The Warriors / Characters

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The Warriors

In General

General

The main characters of the movie and the video game adaptation, The Warriors are a small but tough gang that claims Coney Island as their territory. Founded by Cleon and Vermin after a falling out with their former gang The Destroyers, The Warriors have quickly proven themselves willing to take on gangs with far bigger reps than their own, and with surprising success.

Adaptational Heroism: The Warriors in the film are far more sympathetic than their counterparts in the Sol Yurick novel. The game swings in the other direction a bit, as mugging, stealing, and other assorted petty criminal activities appear as key gameplay mechanics.
Adaptation Name Change: The Coney Island Dominators from the novel are renamed "The Warriors" in the film.
Afro Asskicker: Snow, Cochise and Rembrandt (In that order of badassery) have afros.
Anti-Hero: As gang members, The Warriors are presumably involved in some shady activities. Outright shown in the video game, as the Warriors make most of their income from robbing civilians and looting stores.
Badass Crew: The Warriors fight their way across New York, constantly invade other gangs' turf singlehandedly, and repeatedly refuse to back down.
Bash Brothers: The Warriors bicker continually throughout the film but in a fight they have each other's backs.
The Big Guys: Snow and Ajax, as they're both described as the "Heavy Muscles" of the group. In the game, they're shown as partners who attempt to get into the gang.
Canon Foreigner: Ash and the newbloods in the game and D-Train in the Jailbreak Comic series.
Color Motif: Reddish-orange vests.
Establishing Character Moment: In his last stand, Cleon handles Luther and two other Rogues rather easily before going down to the Riffs. While Cleon is the first Warrior to die, his will to win against all odds extends to the rest of the Warriors, who are consistently outnumbered in their fights against enemy gangs but still come out on top nevertheless.
From Nobody to Nightmare: The early parts of the game revolve around building up The Warriors' power and reputation—by the time of Cyrus' meeting they're a ping on the Riffs' radar, and after making it back to the Island, Masai regards them as Worthy Opponents.
Functional Addict: Probably unintentional but in the video game, their usage of Flash in order to heal their wounds does very little to hinder them in any way shape or form despite how frequently they may have to use them to survive. This in stark contrast to The Destroyers whose dependence on drugs and alcohol is shown to be outright crippling to them at times.
Home Base: The Warriors are based in an amusement park on Coney Island, when they are shown to keep a stash of weapons. They also control the surrounding streets and stores and their main headquarters is an empty warehouse in the area.
Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: In the game, The Warriors actively serve the people of the Coney Island community in side-quests, protect the stores that pay them to do so, and aren't insane or pointlessly violent like, say, The Rogues or Destroyers.
Pet the Dog: A few side-missions in the game allow The Warriors to help out the local homeless population.
Protection Racket: The Warriors run one on the shops within their turf—you actually do have to defend them from other gangs at one point, so at least you're earning your money.
White Gangbangers: Five of The Warriors are white.

Swan

Played By: Michael Beck

The Warchief; second in command. A man of few words who thrives on action. A loner willing to step up when it counts.

Badass in Distress: In the final draft of the script, he gets captured by a gang called the Dingos before singlehandedly making his escape.
Counter-Attack: This seems to be Swan's preferred style of combat. Nearly every single attack he does in the movie is either a counter to someone else attacking him, or disarming a foe.
The Determinator: Swan will stop at nothing to get The Warriors back to their base in Coney Island. Much to Ajax's disgust, he has no interest in stopping for "fun" on the way.
Disappointed by the Motive: Implied. When he and Luther meet face-to-face, he asks why he killed Cyrus (and by extension got him and his gang framed for the murder). When Luther says there wasn't a reason and he just "like[s] doing things like that", Swan gives a sarcastic laugh.
Everyone Has Standards: He's much less violent than his book counterpart and warns off Ajax from attempting to hook up with a woman. His main goal is getting the Warriors safely home above all else.
Expy: Of Hector from the novel. In a further sense, he takes Xenophon's role in Anabasis as the inexperienced new leader who guides his soldiers home (the name "Swan" seems to be a compression of "Xenophon").
Headbutting Heroes: With Ajax, who is constantly questioning his authority and disobeying him.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be serious and rough around the edges, but he cares about his street gang and prioritizes them over everything.
The Lancer: He starts out as this until Cleon gets killed by the Riffs and he takes over as The Leader. The Lancer trope carries over to the game, where he's this for the majority of the game until it gets to the events covered by the film.
The Leader: He becomes this to the Warriors following the conclave. He's generally a cross between Levelheaded and Mastermind; he's practical and plans ahead, utilizes the others' skills where they function best, usually deals with conflict via diplomacy or avoidance rather than going straight to violence, and tries to keep the others out of danger as much as possible. He's a bit too serious and aloof to be considered Charismatic, though he gives off an air of authority and the others tend to obey him without question.
Nerves of Steel: He handles his new position as leader of the Warriors with more than a cool head and shows no signs of intimidation when challenged by Ajax or when facing other street gangs.
Not Distracted by the Sexy: Played Straight with Mercy. He shows absolutely no interest in having sex with her for two main reasons. The first being his need to get his gang back home, and the second because he isn't fond of her way of life. This is later subverted when he and Mercy finally start making out in the middle of a subway, only to get subverted again by pulling away and telling her to go home.
Number Two: He's personally chosen by Cleon to be his second-in-command. After Cleon is separated from the others and killed, Swan takes command and the others (with the brief exception of Ajax) are quick to follow him.
Race Lift: Swan is white, while his counterpart in the novel, Hector, is Hispanic.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Ajax's Red; Swan is far more level-headed and collected, tends to plan ahead and doesn't rush into fights if there's potentially another solution (especially if the odds are against them).
Street Smart: All the Warriors are this to an extent - it goes with the lifestyle - but none more so than Swan. He's almost always levelheaded, good at improvising and sussing out situations, and successfully leads most of the group back to Coney Island while the cops and every other gang is after them. A particularly notable example is when Mercy points out to Swan that he's being followed by the Punks' leader; he tells her he already knows and was trying not to let the Punk know that he knows.
The Stoic: Other than a few moments where he shows some emotion, particularly where Mercy is involved, he's always serious and shows little emotion.
You Are in Command Now: Cleon gets taken out of commission early in the film, so Swan steps up to lead the remaining Warriors back to Coney (as per Cleon's wishes). No one save for Ajax questions this.

Ajax

Played By: James Remar

"I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle."

The Muscle; cocky, loud and always up for a rumble. A loner who looks out for himself.

The Big Guy: Easily the biggest, and nastiest, of the Warriors. In the video game, all his stealing car radios, spray painting and lock picking stats (the skills that require finesse) are extremely low, but his mugging and fighting stats are the highest of any Warrior.
Blood Knight: Ajax is by far the most belligerent of The Warriors. While none of The Warriors ever back down from a fight, Ajax is constantly craving for one and is usually disappointed when it's over.
Boisterous Bruiser: To a much greater extent than even Cochise.
Distracted by the Sexy: Inverted. With him, if it doesn't concern fighting, it's more like everything else is an annoying distraction from sex. Played straight late into the film when he finds a woman sitting alone on a bench in the middle of a park right after the fight with the Baseball Furies and attempts to rape her only to be arrested when it turns out she's an undercover cop.
Dumb Muscle: Nothing Ajax does in the film suggests he has much in the way of foresight.
Establishing Character Moment:
- Brief snippets during the opening montage show Ajax using a subway handgrip as a speed bag, calling another Warrior a faggot for saying Ajax has a one track brain regarding women, and when asked about Cyrus, he says "ah, fuck him". This sums up Ajax's character: He is violent, irreverent and crass.
- The game gives him one of its own, where he's introduced getting rough with a woman, introducing his two main interests at once while also Foreshadowing events from later in the story.
Everyone Has Standards: In spite of being a rather sexist and homophobic brute of a man, Ajax disgustedly refers to the Turnbull AC's as "those lousy skin-headed fucks".
Expy: Ajax draws inspiration from Lunkface from the novel. His role as the guy second-guessing Swan makes him sort of a parallel for Apollonides in Anabasis. Of course, his role as The Big Guy is directly inspired by Ajax the Greater.
Fearless Fool: Ajax isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's not a coward and never backs down from a fight even if he's outnumbered. Unfortunately for him, this leads to him making some really stupid decisions and if it weren't for the others keeping him in check he probably wouldn't have lasted as long as he does. Notably, when he does go gallivanting off on his own against the others' advice, he gets himself arrested pretty sharpish.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Ajax has a very short temper that works in conjunction with his fighting skills.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: "Gold" is an exaggeration given he's still pretty unpleasant. However, despite constantly mouthing off to the rest of the gang, when push comes to shove he stands and fights to protect them. The video game and 4-part comic book sequel showcase this best.
Leader Wannabe: Shortly after Cleon's likely death, Ajax expresses a desire to take over as Warlord, challenging Swan for the position (as Warchief or second-in-command, the position automatically goes to Swan). The others make it clear they don't support Ajax and he drops the matter, though it serves to cause underlying tension between him and Swan throughout the film.
Meaningful Name: Ajax was the name of a mythological Greek hero. The novel by Sol Yurick is very loosely based on Anabasis, the autobiographical retelling of the adventures of the ancient Greek warrior Xenophon.
No One Gets Left Behind: When Ajax and Cowboy are being chased by several of The Baseball Furies and Cowboy can't run any more, he stops to fight rather than leave Cowboy behind despite being heavily outnumbered and unarmed.
- Ironically, Ajax himself got left behind to be arrested and Snow and Cowboy did nothing to save him, as it would've been too dangerous to try taking on armed cops.
- A comic sequel revolves around the Warriors breaking Ajax out with the help of a prison riot they orchestrate.
Put on a Prison Bus: This is Ajax's fate. After he lags behind the others to chat up a woman, he becomes sexually aggressive with her and she handcuffs him to a bench, revealing herself to an undercover police officer. Snow and Cowboy go back for him, only to see him being taken away by the cops and they're unable to help him. In the 2009 comic miniseries, the Warriors bust Ajax out of jail but in the film itself, this is the last we see of him.
Race Lift: Ajax is white, while his counterpart in the novel, Lunkface, is African American.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Swan's Blue; Ajax is aggressive, brutish, loud-mouthed, rarely thinks before he acts and wants to solve every obstacle with violence.
Spared By Adaptation: Whereas in the original film, Ajax went to jail and was never heard from again, the comic-book sequel has the other Warriors bust him out.
The Starscream: Ajax openly challenges Swan's leadership and ultimately disobeys his orders and abandons the rest of The Warriors to try and assault a woman - who turns out to be a cop - sitting alone in Central Park.
Token Evil Teammate: Ajax is by far the most violent of The Warriors, and apparently has no reservations about attempting to rape a woman.
Too Dumb to Live: Stops to try and have sex with a woman he sees in the park, while they're in the middle of running for their lives (in fairness, the Warriors are unaware at that stage the other gangs are actively hunting them for Cyrus' murder). Unsurprisingly, this bites him in the ass, as the woman turns out to be an undercover cop and Ajax is arrested after getting rough on her.

