Top 5 Fantasy Tropes (Writing Advice)

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  • Опубликовано: 25 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 244

  • @FCSchaefer
    @FCSchaefer 4 дня назад +96

    I'm with you on a band of heroes. Done right, it never gets old.

    • @ultimatehope549
      @ultimatehope549 4 дня назад +8

      Probably the best trope in any story period. Often leads into “found family” which is always fantastic

    • @Mardshima89
      @Mardshima89 4 дня назад +1

      The trope already exist since ancient time with Ramayana and still work to this very day.

    • @JustKrin
      @JustKrin 4 дня назад +4

      My favorite scenes with the Avengers are every time they have an argument. In my opinion the conflict rarely feels forced, you understand why they're constantly clashing:
      Tony/Iron Man is a diva that wants to be the center of attention
      Cap is literally from another time so he's obviously not accustomed to many things from the modern world
      Thor is a God that sees himself above everyone else
      Bruce knows what Hulk is capable of
      And the best part is that all of them are right in a way
      None of them fit to be part of a group, that's why they make such a compelling team

    • @CougarBen02
      @CougarBen02 3 дня назад +1

      Great example of this is D&D: Honor Among Thieves

    • @shlafrock2175
      @shlafrock2175 3 дня назад +1

      @@ultimatehope549 found family trope is my fav :)

  • @jonahduesman4779
    @jonahduesman4779 4 дня назад +177

    He is finally mentioning Attack on Titan 😎👊

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  4 дня назад +67

      Hoping to finish it soon. I got distracted after finishing S2

    • @LuLookPlayz
      @LuLookPlayz 4 дня назад +20

      @@WriterBrandonMcNultyoh you’re in for a wild ride

    • @jonahduesman4779
      @jonahduesman4779 4 дня назад +21

      @@WriterBrandonMcNulty I really recommend I don't want to say anything cuz I will probably spoil something but it's truly a masterpiece, AOT is one of the shows that heavily inspired me to be a writer

    • @chrisyanin4564
      @chrisyanin4564 4 дня назад +14

      ​It is without a doubt the greatest written show of all time. The plot level and crazy foreshadowing is what I strive to achieve with my work. Dark is good as well.

    • @ihusker42
      @ihusker42 4 дня назад +5

      Really interested to hear Brandon's thoughts on the final season

  • @STHE04
    @STHE04 3 дня назад +21

    I don't think my novel would be coming along half as well without these videos. Thank you Brandon.

  • @BlancheDP
    @BlancheDP 4 дня назад +48

    It may be cheesy, but god to I love the "wise mentor" trope. It may extend to other genres, but it's hard to do better the likes of Gandalf or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    • @jungleblazers1249
      @jungleblazers1249 4 дня назад +7

      Also whatever that trope is where a master/teacher is forced to train the hero/protagonist. Often times done really bad, but when they get it right, they shine. See Master Shifu (Kung Fu Panda) or Phil (Disney's Hercules)

    • @warlawds7007
      @warlawds7007 3 дня назад +3

      Not even sure if that's a trope, as it's pretty much a key ingredient of a Hero's Journey scenario

  • @jasonuerkvitz3756
    @jasonuerkvitz3756 4 дня назад +22

    And I just wanted to add, that scene in Spider-Man II is so stellar because Peter's sacrifices brings out the best in others who willing step forward to defend him. When they left his unconscious form up and pass him from hand to hand over their heads, seeing for the first time that he is just a very young man who has dedicated his life and perhaps sacrificing his future for the people of New York, it brings all of the train riders together in a spirited, heroic moment, showing that we all have the capacity to be a hero, especially when the stakes are high enough, and when we have others standing at our side. I love Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies.

    • @anon_y_mousse
      @anon_y_mousse 2 дня назад +3

      Agreed. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies are the best of all the Spider-Man movies. The only Spider-Man content that's better is the cartoon from the 90's. Nothing against Tom Holland, because he's fairly good in the role, but not as good as Tobey Maguire, in my opinion, and the movies that he's in aren't written very well. However, I do hate Andrew Garfield and think his are the absolute worst of the bunch, which isn't really helped by the fact that they kill off Gwen and don't even have a Mary Jane. I don't even care what they do in the comics, because I feel like movies shouldn't kill off good characters willy nilly.

    • @AnujChatterjee-q5b
      @AnujChatterjee-q5b 2 дня назад +3

      Yeah, I think Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies are the best. The Spider-Verse movies are amazing but they are far from being as good as Spider-Man 1 and 2. However, I think Andrew Garfield's spider-man is also great and underrated. Tom Holland is probably the weakest but still pretty decent.

  • @CoveWeaverStudios
    @CoveWeaverStudios 4 дня назад +51

    Something else to keep in mind: some fantasy tropes could work in non fantasy stories, like the heroic sacrifice.

