Line #124 Main/HeroicFantasy


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Pinball/DungeonsAndDragons1987 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dungeons-and-dragons-pinball-detail_5848.jpg]] ]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[BarbarianHero Muscular heroes]], [[WizardClassic magical wizards]], [[BreathWeapon fire-breathing]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]], and a little FanService as well.]]
3
4	->''Circles and rings, dragons and kings\
5	Weaving a charm and a spell\
6	Blessed by the night, holy and bright\
7	Called by the toll of the bell!''\
8
9	-->-- '''Music/BlackSabbath''', ''[[Music/HeavenAndHell1980 Neon Knights]]''
10
11	The exploits of mighty-thewed, [[HeroesPreferSwords sword-wielding heroes]] and their [[FighterMageThief thiefly, wizardly]] and/or [[WhiteMage priestly]] companions, as they [[InHarmsWay spend their days]] smiting evil, fighting monsters, recovering treasures and quaffing ale.
12
13	One of the three typical settings for fantasy literature. HighFantasy usually focuses on the epic struggle between [[BlackAndWhiteMorality absolute good and absolute evil]], and the characters are thrust in the midst. LowFantasy portrays the struggle of characters to achieve their own personal goals, ranging from [[GreyAndGrayMorality questionable]] [[BlackAndGreyMorality to]] [[EvilVersusEvil decidedly unsavory]].
14
15	Heroic Fantasy sits somewhere in between. It tends to be distinguishable from HighFantasy by its scale--the problems are generally those of the heroes, not the world. Kingdoms and societies are portrayed mainly to the extent the heroes have an impact on them. On the other hand, it's distinct from Low Fantasy as well in that the heroes are actually ''heroic'' and their goals are morally sound or, at the very least, not overtly objectionable. An AntiHero in this setting is more likely to be a LovableRogue, ClassicalAntihero or a KnightInSourArmour than a WellIntentionedExtremist.
16
17	The setting differs as well: it is neither fragile and [[SavingTheWorld in need of saving]], nor a CrapsackWorld with wickedness InherentInTheSystem -- rather, it's an ambiguous place, characterized more than anything by being an AdventureFriendlyWorld, with much [[PointsOfLightSetting untamed wilderness to travel through]], [[FetchQuest quests to undertake]] and [[DungeonCrawling dungeons to delve]]. Therefore, the heroes are very likely to encounter magic and fantastic elements, assuming they aren't prevalent in the setting to begin with.
18
19	The [[UrExample first story of this type]] is often considered to be Creator/LordDunsany's "The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth" from 1908, but it is 1929's "[[Literature/{{Kull}} The Shadow Kingdom]]" by Creator/RobertEHoward that is responsible for [[TropeMaker kick-starting the genre proper]]. Howard himself would later go on to [[TropeCodifier codify]] the genre with his Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian tales.
20
21	Heavily influenced by TheHerosJourney, Myth/ArthurianLegend, the Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian stories and movies, the game ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', and Myth/ClassicalMythology.
22
23	Sometimes set in a world that looks [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy an awful lot like medieval Europe]], although it can range all the way back to a "forgotten prehistory" such as in ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'', or be set in the more concrete history of our world, such as the "classical antiquity" period (ancient Greece, Rome, etc.) or even earlier (ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, etc.) as found in ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' which merrily mixes the settings up. Stories set in the ancient past are sometimes called "SwordAndSandal" and can overlap with HistoricalFantasy. May involve {{Mythopoeia}}, the further in the past it goes.
24
25	Sometimes it can be found in the future, often in AfterTheEnd setting; sometimes it comes close to PlanetaryRomance. Also often features MedievalStasis.
26
27	Often lumped together with Main/SwordAndSorcery, a genre coined by [[Literature/FafhrdAndTheGrayMouser Fritz Leiber]]. Unkind souls have described Heroic Fantasy as nothing but an upmarket term for Sword & Sorcery, though Leiber deliberately created it to set his stories and similar works by other writers apart from the general field of Heroic Fantasy. The main difference between them is that Sword and Sorcery stories tend to be much [[DarkerAndEdgier darker and grittier]] in terms of tone, content and characterization, while keeping similar story structures, plotlines and tropes as Heroic Fantasy works.