Mercy

Played By: Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Action Survivor: She isn't a fighter but she still keeps up with the gang as they trek across dangerous territory and even helps a bit in the fight with the Punks by grabbing a guy's hair and slamming his head into a post.
Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Mercy's book counterpart ends up being gang-raped and abandoned by the protagonists. While in the film Mercy has to deal with being chased across New York by cops and other gangs all night, and has a sad backstory of poverty and neglect, she doesn't go through anything as horrific as her book counterpart and is accepted as part of the gang in the end.
Adaptational Wimp: In film, she participates in the bathroom fight, whereas in the game, she simply runs around like a headless chicken and gets held up at knifepoint by the Punks. She's unlockable in Rumble Mode, though.
All Girls Want Bad Boys: She's initially dating Sully, a small-time street gangster, and quickly moves onto Swan, who is far more dangerous than Sully. She doesn't care about his criminal lifestyle in the slightest and clearly likes that the Warriors are taken more seriously than the Orphans, finding it more exciting.
Ambiguously Brown: Mercy looks and sounds Puerto Rican, but the movie never makes this clear. Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh is of Dutch descent, making this possible Fake Nationality as well.^note
Combat Stilettos: She manages to run around New York City and participate in a gang fight while wearing high heels the whole time.
Damsel in Distress: In the Double Dragon style in-game video game Armies of the Night, Mercy is kidnapped by The Gramercy Riffs and must be rescued by Swan.
Demoted to Extra: Mercy's role is reduced in the video game adaptation, to the point where her relationship with Swan is next to nonexistent.
Early-Bird Cameo: She turns up in one of the earlier levels of the game where Cleon takes a group of generic Warriors up to the Orphans' turf in order to put paid to the lies the Orphans spread about them.
Femme Fatale: She's attractive, flirtatious and finds it fun to stir up trouble. In her first scene, Mercy attempts to engineer a conflict between the Warriors and the Orphans, knowing just how to push Sully's buttons. However, after that she's consistently helpful, or at least not overly detrimental, to the Warriors.
Girly Bruiser: She wears heels, a flower-patterned skirt and a pink top, but she's as tough as any of the Warriors and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to defend herself.
Really Gets Around: It's implied she's promiscuous, though in the film itself the only men she's involved with are Sully and Swan (discounting Ship Tease with Fox). When Swan says she probably doesn't even remember who she gets with, she freely admits that "sometimes I do, sometimes I don't" and doesn't think it matters. However, she does object to Fox calling her a whore.
Rejection Affection: She follows Swan around, flirts with him and tries to look out for him despite him repeatedly rebuffing and insulting her. He eventually comes around.
Sixth Ranger: Ends up tagging along with The Warriors and joins their gang at the end.
Skewed Priorities: She balks at the prospect of going into a men's public bathroom...where the Warriors are sheltering from a rival gang out for their blood.
The Smurfette Principle: Mercy is the only major female character and the only woman in the Warriors gang that we see in the film.
Spanner in the Works: Fox manages to sweet-talk Sully into allowing the Warriors to cross their turf without a fight—but then Mercy mocks Sully for it, and asks for a Warrior's vest, which drives Sully to demand they take off their colors when they pass through. No dice.
Spared by the Adaptation: Mercy's book counterpart is gang-raped by the protagonists and abandoned in the street. This doesn't happen in the film and aside from some initial hostility she's accepted by the gang.
Stepford Smiler: Combined with Stepford Snarker. She tends to act flippant and carefree in most situations, but it becomes obvious she doesn't like her life in the Bronx or think she's got much of a future, so she tries to live in the moment. When she and the Warriors encounter some middle-class kids coming back from prom, she stares wistfully at them, apparently wishing she had a life like that.
The Thing That Would Not Leave: Swan treats her like this, reluctantly allowing her to tag along with the Warriors and barely hiding his contempt for her. However, by the end he's accepted her and he (reluctantly) expresses attraction to her throughout the film.
Unkempt Beauty: Especially by the end of the film. Mercy has been on the run all night, her hair's a mess and her feet are filthy, but she still looks pretty. She self-consciously tries to tidy herself when a group of rich kids look her up and down, but Swan silently stops her.
Vapor Wear: The actress who plays Mercy very obviously does not wear a bra.
Woman Scorned: Tells the Warriors where to find Sully, the Orphans' leader, because he spends too much time on his (crappy) car and not enough on her.

Cleon

Played By: Dorsey Wright

As Warlord, Cleon is the leader of the Warriors. He is the foundation of this gang.

Ascended Extra: In the videogame, where he gets the most characterization, due to all the extra background about the gang's formation and rising through the ranks.
Chain Pain: One of the weapons that comes with his action figure.
Decoy Protagonist: Cleon is immediately established as the leader of The Warriors at the outset of the film, but disappears fairly early on.
The Dog Bites Back: He and Vermin put up with a lot of Virgil's crap when they were Destroyers. His double-crossing attempt to get them killed provides the final impetus for the two of them to move on and start the gang that eventually takes Virgil down.
Expy:
- Cleon is an expy of Papa Arnold from the novel. Unlike Papa Arnold he is implied not to survive the events of the film though.
- In a further sense, he takes the role of Clearchus from Anabasis. The game's backstory for him, falling out with the Destroyers, might be a parallel for Clearchus' exile from Sparta.
I Gave My Word: He originally sent Cochise on a Snipe Hunt in order to discourage him from trying to join the gang, but Cochise got the proverbial "snipe", proving his skills were Warrior material in the process.
Last Stand: Even when the Rogues and the Gramercy Riffs gang up on him and beat him to death, Cleon manages to put up a fight before finally getting overwhelmed.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Gives a pretty damn good one to Virgil before finally burning him to death with a molotov cocktail.
Virgil: Fuh-Fuck you copperhead. I'm the boss. You wuz nothin'... you wuz nothin' before me. Nothin'.
Cleon: Open your eyes mothafucka, you ain't nothin' but ashes.
The Scapegoat: He's killed by the Riffs after Luther claims Cleon was the one who shot Cyrus.
Unscrupulous Hero: The game shows him to be rather cold and very pragmatic in dealing with anyone who threatens the gang and their reputation. He'll also threaten his own members with an asskicking if they undermine his authority, like when Rembrandt signed up the Warriors for a Writer's Showdown without his approval.
That ain't cool, brother. Understand? But seein' as you said the Warriors would show, we're gonna show. But if you ever make a move without my say so again, I'll wreck your punk ass. You dig?

Cochise

Played By: David Harris

A real live soldier. Looking for a good time and all the action he can handle.

