Dark Fantasy Tropes
We love all sub-genres of fantasy, but my personal favourite is Dark Fantasy. I love the bleakness, the rising up of the anti-hero and even the despicable villain who will stop at nothing to gain their rewards.
But what exactly contributes to Dark Fantasy? And what are the main tropes? If you are here from my Instagram post: hi! If you are here just because I hope you enjoy a look into my top 3 Dark Fantasy Tropes. Let’s get into this!
1) The Anti-hero
The reluctant hero is (in my opinion) quite different to the Anti-hero. Here we see a character who is usually thrust into the hero position after something tragic occurring - usually their familly has been brutally murdered or ther dog has been taken. The Anti-hero is pretty opposed to the idea, and when done well, this can be paired really well with a dry sense of humour, sarcasm or even a begrudging attitude toward the fact that suddenly their life has turned upside down.
“How is this different from the reluctant hero”
Well… A reluctant hero will step up to their role and fall into the archetypal hero ‘mould’. The reason the Anti-hero becomes more entertaining is because they are usually mixed with the ‘morally grey’ characteristics for a villain and hero combined.
And you know how much we (of the fantasy community) LOVE a morally grey character?
2) The Bleak Setting
Nothing more than a bleak setting screams DARK FANTASY! This trope allows us to tap into the atmosphere of a dark fantasy, thus showing the reader that settings play a powerful role. This determines how we see each of the characters’ roles in the book and also adds to the foreboding atmosphere; ultimately keeping the reader asking “how will the protagonist ever overcome this?”
When written well a bleak setting can show elements of dystopia and can also tie in my next favourite trope…
3) Politics in the plot
This is a trope which, I feel, can make or break a dark fantasy novel. If done well politics can be the glue to a good plot and can lay the foundations for the lore in a fantasy land. Everything could stem from this one trope, including why the protagonist rises to fight evil, the back story to the antagonist or even how religion is woven into a political sub-plot.
Maybe I am being biased, but I love a good political story with intrigue and dark atmosphere (especially when paired with corrupt leaders). It adds to the overall feeling of loss of hope. And I love it!!
So here you have it. There are a few more I’ve added to the Instagram post here which you can see. If you have any other tropes that you think could make the list comment on my Insta post!
Also keep your eyes open for my up and coming post of which Dark Fantasy books (in my opinion) show these tropes the best.