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  4 дня назад +15

      Absolutely. It just tends to be more prevalent in fantasy

    • @CoveWeaverStudios
      @CoveWeaverStudios 4 дня назад +3

      Btw, I am currently writing a story which I know is gonna be long. To put it this way, think of GOT, Star Wars, any war movie, and any alternate history story all meshed into one.

  • @imaginepageant
    @imaginepageant 3 дня назад +11

    That “Get ready” at the beginning of every video really does get me excited for what’s coming!

  • @MikeBrennan-i5i
    @MikeBrennan-i5i 4 дня назад +19

    From one washed up old man to another, thank you for these videos. I've been struggling with my fantasy screenplay and this really helps. I need to embrace the tropes... just lean into it

    • @PipRap
      @PipRap 3 дня назад

      Don't. It's just cheap tropes we've seen all too often. If you want fantasy to be good (not just "to work"), be imaginative. Most of the examples from the video are rather generic entertainment of now real value - and one certainly should not be aiming for that.

  • @AnotherDuck
    @AnotherDuck 4 дня назад +17

    "Adventure" is such a basic trope, but one not to be underestimated. There's nothing that highlights a fantasy world as feeling like you're on an adventure.

  • @Ironica82
    @Ironica82 4 дня назад +12

    One of my favorite fantasy tropes is a well thought out magic system and having the world actually built with it in mind. For example, if everyone can do magic, then everyone should be able to do some basic ones while still having people focus more on specific types of magic. Thus, things like items that create fire, ice cubes, etc. should not exist as everyone would know how to make a basic flame (maybe just a palm of fire) or be able to use a basic cold spell to keep their drink cold. Also, most people would probably be taught basic healing spells so non magical illnesses should not exist. Basically, imagine everyday life and ask how each thing would be different if said magic system actually existed.

  • @Dolugar1
    @Dolugar1 3 дня назад +2

    Blitzbaaaaaall!!!
    I also love Gwent in the Witcher 3. Not exactly a sport, but it does tie in nicely into the plot, with a couple championships/tourneys as sidequests and such.

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  3 дня назад +2

      Oh man, I forgot about Gwent. Actually considered mentioning Triple Triad from FF8 but it doesn't have much plot impact

  • @errantwinds-up8uu
    @errantwinds-up8uu 4 дня назад +10

    This video was so nostalgic. I remember the first time I played Ocarina of TIme, too, and why LotR is my favourite. I appreciate hearing the "what to do" as well as the "what not to do" in stories!

  • @michaelmeyers4843
    @michaelmeyers4843 4 дня назад +3

    This channel is special! I'm a fanfiction writer and critic, and no other channel breaks down and explains the fundamentals of storytelling, parts of a story, and how to write like this one does. I'm taking lots of notes. My whole life I have relied on instinct and intuition to analyze and critique stories, but your videos are teaching me how to systematize and formalize story criticism using a template or formula. Giving me substantive criteria to judge and evaluate a story by has been so exciting! It's like a structured class on storytelling and media criticism!

  • @briantrafford4871
    @briantrafford4871 4 дня назад +10

    Great tropes. I would add the "awkward romance/true love" trope. Princess Bride is the gold standard here, but also the first Terminator and Han and Leia in Star Wars are great examples too.

    • @LordBaktor
      @LordBaktor 3 дня назад

      Stardust is also a good one in that category.

    • @Neamio
      @Neamio 21 час назад

      Imo it isnt always great

  • @HumanAki
    @HumanAki 4 дня назад +11

    The World Beneath The World, where the magical world is hidden in plain sight, when done well, is dope! Trollhunters and D20's The Unsleeping City are great examples of this Tropes being pulled off incredibly well for me!

    • @errantwinds-up8uu
      @errantwinds-up8uu 4 дня назад +3

      Oh I love Trollhunters

    • @AnujChatterjee-q5b
      @AnujChatterjee-q5b 4 дня назад +2

      @@errantwinds-up8uu Same. Glad to see it being mentioned in the comments. Tales of Arcadia is a great franchise !! I won't say its perfect or flawless but it is pretty great and enjoyable. I love Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards !! 3Below is severely underrated. Wizards is probably my least favorite but still a great addition. Ignoring the ending of Rise of the Titans, that too is a really good movie. Its a shame how such a great franchise had a poor conclusion.

  • @ShinGallon
    @ShinGallon 4 дня назад +8

    Found family/Band of Heroes is definitely my favorite, in fantasy as well as pretty much any genre.
    I only have 2 lead characters in my graphic novel but they definitely hit the "unlikely people forced to work together" trope. Ravani the kobold (who has dificulty trusting non-kobolds due to how they're treated by most other races) is actively afraid of Nails, who is a 7' catfolk barbarian who, the first time they meet, tears a man's face open with her claws because he attacked Ravani. He spends most of the book being afraid of her temper, but over the story he learns to trust her a bit more and more as she repeatedly stands up for him and puts herself at risk to help him. They end up saving each other several times and by the end are best friends. Sorry to babble, I just REALLY love my characters.

