The Warrior Code: original and revised rules
There is more than one version of the warrior code. The official beginner introduction prints 15 older rules; the story team's revised-code article prints 16 after the events of The Broken Code and River.
Last checked: 2026-10-24. Facts below were re-read on 2026-10-24.
Evidence and limits
The table paraphrases the revised version. It is not a word-for-word reproduction. Revision details can spoil later arcs, so readers of Into the Wild should use the older code for that story's context.
Revised code: 16-rule overview
Use the linked official text for exact wording and the full leadership-challenge conditions.
| Rule | Principle | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protect the Clans | Your own Clan comes first, but the Clans must also help one another survive. |
| 2 | Respect independence | Each Clan keeps its own identity and traditions. |
| 3 | Avoid unnecessary killing | Victory need not mean death; the stated exceptions involve self-defence or enemies outside the code. |
| 4 | Feed vulnerable cats first | Elders, queens, sick and injured cats, and kits take priority over apprentices and warriors. |
| 5 | Keep the Gathering truce | The five Clans meet peacefully at the full moon. |
| 6 | Protect any kit | A kit in danger deserves help regardless of Clan. |
| 7 | Wait for apprenticeship | A kit must reach six moons before apprentice training. |
| 8 | Deputy succession | A deputy succeeds a leader who dies, retires or is exiled. |
| 9 | Replace a deputy promptly | Choose the replacement by moonhigh after a vacancy, including promotion or exile. |
| 10 | Challenge unfit leadership | The revised code sets a formal Clan, leader and medicine-cat process; a deputy cannot initiate it. |
| 11 | Allow a change of Clan | A warrior or medicine cat can transfer under stated conditions, including a task set by the receiving Clan. |
| 12 | Hunt for food | Do not kill prey without the purpose of eating it; honour its life. |
| 13 | Hold a new-warrior vigil | New warriors keep a silent watch for a night. |
| 14 | Require mentoring experience | A deputy must have mentored an apprentice. |
| 15 | Reject kittypet life | The code distinguishes warrior commitment from the comforts of a house cat. |
| 16 | Maintain borders | Patrol and scent-mark boundaries while remembering the Clans' shared code. |
What changed from the older 15?
The old code gives the leader's word the force of law. The revised text instead provides a process to challenge unfit leadership and a conditional route for changing Clans. It also emphasises mutual survival and a Gathering of five Clans rather than four.
The difference between 15 and 16 is a change in the story, not simply a disagreement among fans. Rule numbering also changes, so always name the version when quoting a number.
A book rule is not a game mechanic
An official website quiz can test code knowledge, while a Roblox server can set separate roleplay conduct rules. This does not prove the RPG has a code exam, a particular achievement or a punishment system based on every rule.
Questions people ask
Does breaking a rule automatically send a cat to the Dark Forest?
No. The official StarClan guide distinguishes cruelty and harmful actions from merely breaching a rule.
How old is an apprentice?
The code sets six moons as the minimum age for a kit to become an apprentice.
Which version should a roleplay use?
Specify the story era and the server's agreed rules; do not silently mix original and revised numbering.