WS102 Week 4: Subverting Fantasy Tropes
Challenging the Expected
Fantasy is filled with familiar character archetypes—the noble hero, the wise mentor, the dark villain—but what happens when we challenge these tropes? What if:
The hero isn’t entirely good?
The villain has a justifiable cause?
The wise mentor is manipulative or unreliable?
Subverting character tropes keeps stories fresh and engaging, helping them stand out in a genre that can sometimes feel predictable.
📌 This week, we’ll explore:
✔ What makes a trope a trope—and when to break it.
✔ Examples of subverted fantasy characters.
✔ How to craft protagonists and antagonists that defy expectations.
✔ How character development connects to larger narrative structures.
I. What Is a Trope, and Why Do We Subvert It?
A trope is a recurring theme or convention—something readers expect because they’ve seen it before. Tropes aren’t inherently bad, but when used uncritically, they can feel stale.
🔹 Examples of Fantasy Tropes:
✔ The Chosen One
✔ The Noble Hero
✔ The Dark Villain
✔ The Wise Mentor
✔ The Damsel in Distress
Subverting a trope means challenging audience expectations, either by:
✔ Flipping it: The hero is actually the villain.
✔ Deconstructing it: The Chosen One is an unwilling participant.
✔ Giving it depth: The evil sorcerer is fighting for a noble cause.
📌 Craft Takeaway: Tropes become stronger when they evolve beyond clichés.
II. Common Fantasy Tropes & How to Subvert Them
1. The Chosen One
✔ Trope: A hero with a destined fate, often from humble beginnings.
✔ Subversion: What if the Chosen One doesn’t want their destiny?
🔹 Example: Who Fears Death (Nnedi Okorafor)
Onyesonwu is prophesied to bring change, but instead of a traditional noble hero, she is angry, impulsive, and unpredictable.
Her power isolates her rather than making her celebrated.
🔹 Example: The Broken Earth Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin)
Essun is powerful, but she is not a hero—her abilities make her feared and hunted.
📌 Craft Takeaway: What happens if your Chosen One refuses to be chosen?
2. The Noble Hero
✔ Trope: A morally perfect hero who never struggles with their choices.
✔ Subversion: What if the hero’s morality causes more harm than good?
🔹 Example: Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin)
Ned Stark follows his honor—and dies for it.
🔹 Example: The Poppy War (R.F. Kuang)
Rin starts as a hopeful soldier but becomes an antihero, committing atrocities for revenge.
📌 Craft Takeaway: Give your hero real moral dilemmas where the "right choice" isn’t obvious.
3. The Dark Villain
✔ Trope: An evil character who is evil just because.
✔ Subversion: What if the villain has a justified reason for their actions?
🔹 Example: Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Marlon James)
The protagonist, Tracker, is not a classic hero—his morality is murky.
🔹 Example: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Victor Hugo)
Frollo believes he is acting for the greater good, making him more terrifying than a mindless villain.
📌 Craft Takeaway: The best villains believe they are the hero of their own story.
III. Case Study: Who Fears Death – Subverting Fantasy Archetypes
📖 This week’s reading: Who Fears Death (Part 1) by Nnedi Okorafor
Onyesonwu is not your traditional fantasy protagonist.
✔ She is powerful but impulsive and flawed.
✔ She is a woman in a genre that often focuses on male heroes.
✔ She challenges social and magical hierarchies in a way that’s messy and emotional.
📌 Discussion:
How does Onyesonwu challenge traditional fantasy hero tropes?
What makes her journey different from classic “Chosen One” narratives?
IV. Character Development & Narrative Structure
A character’s journey isn’t just about personal growth—it connects to the larger story structure.
Many fantasy stories follow The Hero’s Journey, a twelve-step structure identified by Joseph Campbell. But some, like Who Fears Death, deviate from this formula in key ways.
📌 Next Week’s Discussion Preview:
The Hero’s Journey vs. Alternative Story Structures
How different narrative structures shape character development
V. Crafting a Complex Protagonist or Antagonist
✔ They have clear desires, motivations, and conflicts.
✔ They grow and change over the course of the story.
✔ They make mistakes and face real consequences.
📌 Craft Takeaway: A great character is defined by their choices, not just their abilities.
VI. Conclusion: Why Subverting Tropes Matters
📌 Key Takeaways:
✔ Tropes aren’t bad, but blindly following them leads to cliché stories.
✔ Subverting character tropes makes them more realistic and engaging.
✔ The best heroes and villains are morally complex and dynamic.
📚 To-Do This Week:
📖 Read Part 1 of Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
💬 WS102—Discussion 4: Subverting Tropes in Fantasy Characters
📜 Prompt:
Fantasy characters often fall into familiar tropes, but the best stories find ways to challenge those expectations.
📌 Discussion Questions:
✔ What is a fantasy character trope you love or hate?
✔ How does Who Fears Death challenge the expectations of a Chosen One narrative?
✔ What makes a protagonist or antagonist compelling?
📌 Requirements:
1️⃣ Reference Who Fears Death or another fantasy novel.
2️⃣ Discuss how subverted tropes make characters more engaging.
3️⃣ Respond to at least one peer, engaging thoughtfully.
🔹 Example Post:
"One fantasy trope I love is the morally gray hero. Characters like Geralt from The Witcher aren’t purely good or evil—they make hard choices and live with the consequences. Onyesonwu in Who Fears Death is another example of a hero who doesn’t fit the traditional mold. She is powerful but deeply flawed, which makes her journey more realistic. Who are some other fantasy protagonists that subvert tropes?"
✍ WS102—Activity 4: Character Sketch – Protagonist or Antagonist
🎯 Objective:
Develop a character sketch for either your protagonist or antagonist.
✍ Instructions:
1️⃣ Character Basics:
Name (and any titles/nicknames)
Age, gender, role in the story
Physical description (focus on defining features)
2️⃣ GMC – Goals, Motivation, Conflict
Internal Goal: What do they want emotionally?
Internal Motivation: Why do they want this?
Internal Conflict: What personal struggle holds them back?
External Goal: What is their tangible objective?
External Motivation: Why do they need to achieve this?
External Conflict: What external force opposes them?
Short characterization: Their internal personality vs. how they present to the world.
Biggest failure or flaw: How does it shape them?
Backstory & its consequences: Key formative experiences.
Speech pattern: Three speech traits that define their voice.
Behavior pattern: Three habits that emphasize their personality.
Character arc: Where do they start? How do they change? Where do they end?
📤 Deliverable:
📌 Write a 1-2 page character sketch (300-500 words).
📌 Save as [YourName]_Activity4_CharacterSketch.
📌 Upload to Google Drive.
Next Week: The Hero’s Journey vs. Alternative Story Structures
How does the classic hero’s journey compare to different narrative models? What happens when a story breaks these rules? Stay tuned! 🚀