Warriors (novel series)
Juvenile fantasy series by Erin Hunter
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Warriors, also known as Warrior Cats, is a children's and young adult fantasy novel series about feral cats living in a forest. It is published by HarperCollins and written under the collective pen name Erin Hunter. Its nine subseries ("arcs") chronicle the survival and adventures of five organized groups of feral cats, called Clans, as they interact with each other and outsiders.
From left to right: Boxed sets of Warriors: The New Prophecy and Warriors: The Prophecies Begin | |
| |
| Author | Erin Hunter (pen name) |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's and young adult fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Published | 21 January 2003 – present |
The concept and original storyline of Warriors were created by Victoria Holmes, and the novels were written by Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, although the Erin Hunter team has changed and expanded since Holmes' retirement in 2017. Alongside novel arcs, the series' list of works includes original English-language manga, longer standalone novels, and novellas. A movie was planned, but later canceled; an animated series began development in 2026, and is set to air in 2028. An official Roblox game exists, and an official video game is set to release in October 2026.
The novels have received mixed reviews from critics. Many praised the action in the storylines, and some compared it to Brian Jacques' Redwall series. However, the large cast of characters in Warriors and the inaccessibility of the series to new readers has been a source of criticism. The novels explore some aspects of human society through the viewpoint of cats, such as politics, friendship, and religion. A major theme is the dangers of life in the wild, which includes inter- and intra-Clan conflict, natural hazards, and threats from human construction. Warriors has been translated into 38 languages and has sold over 90 million copies worldwide.[1][2]
Setting and universe
The Warriors universe centers around groups of feral cats who initially reside in a forest and later around a lake.[3]: 131–132 [4] The cats are split into four groups called Clans: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan.[3]: 132 There also exists a lost fifth Clan named SkyClan.[5] Each Clan has adapted to their own terrain, and some Clans are named after their specialized abilities.[3]: 132 The Clans follow a warrior code of honor.[6]
Each Clan has a hierarchy that determines the name of each cat in the Clan. A cat's name consists of a prefix and a suffix; as the cat moves up in the hierarchy, the suffix changes.[7][8] Young cats have the suffixes kit or paw, then receive a unique suffix when they become a warrior, and adopt the suffix star if they become a leader. Prefixes are often inspired by colors and the natural environment. The Clans have medicine cats, who are expert healers.[9] The spirits of dead cats go to the afterlife, called StarClan, which is located in the night sky.[10][11]
The cats use invented slang words. Their seasons are called newleaf, greenleaf, leaf-fall, and leaf-bare; months are called moons; and distances are measured in animal lengths.[9] Cars are known as monsters.[7][9] Humans are known as twolegs, and are generally a threat;[4] their housecats are called kittypets by Clan cats.[11][5][12]
Synopses
Warriors: The Prophecies Begin (2003–2004)
A housecat joins ThunderClan and is named Fireheart. He rises through the ranks of his Clan, proving that the warrior Tigerclaw is a traitor and a murderer. Tigerclaw is exiled, joins ShadowClan and is made its leader, Tigerstar. He brings a city cat named Scourge to the forest, who betrays and kills him. Firestar, now leader of ThunderClan, temporarily unites all the Clans, who defeat Scourge's gang.
Warriors: The New Prophecy (2005–2006)
The Clans' territories are under threat from human construction. A group of cats is sent to find a new home beyond the mountains, meeting and helping another group called the Tribe on the way. The Clans make their way to a lake, which becomes their new home.
Warriors: Power of Three (2007–2009)
A prophecy indicates that three cats will have mysterious powers. Two of the three sibling protagonists, Jayfeather and Lionblaze, have powers, but Hollyleaf does not. As they grow up, they investigate the history of cats around the lake and family secrets, while an outsider named Sol manipulates the Clans.
Warriors: Omen of the Stars (2009–2012)
The third cat in the prophecy, Dovewing, is born. Evil spirit cats, including Tigerstar's spirit, train Clan cats for battle in their dreams. Eventually, both the living Clans and StarClan have to fight together to defeat the evil deceased cats and their living acolytes. Firestar dies while permanently destroying Tigerstar's spirit, and joins StarClan.
