10 Worst Tropes in Fantasy Genre Fiction

Jenna Moreci
Dec 30, 2025
7 min read

HelloOoOo everybody!

You all know that my favorite genre is fantasy. I love me some mystical creatures and magical wonder. But just because I love a genre doesn't mean I think it's flawless. Let's be real, the fantasy genre is a mess. The bad news is we're forced to stomach this crap. The good news is I get to bitch about it. I'm breaking down the top ten fantasy tropes I absolutely despise. And yet writers keep pumping ‘em out again and again, and again…and again. We got some bitchin’ to do. Here are the ten worst fantasy tropes that make me shrivel up like a flaccid dick in the ocean.

This video is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Number 1: The Useless Teenage Chosen One

I don't really have an issue with a chosen one, or characters who are born into a position of power. I have a problem with whiny children who are arbitrarily thrust into positions of power. There's this trend in fantasy where the main character is written to be kind of passive and pathetic, especially if she's a woman. Everyone around her is tasked with protecting her because, clearly, she can't do anything for herself. I wanna know who's in charge of wiping her ass because this chick needs all the help she can get. The only thing that makes her valuable or relevant in any way is the fact that she's chosen. Whoever's doing the choosing here needs to find a day job, because they suck at this.

Number 2: The Emotionally Unavailable Hero

He’s either a soldier, a warrior, or a woodsman of some kind. Someone died in his past, most likely a brother or a wife. And because of this, he's hardened, he's grizzled, he can never love or open himself up again. I don't have a problem with supporting characters who fit this description. I’ve written one myself. (Orion, I'm looking at you. Take a shower.)

But I don't wanna read a book about this guy, because every fantasy book is about this guy. And the stories always go the same way. He saves a bunch of lives, he contemplates the futility of his existence, he bangs a bunch of hot chicks who inevitably fall in love with him, but he can never truly give them what they want. Because remember, he's emotionally damaged. This guy doesn't need another book; he needs a therapist.

Number 3: Non-Existent People of Color

“But Jennaaa, this book is based on Medieval Europe. That's why my massive cast of sixty-five characters are exclusively blonde, blue-eyed, white people.”

Oh, you know what? That makes sense! Because everyone knows that people of color only recently came into existence. That’s actually what the 80s are known for. Hair metal, spandex, and the invention of Black people. And it's the same deal with LGBTQ folks; they are a brand new phenomenon. Sexuality wasn't fluid before now, certainly not in ancient Greece, or China, or pretty much any civilization before monotheistic religion became the norm.

Number 4: "Realistic" Sexism

Literally every woman in your book gets assaulted. That's just because you're being realistic; all women were treated like trash in this era of history. I'm gonna call bullshit. One, because there is no history, it's a fantasy novel; you invented this world. Two, your book has dragons and wizards, don't try to convince me that you give a single fuck about realism. Your male characters have perfect teeth, despite having no access to dental hygiene. Your female characters have hairless legs, armpits, and cooters. The realism ship sailed a long time ago.

I'm not saying that I demand male characters with rotted gums, or female characters who can braid their pubes. And I'm certainly not saying that you can't write about sexism. I’m just saying that you could stand to cut the lady some slack every once in a while, okay?

Number 5: Sexy Douche Monsters

There are plenty of amazing fantasy creatures to write about, like elves or sirens. And even better, the stories surrounding these creatures have evolved over time, giving writers plenty of options to choose from. But it seems like everyone just wants to make them super hot mega dicks.

Let's look at vampires. Throughout history, they've been depicted as malevolent spirits. Sometimes they're dark and hideous creatures of the night. But fuck that, we're gonna make them super sexy and emotionally abusive. I realize that vampires aren't fantasy creatures, but this trend is prevalent in both paranormal and fantasy. Every fantasy creature you can think of has now gotten a sexy, but supremely dysfunctional twist. Wonderful.

Number 6: Faeries

I know I'm gonna get a lot of hate for this, but hear me out. I don't have an issue with faeries; faeries are fine. Faerie the crap out of your book. But we can all probably agree that faeries are the vampires of this decade. The pointed ears are everywhere. And it's cool if you're into this. I myself love fantasy creatures.

But I question how many writers are taking on this topic because they appreciate the fae lore, and how many are just hopping on the trend for a quick buck. And nearly every fae book I see is about some sexy faerie dude who treats all the women around him like shit, because apparently that story never gets old. You have so many origin stories to choose from. Some people used to think faeries were demonic spirits or demoted angels. I would love to read about that! A faerie who is a subject of Satan is way more interesting than another dude who harasses women.

Number 7: The Magical Bandaid

This isn't so much a common fantasy trope as it is a common fantasy plot hole. Magic suddenly fixes everything at the last minute, but it's a fix that could have easily been employed at the start of the novel. The characters had access to it; there was no stopping them, no limitations. Which begs the question: what's the point of this book?

Don't get me wrong, I think magic is a great tool for solving problems. But that's the thing, it's a tool, it's one piece of the puzzle. If you can wave a wand and make the entire problem disappear, that's an issue. And it's even worse when the character had the wand the entire time, and then someone randomly tells them, “Hey, why don't you use your magical stick?” Wow, that's a great idea. That would have been helpful forty chapters ago.

Number 8: It Was Inside of You All Along

The MC has a problem. Maybe their mom died at the hands of a wizard. Maybe their dad died at the hands of a wizard. I don't know, but someone died at the hand of a wizard. Now our hero is on a quest to find the magical key that will end this parent-killing wizard once and for all. Join our hero as they battle grave dangers, as their friends and family die at their side, all in the pursuit of a key. Then, finally, they meet the one person who can show them the way, and this person says to them:

“It wasn't a physical key. It was a metaphorical key. And that key is inside of you; it has been all along. Don't you understand? You are the key!”

“I'm the key? But why?”

“Reasons.”

Imagine reading an entire book only to find out that all that suffering and death could have been avoided because the main character is a stupid giant key.

Number 9: It’s All About the World

Not all fantasy readers are gonna agree with this, and that's fine. Make your own post about it. But when I read a book, it's because I wanna get lost in the story. I want to relate to the characters and join them on their journey. I don't want pages and pages of the intricate details of this fantasy world you created.

A lot of the world can be easily discerned through the events of the plot. If the characters are regularly trudging through snow, then I can assume that this is probably a cold climate. I don't need every leaf on every tree described to me. I don't care about every custom of this society. Just tell me what I need to know to understand this particular story and these particular characters. Once you go past that, it doesn't make things clearer; it just bogs down the content with useless details I won't be able to retain, and it slows the pacing of the stuff I actually care about. I'm here for the characters, not the irrigation system or the building materials, thank you.

Number 10: No Brown Eyes

This is a thing in all genres, but I found it most prevalent in romance and fantasy. The character's eyes are as blue as a cloudless sky. Or maybe they're as green and mysterious as a forest. Eyes are hazel, purple, or gray, but they're never fucking brown. What the hell do you guys have against brown eyes?

First of all, brown is the most popular eye color, so realistically, brown eyes should be prevalent. Second, brown eyes are pretty. All eye colors have the potential to be pretty. It's the shade that makes the difference. There are green eyes that look like emeralds, and there are green eyes that look like baby poop. Stop acting like brown eyes are the turd in the punchbowl, because they’re not. They are beautiful and glorious, and they deserve to be romanticized and gazed into longingly, like every other color.

So that's all I've got for you today!

Those are the ten fantasy tropes that turned me into a fiery ball of rage. Let me know what other genres you'd like me to cover. I probably have opinions about them. Strong ones.

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*This post is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.

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