[[quoteright:160:[[VideoGame/HarvestMoon http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harvest-moon_farm_boy.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:160:[[VideoGame/HarvestMoon Some farm boys]] like to dress to impress.]]

A staple of fantasy adventures. Farmy [=McFarmboy=] is just an [[TheEveryman ordinary]], humble [[KidHero young]] farmboy/hunter/etc. living and working in a [[TheSimpleLifeIsSimple simple]], [[{{Arcadia}} tranquil, pastoral land]] until destiny (and his ObiWan) [[CallToAdventure comes knocking]], normally [[DoomedHometown knocking down his house or town in the process]]. Farmy is typically very [[IJustWantToBeNormal whiny]] and [[RefusalOfTheCall resistant]] to the idea of being the ChosenOne but [[UpbringingMakesTheHero eventually accepts the idea.]] Generally, he's the son of somebody important -- either the BigBad or TheDragon -- or else from an ancient line of wizards or [[RoyalBlood kings]] and [[{{Nephewism}} raised by an aunt or uncle]].

To make things safer, any such heritage will be spoiler marked, [[ItWasHisSled no matter how obvious]].

Does not ''have'' to be male (which doesn't mean he's the SpearCounterpart of the FarmersDaughter), but almost always is.

One common beginning for TheHerosJourney. Rural counterpart of the urban OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent. Very common in stories set in the past, because pre-industrialization, and for most of the history of human civilization, most people were farmers.

This is [[TheOldestOnesInTheBook such an old trope]] it's [[DeadHorseTrope died]] and [[UndeadHorseTrope been reborn]] several times already (who better to keep a horse in good condition than a farmer), and there are a few traditional ways for the story to pan out. Generally, the kid will either go from RagsToRiches (or even all the way [[RagsToRoyalty to Royalty]]), or he'll reject the strange new world he's saved and [[ButNowIMustGo return home]] to accept the CallToAgriculture.

As David Eddings (a major user of this trope) explained in The Rivan Codex, it is a good way to explain how your fantasy world works within the context of the story. The reader [[AudienceSurrogate learns the rules along with the main character]].
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Slightly off course is Sheeta from ''Laputa CastleInTheSky''. She's a farmgirl [[spoiler: who is descended from the Laputian royal family,]] but she already knows this when we meet her (neither we nor Pazu does, though).
* Jack from ''{{MAR}}''. Really a sidekick, but still a farmboy.
* Arguably, Edward and Alphonse Elric from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Their home town of Resembool is always portrayed as a farming village, although they're never shown participating. Also, their alchemy teacher Izumi Curtis is the wife of a butcher, which also lends to the rustic charm.
** As for the other part of this trope, they're the sons of [[spoiler:Hohenheim, the series' BigGood]].
* Hideki from {{Manga/Chobits}} moved away from his family's farm at the very start of the series to AVOID becoming this trope. He just wants to live a normal life and experience the thrills and modern marvels of the city while he pursues his own future. He certainly gets far more than what he expected, to be sure.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comicbooks]]
* Don't forget Franchise/{{Superman}}, who was raised as naive farmboy Clark Kent. Last son of Krypton.
** Inverted with {{Superboy}}, his younger clone, who went to go live with the Kents for a "proper upbringing". Superboy has quite a bit more hubris than his progenitor, though...
** Subverted somewhat by the SilverAge and BronzeAge continuity, where the Kents sold the farm before Clark started school and bought a general store in Smallville, as well as Clark becoming {{Superboy}} at age 8. Smallville's still a one-horse town, however.
* Ironically, Superman's ComicBook/KingdomCome rival Magog started out a farmboy too, albeit from Iowa rather than Kansas. He blew up Kansas.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* Tobias Talltree of ''Fanfic/CloudedSky'' is a farmboy before being chosen to become a Pokémon guide.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* The ''StarWars'' films have Luke, who was raised as a "moisture farmer" by his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru before answering the Call to Adventure.
* In an urban variant in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Po the Panda was just a noodle vendor and cook until he was picked to be the Dragon Warrior seemingly out of the blue. Partially subverted in that his father does not object to Po accepting this destiny, just initially disappointed his son did not follow his footsteps in a calling he sincerely considers fulfilling.