Warriors: Dawn of the Clans (2013–2015)
Dawn of the Clans is set in the past, before the events of The Prophecies Begin. A group of cats from the Tribe in the mountains leave in search of a better home. They arrive in the forest territories from The Prophecies Begin, and eventually establish themselves, forming the Clans.
Warriors: A Vision of Shadows (2016–2018)
A Vision of Shadows follows from Omen of the Stars. SkyClan, the lost fifth Clan, tries to settle into a territory by the lake. Additionally, the Clans face constant attacks from a group of stray cats led by Darktail, who almost succeeds in destroying ShadowClan.
Warriors: The Broken Code (2019–2021)
Ashfur, a StarClan cat, severs the connection between StarClan and the living Clans, and possesses ThunderClan's leader Bramblestar. The protagonists Bristlefrost, Shadowsight, and Rootspring defeat him, restore the connection with StarClan, save Bramblestar's spirit, and change their code of honor, the warrior code, to prevent more tragedy from occurring in the future. The arc concludes with Bristlefrost sacrificing her life to kill Ashfur.
Warriors: A Starless Clan (2022–2024)
RiverClan's leader and deputy die in short succession, and StarClan does not show RiverClan who is to be the next leader, placing heavy responsibility on the apprentice and protagonist Frostdawn to choose one. There is growing unrest among the Clans regarding the changes made to the warrior code in The Broken Code, which allowed the protagonists Nightheart and Sunbeam to be mates despite having been born in different Clans. Eventually, Frostdawn chooses a new RiverClan leader and peace is restored.
Warriors: Changing Skies (2025–)
The Clans struggle with human construction around the lake and threatening voices in an apprentice's head. Meanwhile, there is unrest in SkyClan as several cats wish for Leafstar to step down from the position of leader.
Development
Warriors is published by American and British company HarperCollins. HarperCollins originally asked editor Victoria Holmes to write a storyline for a single novel about a housecat who joins a Clan and becomes its leader by the end.[10] Holmes initially found this difficult but wrote storylines and sent them to HarperCollins.[7][10] After reading Holmes' ideas, a HarperCollins editor decided that she had drafted enough content to increase the target from the originally planned single novel to a six-book series. Holmes then utilized the storyline of the single novel as the overall story arc for the six novels.[10] When she finished writing a novel's storyline, it was sent to Tui T. Sutherland for editing, who discussed it with Holmes, then sent it to Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, who took turns writing the first draft.[13][10] The finished novels are published under the pen name Erin Hunter.[7] Holmes was responsible for the ideation of the fictional Clan territories, inspired by the varied environments of the New Forest in England.[10] There are two maps of the territories at the beginning of each book, one showing the cats' points of view and the other a human point of view.[3]: 133
HarperCollins requested three novels for the second arc, so Holmes wrote the storylines of Midnight, Moonrise and Dawn to form a trilogy, finishing with the Clans finding a new home by the lake. She described the plot as a "relocation under pressure" story comparable to Watership Down. However, since the novels were selling well, HarperCollins once again increased the target to six books. For subsequent arcs, Holmes planned six-book storylines from the outset, each with a clear beginning and end.[10] The series later expanded to include standalone novels known as Super Editions, field guides that provide extra information about the series' universe, original English-language manga, and novellas,[7] some of which were written by Holmes and Sutherland.[10][13] The manga, published by HarperCollins and Tokyopop,[14][a] were intended to be side stories, shorter than regular manga due to publishing schedule restrictions. The manga are written by Dan Jolley, using storylines by the Erin Hunter team, and illustrated by James L. Barry, among other illustrators.[14][15] Shorter manga comics have been included in the last pages of some Warriors novels,[16] including Super Editions.[17]