Boisterous Bruiser: A very skilled fighter and pretty loud about having a good fight.
Braids, Beads and Buckskins: Probably because he's named after a Native American chieftan, dresses with a tribal vibe, including feather earrings, turquoise beads and boots with fringes.
Chain Pain: In the movie, he snags one from one of the Punks and uses it effectively.
Distracted by the Sexy: Alongside Vermin when they come across the Lizzies.
Extremity Extremist: In the game, his moveset has a lot of kicks.
Jack of All Stats: He and Vermin are solidly in the middle as stats and skills go.
Pretender Diss: In the video game the Warriors are reluctant to let him in at first, since he was born in Harlem (home of the Boppers) and only recently moved to Brooklyn. His initiation mission involves him proving that he's Warrior material by fighting the Boppers directly.
Snipe Hunt: In the game, The Warriors gave him the initiation involving stealing a hat from the Boppers, but when Cochise brags that it wouldn't be hard for him, Cleon upgrades it to a size 9 hat from the Boppers in hopes that he would take a hint and go away.
Cochise: A size 9? That's a bucket, man, not a hat!
- Though by coincidence, he finds it on the Boppers' leader, Big Moe.
Spared by the Adaptation: The script originally had him being wasted by the Baseball Furies.
Would Hit a Girl: He breaks a chair over one of the Lizzies without so much as blinking, though this is justified as the Lizzies are an Amazon Brigade and are even packed.

Cowboy

Played By: Tom McKitterick

A voice of reason. Goes along with the group, always wearing a Stetson.

Affably Evil: He's rather friendly and amicable for a street thug.
Butt-Monkey: In the game he's known among the gang for getting beaten up the most, and is knocked unconscious twice on-screen.
Canon Foreigner: Cowboy bears no resemblance to any character from the novel, so it can be assumed he's an original character.
Mellow Fellow: Cowboy is laid back and easygoing, always going with the flow.
Non-Action Guy: Somewhat deconstructed. He was brought along into the gang at Swan's behest and was allowed to join because the fledgling Warriors was in desperate need of more members. However, his lack of physical ability means that he keeps getting put in situations where he gets beaten up. Exemplified during the fight with the Furies. He's too exhausted to keep running so when Ajax decides to stay with him and fight off the Furies rather than keep running, Cowboy gets knocked out in one blow. At the very least, he gets a mission where he shines in areas that require less brute strength and more deception and trickery.
- Subverted later during the fight against the Punks in the movie. He holds his own with a baseball bat on hand and even gets to be the one who knocks out their leader.
Weak, but Skilled: Has some decent combat skills and was initially allowed to join because The newly formed Warriors was in need of some extra muscle. However a quick look at his stats show that he's one of the weakest members of the gang and is better suited for the more subtle, dextrous tasks that call for brains rather than brawn.
- Suitably enough, he's called upon Cleon to act as the ambassador of The Warriors to reach out to The Saracens and form the connections to make both of their gangs stronger. The ensuing mission involves using more subtle, indirect methods to cripple the rival Jones' Street Boys rather than brute strength. There's also a large amount of hiding spots around the level encouraging Cowboy to take a more stealthy approach.

Fox

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_warriors_fox.jpg

Played By: Thomas G. Waites

The Memory Man. Street smart and quick witted; a perfect scout.

Fun T-Shirt: Perhaps less fun when he and Vermin have to run through Chinatown, wrecking the finances of the Savage Huns while forced to wear shirts with "FUCK U HUNS!" written on them. All as part of his initiation into the Warriors.
Killed Off for Real: Fox is accidentally thrown underneath a subway train while wrestling with a cop.
Non-Action Guy: He can hold his own, but his other skills far outshine his martial abilities.
- He has to subvert during his gang initiation in "Scout's Honor". While he was tasked with sabotaging the finances of the Savage Huns with Vermin's assistance rather than any sort of direct attack, he ends up fighting quite a few of them, culminating in a Boss Fight with their powerful leader Ghost.
The Smart Guy: He's level-headed and has great knowledge of the entire city and its gangs, making him the ideal scout for the gang.
The Social Expert: Knows the most about the other gangs (presumably one of duties as a "memory man"), and is able to manipulate the Orphans into letting the Warriors pass safely (until Mercy screws it up).
Stealth Expert: As a scout this is one of his skills, best demonstrated during the game in an early mission where he manages to stay ahead of a broad police search.
Token Religious Teammate: Debatable, seeing how he wears a cross on his necklace.

Rembrandt

Played By: Marcelino Sánchez

The youngest of the gang. A writer that gets up wherever he can. A little soft around the edges, but still able to maneuver around any obstacle.

Ambiguously Gay: Even in a gang with openly homophobic members like Ajax, no one seemed to pick up on Rembrandt being extremely effeminate with no interest in girls as was shown with the Lizzies. He's the only member who never shows any interest in women throughout the film and according to Walter Hill Rembrandt was indeed intended to be gay, but it's never explicitly stated.
- In a 2017 interview with Vulture.com, Walter Hill explicitly listed Rembrandt as one of his gay characters.
The Baby of the Bunch: He's indicated to be the youngest of the gang and certainly looks it (though his actor was actually older than Cochise's), and he comes across as softer and more inexperienced than the others. The older members occasionally look out for him: Swan tells him to stay close during the conclave so he doesn't get into trouble, Fox goes to find him and get him to safety when he's caught up in the stampede, and when he's freaking out after being cut by the Lizzies Cochise and Vermin comfort him and bandage up his arm.
Demoted to Extra: Hinton, Rembrandt's equivalent in the novel, is the central character and the de facto leader of The Coney Island Dominators after Hector is arrested. Rembrandt is a relatively minor character by comparison.
- Averted in the video game, where he's one of the most featured members of the gang and the first playable character in the main campaign.
- Also averted in Jailbreak. Rembrandt is a central character and much of the book is from his perspective when not focused on Swan or Ajax. The comic series is bookended with a B-plot about him going to art school.
Expy: Rembrandt is an expy of Hinton, the main protagonist from the novel. As far as Anabasis goes, he's splitting the role of Xenophon with Swan; Swan is the new leader, Rembrandt is the guy writing it all down through his art.
Eye Scream: At the outset of the bathroom brawl, Rembrandt sprays paint in the eyes of the leader of The Punks. This is also his signature attack in the video game.
A Handful for an Eye: As mentioned, he's not above blinding people with his spray paint.
Meaningful Name: Rembrandt is The Warrior's graffiti artist, and he shares a first name with a certain famous Dutch artist.
Non-Action Guy: The biggest example in the gang. He's got some fighting skill but he's got both the weakest physical stats in the gang along with the highest proficiency in non-violent skills such as lockpicking, uncuffing arrested Warriors, and of course tagging graffiti. Justified as he was invited into the gang primarily for his skill with a can of spraypaint. Suitably, his gang initiation is just there to ensure he has the minimal combat skills to keep himself alive on the streets. Past that, if the level requires you to play as him, you'll want to avoid getting into too many fights.

Snow

Played By: Brian Tyler

The other Muscle. Disciplined, independent and reserved. He can rumble with the best of them.

Big Brother Mentor: Cleon, after realizing that the Snipe Hunt he sent Cochise on might get him into serious trouble or killed, sends Snow to shadow him. Sure enough, Snow has to fight alongside Cochise to get him out alive when he confronts The Boppers, and continues working with him throughout the mission.
The Big Guy: He's the tallest member of The Warriors and one of their strongest alongside Ajax.
Neck Snap: His Rage Grapple Move on enemies on the ground.
The Quiet One: Snow rarely speaks, but when he does, it's usually something meaningful or wise.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Ajax's Red. Both of them are some of heaviest hitters among the warriors, but Snow is more rational and intelligent compared to Ajax.
The Stoic: Got his nickname for being cool under pressure.
Worf Effect: One of the gang's strongest members but a group of cops manage to subdue and arrest him and Cowboy, demonstrating how threatening they are and the importance of avoiding combat with them.
- Later on in the game, Cochise finds him and Fox beaten to a bloody pulp in an alley. Snow reveals that they were jumped by the Turnbull AC's, one of the heaviest sets in the entire city.

Vermin

Played By: Terry Michos

A pretty heavy brawler. Pessimistic but loyal. A reliable ally who won’t disappoint.

Big Brother Mentor: In the game he's shown to be this to the Newbloods, Rembrandt and Ash. Particularly Ash, with whom Vermin quickly develops a close friendship, and is extremely upset when he's killed.
The Casanova: Vermin tries his luck with The Lizzies.
Carpetof Virility: The most hirsute Warrior, at least as far as we know.
Chubby Chaser: Has a thing for one of the chubbier girls at The Black Cat club.
Deadpan Snarker: He can be pretty pessimistic at times but doesn't lack a joking side.
Distracted by the Sexy: Alongside Cochise.
The Dog Bites Back: He and Cleon put up with a lot of Virgil's crap when they were Destroyers. His double-crossing attempt to get them killed provides the final impetus for the two of them to move on and start the gang that eventually takes Virgil down.
Gag Penis: Claims to have one.
Groin Attack: Almost all of his Grapple Moves involve these. Exaggerated with his standing Rage Grapple Move where he kicks the enemy in the crotch to drop them to the floor and then stomps the same area.
It's All My Fault: Implied. When the Warriors were about to attack the Destroyers and Cleon told Ash to scout out Tony's Fish Market, Vermin quieted Ash's protests by telling him to obey his Warchief. If he'd stuck up for him and convinced Cleon to take him along, Ash may not have been killed.
It's Personal: Following Ash's death, Vermin pleads with Cleon for revenge.
Jack of All Stats: He and Cochise are solidly in the middle as stats and skills go.
Old Friend: The game reveals that he has known and worked alongside Cleon longer than anyone else, even co-founding the Warriors gang with him. He's not quite The Lancer, though, and is content with Swan's succession.
Plucky Comic Relief: He cracks more jokes to relieve tension than any of the Warriors. The actor intentionally tried to make the character funny instead of Vermin being Dumb Muscle like he was in the original script. He felt it would get Vermin more screen time. It worked since the character was supposed to be killed during the confrontation with the Lizzies but was liked enough he was allowed to live through the movie.
Spared by the Adaptation: He was originally supposed to have been shot by the Lizzies.
Took A Level In Cynicism: Adopted a rather more negative attitude following Ash's death.
Would Hit a Girl: He shows absolutely no hesitation when he, Cochise and Rembrandt are attacked by the Lizzies.

