I would love to see a "Chosen One" subversion were being the Chosen One gets into the MC's Head instantly and inflates their ego comically.

@Muhammad-hf8ld

4 жыл бұрын

Sounds like Legend of Korra 😂

@jascrandom9855

4 жыл бұрын

@@Muhammad-hf8ld That's good. But i was thinking on more like KonoSuba flavor.

@gamewriteeye769

2 жыл бұрын

In my current WIP, it goes from Prophecy about Reuniting > Unlikely, Remissive Hero > External Forces Change Hero > **Hero Ego Inflates** > Reality Check > Lowest Point > Trains to Prove Themself > Ultimate Choice And Consequences

I think Blade Runner 2049 did a great job at subverting this trope.

I'm subverting the "Chosen One" trope in my WIP with both the "It sucks to be the One" and a flip I hope is original. Because it worked so well in Star Wars, it turned up everywhere, and we lose sight of how fresh it was. I felt betrayed by Harry Potter; Longbottom seemed to come out of left field after Harry and the gang did all the heavy lifting.

My personal favourite of the chosen one trope is Kung Fu Panda. Po suffers so much with imposter syndrome and rather than just getting through the plot and succeeding, he betters himself and actually works to become the person everyone expects him to be.

I would love to see, although most likely in an anime considering, a play where the main character is a chosen one wannabe through out the series. Everyone laughs at the lead as the chosen one is said to bring peace to the universe on it's eve of destruction. Our lead being a rather chaotic comical individual who's constant attmepts to prove themselves only causes problems. The actual chosen one of course being the staple, near worshiped perfect boy. At the end of the story we find out lead accepting that they must not be the chosen one at all, when then the chosen one shows his true colors and is to actually be the destruction of the universe. Without thinking or caring, our lead jumps into the fray and ends up defeating him, apparently having been the chosen one after all.

Thanks for giving us this topic. I was waiting to hear you mention the main reason I think the "chosen one" is so powerful in story. We relate to this character because we want to believe there is a greater meaning in our life. When someone is caught up in a destiny of some sort, there is the thrill of having purpose. It can be seen negatively if a person doesn't like the purpose they were chosen for. Either way, it is a question a lot of people have about themselves and the story gives us a chance to live it out. As far as agency goes, the story can show free will through choices, whether good or bad. The "chosen one" kind of depends on some sort of religious backdrop to the story. Possible reasons that people get tired of this trope is that they could be tired of religion or the trope can too easily be made to simplify the story rather than give it complexity and surprise. Thanks for the chance to think about and discuss this.

@jascrandom9855

4 жыл бұрын

I think the real reason why people are tired of the "Chosen One" is because it takes away from the Character's own merits and their agency.

I think the chosen one trope can be done well, but I'm just so much more interested in stories about characters who choose themselves. Ambition is something that's really looked down upon in fiction (the classic example being the "evil" ambitious Slytherins), especially when it comes to ambitious women, and I think a lot of writers go with the chosen one trope because they're scared to have their characters go after something that they want. I want more characters who aren't outwardly special, but have the drive to "save the world", and will do anything and everything that it takes to get there. Ambition is often used as a motivation for villains, but it can also be a powerful force for positive change, and that's something that the chosen one trope, told traditionally, really fails to address.

@rodschmidt8952

4 жыл бұрын

When I read this, I thought up a conspiracy theory that "they" don't want us to be ambitious, so "they" influence society to look down on ambitious people. Then I thought of Elon Musk. Then I thought of C. P. Snow's essay on "The Two Cultures." Maybe ambition is approved of in the scientific culture, but not in the literary culture

I'm surprised... You missed another very good subversion of the trope, although you did reference two of three examples in the video. #7 - The Chosen One is only chosen to wield the power, does not have a specific destiny defined for them. Such as Buffy in "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" or the Matrix Bearer in most of the incarnations of the "Transformers" series. They are chosen, but wield their own destinies right from the beginning. Buffy could have let herself die in the movie or the first episode and there would just be another Slayer born. The Matrix Bearers, in many incarnations, are thought to be the epitome of the time they live in, hence why several were corrupt. Then we have both of the "Avatar" series. While yes, they are there to be balance, they are just reincarnated ever 100 years, not to fight some big bad, but to keep a balance. Which, if I remember some of the past lives correctly, didn't always work out so "peacefully" or "heroic", nor did the balance even happen some of those times. So again, while things are there for them to do, they were completely in charge of their own destiny. Oh, and I have to note *SPOILER*, when you had so few Sith, and a relatively huge number of Jedi... Yeah, Anakin DID bring balance to the Force PRIOR to the first set of films. There was an out of balance with an abundance of Good Force users versus so few Evil Force users. The prophecy was just misinterpreted. So, when Darth Vader killed the Emperor, he actually set it out of balance once again.