28
29	Good live-action film and television heroic fantasies can be counted on the fingers of one hand (generally starting with the ''[[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Conan the Barbarian]]'' movie). Dying is easy. Fantasy is hard! On the other hand, roughly half of all [=RPGs=] ever written fall under this genre, if not more.
30
31	See also TwoFistedTales, PulpMagazine. Contrast SwordAndSandal.
32
33	For heroic and epic fantasy applied to ''non-''MedievalEuropeanFantasy settings, see {{Wuxia}} (fantasy of Chinese cultural origin), as well as {{Dungeonpunk}} (which is what happens when you take the general attitude of heroic fantasy and remove the MedievalStasis in favor of {{Magitek}}).
34
35	Nor to be confused with {{Demythification}}, which is {{Mythology}} reimagined as HistoricalFiction.
36
37	Perhaps you would be interested in [[SoYouWantTo/WriteAHeroicFantasy writing one yourself?]]
38	----
39	!!Examples:
40
41	[[foldercontrol]]
42
43	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
44	* ''Manga/BlackClover''. The setting we're introduced to is relatively peaceful, thanks to the Wizard King, and everyone in the series has a degree of magical abilities, and our hero's primary goal is to become the next Wizard King, so it qualifies as such.
45	* ''Anime/BikiniWarriors'': Which involves a group of heroines with typical fantasy roles, and go on an epic quest together, while clad in bikinis.
46	* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'': The titular Claymores are warrior women who hunt monsters called Yoma, but are shunned by humans for being part-yoma themselves.
47	* ''Manga/CrimsonSpell'' combines Heroic Fantasy with the YaoiGenre.
48	* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'', which is the story of a group of heroes DungeonCrawling to save the lead's lost little sister.
49	* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasThreeVisionarySwordsmen'' sees Nobita and friends being reborn as their AlternateSelf in a medieval kingdom, Yumemiru, and fighting hordes and hordes of chaotic monsters reminiscent of the works of J.R.R> Tolkien and Robert E. Howard.
50	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'' early on in the series, before its GenreShift to high-powered SpaceOpera.
51	* ''Anime/FairyTail'' focuses on the eponymous guild of wizard adventurers and the various quests they undertake for fun and profit. As the stakes get higher, however, it graduates into HighFantasy around the point [[spoiler:the long-thought-dead Black Wizard Zeref and the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse Acnologia start entering the plot]].
52	* ''Manga/FrierenBeyondJourneysEnd'' plays in a time after the heroes defeated the Demon King. The world is largely at peace and the protagonist's journey is a journey to learn more about herself and rectify past regrets and mistakes.
53	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' started as this, though it quickly veered into HighFantasy territory. The [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 2003 anime version]], on the other hand, stuck with Heroic Fantasy.
54	* ''Manga/HunterXHunter''
55	* ''Anime/LegendOfLemnear''
56	* ''Manga/OnePiece''
57	* ''Anime/QueensBlade''. The heroines rarely have magic on their side while the villains do and often the only way to win a fight is through sword battles. While there is a grand plot involving the fate of the land, the heroines are largely unaware of it and just want to fulfill their personal desires.
58	* ''Manga/{{Senyuu}}''. A series with heroes, demons, swords and magic. Actually, more like a parody, but despite loads of gags and jokes remains heroic.
59	* ''VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga'', [[TheAnimeOfTheGame based off of the video game of the same name]].
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Comic Books]]
63	* ''ComicBook/AquamanSwordOfAtlantis'' was an attempt to make the titular character's comic this genre.
64	* ''ComicBook/CerebusTheAardvark'' started as a {{Parody}} of these before becoming a full-on MindScrew.
65	* ''ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian'', a comic book adaptation of one of the foundational examples of the genre.
66	** ''ComicBook/RedSonja'' is a spinoff from the ''Conan'' comic, with an ActionGirl protagonist in a ChainmailBikini.
67	* Elric of Melnibone is an anti Conan.