Ash

Played By: Ephraim Benton

Canon Foreigner: Made up for the game.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: Beaten to death by The Destroyers off-screen in a set-up meant for Cleon.
Flat Character: Of the members of the Warriors named in the story of the game, he doesn't get enough screentime to establish much of a personality beyond what's mentioned here.
Hero-Worshipper:
- A big fan of The Destroyers, he transferred his regard to The Warriors after they formed, and encourages Rembrandt to join alongside him.
- As a member he quickly fell in with Vermin, who's shown to act as a mentor figure to him, saying he wants to be just like him.
Hot-Blooded: Ash is very rowdy and always eager to fight and prove he's tough, sometimes bragging about fights he's been in.
We Hardly Knew Ye: All we learn about him is that he's Rembrandt's claustrophobic friend. Then he's killed.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Ash suffers from "claustrophobic-ness". When out to have a good time with Vermin and Snow, there's a blackout, causing the subway train to stall, and Ash immediately panics.

The Gramercy Riffs

In General

General

The Riffs are the biggest gang in NYC, controlling and influencing every piece of turf in the city. Their president is Cyrus, a poetic revolutionary who envisions one unified gang ruling the streets.

Adaptational Name Change: They were the Delancey Thrones in the novel.
Adaptational Villainy: In the Armies of the Night in-game arcade game, they kidnap Mercy for no given reason in the game's intro and are the main antagonists of the minigame.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Their Hat is a mix of martial arts and black power, though in the movie there are a handful of white Riffs, presumably extras to fill out the numbers.
Establishing Character Moment: The fact that their leader Cyrus commands a lot of respect from multiple gangs shows that the Riffs are top dog. They also demonstrate their superior fighting skills against Cleon; while Cleon is able to defeat three Rogues fairly easily, it only takes one Riff to overwhelm him before the rest of the Riffs kill him.
Color Motif: The rank-and-file wear orange gi shirts and grey pants, with high-ranking members getting uniquely colored robes. The members that show up to Coney Island to congratulate the Warriors and finish off The Rogues all wear more casual black clothing.
Expy: The Gramercy Riffs are a clear expy of the Delancey Thrones from the Sol Yurick novel.
Hero Killer: Responsible for beating Cleon to death when the Rogues convince them that he's the one that shot and killed Cyrus. The Warriors don't seem to hold it against them since it was The Rogue's fault for deceiving them in the first place.
Home Base: The Gramercy Riffs operate out of a graffitied underground car park, presumably located in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan.
Rhymes on a Dime: The one member in the brightly colored longcoat that the Warriors meet in the mission "Boys in Blue" speaks entirely in rhymes after they gather enough money to pay him for information.
"Check it. Everybody lit for the Red Devil
when that cop got leveled.
Now the streets
is crawlin' with the heat.
The sewers could get ya where ya need to go,
but they locked though.
You gonna need some cutters
to find yo' brothas."
Strong and Skilled: In the game, they combine rather large health bars and immunity to knockdowns with powerful martial arts, comparable to the weaker Savage Huns. They might just be the most statistically formidable gang, which reflects their overall position in the gang scene rather nicely.

Cyrus

Played By: Roger Hill

"Can you dig it?"

The leader of The Gramercy Riffs. He summons the gangs of New York to a meeting in the Bronx to discuss their working together to take over the city, where he is shot dead by Luther, setting the main plot in motion.

All for Nothing: The game in particular frames Cyrus as having spent at least 3 months ruminating and plotting over bringing all the gangs together to take over the city. When the time finally comes to share his grand ambitions with all of the biggest gangs around, just about everyone seems ready to support him. One gunshot later and it all comes crashing down, amounting to absolutely nothing.
Cult of Personality: Based on the conversations amongst The Warriors at the outset of the film and the reaction to his speech, Cyrus is something of a figure of awe amongst the gangs. The vast majority of the gang members who listen to his speech are won over, and some can be overheard trying to convey Cyrus' vision to their gang brothers who didn't attend the meeting.
Expy: Cyrus is an expy of Ismael Rivera from the Sol Yurick novel.
- Also of Cyrus the Younger, Persian prince who led a failed insurrection against his brother for control of the Persian Empire
Final Boss: His ghost is in the game's Armies of the Night.
Large Ham: Roger Hill's delivery of Cyrus' speech to the assembled gangs is famously hammy.
Loved by All: Given how nearly every street gang is out for The Warriors' blood after they're framed for his murder, it's clear that he was well liked and popular by everyone, even the gangs that regularly clashed with the Riffs.
Minor Major Character: He's the top gang leader and the reason the gangs are all gathered at the start of the movie, but he's killed not long after the opening credits finish, setting in motion the rest of the plot.
Plot-Triggering Death: Cyrus is fatally shot by Luther, who then pins it on the Warriors, setting off the plot of the whole film.
Visionary Villain: Not to the protagonists, but he's still an in-universe criminal and gang leader. His "Truth" that he wants the gangs to embrace is that they outnumber the police force almost 10 to 1, and that together, they could effectively rule the city with their numbers and knowledge of the streets, taxing EVERYONE, even the city government and organized crime groups, before they let anything move in the city.

Masai

Played By: Edward Sewer

The second in command of The Gramercy Riffs.

Big Bad: Of the Armies of the Night minigame, kidnapping Mercy and being fought at the end of the last level. However, he's not quite the Final Boss.
Cassandra Truth: Masai tries to warn Cyrus that his idea to unite all gangs will not pan out, but Cyrus dismisses his concerns out of sheer faith. While most of the hundreds of gang members Cyrus spoke to are definitely keen on his idea, all it takes is Luther to confirm Masai's warning, as Luther kills Cyrus and his dream along with him.
The Heavy: He's the one who puts out a hit on the Warriors and sends all the other gangs after them.
Number Two: Second-in-command to Cyrus and the one who succeeds him as leader after his death.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He may be a ruthless gang leader, but once he learns the Warriors were framed, he lets them go and turns his attention to the real killers.
Scary Black Man: Compared to Cyrus, who comes across as very charismatic, Masai is fairly intimidating. He is never seen to smile in the film.
Sinister Shades: Masai wears mirrored sunglasses in every scene he appears in.
Worthy Opponent: He comes to see the Warriors as this after he learns that Luther and the Rogues were behind Cyrus's death.
Masai: You Warriors are good. Real good.
Swan: The best.
You Are in Command Now: After Cyrus is killed, Masai takes command of The Gramercy Riffs.

The Rogues

In General

General

A group of outcasts and punks, the Rogues are chaotic. They’re not the heaviest set in the city, but their abrasiveness and unpredictability even out the odds.

Adaptational Badass: Unlike in the movie, when Swan challenges Luther to a 1-on-1 bout in the game, Luther actually agrees instead of calling him crazy and pulling out his revolver... at first anyway. After losing that fight, he then he pulls out his revolver and calls him crazy while retreating to an elevated position. Meanwhile a brawl breaks out between the other Warriors and Rogues during the Final Boss fight, the other Rogues will also come after Swan so that he can't just hide behind cover to avoid Luther's bullets.
Color Motif: Black leather hats and vests. Overlaps with Dark Is Evil.
Cool Car: A spray-painted Cadillac hearse.
Establishing Character Moment: When the Rogues attack Cleon, they are easily taken out, which implies that they are rather mediocre fighters in a direct confrontation even when they have the advantage.
Greaser Delinquents: Seemingly a 1980s update, with sleeveless leather vests and caps.
Karmic Death: They are all murdered by the gang whose leader was killed by the leader of the Rogues.

Luther

Played By: David Patrick Kelly

"Warriors! Come out to play!"

The leader of The Rogues, and a vicious, murderous sociopath. He murders Cyrus and frames The Warriors, setting the main plot in motion.