    • @tearstoneactual9773
      @tearstoneactual9773 4 дня назад +1

      That sounds like a great dynamic duo, and I can feel that love coming through your words. No need to apologize. I know how you feel.

  • @Alice_Liddell_1865
    @Alice_Liddell_1865 2 дня назад +1

    I love the pushed into conversion trope, where a villain turns ally or an ally turns villain due to being pushed to hard or learning something.

  • @Crystar500
    @Crystar500 4 дня назад +6

    Final Fantasy XVI does the first one really well, I feel. Magic is really shunned and can kill a person from overuse. Dominants also show withdrawal symptoms whenever they use their full abilities. They play with the trope in a way that sets a darker tone than usual, which I quite loved.

  • @mystbunnygaming1449
    @mystbunnygaming1449 4 дня назад +4

    Final Fantasy 10's plot is WAY underrated, even if Sin is basically Lavos 2.0, but I love that Sin is a constant, looming threat over the world at all times, and you see the disasters he brings about first-hand, and the impact it has on the people. Also I always get excited for the opening tournament in Luca.

  • @Lord-qq3ti
    @Lord-qq3ti 4 дня назад +9

    I personally love fantasy stories that successfully subvert fantasy tropes,that's why shows like attack on titan (especially in season 3 and 4) and game of thrones (before it got bad) are considered masterpieces.But i feel like sometimes most authors try to subvert your expectations when in fact,you can create an amazing story,even if you embrace the typical fantasy tropes.That doesn't matter,what does matter is the execution and how well those tropes are included in the story.Great video,and all the tropes you mentioned are my favorites as well.

  • @craigbob7734
    @craigbob7734 4 дня назад +9

    I like the fantasy trope/subversion where the protagonist rejects the fantasy solution and does something mundane to resolve the conflict. Major Spoilers ahead.....
    In Perelandra, the protagonist is battling against a human possessed by Satan ( willingly/ justily possessed ) using Words and Spirit. When he realizes he's not up to the task of winning on those fronts, he opts to beat the crap out of the possessed human.
    In Wizards, The magical twins face off for what is expected to be an epic wizard's duel. The 'good twin', draw a .45 caliber revolver and shoots the 'evil twin' between the eyes.

    • @matyaskassay4346
      @matyaskassay4346 3 дня назад

      The anime series Mashle is basically a HP parody based on this idea.

  • @Maffingo
    @Maffingo 4 дня назад +22

    Not sure if this counts, because it's very specific, but I love the 'subtle but sinister' trope. The best example of this is the One Ring in LOTR. It's such a small and seemingly forgettable piece of jewelry, and yet it holds the power to bring Middle Earth to its knees.

  • @beccaknight5763
    @beccaknight5763 4 дня назад +3

    I highly recommend Arcane and Full metal alchemist brotherhood.
    I’m not sure if this is a typical trope or what you call it but the mastermind in the background or when there is a larger outside force/ threat that people either ignore or don’t understand but it impacts the story. Sometimes it can be a looming evil etc. These stories have that and also Game of Thrones.

  • @benjaminhelton4597
    @benjaminhelton4597 3 дня назад +1

    I'm strangely fascinated by Fantasy Politics. The best example I can think of is the interplanetary politics between Earth, Mars, and The Belters in The Expanse. Same with how Star Wars serials like Andor and Clone Wars dive into the politics associated with the worlds. Mon Mothma working under the radar as a Senator in Andor or anything surrounding the diplomacy of Duchess Satine in Clone Wars was wonderfully engaging.

  • @Blingbling496
    @Blingbling496 3 дня назад

    What I love, this goes in the sports part, is when there is a tournament arc.

  • @Jason9612
    @Jason9612 3 дня назад +1

    Love that you referenced blitzball and FF10! Great game! Thanks as always for the videos.

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  3 дня назад +1

      Thanks for watching! And FFX will always be a classic in my eyes

  • @LordBaktor
    @LordBaktor 3 дня назад +1

    The fantasy trope that I love the most when done well is David v Goliath type fights where the protagonist or a group of people have to fight some big overpowered monster.

  • @enchainedprometheus
    @enchainedprometheus 3 дня назад +1

    Wow, it was nice from you to brought in Attack on Titan to your references. As a writer what is your opinion, of this serie? Imo the plot is incredible and so unique, I've never seen such deep and well built up story. The best thing in it that the story constantly can keep up the attention, the reader/viewer cannot be lazy for a moment, because a lot of tiny details lost... and the tension. The tension is brutal. The worldbuilding process is really cool, the characters are just as naive and inocent at the beginning as the reader. Parallel with the characters we also learn something new from the world.