68	* ''ComicBook/MouseGuard:'' Heroic fantasy with mice soldiers.
69	* ''ComicBook/RatQueens'' mixes the genre with FeministFantasy.
70	* A "Clonan" is a clone of Conan, often created to cash in a craze.
71	** Creator/AtlasComics' ''Ironjaw'' is Conan with a bear trap for a jaw.
72	** Creator/DCComics' ''Claw the Unconquered'' is a Clonan with a demonic hand.
73	** ''Prince Toreus Rhann'' is Conan on a dyson sphere.
74	** ''Prince Eric Khorum Rhann'' is Conan and Prince Namor on a dyson sphere undersea.
75	* ''ComicBook/{{Hillbilly}}'' is a FantasyAmericana spin on this, with a basis in Appalachian folklore instead of medieval or Classical myths. There's also the in-universe legend of the Iron Child, who resembles a KidHero version of Conan.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Fan Works]]
79	* Quite averted in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'', which is partially set on a continent that was once a place of Heroic Fantasy. However, by the time the four find themselves there, the skahs warriors have long since wiped out any threats, and are going crazy with boredom because they have nothing to do and refuse to become civilians. A major goal of some of the secondary characters is finding a way to restock the continent with monsters, since the gods refuse to do it.
80	** Played much more straight on Jim Hunter's world, but that's because it was built by a gamer.%%How?
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
84	* ''WesternAnimation/FireAndIce1983'': The primary magic-users of the tale, Nekron and Juliana, are [[SorcerousOverlord the villains]] who are using their powers to TakeOverTheWorld. However, the plot is mostly focused upon how this affects Firekeep and the surrounding areas, so the conflict is limited to only to a small section of the world and a few individuals. A big chunk of the movie is also dedicated to the [[SaveThePrincess kidnapping and attempted rescue of Princess Teegra]]; the protagonists only set out to directly take down Nekron's forces in the climax. Two of the main heroes, Larn and Darkwolf, are pretty unambiguously the good guys, and they save the day through force of arms (although it's hinted Darkwolf may have preternatural abilities of some kind that enhance his combat skills, he's not shooting fireballs at people).
85	* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' and its original sequel might have been written as self-conscious {{affectionate parod\|y}}ies of "fairy tale movies", but both movies use and celebrate heroic fantasy tropes so wholeheartedly that they both feel more like straight "fairy tale movies"/heroic fantasy with lots of humour and character development. While the protagonists are fundamentally good people with a clear moral high ground over the villains, the plots tend to focus on smaller, more personal conflicts.
86	** The [[WesternAnimation/Shrek1 first movie]] revolves around Shrek trying to rescue a princess purely to get the fairy tale refugees off his land, only to fall in love with said princess and have to overcome his insecurities before she marries the evil Lord Farquaad.
87	** ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'' revolves around Shrek struggling to impress his in-laws and save his marriage while the evil Fairy Godmother tries to force Princess Fiona into being with Prince Charming; although things would probably be bad for Far Far Away if the Fairy Godmother took complete control of the kingdom, the film emphasizes the threat to Shrek and Fiona's relationship.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
91	* ''Film/ArmyOfDarkness'', an AffectionateParody of the genre.
92	* ''Film/TheBarbarians''
93	* ''Film/TheBeastmaster'' (only the movie, not the {{science fiction}} books it was based on.)
94	* ''Film/BloodOfBeasts''.
95	* ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans\|1981}}''.
96	* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' and ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer''
97	* ''Film/{{Conquest}}'' mix this with DarkFantasy and {{Horror}}.
98	* ''Film/HanselAndGretelWitchHunters''
99	* ''Film/{{Highlander}}''.
100	* ''Film/KullTheConqueror''.
101	* ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime''.
102	* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' is an [[AffectionateParody affectionate and very gentle parody]] of this genre. The novel it was based on was darker and more of a deconstruction. The heroes' goals are taken just (or almost) as seriously as they would be in a straight heroic fantasy.
103	* ''Film/RedSonja''.%%
104	* ''Film/TheSwordAndTheSorcerer''.
