‘CHOOSE SOMEONE ELSE’

It’s not just the creatures, the spells or the magic of fantasy that make it such a popular genre. It’s also the heroes we look up to, the ones we can’t help but support every step of the way during seemingly impossible quests. But one thing within my favourite genre that I’ve found increasingly annoying is the frequency of ‘The Chosen One’ trope.

Arguably, every main character has some ‘Chosen One’ traits – it’s just part of the job of a protagonist – but it’s the prophesied ones, the heroes who are given destiny on a plate, that irk this reader.

At risk of sounding like a literary scrooge, this trope can feel like lazy writing when not executed properly; ‘The Chosen One’ becomes the answer to unsolvable plotholes, a cop-out for winning a battle. For such a common trope, it could do with some fine-tuning. Whilst the trope can be successful in demonstrating how one person can make a difference with their unrivalled goodness, I can’t help but ask, where does this heroicness even come from? When we have a prophesied hero, we run the risk of them becoming the annoying dono-wrong protagonist, in the sense that they’re special because someone said so, not because of their efforts to grow stronger or wiser.

‘At risk of sounding like a literary scrooge, this trope can feel like lazy writing when not executed properly; ‘The Chosen One’ becomes the answer to unsolvable plot-holes, a cop-out for winning a battle.’

In many cases, ‘The Chosen One’ is just some kid who picked up a sword for the first time a week ago and is already the most powerful in the realm – you really expect me to believe they are just as strong, if not stronger than the immortal villain who has trained for centuries?

Give me detailed reasons for why only they can defeat evil. Show me their intelligence, their effort, their failures. Give me a character whose importance comes from themselves. Then they’ll be worthy of the title The Chosen One.

By Nina Harris

across literature and film. It serves as a comfort when characters are at their darkest points, as comic relief in tense moments, and heartbreak if the bonds are torn apart.

For me, there is something so special about wounded characters finding a place for themselves that they can call home. Many of these characters are orphaned or estranged from their biological families. The ‘found family’ trope helps them to choose a family for themselves and have others they can rely on. It encourages diverse interactions from a range of backgrounds and helps to develop character relationships in a healthy, natural manner. Most often, this includes characters, like members of the LGBTQ+ community, who choose a family that will accept and love them unconditionally.

‘For me, there is something so special about wounded characters finding a place for themselves, in which they can call home. ‘

Overall, I think the message of finding a family for yourself is so important. Rather than being forced to stick by toxic biological relatives, or deal with life alone, it is better to choose friends who will stick by your side no matter what. There is something so wholesome about found family, which is what makes it my favourite trope to read and a consistent selling point for any form of media.

If you’re interested in reading on the trope of ‘found family’, I suggest Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater to get started on. They are great representations of the trope.

By Megan Thomas