  • @gloriathomas3245
    @gloriathomas3245 4 дня назад +6

    #1 and #2 perfectly describes the shows Grimm and Buffy The Vampire Slayer however #1 was a huge part of Buffy's season 6 where it became a metaphor for addiction, in this case Willow's addiction to magic not only caused Willow and her girlfriend to break up, but after her girlfriend is murdered she in turn goes down the rabbit hole and ends up using magic to murder the perpetrator and also bring an end to the world.
    As for tropes in particular I don't really like them whether its good or bad. If anything love storytellers who take the risk and break them because it forces them to innovate more and this is particularly why I love writers like Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt who collaborated with him...both do a fantastic job in not only breaking from tropes but also making it work.

    • @mattt2277
      @mattt2277 3 дня назад

      Pity they undid the murder later on. He's alive and well in the comics that continue the show, which was a real bummer

  • @warlawds7007
    @warlawds7007 3 дня назад +1

    Not sure if you're familiar with the Mass Effect video game series, but it really incorporates a lot of these tropes. As most video games do, it leans heavily into the Adventure aspect as you explore all kinds of new worlds, but it really shines in the Band of Heroes and Heroic Sacrifice departments.

  • @AnujChatterjee-q5b
    @AnujChatterjee-q5b 4 дня назад +6

    I recommend watching the animated Netflix franchise, Tales of Arcadia !! Its a great fantasy show. I won't say its perfect because the first few episodes of Trollhunters are a bit boring and laden with cringe humor but overall a great show. 3Below and Wizards are also great. All 3 shows have complex storytelling and high quality animation !!
    Apart from the ones you mentioned, I think another good fantasy trope would be when a boon or a curse has a loophole that the characters can use to their advantage. For example in Shrek Forever After, Rumpelstiltskin tricks Shrek into signing a contract that creates an alternate timeline in which Shrek never existed and Rumpel was the king of Far Far Away. However, later Donkey helps Shrek find out about a hidden exist clause - True Love's Kiss can declare the contract null and void and restore the timeline.

  • @shlafrock2175
    @shlafrock2175 3 дня назад

    I like that you're branching and talking about anime and games too as examples :) So much hidden potential there

  • @YagoFierceDeity
    @YagoFierceDeity 4 дня назад +14

    One thing I really like is soldiers with special abilities. It's very common in certain stories for only the protagonists and antagonists to have superhuman abilities. But when ordinary soldiers have them, it makes the protagonists and villains just better, and not the "special" ones.
    An example I really like is when in the manga Naruto, the villain Uchiha Madara uses an ability and spits a wave of fire, but the soldiers manage to unite and stop his ability with a joint jet of water.

    • @Ironica82
      @Ironica82 4 дня назад +5

      Have you watched Full Metal? I really enjoyed the fact that multiple people actually took down the sins instead of always having the main person do it.

  • @mattt2277
    @mattt2277 3 дня назад

    It's not limited to fantasy, but I love the trope of the awesome side character, with wedge from star wars being the first to come to mind. He's always there at the big moments, always does something badass, and most importantly, survives. It shows the world isn't just the hero, just that the story is following only one of them

  • @douglasphillips5870
    @douglasphillips5870 3 дня назад +1

    I know it's not popular right now, but I love a villain who makes sense, and isn't just evil for the sake of evil

  • @jvstice56
    @jvstice56 3 дня назад

    The Band of Heroes is a personal favorite of mine as well. It's very good when there's some adversarial banter in the group that may lead to blows, but rarely does. IF they are to come to blows, the level-headed allies may intervene.

  • @skyscapegamingllc8154
    @skyscapegamingllc8154 3 дня назад +1

    Do a video about Foreshadowing, using Attack on Titan as the example. Hahaha

  • @zebug4762
    @zebug4762 8 часов назад

    I loved the Heroic Sacrifice moment in Wreck-it Ralph. You could kinda see it being built up from a mile away, but I felt they pulled it off really well, and when he was reciting the Bad-anon mantra at the same time? Oof, it actually got me emotional. I loved it.

  • @iamvoicelessmusic
    @iamvoicelessmusic 4 дня назад +1

    Excellent video as always! I was wondering if you happen to have any videos on writing prophecy in fantasy. Part of my story is about how ancient texts and religion change over the course of time, so deciding whether to make the prophecy symbolic or literal can be tricky.
    I’m so excited that Attack on Titan finally got a feature! It’s currently my favorite anime of all time, and I am strongly, considering picking up Berserk as well.

  • @MadHax-wt5tl
    @MadHax-wt5tl 3 дня назад

    A story beat, that doesn't happen often, but one I like when done right. And I especially remember it in the PS2 game Primal.
    I was progressing through a medieval dungeon, then in the middle of battling a large group of guards, i suddenly noticed there was another character fighting the guards as well.
    He introduced himself when the fight was over, and imparted important story information.
    Introducing an unexpected ally in the middle of the action like that can really be fun.

