History YMMV / WarriorCats

** StarClan gradually slid down to this over the franchise, due to fans being irritated with how they act like deities when they're just dead cats and have manipulated and screwed over several cats for their agendas, but it reached a breaking point in A Light in the Mist. They reveal they denied Juniperclaw StarClan because he broke the code and being sorry at his death wasn't enough, even though they have let in cats like Mudclaw for the exact same thing. They criticize and condemn Juniperclaw and the Dark Forest cats who want to redeem themselves, saying redemption isn't possible, when atoners like Needletail and Skystar are in their ranks. They proclaim the code is the most important thing, when the whole arc was about showing the weaknesses in the code and how it can be exploited. But the nail in the coffin is that they say all this after letting in Ashfur, a mistake so monumental it caused the entire events of this arc, a mistake that shows their judgment is not nearly as perfect as they'd like to pretend—yet this flaw and their double standards are ignored by the narrative, suggesting readers are supposed to see them as being in the right. Taken all together, they come across as judgmental, self-righteous, and hypocritical instead of the wise ancestor guides they're supposed to be.

*** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.[[labelnote:Note]] However it is worth considering that Ravenwing precedes all of them. It could be argued that he was too bound to the warrior code to uphold the lie, and that the medicine cats listed above learned from his mistake.[[/labelnote]]

*** And finally, Appledusk. Great [=StarClan,=] Appledusk. He's supposed to be considered an honorable and loyal [=RiverClan=] cat who died heroically by saving his mate from being killed by [[UnintentionallySympathetic Mapleshade]], but his actions make it very hard to see him in any kind of positive light. After their kits drown in the river, he calls their relationship a "mistake" in front of his Clan to get back in their good graces, casts her out of the Clans to live as a rogue, [[KickTheDog and takes Reedshine as his new mate, just to really hammer it in that they're through]]. Even worse, it's implied he was seeing her even before he broke up with Mapleshade (as Reedshine is seen to be pregnant with his kits almost immediately after). Even though he's technically not a villain, many fans despise him with a passion for what he did to Mapleshade and blame him for her downfall. Some even believe he should have been exiled from his Clan, sent to the Dark Forest, or [[DeaderThanDead killed twice.]]

** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.[[labelnote:Note]] However it is worth considering that Ravenwing precedes all of them. It could be argued that he was too bound to the warrior code to uphold the lie, and that the medicine cats listed above learned from his mistake.[[/labelnote]]
** Frecklewish is painted as a cat who was grieving over her brother and heartbroken to find out that her brother's kits were actually his killer's children, with Nettlebreeze even describing her as a "poor and helpless" victim of Mapleshade's cruelty. Frecklewish's anger at Mapleshade for allowing her to believe she was her brother's mate is understandable, but her viciousness towards Mapleshade's innocent kits when she finds out they aren't her brother's, spitting at them, calling them "half-Clan creatures", and shouting for them to be kicked out of the Clan, is unjustifiable. Because of that, many fans didn't feel very sorry for her when a snake spit venom in her eyes.
** And finally, Appledusk. Great [=StarClan,=] Appledusk. He's supposed to be considered an honorable and loyal [=RiverClan=] cat who died heroically by saving his mate from being killed by [[UnintentionallySympathetic Mapleshade]], but his actions make it very hard to see him in any kind of positive light. After their kits drown in the river, he calls their relationship a "mistake" in front of his Clan to get back in their good graces, casts her out of the Clans to live as a rogue, [[KickTheDog and takes Reedshine as his new mate, just to really hammer it in that they're through]]. Even worse, it's implied he was seeing her even before he broke up with Mapleshade (as Reedshine is seen to be pregnant with his kits almost immediately after). Even though he's technically not a villain, many fans despise him with a passion for what he did to Mapleshade and blame him for her downfall. Some even believe he should have been exiled from his Clan, sent to the Dark Forest, or [[DeaderThanDead killed twice.]]

