Property Profile: The Great Journey of Warrior Cats

Before there were Hunger Games districts, Divergent factions, or Camp Half-Blood cabins, Warrior Cats Clans dominated the playground. Beginning in 2003 as a middle-grade book series about cats in the woods, Warriors quickly sank its claws into the hearts of readers worldwide. More than two decades later, the Warrior Cats franchise has continued to prosper, and it’s ready to pounce on its next chapter.

The first Warriors novel, Into the Wild, was published in the U.S. and the U.K. on Jan. 21, 2003, by Coolabi Group’s Working Partners and HarperCollins. Penned under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter, the series follows warring Clans of feral cats, each with its own codes, dogmas, and religion.

The initial saga, comprising six books released through fall 2004, details the journey of a housecat named Rusty as he discovers the Clans’ forest, rises in the ranks, and becomes a Warrior to defeat the fearsome BloodClan.

“Storytelling is at the heart of everything Coolabi creates,” says Allison Watkins, Director of Consumer Products & TV at Coolabi. “The themes within Warrior Cats are part of everyday life — family, friendships, loyalty, romance, rivalries, prejudice, good versus evil. It’s an emotional touchpoint … one that spans [across] generations.”

Despite its talking-animal premise, Warrior Cats’ grounded, universal themes resonated with readers across grade levels, cultures, and even borders. The initial six books soon evolved into nine major arcs and dozens of standalone novels, ultimately selling a staggering 80 million copies in 38 different languages. Its most recent sub-series, Changing Skies, debuted last year and is still ongoing with its third and final book, Chasing Shadows, due out March 31.

Twenty-three years into its run, the Warrior Cats’ international, cross-generational fanbase continues to grow. TikTok videos under #WarriorCats have garnered nearly 3 billion views, and the official Warrior Cats website drew 2 million visitors over the last year. In 2021, Coolabi partnered with Aldrich-Callen Studios to launch a Warrior Cats video game on Roblox, which has since logged more than 675 million plays, officially welcoming Gen Alpha to the Gathering.

Now, Coolabi is channeling that enthusiasm into a broader transmedia ecosystem. Since 2024, Tencent Video has been in development on the series’s first screen adaptation, excluding the hundreds of fan-made animations racking up more than 50 million monthly views on YouTube. Warrior Cats will also expand its gaming pawprint with a mobile title from Red Games Co. However, most importantly, the franchise is making its first leap into retail.

Earlier this year, Coolabi named Bonkers Toys as its global master toy partner, with Retail Monster managing licensing in North America. Working in tandem, the team will tackle the challenge of translating two decades of characters, lore, and adventures into hands-on play.

“Our partnership with Bonkers was an easy decision,” Watkins says. “They understand fandom, they create brilliant products and have great retail distribution, but what made them stand apart was their desire to be part of the Warrior Cats growth story.”

Bonkers Toys is no stranger to pop-culture powerhouses — like its hit Aphmau, Ryan’s World, and Skibidi Toilet collections — but Warrior Cats’ unique, fiercely devoted fanbase piqued its interest. The company soon jumped headfirst into the world of the Clans. Dan Meyer, Bonkers’ Head of Brands, even wore a Scourge t-shirt to the team’s very first meeting.

“We have immersed ourselves in the brand and the lore, while establishing a close partnership with Coolabi,” says Julie Splendoria, Vice President of Marketing at Bonkers Toys. “Through that collaboration, we created a foundational product assortment built around proven, best-selling form factors and designed for year-over-year continuous expansion within plush and collectible figures. We’ve leaned into the DNA of the franchise with elements like popular characters, their associated clans, and other details.”

The spring rollout launches across all retail tiers, comprising miniature and full-size plush, as well as a line of mystery figurines. The range is littered with fan-favorite characters; however, Bonkers plans to expand all three collectible series this fall with recreations of the ShadowClan.

Future releases will coincide with Coolabi’s animation and gaming projects, promising sustained growth rather than a single-hit season. With every new launch, the Bonkers team aims to keep the fandom at the forefront of its mind, creating products and experiences that are relevant and authentic to the series’ multifaceted audience.

“We have been beyond impressed with what the fans do to keep the excitement alive with this franchise,” Splendoria adds. “From writing their own stories, ideating their own Warrior Cats characters, to crafting UGC-style artwork… [the Warriors fans’] enthusiasm has certainly inspired our product strategies and marketing plans.”

Though Warrior Cats is a new kid on the retail block, this year’s consumer products launch brings both nostalgia and discovery to store shelves. Longtime readers can build their own Clans for the very first time, reliving all of their favorite moments from the series. Meanwhile, new fans continue to fall in love with Warrior Cats every day, whether through TikTok trends, Roblox games, or simply browsing their local library.

“One of the most wonderful facts about Warrior Cats is that we sell as many of the first 12 books every year as we do the new release titles,” adds Watkins. “There are 9- and 10-year-old kids walking into their local bookstore or library and discovering Warrior Cats for the first time — every year.”

As Warrior Cats continues to expand its territory, its collector credibility, broad family appeal, and devoted fanbase indicate future longevity in the toy department — proving the franchise doesn’t need nine lives to stand the test of time.

A version of this feature first appeared in the 2026 International Issue of The Toy Book. Read the full issue here!

Want The Toy Book delivered straight to your desk? Subscribe today and get seven big issues a year — packed with the stories, trends, and insights that keep you on the #pulseofplay.