Follows the lives of a group of rabbits as they leave their endangered warren in search of a safe new home. They travel across the English countryside, braving perilous danger, until they find a hill called Watership Down, where they begin a new warren. However, they face various threats and are soon forced to defend their home and lives.
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.
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.
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.
Hazel, having had new babies, decides to take a trip to the farm with Bigwig, Fiver, and Hawkbit in order to find food for the baby rabbits. Everything seems to be going well until they encounter a dog and a cat. Hannah gets herself into trouble too.
Wondering the burrow, Hawkbit discovers a strange chamber and believes he saw The Black Rabbit of Inlé. Concerned, Hawkbit goes to check it out again with Hazel and Fiver, but they encounter a cave-in. Bigwig believes Hazel, Fiver and Hawkbit have been kidnapped by Efrafa.
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.