In Spiderman 2 Toby Maguire did a good job of being the Chosen One who cannot find a romantic partner because he is the Chosen One, and therefore doubts if it is all that great to be who he is, but in the end he gets the girl.

I’m currently writing a book. That may fall into the Chosen One, or Prophecy but I’m not sure. The book starts with a man who despises Wolcavans a species on their lands. The year is 1999 and the war has been raging since 1998. The humans or as I call them, Untainted are at war with Wolcavans. Towards the end of the book the Wolcavans are cut off. The man’s name is Atticus and he has a friend named Valley. Valley and Atticus are both handed Wolcavans to protect. Atticus has a choice to either let them pass or save. Despite his hatred he hears Valley’s voice in his head, takes the baby and runs across a bridge to a heavily dense forest. The Wolcavans are being hunted down as Valley finds a way to protect the baby. Knowing that the town is not safe, he leaves to the forest as well and finds Atticus at a cabin. He leaves the baby with Atticus as the two are the last of their kind. And if found they will die and the race of Wolcavans will forever be gone. The second book is more of Atticus friends and students perspectives from the time he left. It also gives what his and the two lives are like living in Redowless Forest. The third to fifth book of my potential trilogy. Starts with a girl at an orphanage. She has a friend named Varity. Who is later framed for murder by a man. The girl or Skyla meet my other characters from the two previous ones and decide to work together to clear Varity’s name. In the end she is saved, but the man or Ariander, Atticus’ student from the dojo is sent to death by an electric chair. During the search for proof to clear Vari’s name Atticus finds a mysterious paper. Which leads him to lie to his pupils. He keeps it to himself until book three of the trilogy. In the second Katamaia is taken to the Lona Islands, because she fit the criteria for an arena. She meets a guy and the two work together to stay alive. During all this the others struggle to save Kata as they run into challenges. During one of the challenges Atticus finds another paper. They don’t make it in time and Kata passes. Which stirs the darkness. Wolcavans are a species, there is a subspecies, but both are said to have gone extinct. The main species has shadow dragon and dark angel traits. The subspecies is the opposite. The two are suppose to symbolise Light and Dark, Yin and Yang. Kata symbolises light as Azaelious symbolises dark. With Kata dead Aza fights internally to suppress the darkness. Atticus has lost a lot during and before the Sanguine Warfare. His father, grandfather, mother (who left,) wife, friend, Ari, and Kata. He is so tired of losing those he loves that he doesn’t want to let go of Aza. In the last book the mysterious papers come to place and my characters realise that there was no physical darkness to defeat, but an internal one. One that will be lethal if activated. Then Aza is taken over by the dark and goes on a killing spree. He kills one of my other characters while he is filled with rage. Once he realised what he did he instantly regretted it and gave into their method of saving him. The others use this cleansing that mixes light dragon and angel blood with liquid silver together and inject Aza. Given a few moments he is no longer a part of shadow dragon and dark angel blood, but of light. Knowing that the if Vulpes, Lupinus, or Sanguine Bibens found out who he really was he will die. So, Aza asks Atticus if he would like to come with him to live somewhere other than Aurarius Terras (their lands), the Lona, Quis, or the Akima Islands. Despite all the people that Atticus lost in his past he sends Aza away on his own. My writing for just this is probably not great, but it gets my point across.

Mortal Kombat 2021 movie depicts many chosen ones Not just Cole Young but also the other heroes are chosen ones as well

*New category: a fake chosen one.* :) I'm writing a story where certain things suggest that the protagonist could be some kind of chosen one. Later on he finds that there is nothings such, but it's only his own urge to find solutions, which catalysts the events. Anyone else could be in his position, but would not raise to be the one who solves things, because someone else may not have the same mindset or urge.

