Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles We are rapidly approaching the 30th published book in the series, so even though we haven't gotten close to the present in terms of Warriors content, it's safe to say we've learned a lot about this world, its stories, and its characters. One element that has been around since the first book, ingrained into nearly every choice the clans make, in the “warrior code.” One of our protagonists of the last arc, Hollyleaf, was fixated on the code, sometimes to the point of obsession. However, in the main series, what that code is has been entirely nebulous. We've heard a couple of specific rules from it thrown out, such as that you must feed your clan before yourself, that the safety of the whole clan is more important than the safety of any one cat, that kits can't leave the camp without permission, and that strangers must be driven from clan territory. However, only Secrets of the Clans, the first field guide, told us exactly what rules are in the Warrior Code, and today, in this field guide, we will hear more about what it is and, perhaps, how it came to be. Code of the Clans came out on June 9th of 2009, the same day as Return to the Clans, over a month after Sunrise, and a year after the last field guide: Cats of the Clans. As with that previous field guide, this one was written by Victoria Holmes herself and illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin, though his illustrations aren't as prominent as before, instead now being black and white pictures depicting scenes being written about and mostly serving as decoration for the pages of writing rather than being the centerpiece on their own. The way this book is divided is also quite interesting. Rather than going clan by clan as the previous two field guides have done, this one goes one code at a time and tells us either one or two stories about that code: what events inspired its formation, and potentially also a more modern case where that code came into play. It will be interesting to discuss how those stories fit into the Warriors world but that will have to wait until we have laid down the book's contents. We begin with a brief and condensed version of the same origin of the clans story told in Secrets of the Clans. However, unlike in that book where it was said that cats lived in small scattered groups all across the territories until they met, fought, and were asked by their fallen friends to become clans, here there is one group of cats who moved into the forest and split up according to their living preferences, and they began fighting with each other only because prey was scarce in leaf-bare. They then vowed over their fallen friends that they would end the fighting by becoming five separate clans. Oh yeah, by the way there are five friends. In addition to Secrets of the Clans' Thunder, Shadow, Wind, and River, this story introduces a fifth, Sky. None of them say anything though because the story is too short. Then, right off the bat, we get the list of the rules in the Warrior Code, carried over from Secrets of the Clans with a different font and presentation. To avoid reading off this list verbatim, I'm just going to leave it on the screen while I say this so you can read it yourself, or pause if you need more time. Most of it is probably familiar to a lot of you anyway if you're already familiar with Warriors as a series but because some pieces have changed with time and it might have been a while since you read parts of it, I figure a refresher is warranted. From there, we begin with our framing device for the book: you, the reader, are a loner or kittypet visiting Thunderclan to learn about the warrior code and clan life, as agreed to by Firestar. Leafpool welcomes you and says she will be telling you the stories-well, she calls it history rather than stories, of each code. The reader insert might not understand or agree with the code at first but Leafpool explains that, having grown up in it, it's natural for them and there are a lot of benefits like valuing and taking care of the sick, injured, and old and being strong enough as a group to fight off common enemies. At the beginning of each code story, Leafpool shares a short introductory blurb on the code and transitions us into the past, but I will mostly be focusing on the stories themselves. Up first is the tale of Ryewhisker and Cloudberry, a Windclan and Riverclan cat respectively who were in a relationship many, many lifetimes ago. Both of them were happy to find out they were going to have kits despite some worries over where they would grow up. Friendship across borders were nothing new, so that wasn't a problem. However, a war starts between their clans over some stolen fish and Ryewhisker jumps in to defend Cloudberry, and their unborn kits, from a clanmate. While they're arguing, a Riverclan cat comes over and murders Ryewhisker himself. At a gathering of the leaders, they agree that Ryewhisker's fate could have been avoided if he wasn't in a relationship with Cloudberry, and they vote on the first