The Chosen One (trope)

Luke Skywalker from Star Wars is an example of an archetypal Chosen One[1][2]

The Chosen One, also known as The One or The Chosen, is a narrative trope where one character, usually the protagonist, is framed as the inevitable hero of the story as a result of destiny, unique gifts, and/or special lineage.[3][4][5][6][7] The trope is similar to the hero's journey template, where the main difference is that The Chosen One usually does not have a choice because of destiny.[3] Chosen One narratives often incorporate Bildungsroman, following the growth of a character from childhood to adulthood.[8][9][10] The character's gifts, lineage or destiny are often unknown at the start of the plot or presented to the audience as dramatic irony. The Chosen One trope is rooted in religion and mythology, and often appears in speculative fiction that uses elements of mythology.[5][7] The Chosen One trope is comparable to the religious concept of messiah.[8][11]

  1. ^ Gawaran, Alyssa (2022-11-05). "Top 7 Chosen One Characters in Movie History". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  2. ^ Ma, Dafni (2023-01-26). "7 Great Movies That Feature The Chosen One". Game Rant. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  3. ^ a b Stoebakk, Anita Olsen (2017-11-05). ""The Chosen One" In Genre Literature". The Nerd Daily. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  4. ^ "Definition of CHOSEN". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  5. ^ a b "What does the Chosen One mean? - eNotes.com". eNotes. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  6. ^ Bradford, K. Tempest (2008-07-23). ""The Chosen One" vs. The One Who Chooses". Fantasy Magazine. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  7. ^ a b Pool, Katy Rose (2019-09-09). "Are You The One? Exploring The Chosen One Trope in SFF". Tor.com. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  8. ^ a b Chowdhury, Radhiah (2006-12-01). "A chosen sacrifice: the doomed destiny of the Child Messiah in late twentieth-century children's fantasy". Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature. 16 (2): 107–112.
  9. ^ Hoyle, K. B. (2021-11-09). ""Paul Atreides Must Die": Dune as Bildungsroman". Christ and Pop Culture. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  10. ^ Staff Writer. "Book review | 'Cursed Child': Like series, Harry Potter script is a page-turner". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  11. ^ Forhan, Connor (2022-04-01). "The One: "Dune's" Paul Atreides as the Quintessential Messiah". POVwinona. Retrieved 2023-08-07.