I think "I am going to shred this thing I loved as a child" can become a sort of protective instinct if you've had other things you loved a child turn out to be disappointing when you revisit them? Like, if you're prepared to shred, you can enjoy shredding, and if it turns out to be unexpectedly good than you enjoy that. Whereas if you go in expecting delight and it turns out to be disappointing that can be quite sad.

Anyway, I bet for the target audience the vast cast of thinly-sketched characters in HIGHLY DRAMATIC ACTION are absolutely a feature rather than a bug: that makes it all the easier to project onto your favorite and/or create your own Warrior Cat, who will probably be at least as richly characterized as any of the existing cats!

Honestly surprised it took the cats till the THIRD SERIES to develop magic powers.