Top 10 Warrior Cats Villains

In the world of Warrior Cats, the villains are some of the most memorable and feared characters in the series. These cats have left their pawprints on the clans through betrayal, manipulation, and violence, shaping the story in unexpected ways.

From ambitious leaders willing to do anything for power to rogue cats with dark pasts, each villain has a unique way of turning the clans' lives upside down.

This list is all about those characters who have caused the most chaos and conflict in the Warrior Cats universe. You might find some villains who are driven by revenge, while others seem to enjoy causing pain just for the sake of it.

They've betrayed their clans, led uprisings, and done whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter the cost. Some even continue their evil deeds after death, haunting the living from beyond the grave.

You get to decide who truly deserves to be crowned the worst of the worst. Maybe you think a certain cat's crimes were particularly cruel, or perhaps there's a villain whose backstory made you feel conflicted about whether they're purely evil. Either way, your vote helps shape the ranking of these iconic characters.

The Top Ten

Tigerstar

Tigerstar is a villain in the Warriors book series by Erin Hunter. He is the son of Leopardfoot and Pinestar, and the former mate of both Goldenflower and Sasha. He is the father of Bramblestar, Tawnypelt, Mothwing, Hawkfrost, and Tadpole.... read more

WOW, Tigerstar is an ass. He killed so many cats. His mentor was evil, and Tigerstar then grew to be even worse. The buildup to his battle with Firestar in the Darkest - oh wait, edgy cat beat Firestar to it. But then, we get it in The Last Hope. He takes Firestar's final life, and Firestar takes Tigerstar's second life, freeing the forest from him.
Tigerstar was a cool character to read about, and he was one of the reasons why I love the first series. Not because he was a cold-hearted serial killer, but because of how he kept the plot moving. If it weren't for him, none of the first, second, third, or fourth arcs would've happened when you come to think of it.
Bluestar would have no reason to let Rusty into the clan since there wouldn't be a prophecy about Rusty, as there would be no villain. Then Rusty wouldn't become Firestar. Leafpool and Squirrelflight wouldn't be born, and Jay or Lion wouldn't have been born. Cloudtail wouldn't be given to Firestar to become a warrior, have Whitewing with Brightheart, and Whitewing wouldn't have Dovewing.
That's all because of Tigerstar. He was a great villain, and he was what a villain should be: evil.
Brokenstar

Brokenstar is a villainous character from the Warrior Cats book series. He is a matted, dark brown tabby tom with a broad, flat face, a bent tail, and orange eyes. Brokenstar was formerly the leader of ShadowClan and later a member of the Dark Forest. His mother is Yellowfang, and his father is Raggedstar... read more

Brokenstar was just a villain for the sake of being a villain. He was horrible. He caused the death of MANY kits - children - MANY. He never stopped. He forced the Dark Forest trainees to fight with him. One of them refused to, and he got killed. Brokenstar showed the rest of the trainees that if they didn't kill their family and friends, he would kill them.
He got spoiled by his father, banished his own mother, killed his own nieces and blamed it on his mother. He killed Ferncloud, who was trying to protect Brightheart and the kits, etc.

Brokenstar is in my top five because of his motivation, or lack thereof. He didn't need a reason to be a horrible cat. He just was one from birth. Maybe you could blame his evilness on cats like Lizardstripe, who are bad, but not enough to turn someone into a cold-hearted killer.
It was evil, what he did. He killed kits in cold blood because he deemed them unworthy for ShadowClan. He murdered his father because he thought his father was unworthy of being leader.
Everything he did felt real, and even in the Dark Forest, his maliciousness didn't leave. He murdered Beetlewhisker for wanting to stop training in the Dark Forest. Everything he did was especially terrifying.
Overall, he is an amazing villain.
-Sweethoney of ThunderClan (He/they)
Thistleclaw

Thistleclaw is a villain in the Warriors series. He is a gray-and-white tabby tom with spiky fur and amber eyes. Thistleclaw is known for his aggressive nature and plays a key role in the backstories of several main characters, including Tigerstar.