rule of the warrior code, after agreeing to meet every moon for a night of truce so they don't lose contact completely. I um…I don't think Ryewhisker's fate really had anything to do with his relationship. Really it had to do with the established guideline that killing cats randomly in battle when you aren't even fighting each other is perfectly fine. But sure, this is where they got. The second code story takes place three seasons after the first, and at another gathering. This time the leaders are arguing about stealing each others' prey, and one leader, Brindlestar, argues it's not stealing since they need it, and can't currently find enough prey on their own territory. As the other leaders argue that each clan lives where they are best suited and they need to find prey on their own territory, they hear a crash and a tree falls into the middle of the crowded clearing below, managing to just barely avoid all of Shadowclan and Thunderclan despite falling directly on top of them. They take this as a sign that the clans will always be separate and make the second code, that cats can't hunt or trespass on other clans' territories. This code comes with an extra, more modern story where Dappletail and White-eye, who would eventually become One-eye, sneak onto Riverclan territory just to try tasting some fish. Unfortunately, White-eye falls in and needs to be saved by Riverclan. Both Hailstar, Riverclan's leader, and Pinestar and Sunfall, Thunderclan's leader and deputy, show up, thoroughly embarrassing both young she-cats. As a sort of punishment for the foolish cats, Riverclan lets them try a fish and they quickly realize it would not have been pleasant to begin with. It's actually a really funny scene, with the sarcasm practically dripping off of Sunfall's responses to them. But they learn a valuable lesson together that the code is there for a reason. Code three's story…is one I have grown unnecessary attachment to. Ahem. It tells the story of one of the first battles of Sunningrocks from the perspective of Splashtail, a Riverclan warrior who knows, within the elders' lifetimes, the river flowed around Sunningrocks rather than past it. Now that it is accessible from the land, though, Thunderclan has tried to lay claim to it. He notices Thunderclan intruders and soon, a battle begins. A she-cat with blazing green eyes tells him that Starclan changed the course of the river and Sunningrocks is theirs now (ah hello cat-who-would-become-my-oc). Riverclan seems to be losing but Darkstar says it is only lost when they stop fighting, so they keep fighting and win. As Thunderclan runs, Splashtail sees a Starclan spirit, Aspentail, who says they are kin who also fought for these rocks and they will keep fighting until Thunderclan learns who Sunningrocks belongs to. Splashtail decides to dedicate this battle to the elders who came before and the kits to come and then promises himself that, if ever he became leader, he would make this a part of the warrior code. This is probably the most tenuous as far as connections between the story and the code that it inspires but hey, it inspired me. That counts for something. This code also comes with a modern-ish story, of Longtail and Darkstripe hunting for the clan while many of the warriors are sick. They first manage to catch a squirrel, and because they are already starving and it won't taste nearly as good when brought back to camp, they decide to share it in the forest to keep their energy up. Unfortunately, they don't catch much other prey and one of the sick cats ends up dead. Though Darkstripe is still defending their choice, Longtail feels very guilty, but knows it is too late to change things now. Code 4's story is about a couple of kits who played with the last of their clan's prey until it wasn't fit to eat. Suddenly, an owl came and took the prey away, though thankfully not the kits. The leader, Lilystar, took it as a sign that Starclan gave them their prey and can take it away too, and decided to propose a new code that they thank Starclan for their prey and its life. Code 5's story is about a queen named Daisytail who joined together with other mothers to put a stop to cats too young fighting in battles, stopping a war between their clans to remove all cats who looked like they wouldn't stand a chance. The young apprentices were upset but their mothers knew it was right, and they proposed a code that kits can't train until they reach their sixth moon. As an addendum for this code, there is a more modern story of Brokenstar's reign, where he flagrantly broke this code. This story focuses on a tom, far too young, named Badgerpaw and his mentor Flintfang in the battle where they drove Windclan from the moor. Unfortunately, it also led to Badgerpaw's death, and Flintfang, trying to hold back his grief, let Badgerpaw pick his warrior name: Badgerfang, as he headed to Starclan. The sixth code story is about a Riverclan medicine cat who is frustrated by the number of injuries he has to heal after foolhardy young warriors make dares to and play pranks on each