  • @raymk
    @raymk 4 дня назад +5

    Brandon is secretly revealing his inner weeabooness
    The next video should be "Bad Anime vs Good Anime"
    so much to learn from the Japanese media

  • @gothicwriter9897
    @gothicwriter9897 3 дня назад

    A journey during which the character grows - always my favourite.

  • @Christophermblake77
    @Christophermblake77 3 дня назад +2

    Your videos are always top notch love watching them

  • @Audiblenod
    @Audiblenod 4 дня назад +3

    Favorite Fantasy Trope: the McGuffin side quest
    When it's done well a little side quest to does the same job as the 'prison break' scene in character development. The bobble or widget isn't always important. It's the character development or exposition or foreshadowing some skill or tool that's going to be useful later. The McGuffin side quest does all this.

    • @valutaatoaofunknownelement197
      @valutaatoaofunknownelement197 4 дня назад

      Do you think it's possible to make use of a MacGuffin to lead into a story's secondary main conflict?
      I ask because I plan a sequel to a story that both centers around the relationship between two previous protagonists, but under the guise of them and a group of friends/relatives going after a legendary MacGuffin. But said MacGuffin quest is also a bait set by a witch who took out that setting's equivalent of God to use as a form of divine amusement.

  • @juliegolick
    @juliegolick 3 дня назад

    My favourite is when there's coherent and well-fleshed-out worldbuilding, and those worlds are then explored. Brandon Sanderson is my current favourite for this.

  • @ticijevish
    @ticijevish 4 дня назад +3

    These are my favorite fantasy tropes.
    We are now blood brothers.
    The world shall tremble before us.

  • @Ghost_Text
    @Ghost_Text 4 дня назад +2

    An interesting note brought up from the channel "The Closer Look" is the advantage of limited, single source magic systems that rely on improvisation vs bloated amount of different elemental magic systems such as Skyrim.
    The latter can have problems creating interesting limitations and catches for storytelling, when the bloat creates too many advantages and internal consistency problems.

    • @Ironica82
      @Ironica82 4 дня назад +2

      I think bloated could work if:
      1) You create a world that shows how different civilizations and inventions would be with these powers (i.e. firefighters would mostly have either fire control powers or ice powers).
      2) Just like how we all learned basic skills in school yet only really advance in one area, everyone can know basic spells but only the advance spells in one school of magic (e.g. everyone learns cold touch but only those who focus on it can be like Frozone).

    • @Ghost_Text
      @Ghost_Text 4 дня назад +1

      @Ironica82 If theres one or a few origin point they can all trace to, then sure. Understanding the rules is one step, illustrating the full iceberg beyond its tip allows the reader to start filling in the blanks.
      Kinda like the role the chasm played in Brandon Sanderson's debut Elantris.

  • @janeyrevanescence12
    @janeyrevanescence12 10 часов назад

    As a longtime animal lover…I adore it when fantasy animals are given their own unique personalities and temperaments.

  • @dezsomodos1314
    @dezsomodos1314 3 дня назад

    The fellowship or band of heroes is the best fantasy trope. Good characters bickering and having quite moments at the campfire and then doing badass things together is the core of fantasy.

  • @Grifffffith
    @Grifffffith 4 дня назад +1

    You might like the anime Darker Than Black. Its super powers but with a price every time they use their powers.

  • @seraphina3093
    @seraphina3093 4 дня назад

    I only been following for a short time but I wondered when you’d bring up the GOAT

  • @RickClark58
    @RickClark58 4 дня назад +1

    One of my favorites in fantasy is when a character type is used against type. A detective who is a werewolf, a villain who is a faery, and so forth. Right now I am trying my hand at a noir darkish fantasy story in a Victorian alternate reality where a vampire is a detective from the Dark Side of The City and must work with a Centaur detective from the Light Side of the City in order to solve a series of murders. The vampire is a Sherlock Holmes type while the centaur is hard-boiled type. Needless to say they don't get along. You have all these different fantasy characters, humans and even mechanicals, living in this City of Light and Dark rubbing elbows and creating friction in hopefully unexpected ways.

  • @teddyhaines6613
    @teddyhaines6613 4 дня назад +1

    One fantasy trope I like is differing interpretations of the setting's religion, myths and legends. In my opinion, that's the key to such worldbuilding adding depth to the characters instead of just being wikipedia summaries readers will want to skip over.

  • @JPK-o5j
    @JPK-o5j 4 дня назад +1

    you should do a top 5 worst and best SCI-FI tropes

  • @lilyjaye4489
    @lilyjaye4489 4 дня назад +1

    Brandon, you NEED to play Baldur's Gate 3. It is an amazing story with all but one of these tropes (the sports one.) My favorite part about it is the different endings you can get based on your choices, I have 586 hours in the game and I am still finding unique encounters and cut scenes.

  • @leonmayne797
    @leonmayne797 4 дня назад +1

    My favourite genre. Band of heroes is probably my favourite fantasy trope but my favourite not on the list is probably tournament arc.

