Dark Fantasy: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"I can't remember the last time I saw a wizard casting spells with a fucking smile on his face. It's always a grim, half-hooded scowl of disgust, like he's shaking off some stubborn ear-wax instead of the manifested power of the Fire Spirits. 'Ooh, I had to fight in a war because I've got mastery of time and space; meh meh meh'. Why don't you magic yourself cheerful, you gloomy spod?"''|[[Zero Punctuation]]}}
{{quote|''"I can't remember the last time I saw a wizard casting spells with a fucking smile on his face. It's always a grim, half-hooded scowl of disgust, like he's shaking off some stubborn ear-wax instead of the manifested power of the Fire Spirits. 'Ooh, I had to fight in a war because I've got mastery of time and space; meh meh meh'. Why don't you magic yourself cheerful, you gloomy spod?"''|[[Zero Punctuation]]}}


Dark Fantasy is, generally speaking, a [[Darker and Edgier]] subgenre of fantasy. These kind of stories can be pretty much described as [[Standard Fantasy Setting]] [[X Meets Y|meets]] [[Crapsack World]], as opposed to the usually-lighthearted regular fantasy setting. Oftentimes common fantasy elements are [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]] or played in the darkest way possible, and the best you can hope for is [[Gray and Gray Morality]]. [[Wikipedia]] goes a step farther, saying it's [[Horror]] [[X Meets Y|meets Fantasy]]. It may have been originally, but now ''every'' fantasy set in a [[Crapsack World]] can now be listed as a [[Dark Fantasy]].
Dark Fantasy is, generally speaking, a [[Darker and Edgier]] subgenre of fantasy. These kind of stories can be pretty much described as [[Standard Fantasy Setting]] [[X Meets Y|meets]] [[Crapsack World]], as opposed to the usually-lighthearted regular fantasy setting. Oftentimes common fantasy elements are [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]] or played in the darkest way possible, and the best you can hope for is [[Gray and Gray Morality]]. [[Wikipedia]] goes a step farther, saying it's [[Horror]] [[X Meets Y|meets Fantasy]]. It may have been originally, but now ''every'' fantasy set in a [[Crapsack World]] can now be listed as a [[Dark Fantasy]].


[[Darker and Edgier]] [[Science Fiction]] isn't recognised as a subgenre as [[Dark Fantasy]] is; however, [[Dystopia|dystopic fiction]] often has markings of SF and thus gets an honourable mention here.
[[Darker and Edgier]] [[Science Fiction]] isn't recognised as a subgenre as [[Dark Fantasy]] is; however, [[Dystopia|dystopic fiction]] often has markings of SF and thus gets an honourable mention here.
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* [[Magic Is Evil]], at best relatively neutral. Often [[The Corruption]]. There is a good chance it's directly obtained through a [[Deal with the Devil]], powered by [[Blood Magic]] or involves [[Human Sacrifice]]. Individual wizards tend to [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|go mad with power]] (or just the [[Mad Scientist|possibility of it]]) and are [[Vain Sorceress|full of themselves]]. This is likely why [[Burn the Witch]] is a popular pastime of the lower classes.
* [[Magic Is Evil]], at best relatively neutral. Often [[The Corruption]]. There is a good chance it's directly obtained through a [[Deal with the Devil]], powered by [[Blood Magic]] or involves [[Human Sacrifice]]. Individual wizards tend to [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|go mad with power]] (or just the [[Mad Scientist|possibility of it]]) and are [[Vain Sorceress|full of themselves]]. This is likely why [[Burn the Witch]] is a popular pastime of the lower classes.
* Magical weapons tend to be [[Evil Weapon|evil]], or at least require a very heavy price for their use.
* Magical weapons tend to be [[Evil Weapon|evil]], or at least require a very heavy price for their use.
* If [[Sufficiently Advanced Magic]] [[Dungeon Punk|enters play]], the following may happen: [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul|augmentations eat away at one's humanity]] (often [[Body Horror|involuntarily]] for the sake of war and profit), [[Sinister Surveillance|communication magic]] creates new and fascinating ways to control people, and [[Golem|sentient constructs]] [[AI Is a Crapshoot|have only contempt]] for their creators.
* If [[Sufficiently Advanced Magic]] [[Dungeon Punk|enters play]], the following may happen: [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul|augmentations eat away at one's humanity]] (often [[Body Horror|involuntarily]] for the sake of war and profit), [[Sinister Surveillance|communication magic]] creates new and fascinating ways to control people, and [[Golem|sentient constructs]] [[AI Is a Crapshoot|have only contempt]] for their creators.


