The essential episodes of Watership Down
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Watership Down — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Seven of the rabbits from Sandleford Warren set out in search of the 'High Lonely Hills' that Fiver has seen in a vision as being a place of safety. Along the way they encounter many dangers such as the river and a dog.
- 02
The rabbits begin to settle into their new home on the down, however problems become apparent. The burrows need digging, but there's only one doe and bucks don't dig!! There's also a weasel that arrives at the down. Meanwhile, a mysterious visitor is looking for Bigwig.
- 03
In search of Pimpernel, the rabbits travel to a nearby warren believed to be a place of safety. This warren, led by Cowslip, seems a little too good to be true...and it is!
- 04
Free from Cowslip's warren, Strawberry begins to settle in at the down. Meanwhile, Bigwig hears of a vicious warren called Efrafa and investigates further.
- 05
Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig decide to take a visit to Efrafa after hearing reports that Efrafa want to kill all outsiders. Hazel encounters General Woundwort and asks him a few questions, unaware Woundwort is set out to kill him. While there, Hazel falls for a rabbit called Primrose. After Fiver has a vision about Woundwort's past they escape, making a new enemy in the process.
- 06
Hazel travels to Nuthanger farm with Pipkin and Fiver to get some new hutch-rabbits to come and join them, in fear that if they don't have enough rabbits living with them they will be wiped out by Efrafa. Hazel heads for trouble involving a man and a gun. They bring back a new rabbit, called Clover.
- 07
Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, Hawkbit and Blackberry all set off to help rescue Primrose and Blackavar from Efrafa. However, they get trapped under a stone bridge. Bigwig and Hazel have yet another argument and Bigwig storms off, forming a plan to rescue Blackavar and Primrose.
- 08
Bigwig joins Efrafa and plans to help Primrose escape. Meanwhile, Hazel and the others are still stuck under the stone bridge with the Efrafan guards on top of it. They hatch a plan with Kehaar and flee towards the grounds of Efrafa. They meet Bigwig there and he tells them of his plan to free Primrose and Blackavar. After some time, they finally elude the Efrafans and make their escape on a boat, leaving Woundwort raging.
- 09
Primrose feels a little homesick for Redstone. Hazel agrees to take her back despite Fiver's warning that Redstone is empty. On the down, Fiver has another vision that one of their past enemies will return. Meanwhile, Hazel and Primrose are shocked to find that Fiver was right about Redstone being empty. The only one left there is Captain Broom.
- 10
Certain that the Efrafans are getting closer to the warren, Hazel and his friends decide to leave false trails leading them astray. However trouble lies for Captain Campion as he has an encounter with a Hawk. Hazel helps Campion but puts his own life in danger when they both meet an enemy the two of them have never encountered before.
- 11
The rabbits find out the Efrafans have captured Pipkin. Woundwort begins to treat Pipkin well, in order to find out the location of his warren. Meanwhile, Hazel hatches a plan to free Pipkin with help from Campion. They manage to grab as many animals as they can in order to make his plan work, and in the end it works better than they expected.
- 12
Hawkbit, Fiver, Pipkin and Dandelion raid the farm and to Hazel's surprise, they bring two other rabbits back to the down instead of food. Bluesky and Raincloud both say they are messengers from Prince Rainbow. Hazel catches on straight away that it's a scam, but he keeps quiet. The two demanding rabbits tell Pipkin they can fly, which leads into a lot of trouble.
- 13
Bigwig sets up an early morning Owsla patrol, but Hannah doesn't show up for her training. Later, she turns up with Hickory, excited that Hickory and Marigold have baby rabbits. Bigwig is annoyed with her and after an argument, Hannah leaves the down. Kehaar manages to convince Hannah to come to Redstone and she agrees. On her way to Redstone, she ends up stranded up a tree, and meets a Squirrel called Tassle.
- 14
The Efrafan Owsla flee the collapsing caverns leaving only Woundwort, Vervain, Moss, and a handful of officers alive. Realizing that not even the cave-in will stop General Woundwort from trying to destroy them, Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig make preparations to wage war on Efrafa with Pipkin recruiting all of his animal friends. Fiver meanwhile senses that Campion is not dead, and indeed the Efrafan captain manages to pull himself free from the rubble of the caverns alive but horribly scarred. He meets the Black Rabbit of Inlé, who tells him his time has not yet come and that he has a special destiny in store for him. Meanwhile Moss, seeing that Woundwort is going mad, teams up with a doe named Heather to overthrow him but the Watershippers attack Efrafa in full force.
- 15
It's time to end the battle once and for all. Both sides collide and there can be only one winner. Bigwig goes one on one with Woundwort and Hannah plans to use 'the magic' to finally be rid of Woundwort forever. Silverweed knows that a high price must be made to use it so he plans to use it, instead of Hannah.
