Which Aztec warrior society wore jaguar pelts?

The Aztec warrior society that wore jaguar pelts was the Jaguar Warriors. They were an elite military group, paired in status and importance with the better-known Eagle Warriors.

The jaguar carried powerful religious symbolism in Mexica society. Aztec belief associated the animal with Tezcatlipoca, a major deity connected with night, conflict, rulership, and change. Warriors wore jaguar costumes and helmets partly to invoke the animal’s strength and ferocity in battle.

Jaguar Warriors were not simply ceremonial performers. They fought in campaigns, captured prisoners for sacrifice, and could gain elite status through military achievement. Traditional accounts say a soldier qualified by capturing four enemies, a feat valued more highly than killing opponents because captives had religious and political importance.

A common mix-up is Eagle Warriors: they were another elite military order, but their imagery centered on the eagle rather than the jaguar. Flower Wars were ritualized conflicts, not a warrior society, while “Arrow Warriors” is not the standard name of an Aztec military order.