Ax-Crazy: He is not "sane" by any meaning of the word.
Bad Boss: He's a total asshole to his own men, especially in the video game.
Big Bad: While he's not the biggest threat The Warriors face in the film, as he's the one who kicks off the plot by killing Cyrus and framing The Warriors for it, and acts as the final opponent The Warriors face, he ultimately takes this role.
Big "NO!": His last words before getting his comeuppance.
Blinded by the Light: After shooting Cyrus, he draws a bead on the shocked Fox, but the stadium lights flare up and dazzle him long enough for Fox to snap out of it and flee.
Dirty Coward: Luther shoots Cyrus at a meeting where everyone came unarmed, and pulls a gun during the climactic fistfight with Swan.
Disproportionate Retribution: It's implied that Luther was inspired to pin Cyrus' assassination on The Warriors because he is pissed at missing his chance to shoot Fox in the face.
Dual Boss: If you're playing co-op, Luther will have Cropsy aid him as he takes on Swan and Snow in a fistfight though Cropsy is far less of a threat and doesn't even need to be defeated to continue on to the next phase.
Duel Boss: Defied in the movie but Played Straight in the game on single-player mode with Swan having no A.I. partner during his fight with Luther... for the first phase of that fight anyway.
Expy: There's no parallel to him in the original novel, but for Anabasis characters he fits the role of Tissaphernes. Tissaphernes sells out the Ten Thousand to Artaxerxes just as Luther sells the gangs out to the authorities.
Final Boss: The final threat in both the movie and the game.
For the Evulz: Luther has no apparent motive for shooting Cyrus, beyond him thinking it'd be funny.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Easily angered.
Hidden Agenda Villain: His motive for shooting Cyrus and blaming it on the Warriors is never fully elaborated on. Did he do it just to get back at the Warriors for a minor slight? On the orders of a higher power? Or just For the Evulz? The world may never know.
Large Ham: "Warriors! Come OUT to PLA-AAYYYY!"
Mister Big: Leader of the Rogues and is clearly their shortest member.
Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: Loses his standoff with Swan like this.
Psychopathic Manchild: Shows itself especially during his Villainous Breakdown, where he sounds like a child having a hissy fit.
Small Name, Big Ego: He shows this in the video game.
Luther: Who's the king? Me, goddammit! King Luther!
Smug Snake: He's very cocky and smug, but when the tables turn on him he drops it and starts pathetically begging for his life.
The Sociopath: Shoots and kills Cyrus, pins the blame on the Warriors and states his reason as simply "I just like doing things like that." while wearing a deranged grin.
Spanner in the Works: Someone suddenly shooting Cyrus at the meeting of the gangs was not something Cyrus nor anyone else foresaw.
Stupid Evil: He doesn't appear to get anything out of killing the beloved Cyrus except a fleeting sadistic thrill.
Villainous Breakdown: When he is found out by the Riffs, he starts begging for his life and trying to pin the blame on the Warriors (for the second time) while sounding like a kid in a tantrum. It doesn't save him.

Cropsy

Played By: Joel Weiss

The second-in-command of the Rogues.

The Dragon: Luther's right-hand man.
Only Sane Man: The only member of the Rogues to think offing Cyrus was a bad idea.

Other Gangs

In General

General

New York City of the late 70's is overrun with street gangs of every imaginable creed and color. Stretching from Harlem, to the Bronx, to Manhattan, every street and neighborhood is jealously guarded by whatever gang has staked a claim to their own piece of turf, be it by punk skinheads, drug-dealing biker gangs, Asian martial artists, or Mad Artist mimes.

Anti-Villain: After the murder of Cyrus with The Warriors framed for it, every gang they run into tries to off them as a means of retribution. Except for The Orphans.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: In the game, just about every gang leader also happens to be their gang's toughest, strongest member. Even The Orphans, though frankly it's not much of an accomplishment at all when individual members of that gang are so weak.
Gang of Hats: All of the gangs have themes and wear matching outfits reflecting the theme.
Generic Graffiti: Every gang has their own unique graffiti "burner" in the game. Optional bonus objectives in several missions involve searching for and spray-painting The Warriors' "W" over the burners of the gang you're currently antagonising. Playing Burner Battle in Rumble Mode gives you a chance to see every gang's unique burner.
Mook Debut Cutscene: Almost every gang gets a dramatic introduction scene with a title when introduced, usually right before you have to start fighting them. They often double as a Establishing Character Moment for the gang.
Mook Lieutenant: In the game and overlapping with Elite Mooks, most gangs have one or more high-ranking, non-leader members with higher stats and a visually distinct version of the gang's uniform, usually being colored differently. In battles, they may even pause to yell out orders to other mooks.
No-Sell: Most gangs have at least one member with immunity to getting knocked down by attacks that aren't a Grapple Move, usually their leader or at least a member with high authority in the gang.

The Baseball Furies

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a27685de21a901b49ed1a79dd1ee2f54.jpg

A group of real major leaguers who bring their A-game to every rumble. Packing bats and plenty of muscle, the Baseball Furies’ rep stretches through every network in NYC.

Batter Up!: All of The Baseball Furies wield baseball bats. Their leader Cobb uses two huge bats that have been ductaped together.
Color Motif: White Baseball uniforms with black stripes and face paint.
The Dreaded: These guys have little else but big numbers, baseball bats and a lust for blood but they're highly respected and feared especially in the game and The Warriors always try to run first when confronted by them.
Enemy Mime: The Baseball Furies are comparable to gangster baseball mimes. None of them make any noise during their confrontation with The Warrior beyond grunts of pain, which adds to their overall eeriness.
Large and in Charge: Their leader Cobb is one of the largest characters in the game and he lacks the noticeable gut that the other similarly huge characters have.
Light Is Not Good: An incredibly violent street gang that wears white baseball uniforms and bright face-paint. Inverted in the game with their stronger, higher-ranked members that wear black versions of the uniform.
Mook Lieutenant: They're immune to getting knocked down and wear black baseball uniforms with white stripes. They also have the iconic yellow face paint with the left eye painted black like the one fury in the movie that knocked out Cowboy and then challenged Ajax in a dramatic stand-off.
Shout-Out: According to Word of God, the makeup worn by some of The Baseball Furies was inspired by the rock band KISS, who were hugely popular at the time.
- Their leader Cobb wears distinctive skull-like face paint, inspired by the logo of The Misfits.
Skull for a Head: Its actually just face paint, but Cobb has a face like this.
Smash Mook: Don't have a whole lot of combat skill beyond smashing faces in with baseball bats and their high stats make them some of the toughest regular enemies in the game.
Theme Naming: In the game, most of them are named after baseball stars.
The Voiceless: The Furies don't speak or even make that much noise when hurt, making their first appearance very unsettling. Judging from the comic, they can talk all they want if they aren't in their paint.

The Hi-Hats

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_hihatswarr.png

A quiet, but solid clique from Soho that dress like mimes. Very territorial, the Hi-Hats won’t let anyone drop their colors where they don’t belong. Led by Chatterbox, these self-proclaimed art aficionados are a messy set to battle with.

Acrofatic: Chatterbox is about as sluggish as you'd expect from such a large, obese man but the rather heavyset Crackerjack is capable of pulling off the same graceful kicks the other members can.
Car Fu: The Warriors kill Chatterbox by luring him in front of the automated rail cart in the Coney Island amusement park.
Color Motif: Red shirts with black stripes on the sleeves, black dress pants with suspenders, and black top hats.
Enemy Mime: The Hi-Hats dress like stereotypical mimes.
Fat Bastard: Chatterbox. Crackerjack too to a lesser extent.
Large and in Charge:
- Chatterbox is easily twice the size of his underlings.
- Same goes for his second-in-command, Crackerjack, who takes over after Chatterbox dies. He's dressed like a regular member of the gang, but has a notably large gut which his shirt barely covers.
Mad Artist: Chatterbox, at least, who schemed to try and kill off rival artists from other gangs, and defaces classic works of art with his ugly mug.
Meaningful Name: Unintentionally or not, Chatterbox's name fits him as he likes to chatter so much, to the point that Ajax got sick of it and mocked him by speaking like Chatterbox, telling him to shut his trap.
Monster Clown: Their leader in the game, Chatterbox, differs from his mime followers by styling himself as a clown... by wearing the infamous face paint of John Wayne Gacy.
Mook Lieutenant: Crackerjack and the other generic high-ranking Hi-Hats wear shirts with white instead of red on them as well as white top hats. Only the generic ones have immunity to knockdowns.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Don't let their odd fashion sense fool you, the Hi-Hats can and will beat you to death if you let them.
Reasonable Authority Figure: After Chatterbox dies, Crackerjack drops the pointless vendetta against the Warriors, especially since the grudge was all Chatterbox's fault in the first place, and focuses on getting the gang back on track after the death of their leader, with the DJ pointing out that he's getting a handle on things, and the Riffs do invite them to the conclave.
Speech Impediment: Chatterbox has a notable stutter, which is annoying as he has a tendency to ramble on.
Shout-Out: Creepily, Chatterbox's face paint is a dead ringer for that worn by the serial killer John Wayne Gacy in his Pogo the Clown costume.
Terrible Artist: Chatterbox likes to consider himself a talented artist, but his gallery is nothing but a self-indulgent Shrine to Self, with a ton of copies of classical art with Chatterbox's face or physique added to them. The first Hi-Hats mission involves trashing it.
Theme Naming: In the game, they seem to have taken on French names.

The Lizzies

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lizzies.jpg

The Lizzies are an all-girl gang who can hang with the boys. Using their God-given gifts to their advantage, The Lizzies can easily sneak their way past any crew’s defense.