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In ''Redtail's Debt'', Tigerclaw saves Redpaw from a hawk. Redpaw tells him that he owes him one, but Tigerclaw replies that Redpaw owes him his life. Considering what happened to Redtail later in life, it makes that line become one.

** In ''A Starless Clan'', [=ThunderClan=] leader Bramblestar has a very drastic personality change in being more passive, paranoid, and tired. Comments made about it from various cats point out that Bramblestar is suffering from a form of PTSD after being [[GrandTheftMe as a ghost for the majority of ''The Broken Code'']], and being stuck in the Dark Forest to be tortured by Ashfur.

** Hawkfrost killing Hollyleaf is usually depicted in [[=MAPs=] and [=PMVs=] as a CurbStompBattle, when in the books Hollyleaf actually seriously wounds Hawkfrost and sends him fleeing, then [[PostVictoryCollapse collapses from a previously unseen wound afterwards.]]

* AbandonShipping: Bramblestar/Squirrelflight, which was once very popular, has since fallen out of favor with fans in recent years due to their lack of proper communication, relationship drama, and OfficialCoupleOrdealSyndrome. Additionally, more fans have started seeing their relationship as abusive or toxic, and simply want them to split up.

* DorkAge: The era spanning from the end of ''The Power of Three'' up until the release of ''The Broken Code'' can be considered this. ''Omen of the Stars'' is one of, if not ''the'' most divisive arcs in ''Warrior Cats'', and ''A Vision of Shadows'' is nowadays widely seen as a rather hit-or-miss arc that just didn't live up to any potential it had. ''Omen of the Stars''' heavy focus on the more spiritual aspects is a departure from the more grounded feeling that the early arcs had, and is the first to directly build off of the plot of a previous arc, leading to ContinuityLockout; ''Warriors'' is, for better or for worse, a series built off of being as welcoming to new readers as possible. ''A Vision of Shadows'' attempts to pull off a NothingIsTheSameAnymore towards its first half, but as its main villain is killed off before even the second can begin, it instead becomes a story focused on the political drama between the Clans, with StatusQuoIsGod being reinstated soon after. The fact that ''Omen of the Stars'' was meant to be a GrandFinale to the ''Warriors'' series as a whole (''DOTC'' was meant more as a send-off than any meaningful continuation) did not help. There's also the meta aspect of many of the readers who had gotten into the series at its height during the mid-to-late 2000s as kids/teenagers now being young adults or just coming into teenagehood who would consider Warriors too "childish" and branch out into other interests in the time of their release (early-to-late 2010s).

** Who was in the right during the events of ''Mapleshade's Vengeance:'' Mapleshade herself, or Ravenwing, Frecklewish, and Appledusk? Many fans give Mapleshade the DracoInLeatherPants treatment and say she was 100% justified in murdering the three cats because they were partly responsible for the tragic events that happened to her (Ravenwing for exposing her secret and getting her kicked out of the Clan, Frecklewish for not saving her kits, and Appledusk blaming her for their kits' deaths and taking a new mate). Others believe that Mapleshade has no excuse for her actions, and that her three victims did not deserve to be murdered and were only doing what they thought was right (Ravenwing could not lie to his Clan leader, Frecklewish thought the kits would be saved by [=RiverClan=], and Appledusk really did hold her responsible for the deaths of their children). A third contingent goes with BothSidesHaveAPoint and believes that, while the three cats shouldn't have done what they did, and Mapleshade did have the right to hate them, she crossed the MoralEventHorizon by murdering them in cold blood.