105	* ''Film/TheThrillingSword'' - from Taiwan.
106	* ''Film/WizardsOfTheDemonSword''.
107	* ''Film/GleahanAndTheKnavesOfIndustry:'' The movie contains no legitimate fantasy elements, but it hits all the beats of a Heroic Fantasy story. Gleahan definitely ''thinks'' he's in one of these, though.
108	* ''Film/ANewHope'' is essentially this, only set in a Science Fiction setting, rather than Fantasy. There's an evil empire led by a SorcerousOverlord clad in all black, a young farmboy who studies the ways of magic/the Force under a wise old master from a now extinct order of wizards, and there's even an emphasis on swordfighting.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Literature]]
112	* The ''[[Literature/TheWarGods Bahzell]]'' series by Creator/DavidWeber.
113	* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany''
114	* Alison Croggon's ''Literature/BooksOfPellinor''.
115	* ''Literature/CodexAlera'' (quasi-AncientRome + ElementalPowers).
116	* Creator/RobertEHoward's ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'', ''Literature/{{Kull}}'' and ''Literature/BranMakMorn''. To a large extent Howard invented the modern incarnation of this trope.
117	* Many of the older ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels were comedic deconstructions/parodies of this genre, as are a few of the more recent ones. A very loose rule of thumb for the Discworld books: If the main character is Rincewind or Susan, it's probably going to be heroic or high fantasy; if it's Vimesy, the Watch, Moist, or Death, you are probably looking at low fantasy, the elderly barbarians are usually heroic fantasy, and if it's the witches then it's probably either going to be low or heroic fantasy. Pratchett seems to have started out creating straight parodies of heroic and high fantasy, and then gotten bored halfway through and slowly began integrating and exploring low fantasy settings more and more. [[BrokenBase Fans are divided ]] as to whether the earlier (and punchier) heroic fantasy parodies are better or worse than the later (and more thoughtful and elaborate/longer) low-fantasy-with-an-emphasis-on-social-themes-and-character-based-comedies.
118	** Back in the day, there were a [[FollowTheLeader number of less popular and deservedly-forgotten fantasy/comedy novels attempting to capitalise on the popularity of Discworld, which were almost always set in heroic or high fantasy universes]]. They tended to very bleak, because they had the same [[DarkerAndEdgier and sometimes an even more exaggerated]] casual approach to violence that you'd see in the earlier Discworld novels, but not the goofy and likeable supporting cast of recurring characters which stopped Discworld from ever becoming particularly dark.
119	* Creator/{{David Gemmell}}'s books are a prime example.
120	* ''Literature/TheTroySaga'' by Creator/DavidGemmell being one that overlaps with HistoricalFantasy
121	* Michael Moorcock's ''Literature/TheElricSaga'' (another {{Deconstruction}}).
122	* D. E. Wyatt's ''[[Literature/ElsabethSoesten No Good Deed...]]'' has many elements of this.
123	* ''Literature/TheExilesViolin'': A hero armed with mystical weapons that fights a power mad EvilSorcerer doesn't sound like the kind of thing that would happen in a SteamPunk detective story but it happens and checks off the other markers such as personal trouble and grey morality.
124	* Fritz Leiber's ''Literature/FafhrdAndTheGrayMouser''.
125	* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/GloryRoad'' is a {{Reconstruction}} of these types of stories.
126	* ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' slowly becomes this trope: despite its RRatedOpening, the titular character refuses to "play by the rules" and slowly becomes a more typical fantasy hero (even when that's not what he's pursuing), thanks to the aid of TrueCompanions who are slowly helping him regain his humanity. While the setting does establish adventuring as a {{Grimdark}}, dirty affair - a medieval fantasy world that has its share of horrors - there also exists friendship, honor, hope and love; all the more reason that these ideals are certainly worth fighting for.