Good job.:)

I'm intrigued with the story of Joseph, husband of Mary, in the synoptic gospel of Luke. He's a man who never says a word yet even with that, based on narrative the reader gets a sense of his integrity. It's funny how in the part of the finding of Jesus in the temple in Luke 2, when a reader might expect Joseph His step father to reprimand the Boy, as the father might in a male-dominated culture and so at last speak, it's Mary who speaks. Yet if one were to survey Catholics as to who they believe are the top three most popular canonized saints in their tradition, it might be Sts. Francis of Assisi, who the current pope chose for his name, Anthony of Padua and Joseph, husband of Mary.

So we want a character that has agency, makes decisions, takes action [at least after the Midpoint], earns the role of protagonist, rises to greatness (thus is worth reading about), AND is a poor messed-up schmuck like the rest of us (thus is relatable). So I see a tension between relatability and uniqueness/specialness; the MC must have both.

A couple of my favorite takes/subversions of this trope are: 1. Jorg Ancrath from Prince of Thorns trilogy 2. Fitz and the Fool from Assassin's Apprentice series Vague SPOILERS . . . Jorg appoints himself the chosen one through sheer strength of will, in a world where the power of belief really matters, but is so ruthless about it, that it is hard to say if he will be the savior or the ultimate downfall of the world he is looking to conquer. Fitz is a chosen one that must be constantly manipulated and coerced onto the path of destiny at great person cost to him, by an agent of destiny who personally knows and admires Fitz, and would rather just be his friend and let him be happy, but can't, for the sake of the world.

Anytime you see someone’s eyelid uneven like that. That’s the indicator of those crazy like tendency 🧐

Is there like a story about The Chosen One told from a perspective of his/her Mentor?? Like the story is more about how his Mentor try to make the Chosen One fulfil his duties... Or this a wrong subversion altogether? 😅

In my current project I have two potential chosen ones, made by the BBEG to have a stronger soul than other mortals. BBEG convinces one they are the chosen one and the other has no idea. The entire conflict is BBEG's manipulations to get one of these two to a specific point. They are manufactured this way to serve purely as a catalyst for the spell the BBEG is casting to ascend to godhood. In essence the MC has no idea they are special in anyway and their chosen role is a lamb breed to be slaughtered on the alter of the BBEG's ambition, nothing more.

My novel in current production (with a plan set for a series and an open ended epilogue) plays with many of the aspects of the chosen one main character (the young one more powerful than anyone recorded, always in the wrong place at the right time, villians seem drawn to her as opposed to other magical beings) but with no chosen one prophecy. However, aware of the tropes, she's repeatedly having to be reminded that she'll be okay and that there is no Chosen One like in books and movies. Granted, considering my concept arc if the whole series does get written, involves a play on the time travel bootstrap and grandfather paradoxes tropes; one could argue she is in fact a chosen one because she set out on this adventure in the first place, which then led to things in the past which put all of these dominos together.

The book I'm currently writing is about twin siblings brought to another world and no one knows who brought them their

A little late, but i think the matrix trilogy did the chosen one trope, by revealing that the antagonist was the chosen one in reality.

ive got the unchosen one trope: these two are literally the most miserable people for the job, but they have to according to the rules

And of course, all of this goes for the villain/antagonist as well.

@popnpets8022

4 жыл бұрын

Rod Schmidt wdym?

What about Shera on Netflix? I love that show!

Okay, what about "Chosen All-But-One" where everyone BUT you is chosen?

I loved the Star Wars take on the chosen one trope. I don't think of Luke Skywalker as a true Chosen One, because he tries to get out of it at first. Then he chooses it himself. And there's not one prophecy saying that he is the "only hope" until after he has already chosen it. Of course, Anakin was called the Chosen One, but he also chose his destiny to become a Jedi. And then he un-chooses himself when he turns to the Dark Side. So even these classic examples give a little twist. Another example I thought of was Po, the Dragon Warrior, from the Kung Fu Panda movies. Master Oogway wasn't even going to choose him, but because Po took his destiny in his own hands and did anything he could to see what was going on, he just "happened" to land in front of Oogway's pointer finger, making Oogway--and only Oogway--believe he was supposed to have been chosen in the first place. Nobody else does, so at first, it did suck to be the Chosen One. The Chosen One trope in general is more of a philosophy, to me. It's the classic question, "Is there such a thing as fate? Or do we really have free will?" Any story that can show the dichotomy between these two extremes is fascinating to me, whether I agree with which side of the fence they land on or not.