Listen, Thistle haters. You just hate him because of the way Blue felt about him. How would you feel if your mate died and her sister, who was always annoying to you, was the only one with her, then takes away his kit? What did he have left in life? Only ambition. He had to have it, or else he would feel ultimate pain.
And really, people, how many cats are arrogant in the series? A lot! And Mudclaw was ambitious too. Yet somehow, people feel sorry for Mudclaw. And then, when he is happy in StarClan with his son and mate, he gets chased out and loses them forever. How much would you like Bluestar now? She isn't an angel, you know.

Thistleclaw was the start of evil in Warriors. He made Tigerstar evil with his own bad mentoring. Tigerpaw, because of Thistleclaw's encouragement, almost killed Tiny.
Even worse, Tiny then became Scourge and tried to kill everyone (for a good reason. I don't think Scourge did anything wrong). When Tigerpaw said to Tiny, I'll never forget you, Scourge never forgot it and then actually killed Tigerstar. This was all because of Thistleclaw.
He didn't deserve to have a good mate like Snowfur or good kits like Whitestorm. Bluestar made the right decision to chase him to the Dark Forest.
Hawkfrost

Hawkfrost is a villainous character from the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. He is described as a dark brown tabby tom with a snow-white underbelly and striking ice-blue eyes. A former RiverClan warrior and later a member of the Dark Forest, Hawkfrost attempted to kill Firestar using a fox trap but was... read more

Guys, it truly isn't all Hawkfrost's fault he is evil. Do you think it's easy being trained by your long dead, cruel, brutal, coldhearted idiot for a father? He was influenced. Everything evil that he did was to impress someone who is no longer alive.
- Fernsong of ThunderClan.

I know all the Hollyleaf fans are going to run towards me with fire and pitchforks, but I'm going to be honest. I was glad to have Hollyleaf dead. I just don't like her. But I was sad when Hawkfrost died. He is my favorite villain in ANY book.
Hmm. Let's see what he did. He tried to kill Firestar so Brambleclaw could be leader, plotted with Mudclaw from Wind Clan, killed Hollyleaf, and used his sister as a medicine cat to make up a sign to get rid of Stormfur and Brook. Wow. He tried his best to follow in his father's footsteps and succeeded. I will always like you, Hawkfrost.
Mapleshade

Mapleshade is a character in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. She is a large, tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with a scarred white muzzle and white patches throughout her pelt. Her fur is thick, especially around her neck like a mane, and her pelt is ragged and scarred. She has a broad muzzle and... read more

Oh come on! Why is Tigerstar first? You guys are forgetting the point! Mapleshade was the one who turned Tigerstar evil. She manipulated Tigerstar, turning him evil. Mapleshade also kind of made Tigerstar fight Scourge so viciously, making Scourge determined to defeat Tigerstar and creating another villain.
Tigerstar visited Hawkfrost in his dreams, and Tigerstar was already a villain. And what do some villains do? They make more cats evil. Then what? Boom! Another villain named Hawkfrost.
Now, about Thistleclaw. Grief. What did Mapleshade feel? Grief. The books never say anything about finding him, but this is what I think happened. Mapleshade relates to Thistleclaw, so she might have found him in the Dark Forest. Mapleshade lost her kits and mate, and Thistleclaw lost his mate too, and technically lost his kit because he never bonded with Whitekit, calling him weak like his mother. He lost his kit's love just like Mapleshade lost her kits and the love of her life.
Brokenstar isn't a big villain. He was bullied and not liked by his foster mother. In my opinion, he's just a cat with a sad story and partly a villain. He didn't do as much as Mapleshade. She did many bad things and turned many cats evil. That's why Mapleshade is my queen! All hail Mapleshade, Queen of Evil!
Scourge

Scourge is a villain in the Warrior Cats series. He is the leader of BloodClan and was bullied by his siblings, Socks and Ruby, for being the smallest of the litter. One of his most notable features is his purple collar studded with dog and cat teeth.... read more

