there are over 70 published books in the Warriors series. All of the super edition and prequels and sequels and side stories can make the reading order of the books a bit confusing. Luckily, we’ve created a chronological list of all the books for you.

Names change based on rank

All Clan names are made up of a prefix and a suffix, with the prefix being assigned at birth, and the suffix changing based on the cat’s rank. Kits are called -kit, apprentices are -paw, leaders are -star, and warriors are given a unique suffix based on personality, appearance, or something else significant to them.

These aren’t soft little house cats

The cats of the Warriors world are not the soft, fluffy house cats you might be expecting. These cats deal with loss, betrayal, murder, starvation, and all manner of dangers – and they must all have the courage of warriors to face it.

The Warrior Code is a big deal

All five Clans live by a set code of laws known as the Warrior Code. This code is at the heart of everything the Clans do, and breaking the code can have severe consequences.

Erin Hunter is actually a team of people

You may be surprised to learn that Erin Hunter is actually a pen name for multiple authors. You can view profile pages for the writers under the Erin Hunter umbrella HERE.

The Clans use catspeak

Cats in Warriors can’t understand human speech, so they have their own terms for certain creatures and objects that are different from our terms, especially man-made things. Humans are twolegs, house cats are kittypets, roads are thunderpaths, cars are monsters, etc.

Cats die often

Unfortunately the series touches on heartache as well as triumph. Cats do lose their lives, and every battle fought or illness contracted could herald the loss of a beloved character.

Prophecies can be tricky things

The Clans are often given prophecies from their ancestors, but the meanings of these prophecies are not always immediately clear. You’ll have to read further to learn just how fire is supposed to save a Clan, or how the lake running red will bring the promised peace.

Even a kittypet can be a true warrior

There are many cats in the world of Warriors who believe only wild-born cats can have the courage and strength to survive in the wild. But as the books prove time and time again, it doesn’t matter where you come from, it matters what you do and the loyalty you choose to show.

A true warrior does the right thing, instead of just following the rules

The Warrior Code may be important, but it isn’t always right. A true hero does what they believe to be right, even when it means going against their Clan and their code, no matter the consequences for themselves.

Sometimes you find friends in unexpected places

Loyalty is very important to the Warrior Cats, and each cat is expected to remain loyal to their Clan above all else. But friends can be found even across borders, and having a good friend in a time of need is sometimes worth bending the rules for.

There is a thriving fan community

The world of Warriors isn’t restricted to the books. There is a thriving online community of fans who discuss the books, create fan art and animations, write fan fiction, and engage with the Warriors series in many creative and unique ways. And there’s no better place to start trying to learn about the fan community than here at the official Warriors website!