- "You'd do better to give in now. I shan't let you out of my sight, wherever you go. There's an escape patrol on the way--I heard the signal. When they get here you won't stand a chance. You're bleeding badly now."
- — Campion to Bigwig in the book
Captain Campion was a high ranking Efrafan officer, an expert tracker, and a Wide Patrol leader. He was one of the few rabbits General Woundwort respected.
Before the disappearance of Woundwort, Campion loyally served the tyrant, stopping Blackavar's escape attempt. After Woundwort's death, Campion became the new Efrafan Chief Rabbit. Under him, the warren lost some of its tyrannical attributes and made a close alliance with Watership Down.
Books[]
Watership Down[]
Campion is the captain of the Efrafan Owsla. He is a brave and skillful officer respected by General Woundwort. He is well liked by both Hazel and Bigwig despite being their enemy for a while. Campion takes over the warren of Efrafa after Woundwort's disappearance, and agrees that Efrafa and Watership Down can co-exist in peace.
Tales from Watership Down[]
The final chapter is devoted to Campion; he introduces the Wide Patrol to Vleflain and Watership Down and becomes a respected and well-liked leader. He eventually dies on patrol after a fight with a pair of cats but, like Woundwort, he lives on in rabbit legends, as a sort of guardian angel for rabbits on patrol.
Film[]
In the film adaption, Campion's role drastically decreases, to the point he becomes a background character with only a few lines.
He is the rabbit who gives Bigwig his identification mark. He is later ordered by Woundwort to follow Bigwig and to not let him out of his sight. He later tells Woundwort that Bigwig wounded Chervil and took a crowd of the mark with him.
During the battle, the Efrafans have against the rabbits of Watership Down, Campion tells the other Efrafans to run for their lives when Hyzenthlay lures Bob the dog in their direction. His fate is ultimately left open-ended at the end of the film.
TV series[]
- "The Black Rabbit of Inle... I'm ready to go with you. I'm tired..."
- — Campion after the Black Rabbit comes to him
Campion in seasons 1 and 2 of the TV Series.
Captain Campion plays a much bigger role in the Watership Down TV series than he did in his previous appearances. However, his personality isn't the same as it was in previous adaptations. He is also now Blackberry's love interest.
In the animated series, Campion sees that Woundwort's leadership is destroying Efrafa, but is torn between his feelings for the free ways of Watership Down and his loyalty to his chief rabbit. At one point, during Friend and Enemy, he gets abducted by a hawk but falls down and is injured. Hazel risks his life to save Campion while the two are trapped in a greenhouse with a snake, and the two make a temporary truce.
Season 1[]
To be written.
Season 2[]
Campion bleeding before he gets separated from Watership Down.
By Season 2, Campion's true loyalty eventually aligns with Watership Down's after seeing more of the nature of the rabbits for himself. He also admits his concern for Primrose plays a major part in it. He helps free Pipkin from Efrafa.
The Stand[]
Campion warns Hazel's warren that Efrafa will attack Redstone. He briefly leaves the Efrafans and returns just in time to save Woundwort from being captured in a snare.
The Great Game[]
Campion's suspicious activities raise concern from both Woundwort and Vervain and he is starved because of it, even though there is no complete proof of his betrayal.
Campion's punishment is able to be reduced due to a plan concocted by the Watership Down Rabbits which involves making Vervain seem unhinged and unreliable.
The Homecoming[]
Campion is able to locate Watership Down and warns the warren of the impending war. He also meets Blackberry for the first time. He turns against Woundwort to save his friends' warren, yet sacrifices himself to save Woundwort from a falling rock. He is thought to be dead by both Watership Down and Efrafa.
Season 3[]
Scarred Campion.
The Last Battle[]
Surviving miraculously but with terrible scars and getting a torn ear, Campion is touched by the Black Rabbit of Inlé and is tasked with stopping Woundwort, although he is unsure how to do this task. When Campion doesn't find any of the Watership Down rabbits and Blackberry, Campion tells the Black Rabbit of Inlé to show him what he must do, unaware of the Watership Down rabbits going to Efrafa for one last fight.
A New World[]
Feeling empty and half-dead, Campion fails to fight off the crows but in time, Campion is found by Pipkin, but tells Pipkin to keep his survival a secret from Watership Down. Pipkin tries to heal Campion back to strength. Campion has a vision of Woundwort being alive, the Black Rabbit tells him that he must kill him, as he threatens the world of the living.