127	* Mercedes Lackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series has quite a few stories in this tone. The most notable is the ''Vows and Honor'' series, about a swordswoman/sorceress mercenary pair who travel the world looking for work and battling evil, almost always because it pays or because a magic sword is compelling them to rescue women. In her ''Oathblood'' introduction, Lackey specifically noted that she made the Vows and Honor stories to play with the tropes of heroic fantasy: the leads are both women, one of them is celibate. ''Oathbreakers'' winds up with more HighFantasy leanings than the rest of the trilogy, as it's more explicitly supernatural, good and evil are more clearly delineated, Kethry gets a major power upgrade, and they bring down an evil king so they can set up a better one.
128	* Interestingly, ''Literature/TheHobbit'' is generally closer to heroic fantasy than the high fantasy associated with Tolkien. While the party's journey to reclaim Erebor had significance to the Dwarves as a people, and their mission to get rid of Smaug is significant to Dale as a town, the basic focus is on the Dwarves and Bilbo and their fun adventure. Nothing that happens seems to be of world-historical importance except, at most, as a squabble over some treasure. (''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' shows in retrospect that the journey was more important than it seemed, but [[RetCon even Tolkien didn't know that when he wrote it]]).
129	* Charles R. Saunders's ''Literature/{{Imaro}}''.
130	* Norman Spinrad's ''Literature/TheIronDream'' (a {{Deconstruction}} geared towards showing just how screwy the genre's politics can get).
131	* C.L. Moore's ''Literature/JirelOfJoiry'', the first major female character in Heroic Fantasy. Her husband Creator/HenryKuttner was no slouch in the genre, with works like ''Elak of Atlantis'', ''Valley of Flame'' and ''The Dark World.''.
132	* Karl Edward Wagner's ''Literature/KaneSeries''.
133	* Patrick Rothfuss's ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'' (although the protagonist is leaning toward AntiHero territory and may get worse in the upcoming book 3).
134	* The ''Literature/KingdomsDisdain'' Series by Paul! Lang.
135	* ''Literature/TheLegendaryInge'', which is based on ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}''.
136	* ''Literature/LegendsOfPanthera'' is set in the semi-medievial world of Panthera and follows the adventures of a group of champions who battle against gods.
137	* ''[[Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen The Malazan Book of the Fallen]]'', especially during Karsa Orlong's storylines.
138	* Marion Zimmer Bradley's ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon'' is either a DarkerAndEdgier or DeconstructedTrope version (or possibly DistaffCounterpart) of the Myth/ArthurianLegend.
139	* ''Literature/{{Moribito}}'' by Creator/NahokoUehashi.
140	* ''Literature/TheNightAngelTrilogy'' by Brent Weeks.
141	* Lynn Flewelling's ''Literature/{{Nightrunner}}'' series.
142	* ''Literature/TheLineageOfTellus'' starts off as this before the problems shift from the heroes to the world, wherein it becomes HighFantasy.
143	* Everything by Creator/RASalvatore.
144	* Lynn Abbey's ''Rifkin'' series.
145	* ''Literature/RuneSoldierLouie'' is a comedic Heroic Fantasy spin-off of the high fantasy ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWar''.
146	* The ''Literature/{{Shadowleague}}'' trilogy.%%
147	* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}''%%
148	* The ''Literature/SnowWalker'' trilogy by Catherine Fisher.
149	* ''Literature/TheSorcererOfTheWildeeps'', for which ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'' may or may not have been an inspiration.
150	* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Though the narrative is driven by technology and is set in NextSundayAD, at its heart ''Sword Art Online'' is ''still'' fundamentally a fantasy of heroic warriors (and later, wizards) crusading across mythical lands, fighting for justice, honor and making the world a better place with swords and spells in their hands, courage and love in their hearts.
151	* Creator/LordDunsany's "The Sword of Welleran" and "The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth", as well as a few other short stories here and there.
152	* Tamora Pierce's ''Literature/TortallUniverse''. While the fate of the kingdom of Tortall is on the line in the ''Song of the Lioness'' and the ''Immortals'' quartets, the focus throughout remains on the coming-of-age of Pierce's heroines. Later books have lower stakes, but all have a good down-to-earth feel, and fairly nuanced morality.
153	* ''Literature/TalionRevenant'': The book's genre. It centers around Nolan's quest to stop a bandit leader, and later protect a king.