* ''Film/TheMatrix'' has Thomas A. Anderson starting off as a regular office worker - essentially the modern, urban version of the Farmboy - until fate said "Knock knock, Neo". The only things missing here are his hometown and parents getting destroyed - understandable as his "hometown" and "parents" are ''what he'll end up fighting against''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''{{Belgariad}}'' has (Bel)Garion the farmer's nephew. His home town was not blown up and his "aunt" Polgara turned out to be a powerful and ancient sorceress. [[spoiler: Son of the Rivan Kings.]]
** Durnik, the humble farm blacksmith of low birth, who insists that he's nobody important, [[spoiler:turns out to be a signifigant part of the Prophecy and comes BackFromTheDead to fulfill it, becoming an immortal sorcerer in the process and marrying Polgara]]. Too old to be a farm ''boy'', but he otherwise seems to fit.
* [[Literature/InheritanceCycle Eragon]] was a hunter/farmer raised by his uncle, whose home was destroyed by forces looking for the dragon egg. [[spoiler: At one point was thought to be the Son of Morzan, a Dragon Rider who was the pupil of the OldMaster Oromis before he joined Galbatorix It turns out that he was actually the son of TheObiWan Brom, who used to be Morzan's Lickspittle.]]
* In King's Dragon, the first book of Kate Elliot's series Crown of Stars, Alain is the foster son of a merchant, and is raised by he and his sister, Alain's "aunt" Bel. He was not raised on a farm, but still fits the trope, because he grows up at home, doing work for his guardians and being a normal guy. Until [[spoiler: he is visited by the Lady of Battles, taken to Count Lavastine's castle, and eventually discovers that he is his son and heir.]]
* Subverted thoroughly by ElizabethMoon in ''TheDeedOfPaksenarrion:'' Paks is A) a girl, and B) a sheepfarmer's daughter who is... actually the daughter of the sheepfarmer and the sheepfarmer's wife too. She gets all her power through hard slogging, not having been born to it. (The first book in the trilogy is actually called ''Sheepfarmer's Daughter.'')
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', Mat, Rand and Perrin start out the series as a farmer, shepherd and blacksmith apprentice respectively in a small rural town before answering the Call to Adventure. Lan initially calls Rand "sheepherder" frequently to lampdshade his inexperience in the ways of battle.
* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'', Frodo is the equivalent of a [[BlueBlood nobleman]] (i.e. rich enough to live a comfortable life of leisure) but Samwise Gamgee is a gardener. Unlike most Farm Boys, though, Sam does not [[RefusalOfTheCall resist being chosen]], but rather forces himself into the quest when others are chosen. [[spoiler: Son of his Gaffer.]]
* Richard from Terry Goodkind's ''SwordOfTruth'' novels started off as a humble woodsman, before saving the Mother Confessor. [[spoiler: He is the son of TheObiWan's daughter and the BigBad, which also makes him the first War Wizard in a thousand years. He is also the first one to turn the Sword of Truth White, the Seeker of the Truth, and so on.]] Again, just in case you didn't know he was special. Despite all this, he insists he's a "simple woodsman."
* Ged from ''[[Literature/EarthseaTrilogy A Wizard of Earthsea]]'' is a goatherd, son of a blacksmith, on a very rural island out on the edge of civilization -- but the island is known for occasionally producing very powerful wizards.
* Westley in ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'' begins as a farmboy, but eventually becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts. He's not related to anyone important, though.
* Subverted in the [[{{Dragaera}} Vlad Taltos]] novel ''Athyra'', which is told from the perspective of a smarter-than-average Teckla [serf] named Savn, who also has some skill with magic. From Savn's perspective, Vlad comes across as the Obi Wan figure, but the reader realizes this isn't the case, and indeed Savn does not have the happy destiny of the other characters on this page.
* In LloydAlexander's ''PrydainChronicles'' (and Disney's [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation of the second book]], ''TheBlackCauldron''), a young boy, profession '''assistant''' pig-keeper, [[JumpedAtTheCall ran headlong into adventures]] (and a thornbush) when Hen Wen, his oracular charge, ran away from [[BigBad Arawn's]] new lieutenant [[TheDragon the Horned King]]. Special bonus points must be awarded as he is often called FarmBoy (or, more often, pig-boy) in a derogatory way.