other. They don't seem to understand the gravity of being a warrior now, rather than an apprentice. He speaks with Starclan and has a vision of responsible and mature warriors and gets the idea for a night of silent vigil to listen and protect, which they enact. After that night, the same young warriors play out the scene from his vision and Meadowpelt resolves to suggest a new warrior code, that this same vigil be given to every new warrior. As a bonus, we then get to hear Squirrelflight talk about her own vigil…which never happened since they had just arrived at the lake, but fine. She gives us advice on how to avoid getting bored or annoyed by snoring or tense from standing still all night, and generally it's a nice comedic interlude…too bad it couldn't possibly be true. Code 7's story is about a leader named Featherstar…ahem, and her new deputy Acorntail who hasn't had an apprentice. Though she loves and trusts him as he was her old deputy's apprentice, he has a hard time taking to the duties since he has never been in charge of anyone before, and soon he admits he doesn't think he can do the job. Featherstar realizes the skills cats learn when they become mentors, promises him Pricklekit as an apprentice, and vows to add a new rule to the code saying deputy candidates have to have been mentors. The story for code 8 is about a time in which leaders were apparently chosen based on bloodline rather than the deputy ascending to leadership. The current leader's son, Mothpelt, takes over after his father's death and both he and the clan quickly realize he isn't as cut out for it, having not trained in the job. Meanwhile, Maplewhisker, the deputy, is able to easily rally the clan and understand what would best help them. Soon, they decide to let Maplewhisker take over as leader and make a new warrior code that the deputy becomes leader. This code also comes with a bonus story, of Tallstar talking to Bluestar about whether or not he made the right choice in switching who would become leader so soon before his death, but he decides he agrees with his choice, even if it causes a rocky future. Code 9's story is one of the most famous from this book. It's about a clan whose leader and deputy both grew ill together. After the leader died, the deputy wasn't fit to go to the Moonstone, and soon she dies too, leaving the clan without leadership. Two warriors: Mossfoot and Jumpfire, are nominated as potential leaders and fight to the death to claim that spot…and I do mean “to the death.” They both die. The medicine cat is given permission by Starclan to fake a sign to choose the new leader, Flowerstem, and their first act as a pair is to make a new code that the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh. The story for the tenth code is about a leader who broke the existing full-moon truce, Ripplestar, by attacking everyone at a gathering. Starclan then effectively killed him by sending a bolt of lightning to hurtle him off a cliff. The clans then decided to make honoring the full-moon truce part of the code. Story 11 tells us of a time when cats didn't mark their boundaries, or frankly visit them often, and an apprentice, Mottlepaw, got in trouble for stumbling over the line. When the other clan came to camp to complain about Mottlepaw, his mentor, and mother, Poppycloud, suggested that maybe the code should tell clans to mark their borders, and challenge trespassers since they could then be sure it wasn't a mistake. The clans make it official at the next gathering. One of my favorite supplemental stories accompanies this chapter, as Whitestorm teaches Firepaw, Graypaw, Ravenpaw, Sandpaw, and Dustpaw about border tactics. The information about how to travel along and mark a border isn't new, but it's just a delightful comedic scene oozing with character and I love seeing all the little details woven in. Oh also, Whitestorm is still very canonically old, here. The twelfth code story is about a medicine cat called Graywing, no not that one, who stopped a clanmate from intervening as three kits from another clan fell into and subsequently drowned in the river, as she didn't want to risk their clan's lives to save another clan's kits. Later, she receives a vision of all three kits grown up, one of them becoming a leader, and they tell her kits' lives are always precious. She goes out to find the kits' bodies and bring them to their clan and vows to help make it a rule in the code that every warrior help kits in danger. The addendum to this story is about a Shadowclan patrol who decided to save tiny and innocent little Tigerkit of Thunderclan, who would of course go on to do horrible things, from a fox. As he is saved by them, he says he won't ever forget this and Shadowclan will always be his friends…which I don't know if I believe considering how Thunderclan-Only he was until he was exiled but it does make a haunting bit of foreshadowing. The thirteenth tale is about a Skyclan leader named Darkstar who decided in the middle of a gathering to give up a large piece of their land to Thunderclan, without