In the beginning of Watership Down, Hazel is only a common rabbit in the warren, which has a brother fearing of something terrible about to happen. When he suggests that the rabbits leave at once, the Chief Rabbit pays him no mind. So when he takes a group of rabbits out into the real world, in search for a safer place, little does he know that he is about to become one of the most courageous rabbits known. Hazel has gone through many struggles, which mark the transition from a naïve, inexperienced, "outskirter" to a respective and effective leader.

When Hazel suggested they leave at once, he gathered a group of rabbits that would embark on this grand journey. These rabbits looked to Hazel for guidance and support, as they would to a chief rabbit. This marked Hazel as a leader. The first transition was when they...