Clans of the Forest Clan Ranks: Kit to Leader

In Clans of the Forest you play one cat on the warrior path: you start as an apprentice in the Clan you choose and climb toward its leadership, while Medicine Cats stay in the story as characters rather than a playable role. There are no classes to pick, so the rank ladder carries your progression.

• You begin as an apprentice, not as a warrior or a leader
• There is no class or role picker at character creation
• Medicine Cats appear in the story but you cannot play one
• Your rank sits alongside Clan, level and training, and all of that shapes your base stats
• The campaign pushes you to the head of your Clan by its climax

What clan ranks does the game actually use?

Clans of the Forest uses one playable ladder with a wider cast of ranks around it. The developers were asked directly whether players would get to choose roles such as Medicine Cat, and their answer set out the shape of the whole system: they anchored the player's path in the warrior ranks because every Clan needs a clear leader to face the prophecy.

That is why there is no rank menu and no role choice. The ranks from the books still exist in the world, but the player occupies one thread of that hierarchy and moves up it.

The only rung genuinely in question is deputy. The books treat it as the step between warrior and leader, and the official franchise guide says it takes over when a leader dies or retires. Nothing published about the game confirms whether the player touches that rank.

Official source: What makes a Clan - the official Warrior Cats site lists the Clan hierarchy as leader, deputy, medicine cat, warrior, apprentice, kit, queen and elder, and notes that a cat's rank determines their name.

The role decision and the rank anchoring come from the IGN interview with Adam Johnston, Creative Director at Bamtang Games. The "rise through the ranks" wording is on the publisher's game page, and the quest-and-favour framing is on the Steam store page.

Do you start as an apprentice, and how do you climb?

You start as an apprentice. The developers described the arc in plain terms: your cat starts out as a cute apprentice and eventually ends up looking like a grizzled veteran who has seen too many badgers. The visual ageing and the rank climb are the same journey, which is why the two systems are worth reading together.

The publisher's material describes the wider climb the same way: you rise through the ranks as your actions shape relationships, rivalries and your reputation within the Clans. The Steam listing adds that you take on quests to gain favour with your Clan and fight turn-based battles to strengthen your cat.

The opening beats as announced, in order:

1. Create and name your Warrior Cat in the cat creator.
2. Choose one of the four Clans, which locks in your campaign and the base stats you start from.
3. Begin as an apprentice, trained by a mentor inside that Clan.
4. Take quests and fight turn-based battles to strengthen your cat and build favour.
5. Climb toward the head of the Clan as the prophecy campaign reaches its climax.

There is no published list of how many steps sit between apprentice and leader, and no unlock level attached to any rank. What is confirmed is the direction of travel, not the number of rungs.

Can you play as a Medicine Cat or become a deputy?

No to the Medicine Cat question, and the developers were unusually direct about why. Their answer: while being a Medicine Cat is a fantasy for a lot of fans, their duty in the lore is healing and spiritual guidance, not tactical fighting or Clan leadership, and the emotional climax across all four Sagas relies on you standing at the head of your Clan during its most dangerous hour.

That single decision explains several things: why there is no class system, no healer build or medic campaign variant, and why the warrior rank climb is the only progression to document.

Medicine Cats are still present and still matter. The same answer notes that they remain central to the story, to spiritual guidance and to the survival of your Clan even though you are not the one handing out herbs. Expect them as important characters and as part of why your Clan keeps functioning, not as a locked character option. The characters and book cats page covers who else shows up alongside you.

Deputy is a different and softer answer: unconfirmed. Nothing published says whether the player passes through the rank. Treat any page that lists your exact promotion sequence, rank by rank, as invented.

How does your rank change your cat?

Rank is one of several inputs that decide how strong your cat is. The developers put it precisely: your Clan, level and training shape your base stats, while the choices you make along your journey determine the moves you learn.

That split is worth holding onto, because it tells you what rank does and does not do:

So rank sits inside a stat calculation rather than replacing it, and it does not hand you a new class. This is also why a per-rank stat table cannot be written yet: no numbers have been published. Our combat moves and stances page covers the move side of that equation, and the cat creator page covers the appearance side, including why your cat visibly ages as the ranks go by.

The book Clan hierarchy, rank by rank

The game draws on the hierarchy of the books, so it helps to know the full set of ranks even though only some are playable. The official Warrior Cats site describes a strict hierarchy that includes leader, deputy, medicine cat, warrior, apprentice, kit, queen and elder.

• Kit - a cat younger than six moons, before training begins
• Apprentice - from six moons old, trained by a mentor; the name suffix changes from -kit to -paw
• Warrior - an adult cat who hunts and defends the Clan
• Medicine Cat - heals the Clan and communes with StarClan
• Deputy - second-in-command, oversees apprentice training and assigns patrols, and becomes leader when the leader dies or retires
• Leader - makes the major decisions for the Clan and holds the top rank
• Queen - a cat caring for kits
• Elder - a retired cat, respected for its moons of service

The practical part is which of those you touch. Your campaign starts at apprentice and heads for the top of the Clan. Medicine Cat sits in the story. Deputy, queen and elder belong to the world's fabric but have not been described as player states.

Official source: What makes a Clan - the official site's written and visual guide to the hierarchy, covering the kit-to-apprentice promotion and the deputy's duties.

Which rank details are still unconfirmed?

Four gaps, and it is better to name them than to guess. First, there is no published count of how many ranks you pass through. Second, no per-rank stat numbers exist, so a table giving "apprentice plus five, warrior plus twelve" is invented. Third, the deputy question is open: whether the player is formally promoted to it has not been stated. Fourth, the naming ceremonies that mark a promotion in the books have not been described as a game mechanic.

What is confirmed is enough to plan around: you start as an apprentice, there are no classes, Medicine Cats are characters rather than a playable role, and the campaign finishes with you at the head of your Clan. The rest becomes writable when the game ships on 23 October 2026.

FAQ

Do you start as an apprentice in Clans of the Forest?

Yes. The developers describe the game's arc as your cat starting out as a cute apprentice inside the Clan you chose, then ageing into a grizzled veteran. Apprentice is the rank the campaign opens on, and a mentor trains you from there.

Can you become the leader of your Clan?

The published framing points there. The developers said they anchored the player's path in the warrior ranks because every Clan needs a clear leader to face the prophecy, and they wanted the player to be that hero. The climax has you standing at the head of your Clan.

Why can't I play as a Medicine Cat?

Because the developers tied the climax of all four campaigns to you leading the Clan, and a Medicine Cat's duty in the lore is healing and spiritual guidance rather than fighting or Clan leadership. Medicine Cats stay central to the story as characters, and to the survival of your Clan.

Is there a class or role system?

No. There are no classes and no role picker. The player is locked to the warrior path, and progression comes from the rank climb plus your Clan, level and training, rather than from choosing a profession.

Do you become a deputy on the way to leader?

That has not been confirmed. The books treat deputy as the rank between warrior and leader, and the official franchise guide describes its duties, but no published material about the game says whether the player passes through it.

Related Guides

• How the names change with each rung, from -kit to -star: Warrior Cat Names
• If you have not built your cat yet, the appearance system and its ageing detail: Cat Creator and Customization
• The four campaigns and territories each rank climb happens inside: The 4 Clans and Their Territories
• The first choices in order, from naming your cat to your first battles: Beginner's Guide
• The book cats you meet along the way, and which of them are named: Characters and Book Cats