his deputy, Raincloud, even being consulted. As she pleaded for him to reconsider or at least talk to his clanmates about it, Darkstar proposed a new code that no one could question a leader's decision and, surprise, all the clan leaders liked that idea and set it in stone. As if to hammer in how bad a decision this was, the bonus story here is from Cloudstar's perspective, the last Skyclan leader before they were banished from the forest. He is trying to make the best of the gorge home they have settled in but is clearly losing hope and the health of his clanmates. However, he reassures himself that it will be okay, that Skyclan will exist as long as he does, because the word of the clan leader is the warrior code. And now we learn that it apparently took fourteen codes for the clans to decide killing unnecessarily is a bad idea. In this story, the medicine cats from clans that have been engaged in a very bloody war consult Starclan and are each visited by a warrior who died unnecessarily, with their attacker continuing to hurt them when they had already given up. Seeing this united brutality, the medicine cats decide to demand a new code at the next gathering: that cats don't have to kill to win battles, with some exceptions. Finally, and most recently, we get to the fifteenth code story, about Pinestar, the leader when Lionheart was an apprentice, sneaking off repeatedly to spend time with the kittypets on his ninth life. Lionpaw discovers this and Pinestar, after first just lying, eventually admits that he wants to be a kittypet rather than a clan leader now. At Lionpaw's demand, Pinestar comes back to announce this outright to the clan, and eventually, because of this, the clans make the rule that warriors reject the life of a kittypet. Sandstorm, young Sandstorm, gives us the supplemental story for this one, telling us about how careless Fireheart is, how he's such a troublemaker, and how Dustpelt always tells her he'll never belong since he's a kittypet. But after Tigerclaw was found out, by him, when even Bluestar couldn't tell, she begins to think he had a clearer perspective *because* he was a kittypet and that Fireheart himself has rejected the life of a kittypet just like the warrior code says. Maybe it's okay that she loves him more than she's ever loved anyone. To round us off at the very end, Leafpool tells us about a few codes that were proposed but rejected: namely that only pure-blood forest cats could be warriors, suggested by the same Featherstar from code 7's story, that clans should only eat the food they were most suited to hunting, and that every clan cat mush worship Starclan. With that done, Leafpool escorts us out of the territory and concludes our book. Even speeding through each story at a truly extreme pace while ignoring most of the details, this video has already been going for quite a while, so it should be obvious that this book is packed with information and, if you read it or have already read it yourself, I'm sure you could come to enjoy many of the stories and the little intricacies added to each one. The tones range from light and comedic to grim and solemn and each has some character moments worth looking into. With that said, let's get into the notes I have. First of all, given what we've heard in previous books, there are some times cats have mentioned things being against the warrior code that don't now seem to align to any of the codes. Most obviously, medicine cats not being allowed to take a mate or kits is not listed here anywhere, and other than the words of the medicine cat ceremony being slightly different, there never has been and, in fact, never will be, an indication that there is such thing as a medicine cat code. Medicine cats definitely live by different rules than warriors, but their rules have never been pinned down as distinctly as the code of the warriors' has, and medicine cats are still expected to follow most of the rules in the warrior code. In fact, in this book, medicine cats were the key figures who invented the codes in four of our fifteen stories. So where the rule that medicine cats can't take a mate or have kits goes is anyone's guess. Aside from medicine cats, though, the first arc said things like forcing another leader to share land, attacking cats on a mission from Starclan or for all the clans, kits hunting, joining with one clan to drive out another, and feeding enemy warriors are all against the warrior code and that it is part of the code that cats must protect the whole clan over any one member and show compassion. None of this is mentioned in the code we now have, so it's up to reader interpretation to say how much of it is real, guideline, difference between clans, or otherwise. Considering the code itself is never quoted in full within the main series, and never will be, it's a matter of debate. Secondly, we have to talk about what exactly the stories in this book are. Yes, Leafpool plainly introduces us to the book by saying she's telling us the history of how pieces of the code came to be. But this is Leafpool, a