Amazon Brigade: An entire gang of violent, female gangsters. In the game, they're the only truly dangerous female characters in the cast.
Color Motif: Most of them wear pink or purple somewhere.
Honey Trap: Their attempt to take out Cochise, Vermin, and Rembrandt involves inviting them up to their hideout with the promise of sex and taking them out when their guard is down. It doesn't work because they made their move too soon and can't shoot for shit.
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: The leader of The Lizzies misses multiple shots from point blank range when trying to shoot Rembrandt, Cochise and Vermin.
Psycho Lesbian: Mostly implied, but more overt in the game.
The Smurfette Principle: The only gang to be comprised of women and led by a woman.
Weak, but Skilled: In the game, none of them aside from their leader Starr can really take a hit, but they're definitely one of the more skilled fighters.

The Orphans

A small time outfit that keeps trying to move up by boasting about raids that never happened. At the bottom of the minor leagues, they try to make up for being soft by swarming with numbers; but a crew that can’t battle doesn’t have much of a future.

The Alleged Car: The car Sully is so proud of is pretty much a junkheap that the Warriors trash to get back at him for wasting their time.
Big Bad Wannabe: They try to make themselves look tough, but absolutely no-one in their turf is afraid of them, and they do things like carry around newspaper clippings of their "accomplishments" to intimidate trespassers.
Bullying a Dragon: The Orphans attempt to exploit the Warriors' rep by bragging that they fought the Warriors and took them down... then when the (very much not beaten) Warriors show up on Orphans turf looking for a fight, the Orphans freak out and run, with one of them telling Sully that he shouldn't have lied about bopping the Warriors.
Color Motif: Green shirts.
Dirty Coward: Sully, the Orphans leader, is a pathetic, sniveling wimp who runs at the first sign of trouble. He only shows confidence when he's got a solid chain-link fence between him and the Warriors.
Expy: The Orphans are an expy of the Borinquen Blazers from the Sol Yurick novel.
Gang of Hats: An aversion of the general trend in the setting, as all Orphans wear t-shirts and jeans. Their only distinct element is green shirts with "Orphans" written on the back, but otherwise they are just wearing casual outfits.
Harmless Villain: The Orphans are not only complete bush league, they are at the very bottom of the bush league, and are also worthless at fighting. They are unable to overwhelm 8 guys with the entirety of their 30-man roster. When fought in the game, Cleon's war party to invade their turf is made up entirely of the Warriors' newest recruits, even, making fighting through the Orphans' entire roster look like little more than an initiation ritual.
Improbable Weapon User: In the movie, Sully threatens The Warriors by brandishing a straight razor. It's frankly rather pathetic especially since Swan's response is to blow up a nearby car with a molotov cocktail. While the game references this odd choice of weapon with one of Sully's character select quotes being threatening to show off his straight razor, he pulls out an actually dangerous-looking knife in that same scene in the game, presumably so they wouldn't have to model a straight razor just for one cutscene.
Informed Attribute: The Orphans hanging outside the clinic mention how brutal of a fighter a member named Jessie is. The man himself gets tossed out of the clinic by the doctor, before fleeing from The Warriors upon seeing how many there are. He doesn't put up much of a fight before giving up information on the boss of the Orphans and he never gets another opportunity for a real fight. Granted, in Rumble Mode he does have slightly better stats than most of the other Orphans but he's still pretty pathetic, likely meaning he's only comparatively tough compared to the other Orphans.
Locked Out of the Loop: The only named gang in the game to not be invited to Cyrus' enclave. When The Warriors encounter them after the meeting, they have no idea what had transpired and are merely reacting to the Warriors being back in "their turf" again.
Miles Gloriosus: They try to pretend they're a force to be reckoned but are absolutely pathetic, and didn't even know about the big gang meeting, showing that they've been totally ignored by the Riffs. When a gang's seen for the first time in the game they're usually introduced with an Ass Kicking Pose freeze-frame; the Orphans are frozen in a pose of panic at realizing the Warriors showed up to call the Orphans' bluff about winning a rumble against the Warriors.
Named by the Adaptation: While they refer to Sully by name in the game, he was never named in the original film. He's simply called "Orphan" in the credits.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Inverted, The Orphans is a rather unimpressive name for a street gang and they're suitably the weakest, most pathetic gang that The Warriors ever encounter.

The Punks

The Punks are a serious bunch of brawlers. Mean mothers looking for a good time and a good fight. This clique won’t back down from anything

Age-Inappropriate Dress: They wear striped rugby shirts and denim overalls, possibly to seem more "blue collar". In actuality it makes them look like overgrown toddlers.
Camping a Crapper: Their plan to take down The Warriors is corner them in a public bathroom. It backfires.
Climax Boss: After The Warriors collectively learn they're being hunted by every gang in the city and that Fox is gone and Ajax has been arrested, these guys provide the last threat by a rival gang before they reach Coney Island and face off against The Rogues who are behind all their troubles in the first place. It's more apparent in the movie where they actually put up more of a fight than even the Furies.
Color Motif: Blue denim overalls. Most wear shirts with stripes, often yellow ones.
Killer Bear Hug: It's their only unique attack compared to other gangs. Oddly enough, their leader Vance isn't able to use it.
Mister Big: Their leader- Vance, going by the game- is inches shorter than some other members even while wearing roller skates.
Muscles Are Meaningless: They're not particularly beefy-looking by any stretch of the imagination but in the game, they can still lift enemies off their feet with a bearhug strong enough to generate a Sickening "Crunch!".
No-Sell: In the game, they can't be knocked down by any attack that isn't a Grapple Move.
Rollerblade Good: The leader of The Punks wears roller skates.

The Turnbull A Cs

The Turnbull ACs

A bunch of tough, crass anarchists looking to rock or rumble any chance they get. One of the heaviest sets in the city, these skinheaded thugs are a serious outfit to contend with.

Bad Guy Bar: The Red Devil.
Bald of Evil: The Turnbulls are all skinheads. Presumably the punk style of skinhead, as several of their members are black.
Berserk Button: Whether during a mission or Rumble Mode, the Turnbulls playing music on-stage will turn hostile towards anyone that interferes with their performance.
Color Motif: All denim, usually with lighter shades of blue helping to contrast them with the darker colors of the Destroyers.
Combination Attack: While everyone in the game is capable of them, the Turnbulls are the only characters to have unique combination attacks.
Elite Mook: In the game, they're common mooks in a couple levels with high stats and immunity to knockdowns.
Evil Cripple: Birdie, a wheelchair-bound member of the Turnbulls, is by far one of the most violent and sadistic, and also uses a gun during his fight, for obvious reasons. He likes to have his minions beat up people for him, then run over their crotches with his chair as a finisher. The Warriors end up killing him by pelting him with bricks until his chair falls off a ledge.
Machete Mayhem: In the game, their lieutenants carry around machetes during the mission, Desperate Dudes.
Mook Lieutenant: Larger, bulkier members wearing light-blue denim overalls with black armbands and a red scarf are the gang's lieutenants. They have even more health than their leader.
The Quincy Punk: The Turnbull ACs dress like stereotypical punks.
Rotten Rock & Roll: The music they play at the Red Devil.

The Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are a family-based set, made up of hustlers and swindlers. These brawlers drop their colors in Spanish Harlem and love a dirty fight.

Bad Guy Bar: The Hurricanes hang out at The Stripes And Solids.
Color Motif: Yellow Trilbys.
Dirty Coward: Sanchez, an associate of the gang, constantly runs and hides behind his gang member friends.
Dual Boss: Two high-ranking members, Diego and Vargas fight Ajax and his warparty at the same time.
Gratuitous Spanish: They occasionally mix in a few Spanish words when they talk, usually insults.
Large and in Charge: Diego and Vargas, two massive, high-ranking Hurricanes and brothers.
Mook Lieutenant: Lieutenants of the gang wear trilbys with larger brims than the Hurricanes' and blue dress-shirts that expose their chest. They also carry around knives.
Tattooed Crook: The most notable example in the game due to the trope below.
Walking Shirtless Scene: Most members don't wear shirts to show off their tattoos.

The Boppers

Tough enough to keep other colors off their turf, the Boppers keep Harlem smooth. A softer set that grooves with style instead of muscle.

Agent Peacock: They're very fond of their fancy clothes, but still tough enough to hang on to a sizable turf.
Bad Guys Play Pool: You fight Boxcar, one of the Bopper contingents, in a pool hall in Cochise's flashback level.
Color Motif: Metallic purple vests, cream trousers, black shoes, a purple fedora.
Kick the Dog:
- Introduced with some of their members mugging a civilian couple and laughing with sick pleasure. When the woman begs them to relent, one of them insults her before knocking the man out with a kick to the face.
- Reggie, one of the lieutenants, treats a woman rudely at a dance hall. When she protests his behavior, he knocks her to the floor with a backhand to the face.
Large and in Charge: The leader of the Boppers is an absolute giant of a man named Big Moe.
Mook Lieutenant: Lieutenants wear hats with larger brims than the other Boppers' and yellow dress shirts underneath their purple vests.
Pimp Duds: Their uniforms are rather tame for stereotypical pimp standards but they still give the vibe.
Purple Is Powerful: Decent fighters with most of their clothing being some shade of purple.
Two Girls to a Team: They apparently have two female members named Sharla and Shandra. They're eager to provide back-up to Big Moe in fights, but they don't seem to have much fighting skill.

