One of the trickiest parts of writing fantasy is that sinking feeling when your story starts to look a little too familiar. You’ve got a chosen one, a prophecy, maybe even a ragtag crew, and suddenly you’re thinking, hasn’t this all been written before? 

Don’t panic. Fantasy thrives on classic tropes, and that’s not a weakness; it’s a strength. These building blocks are what give the genre its magic. The secret is adding your own personal twist, your voice, your world, your characters. With just a little creative touch, those “old” tropes can feel brand-new and entirely yours.

Adding Your Touch To The Classic Fantasy Tropes

You don’t need to toss out every old idea just to be original. From cozy fantasy to epic fantasy, some of the best stories we all love are built on tropes we’ve seen a hundred times. The magic isn’t in avoiding them, it’s in finding your voice and twisting these tropes into something that feels like yours. So, let’s dive into six classic fantasy tropes that you can totally make yours. 

1. The Chosen One

Let’s be real, the “Chosen One” is everywhere in fantasy. But here’s the thing: readers still eat it up when it’s done well. Why? Because it taps into that universal “what if I’m meant for something bigger?” feeling we all secretly love. 

The trick for you, as a new writer, is to make the chosen one feel like your chosen one. Maybe they don’t actually want to be special. Maybe there’s more than one chosen person, and suddenly destiny feels… complicated. Or maybe the prophecy is totally wrong, and your character is just fumbling through while everyone assumes they’re the savior. That’s the fun of it because you get to take this classic setup and twist it until it feels brand-new.

2. The Secret Heir

Who doesn’t love a good “surprise, you’re royalty” moment? The Secret Heir trope is basically catnip for fantasy readers. But if you write it too straight, readers will see the twist coming from a mile away. The magic happens when you play with expectations.

Maybe your secret heir wants absolutely nothing to do with a throne. Maybe they find out their bloodline is tied to something dangerous or shameful instead of glamorous. Or maybe the “heir” status is more curse than crown. At the end of the day, it’s not the reveal that makes this trope shine, but it’s how your character reacts to it and how it shakes up the world you’ve built.

3. Ancient Prophecies

Prophecies are the bread and butter of fantasy, and honestly, they’re kind of irresistible. The catch is, we’ve seen a lot of them, which means if you’re going to use one, you’ve got to have fun with it. Maybe the prophecy is super vague, so every character interprets it differently (make it chaotic). Maybe it’s been mistranslated over time, and what everyone thinks it means is completely wrong. Or maybe, plot twist, the whole thing was made up by someone pulling the strings.

The secret to making this classical trope yours is: treat it less like a rigid roadmap and more like a spark. Readers don’t just want to know what the prophecy says; they want to see how your characters twist, fight, or rebel against it.

Read Also: From Cursed Idea to Crown Jewel: A Fantasy Writer’s Journey

4. Good vs. Evil

“Good vs. Evil” is probably the oldest trope in the fantasy playbook. It’s simple, it’s satisfying, and it will never truly go out of style. But here’s the thing: modern readers often crave more nuance. They don’t just want a bad guy who does bad things; they want to understand the villain. 

Take the Darkling from Shadow and Bone; sure, he’s the antagonist, but he’s not evil just for the sake of it. His choices come from pain, and the wildest part? A big chunk of the fandom ended up sympathizing with him and even rooting for him. That’s the magic of giving depth to the “evil” side of the story. You can still play with the classic light-versus-dark setup, but don’t be afraid to blur the lines a little. Sometimes, the most memorable villains are the ones who make readers pause and think, Wait… do they have a point?

5. The Chaotic Crew of Hero

Found family. Frenemies who become besties. That one grumpy character who pretends they don’t care but would actually die for the group. That’s the magic of the misfit team trope. Readers can’t get enough of it because it feels both chaotic and comforting at the same time. 

The question is: how do you make your squad stand out? Try giving them an odd reason for sticking together, like they’re cursed to share one fate, or they literally can’t function without each other’s skills. Maybe their teamwork is hilariously bad until the very end, when it finally (and unexpectedly) clicks. Or flip the trope and show what happens when the “family” starts to fracture. The magic of this trope is in the chaos, so don’t be afraid to let your team stumble, argue, or break the rules before they save the day.

What If My Book Just Feels Like Every Other Fantasy?

Every writer worries about clichés, especially in fantasy, where so many stories share the same foundations. But here’s the truth: you already have an original story inside you, it just needs the right guidance to shine. 

That’s what I do at Once Upon A Manuscript. I don’t just polish words; I help you shape your ideas into something fresh, powerful, and uniquely yours. With the right support, your book won’t feel like “just another fantasy,” it’ll feel like your fantasy.