The Chosen One is a common media trope, but some video games make fun of it to show a different side, like these great examples.
The Chosen One trope is a common way to tell a story in which a character is chosen by fate or destiny to save the world or do something else important. This trope is used a lot in science fiction and fantasy, as well as in video games. In video games, this trope is used to make the player feel like they are important and have a purpose as the chosen one.
Most of the time, the chosen one is shown as a hero or savior who must defeat a powerful enemy or bring balance back to the world. This trope is used in games like Final Fantasy 7, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and many more. Also, some games copy the trope by using it too much or making fun of it. Let’s take a look.
The Bard’s Tale
The Bard’s Tale is a popular action role-playing video game that makes fun of the traditional “chosen one” trope. In the game, many of the characters say they are the chosen ones. But most of them die in their adventures. The funny thing about the game is that the “chosen ones” are just regular people who said they were chosen without any real proof.
In The Bard’s Tale, there are also other “chosen ones” who are stuck in prison and can’t get out to fulfill their destiny. The Bard’s Tale is a clever and entertaining take on a common fantasy trope. It makes fun of the idea of a single hero saving the world and turns it into a funny adventure.
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter action role-playing video game that came out in 2012. It takes place in an open world and played from the first-person point of view. The game has a unique style of art that influenced by cell shading and comic books. The players choose one of four “Vault Hunters,” who each have their own special skills. And go on a quest to find a legendary alien vault and beat the bad guy, Handsome Jack.
Borderlands 2 known for its fast-paced, co-op multiplayer and huge arsenal of weapons that are made by a computer program. The game also makes fun of a number of stereotypes. One of these is the Chosen One trope, in which players see arms dealer Marcus Kincaid convince a kid to buy a gun for $2 million.
D Is For Dungeon
D Is for Dungeon is a classic dungeon crawler game with unique enemies and 25 floors of treasures, monsters, and puzzles to solve. It’s an independent game that was made by Dinkledaberry on RPG Maker and came out in 2014. The official page for the game says that it is still getting updates.
D Is for Dungeonsavagely makes fun of itself The Picked By letting players take control of a baby who is the one, the game uses the one trope. Since babies can’t walk, the game makes the dungeon crawling in the game really feel like crawling.
Harry Potter
The popular Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have turned into games. In many of the games, Harry is the “chosen one” who has to fight the evil Lord Voldemort. Throughout the series, however, the story hints that Neville Longbottom could also be the chosen one. Since he has many of the same traits as Harry and plays a key role in the end in helping to defeat Voldemort.
This twist on the “chosen one” trope messes with what people expect. It gives the story more depth and shows that it’s not just about one person’s fate. But also about how community and friendship can help people get through hard times.
Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creed is a series of action-adventure video games. That make fun of the “chosen one” trope by focusing on the main character, Desmond Miles, in more than one game. Even though Desmond was the main character and the “chosen one” in the first two titles, he dies in the third one. Which goes against what people usually expect from this trope.
This moment goes against the usual way games tell stories and gives a new spin on the “chosen one” story. The world of the franchise has continued to grow and change. Still, Desmond’s death is one of the most important parts of the series. Because it shows that no one character is really important in the big picture.
Dark Souls
The Dark Souls games known for being hard to play and taking place in a dark fantasy world. But it uses the common trope of the “Chosen One.” Which is a character who is chosen by fate to save the world. In many Souls games, the player character destined to beat the final boss and end the cycle.
The Chosen One trope can make the player feel important, but it can also seen as overused and predictable. The unique world and challenging gameplay of the series are enough to make it stand out. And relying too much on a trope could make it less unique.
Elden Ring
FromSoftware, the same company that made the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games, made the action role-playing game Elden Ring. The game takes place in a world full of dangerous animals and mysterious ruins.
Like other FromSoftware games, Elden Ring has the “chosen one” trope. Which says that the player character will save the world. To unlock the power of the Elden Ring and fulfill their destiny. The player must go on a dangerous journey, fight enemies, and find hidden things.
Mass Effect
The Mass Effect games are a series of science fiction role-playing games that follow Commander Shepard. A human soldier who has to save the galaxy from a mysterious and powerful threat. The games use the “chosen one” plot device to make Shepard the only person who can stop the threat and save humanity.
Throughout the games, Shepard has to put together a team of friends and make hard choices that affect the fate of the galaxy. At the same time, the commander can do some of the most random things or go on small side missions that make fun of the “chosen one” trope.
South Park: The Stick Of Truth
The popular TV show South Park inspired the video game South Park: The Stick of Truth. In the game, the player takes on the role of a new kid in South Park who called the “Chosen One” and told to get the Stick of Truth.
South Park: The Stick of Truth makes fun of the fantasy genre by making the player do silly quests and making fun of popular fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Fans of both South Park and RPGs should play this game. Because of how funny it is, how well it is written, and how it is put together as a whole.
Undertale
Undertale is a popular independent game that makes fun of the “chosen one” trope in a unique way. In a world full of monsters, the game’s main character, Frisk, seems like a normal kid. He called the “chosen one” who will bring peace between humans and demons. But as the player moves through the game, it becomes clear that Frisk’s fate not set in stone. And the player can choose to be either a destructive force or a good force.
8 Ball Pool cleverly turns the “chosen one” trope on its head by showing that Frisk’s actions and choices. Not a predetermined fate, determine their own fate. The game forces people to think carefully about the choices they make and how those choices affect the world around them.