The Savage Huns

The Savage Huns are skilled in Martial Arts and can withstand a hefty beating. They deal in extortion and loan-sharking and have some heavy numbers. Their Warlord, Ghost, is a very spiritual and disciplined martial artist who never speaks.

All Asians Know Martial Arts: They have a unique move in the video game; a flying kick in place of the standard crossbody tackle or shoulder barge performed while sprinting.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: An entire Gang of Hats based on this.
Badass in a Nice Suit: Unlike every other member of the gang, their leader Ghost dresses in a dark suit.
Color Motif: Army-green or blue Chinese "worker" garbs with brown-green Phrygian caps.
Gratuitous Foreign Language: The lower-ranked members sometimes speak sentences in Mandarin in the heat of battle despite being fully capable of English.
Hordes from the East: Their attire include Phrygian Cap and plain clothing to emphasize their namesake based on Asiatic nomads.
Mook Lieutenant: Unlike the lower-ranked members, the lieutenants wear more casual black and red jackets.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Their upper-ranking members like Ghost or the lieutenants prefer red and black clothes.
The Voiceless: Their leader Ghost never speaks a single word.
Weak, but Skilled: Their combat skill is undeniable but their generic goons can't take hits very well. Their higher-ranked members verge closer to Strong and Skilled but none of them have the usual immunity to knockdowns like with other gangs. Makes it more impressive how successful they are against their rival gang, the Satan's Mothers.
White Hair, Black Heart: They're loan sharks and their leader has distinctive bright, silver hair. The graphics don't make it clear whether or not it's genetic, hair dye, or the result of aging. Him being The Voiceless doesn't help either.

The Destroyers

The original Coney Island gang and led by a backstabbing drunk, Virgil. The Destroyers are a pretty heavy set and put up some solid opposition in the battle for Coney’s turf.

Adaptational Expansion: The Destroyers were never seen or even mentioned in the film, however, they were briefly referenced in the original script.
Addled Addict:
- The "stealth" mission to tag their HQ is aided by the fact a party's going on inside and every single Destroyer is wasted to some extent, including the ones patrolling the grounds outside.
- Virgil apparently started out as a decent leader until he pickled and fried his brain with drugs, alcohol, and paranoia.
Afro Asskicker: Virgil's a legitimately tough and unhinged fighter with a pretty prominent 'fro. Several other members of his crew have impressive afros as well.
Ax-Crazy: Virgil's a paranoid alcoholic with delusions of grandeur, and by the final confrontation with Cleon and Vermin, he has clearly flown off the sanity handle.
Bad Boss: Virgil is a complete dick to his men and has no respect for any of them, plus he will also beat up any of them at the drop of a hat and will send them out to fight while he tries getting away.
Battle Amongst the Flames: Due to Virgil heavily relying on molotov cocktails in the first phase of his boss fight, the warehouse they're in is engulfed in flames by the time of the third phase. This means the boss arena is surrounded by fire and burning debris rains down from the ceiling periodically.
Canon Foreigner: The most prominent addition to the cast of the video game adaptation, being the main antagonists of the first half of the game prior to when the movie plot begins.
Climax Boss: The Destroyers are the Warrior's biggest rivals with their leader Virgil being a particularly personal Arch-Enemy to Cleon and Vermin since it was his betrayal of them that led to them leaving the Destroyers and forming the Warriors. The fight against Virgil is a rather dramatic and climactic confrontation too being an intense three-phase boss fight that completely that concludes with his gruesome demise and the complete dismantlement of the Destroyers gang.
Color Motif: Black shirts and Blue denim vests with the gang symbol on the back.
Dark Is Evil: All of their members wear black shirts except for Lemmy and Beansie.
Dirty Coward: When the Warriors finally start an all-out war with The Destroyers to end them once and for all, Virgil's response to their losses is to have his top soldiers hold down the fort while he leaves to "check for supplies" in the nearby warehouse. He probably would have hid there until the Warriors relented on hunting him down if it wasn't for L.C. also being too cowardly to fight with the others and leading Cleon and Vermin right to Virgil's doorstep.
- Even during the boss fight against him, he keeps trying to avoid a straight up brawl with Cleon and Vermin. He spends the first phase on an elevated balcony tossing molotov cocktails at the Warriors. In the second phase, he tries to hide in the shadows until Cleon or Vermin walk by so he sucker punch them with either a fierce uppercut or a kick to the groin. It's not until the third phase that he's finally forced to take them on in a more standard fistfight, albeit with the warehouse burning down around them and debris raining from the ceiling.
Disc-One Final Boss: They're effectively the main antagonists but only for the first half of the game.
Drugs Are Bad: Most members of this gang are malicious drug addicts, alcoholics or both. Not only is this implied to be why they're so damn evil, it also screws them over multiple times.
Evil Former Friend: Virgil, the leader of the Destroyers, was once friends with Cleon, but had a paranoid breakdown and tried to have them killed.
Expy: Interestingly enough, they share a lot in common with The Lords from Sol Yurick's novel, in that they're (for a time) the main rivals of the protagonists and control part of Coney Island. This means Rockstar added an element of the book that was missing in the film.
Groin Attack: One Virgil's unique attacks is a swift kick to the crotch that can floor any enemy. Used liberally during the second phase of the boss fight against him.
Hero Killer: They beat Ash to death in a set-up.
Kick the Dog:
- They're mentioned as having burned down a homeless mission at one point.
- Vermin notes that their murder of Ash is particularly unfair because none of the Warriors had previously killed a Destroyer in their feuds.
Kill It with Fire: They're introduced throwing a molotov cocktail into the Warriors' hide-out and they seem to prefer it as a weapon. Fittingly enough after receiving the beating of a lifetime, Virgil meets his end by being burned alive by one of those very same bottles he tried to use to kill Cleon and Vermin.
Killed Off for Real: Virgil dies very painfully on-screen, and the rest of the gang is never seen or heard from again, and not a single member shows up to the big meeting. The DJ even states that the Warriors now control all of Coney, further evidence that the Destroyers were, well, completely destroyed.
Mook Lieutenant: The generic Destroyer officers have distinctive cyan lines on their shirt sleeves and wear white and cyan baseball caps. Cleon himself used to wear the same shirt when he was a Destroyer since he was Virgil's 2nd-in-command.
The Rival: They're the clear rivals for the Warriors, both because of some of the Warriors having been former members of the Destroyers, and because both gangs occupy the same territory and are always trying to get the upper hand over the other. They're the main antagonists for the first half of the game.
Starter Villain: Cleon and Vermin were originally members of the Destroyers until their leader, Virgil turned on them and tried to set them up to be killed by Satan's Mothers.
Took a Level in Jerkass: At the start of the Flashback Mission Roots, Vermin notes how much of a jerk Virgil's been towards them lately despite Cleon being his partner in crime.
Unskilled, but Strong: Virgil has stats that actually surpass that of most other Warlords, but his combos consist of sloppy, untrained swings identical to several attacks used by the destitute hobos wandering around the city. Considering how a second version of his character in Rumble Mode keeps the high stats but instead uses the relatively more focused and professional-looking combos used by the other high-ranking Destroyers, it's possible that his current lack of a fighting style is a side effect of his descent into substance abuse; he's still strong, but lacks the discipline and coordination to do anything more.

The Satan's Mothers

One of the heaviest sets in New York. The Satan's Mothers are a ruthless gang who deal in knives and flash. They won’t let anyone mess with their rep.

All Bikers are Hells Angels: They're an outlaw biker gang. Even their gang name seems to be a parody of the Hell's Angels.
Battle in the Rain: Their leaders are fought during a rainstorm in a fenced in-area right outside of a warehouse.
Big Guy, Little Guy: Their two leaders Tiny and Spider have this dynamic, with Tiny providing the muscle and Spider using speed and a knife.
Color Motifs: Black leather biker gear.
Dual Boss: Their two co-leaders work together to try and take down Cleon and Vermin at the end of the Flashback mission, Roots.
Glass Cannon: Every member in-game is as strong as Ajax—but they take more damage than most gangs, at least during the flashback mission, Roots. They're definitely much tougher in any other circumstance.
Ironic Nickname: One of their co-Warchiefs is a huge guy named Tiny. Never saw that before.
Misplaced Retribution: The gang hunts down Cleon and Vermin in a warehouse for bringing bullshit goods to a drug deal, when they didn't even know what was in the bag in the first place and were just following Virgil's orders. Invoked by Virgil since he was trying to get Cleon and Vermin killed, believing they would turn on him.
No-Sell: They can't be knocked down by any attack that isn't a Grapple Move.
Theme Naming: Most of them are nicknamed after animals.