** Son of [[spoiler: nobody. He was found as a baby nearby a violent battle where nobody survived, so he was without rank or heritage, something which his foster-father took as a sign that he was the chosen child.]]
* [[Literature/{{Discworld}} Carrot Ironfoundersson of the City Watch]] fits this trope in every way, save that he's a miner's son rather than a farmer's son (and a dwarf, albeit two meters tall).
** Subverted with Tomjon, [[spoiler:apparent]] heir to Lancre and [[spoiler:supposed]] son of King Verence I. Given to a troupe of actors to raise (mostly because that's how these stories are supposed to go, but also so that, if this whole king thing doesn't work out, he'll at least learn a useful trade) he was raised to be his father's son. Turns out that if you raise a king as an actor, he'll mostly turn out to be an actor.
** Mort wasn't even much good at being a FarmBoy, yet a stint as the GrimReaper-In-Training left him in a position to become a Duke. [[spoiler: Not for very long, unfortunately.]]
* [[Literature/TheBible Jesus]], a carpenter who goes on to be a famous rabbi, messiah, and martyr. [[spoiler:Son of {{God}}/[[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} a very major prophet]] / [[JesusWasWayCool a nice dude]].]]
** His ancestor David is possibly the UrExample, making this trope at least OlderThanFeudalism. Played with in that instead being the last scion from a lost royal line, he is the founder of the lost royal line.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera'' has Tavi of Calderon, an orphan raised by his aunt and uncle, [[TheCallPutMeOnHold powerless]] in a world where EveryoneIsASuper. As he grows up, saves the world repeatedly, and generally attracts attention by [[BadassNormal being very]] [[CrazyAwesome awesome]], people begin to notice strange things about him. Such as how [[spoiler:the [[ObfuscatingStupidity mentally disabled]] slave owned by his uncle looks rather like legendary swordsman Araris Valerian behind the coward's brand on his face, and is uncannily good with a sword. Or how Tavi just happens to look a ''lot'' like Princeps Gaius Septimus, who was [[strike:killed in battle]] assassinated under cover of a battle near Tavi's home shortly before he was born. Or how First Lord Gaius Sextus, Septimus's father, put Tavi through the Academy as his personal aide. Or how his bodyguard when he ends up Captain of a Legion is a brilliant, scarred swordsman named Araris... Yeah, [[MeaningfulName "Tavi"]] is [[SecretLegacy short for]] "[[RagsToRoyalty Gaius]] Oc'''tavi'''an."]]
* Niko Christofolus in ''{{Paladins}}'' was merely a fisherman's son, before [[CoolSword Nadide]] showed up on the scene.
* Gilbert Markham, the hero of ''TheTenantOfWildfellHall'':
-->"Well! - an honest and industrious farmer is one of the most useful members of society; and if I devote my talents to the cultivation of my farm, and the improvement of agriculture in general, I shall thereby benefit, not only my own immediate connections and dependants, but, in some degree, mankind at large:- hence I shall not have lived in vain." With such reflections as these I was endeavouring to console myself, as I plodded home from the fields, one cold, damp, cloudy evening towards the close of October.
* Flinx from the HumanxCommonwealth novels was an urban variant, bought at a slave auction and grudgingly raised by the irascible Mother Mastiff in Drallar, the WretchedHive capital of a rustic colony-world called Moth. [[spoiler: He's the product of an illegal eugenics experiment that left him CursedWithAwesome PsychicPowers and the only Class A mind capable of activating a LostTechnology's galaxy-saving defense mechanism.]]
* Bria in ''Literature/TheLastDove''. She is raised in a rural village where she is mocked for not being able to Change. [[spoiler: Then she finds out that she's Queen Vasi's daughter]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''{{Smallville}}'', being the story of Clark before he became Superman, has shown him like this a lot.
* [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk]] was born and raised on a farm in Iowa. Even though he becomes a MemeticBadass starship captain, he still identifies with Iowa as his home.
--> '''Gillian:''' Don't tell me; you're from outer space
-->'''Kirk:''' No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space.
** For that matter, Jean-Luc Picard grew up on his family's vinyard, although he shed himself of this trope as soon as he was old enough to enlist as a Starfleet cadet.
* Not a hero, nor a boy, but the idea of the trope is invoked by [[MadMen Bert Cooper]] upon the death of the secretary Miss Blankenship:
-->'''Cooper''': She was born in 1898 in a barn. She died on the 37th floor of a skyscraper. [[Heartwarming/MadMen She's an astronaut]].