Scourge is way more evil than Tigerstar. Tigerstar is an a__hole. Scourge killed way more cats than Tigerstar has even met. He killed kits! Tigerstar didn't kill kits or make them apprentices or warriors before they were ready. (Brokenstar)
Scourge was Firestar's half-brother, and Firestar just had to kill him. I hate Firestar. The list should be Scourge, Brokenstar, then Tigerstar.
And who put Thistleclaw on the list? He didn't kill anyone, did he? No! He just wanted to be deputy and leader. After Snowfur died, all he had was training Tigerpaw. I know this has turned into a Thistleclaw rant, but why, just why? I just wanted to stress the fact that Thistleclaw is on the list.
Anyway, Scourge deserves the evil crown, not Tigerstar. Tigerstar is just... Yeah. That's all I have to say.
Sol

I love Sol! At least, I did before he tried to convince Leafpool's kits to take over the forest. Then he became another Tigerstar. Sol was unique before the last 10 chapters of "Sunrise". He was the way I play "Plague Inc.": start harmless until I've infected everyone, then strike! Sol could have harmed nobody until he was an influence, then bend their judgments to make his life better.
Still, if not for the turnaround, I'd wish he wasn't on the list, because I agree largely with what he says. "Why should dead cats control the living? Why can't all cats learn to use herbs? Why can't you choose your own destiny?" And he's completely right. He was so interesting because he was in my head too. I knew he was a villain because I spoil things for myself, but I believed him and what he said.
He also raised the questions of "Is he really a villain?" He was best as a villain who caused destruction to others around him, but used his hypnotic voice to keep cats bending over backwards for him. He was so unique and intriguing before the "rule the forest" turnaround, and it makes me separate them as two entities: Sol, the cat who rules with words, keeping the rulers under his influence believe they are still rulers, and Tigersol, who looks like Sol but has the motivations of Tigerstar, and no body count.
Ashfur

Ashfur is a character created by Erin Hunter for the Warriors book series. He is a muscular pale gray tom with darker flecks, dark blue eyes, and short, thick fur. Ashfur has a torn ear and is known for an emotional story arc involving unrequited love, jealousy, and revenge.

A) "His only fault was attempting murder too much."
B) I would be upset if my crush dumped me for someone else, but I wouldn't try to murder their family. And it doesn't count as being dumped if they were never together. Squirrelflight thought they were just friends. She told him that.
C) To those of you saying he didn't kill any of the cats he tried to: Would he be more evil if Brambleclaw hadn't dug the stick out of the ground? Would he be more evil if he were stronger and Lionblaze wasn't invincible? Would he be more evil if Squirrelflight hadn't confessed that they weren't her kits? Other cats' actions shouldn't affect how evil he is.

He is so evil. He almost killed Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze, and he took over Bramblestar's body. He should be the number 1 villain.
Darkstripe

Darkstripe is a fictional character from the Warriors book series written by Erin Hunter. He is a former member of ThunderClan and is known for his loyalty to Tigerstar and betrayal of his clanmates. Darkstripe is portrayed as an antagonist in the series and plays a significant role in the earlier story... read more

Traitor! Mean to Firestar when he arrived. Knows about Tigerstar's plan to destroy ThunderClan and doesn't do anything. Takes Bramblestar and Tawnypelt to meet Tigerstar. Tries to take Bramblestar and Tawnypelt to ShadowClan while the dogs attack.
Meets up with Blackstar and feeds Sorreltail deathberries. Exiled and happily tries to kill Stonefur. Blackfoot helps him.
Volunteers eagerly to kill Feathertail and Stormfur. Is ashamed when Tigerstar refuses, claiming that he was so nearly beaten by a prisoner. He's ashamed by that. When a cat is going to kill Firestar, he throws the tortoiseshell she-cat off and told Firestar that he wouldn't let him get killed by her, and that he wanted to kill him.
Attacks with the Dark Forest in The Last Hope.
Clawface

Clawface is a heavily built, sturdy, battle-scarred brown tom. He is a fictional character known for his hardened appearance and combat experience. He appears in the Warriors book series as a warrior of ShadowClan who notoriously killed the ThunderClan medicine cat Spottedleaf.

Honestly, I don't care for him. He was only killing Spottedleaf either out of a leader's orders, or because he was under Brokenstar's influence. And, if he was following orders, that's fine. Killing, yes, it's a crime, but according to the code, a leader's word is law, and you have to follow it.
Besides, he never came back and murdered even more cats, right? I just think he might've been following orders, which is fine. End of story.

