Ranking Every ThunderClan Leader in Warrior Cats

There have been ten ThunderClan leaders over the years that have appeared in the main books, super editions, and novellas. In this video I rank them!
Cat art is by Miss Dako: / miss_dakoart
Intro by Lady Luzifer: / @lady_luzifer

[@Iloveherferds14]

I can’t believe they’re are only ten known thunder clan leaders-

[@aliviahouk7018]

Oakstar also showed favoritism towards his son. He ignored the older warriors that could have been amazing deputies for doestar, but he basically pounds it into her head that his son should be leader after her. He couldn't take away her position so he had her make his son deputy.

[@solareclipse1058]

FireStar being first on the list makes sense. He’s done so many good deeds before he was leader. He was apart of the squad that led the dogs away (R.I.P BlueStar,) He led every clan into battle against Bloodclan not too long after becoming leader and lost a life to defeat Scourge once and for all, there’s so many things I could name. The list could go on for ages.

[@DarkflowerTheWarrior]

I think Bluestar should have ranked higher. She lost her kits. Her sister died, Moonflower died. Oakheart died, and she gave up her kits to save Thunderclan. And her deputy, Tigerstar had betrayed her.

[@0iqgremlin414]

It's really frustrating how the Erins decided to punish Frecklewish instead of making Oakstar take accountability in at least one of the books, considering how he not only caused the death of 3 kits, but consequentially caused the deaths of many cats after Mapleshade loses her mind and after she gets sent to the Dark Forest where she goes on to manipulate and harm cats in the future

[@sokaize]

I feel like Bramble is better than Doe considering she condemmed her clan to starve, even if it was unintentional, by not even asking for help. He didnt cause the rockfall, and while he was irrational in the book, his character was butchered for the sake of conflict. He never is like that otherwise. Meanwhile, Doe's decision caused cats to die and was stupid.

[@cipher8818]

Ya know this video made me realize...the cats of Thunderclan complained about Firestar's bloodline ruling over the clans....yet pay no heed to Oakstars? Like we had Oakstar, who then had Pinestar, if things went well Tigerstar would of been leader TC if things went differently, but ended up a leader of SC...and then we had Brambleclaw as a leader. Compared to Firestar's single generation it's not really a problem XD

[@meadowstar6834]

I feel Sunstar is underrated as a character, not just leader. He was a great mentor to Bluefur and helped her get over her grief for Moonflower and Snowfur. I think a reason he chose Bluefur over Thistleclaw is because he knew her better and knew she'd been through a lot. I sometimes wish Sunstar had more characteristics as a leader other than being a filler.

[@Spottedstorm27]

Your reasoning with Bramblestar is 100% a reason why I refuse to acknowledge Squirrelflight's Hope as canon. He took the kittypets in that needed refuge in Bramblestar's Storm and has never had outsider bias to that degree before. He was written as an antagonistic force for the sake of conflict. I like Bramblestar as a character and the way the book butchers him makes it hard for us few fans to justify liking him.

[@The_Blackjay]

I agree with this ranking, although I do want to say I did really like Sunstar for all of the good advice he gave to Bluefur while he was deputy. He really pulled her out of a dark place after she lost her mother and again when she lost her sister, and he was compassionate when she lost her kits and gave her time to grieve when she needed it. Yeah he was boring as a leader, but he was a friend to anyone who needed one, and I love that about him.

[@darkninjafirefox]

I've never liked the book's insistence that Tigerclaw would have been a good old boy had his dad not left the clan. Not only have there been plenty of cats w/absent fathers who turned out fine but Tigerclaw was well respected and successful because he upheld the ideals of violence against outsiders. Not to mention all of the support he had from his mother, mentor and the rest of the clan. Tigerstar felt entitled to power, I don't think that would have changed if pinestar stayed.

[@Eclipse210]

1:34

[@Hadeshy]

You are being quite unfair on Pinestar. Starclan litteraly asked him to kill his own son because somehow that newly born kit was already evil. And as he refused, they kept harassing him.

[@EB_ConorNuggz12]

Does anyone else want MinnowTail to become the new leader of river clan?

[@freddyfazbear1334]

8:21

[@skyberrr1491]

I think Oakstar being bad and Maple not blaming him is kinda a whole point. Mapleshade’s vengeance is about a grieving mother (or well ex-mother) unreasonably lashing out at innocent people in her grief and ending in her losing even more. It wouldn’t be the best if she blamed Oakstar for a second, because now she is more reasonable, just I little piece I like about the book.

[@Lilee177]

I found cats like Bramblestar and Bluestar a lot more interesting to read. Ultimately no person, or cat, is going to be perfect their entire lives. They're going to make stupid thoughtless decisions. I enjoy the fact that their characters are more realistic than the almost always perfect Firestar... and I look forward to seeing Squirrelstar trip over her tail sometimes.

[@jeriko_studios]

I think whats often overlooked about MV is that both cats in the leadership position, besides Beetail (though he was still stupid for allowing a blatant violation of the warrior code to happen), are both pretty responsible for the death of the kits, yes Mapleshade was dumb to take them to the river during a mass rain storm (also the fact that literally only three times a big river wave spawns in the series is so coincidental that im starting to believe that starclan straight up sent the wave), but Oakstar broke the warrior code by putting kits in danger. As did Ravenwing, since if he truly believed in the prophecy, he still should've waited till at least morning, and Oakstar couldve had Mapleshade escorted out of the territory. After all the river wasn't the only danger the family could've been stuck with being out alone in the middle of the night in pouring rain, theres foxes and badgers aplenty in the books, and it was a damn miracle that they didn't run into any of those. The irresponsibility of two cats who are supposed to be the wisest, or at least most level headed of the clan is just... jaw dropping

[@gilramanujan8826]

For firestar i think he’s place is very well deserved I mean he did so much for ThunderClan, he deserves the place. I’m also glad you put Thunderstar as high as you did as I truly do think he’s a good leader. I’m also kinda surprised that Squirrelstar was a low as she was and that Bramblestar was as high as he was but considering you reasoning I can understand that, but yeah I agree with just about everything in this ranking.

[@Ebonyfire]

For some cats in my opinion there were some traits that are rather personal than leader qualities and actions. But for the most part it was surprisingly a fine rank.