* CompleteMonster: In a series filled with GreyAndGrayMorality, complicated villains, and morally dubious heroes, a few characters manage to destroy any sympathy one might have had for them:
** [[EvilOverlord Brokenstar]] is a [[AmbitionIsEvil ruthlessly ambitious]] warrior and the cruel [[Characters/WarriorCatsShadowClanLeadersAndDeputies leader of ShadowClan]]. Rising to power by [[{{Patricide}} killing his own father]], Brokenstar sends [[ChildSoldiers kits under six months old]] to fight full-grown warriors, making up the losses in both [[WeHaveReserves battle]] and {{training|From Hell}} by kidnapping kits from other Clans. Dissatisfied with the marshy wetlands [=ShadowClan=] calls home, Brokenstar wages a war of aggression against [=WindClan=] and forces them out of their territory. After forcing [=RiverClan=] to bow to him, Brokenstar went to war against [=ThunderClan=] to force their submission. Fleeing with some of his most loyal followers when [=ShadowClan=] turns on him, Brokenstar later gets blinded after leading his rogues in a failed attack on [=ThunderClan=], who take him in. [[UngratefulBastard To repay them for their mercy and protection]], Brokenstar conspires with Tigerstar to kill Bluestar and take over the clan. Returning as the ruler of the Dark Forest after his death, Brokenstar continues his cruel machinations against [=ThunderClan=] and eventually takes part in the Great Battle against the living and [=StarClan=]. Bloodthirsty, power-hungry, and uncaring of anyone but himself, Brokenstar serves as a terrifying reminder of what one person with a little power is capable of.
** [[AxCrazy Scourge]] is a treacherous, horrific psychopath who serves as the final villain of the series. [[FromNobodyToNightmare Once a kittypet runt named Tiny]], Scourge ran away from his owner and went rogue, becoming the leader of a gang of strays calling themselves "[=BloodClan=]". Decorating his collar with the teeth of those he killed, Scourge promoted a "[[TheSocialDarwinist survival of the fittest]]" philosophy and enforced it by leaving any cats or kits who couldn't pull their weight to die. [[DragonWithAnAgenda Allying with Tigerstar for his own ends]], Scourge betrays him and brutally takes all nine of his lives at once. Wanting to take the forest for himself, Scourge leads [=BloodClan=] into battle to wipe out all the other Clans. One of the most brutal and psychotic characters in the entire series, Scourge's [[TheNapoleon diminutive stature]] belied a murderous feline interested solely in power.

** Due to the…er…rather limited gene pool in each Clan (as well as the lack of continuity), there is unfortunately a LOT of incest and inbreeding within the series; it’s a common phenomenon for a fan to go back through a character’s family tree only to find out that two characters who are mates are also cousins (all kinds, from first to distant), uncle and niece, aunt and nephew, or some sort of otherwise distant relation (Graystripe’s father was originally Patchpelt, but this was retconned when it was pointed out that Willowpelt, his mate and Graystripe’s mother, was in fact his sister). It’s never brought up as a plot point, so it’s really just one of those things that you just have to not think about too much. Hopefully with the growing acceptance of half-Clan relationships as well as kittypets and loners being allowed to join, this will become less of an issue later on.

* {{Squick}}: ''Spottedleaf's Heart'' is rife with this, due to Thistleclaw's grooming of Spottedpaw, ''who is younger than his own son''. There's a reason it's the most controversial book in the entire series, and to date, with all the horrifying imagery that appears in the books, it is the only page on the Wiki to have a content warning.

* AmbiguousDisorder: There are quite a few in this series: Most notably Ashfur, who obviously has ''some'' form of a disorder, if his obsessive pursuit over Squirrelflight is one thing to go by. Throughout [[spoiler: ''The Broken Code'', his internal dialogue in ''A Light in the Mist'', his treatment of other cats, and actually analyzing his personality seems to indicate Ashfur is a high-functioning sociopath considering he enjoys spreading torment, manipulating, has little regard for others (besides Squirrelflight, obviously), and doesn't appear to feel much remorse over how actually evil he is.]] More icing on the cake is that Ashfur sees ''himself'' as the victim! It's worth noting that these things haven't been confirmed in the books nor by any other sources, but it's certainly a worthwhile thought.