Sutherland stopped editing after the fifteenth novel and went on to write a children's fantasy novel series about dragons titled Wings of Fire.[13][7] Holmes stepped away from creating books after the fourth arc,[10] and retired from the writing team in 2017 due to medical reasons.[7] Since Holmes left, the team of writers and editors has expanded, and graphic novel adaptations of the main series have been created.[10][18]
Themes
Religion
The cats believe in StarClan, an ancestor-based religion.[19][20] Spirit cats in StarClan act as guides to the living Clans,[21] by communicating through prophecies,[22][3]: 132 cryptic dreams and visions,[22][19] and communion.[23][6] StarClan resides in the night sky; Holmes decided on this because she felt that the cats' religious beliefs needed to "chime with their natural environment".[10] Religion is important to such an extent that the cats' political system has been compared to a theocracy, and some cats who do not believe in StarClan are considered heretical by others.[24] The cats' world structure also includes mythology,[25][24] which involves stories about other felines such as leopards.[10]
A Dangerous Path presents disillusionment when ThunderClan leader Bluestar loses her faith in StarClan and declares war on her ancestors, while her Clanmates are disturbed and unable to help her.[5] Some cats go on spiritual quests to fulfill their perceived destinies.[20] Several plotlines involve confusion about the source of visions.[19][26]
Loyalty, treachery, and friendship
The Prophecies Begin often features themes of friendship, loyalty, and treachery.[27][28][29] Firestar's friends help his Clan accept him by the end of Into the Wild.[30] However, in Fire and Ice, Firestar feels torn between loyalty to his family and his Clan.[31] Meanwhile, he must face dangers arising from treachery inside the Clan:[32][25] fellow warrior Tigerstar assassinated the Clan's second-in-command and Firestar is the only one who knows.[3]: 141 Firestar has to discern who can be trusted in his Clan.[33] Eventually, he proves Tigerstar's treachery which leads to Tigerstar's banishment from ThunderClan.[34][35] Tigerstar's actions fragmented the integrity of the Clan, their trust in each other, and their leader's faith in StarClan.[3]: 141–142 [5]
Despite normally being rivals, the Clans may temporarily unite when under a shared threat.[3]: 140 The New Prophecy features a group of cats from different Clans working together to accomplish a common goal and becoming friends in the process.[36] In A Starless Clan, a group of cats from each Clan is sent to collect healing herbs to cure a dangerous disease.[37] According to a School Library Journal reviewer, the ending of SkyClan's Destiny proves that loyalty and compassion are desirable traits.[17] Furthermore, Kirkus Reviews wrote that Winds of Change shows "the dangers of political isolationism and how easily the seeds of mistrust are sowed".[38]
The cats' personal relationships sometimes collide with their loyalty to the Clan. ThunderClan warrior Graystripe falls in love with a RiverClan cat in Forest of Secrets, which his Clanmates consider treacherous, as loving a cat from another Clan is banned in the code of honor they live by.[34] However, many generations later, switching Clans to be with a mate is officially authorized, which forces the main characters of A Starless Clan to decide whether their loyalties belong to their Clans or their mates.[19]
Violence and animal survival
The lives of Clan cats include sudden and violent deaths,[8][30][25] as cats are frequently maimed, killed,[20] or weakened by illness.[34] Savage and vicious battles between the Clans add to the violence;[39][40] some cats die in these battles.[41] In Fire and Ice, Firestar internally appreciates fighting for his Clan, although the fighting does not fix his Clan's problems.[31] Conflict in the series is often caused when the Clans do not have enough food,[34] which leads to competition.[3]: 142 [4] Inter-Clan violence is increased by the cats' fluid borders, which are rooted in simple natural formations like rivers and highways.[3]: 133 Sometimes, Clans fight each other for hunting rights and territory.[21][20] In Fire and Ice, ThunderClan warrior Graystripe's RiverClan mate dies while giving birth, leading to inter-Clan hostility as both ThunderClan and RiverClan claim rights to the kittens.[34] In A Starless Clan, RiverClan's second-in-command disappears and is found dead in a canyon, which RiverClan is unable to explain, causing distrust within the Clan.[6] Individual cats are sometimes horrified by the cruelty of others, such as when Tigerstar's mate Sasha was upset by his violent tendencies.[15]