154	* ''Literature/TheBarbarianAndTheSorceress'' by Patrick Thornton.
155	* ''Literature/GuardiansOfTheFlame'': In the series, some gamers playing what is [[ShoutOut basically]] ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' are transported into a fantasy world, and [[AnAdventurerIsYou become their characters]]. At first it focuses simply on them trying to survive and return home. In later books they get drawn into a crusade to abolish slavery, then form one state/take over a couple others, but it still focuses on the deeds and struggles of the heroes.
156	* ''Literature/TheReluctantKing'' by Creator/LSpragueDeCamp.
157	* ''Literature/DeeperUpTheTower'': Ultimately, a subversion of heroic fantasy.
158	* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': The first book mostly falls into this category, although for the remainder of the series it shifts into High Fantasy. Feyre is a PragmaticHero whose main goal is initially to protect her family and survive, including trying to find a way out of a magically-binding contract with a faerie lord [[spoiler:who tricked her in the hopes she could break a curse that has befallen his court]]. After she falls in love with him she goes to save him from an evil faerie queen, whom she learns is a threat to the whole world. Feyre is also a BadassNormal who mostly relies on her wits and hunting skills to overcome obstacles; in the second book she gains powers.
159	* ''Literature/SwansBraidAndOtherTalesOfTerizan'': The adventures of Terizan, a lesbian thief in the city of Oreen. An AntiHero, Terizan's good at heart and prevents greater harm in spite of her profession. All the problems she faces affect Oreen (or her) alone, with the action never moving beyond the city.
160	* ''Literature/ThirdTimeLuckyAndOtherStoriesOfTheMostPowerfulWizardInTheWorld'': The adventures of Magdelene, the most powerful wizard in the world, who'd much prefer to live a hedonistic life by the sea. When called upon though, she can easily deliver heroics, easily defeating bad guys with her unparalleled magic.
161	* ''Literature/SweetAndBitterMagic'': Two teenage girls, a witch and source (a person who can fuel magic) go on a quest to stop the dark magic ravaging their land, in hopes of saving one's father. At the same time, they begin falling in love while one seeks her redemption for past misdeeds with the other's aid.
162	[[/folder]]
163
164	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
165	* ''Series/{{Garo}}''
166	* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''.
167	* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''.
168	* ''Series/KrodMandoonAndTheFlamingSwordOfFire'' is a parody of the genre.
169	* ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' with dinosaurs and a ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' twist.
170	* ''Series/{{Merlin\|2008}}''.%%
171	* ''Series/{{Roar}}'' (pre-Myth/{{Arthurian\|Legend}} British Isles).
172	* ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'' what with its use of archetypes and mysticism.
173	* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSinbad''
174	* ''Series/TheOutpost''
175	* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' evidently aims at bringing the same kind of epicness to the small screen that ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Lord of the Rings]]'' did as theatrical films (without connection to it), with the struggle between heroic people of Middle-earth and the evil orcish forces of Sauron.
176	* ''Series/TheWitcher2019'': At least in the first season. It has an epic fantasy setting but the plotlines are more self-contained with smaller-scale conflicts. Geralt travels around slaying monsters (supernatural or human); he gets paid for it (and has nothing much else to do) but he's a good person who often gets personally invested. Yennefer is a rogue sorceress whose main loyalty is to herself, although she has bouts of heroism and eventually comes around to helping the other mages fight an evil empire. Ciri is the one whose story most fits the High Fantasy mould: a princess with rare magic powers on the run from the evil empire that has taken over her country, seeking the person who can protect and train her; that said, for the most part she's just trying to survive and doesn't meet up with Geralt until the final minutes of Season 1.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Music]]
180	* Music/BlackSabbath stands as the modern musical UrExample for this in their early batch of songs such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKY--qaHWSw ''The Wizard'']]. They weren't alone, considering Music/LedZeppelin and Music/JethroTull were greatly inspired by Tolkien.
181	* Music/RonnieJamesDio is the one who truly brought this to prominence, as Dio was a massive fantasy nerd and part of bands whose whole shtick revolved around muscular barbarians slaying dragons. Aside from his work with ''Sabbath'', this was most evident with his band ''Elf'' and his later solo work. See [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkysjcs5vFU ''Holy Diver'']].
