How Much Does The Warrior Code Help? by Stormpaw

Stormpaw wonders how useful the warrior code actually is.

Let’s start with the first rule: Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.
-This rule is fading very quickly. Just look at how many cats broke this code! But all of those cats were great warriors, so it’s totally not fair to call them un-loyal. The only problem with why I think this rule shouldn’t be a rule, is the kits… but not really. I think the kit’s should always stay with their mothers. She’s the one who birthed them & can feed them, so how can it not be common sense of who the kit’s should stay with? Reedwhisker was being such a jerk when he yanked Fallowtail’s kits out of her paws. (He’s not one of those cats that was a great warrior btw).

2nd Rule: Do not hunt or trespass on another clan’s territory.
-Now this rule can’t be argued with. And most of the cats respect this rule, I think only at one time when the clan’s were starving that a couple of them broke that rule by stealing RiverClan’s fish. (I think they were ShadowClan & WindClan but I don’t remember).

3rd Rule: Elders, queens, sick or injured cats and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders.
-So put your clan’s needs before your own, I think that’s a good rule, and it helps the clan to remember to be humble and respectful, and also give them a chance to serve.

4th Rule: Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for it’s life.
-This is a rule, but it’s not mentioned often. Only a couple times I remember in the warrior book’s that a cat is mentioned giving thanks to StarClan. But maybe it’s just one of those rule’s that is just there.

5th Rule: A kit must be at least six moons to be an apprentice.
-I think this is a very important rule. It’s shown under Brokenstar’s leadership that kit’s made apprentice’s before six moons old can easily get injured or even killed doing battle moves that they’re too young to do.

6th Rule: Newly appointed warrior’s will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
-The only thing I can think of, (of why they shouldn’t talk), is to maybe respect your warrior name. But even if that’s true… I just don’t see the reason for this rule. Because it’s not like the cat’s who are chosen to sit guard every night are chatting all the time. They probably keep complete silence anyway to pay attention to their surroundings if they need to alert their clanmate’s. So I don’t think this is an important enough rule to be part of the warrior code since the normal guards most likely do this same order.

7th Rule: A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
-This is a good rule. Because if you haven’t even learned how to be responsible for a young cat, then how can you be responsible for a whole clan?

8th Rule: The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled.
-I agree

9th Rule: After the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or exile of the deputy, the new deputy MUST be chosen before moonhigh.
-I don’t see the point of rushing an important decision like that, although it might help to have another cat be there to support you in your new calling as leader as quickly as possible. But what if the leader died at moonhigh? Then what? You scan your cat’s as quickly as possible to see if there’s any cat that is ok for the job? So I don’t think this rule is too helpful. It would seem a bit stressful.

10th Rule: A Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
-I think this rule is fine enough to be part of the code, but think of how many time’s the clan’s have broken this rule and accused each other of many things. It is a good reminder to keep the peace though.

11th Rule: Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
-I think this a common-sense kind of thing, and that it doesn’t need to be part of the warrior code.

12th Rule: No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.
-Yeah, uhm, Bluefur(star) saw Tigerpaw(claw) maim a kitten! Aka Tiny! (Scourge when he was a kit). And Bluefur never reported it to Sunstar! Yet Tigerpaw had just broken the warrior code. I think this was an important enough rule to disobey the promise she made to Thistleclaw to not tell Sunstar.

13th Rule: The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
-I agree, but cat’s have their own thought’s, so sometimes they can’t help disagreeing with their leader. And what if their leader is crazy? Or stupid? Rowanstar is the example for being stupid when he was going to fight over a RABBIT. I think this rule should at least be stretched a bit.

14th Rule: An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
-So Lionblaze wasn’t being honorable by saving Firestar from Russetfur? So you’re not an honorable warrior if you lose a battle trying not to kill a cat? I agree that if you don’t HAVE to kill, then you shouldn’t. But I don’t think this rule should be a part of the warrior code. Because then, if a cat killed a cat, then they would be horrified and guilty, like Lionblaze! And it’s not uncommon to kill a cat in battle. That’s usually what you do to win a battle.

15th Rule: A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
-I can’t remember this rule ever being broken, but look at how many kittypet’s are accepted into ThunderClan! And that’s kind of like the same thing. How can you reject the soft life of a kittypet if you keep accepting them into your clan?

16th Rule: Each clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each clan must help the others so that no clan will fall.
-Agreed. Onestar did break this rule though.

So now the final question is “how much does the warrior code help?” I think a few of the rules should be stretched, and some gone altogether, but this is how much I think the warrior code helps… 3/10. The warrior code seems to be JUST a reminder, and most all of the rule’s have been broken at least once! So no, I don’t think the warrior code does too much but exist.
I rated the warrior code with a 3 because a few of the rules are fairly good rules and haven’t been broken before. I think maybe the warrior code can be shortened to just take in account the rules that are most important and respected.
But that’s it, and comment below on how helpful you think the warrior code is or if you agree with me!