Humans and their construction pose a danger to the Clans,[22] as human deforestation destroys the Clans' territories and forces them to relocate.[36] In addition, in Changing Skies, humans poison water sources used by the Clans.[26] Dogs are also a threat. In A Dangerous Path, Tigerstar encourages a prey-thieving dog pack to chase down and kill his former Clanmates.[5] ThunderClan's leader Bluestar dies fighting these dogs.[39] Kirkus Reviews wrote that the violent description of a mother cat being torn apart by dogs in A Starless Clan may be disturbing to sensitive readers.[6]
The Clans face environmental hazards such as floods, strong winds, fires, droughts, heavy snowfall, and rockslides throughout the series.[4][34] These natural dangers present important life lessons to Clan cats, and can be perceived as challenges that the characters must overcome.[4] Many cats are injured or killed by these dangers.[4] The cats prepare for and respond to nature's dangers, often aided by StarClan's guidance. StarClan sometimes also uses natural dangers as warnings of worse things yet to come.[4] These hazards can increase a Clan's sense of community. Sometimes, they may even incite the Clans to work together.[4]
Following Bluestar's death, Firestar becomes leader of ThunderClan in The Darkest Hour.[5] In an attempt to force all the Clans to join one united Clan, ShadowClan leader Tigerstar recruits a small cat named Scourge, who has reinforced claws and leads a gang of city cats.[5] Scourge ends all of Tigerstar's StarClan-given lives with his reinforced claws by rupturing "seven major organs", according to Holmes. She called this death "the most violent of any of the death scenes in Warriors, and not one I would repeat".[10] She has stated that "the safe space offered by an open book" introduces readers to both negative and positive experiences, and added that "I will always try to present an element of hope at the end of the saddest stories".[10]
Territory and Clan politics
The series presents human concepts of politics from the point of view of cats.[23][7][3]: 136 Cats are anthropomorphized, which allows them to agree on a set of moral principles,[3]: 138 and to use resources in their territory more effectively.[3]: 134 The word "Clan" is capitalized in the books to show that each Clan is more than just a group of cats, as they have connections to their territory and religion.[3]: 133 Name changes are used to represent important milestones in an individual's life.[3]: 132
Clan politics reinforce the cats' instinct to territorialize.[3]: 131 The cats' perspective on territory is a mix of animal instinct and concepts of human territory.[3]: 134 The two maps of the same location, from cat and human perspectives, show that human territory and animal territoriality are superimposed, which affects what the Clans need from their territories over the course of the series.[3]: 133 Different territories shape the cultures of each Clan, which in turn affects how they use their territories.[3]: 134–135 The Clans' different cultures make their individuals unique.[3]: 144
Fitting in
Fitting in is a major theme, as are xenophobia and the nature versus nurture debate.[37] This is exemplified by Firestar's journey to fit into ThunderClan in The Prophecies Begin.[3]: 146 Initially, ThunderClan cats criticize his housecat upbringing, until he is gradually accepted and learns to fit into the Clan.[30] Some ThunderClan cats still doubt Firestar's loyalty after he has proven himself, as they believe loyalty is decided from the moment of birth.[3]: 145 However, Firestar influences the Clans' perception of non-Clan cats and changes stereotypes against outsiders by proving himself a loyal warrior.[3]: 145 A prevalent message is that upbringing and experience are more important than origin.[3]: 146 In The Darkest Hour, Firestar unites the four Clans to defeat a common enemy. His former leader's spirit tells him that "[e]ven though you are not forestborn, you have the heart of a true Clan cat".[3]: 146
Reception
Worldbuilding and writing style
