Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: The Chosen One

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

The Chosen One

DESCRIPTION: This character is predetermined by fate, prophecy, or a higher power to save the world or do something equally heroic that no one else can do. They frequently possess special abilities—magical, supernatural, or symbolic—that set them apart from others.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Harry Potter (the Harry Potter series), Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Rand al’Thor (the Wheel of Time series), Paul Atreides (Dune), Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adventurous, Ambitious, Bold, Courageous, Enthusiastic, Focused, Honorable, Hospitable, Independent, Industrious, Observant, Persistent, Private, Resourceful, Responsible, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Apathetic, Cocky, Cowardly, Indecisive, Inhibited, Insecure, Uncooperative

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Having special birth circumstances or lineage
Being driven by purpose
Being highly responsible
Eagerly accepting new challenges
Being respected or well-liked by supporters and allies
Feeling like they were made for more
Having a powerful sense of duty
Being generally optimistic
Struggling with personal flaws or demons
Resenting the burden they’ve been given
Showing an initial reluctance to take on the task

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
The death of a mentor
Encountering an obstacle outside the scope of the prophecy they’ve relied on
Doubting the loyalty of an ally (because of miscommunication, uncertain motivations, etc.)

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Thinks he was chosen to be a villain but ends up acting heroically instead
Initially fails to overcome evil and must develop as a person before succeeding
Is part of a team of uniquely gifted chosen ones who must work together to achieve victory

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
An obscure farm boy who finds out he possesses magical powers and masters his abilities very quickly
An unskilled technician who receives overwhelming support as the chosen one with little resistance from others

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Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

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