== Politics and society ==
== Politics and society ==
* [[The Horde]] vastly outnumbers civilization. The [[Fantasy Axis of Evil]] is there, and is either [[Eviler Than Thou|even worse]] [[Always Chaotic Evil|than you'd expect]], or the "good" guys aren't really better than them. Expect a lot of [[Rape, Pillage and Burn]] when they go raiding. Good chance someone (on either side) will say "[[The Women Are Safe with Us]]."
* [[The Horde]] vastly outnumbers civilization. The [[Fantasy Axis of Evil]] is there, and is either [[Eviler Than Thou|even worse]] [[Exclusively Evil|than you'd expect]], or the "good" guys aren't really better than them. Expect a lot of [[Rape, Pillage and Burn]] when they go raiding. Good chance someone (on either side) will say "[[The Women Are Safe with Us]]."
* Of the [[Five Races]], the elves are all stuffed-up jerks who have either sneaked off, devolved into fancy-eared humans or gotten [[Enslaved Elves|enslaved]] (the only kind who may thrive are the Dark Elves), the [[Hobbits]] were the first to be subjugated or are just plain evil in the first place, the dwarves don't care about anyone else and thus shamelessly nickel-and-dime the other guys, and the [[Humans Are Bastards]] and actively persecute the rest. [[Abusive Precursors]], if any.
* Of the [[Five Races]], the elves are all stuffed-up jerks who have either sneaked off, devolved into fancy-eared humans or gotten [[Enslaved Elves|enslaved]] (the only kind who may thrive are the Dark Elves), the [[Hobbits]] were the first to be subjugated or are just plain evil in the first place, the dwarves don't care about anyone else and thus shamelessly nickel-and-dime the other guys, and the [[Humans Are Bastards]] and actively persecute the rest. [[Abusive Precursors]], if any.
* [[Wretched Hive|Wretched Hives]] of cities and [[The Dung Ages]] in the countryside is what you should expect of society. The lower classes are [[Medieval Morons]], while the upper prove that [[Aristocrats Are Evil]]. The slave trade is the main source of income, both in terms of taxes and population. Expect the cute, fuzzy, [[Weak-Willed]] ones to be targeted, such as [[Petting Zoo People]] or [[Hobbits]]. Conscription into the army may be present, overlapping with an [[Army of Thieves and Whores]]. Often, [[Hobbes Was Right]].
* [[Wretched Hive|Wretched Hives]] of cities and [[The Dung Ages]] in the countryside is what you should expect of society. The lower classes are [[Medieval Morons]], while the upper prove that [[Aristocrats Are Evil]]. The slave trade is the main source of income, both in terms of taxes and population. Expect the cute, fuzzy, [[Weak-Willed]] ones to be targeted, such as [[Petting Zoo People]] or [[Hobbits]]. Conscription into the army may be present, overlapping with an [[Army of Thieves and Whores]]. Often, [[Hobbes Was Right]].
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== Heroes ==
== Heroes ==
* The very best you can count on is an [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroic]] [[Knight in Sour Armor]]. There is a high chance of (likely more than a bit of [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]], or just straight-out [[Evil Versus Evil|bad guy]]) [[Designated Hero]], who will [[The Bad Guy Wins|probably]] [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog|lose]] [[Downer Ending|or end up as]] [[He Who Fights Monsters]] or [[And Then John Was a Zombie|a zombie]] anyway, no matter how hard he may [[Resist the Beast]].
* The very best you can count on is an [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroic]] [[Knight in Sour Armor]]. There is a high chance of (likely more than a bit of [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]], or just straight-out [[Evil Versus Evil|bad guy]]) [[Designated Hero]], who will [[The Bad Guy Wins|probably]] [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog|lose]] [[Downer Ending|or end up as]] [[He Who Fights Monsters]] or [[And Then John Was a Zombie|a zombie]] anyway, no matter how hard he may [[Resist the Beast]].
** If they're [[Giving the Sword to A Noob]] to [[Defied Trope|Defy]] this, expect said Noob to fail.
** If they're [[Giving the Sword to A Noob]] to [[Defied Trope|Defy]] this, expect said Noob to fail.
* Even if you don't count in the black and grey morality of the heroes. Most of the respite they spend is mostly on having sex or getting drunk and violent and has a less than amicable working relationship with his comrades.
* Even if you don't count in the black and grey morality of the heroes. Most of the respite they spend is mostly on having sex or getting drunk and violent and has a less than amicable working relationship with his comrades.
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* ''[[Brutal Legend]]'' has elements of it (Humans opressed by demon overlords and both sides under attack from [[The Undead]]), but it's mostly masked by the sheer awesome.
* ''[[Brutal Legend]]'' has elements of it (Humans opressed by demon overlords and both sides under attack from [[The Undead]]), but it's mostly masked by the sheer awesome.