Told through alternating narratives,[42][26] the writing style of the Warriors books uses invented slang.[24] Many reviewers criticized the repetitive use of "meowed" and "mewed" instead of "said",[22][36] as well as the large cast of characters with confusing and similar names.[43][44][38][8] Contrastingly, Book Riot stated that the "rich and sensory detail" of the writing hooks the reader into the point-of-view of a cat, citing how cars are described "in such a way that a human never would".[7] Kirkus Reviews has praised the "balance of catlike and human behaviors" in the writing,[6] and called the cats' description of a carnival "funny",[37] while still criticizing the confusing and inaccessible prose.[22][36] While explaining the series' worldbuilding, Fantasy Faction likened Warriors to Watership Down "but with cats instead of rabbits".[9]
Bustle praised the details in the maps and character lists,[24] which Publishers Weekly stated "add to the charm", praising the "fanciful character names" such as Bluestar and Bramblepaw.[45] Booklist noted that the character list in The Sight is four pages long, describing Warriors as a remarkably complex fictional empire.[46] The New York Times wrote that Warriors is a "hit with young readers, in part, because of the sprawling universe [it] open[s] up".[11]
Critical reception
Main series
The first novel in the first arc, Into the Wild, was generally well received, with critics calling it exciting, spine-tingling, suspenseful and thoroughly engrossing.[27][32][30][28] The Mary Sue added that "Into the Wild creates a world that sucks you in and makes you want to live there".[5] Publishers Weekly wrote that it would please readers who wonder "what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat."[27] Several critics compared it to Brian Jacques' book series Redwall,[32][7] although School Library Journal commented that it was "not as elegantly written". However, SLJ also praised Into the Wild's "intriguing" worldbuilding and "engaging" protagonist.[25]
The next novels in the first arc received mixed reviews. Critics were divided in their opinions on Fire and Ice: while Kirkus Reviews stated fans will be "on edge" for the next installment and Booklist praised the characters' personalities,[31][47] SLJ called the characterizations "somewhat flat" and the storyline "predictable".[33] Forest of Secrets was called "exciting" and "dynamic" by critics,[34][29] and Booklist said that Rising Storm tells a "good, suspenseful adventure story".[48] The Mary Sue called A Dangerous Path, and the first arc as a whole, "a masterclass in rising tension";[5] Booklist also stated that A Dangerous Path has compelling intrigue.[35] Rachel Tolleson, writing for The Mary Sue, stated that The Darkest Hour's villain Scourge is "one of the best villains in any young adult literature I've read", adding that he is "quite possibly one of the most badass cats in the series" and praising the final "all-out war" between the cats.[5]
The second arc has received mixed reviews. The Mary Sue called Midnight a "major shift in the Warriors series", adding that its plot "hits hard".[5] Kirkus Reviews stated that Midnight has a fine plot, but, as with other novels in the second arc, is marred by fastidiousness.[22][36] The second arc's audiobooks are spoken by Nanette Savard, whose work AudioFile commended as "astonishing" and "crisp and clear".[49][50]
Later arcs received primarily negative reviews. A Starless Clan's first three novels were reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, who stated that the first book "pack[s] too much into each chapter" and the third book's quality "plummets dramatically" in the final third,[6][19] although "one mother-daughter dialogue" in the second book is still "particularly poignant".[37] Kirkus Reviews called the first novel in Changing Skies "[a] strong start to a new series", whereas the second novel is "[a]n uninspired placeholder".[26][51]
Manga and graphic novels
The manga have received mixed reviews from critics. Multiple reviews pointed out that the art style is more realistic and detailed than that of typical manga[52][41] and is more similar to that of graphic novels.[53] The art has been praised for bringing out the characters' expressive personalities by School Library Journal (SLJ) and Kirkus Reviews.[41][38][54] SLJ noted that artist James L. Barry "has a real knack for drawing cats".[14] However, Kirkus Reviews also called A Thief in ThunderClan overall "lackluster",[43] and in another review SLJ called the overall illustrations "a bit basic".[53] A Clan in Need and SkyClan and the Stranger were New York Times Manga Best Sellers in 2009, 2010, and 2011.[55][56][57]