  • @Snarg83
    @Snarg83 3 дня назад

    Reagarding #4, in starship troopers they play some indoors version of football and then later in the movie they replicate the moves used in the match to shoot bugs. Always tought that was a nice touch.

  • @flipout_121
    @flipout_121 4 дня назад +2

    Wow, I think I did all of these on accident 😂 Guess we have similar tastes

  • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
    @WriterBrandonMcNulty  4 дня назад +3

    Favorite fantasy trope? Let us know!

    • @greatwavefan397
      @greatwavefan397 4 дня назад

      Thoughts on fantasy vehicles like airships and spaceships?

  • @Azureneedle
    @Azureneedle 4 дня назад +1

    "Even now as a washed up old man."
    I laughed but come on man you're awesome.

  • @FreshFrodosFrugo
    @FreshFrodosFrugo 3 дня назад

    such a good video! All these 5 tropes are indeed bangers, made me want to rewatch game of thrones (although it broke my heart, I'm ready to let it break it again!)

  • @greenaxilot
    @greenaxilot 4 дня назад +1

    I would suggest good vs bad themes with Midsommar being an example of bad themes.

  • @-madlock
    @-madlock 4 дня назад +2

    Never thought id see you mention anime lol. We need Naruto next!

    • @-madlock
      @-madlock 4 дня назад +2

      Have you done a video on chosen ones?

    • @jesusromanpadro3853
      @jesusromanpadro3853 4 дня назад +2

      He uses Junji Ito's Uzamaki manga to help him position his camera.
      (I'm not kidding. Top left).

  • @johnchastain7890
    @johnchastain7890 4 дня назад

    One trope I enjoy when stirred into the band of heroes trope is: Bumbling. I love erstwhile heroes bumbling and stumbling their way through their challenges. Hey, it worked for Star Wars.

  • @stevendog40
    @stevendog40 9 часов назад

    Great point how peter taking his mask off in SM2 was an example of sacrifice. The writers chose to do that instead of just making the train scene a near death experience, which obviously wouldnt have happened to the main character.

  • @lyooyiylklykyokyklky
    @lyooyiylklykyokyklky 3 дня назад

    What I would chuck in with the band of heroes trope - characterisation here is so important. If the characters are shallow tropes, it will not be fun for so much focus to be on something that falls so flat.

  • @j-rey-
    @j-rey- 4 дня назад +3

    Final Fantasy X is my favorite game, and one of my favorite stories, ever ❤. When you showed the beginning FMV, my heart started to flutter. Sin destroying Zanarkand gives me chills each time. So sad 😢
    I also love Tidus's background. Mercenary? No. Soldier? Nope. Superstar athlete who now has a sword and has to slay monsters? Hell yeah, sign me up. Imagine Lebron James with a machine gun and cigar in his mouth shooting grizzly bears in a game.

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  4 дня назад +2

      Amazing game. First one I bought for PS2. The nostalgia is strong with this one

    • @Ironica82
      @Ironica82 4 дня назад +1

      Too bad his new friend was the one who fought with a ball instead of him (been too long to remember names).

  • @arashimifune2853
    @arashimifune2853 4 дня назад +1

    The band of heroes trope... Yes! I love absolutely love it! Heroes who distrust one another, but who become a group of bffs or ever a found family as the story progress

  • @racheltheradiant4675
    @racheltheradiant4675 4 дня назад

    One if my favorite tropes, which isn't exclusive to fantasy but does appear in it quite often, is the loner who decides he likes being apart of the group. Han Solo, Wolverine, Daryl Dixon, Madmartigan....

  • @gamewriteeye769
    @gamewriteeye769 4 дня назад

    GREAT list!
    That 'fantasy sport' fantasy trope is a major one in classic shonens that like to use the “tournament arcs” as a way to flesh out the story, world, and its characters. Naruto's Chunin exams, Dragon Ball having several tournament arcs, especially Tournament of power, and the Dark Tournament from Yu Yu Hakusho are some great examples from some of the most popular animes. 3 other fantasy tropes I really dig are: the classic older mentor character, the 'newbie learning how to use magic' training, and the big bad living in a (usually) dark and hellish landscape as their lair.

  • @nickfarace6631
    @nickfarace6631 4 дня назад +6

    Final Fantasy X has the greatest story writing and character arcs of any video game. So glad you’re giving it its well deserved props

  • @NickNab
    @NickNab 4 дня назад +2

    Hey Brandon, what do you think about characters who don't speak the primary language of the rest of the cast, and have to learn throughout the story?

  • @cjkalandek996
    @cjkalandek996 4 дня назад +1

    This isn't necessarily a fantasy thing, but your #1 could be applied to _My Hero Academia._
    I love how Deku can't fully utilize the power of One For All without sufferimg the blowback that fucks up whatever appendages he uses. So, it forces him to think conservatively when using it until he's strong enough to withstand its full power.