* HypeBacklash: the Dawn of the Clans Arc is widely praised as arguably the best in the series and a return to form after the disliked Omen of the Stars. Some fans have been disappointed upon reading the arc by awkward pacing, divisive treatment of female characters, and Gray Wing, widely hyped as one of the series' best and most beloved characters, being seen as boring or a Designated Hero.

* JerkassWoobie: Ashfur of all cats, surprisingly. While his evil actions cannot be excused by any means, an article posted by the official ''Warriors'' website points out that Ashfur did [[https://warriorcats.com/content/article/ashfur-did-starclan-make-a-mistake lose his mother at a very young age, and may explain his obsessive pursuit over Squirrelflight]] and his ControlFreak nature. His closest companions (Ferncloud and Cloudtail) got mates relatively quickly into their warriorhood and focused on their new families, while Ashfur's only other friend (Brambleclaw) became his rival for Squirrelflight's affections. Moreover, in ''The Broken Code'' Ashfur shows very clear signs of a mental disorder, likely a high-functioning sociopath, and is seemingly unable to understand that he is ''not'' the victim and he's a very bad person, let alone claiming he loves Squirrelflight yet tries to control and hurt her and her loved ones. One may reasonably deduce that Ashfur just didn't get the help he needed and it festered into what he became later in his life.

** Many fans remember Firestar's final death in ''The Last Hope'' being due to lightning striking a tree and it falling on him. What actually happened is that he died due to his wounds, and at the same time a dead tree ''already on the ground nearby'' was struck by lightning. They are, perhaps, getting it mixed up with Mudclaw's death (which ''was'' due to being crushed by a lightning-struck tree) or one of Firestar's [[CatsHaveNineLives earlier lives]] (in which a tree fell on him, but no lightning was involved).

* * AmbiguousDisorder: There are quite a few in this series: Most notably Ashfur, who obviously has ''some'' form of a disorder, if his obsessive pursuit over Squirrelflight is one thing to go by. Throughout [[spoiler: ''The Broken Code'', his internal dialogue in ''A Light in the Mist'', his treatment of other cats, and actually analyzing his personality seems to indicate Ashfur is a high-functioning sociopath considering he enjoys spreading torment, manipulating, has little regard for others (besides Squirrelflight, obviously), and doesn't appear to feel much remorse over how actually evil he is.]] More icing on the cake is that Ashfur sees ''himself'' as the victim! It's worth noting that these things haven't been confirmed in the books nor by any other sources, but it's certainly a worthwhile thought.

* ArchiveBinge: ''Warriors'' is a fun binge. There are six full arcs which each have six books and the seventh one in progress, and that's the bare-bones experience. You also have a bunch of extra-long standalone "super editions", books explaining history and characters, several series of OEL manga, and at least a dozen novellas. Your wallet will never be this thick again if you decide to read, unless you happen to have a very good library. Have fun!

** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.[[labelnote: However it is worth considering that Ravenwing precedes all of them. It could be argued that he was too bound to the warrior code to uphold the lie, and that the medicine cats listed above learned from his mistake.]]

** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.[[labelnote:]] However it is worth considering that Ravenwing precedes all of them. It could be argued that he was too bound to the warrior code to uphold the lie, and that the medicine cats listed above learned from his mistake.[[/labelnote]]

** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.[[labelnote: However it is worth considering that Ravenwing precedes all of them. It could be argued that he was too bound to the warrior code to uphold the lie, and that the medicine cats listed above learned from his mistake.[[/labelnote]]

** Ravenwing is meant to be seen as a medicine cat who was only doing his duty to the Clan, but his actions of immediately outing Mapleshade's secret to the Clan, causing her and her kits to be exiled, make it clear that he did not care one bit about the welfare of his Clanmate or her children. He knew that if Mapleshade's relationship with Appledusk were to be exposed, she and her kits would almost certainly be thrown out, yet he outed her anyway. He looks especially bad compared to Sagewhisker, Cinderpelt, and Goosefeather, medicine cats who knew their Clanmates were involved in forbidden relationships, yet cared enough about them to keep their secrets. Even Mudfur, another medicine cat, knew about his apprentice Mothwing's atheism, but he didn't tell anyone about that, either. Compared to these characters, Ravenwing looks like even more of a LawfulStupid [[JerkAss asshole]] by comparison.

