How I would change the Warrior Code by Fallowpaw

Fallowpaw shares their interpretation of the Warrior Code.

Hi! So, there are a lot of versions of the Warrior Code, so I think I should clear that up first. I will be looking at the Code as of Code of the Clans. Yes, it is outdated, but this is bc I’m only on Lost Stars and I don’t want spoilers for what will all change, and I also picked this Code in order that even people who haven’t read a lot of the books know what I’m talking about. To start, here is the Warrior Code:

1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from another Clan, but you must be loyal to your own Clan in the first place.

2. Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan’s territory.

3. Elders, queens, 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. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.

4. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Thank StarClan for its life.

5. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.

6. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.

7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.

8. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is banished.

9. After the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or banishment of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

10. 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.

11. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.

12. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.

13. The word of the Clan leader is the Warrior Code.

14. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless it is necessary for self-defence.

15. A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.

I will now look at each rule and say what I’d change about it!

1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from another Clan, but you must be loyal to your own Clan in the first place.

My opinion: This rule is actually pretty fair and reasonable, so let’s keep that the way it is.

2. Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan’s territory.

My opinion: Here is where I’d start changing. Why can’t cats trespass on other territories without hunting? If they do so, they don’t do aly harm, and it’d make things a lot easier if we change this rule to: ‘Do not hunt on another Clan’s territory. Trespassing without catching prey is fine.’

3. Elders, queens, 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. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.

My opinion: I think Clan life is too harsh for apprentices. They even eat after the warriors. I think this rule also is not detailed enough. It doesn’t say if queens eat before elders, or that young warriors eat after senior warriors. I will change that to: ‘Queens and kits must be fed first. Second are the elders, then the apprentices, the senior warriors, and lastly the younger warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.’

4. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Thank StarClan for its life.

My opinion: I think the part about only using prey to eat it is an excellent rule. But the StarClan thing is a bit stupid in my opinion. I think it would be better if you thank the prey for feeding you. So let’s change that!

5. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.

My opinion: This is too late. Irl cats are not considered kittens anymore after two months, and they are completely grown up after seven months, which is remarkeable because it means they’re already adults in their first moon of training! I think kits can become apprentices at three moons instead, because this matches real cats a lot better.

6. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.

My opinion: This rule doesn’t seem that necessary, but it doesn’t hurt either, so I think I will keep it.

7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.

My opinion: I believe this is a good rule, we should stick to it.

8. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is banished.

My opinion: Okay, good rule, let’s keep it.

9. After the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or banishment of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

My opinion: Looks good too!

10. 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.

My opinion: Since SkyClan was already there when this rule was made, there should be: ‘All five Clans’. For the rest, pretty good.

11. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.

My opinion: Also good!

12. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.

My opinion: The idea for this rule is good, but I don’t like how it’s only about Clan kits. Rogues, loners and kittypets have kits too, who have just as much right to be saved as Clan kits, so I think they should be added.

13. The word of the Clan leader is the Warrior Code.

My opinion: Just get rid of this rule completely! This means that if a leader says you must kill kits and starve elders and hunt on other territories and fight everyone at the Great Gathering you should do so! This rule makes zero sense! It means you can trash all the rest of the Code for this dumb rule!

14. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless it is necessary for self-defence.

My opinion: Okay, this one is good.

15. A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.

My opinion: This one seems kinda useless tbh. If you have the first rule, this one’s just completely unnecessary, so we can remove it.

Now we’ve had that, here’s some rules I’d like to add!

1. When a new deputy needs to be elected, the leader will choose three cats the Clan must vote between. At least one of those cats can’t be a parent, mate or kit of the leader.

2. When an important decision for the Clan is made, the medicine cat must be accord.

So now we’ve had all changes I’d like to make! Here’s the whole new Warrior Code:

1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from another Clan, but you must be loyal to your own Clan in the first place.

2. Do not hunt on another Clan’s territory. Trespassing without catching prey is fine.

3. Queens and kits must be fed first. Second are the elders, then the apprentices, the senior warriors, and lastly the younger warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.

4. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Thank it for feeding you.

5. A kit must be at least three moons old to become an apprentice.

6. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.

7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.

8. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is banished.

9. After the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or banishment of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

10. A Gathering of all five 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.

11. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.

12. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan, or is a loner, rogue or kittypet.

13. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless it is necessary for self-defence.

14. When a new deputy needs to be elected, the leader will choose three cats the Clan must vote between. At least one of those cats can’t be a parent, mate or kit of the leader.

15. When an important decision for the Clan is made, the medicine cat must be accord.

So that’s the end of my article! I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what changes you’d make in the comments! Bye! Fallowpaw out!!!