21 Popular Fantasy Tropes for Writers

21 Popular Fantasy Tropes for Writers

1. Ancient (or medieval) setting. When many people think fantasy settings, they think of a time when people had to ride animals or travel on foot. In other words, they think of settings that don't have trains, planes, and automobiles (or jet skis, yachts, space shuttles, etc.). Most of the time, in fact, people picture medieval Europe with lords, ladies, castles, and dragons (because, of course, they existed back then).
2. Taverns. Related to the ancient settings and the fact that fantasies tend to involve a LOT of travel, taverns are a common trope in fantasy stories. Taverns that offer room, board, and possibly entertainment (and mysterious new characters and plot twists).
3. Good vs. evil. A common fantasy trope that is beginning to change is to have morality tales in which the story pits a pure good side against a pure evil side. Of course, the characters caught in the middle, who are usually the ones readers care the most about, are different shades of both.
4. Evil wizard, witch, or sorcerer. Many fantasy stories incorporate elements of magic, so it only makes sense (in a story of good vs. evil) that there be an evil practitioner of magic (yes, usually "forbidden magic") who uses it to cause chaos and gain power.
5. Good wizard, witch, or sorcerer. The counterbalance to evil is good, right? So it's very common to counter an evil magic maker with a good magic maker. And don't be surprised if you find out the two once studied together or that one was the apprentice of the other.
6. Chosen one. One of the most common tropes in fantasy is the one where the readers learn that there is a "chosen person" (usually from a prophecy or vision) who will either unite the word or destroy it (or both). This chosen one could be anyone, but it's almost always the person who seems least assuming in the beginning of the tale.
7. Reluctant hero. Fantasies are often littered with men, women, and other creatures who don't consider themselves heroes and will often go out of their way to explain why they don't have the right stuff to be one. Nevertheless, many of them end up rising to the occasion (if not the first or thirtieth time, at the time that matters most).
8. THE QUEST. Fantasy novels are often based around one big quest. The quest may take different forms (save a captive person, find treasure, slay a dragon, battle an army, etc.), but the quest is often the reason people in a fantasy get moving in the first place.
9. Side quests. Of course, while the questers are questing it's possible that they'll find they have to do some side questing (sometimes to help with the main quest, but sometimes for other reasons). The main quest may be to slay a dragon, but then, a side quest may be to get a special weapon that could help slay the dragon.
10. Ancient (and powerful) artifacts. Ancient artifacts could be a special sword that the greatest heroes of legend used in battle or a legendary wand that amplifies magic in ways that sorcerers could only dream. Or books (that have magic or other special knowledge). Speaking of which, don't forget...
11. Libraries filled with books. Knowledge is power, but there are few places where this is true more than in fantasy fiction. As such, libraries are special places, whether they're institutional libraries or personal libraries (for those privileged enough to have one). Mass produced books often don't exist in fantasies, so each book is a special tool that can be used for good or evil.
12. Fantastical creatures. By the way, don't forget the importance of fantastical creatures in fantasies. Some of the creatures may be good, others bad, and many unaffiliated, though they serve their own purposes to move the story along. I've mentioned dragons, but there are also elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, giant spiders, orcs, and that's just if you're in Tolkien's Middle-earth.
13. Training moments. Whether it's a farmer learning how to wield a sword or a farmer learning how to practice magic (seriously, farmers!?!), a common fantasy trope is to show how a person goes from being inexperienced to the greatest warrior or sorcerer of all time ever. That means there have to be training moments when they fail and flail about and say, "I'm never going to be able to do this," though, of course, they will.
14. Antagonist turned ally. One fun trope in fantasy is to have someone who is an antagonist (usually a lower- or mid-tier antagonist) become an ally, either to save their skin or because they've been wronged by a higher-tier antagonist (revenge as motivator). These characters are fun, because readers don't know if they can be trusted and/or for how long.
15. Hidden truth or inheritance. This trope can go a few different ways and can connect with the earlier "Chosen One" trope. One possibility is that there is a secret heir to the throne of a kingdom; that heir may or may not realize they are the heir. Or there may be a character who is supposed to inherit a fortune or special powers. Or there's a secret prophecy or bloodline that is revealed that changes everything (or at least some things).
16. Damsels in distress. This trope is starting to fade away, but it was popular to make female characters helpless captives who need to be saved. More fantasy stories are turning this trope on its head and making male characters the captives (if there are even captives in the first place).
17. Orphan hero. So many fantasy stories have a main protagonist who is an orphan (or learns they were orphaned or thinks they were orphaned). There are few things more vulnerable than an orphan, which is probably why so many readers rally around characters who overcome their orphanhood into greatness. (Of course, orphans are usually the most likely person to be named the "chosen one.")
18. Best ever. Whether protagonist or antagonist, fantasy fiction is filled with hyperbole. Characters prove themselves to be the best warrior ever; the most evil warlock ever; the strongest sorcerer ever; the greatest horse rider ever; the best archer; the most amazing blacksmith; the most fearless ship captain; etc. Fantasy fiction often buys into the "best ever" trope.
19. All hope lost. This is not restricted to fantasy fiction, but it's a common trope for a fantasy story to hit a moment (or moments) where all hope is lost. Everyone is going to die; they're not going to make it out; etc., but then...
20. The cavalry arrives. And the cavalry could be an actual cavalry, or a small band of warriors, or a wizard, or whatever other interesting person or thing that breathes new life into the protagonists as they realize, "Not today."
21. Price for winning. This is another popular fantasy trope. The protagonists may win, but there is a price for winning. They become extremely weakened. They sacrifice their future plans and/or their life. The character may win, everyone may be happy, but there was a price to be paid by the protagonist (and they knew and chose to pay that price for everyone else).