  • @ilyas_elouchihi
    @ilyas_elouchihi 4 дня назад +10

    Another day of begging for Psychological Horror tips 🙏🏻😭 I can't find them anywhere, thank you in advance Brandon

  • @jaime8318
    @jaime8318 4 дня назад

    I like #2. Probably because I have strong elements of what you describe - mismatched companion. I'm not a writer....yet. But I have an acting and directing background, so my instincts for writing seem to be in the right place. Nice, helpful video.

  • @Lithilic
    @Lithilic День назад

    These were covered really well. I would say though the band of heros one is the easiest to flub. If the conflicts between characters are too petty, or too over the top then you aren't going to end up liking any of them.

  • @houstonconley9564
    @houstonconley9564 4 дня назад +2

    4:22 god damn dude that came out of no where and made me laugh so hard haha 🤣🤣

  • @lpfan4491
    @lpfan4491 4 дня назад +1

    Heroic sacrifices are a big one for me too, especially when it throws someone out of the narrative. It is just an objectively epic way to get a character out of the story, assuming it actually is a heroic sacrifice and not a "it would have actually been easier for the narrative not to do this, but I just wanted the character gone"-sacrifice. Even characters that are essencially only written in to be sacrificed are still better than the alternative of being fridged because it still tells us about who they were and why the other character is motivated by their death.
    Another trope that I personally like is that is not here is that of the "Rise of the true king", which is basically a sibling trope of "the return of the rightful king" because they often(but not always. The most worthy of leading the world into the future does not always have to be actual royalty. In which it can have similar beats to the subversion of the "chosen one"-trope where the actual chosen one's job is done by just some guy who happened to get involved) overlap.

  • @valutaatoaofunknownelement197
    @valutaatoaofunknownelement197 4 дня назад +1

    Somehow my fanfiction has/will contain 4/5 of the tropes mentioned. Albeit, only two (adventure and band of heros) will be used currently. The latter two are for standalone sequel I plan, where:
    Magic is an ability that can be inherited from your parents like a physical trait, but comes in varying types (as in only water, only fire, water and fire, etc), and varies in terms of natural talent. The talent comes into play where a magic user should not exceed their natural ability without the use of support items, because like over-exercise, it can damage the user through prolonged strain or mana drained.
    The heroic sacrifice I plan for one of the heroes of the current story, long after the events of the first (partially stated through marriage with one of other characters at least 15 years after), but in part due to me feeling I have not much I can do with him after a certain point in terms of development. I plan him to do so through taking out a surviving minor antagonist of the current story, when said antagonist attempts to perform a suicidal attack that would result in a catastrophic explosion.
    But of those tropes listed, band of heroes may be my favorite due to the variety and flexibility you can have with it.

  • @reubenmanzo2054
    @reubenmanzo2054 3 дня назад

    Starcraft is a good example of adventure. It goes one step further because while the next campaign begins where the previous one finished, continuing the story, you're playing as a different race, so you're experiencing the story from a new angle.

  • @aelowan
    @aelowan День назад

    We write some pretty dark Urban Fantasy, but at the core is always the twin themes of Hope and Redemption. We're also huge suckers for the Found Family.

  • @DIDYOUSEETHAT172
    @DIDYOUSEETHAT172 4 дня назад +1

    The sacrifice of the reveal.

  • @frendleyschiller
    @frendleyschiller 3 дня назад

    man... nothing beats the ys games when it comes to adventure. i still remember playing ys 8 for the first time and seeing the island for the first time. It reminds you why you ever fell in love with games to begin with. It reminds you that there is still a world out there that you can explore and change.
    And the by far best fantasy trope or trope in general is the Team-up. doesnt matter if it's enemy Team-up, rival Team-up, best friends Team-up, old friends Team-up, brains-brawn Team-up, stranger Team-up.
    The combinations are endless and all of them are with great with lots of hype and characterization.

  • @grizzly_manbanimation8436
    @grizzly_manbanimation8436 4 дня назад +1

    One fantasy trope I really like is something that I call “Ecosystem” which is exactly as it sounds, creating a whole ecosystem full different species both plant and animal. Not only that but also being just as brutal if not more brutal than real life Mother Nature is. By that I mean making sinister predators that have really horrific ways of catching and consuming prey or really defensive herbivores that don’t hesitate to attack if they feel threatened. The Star Wars and lord of the rings stories are some good examples but one of my favorite examples is a game Called Subnautica. You play as a man trying to survive in a foreign and hostile world full extravagant creatures. The designs of them are incredibly unique, everything from the looks to the sounds to their nature. It’s one of my favorite Video games of all time.

    • @dynamite8959
      @dynamite8959 3 дня назад

      You should watch Scavenger Reign

    • @dynamite8959
      @dynamite8959 3 дня назад

      You should watch Scavenger Reign

  • @potatokat7
    @potatokat7 3 дня назад

    There's a special place in my heart for Ocarina of Time.