182	* HeavyMithril is either this or HighFantasy in rock form.
183	* The whole genre of PowerMetal is defined by heroic tales of fantasy folk heroes and heroines.
184	[[/folder]]
185
186	[[folder:Pinball]]
187	* The "Barbarian" table of ''VideoGame/BallsOfSteel''.
188	* True to its license, ''Pinball/DungeonsAndDragons1987'' plays this absolutely straight.
189	* ''Pinball/{{Gorgar}}''.
190	* ''Pinball/{{Hercules}},'' not surprisingly, is all about this.
191	* ''Pinball/{{Paragon}}''.
192	* ''Pinball/{{Varkon}}'' has a shirtless adventurer confronting the monstrous Varkon on the other side of a magic stone gate.
193	[[/folder]]
194
195	[[folder:Radio]]
196	* ''Radio/ElvenQuest'' is a parody.
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
200	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Though the game system is flexible enough that the enterprising DM can apply it to almost any {{fantasy}} subgenre, as printed it tends toward Heroic Fantasy. The stakes of the adventure can be as high as the Dungeonmaster wants, but the game is built in such a way that the focus is always on a small group of heroic player characters, as opposed to the actions of entire armies or nations.
201	** During 2nd Edition, the "heroic" aspect was an EnforcedTrope: Due to concerns about the then-recent SatanicPanic, editorial policy was to ensure that all official modules were about heroes doing good in the world, and support for evil or even anti-heroic [=PCs=] was dropped as much as possible (for example, the assassin class was taken out).
202	** The ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' setting specifically aims to emulate old pulp stories and is heavily influenced by ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'', Creator/ClarkAshtonSmith's ''Zothique'' stories, and Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian.
203	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' is what you get when you combine this with the tropes of wuxia, ancient myth, and a dash of shonen anime style to taste.
204	* As does ''TabletopGame/OnMightyThews'', which even comes with a list of substitutions to make things more pulpy.
205	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' generally occupies this league of the fantasy landscape, though it is diverse enough to encompass both High Fantasy (the wars of Aenarion against the Daemons, the Great War Against Chaos) and Low Fantasy (the traditional WFRP millieu, involving cultists and ne'er-do-wells stabbing each other in the dark alleys of Altdorf) as well. Being a wargame, the "heroes" in Warhammer tend to be great military commanders and the conflicts wide-ranging wars, rather than bands of adventurers and their skirmishes, though there are plenty of the latter at work also (Gotrek and Felix, pretty much everyone from the Warhammer Quest spin-off).
206	* ''TabletopGame/HeroQuest'' is MB Games' adaptation of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' in the style of an oldschool DungeonCrawler.
207	* ''TabletopGame/TheChroniclesOfAeres'' deliberately aims to invoke this feeling, admittedly with some of the "Good versus Evil" elements of HighFantasy. Aeres is a world of [[BeastMan Wilderkind]], {{Draconic Humanoid}}s and StandardFantasyRaces who stand united after the recent collapse of three terrible foes -- the [[AntiMagicalFaction magic-hating pro-human Imperium]], the orc & goblin hordes of Olohgim the Witch Lord, and the draconvir armies of the Vulgraks who served the Dragon of Darkness -- and must now try to piece civilization back together from the ruins.
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Video Games]]
211	* ''VideoGame/BarbarianTheUltimateWarrior''.
212	* ''Franchise/DragonAge''. While the first game has a "unite the people to fight an army of evil" main plot, the side plots that make up the biggest chunk of the game follow the genre pretty straight. The second game focuses completely on a single protagonist rising in power within the hierarchy of one city, with the main factions being Templar (sword) and Mage (spell). The third one, however, is more of a conventional HighFantasy.
213	* The ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series, taking inspiration from earlier CRPG titles like ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'' and developed a distinctive Western Fantasy-inspired world through the lens of famed Japanese media creators.
