[Poll] Overused Character Tropes in Fantasy

There’s been a buzz of discussion lately about overused character tropes in the fantasy genre—the orphan child fated to save the world; the lone wolf assassin; the hot-headed and reckless protagonist; elves who love trees and loathe dwarves.

It’s made for some incredibly insightful reading, allowing writers to see what readers are tiring of, potential pitfalls, and what areas of the genre could do with freshening up. I thought it’d be even more helpful to codify all of these opinions into a bit of easy-to-read research.

So what character tropes do you think are overused? I’ve kicked off the poll below with a few popular suggestions, but please share your own!

The poll will be open for a week or so and then I’ll set about compiling it all and analysing it.

Thanks for getting involved!

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richiebilling

Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. He's had over a dozen short stories published in various magazines and journals, with one adapted for BBC radio. In 2021 his debut novel, Pariah's Lament, an epic fantasy, was published by Of Metal and Magic. Richie also runs The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, a podcast devoted to helping writers improve their craft.

Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.