* ''[[Amea]]'' features a world overrun by zombies, yetis, and darkness. And by the end of the game, {{spoiler|Amea, Inglor, and Garrik are shown to be the only good guys, and Garrik gets killed fairly early}}.
* ''[[Amea]]'' features a world overrun by zombies, yetis, and darkness. And by the end of the game, {{spoiler|Amea, Inglor, and Garrik are shown to be the only good guys, and Garrik gets killed fairly early}}.
* ''[[Valkyrie Profile]]'' is an example of one. Slavery, war, and general atrocities is the order of the day. More often than not, humans succumb to the worst part of themselves. [[Jerkass Gods|Not to say that the gods are any better]]. Ragnarok is just around the corner, and things are falling apart. Your job is to recruit the soul of worthy mortals to fight in that final battle, and there is no shortage of death and despair to make it very easy and guilt-free for you.
* ''[[Valkyrie Profile]]'' is an example of one. Slavery, war, and general atrocities is the order of the day. More often than not, humans succumb to the worst part of themselves. [[Jerkass Gods|Not to say that the gods are any better]]. Ragnarok is just around the corner, and things are falling apart. Your job is to recruit the soul of worthy mortals to fight in that final battle, and there is no shortage of death and despair to make it very easy and guilt-free for you.
** The game seems to borrow a lot from ''[[Berserk]]''. Amongst your first recruits is a blatant [[Expy]] of Guts.
** The game seems to borrow a lot from ''[[Berserk]]''. Amongst your first recruits is a blatant [[Expy]] of Guts.
* ''[[Castlevania]]''. Gothic horror-inspired enemies, and some installments have a magic system.
* ''[[Castlevania]]''. Gothic horror-inspired enemies, and some installments have a magic system.
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* The aforementioned ''[[Ur Example|Warhammer]]'' games are just as dark as the video games based on them.
* The aforementioned ''[[Ur Example|Warhammer]]'' games are just as dark as the video games based on them.
** As of 8th edition, the only thing on the list ''Warhammer'' lacks is organized religion comprised entirely of evil cults. Sigmar and Ulric have reasonable priesthoods.
** As of 8th edition, the only thing on the list ''Warhammer'' lacks is organized religion comprised entirely of evil cults. Sigmar and Ulric have reasonable priesthoods.
* Some ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' settings ([[Ravenloft]] and Heroes of Horror spring to mind), and it really depends on the player's [[Character Alignment]] and the DM's mood when he cooked up the campaign whether it stays [[Heroic Fantasy]] too.
* Some ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' settings ([[Ravenloft]] and Heroes of Horror spring to mind), and it really depends on the player's [[Character Alignment]] and the DM's mood when he cooked up the campaign whether it stays [[Heroic Fantasy]] too.
** The overall theme in ''[[Planescape]]'' is its moral ambiguity, and the bizarre settings only increase grim mood.
** The overall theme in ''[[Planescape]]'' is its moral ambiguity, and the bizarre settings only increase grim mood.
** The ''Midnight'' setting takes place in a rather generic fantasy world where the Forces of Evil won the final war and the protagonists are [[La Résistance|guerillas]] or simple folk trying to delay the inevitable. Imagine [[Lord of the Rings]] if Sauron had won.
** The ''Midnight'' setting takes place in a rather generic fantasy world where the Forces of Evil won the final war and the protagonists are [[La Résistance|guerillas]] or simple folk trying to delay the inevitable. Imagine [[Lord of the Rings]] if Sauron had won.
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* The ''[[Black Company]]'' cycle. The military kind of dark.
* The ''[[Black Company]]'' cycle. The military kind of dark.
* All novels written by Feliks W. Kres, especially the ''Szerer cycle.''
* All novels written by Feliks W. Kres, especially the ''Szerer cycle.''
* [[Michael Moorcock]]'s ''[[The Elric Saga|Elric saga]]'', focusing on a doomed albino emperor with [[Artifact of Doom|the mother of all]] [[Evil Weapon|Evil Weapons]].
* [[Michael Moorcock]]'s ''[[The Elric Saga|Elric saga]]'', focusing on a doomed albino emperor with [[Artifact of Doom|the mother of all]] [[Evil Weapon|Evil Weapons]].
* ''[[The Eye of Argon]]'', and not just because of the [[So Bad It's Good|shoddy writing]].
* ''[[The Eye of Argon]]'', and not just because of the [[So Bad It's Good|shoddy writing]].
* ''[[The First Law]]'' series and really anything by Joe Abercrombie
* ''[[The First Law]]'' series and really anything by Joe Abercrombie
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