He is also the person Harry goes to in times of emotional need. He shows him the ropes and ensures he is prepared to attend Hogwarts. Hagrid is the one who goes to get Harry, and ushers him into the wizarding world perched atop his flying motorcycle.
However, there’s another Mentor that gets overlooked: Rubeus Hagrid.
#Postal 2 tv tropes series#
The guy has a long white beard, smiling eyes, and half-moon specs - not to mention he basically spends the whole series secretly coaching Harry to take on Lord Voldemort. When people think of Harry Potter and Mentors, their mind likely goes to Albus Dumbledore. But they do often appear to help save the day in crucial times of peril. They don’t usually stay with the Hero for the majority of the narrative - this might be because they die while helping the protagonist, or they are off working on removing obstacles in the Hero’s path behind the scenes. The Mentor is typically familiar with the narrative of the conflict (perhaps they’ve seen it play out before), or they’re uniquely equipped to prepare the Hero for their journey. (Other than the "chosen one" Hero, the Mentor is one of the most common fantasy tropes in the genre.) Referring back to the popular fantasy story structure, the Hero's Journey, the Mentor is usually the person who either guides the Hero to answer the “Call to Adventure” (moving them from their comfort zone into the unknown), or they are waiting to welcome the Hero after they decide to accept the Call. And without someone who knows the ropes just a little, it would be damn near impossible for the story to be resolved. The road to solving a fantasy’s main conflict is usually long and filled with peril.
Samwell Tarly ( A Song of Ice and Fire).Inigo Montoya and Fezzik ( The Princess Bride).Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (the Harry Potter series).He provides comic relief, moral guidance, and acts as a conduit between the reader and Frodo towards the end of the series, when Frodo begins to lose himself to the Ring. Let’s just say we don’t think Bonnie would have chosen Clyde if Samwise was up for grabs.įurthermore, Samwise is by far the most relatable character in the Lord of The Rings. He provides Frodo with the mental and emotional strength to keep going, and when that’s not enough, he picks Frodo up and carries him up Mount Doom. When we say that Samwise gives legs to the quest to destroy the One Ring and save Middle Earth from a doomed eternity, we’re speaking both metaphorically and literally. The Sidekick to end all Sidekicks: Samwise Gamgee. If the Hero begins to take on a larger-than-life quality, it’s also up to the Sidekick to help readers see past the blinding heroic glory and continue to relate to the protagonist. The Sidekick sees through this falter and reminds the Hero that they can accomplish their task - while reminding the reader why we’re rooting for the Hero. The Sidekick doesn't only help the Hero save the day, they also stick to the Hero's side through thick and thin: while going through the trials and tribulations of being “the Hero,” the protagonist often buckles under pressure and reveals a darker side to themselves. And yet, the Hero usually wouldn’t get close to a successful resolution if not for the Sidekick. The only reason they’re not is that the actual Hero has been anointed in some way as the person who must solve the conflict. In many ways, Sidekicks in fantasy could just as well be the Hero because they’re brave, skilled, and determined. Buffy Summers ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer).Lucy Pevensie ( The Chronicles of Narnia).For more fantasy books the feature heroes like Harry Potter, check out this post. However, when threats present themselves and put others at risk, he doesn’t hesitate to step into the role of Hero or to put himself on the line to save others. When he does learn his own origin story, he does not relish his perceived heroic notoriety - he just wants to make some friends and learn some magic in a place he feels he belongs. Indeed, the nature of the Hero will largely depend on the particular subgenre of fantasy you're reading/writing.Īs the Chosen One, Harry Potter checks off all of the standard Hero boxes: he hasn’t volunteered to be a hero, but he still feels an obligation to fulfill that role.įor the first eleven years of his life, he is unaware of the legacy he holds within the wizarding world as the Boy Who Lived. The Hero might relish in their role, like Conan the Barbarian, or they may be a reluctant leader in the story’s narrative, like Bilbo Baggins (initially). While people often think of Joseph Campbell’s popular Hero’s Journey when it comes to fantasy story structures, the Hero can take many different forms ( they can even be an anti-hero!), whether or not the story resembles Campbell’s model. This is their fantasy world, and we’re just living in it (for a time). There is no fantasy story without a Hero and a quest that needs undertaking.