Why are so many fantasy protagonists upper class?

Hello readers! Have you ever wondered why fantasy stories so often revolve around royals and nobles? A disproportionate number of protagonists are lords and princes, rather than commoners, which suggests that we are drawn to tales of the upper classes. Many of us root for the success of fantasy royals, while remaining ambivalent towards real ones. For example, I doubt that there is much overlap between the fans of King Théoden and the fans of King Charles. It seems that the addition of magic and gratuitous violence makes fantasy royals acceptable to us – but why is this the case? Why are we so keen to read about made-up royals in made-up worlds, in made-up societies where royalty doesn’t even need to exist? I’ve had some thoughts, and I’ve broken them down into twelve key ideas.

1. The pseudo-medieval setting

Traditional fantasy worlds are heavily inspired by the cultures and technologies of medieval Europe. Our knowledge of real history informs our understanding of the fantasy setting, defining the boundaries for what we believe to be possible. Given that medieval Europe had a feudal societal structure, with kings wielding absolute power over their subjects (often after a little help or nefarious nudging from their nobles), most fantasy worlds have also adopted this model. Fantasy worlds are generally governed by a handful of rich and powerful people, so it is hardly surprising that so many stories revolve around them.

Still, there is no real reason that a pseudo-medieval society couldn’t have some other form of governance. Authors are happy to include historically inaccurate dragons and elves and orcs, yet they tend to model their fantasy cultures on historically accurate forms of government (just as they model their fantasy treatment of women on historically accurate forms of misogyny). For better or worse, the fantasy genre is relatively consistent when it comes to deciding which elements of medieval Europe should be kept, and which ones should be ignored. Clearly, nobles and royals are viewed as crucial ingredients for fantasy success.

2. There is no such thing as an original idea

The fantasy genre is heavily inspired by traditional fairytales and folktales, which are filled with princes and princesses. Even Beowulf, one of the oldest surviving pieces of English fiction, follows an upper-class protagonist who eventually becomes king thanks to his heroic deeds (spoilers). Most modern fantasy owes its existence to Tolkien, who repopularised and redefined the genre. His works were heavily inspired by old folktales, and they became the blueprints for many subsequent fantasy franchises. Not only did Tolkien define the quintessential fantasy species of elves, orcs, wizards and dwarves: he encoded the expectation that a fantasy world should have kings and queens. There are plenty of royals and nobles in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings (even Gimli and Legolas), although they don’t always take centre stage. Bilbo and Frodo are decidedly middle class, and would certainly buy their groceries in the Hobbiton Waitrose rather than braving the Bywater Lidl. However, Sam (the true hero) is the only working class protagonist. Tolkien’s stories are dominated by the upper classes, and many subsequent authors have followed his lead.

3. Nobles have freedom and flexibility

Think about the life of your average peasant. They spend their days toiling on the farm, and if war breaks out they might get conscripted and used as dragon fodder. Generally speaking, they don’t have the time or energy to go an adventures, or to even dream of going on adventures. Nobles have the means to travel further, whether by horse, carriage, or even by boat, and their wealth can open all sorts of doors, because they can afford to pay entry fees, buy ferry tickets, or hire guides or guards to take them to dangerous places. They are also better educated, which means they can speak more languages and gain more knowledge from their visits. So, if you want a story to cover more ground, exploring more of the fantasy world, a high-born protagonist becomes an incredibly useful plot device. The world is their oyster.

4. Nobles are expected to travel

Not only do nobles have the means to travel, but they are expected to do so. There are plenty of reasons for them to move around, whether they are going on diplomatic visits, attending a distant university, being shipped off to marry someone in a distant realm, or even just inspecting their vast property empire. If an author is looking for excuses to move the plot between various locations, nobles and royals provide plenty of opportunity. One of the most common plot contrivances is a lord being summoned by his king. This simple premise permits a long journey through various places, an explanation of societal structure and governance, and often a huge exposition dump regarding an impending catastrophe – which will inevitably form the backbone of the narrative.

5. Nobles get to meet people. Lots of people…

This follows on from the last two points, because during the course of their travels, upper-class protagonists have the chance to meet a lot of people. The same might be true of a middle-class merchant or wandering bard, of course, but the difference with nobles is that they are expected to know one another. Your average peasant only socialises with other peasants in their own village, and if they end up travelling, everyone they meet will be a stranger. By contrast, a noble protagonist comes packaged with a pre-existing, complex social circle, and this lends itself to worldbuilding through namedrops or references to previous encounters. Royals, in particular, sit at the centre of an intricate social spiderweb, which is perfect for setting up stories of treachery or political drama. Thanks to Game of Thrones, tales of backstabbing and manipulation in royal courts are now more prevalent than ever, and you can only achieve this with upper-class protagonists (or the occasional social climber).