  • @vitorapossebom
    @vitorapossebom День назад

    Another good example of the “Burden of Magic” trope is full metal alchemist!

  • @JoaoGabrielJF724
    @JoaoGabrielJF724 4 дня назад +2

    Interesting points, but tbh, I don't care about sports irl, so I don't care about them in Fantasy Universes, either

  • @johnhuffman9533
    @johnhuffman9533 3 дня назад

    Welp, I'm encouraged. My novel series has all 5!

  • @christophhenninger6440
    @christophhenninger6440 4 дня назад +1

    I for myself like the hero group. But I tend to differ on the sports-thing. Not because I think it is a bad trope to add, I like many fantasy sport things, but I think it was acted out poorly in Harry Potter.

  • @burritoboy2751
    @burritoboy2751 4 дня назад +1

    My favorite fantasy sport is Blood Bowl.

  • @valentinegonsalves7322
    @valentinegonsalves7322 3 дня назад

    My favourite trope in general, fantasy or not, is when a character takes another character's advice even though they're on opposite ends of a conflict / don't get along.
    Like Ford v Ferrari. Ken Miles is a real person, and this being a movie we'll never know if that's how that race really went. But for what the movie is, Ken Miles is established as a smart guy who's got an abrasive nature and doesn't get along with most people.
    But at the end of the movie, he decides to "be a team player" and do what the company wants. Though it costs him the Lé Mans race on a technicality, Ken has grown as a person who looks in his rear-view mirror and realises he's achieved his dream and he realises there are friends and his team that helped him get there. He decides his friendship and the relationship with his teammates is more valuable than the victory he got robbed of. And true enough, though the movie ends, the credits state that Ken went on to win Le Mans in the future, made a name for himself in the world of car racing and gave Ford the grip it needed to sell cars in Europe, especially Britain.

  • @milestrombley1466
    @milestrombley1466 4 дня назад

    I love epic battles in fantasy. Also, Blood Bowl is a fun fantasy sport, even if it is just football with monsters and gore.

  • @erakfishfishfish
    @erakfishfishfish 4 дня назад +1

    I like really well-defined magic rules. Harry Potter is fun, but Rowling could just create a new spell to serve any narrative purpose. Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn, countless other books and series), on the other hand, is a master of creating magic systems with clear rules that can’t be broken. The novel Babel by RF Kuang has an amazing magic system based entirely on how words can’t be translated perfectly from one language to another.

  • @KatherinaBathory
    @KatherinaBathory 3 дня назад

    Hahaha when you began talking about fantasy sports the first thing I thought of was FFX's blitzball 😂❤

  • @Disgruntled_Grunt
    @Disgruntled_Grunt 4 дня назад

    If you're taking recommendations and/or requests, I'd love to see more videos on dialogue. Nothing specific, just anything dialogue-related, as that is by far my weakest area in writing. But either way, keep doin' what you do in whatever way feels right!

  • @TheMightyPika
    @TheMightyPika 3 дня назад

    Get ready? I was BORN READY

  • @browneyeofsauron1244
    @browneyeofsauron1244 4 дня назад

    My favorite trope is hopeless odds with absolute defiance. I love overbearing, powerful villains and heroes who reject their shoddy chances at success and try anyway.

  • @4xzx4
    @4xzx4 3 дня назад +1

    My favourite fantasy trope is when the villain/antagonist (temporarily) allies up with hero/protagonist to either work towards a mutual goal or to eliminate a bigger threat. (That they realize that they have to work together, otherwise there are no winners)
    Imagine a new Zelda game that will open with the classic "good vs evil" trope where Ganondorf kidnaps Zelda, and Link has to rescue her and kill Ganondorf. Only for the story to take the turn to a greater "evil"/force threatening Hyrule and Link and Ganondorf have to work together to expell the threat. (Zelda could either join them as well or be captured/kidnapped by this "more evil than Ganondorf" entity - Link would want to rescue her/return Hyrule to peace and Ganondorf would want the Triforce, therefore they would want a truce and work together to save the day)

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  3 дня назад +1

      I would love that. Or a Ganon-led game in general.

    • @4xzx4
      @4xzx4 3 дня назад

      @@WriterBrandonMcNulty Yeah that would be epic haha

  • @Nate-139
    @Nate-139 4 дня назад +7

    I don't think he's ready for aot S3 and 4

    • @gablefisk-govphost817
      @gablefisk-govphost817 4 дня назад +2

      The Marley Arc is going to give Brandon soooo much good material....

    • @Nate-139
      @Nate-139 4 дня назад +2

      @gablefisk-govphost817 AOT itself probably deserves its own video

    • @WriterBrandonMcNulty
      @WriterBrandonMcNulty  4 дня назад +2

      Just started S3 this week!

  • @radamanthium
    @radamanthium 3 дня назад

    I love the trope "the villain is not the real villain, an ally is" Is even better when they kill the villain, and is revelad it was trying to help. A tragedy.