I personally feel terrible for him. He didn't have a chance for character redemption, unlike Blackstar, and is the only villain I'd consider "good". He's not a horrible cat, unlike Brokenstar.
He just did everything his leader did. He was actually really good in "Tigerclaw's Fury" and "Yellowfang's Secret".

The Newcomers

?
Darktail

Why is Darktail not number one?
First of all, he completely took over ShadowClan and RiverClan and drove out SkyClan from their old territory. What did Tigerstar do? He became leader of ShadowClan, then was abruptly killed by Scourge.
Darktail punished cats simply for not agreeing with him, while Tigerstar at least followed some of the rules, like waiting to become deputy before ambushing Bluestar.
After reading this, we can ALL agree that Darktail caused WAY more damage to the Clans and is the MOST EVIL Warrior Cat.

Honestly, I sympathize with Darktail for what happened to him. His father abandoned him for no reason (this is a Onestar hate club), and his mother died when he was relatively young. He was driven to madness by what Onestar did, and in the end, so many cats died.
Besides sympathizing, he was a good villain - the perfect combination of being manipulative, smart, and ferocious. I personally love him and wish that there was more of him shown.
-Sweethoney of ThunderClan (He/They)
?
Dog That Killed Swiftpaw

Swiftpaw's last words: "If I had to die as an apprentice, I'll go down fighting, like a warrior!"
That's just plain sad. Swiftpaw did not deserve to die. Sure, he made some poor choices, but he was still young. He saved Brightpaw/Brightheart, who is very popular.
He was very brave and a little foolish, but the dogs had no right to kill him!

This is the funniest thing on this list. I mean, I hate those dogs, but just laughing out loud at "Dog That Killed Swiftpaw." That wording is ridiculously funny.

Honestly, I liked Swiftpaw. The dogs also kind of don't count because they were technically set up to kill the cats by Tigerstar.

The Contenders

Sharptooth

I didn't particularly like Feathertail, but really? I mean, come on! I totally thought she was going to be with Crowpaw (who is/was one of my favorites)! Stupid Sharptooth! You crappy lion without a mane! The only reason I would put him in the series is to battle Scourge, because that would be an epic battle.

I love you Sharptooth, for murdering the Tribe cats. I hate you Sharptooth, for indirectly murdering Feathertail.

Tigerstar wouldn't stand a second against Sharptooth. Vote Sharptooth for number one! He deserves it.
Bone

I don't really like Bone. However, we can say he's very strong to have lived a life eating garbage and fighting other cats and dogs for territory. He was killed by apprentices, but there were a lot of them. And when everybody jumps on you, what do you do? You fall down on the ground, while the apprentices try to kill you. Yes, apprentices. It's a bit embarrassing, but Bone was strong enough to kill Whitestorm, a senior warrior.

His death was one of the most amusing moments in the books, and I'm glad he's dead, as he killed Whitestorm. I can vividly imagine the apprentices charging him, while Firestar simply watched in disbelief.
When Bone died, the apprentices chanted, "Bone is dead, bone is dead, bone is dead." Before that, one of the apprentices, Sootpaw (or Sootfur), who happened to be Bone's son, said, "Hello! My name is Sootpaw, you killed my father, prepare to die!" (I know he was still a kit, but I couldn't remember his name, so I went with Sootfur/paw).
Hawkheart

Hawkheart is a stone-gray tom with flecks of darker brown fur, yellow eyes, and graying whiskers. He was a WindClan medicine cat who served under Heatherstar's leadership during the forest territories era. Before becoming a medicine cat, Hawkheart was originally a warrior.... read more

Ok, I know, I know he is not necessarily a real villain. But he is evil. I think anyone who kills a cat is evil. He didn't even have a good reason. It was just because she was stealing his herbs, which the whole clan was trying to do. What are you going to do now, Hawkheart, kill all of ThunderClan?
Also, I know you could argue that Gray Wing killed Fox, Tall Shadow killed Fircone, Jackdaw's Cry, and Falling Feather both killed each other, and all of that. But they weren't trying to kill each other. They were just either trying to defend themselves or someone else. I hate how Hawkheart kills Moonflower right in front of poor Bluestar/Bluepaw, and he didn't even care.
Breezepelt

Fleaspelt. Okay okay, his father hated him. Does that give him an excuse to attempt to kill all three of his half siblings? The worst part is Onestar forgave him for fighting against his own clan. I hate you Fleaspelt, and always will.
- Fernsong of ThunderClan.