6. Nobles wear nice clothes, eat fancy food, and do cool sports

Readers are naturally infatuated with wealth and status. We want to read about banquets, parties, hunting expeditions and expensive dresses, because these are things which we don’t have, and can never have. Depending on the way that these are presented to us, we can either be encouraged to fantasise about enjoying such luxuries, or encouraged to resent the upper classes for hoarding their wealth. I think most fantasy leans towards the former, although the recent trend for multiple perspectives often allows these two viewpoints to be explored in parallel – which is most readily achieved by including an upper-class protagonist. By exploring the issues surrounding wealth distribution, it is easy for readers to make connections between fantasy and reality. We may have consigned feudalism to the history books, but the world is hardly fair and equal. Our lives are still governed by the rich and powerful, and the nobles and royals in fantasy provide a means for us to explore this, without getting too close to real-world politics.

7. The “rags to riches” story keeps the poor in their place

Traditional fairytales are dominated by plots involving beautiful peasants marrying princes, or heroic peasants being rewarded for their dragon-slaying deeds. Modern tales often involve peasants who have royal responsibilities thrust upon them, usually due to extraordinary powers, ancient prophecies, or political happenstance. These are all “rags-to-riches” stories, and they reinforce the notion that poverty can be escaped through miracles or hard work. For people whose lives are nothing but toil, suffering, and borderline starvation, these tales provide a light at the end of the tunnel – a thin sliver of hope that there might be a way out. We need to believe that our hard work might one day be rewarded, because otherwise, what’s the point? Fantasy is a coping mechanism. And if the real-world peasants can be made to believe in false hope, they are less likely to revolt. It would seem that society is at its most stable when the poor majority is subjugated by the rich minority, as this has happened throughout history. Fantasy media merely reflects this – although some of the older tales might well have been intended as propaganda, trying to convince the populace that royals and nobles deserve their power.

8. Princesses as trophies

There are innumerable folktales involving princesses being rescued, then married off to their rescuer, and the influence of this trope is still felt today. The princess is seen as the ultimate prize. There is an automatic assumption that she is kind-natured and beautiful, simply due to her royal status, and this enforces our mental connections between royalty, beauty and desirability, which are instilled in us from an early age. Fairytale princes are framed in a similarly desirable manner, although peasant girls generally put in less work to acquire them (being beautiful is the most important step). In traditional stories, trophy princesses don’t have too much character, because they are assumed to be perfectly pure and innocent. These days, we want our damsels in distress to have a bit more depth, so there have been plenty of attempts to turn the concept around, or to explore it from the princess’s point of view. These are valuable exercises for exploring our shifting moral standards, but they obviously contribute to the overrepresentation of royals in fantasy media.

9. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

A simple way to ramp up tension in a fantasy setting is to give your protagonists power, meaning that their decisions will impact the lives of thousands of miserable commoners. The choices made by nobles and royals have wider repercussions than those made by your average peasant, and this is incredibly useful from a storytelling perspective. A popular, recurring theme in fantasy stories is that royals suffer under the weight of their responsibilities, especially if their power has been thrust upon them suddenly or unwillingly. Royal protagonists provide an obvious, exaggerated way to explore the meaning of responsibility, which is a core theme of many young adult fantasy novels – so it is hardly surprising that there are so many young adult royal protagonists.

10. Unavoidable inheritance

The fact that power passes down to the firstborn son raises all sorts of intriguing possibilities. What if someone doesn’t want the crown? What if they are unsuitable for it? How many marriages or murders are required for someone else to get hold of it? Primogeniture paves the way for all sorts of scheming, and the possibility of sudden shifts in the hierarchy due to unexpected or meticulously orchestrated deaths makes it easy to keep the reader in suspense. Slow-burning strategizing and political plotting provide a nice change of pace from the explosive violence of battles, so the two themes often go hand-in-hand. The concept of unavoidable inheritance also provides a means to explore the fact that none of us has any choice over our genetics and upbringing. All of our lives have, to some extent, been determined by our parents – and noble protagonists allow authors to play with this notion.

11. Expectations and agency

Although royals wield absolute power, and nobles wield considerable power, they are also held back by various expectations. They are forced to dress a certain way, act a certain way, maintain certain allegiances, or marry certain people. As such, a noble protagonist provides a means to explore a lack of agency, or a loss of control, which will reflect the fears of many readers. Many fantasy stories focus on overcoming expectations, or learning to live with them.

12. The chosen ones

The protagonists of fantasy stories are typically exceptional in some way, often boasting immense magical powers, or becoming the unwilling focus of some ancient prophecy. Royals and nobles are yet another branch of this concept. They are the chosen ones, destined to do great things, and the plot will often revolve around them coming to terms with their powers. Clearly, we like to hear about exceptional people – the superhero genre is also dominated by similar themes. Stories encourage us to put ourselves in the protagonist’s shoes, and imagining ourselves with immense power is a way to explore our own morals and desires.

In summary…

There are many reasons behind the prevalence of upper-class protagonists in fantasy media. It is partly historical, partly due to the perceived constraints of the genre, and partly because they are powerful plot devices. Royal protagonists are particularly useful conduits for exploring power, responsibility and lack of control. They have become a staple of the fantasy genre, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like stories about the fantasy upper classes as much as anyone else, as demonstrated in my own books, which remain staunchly entrenched in fantasy tropes, with Tolkien levels of working class representation. Still, it would be refreshing to read about more characters like Samwise Gamgee. If you have read or watched any fantasy media that handles class or societal structure in an interesting way, let me know. Happy reading, and have a lovely week!