The Wanderers[]
Campion fails to make a jump and tells Pipkin he's alright, Pipkin asks how he knew he was there. When Pipkin thinks he is a bad Junior Owsla captain, Campion tells him a warren isn't dug in a day. Campion teaches Pipkin a battle move and is later found by the Junior Owsla, he scares them as they think he was a ghost, minus Pipkin. Campion looks at his scars with water and asks Pipkin why he didn't tell him what he looked like, Campion believes that Blackberry can't look at him again before leaving.
The Nestling[]
Campion is seen following General Woundwort and Vervain. Campion gets tricked by the trap the two bucks set for him but before he gets crushed by rocks, a hawk, Skree, saves him.
The Secret of Redstone[]
To be written.
The Dark Deal[]
Campion is ambushed and taken by Spartina, Felspar, Granite and Shale to Darkhaven Warren to fight for his life in the battle pit. Once defeating Granite, who is the chief, Campion becomes leader, earning the respect of Spartina.
Darkhaven[]
Campion leads Darkhaven until Woundwort comes and fights him, though instead of fighting Campion runs, after Woundwort tells Campion to go, Campion tells Woundwort that he'd like to stay and serve him.
The Eyes of Silverweed[]
Campion's will to live is returned thanks to the love of Blackberry.
The Spy[]
To be written.
The Betrayal[]
When Granite goes to "kill" Blackberry, Campion goes and pins him down. At the Chief's Quarters, Granite helps Campion and Blackberry escape. When Granite comments on breaking the Darkhaven code to save the two, Campion tells him he knows how he feels. When Spartina returns to Darkhaven, Campion goes to silence her, just to be revealed that she was gonna lie to General Woundwort.
Campion's getting executed with both Spartina and Blackberry, but due to Vervain wanting to use Campion before killing him, he is taken out of it and is forced to tell General Woundwort where Watership Down is, otherwise Spartina and Blackberry will get executed. Once agreeing to, he saves Blackberry and Spartina from execution and leads Woundwort to the Down.
The Beginning of The End[]
To be written.
The Magic[]
He finally settles with Blackberry on Watership Down, not only because of his love for her, but because he also had no other place to go after Efrafa was destroyed.
Miniseries[]
- "I'm following orders. That's what soldiers do."
- — Campion to Holly
Campion appears in the miniseries. His fur color is lighter than that of other rabbits, being grey with brownish markings around his face and on his back.
Captain Campion in the Miniseries.
He is once again shown to be reluctant in his actions committed under Woundwort's orders. This is first shown during the marking of the Efrafan does and Holly's group when he closes his eyes during Nettle's marking. This causes Captain Holly, who is present at the event, to chide him for looking away, pointing out that Campion is a party to the torture and should own up to his role in it. Though Campion defends himself by stating that he is merely following orders like all soldiers are supposed to do,
Holly advises Campion that what makes a good soldier isn’t always what makes a good rabbit which stays with Campion until the end of the miniseries, prompting him to leave the war when Woundwort goes more mad.
The Raid[]
Campion is seen closing his eyes while Nettle's getting marked, Holly tells him that he's party in this and he should own up to it. Campion defends himself by stating he is just following orders like all soldiers would. Holly tells him that making a good rabbit isn't being a good soldier.
The Escape[]
He is most likely among the rabbits who line up for General Woundwort.
The Siege[]
Campion talking to General Woundwort.
Later on, as the conflict between Watership Down and Efrafa escalates, Campion shows sympathy and respect for Hazel’s group of rabbits, admitting to liking Holly despite being his enemy. When Orchis gets mad at him, Campion snapped back. When Woundwort comes out of his burrow and asks who called this meeting, Campion replied and said that Woundwort was in his burrow all day and that he didn't want to bother him.
Later, Campion is among the Efrafan Owslafa when Woundwort yells at Sainfoin. Campion's loyalty is then questioned by Woundwort with Campion saying he is loyal. Before the Battle of Watership Down, Campion shows interest in Hazel’s proposal for peace, telling Woundwort it might be worth considering and begins to doubt Woundwort upon realizing that the latter is more interested in destroying the "enemy" warren instead of what is best for Efrafa itself. His conflicting feelings increase after witnessing Holly’s murder at the paws of his troops, showing guilt and remorse as a heartbroken Hyzenthlay is dragged back into the warren.