@Reedsy

5 жыл бұрын

I love the idea that the chosen one trope is a discussion on fate and free will, that's so interesting!

Hi, I love the chosen one tropes however, your point about a chosen one story mean it's more plot driven, however do you think that you could still have the character make decisions that go wrong? MC would still have a satisfying inner journey by learning from mistakes? I'm think I've just lost and confused myself sorry if this sounds like bluergh

@Reedsy

4 жыл бұрын

For sure! You could definitely do that :)

To resolve the question of why the young and inexperienced character is faced with the plot danger, scale down the challenges they face until the middle of the book. You could use an animal attack in the woods for comparison. The chosen one suddenly realises he can tap into the knowledge of the ancients to ninja-kick the bear in the teeth, breaking its neck. The believable hero grabs a stick from the campfire, using it as a torch to keep the prowling wolf at bay as he searches the dimly lit ground for a hard rock. You would have to pay me a lot to write the former scene. The latter, I would have fun with, even if it were only a writing exercise.

@Reedsy

5 жыл бұрын

That's an excellent solution!

@victorthurse6027

5 жыл бұрын

@@Reedsy Happy to share with you, Shaelin. A screenwriter friend told me that changing a story is like doing surgery on yourself. Your videos have helped me maintain perspective as I reworked my story to the version it has become.

Zelda!

I really want to improve my own story to make it less bland and more original, since it's the first full novel I've ever written. I'm on the border of knowing whether or not it falls under the chosen one cliche, or rather subverts it. It's in the point-of-view of a young, weak boy who is forced out of his home and travels around the continent looking for a home, but ultimately finds himself wound up in a quest to collect the 8 relics along with the 7 other respected wielders to stop a grand force of evil to bring back peace to the land. I'd like some personal opinions on this idea and preferably a more appropriate place to have my story critiqued by others, if anyone knows a place. Thank you

@prashantkumar4217

3 жыл бұрын

Hello! I found your idea generic. Since it's been a year you posted this comment so I'm sure you've done some serious work to make it more organic. As for the critique platform, you can join Facebook groups. There are many such. Eg, Fiction Group. Sub it club, etc.

So, when someone is young and inexperienced it's unlikely they would rise to greatness ... and when someone is old, and hasn't been great all this time, it's unlikely they would rise to greatness?

A Self-Choosing One is more villain material ... suddenly I think of ideas of "playing God" (this being an evil thing to do) vs "obeying God" (which could mean obeying priests, especially in ancient times) (this being a good thing to do)

The disney starwars movies do this soo badly. To the point of Rey just being a Mary Sue.

I’m my fantasy series the villain is the chosen wannabe

I am the chosen one

@rodschmidt8952

4 жыл бұрын

I am the one who chose

@thdremily

Жыл бұрын

lol I feel like I remember exactly why I wrote this at the time

How does Katness fall under this trope? She's not born to royalty or prophecy. She's young, sure, but that doesn't mean she's "chosen" by fate. She seems to be the right personality at the right time. And she's pushed by political forces outside her control into a role that she doesn't want, but is naturally talented at. Very different than having your name carved into the magic stone. It's her actions and morals that get her chosen. And she's used by the revolution, more than running it.

@Reedsy

4 жыл бұрын

She's an example of a character moreso chosen by those around her and appointed to this position that only she can fullfull, rather than by a prophecy. She is a chosen one but a bit of a new take on it since there's no magic involved.

@prashantkumar4217

3 жыл бұрын

@@Reedsy Agree. On the other hand, Red Queen's protag Mare is a bland chosen one. I'm mentioning this book because it's SO similar to Hunger Games, at least the first act.

In some books, I feel like the protagonist is labelled the almighty 'chosen one' as lazy excuse for them being there and having to be the only one to stop the antagonist. The protagonist should earn their role of being a protagonist, not just be one for the sake of it.

@Reedsy

5 жыл бұрын

I fully agree!

Praises to God! He lifts the poor from the dust...the needy from the ash heap! (Psalm 113:7):

@gregorydefeo7369

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Thank Him, He who never quits!

WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER!??

I just realized Jesus is a "Chosen One." 🤔