* Malcolm Reynolds of ''{{Firefly}}'' was a rancher on the rural planet [[DoomedHometown Shadow]] before he [[JumpedAtTheCall joined up with the Independents]] against the encroaching [[TheEmpire Alliance]]. He then proceeded to lose everything he cared about except his second in command, his coat, his gun, and [[KnightInSourArmor almost broken idealism.]]
** Mal's homeworld Shadow later became a DoomedHometown, becoming what's known as a "Black Rock". And no, it's not because the terraforming gave out. It's because it was a Browncoat stronghold during the Unification War, leading the Alliance to [[NukeEm orbitally bombard the surface]] so hard, they made it so [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure no living thing could]] ''[[KillEmAll ever]]'' [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill survive there again]]!
* Played with in ''Series/{{Skins}}''. Alo lives on a farm, and Mini's "pet name" for him is "Farm Boy."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Videogames]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Link was a goatherd before he was pulled into a world of Triforces, shadow demons, and the neverending battle of good vs. evil. [[spoiler:Link is possibly descended (or at least reincarnated) from the previous Links.]]
** Other game's Links come close. Though not farmers, they often live a fairly simple life before something draws them into the adventure. Only the cartoon and direct sequels start out with a seasoned adventurer.
* The main character of ''BaldursGate'' is an ordinary person living in a library fortress with their adoptive father. [[spoiler: However, being the Child of Bhaal, the late god of murder,]] doesn't really allow a person to refuse TheCall.
* The Hero of ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' starts out as a farmboy, and then the whole village gets torched. [[spoiler: The son of one of the most famous heroines around.]] Is also called Farmboy by the Rival and her brother.
* Turned on its end by ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon''. Pete ([[HelloInsertNameHere or whatever you want to call him]]), the protagonist, is a farmboy ''because'' that's his Call.
** The other protagonists too.
** Played straight with RuneFactory's [[EasyAmnesia amnesiac hero]] Raguna. [[spoiler: Implied prince of [[TheKingdom Kardia]] and [[LongLostRelative brother]] to IntrepidMerchant Ivan.]]
* The hero of the ''{{Summoner}}'' game.
* Lucas in ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}''.
** Lucas' twin brother, Claus, counts too. [[AloofBigBrother In a different sort of way]].
* Played with in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'' in that Welkin acts like a farm-boy without actually being one. He also accepts the call without any serious objections. Of course his home-nation has a universal conscription law on its books so he's probably used to the idea of having to enlist if there's an invasion.
* DinkSmallwood is a pig farmer who dreams about becoming a knight. [[spoiler: His heritage is deliberately left wide open for the {{fanon}} to explore.]]
* The hero/heroine of ''DungeonSiege'' starts as you guessed it, a humble farmer.
** In the UweBoll [[VideoGameMoviesSuck movie]], the character is even ''named'' "Farmer".
* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey III'' has the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Farmer]] class, which is supposed to be the weakest physically, but with plenty of skills useful for explorers to have handy.
* Alex from Lunar: Silver Star for the Sega CD, and later other platforms, is a boy who lives in a small farm community. He gets to fulfill his dreams of going on adventures and becoming a Dragonmaster just like his hero, Dyne.
* Evan in MapleStory. Just a normal boy living in a pig farm until he had a dream meeting a dragon. Guess what happens to him when he woke up from his dream...
* Hilbert from ''VideoGame/LastScenario'', except for the bit about being [[RefusalOfTheCall reluctant]] and [[IJustWantToBeNormal whiny]]; he [[HeroicWannabe always wanted to be one]] and JumpedAtTheCall when he was told at the beginning of the story that he was the descendant of a legendary hero. [[spoiler:Which, as it happens, is [[UnwittingPawn exactly what they were hoping for]].]]
* In a slight subversion of this trope, in the Canon ending for Wing Commander 3, Blair goes off to be a farmboy. It doesn't take as he's recalled to active duty at the start of Wing Commander 4, now being a bitter, lonely man.
* Constantly reminded of, Stahn of VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny from a little village in Lienea is taken for a dolt and doesn't get complimented very well by anyone except for the priestess Philia.
