The Chosen One Trope: Destiny or Burden?

From King Arthur pulling Excalibur from the stone to Harry Potter facing Voldemort, the Chosen One trope is one of the most enduring in fantasy fiction. It's the idea that a single character is destined, often by prophecy, to fulfill an extraordinary role, usually involving the salvation or destruction of a world.

But in 2025, readers and writers are re-examining what it really means to be chosen. Is it a gift of fate, or an unbearable weight that crushes the person under it?

At its core, the trope revolves around three key elements: of their world.

This chosen one trope structure has deep mythological and storytelling roots – think of Hercules' divine parentage, Joan of Arc's visions, or even Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Why does this trope endure across centuries and cultures?

Modern authors are increasingly exploring the downside of using the chosen one trope:

Examples like The Poppy War's Rin and Shadow and Bone's Alina Starkov show the toll destiny can take.

Fresh takes on the Chosen One often involve bending, or outright breaking, the rules. There are a few ways authors have successfully bent the "chosen one" rules.

The Wrong Person: This one can be a tricky one, but it can have a big payoff for the reader. The idea is that the "chosen one" prophecy applies to someone who happens to be an unexpected hero. J.K. Rowling did it with her Harry Potter series, revealing that the prophecy was actually about Neville Longbottom, not Harry. In Mistborn, the "chosen one" prophecy applies to someone who turns out to be the villain.

Multiple Chosen Ones: Splitting the role of "chosen one" between more than one person or even a team of people is another way to subvert the trope. It's one of the things I've done in one of my own fantasy series (Captured Kingdoms), and it's a lot of fun to write because it adds so much complexity to the characters and their interactions. The Wheel of Time is another popular book who tackled it this way.

Self-Chosen: In this scenario, the "chosen one" steps into the role without prophecy or magic. Sometimes they're thrust into the role by circumstances, but they might also just choose to take up the mantle. One example of a self-chosen "chosen one" is Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings.

For authors, keeping the trope fresh means:

• Giving the character agency to reject or reinterpret their destiny.
• Making the "chosen" status as much a curse as a blessing.
• Letting readers question whether a character's destiny is real or just a convenient way to push them into action.

Here are some examples where the trope really works, but it carried out in completely different ways.

• Harry Potter (Harry Potter): Prophecy-driven, but ultimately succeeds through friendship and choice.
• Kvothe (The Kingkiller Chronicle): Self-made legend rather than prophecy.
• Rand al'Thor (The Wheel of Time): Struggles against the crushing mental weight of being chosen.
• Vin (Mistborn): Believed to be chosen, but prophecy is manipulated.

Even with the risk of cliché, the Chosen One trope taps into something primal:

• The belief that one person can make a difference.
• The fear and hope of being the only one who can.
• The drama of seeing someone rise (or fall) under impossible pressure.

If you were the Chosen One in a fantasy world, would you embrace your destiny or try to walk away from it? Drop your answer in the comments. I'd love to hear your take!