Campion is questioned by General Woundwort.
In the end, Campion defies Woundwort by refusing to go into Hazel's warren with him and kill the rabbits inside, when Woundwort asks what type of solider he is, Campion replies saying what Holly said to him and mockingly calls him "Sir". Enraged, Woundwort orders Captain Orchis to kill Campion before going into the warren with Sainfoin instead. Orchis attempts to seize control of Campion's forces to join his battalion, but the troops answer only to Campion's order dismissing them.
Orchis tries to intimidate the deserting rabbits by saying that they will be hunted down and will be killed, but Campion defies Orchis, pointing out how though they may be equals in rank, Campion is the better fighter between the two, strongly threatening Orchis to back away from him before departing with his rabbits to Efrafa. He is not seen again.
Personality[]
In the TV series, Campion is probably the most conflicted character. On one hand he has a strong sense of loyalty to General Woundwort. On the other he knows that Woundwort is a brutal tyrant. Campion is grateful to Hazel for helping him to recover from a hawk attack and becomes a double agent for Watership Down. However, he is very lonely and although he knows that he is doing the right thing, he still feels guilty for betraying Woundwort who both trusts and respects him. Campion's guilt results in self-loathing, and perhaps even suicidal tendencies as he throws himself under a boulder to protect Woundwort, the very rabbit he is trying to dethrone. Even whilst acting as a spy for the Watership Down rabbits, Campion still maintains an astonishing amount of loyalty to Woundwort and saves him from the shining wire, before being arrested by Vervain immediately afterwards, and very nearly gets himself killed in order to protect him from a falling boulder. Campion's remarkable sense of loyalty is also shown by the fact that, although he hates Vervain for being a coward and a bully, he still prevents General Woundwort from executing him for cowardice by lying to his chief and telling him that he had sent Vervain on ahead. Ironically, Campion is a very good liar despite also being a very loyal and honorable character. Hawkbit states that he is also too crafty to get caught by Woundwort.
Campion is very brave and willing to risk the wrath of Woundwort in order to act as a double agent for the Watership Down rabbits. His courage is also shown by his willingness to sacrifice his life for Woundwort, despite the fact that he has been working for Watership Down. In addition to his immense courage and loyalty, Campion is, with the possible exception of Moss, by far the most compassionate of the Efrafan Owsla and constantly tries to make Efrafa a better place. Essentially Campion is the polar opposite of Vervain, despite being a fellow Efrafan officer.
Campion has a soft spot for Primrose, having often stood up for her in Efrafa. However, if he did have any romantic feelings for her, they are quickly thrown aside when he meets and falls in love with Blackberry and at the end of the series they settle down on Watership Down together. Campion's noble heart even allows him to gain the respect of the Black Rabbit of Inle, who tells him he has an important part to play in the destruction of Woundwort.
Campion is a highly resilient warrior, as shown when he survives an attack from a hawk, something Dandelion notes that not many rabbits can survive. The most notable example of his remarkable resilience is shown when he survives being crushed by a boulder, though he loses his left eye and ear in the process. Campion is also a formidable fighter, being able to defeat the previous leader of Darkhaven, Granite, several times in single combat. He is one of the very few who manages to hold his ground against the deadly General Woundwort, temporarily fending him off in order to protect Bigwig and Hazel. However, he knows that he is not strong enough to defeat Woundwort and surprises him by fleeing rather than accepting his challenge for control of Darkhaven. Whilst some would consider this to be cowardly, Woundwort simply states that Campion was "never a fool".
Trivia[]
- Campion is voiced by Nigel Hawthorne in the movie, though he has few lines. Hawthorne also voiced Dr. Boycott in The Plague Dogs, which is also written by Richard Adams and directed by Martin Rosen.
- In the movie, Campion is the only specific Efrafan rabbit to lack unique characteristics: General Woundwort is larger than all Efrafan rabbits and his left eye is blind, Hyzenthlay has a brighter color than many does and other Efrafan rabbits, Blackavar has very dark fur and scars, Vervain is slightly darker and taller than most rabbits, and Chervil is slightly larger than other rabbits (not as large as Woundwort) and has larger blue circles in his eyes, but Campion looks exactly as most rabbits.
- Campion is the name of a plant.
Gallery[]
Main page: Captain Campion/Image Gallery