* The Colonist [[MultipleChoicePast origin]] for Commander Shepard of MassEffect is more or less this, in comparison to [[MilitaryBrat Spacer]] and [[StreetUrchin Earthborn]]. It implies that Shepard grew up in a backwater human colony which conveniently got the DoomedHometown treatment.
** In ''MassEffect3'', it's revealed that an agricultural unit was the first to pick up a weapon to protect it's fellow units after the Quarians turned on them. [[spoiler: It's heavily implied this was one of ''[[RobotBuddy Legion's]]'' memories.]]
* The Farmer class is one option for the player to choose in ''VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery''. BoringButPractical, the Farmer class can carry more weight, gather better herbs, doesn't need to eat as often, can make their own food, and levels up faster in the most balanced weapon type in the game than any other class. Who needs the innate ability to cast fireballs or pick locks on their journey to save the world when you have the ability to just ''survive''?
* [[FireEmblem Fire Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow]] has PlayerPersonalityQuiz concerning Your Character's background which one of the preset choices is "farmer's child." Selecting this background provides some changes in character's stats, personality, and some in-game dialogues.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Juinn of ''{{Juathuur}}'' [[spoiler: (son of the Salamander King.)]]
* In ''WapsiSquare'' [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/not-going/ Bud disclaims responsibility for her culture on the ground she was the equivalent of a Mid-West farm girl with common sense.]]
* Subverted with Lars from ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''. According to [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20050316 his backstory]], he was a cheesemaker's apprentice until he ran away with a circus. Later, he fell in love with Agata, but ultimately [[spoiler: he died as an [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061215 ordinary guy]]]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]
* Hilde Becker from ''[[{{Lambda}} Opening Move]]'' is a naive [[MeaningfulName baker girl]] from a rural seaside town. She gets smooth-talked into joining the army by a [[MentorMascot weird rabbit-thing with wings and five ears]]. Whether or not she's related to anyone important is still unknown.
* Arnie Harvey from Wisconsin, ordinary chubby kid whose family owns a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Until he gets superpowers in the WhateleyUniverse. He gets superstrength ''and'' superspeed. At the time of his story "Triple Threat" he is considered a campus ''supervillain''.
* MSFHighForum: Sam has this in his orgin combined with soldier.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Megan from the original ''MyLittlePony'' cartoon. Not the daughter of anyone important (her parents don't ever come up, actually), but she ''definitely'' fits.
** Speaking of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic ponies]], two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony grew up on farms. Applejack tried to leave as a kid but ultimately returned, feeling the family farm was her destiny. Nowadays she seems to run it, and while she has helped save the world twice shows no intention of ever giving up being a farmer. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, happily turned away from the farm when she realised her destiny lay elsewhere, a destiny that as mentioned included saving the world twice, but mostly [[LifeOfTheParty bringing parties and laughter to other ponies]]. Pinkie also claims the farm was so boring that they ''grew rocks'' and that her parents were the pony equivalent of Amish. With her being a CloudCuckoolander, we [[UnreliableNarrator don't know how much of this is true]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Zhu Yuanzhang: youngest son of a peasant, whose home town was [[DoomedHometown wiped out by a flood]] when he was [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday sixteen]] and who went on to found the Ming dynasty by way of the [[GoingNative Red Turban]] secret society (and [[TheStarscream murdering their previous leader]]).
* MaoZedong was born a peasant's son, rising to become dictator of RedChina aged 56.
* Richard Bong, the top US AcePilot of all time (he got to 40 kills before being pulled from combat) was raised on a farm. He died while testing a P-80 Shooting Star on 6 August 1945. In some cases, his death shared the next day's front page with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
* Alvin York famous American soldier in World War I, was from a farming family and was born in a two-room log cabin near Pall Mall, Tennessee.
* AbrahamLincoln also grew up in the backwoods.
* Former Wrestling/{{WWE}} and UFC Heavyweight Champion BrockLesnar grew up in South Dakota.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy Audie Murphy]] was a poor farm boy from Texas. At one point he even lived in a place called Farmersville.
* Flavius Iustinus was born around 450 as a farmer's son somewhere in the rural Balkans. 68 years later he became a Byzantine emperor known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_I Justin I]], having had a steep military career.
* Before being elected Governor of Georgia, and later President of the United States, JimmyCarter was a peanut farmer.
[[/folder]]

----