Dark Fantasy Tropes

Dark Fantasy Tropes I Love (And how i used it in My Novel)

What Is a Trope?

A trope is a commonly recognized story pattern, device, theme, or character type that appears across many books, movies, and genres.

Tropes aren’t clichés by default. They’re familiar storytelling building blocks. Tropes become clichés only when used without intention or originality.

Most Common Tropes in Fantasy

1. The Chosen One

A prophesied hero destined to save the world.

2. The Mentor or Wise Guide

A Gandalf, Dumbledore, etc.

3. Epic Quests

A group travels to defeat a great evil or find a powerful artifact.

4. Medieval Kingdoms

Castles, courts, etc.

5. Magical Races

Elves, dwarves, dragons, fae, etc.

6. Prophecies

Fortunes, omens, visions dictating destiny.

7. Good vs Evil

Clear moral boundaries; heroes and villains are easily identifiable.

8. Hidden Magic / Secret Worlds

9. Chosen Companions / Familiars

Animal or magical creatures bonded with humans.

10. Magic Systems

Rules-based or intuitive magical abilities that shape the world.

Most Common Tropes in Dark Fantasy

Dark fantasy uses many of the same tropes, but twisted, shadowed, or explored through fear, trauma, existential questions, or moral ambiguity.

1. The Fallen Kingdom

A world that has already lost.

2. Morally Grey Heroes (or Antiheroes)

Characters who make questionable choices or are shaped by trauma.

3. Magic With a Terrible Price

Power costs sanity, memory, life, or innocence.

4. Corrupted or Cursed Creatures

Dragons, unicorns, spirits, gods, or humans twisted by magic.

5. The Monster Within

6. Cosmic Horror Influences

Inner demons, suppressed desires, forbidden parts of oneself.

Ancient, unknowable forces beyond human control.

7. Tragic Prophecies

Prophecies that hurt more than they help.

8. The Bleak or Doomed Setting

Worlds on the verge of collapse.

9. Villains Who Are Right

Antagonists whose worldview reflects a painful truth.

10. Grief, Sacrifice, and Shadow Work

Characters confronting their trauma, loss, or shadow selves.

What Makes a Trope “Dark” Instead of “Not Dark”?

A trope becomes dark when it adds one or more of these elements:

1. Moral Ambiguity

2. Higher Emotional or Psychological Stakes

3. Power That Damages More Than It Helps

4. Darkness in the Worldbuilding

5. Themes of Loss, Corruption, or Transformation

6. Horror Elements

A trope becomes dark when:

• the morality is blurred

• characters suffer real emotional or psychological consequences

• power and magic come with devastating costs

• the world reflects cruelty, decay, or dread

• the theme centers on fear, loss, truth, or corruption

Dark fantasy is about exploring the shadow side of magic and myth.

If you love dark fantasy, emotional magic, underwater kingdoms, dragons, unicorns, and stories that explore the shadows we try to hide…

you’ll probably love my novel Banished Creatures of the Arcana.

What dark fantasy trope do YOU love the most?

Or… which trope are you tired of seeing?

Watch the video below for more on dark fantasy tropes and how I'm using them in my own novel, Banished Creatures of the Arcana.