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.

Hickory and Marigold decide it's time to leave Cowslip's warren and set off to find Hazel. Hazel agrees to help them escape, and Hawkbit and Dandelion give them lessons on how to live outside in freedom. Hickory and Marigold decide to start a new warren. Concerned, Primrose suggests that they move into Redstone. Trouble is ahead of them though, when Hickory gets trapped on a roundabout.

Kehaar becomes homesick of the Big Water and decides he must go and visit it, with the rabbits tagging along too. Smelling the glorious smell of carrots and lettuce, the rabbits wander inside a big farm van to nibble at the food. Suddenly the van drives off, and the rabbits find themselves at a market where they make friends with a pig.

Finally making it to the Big Water the rabbits lose contact with Kehaar. The rabbits are amazed by their new surroundings, including the salty sea water. The rabbits soon realize the sea is getting closer to them. Meanwhile, Kehaar meets up with his old friend, Katerina, but soon realizes that she isn't as friendly as he thought she once was. The rabbits are helped by the Puffins after almost being taken away by the sea.

Hickory and Marigold finally make their escape from Cowslip's warren, bringing along some friends with them. Bigwig and his friends help Hickory set up a warren at Redstone. Unawares to anyone, Cowslip has been watching them and meets up with Woundwort. Campion warns Hazel that Woundwort will attack at dawn. Woundwort is disappointed to find Redstone empty and heads off to Cowslip's warren where he is almost caught by the shining wire. Campion, however, is caught by Vervain and arrested.

Since the apples of the orchard are red and delicious Hazel and Bigwig go down to have a munch but retreat back to the warren when they find out a badger lives there. Knowing that the orchard is off-limits, Pipkin and Fiver go down to have a bite of the apples anyway. The badger comes back, and Pipkin flees. Fiver soon finds out the badger is harmless, and has a name: Bark.

It's snowing and the grass has turned white. The rabbits plan on having a big feast. But with no food Hazel, Bigwig, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Fiver and Kehaar set off to find some. They become lost, and encounter danger with a fox and ice. A rabbit named Buttercup comes along and allows the rabbits to say at her warren, right near a man.

Unconvinced that Buttercup's warren is safe, Hazel and his friends decide to flee during night. However they soon find out that Buttercup's warren is harmless, and the men that live nearby are harmless as well. Buttercup lets them take as much food as they want and Kehaar leads them back home safely to Watership Down.

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.

After a huge storm, multiple sheep are at Watership Down. For now, Hazel agrees to let them stay. After living with them for a while, he soon finds out they aren't friendly and they attract more enemies. Captain Broom explains what a sheepdog can do to get rid of the sheep. Hazel hatches a cunning plan to get the sheep out of the down.

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.

Vervain, now a slave, escapes and manages to find Hazel's warren. Vervain tells Woundwort and Campion is horrified. Campion sets off to warn Hazel, and is then amazed by the beauty of Watership Down when he sees it for himself. Hazel and his friends set traps for Woundwort's arrival. It is love at first sight for Blackberry and Campion. Now begins the final battle, and Fiver's scary vision becomes reality.