very very modern cat who wasn't alive for even the most recent of the code stories, the one that had to do with her leader's leader's leader, Pinestar. The previous field guide, Cats of the Clans, came from an ancient and seemingly omnipotent, though no less biased, narrator: Rock, but Leafpool doesn't have any of that omnipotence or perfect knowledge of ancient history. Meanwhile the first field guide, Secrets of the Clans, had no one overarching narrator and instead began by mentioning that these stories and information were passed down over generations and generations of warriors, openly admitting that details could have been lost or invented over time. I bring up this skepticism because I don't believe these stories tell an objective truth about how each code was invented, and the order in which they were. Even without bringing in foreknowledge that will be solidified in the future about some of these codes being created or practiced long before any of these stories take place, the stories themselves don't always make sense. Why specifically does fighting over generations for Sunningrocks inspire Splashheart to feed the elders and kits before apprentices and warriors, rather than any other reaction? If clan leaders were chosen by blood rather than by their deputy succeeding them before the deputy code was cemented, why does that idea never appear in any of the code stories before or in Secrets of the Clans? If cats weren't allowed to hunt or trespass on others' territories since the time of the second code story, why did it take so many generations, until the eleventh code story, for even one cat to consider enforcing that rule? If, in the first code story, the clans hadn't developed a lack of empathy for cats across the borders yet, why did everyone immediately blame Ryewhisker's fate on his relationship instead of on the random warrior who killed him without a fight while he was having a conversation, and not attacking anyone? If they had already agreed on a full-moon gathering with a truce so long ago, why did it take so long to cement it in the code, or why was a code for it needed when it was already an established guideline? Why did no one ever suggest until the fourteenth code that unnecessary and consistent murders were a bad idea? If the clans only set down the rule that warriors reject kittypet life after Pinestar left, why were they so hated before that point? Why did Pinestar have to lie to avoid the shame of just spending some time with some kittypets? Why are so many of these codes only about the cat who inspired the code and stop before the actual vote of the leaders to cement it? All across the book there are small moments like this that prick at my suspicions, either seeming entirely implausible, illogical things for cats to have thought of in the moment, or improperly timed in the history. The book doesn't say as much but given who our narrator is, I believe these may be closer to the stories the clan cats tell each other about why each code was formed, rather than objective truth. It's definitely possible for the leaders to vote in a new code and it's entirely possible that even some of these stories are true or almost true, but I don't think all of the codes listed here came about in response to these stories, and I don't believe every detail in these stories to be true. That's not to say I think the book goes against or just isn't canon, but I do believe that, much like Secrets of the Clans, it alludes to clan folktales more than clan history. The warrior code always has been and likely always will be a contentious subject in the fandom, and though Secrets of the Clans was strictly the first book to introduce it in list form, it is often this book that bares the heaviest analysis and critique as we wonder why the clans came up with some of the counterintuitive, ignored, or harmful rules they did. Even so, considering it didn't invent the code, I am happy to see how well Leafpool's commentary and the stories she shares explains some of how that code is justified in the clans' history, and taking this book as a piece of clan folklore, it becomes even more enjoyable to think about. As long as, one day, the clans realize their code may need even more augmentations. For us though, as a book, the stories, both those far in the past and more recent, are all very entertaining tales worth digging into for how cute, funny, heartbreaking, dramatic, or even scary they can be. Of course, many of those more recent stories did drop the names and dynamics of some…interesting new cats, ones we of course don't know yet. A month from the release of this book, though, we would finally get some larger context for that world, long before Firestar joined the clans, and that mess of a period is what we will be digging into next when we return for a future episode, of our trip through time.
B1 US clan warrior leader deputy medicine prey Code of the Clans – Trip Through Time | Warriors Analysis 4 0 WarriorsCatFan2007 posted on 2024/02/18 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary