The fantasy genre has been ruling the screen over the last couple of decades, with spin-off series like The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon proving that audiences will continue coming back for more. Even the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe falls within the genre, with several of these lining up with the tropes often seen in The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. In the end, it’s clear that audiences crave the opportunity to experience the unbelievable when they settle in to watch a movie or television series.
Fantasy has become more than just a genre. For some, it is a way of life. Members of this fandom will live and breath the mythical lands, strange technologies, humanoid races, powerful villains, and epic battles that have become characteristic of any good fantasy. These tropes are both beloved and comical to those who appreciate them and can be perfectly summarized by some hilarious and highly relatable memes.
10 It’s Hard Being A Chosen One
Jon Snow isn’t the only exhausted character in fantasy. In fact, any variation of the “chosen one” trope in fantasy movies or shows is guaranteed to make someone fatigued. Everyone is looking to these characters, and more often than not, everything goes wrong around them.
This was the case for other chronically tired individuals of fiction, such as Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Steve Rogers, who were destined to save the day, but without ever getting a break.
9 It’s Not Fantasy Without An Underdog
One of the most exciting aspects of fantasy is watching a character who should not stand a chance against a powerful villain come out the other end on top. Be it a 16-year-old, inexperienced boy against an adult mastermind or one man with a lucky shot on a bow against a dragon with only a minuscule weak spot, the underdog always comes out on top.
As much as fantasy fans are a sucker for an underdog character, they still know that the plot surrounding them is often outlandish. Making jokes about how unlikely it was for that unqualified character to win makes the story even more fun.
8 The MCU Is Definitely Fantasy
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While the first few films within the MCU could only border on fantasy, that has certainly changed over the years. Iron Man could somewhat be fathomed as more realistic fiction, with only a few advancements in technology needed for a man to feasibly create a powerful suit to escape a group of terrorists.
However, recent installments like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have proven that the MCU takes place in an entirely different reality (or several). And, as is characteristic of the fantasy genre, the movies become more and more confusing as they dive deeper into magical themes.
7 What Defines A Die-Hard Fan?
Fantasy buffs are among the most passionate fans, which means that debates and arguments are all but guaranteed on their forums. Just because two people like the same movie or series doesn’t mean that they are going to agree.
For example, a common argument among Lord of the Rings fans is whether someone can truly be considered die-hard if they have only watched the movies. Even among book fans, superiority is often given to those who have read all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, including the textbook-like Silmarillion. It’s a competitive world being a fantasy fan.
6 The Old Reliable Race Archetypes
In fantasy worlds containing various humanoid races, like The Lord of the Rings‘ Middle-earth, there seems to be a common way these races are presented. For example, the warriors within the race of men are typically attractive, broad in stature, armored, with shoulder-length hair and a short beard.
The race of Men isn’t the only one to fall into an archetype, however. Elves have also become easily recognized since they often have elegant weapons, pointed ears, and long straight hair. In fact, when elves are portrayed any other way, it can even take audiences aback, like with the Twitter reactions to the early Rings of Power images depicting short-haired elves.
5 The Fellowship Of The Fantasy Writers
Fantasy movies and shows often start as novels, like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Chronicles of Narnia. The authors of these series paved the way for fantasy and opened the doors for screenwriters to take over their world and turn it into an almost tangible reality.
For this reason, these authors are often revered like gods in the world of fantasy. Audiences may argue about these writers’ plot decisions, but they are still frequently shown respect and love.
4 Not All Elves Are Equal
As much as movies and series within the fantasy genre are similar, there are also several differences. For example, Game of Thrones and How to Train Your Dragon are clearly very different from each other, despite both being fantasies about dragons.
Another example of this is the appearance of certain fantasy races like elves. While they are regal and aesthetically attractive in Lord of the Rings, they would not be considered the same in Harry Potter. Ultimately, a series having the same races and creatures does not guarantee that they will look anything like one another.
3 What’s Fantasy Without Some Giant Spiders?
With the boundaries of reality peeled away, fantasy movies or shows can introduce a wide variety of terrifying beasts to keep audiences at the end of their seats. For some shows, like The Witcher, the creatures make up a significant part of the appeal, and audiences are eager to see what mythical beast will be brutally exterminated next.
However, despite this variety, there seem to be a lot of fantasy movies that make use of giant spiders. While this might be a seemingly simple idea, it is highly effective to the numerous audiences whose skin begins to crawl just at the sight of an arachnid.
2 The Battle Of The Fantasy Series
Especially when it comes to similar series within the fantasy genre, fans can be pretty competitive about which is better. Polls comparing the number of die-hard fans each franchise has been typical on platforms like Reddit, and users are likely to get brutal in the comments defending their fandom.
This is seen in movies like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, which feature similar plot points and characters. It is also frequently observed on platforms discussing DC and Marvel properties, since both feature superheroes and similar themes.
1 Don’t Get Too Attached
Whether reading a fantasy book, watching a movie, or enjoying a television series, fans of fantasy have learned to be careful about getting too attached to characters. A staple of the genre is a great sacrifice, and it has come to claim some of the most beloved characters in fiction.
Every Harry Potter movie after Prisoner of Azkaban saw the death of a character. The Lord of the Rings tragically killed off Boromir and Gandalf (though he came back). And Game of Thrones was notorious for killing off more characters than it kept around. In the end, no one in fantasy is ever safe.