If I had to describe Diseasepelt in five words, this is what they would be: Arrogant piece of fox dung. Done. Don't even try to make me change my mind by saying, "Oh, it's Crowfeather's fault!" or "Oh, it's all Crowfeather!" Because it's NOT!
Diseasepelt thinks it's okay to try and kill his half-siblings and a pregnant she-cat and betray his Clan all because his father hates him. What sense does that make? Killing Crowfeather would make sense, but Hollyleaf? Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Poppyfrost? Not okay, Diseasepelt. Third worst cat in Warriors.
Willie

Willie is a piece of garbage. He needs to treat Barley and Ravenpaw with respect. They literally helped him, his mate, and his group of friends. But how does he repay them? By killing chickens and blaming it on Barley and Ravenpaw.

He killed chickens and didn't even cook them. How dare he? What's the point of eating chickens if you won't cook them?
Joking aside, he is a rude cat who made the Twolegs hate Ravenpaw and Barley. He just flat-out sucks. Slaps Willie

Oh, Willie is just a stupid rogue who stole the home of poor Barley and Ravenpaw. I first thought he was a great, kind, and handsome (he is) cat, but I soon found out he is insane.
Blackstar

Guys, are characters not allowed to develop over time? When he killed Stonefur, he was acting under orders, and I seriously doubt Tigerstar would have cared if Blackfoot had objections. He probably would have been killed himself if he had objected.
If you're going to hate him for killing a cat, then you may as well hate Firestar or Graystripe too, because they've killed cats. You cannot ignore the fact that when Blackstar became leader of ShadowClan, they had given up all hope. He made them great again. He made them strong again.
He wasn't the first cat to be manipulated by Sol, nor the last. Don't forget, the clans still thought Sol had predicted the eclipse, something not even StarClan had foreseen. It was poor judgement to let him into ShadowClan, but Blackstar realized his mistakes, and he helped to drive Sol out upon realizing the clans had been tricked. He certainly isn't evil, and he belongs in StarClan.
Clear Sky

I'm going to get so much hate for this, but fluff it. Clear Sky is a really good villain because he left multiple cats to die, rejected his son twice, and basically killed Micah. But the biggest thing of all is his relationship with Gray Wing. It's heartbreaking to watch because it feels so genuine.
Also, we got to see everything happening in his mind, and he suffered a lot of trauma. His sister died when she was a kit, and he watched his own brother and mother die. He was rejected by many of his Clanmates, so his pain feels very real.
After book three, we're at The Blazing Star. He starts taking in cats without realizing it because he is traumatized by what he did in the Great Battle. He thinks he needs all the support he can get. After One Eye, he is desperately trying to prove himself to the other Clans by coming up with ideas that made more sense the more you think about them. But his decisions led to pure chaos. So, he became self-conscious and began being defensive. This is why I think he became a villain again. And this is a VILLAINS list. And Skystar is a GREAT villain.
Goosefeather

Goosefeather was CURSED! That's why the book is called Goosefeather's Curse. Cloudberry took him in as her apprentice. Hawkheart killed Moonflower, not Goosefeather. He isn't the type of cat that would kill his good littermate. (Brambleclaw is a totally different story)
Goosefeather tried to help his clan when he KNEW they would starve. He even told Doestar about the kittypets attacking Squirrelwhisker's patrol. He also knew that Swiftpaw (later Swiftbreeze) was over by the sunningrocks when she went missing. How does that make him evil?