214	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' is one of the most prominent video game examples in modern media, at least from the perspective of each individual game. Taking a broader look at the series in its entirety (as well as digging deep into the rich backstory), and its HighFantasy elements come into greater focus.
215	* The ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' series.
216	* ''VideoGame/FantasyQuest''.
217	* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' is set in a StandardJapaneseFantasySetting called Teyvat, where gods and various inhumans walk among men, and the elements are controlled by seven of those gods, each the lords of their own nation. Despite this sheer scope, the plot largely revolves around an extradimensional individual known as [[PlayerCharacter the Traveler]] trying to [[IWillFindYou find their lost sibling whom they were separated from when venturing into Teyvat]], so while the scale of fantastical elements are undoubtedly high, the stakes are far more personal and often lensed through the viewpoint of the main character.
218	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' plays it pretty straight, though starting with [[VideoGame/GodOfWarII the second game]] the scope of the events becomes considerably bigger, as it grows into a full blown war among the gods.
219	* ''VideoGame/LuciferRing'' have the player assuming a warrior in a Medieval-fantasy world fighting various forces of chaos, including dragons and demons, to prevent an EvilSorceror from awakening a powerful demon.
220	* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' is mostly this as well. The levels of mysticism are very slight (down to the special mode of the Longsword in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'' and onward), but everything else is totally straight: minimal overarching plot, for the most part it's just a world where people make a living slaying or capturing giant monsters for the chance at building more weaponry with which to slay or capture tougher giant monsters.
221	* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' initially seems a Low Fantasy tale, since while magic and monsters both exist in the game's world, they have little bearing on the story. Moreover, each character's specific quest tends to be very personal (e.g., revenge or solving the mystery behind a missing object) rather than epic in scale. At the end of the game, though, it takes a sharp turn towards Heroic Fantasy upon revealing that much of the game's events were masterminded in part by an evil cultist attempting to bring about the resurrection of the Dark God Galdera, and the final battle of the game takes place in a portal to the netherworld while the party do battle with the Dark God himself.
222	* ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia''.
223	* ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'' ({{Deconstruction}}, ironically).
224	* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' is a {{Reconstruction}} of this setting, with SchizoTech and OceanPunk thrown in for flavour. Much of the world is equivalent to the real world [=15th/16th=] Century, but there's also fantastical creatures, adventurers and explorers, myths, and widespread use of magic and magical weaponry. Not to mention the {{Sky Pirate}}s, of course.
225	* ''VideoGame/SuperbrothersSwordAndSworceryEP''.
226	* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher:'' A lone monster hunter hunting a sorcerer who stole the alchemical secrets from the witchers.
227	* In ye olde ''VideoGame/{{dnd}}'' game, you play a warrior, wizard, or priest charged with rescuing a precious orb from the clutches of an evil dragon who is defended by a horde of demons, ghosts, and other vile monsters.
228
229	[[/folder]]
230
231	[[folder:Web Animation]]
232	* ''WebAnimation/TalesOfAlethrion''
233	** The series is set in a magical and weird world where people travel and discover for the sake of it, where strange monsters are fought by heroes for glory and where high-tech cities coincide with tribal hovels. Though later shorts expanded on the setting, it can't be said to have been made more solid for it - if anything, it's just been expanded with more characters and more places for them to travel to.
234	** Only a single story has been about saving the world, and it that case, it was still more concerned with the relation between the [[EldritchAbomination evil creature]] and [[AmbitionIsEvil Alethrion]] himself who accidentally created it from his own rampant greed.
235	[[/folder]]
236
237	[[folder:Webcomics]]
238	* ''Webcomic/TheEchoChronicles'', One plane consists of this kind of world, connected to another which is UrbanFantasy.
239	* ''Webcomic/{{Evon}}''.
240	* ''Webcomic/MeatShield''.
241	* ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'', if you only factor in Julie and her gang's adventures.
242	* ''Webcomic/ChampionsOfFaraus''.
243	[[/folder]]
244
245	[[folder:Western Animation]]
246	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''.
247	* ''WebAnimation/MightyMagiswords''.
248	* ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian''.%%
249	[[/folder]]
250

Context Main / HeroicFantasy