The Electric Eliminators

Bait-and-Switch Boss: More like a bait and Bait And Switch Enemy gang and it gets played with. During the Armies of the Night arcade game, the Electric Eliminators are initially fought in the second part of the 2nd level in Soho and you even get a full boss fight against their leader, Tracer. However, not long after defeating him, a brief sequence of an Electric Eliminator member fighting a Hi-Hat member armed with a knife. It ends with the latter stabbing the former to death. The rest of the level is spent fighting the Hi-Hats who are the real enemy gang of Soho.
Color Motif: Yellow jackets.
Flat Character: Don't get much characterization beyond an apparent rivalry with the Hi-Hats and a possible interest in break-dancing based on their idle animations in Armies of the Night.
Mook Lieutenant: The lieutenants wear yellow headbands and have distinctive sleeves on their jackets colored darker than the sleeves on other members' jackets.
Out of Focus: Get extremely little screentime in the game. Their members don't have a single line of dialogue during any of the cutscenes.

The Panzers

Color Motif: Camouflage jackets and dark red berets. Considering who they're supposed to be inspired by, they're possibly a case of Dark Is Not Evil.
Mook Lieutenant: The lieutenants wear black bomber jackets and Cool Shades.
Neighborhood-Friendly Gangsters: Allegedly the Panzers are supposed to be similar to the real life Guardian Angels, though there is little actual evidence to show this in either the game or movie. Granted, they have little more than a few cameo appearances, and have zero actual characterization.
Out of Focus: Get very little screentime in the game. They don't even have a Mook Debut Cutscene.

The Moonrunners

The Moonrunners put more emphasis on getting up than they do brawling, but they aren’t afraid to drop the paint and battle it out when other crews come armying into their train yard.

Boisterous Weakling: Individually weak as The Orphans, but they're unafraid of throwing down when the situation calls for it.
Color Motif: Metallic silver-blue jackets.
Early-Bird Cameo: A few Moonrunners can be encountered during mission 4, "Blackout". This is a good 9 levels before their storyline mission "All-City".
A Handful for an Eye: As a tagging-focused gang, they all carry cans of spray paint, which they use to try and blind their foes.
Mad Artist: In the sense that they're willing to beat seven shades of hell out of anyone who messes with their tags or tagging opportunities.
Mook Lieutenant: The lieutenants of the gang are distinguished by the fact that their jackets are red and they also have a matching red headband. They have a unique power attack where they can sweep-kick and knock any enemy to the ground as well as a unique animation for their standing Grapple Move.
Theme Naming: In the game a number of them have street names based around celestial phenomena like "Nova" or "Comet".
Villainous Valour: In the game, they're the only gang to openly acknowledge to realize how weak they are compared to other gangs in idle dialogue but it doesn't stop them from being highly territorial of their turf and attacking any unruly trespassers regardless of how outmatched they are. In any case, they're successful and respected enough to be invited to the Riff's conclave.
Weird Moon: Their symbol is a pissed-off crescent moon stabbing a star with a bloody sword. That qualifies as a bit odd.

The Jones Street Boys

A cocky bunch of trust fund kids who live in a world where money isn’t an object and petty crime is just a thrill ride. Still a set that can fight with the best, the Jones Street Boys have Bensonhurst locked up tight.

Color Motif: Black and yellow vertically-striped shirts.
Dirty Cop: They keep the cops in their area in their pockets.
Early-Bird Cameo: You'll run into a few members during the mission "Boys In Blue" who have been arrested and lie handcuffed in the street.
Improvised Weapon: Often carry around random tools like pipes, crowbars or wrenches to help bring the pain. Along with the Baseball Furies, they're one of the few gangs to frequently carry around some sort of weapon.
Let's You and Him Fight: One mission involves turning their cop allies against them by planting evidence of double-dealing in the JSB's hideout.
Mook Lieutenant: Black and white vertically-striped shirts distinguish the gang's lieutenants.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Their cash and influential families give them an "in" with the local police, and they're heard openly boasting about it.
Shout-Out: Being a gang of spoiled rich kids from prominent families and having a feud with with a poorer gang is makes them very similar to The Socs from The Outsiders. Rockstar took heavy influence from the book and film for their game Bully so it's unlikely this was a coincidence.
Spoiled Brat: They are a gang of pretentious trust fund kids.
Visionary Villain: Their leader claims that he has plans, big plans, beyond a simple gang. He doesn't get to elaborate before he's arrested, though.

The Van Courtland Rangers

Boisterous Weakling: In the same way the Moonrunners are.
Color Motif: Dark purple and white stripes, horizontal.
Flat Character: They have little to no characterization. Judging by Cyrus' speech, they're not on good terms with the Moonrunners. That's about it.
Mook Lieutenant: Heavyset guys with pink pants and violet and white striped shirts serve as the lieutenants of the gang.
Out of Focus: Get very little screentime in the game. They don't even have a Mook Debut Cutscene.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: Their leader and strongest member Pharaoh wears a sleeveless version of the gang uniform.
Theme Naming: The game gives them Biblical names.

The Saracens

Edge Played By: El-P

A serious set from Brooklyn that won’t hesitate to bring down a whole clique if that’s what it takes to survive. Street smart and strategic, they’ve earned a lot of respect from other gangs

Boring, but Practical: The Saracens have possibly the least elaborate uniforms of any of the gangs (asides from the Orphans), a simple black and white tank-top. This also makes them a lot more similar to real life gangs.
The Chessmaster: As described in the game manuals, they're a crafty bunch who come up with a solid plan for screwing over both the leadership of the Jones Street Boys and the corrupt cops working with them.
Color Motif: Black tank-tops with white trim and silver pendants.
Mook Lieutenant: White tank-tops with black trim distinguish the lieutenants of the gang.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Though he doesn't appear much, the warlord of the Saracens, Edge, is shown to be a cool-headed and smart man who is not afraid to ask for or accept help from other gangs if the occasion calls for it and will do good by them in return, and it's likely a big reason why the Saracens have a fair bit of pull with the Riffs.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: None of their members wear sleeves and they're a respected and heavy set.
Worthy Opponent: After The Warriors help wreck the Jones Street Boys' friendly relationship with the cops, they agree to let them in on the Riffs' network.

Others

The DJ

Played By: Lynne Thigpen

Coincidental Broadcast: Invoked. The DJ's program appears to revolve entirely around recapping the goings-on of all the local gangs, with appropriate songs chosen for their situations.
Deadpan Snarker: The DJ's voice suggests she is mildly amused by The Warriors' plight. During the game, she coolly dishes out plenty of wisecracking commentary.
The Faceless: Only the lower face of the DJ is seen in her appearances.
Gameover Man: Has unique commentary any time your character in the story mode dies, usually based on what level you're in.
Mission Control: Although not in the traditional sense, the DJ provides information on the whereabouts of The Warriors to the gangs hunting them.

Scopes

Played By: D.M.C

Canon Foreigner: An original character created for the video game.
Neutral No Longer: After the Warriors beat Chatterbox, he feels he owes them, so he lets them in on a tagging opportunity that'll take them all-city and gives them advice on how to make it quick before the Moonrunners catch them. He even risks his freedom by showing up at the train-yard and warning them that the cops are going to show up in force.
Nice Guy: By far one of the nicest characters in the setting, him being betrayed by the Hi-Hats is seen as a major breach of acceptability by all the gangs present.
Respected by the Respected: It's telling that he could request a Truce Zone in the middle of a vicious gang war and have it honored, even if it turned out to be a setup by Chatterbox.
Truce Zone: His tagging contest was supposed to be one.
Unwitting Pawn: Had no idea the "tagging contest" he was asked to host was just a ruse by Chatterbox to lure the best gang artists into his turf so he could wipe them all out.

The Boss

An unseen figure whom Luther calls on the phone to inform of Cyrus' death.

The Ghost: Never seen or heard. It's not even known if they truly exist or are just Luther talking to himself.
Greater-Scope Villain: Luther's dialogue implies that the Boss is the one who instructed him to kill Cyrus.
Hidden Agenda Villain: Assuming the Boss is the one who had Luther kill Cyrus, their motives for doing so are even more mysterious than Luther's.
No Name Given: Even their moniker isn't in the film. The only reason we know that's their alias is because that's who Walter Hill told David Patrick Kelly he was talking to while they were filming the scene.

Characters / The Warriors

Edit Locked

The Warriors

General

Swan

Played By: Michael Beck

Ajax

Played By: James Remar

Mercy

Played By: Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Cleon

Played By: Dorsey Wright

Cochise

Played By: David Harris

Cowboy

Played By: Tom McKitterick

Fox

Played By: Thomas G. Waites

Rembrandt

Played By: Marcelino Sánchez

Snow

Played By: Brian Tyler

Vermin

Played By: Terry Michos

Ash

Played By: Ephraim Benton

The Gramercy Riffs

General

Cyrus

Played By: Roger Hill

Masai

Played By: Edward Sewer

The Rogues

General

Luther

Played By: David Patrick Kelly

Cropsy

Played By: Joel Weiss

Other Gangs

General

The Baseball Furies

The Hi-Hats

The Lizzies

The Orphans

The Punks

The Turnbull ACs

The Hurricanes

The Boppers

The Savage Huns

The Destroyers

The Satan's Mothers

The Electric Eliminators

The Panzers

The Moonrunners

The Jones Street Boys

The Van Courtland Rangers

The Saracens

Edge Played By: El-P

Others

The DJ

Played By: Lynne Thigpen

Scopes

Played By: D.M.C

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