You see, Goosefeather was REALLY determined to be a medicine cat, so he switched to being one in the middle of being a warrior apprentice. I think he was just trying too hard.
Anyway, why would he kill Moonflower on purpose? She was his sister!
Rainflower

Rainflower is a RiverClan warrior from Erin Hunter's Warriors book series. She is the mother of Stormkit, who later becomes Crookedstar, and Oakkit. Rainflower is known for rejecting Stormkit after he disfigures his jaw, a decision that deeply affects his life and shapes his future.... read more

I do think Rainflower's actions were bad, but she was different. She was trying to stop loving Crookedstar so that if he died, it wouldn't affect her. She changed his name so she would forget about Stormkit. It's not that she didn't love him. She was just trying to prevent being hurt emotionally.
If she were emotionally hurt, it could lead to worse things. For example, Ashfur didn't get the love he was looking for, and since every other cat was out of his age ranks, he threatened to kill many cats. This led to Hollyleaf leaving and Lionblaze and Jayfeather hating Leafpool and Squirrelflight. But that's beside the point. The truth is that she was trying to shelter herself from the pain that would have been inflicted. - Whitesplash
Ruby

Technically, if she didn't do what she did, Scourge would've never formed BloodClan, and some other cat would have had to kill Tigerstar nine times because the forest cats don't have dog teeth as claws to rip out nine lives at once. So, she indirectly saved the forest.

You terror! You changed poor Tiny/Scourge's life! Look at it this way. If Ruby hadn't left him out, made him want to prove himself, then tell him that unwanted kits get thrown in the river, Scourge/Tiny would have been a kittypet, and nothing bad concerning Scourge would have ever happened!
Stormtail

I don't like him. Moonflower loved him when she was a kit. Then, they have kits and he's all, "Forget what's-her-face and my kits! I'm gonna go hang with Dappletail."
When Moonflower dies: "Wait, who are you? Oh, you're my kit! Wait, what's-her-face died? Oh well, sorry." In StarClan: "I'm so sorry, my precious Bluestar! I should've protected your mother! I never loved Dappletail." Then she comes: "Hi, my love... No, I was just thinking of you... No, they mean nothing to me!" See, he's a no-good, lying jerk-face!

Stormtail was a terrible father (much more than Crowfeather), a terrible mate (much more than Crowfeather), and a cheater (much more than Crowfeather. Why am I comparing him to Crowfeather? I have no idea), but he was loyal to his clan and was (kind of) there for Bluestar when Snowfur died (kind of).
Snowtuft

Hey! Don't call him evil! Sure, he went to the Dark Forest, but that just isn't good enough. He actually realized his mistakes and tried to redeem himself, which is the most you can expect from a Dark Forest cat. When Shadowsight arrived there, Snowtuft gave him information and led him to Ashfur, while not listening to that fox-heart.
Then, when Rootspring almost drowned, Snowtuft helped him. When they got captured, instead of ripping Rootspring's head off, he attacked Ash-dung, allowing Rootspring, Shadowsight, and Brislefrost to escape. If Ashpoop hadn't killed him, he should have gotten a place in StarClan.

Saying this cat is evil just because he's in the Dark Forest isn't a good argument. We don't even know why he's there, which is sad, because we could end up saying he's there for killing one cat like every other cat who is alive or was alive.
Socks

Like Ruby, I don't like Socks. He bullied Tiny/Scourge, acts like the world revolves around him, looks like a devil, likes Ruby, and should get killed by the one he loves.

They gave Scourge a really hard life, and they were the reason he went crazy.
Foxheart

I don't think Foxheart is necessarily evil, but yeah, she was mean. She was mean to Yellowfang and was all over Raggedstar, but that doesn't mean she's evil.

I wouldn't really call her evil. Sure, she was mean to Yellowfang and tried to steal Raggedstar away from her, but that just shows she's a jealous she-cat.

Raggedpelt said, "Foxheart is nothing to me, Yellowfang." Foxheart truly deserves that name.
Shredtail

People underrate him so much! He was one of the leaders of the Dark Forest. I know there wasn't much to be said about him, but the books made it clear that he killed several cats. I don't know why he's number 25.

He and Silverhawk trained Thistleclaw. Thistleclaw turned Tigerclaw evil. It was not Mapleshade who created the evil chain. It was Shredtail and Silverhawk.

He was so mean to Thistleclaw in his training, and that made Thistleclaw turn his anger on Tigerclaw. That really turned Tigerclaw to the dark side, and we all know how evil Tigerclaw is. (Actually, I can name five cats more evil than him: One Eye, Dark Tail, Scourge, Broken Star, and Maple Shade)