** Appledusk is widely despised, particularly by [[DracoInLeatherPants Mapleshade]] fans, for being a BastardBoyfriend to her. When their kits drowned because she made them cross a flooded river, he called their relationship a "mistake" in front of his Clan [[DirtyCoward to get back in their good graces]], cast her out of the Clans to live as a rogue, and took a new mate, after which she completely snapped. Many fans hold him partly or even entirely responsible for Mapleshade's descent into evil, some going as far as to consider him a KarmaHoudini because he was allowed into [=StarClan=] while Mapleshade was not.

** Fans who hate Appledusk for [[BastardBoyfriend his treatment of Mapleshade]] have given him a number of unflattering nicknames, including "Appledick", "Appledouche", and "Applefuck".

** Frecklewish is painted as a cat who was grieving over her brother and heartbroken to find out that her brother's kits were actually his killer's children, with Nettlebreeze even describing her as a "poor and helpless" victim of Mapleshade's cruelty.Frecklewish's anger at Mapleshade for allowing her to believe she was her brother's mate is understandable, but her viciousness towards Mapleshade's innocent kits when she finds out they aren't her brother's, spitting at them, calling them "half-Clan creatures", and shouting for them to be kicked out of the Clan, is unjustifiable. Because of that, many fans didn't feel very sorry for her when a snake spit venom in her eyes.
** And finally, Appledusk. Great [=StarClan,=] Appledusk. He's supposed to be considered an honorable and loyal [=RiverClan=] cat who died heroically by saving his mate from being killed by [[UnintentionallySympathetic Mapleshade]], but his actions make it very hard to see him in any kind of positive light. He calls their relationship a "mistake" in front of his Clan to get back in their good graces, casts her out of the Clans to live as a rogue, [[KickTheDog and takes Reedshine as his new mate, just to really hammer it in that they're through]]. Even worse, it's implied he was seeing her even before he broke up with Mapleshade (as Reedshine is seen to be pregnant with his kits almost immediately after). Even though he's technically not a villain, many fans despise him with a passion for what he did to Mapleshade and blame him for her downfall. Some even believe he should have been exiled from his Clan, sent to the Dark Forest, or [[DeaderThanDead killed twice.]]

** ''Squirrelflight's Hope'', which is regarded and/or remembered by most people as a poorly-written book which ruined Bramblestar and Squirrelflight's relationship by throwing their arguments out of proportion, and made them and several cats act out of character (or derailed CharacterDevelopment), just for the sake of drama.

** Also Mapleshade.

** NarmCharm: It's a series about fluffy kitties fighting grand battles and having torrid love affairs in the middle of the woods. It should be absolutely ridiculous, and yet somehow it works.
* OvershadowedByControversy: The novella ''Spottedleaf's Heart'' will forever be remembered for its complete mishandling of the sensitive subject of sexual abuse, especially towards children, and how it leveraged a traumatic and life-altering event mainly as an excuse to focus on the cruelty of the perpetrator and not the suffering of the victim.
** Downplayed, but arguably still present with ''Squirrelflight's Hope'', which is regarded and/or remembered by most people as a poorly-written book which ruined Bramblestar and Squirrelflight's relationship by throwing their arguments out of proportion, and made them and several cats act out of character (or derailed CharacterDevelopment), just for the sake of drama.

** Moth Flight's decision to forbid all medicine cats from taking mates or having kits on the grounds that ''she'' couldn't handle it, thus ruining the lives of generations of medicine cats, made her pretty resoundingly disliked.