Problems with "The chosen One" cliche

[staticdash22]

You read about it in books, seen it in movies, and play it in games.

Besides the fact that it’s lazy storytelling , it’s a lot easy to say Destiny Said do this or do that. Instead of giving protagonists real reasons to make real decisions that impact on the world. The Chosen One cliche says eye-worthy things about the world and who matters. If the Chosen One is the only one with the ability to fight Real Evil, and this individual is more often than not male, a particular race, have blond hair, blue eyes, middle to upper class, young (or just not old), able-bodied, and has no mental illnesses, what does that say about the people who don’t fit that mold?

Are those people too weak? Or too stupid? Obviously destiny has chose that person, that BLOODLINE for a reason to produce the chosen one. What does that say about naruto and his bloodline? That the chosen one had to come from a famous clan? He must be the son of one of the greatest ninjas in existence? That only HIS traits are acceptable to be savior of the world? In the eyes of destiny, only blond haired people fit the prerequisites?

Let’s look at this logically even though the cliche itself makes no f*****g sense. Let’s look at history. Do you know what we call people who believe they have a special destiny that they must impose upon the world for its own good? Narcissists and megalomaniacs. These are not traits that go well with things like compassion, which is one of those crucial hero type qualities. Not to mention, when you look at the really old myths and legends, those Chosen One types tend to come from the underclass and shake up the status quo rather than preserve it.

Conclusion: It's possible to leave prophecy and fate out of what makes someone a hero. Let's leave being chosen out of what makes a hero. What do you think are some ways we can do that? Let the debate begin !

 

[C WET]

who cares??? or... write your own stories... drop it, get over it, deal with it... it's not important...

 

[Pragmatic]

Yeah a bit tired of seeing "The chosen one" but him being in the "Prophecy" with Nagato and the Toad Sage fit to me.

 

[Twin Steps]

I agreee 150%. The whole chosen one thing is sooooooo cliche.

 

[Melanee]

You should play Suikoden II. It's similar to Naruto in so many ways. The chosen one. Friends with a bond, then one goes to the dark path. They are destined to fight at the end. There's a war and even a shinobi called Sasuke! lol

It's typical but still pulls us in despite it being cliché.

 

[Chief Toad]

There has also been "chosen ones" that didn't quite do it or were unsuccessful i.e. 4th Hokage, Nagato, Gohan defeating Cell (not Goku and a Spirit Bomb), Anakin Skywalker or people that were considered "Chosen Ones" that don't fit the mold (blond hir/blue eyes) i.e. Neo from the Matrix, Alice from Resident Evil, Anakin or Luke Skywalker (either/or). It's obviously what sells.

But, please feel free to do better. I would read/go to the movies and see it! :y

 

[SIR HERDERP PRESIDERP SDO]

Star Wars The Chosen One

 

[medal32]

definetly overused, but its one of the easyest ways to make ur main hero OP

 

[lolitaninja]

I agree, man. I am sooooooo sick of the Chosen One cliche! Which is unfortunately what Naruto has devolved into. We suddenly find out that he's from a famous clan and that only his powers can save the world! Everything is just coming so easy for him now! I miss the days when he was the underdog whom everyone looked down on. If he'd have stayed that way longer throughout the series and had trained the old-fashioned way instead, it would have made the story more engaging and he still might have been one of my favorite characters to this day.

 

[Drakengard]

Yeah it does kind of dull a character and like you said it's a petty excuse of making a character. But Kishi did add a second theme to it which I liked - Jiraiya has been roaming the lands searching for his one star student. His first pupil was a young orphan with the legendary Rinnegan. The second was a natural prodigy, and almost everybody who knew about him praised him like no other. Entire platoons of ninja would probably shake in their boots at his presence. The third was a simple idiot with no such talent whatsoever. People deemed him a failure that was trying to hard to raise his status. But that last one proved to be the Child of the Prophecy, ironically (or so we assume). By Jiraiya's death he has complete faith in Naruto.