The graphic novel adaptations of The Prophecies Begin have received both praise and criticism from Kirkus Reviews. A review of Volume 1 wrote that the "vivid colors, dramatic action sequences, and appealingly expressive feline faces will grab readers' attention".[58] A review of Volume 2 criticized the difficulty of visually recognizing characters, "particularly since the illustrators admit to adding a few extras".[40] A review of Volume 3 stated that "the visual format suits the violent, dramatic storyline".[39] SLJ stated that the "unique and vibrant colors" would surely "help bring these stories to a new audience".[59]
Other standalones
The first Super Edition standalone is Firestar's Quest, which was received mostly positively. Booklist stated that although it is "much longer" than previous Warriors books, established fans can enjoy the scale and action of the plot.[60] Publishers Weekly stated that fans "will excitedly delve into Firestar's Quest".[61] A review of SkyClan's Destiny by SLJ also noted the length of Super Editions, and praised the "skillfully developed" characters which present a "range of emotions and thoughts".[17] Despite Ivypool's Heart featuring an overall "heavy" story, it also features smaller characterizations which add lightness to its tone, according to Kirkus Reviews.[44] SLJ wrote that the field guide Cats of the Clans is confusing to new readers for relying heavily on previously published material, although it features "spectacular" full-color portraits of Clan cats, portraying them as "exciting, vibrant, and unique".[8]
Cultural impact
Warriors has a dedicated online fanbase; fans have been discussing the series online on fan-made websites as early as 2003.[45] The official Warriors website encourages readers to participate in "CreatorClan" challenges, in which fans create fanart, fanfiction, and fan characters.[7] A fan-made animated adaptation of Warriors exists, titled SSS Warrior Cats.[7][62] Inspired by the cats' naming conventions, some fans create warrior names for themselves and others.[24][20]
Awards and nominations
Into the Wild was one of Booklist's Top 10 Fantasy Books for Youth of 2003.[28] In 2006, Warriors was nominated for Publishers Weekly's annual "Off the Cuff" awards, and Into the Wild was nominated for the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award.[63][64] The Sight was placed sixth on Amazon's Best Books of 2007 in the Middle Readers category.[65] Warriors was on the New York Times Children and Young Adult's Best Seller List for 119 weeks in November 2014.[66]
Other media
Canceled film
In October 2016, Variety announced that Chinese film company Alibaba Pictures had acquired the rights to a film adaptation of Warriors, following a deal with Coolabi Group signed at the Frankfurt Book Fair.[67] Later that year, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that David Heyman would produce the film.[68][69] The "live-action film with computer-generated characters" was set to adapt The Prophecies Begin into a "unified story" following Firestar's journey to "[earn] his place in spite of great prejudice against him".[68] In 2018, Variety announced that STX Entertainment would co-produce the film.[70] The film was eventually abandoned.[1]
Animated series
In June 2026, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Coolabi Group and Chinese company Tencent Video had greenlit an animated adaptation of The Prophecies Begin with A. C. Bradley as showrunner and Rodrigo Blaas as director.[1] The series will debut in 2028 on Tencent Video and Disney+.[1][2] Tencent Video revealed early artwork for the series at a fan meeting in Shenzhen, China, in August.[71]
Video games
In 2021, an official Roblox game titled Warrior Cats: Ultimate Edition was released. A planned expansion to the game is titled Warrior Cats: Lake Territory.[62]
On 5 August 2026, the Warriors Instagram account shared the trailer for a turn-based role-playing game titled Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest,[62][18] which is set to release on 23 October 2026.[72][73] It will be available on PC (through Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.[62][72] The game will allow players to design a playable cat and live the character's life by "building [a] personal legacy across the forest, populating the world with [a] web of stories, rivalries, and characters across multiple playthroughs".[72] Four campaigns will be available, based on the original four Clans.[74]
See also
- Xenofiction – Genre of speculative fiction
- Varjak Paw – 2003 book by S. F. Said
- The Call of the Wild – 1903 novel by Jack London
