History SoYouWantTo / WriteADarkFantasy

* ''Manga/Claymore'' shows how to do a Dark Fantasy WorldOfActionGirls.

DarkFantasy, the DarkerAndEdgier cousin of standard fantasy. Where there are [[GoodIsNotNice no]] [[SociopathicHero heroes]], TheBadGuyWins and BlackAndGrayMorality rules the day.

* Magic – it is fantasy we speak of, after all. It is not strictly necessary to do anything specific with magic in your story, but it's got a great potential. Many Dark Fantasy stories, as you would imagine, take the opportunity. There's a reason tropes like MagicIsEvil and BlackMagic exist. You may build upon real-world stories and legends, which offer plenty of examples to pick from. It could include grisly prices such as a DealWithTheDevil or HumanSacrifice, or just as well, magic users are [[VainSorceress not]] [[BlackMage nice]] [[EvilSorcerer people]] [[WickedWitch either]]. Your wizarding order may be a tyrannical magocracy that meddles in the affairs of empires and believes in wizard supremacy over muggles - or in their order's supremacy over "witches", "hedge-magicians" or whatever slur they prefer for independent magic users. Anyway, even without all of that, it's pretty much given it won't be about harmless joy and helping upstart heroes.

* Your hero could be, at best, a KnightInSourArmor or maybe someone [[AntiHero darker and more morally ambiguous]]. Considering the setting, how likely it is that he/she will win in the end? How about [[FaceHeelTurn joining]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the villain]]? And then, perhaps, the "hero" is a VillainProtagonist from the start.

* And of course, monsters. [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Well, the ones that aren't humans]] [[RunningGag at least]]. Needn't be the focus of a series, as Series/GameOfThrones has proven, but still worth considering. Are they, well, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]], or [[GreyAndGreyMorality do they have a sense of morals]], or at least "morals?" Are they natural beings or are they [[AnthropomorphicPersonification a reflection of the darkness of]] [[EvilCounterpart human nature so prevalent in the setting?]] [[NecessaryEvil Perhaps they have a vital, if horrific,]] role to play in the very workings of the universe of the setting. And be sure to milk the FaceMonsterTurn and [[TragicMonster any]] [[MercyKill related]] [[WhatHappenedToMommy tropes]] for all their worth. Regardless, monsters should generally be as twisted, gnarled, horrendous creatures that would fit equally well in a horror film as here. That being said, they can still have an air of dignity, noblity even sorrow about them: a design process used to great effect throughout the VideoGame/DarkSouls series.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. That's probably the most important thing to watch out for in Dark Fantasy. No matter how good you are at making the audience depressed, make sure that they still care about your character. That is, don't invoke dark elements pointlessly, and don't make the characters the reader is supposed to root for too unlikable (and, presumably, [[DracoInLeatherPants vice versa]]). You don't need to give {{Hope Spot}}s to keep the audience to the end -- sometime they're aware from start that your character won't make it, yet they will continue the story since they want to know how it will end. Angst is to be expected, but try not to put it on [[DeusAngstMachina too]] [[{{Wangst}} thick]].

* A [[WretchedHive big sprawling city]] where the [[CityNoir the crime rate is through the roof]] [[ViceCity and everyone is either corrupt or psychotic and violent criminals]].
* TheDungAges are a common setting for the countryside, where the peasants are MedievalMorons and [[AristocratsAreEvil their lords can do all manner of evil]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney and get away with it]].

* And of course, monsters. [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Well, the ones that aren't humans]] [[RunningGag at least]]. Needn't be the focus of a series, as Series/GameOfThrones has proven, but still worth considering. Are they, well, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]], or [[GreyAndGreyMorality do they have a sense of morals]], or at least "morals?" Are they natural beings or are they [[AnthropomorphicPersonification a reflection of the darkness of]] [[EvilCounterpart human nature so prevalent in the setting?]] [[NecessaryEvil Perhaps they have a vital, if horrific,]] role to play in the very workings of the universe of the setting. And be sure to milk the FaceMonsterTurn and [[TragicMonsters any]] [[MercyKill related]] [[WhatHappenedToMommy tropes]] for all their worth. Regardless, monsters should generally be as twisted, gnarled, horrendous creatures that would fit equally well in a horror film as here. That being said, they can still have an air of dignity, noblity even sorrow about them: a design process used to great effect throughout the VideoGame/DarkSouls series.

* And of course, monsters. [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Well, the ones that aren't humans]] [[RunningGag at least]]. Needn't be the focus of a series, as Series/GameOfThrones has proven, but still worth considering. Are they, well, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]], or [[GreyAndGreyMorality do they have a sense of morals]], or at least "morals?" Are they natural beings or are they [[AnthropomorphicPersonification a reflection of the darkness of]] [[EvilCounterpart human nature so prevalent in the setting?]] [[NecessaryEvil Perhaps they have a vital, if horrific,]] role to play in the very workings of the universe of the setting. And be sure to milk the FaceMonsterTurn and [[TragicMonsters any]] [[MercyKill related]] [[WhatHappenedToMommy tropes]] for all their worth. Regardless, monsters should generally be as twisted, gnarled, horrendous creatures that would fit equally well in a horror film as here. That being said, they can still have an air of dignity, noblity even sorrow about them: a design process used to great effect throughout the DarkSouls series.

* And of course, monsters. [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Well, the ones that aren't humans]] [[RunningGag at least]]. Needn't be the focus of a series, as GameOfThrones has proven, but still worth considering. Are they, well, [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters]], or [[GreyAndGreyMorality do they have a sense of morals]], or at least "morals?" Are they natural beings or are they [[AnthropomorphicPersonification a reflection of the darkness of]] [[EvilCounterpart human nature so prevalent in the setting?]] [[NecessaryEvil Perhaps they have a vital, if horrific,]] role to play in the very workings of the universe of the setting. And be sure to milk the FaceMonsterTurn and [[TragicMonsters any]] [[MercyKill related]] [[WhatHappenedToMommy tropes]] for all their worth. Regardless, monsters should generally be as twisted, gnarled, horrendous creatures that would fit equally well in a horror film as here. That being said, they can still have an air of dignity, noblity even sorrow about them: a design process used to great effect throughout the DarkSouls series.

DarkFantasy, the DarkerAndEdgier cousin of standard fantasy. Where there are [[GoodIsNotNice no]] [[SociopathicHero heroes]], TheBadGuyWins and GrayAndGrayMorality rules the day.

* As mentioned almost the point of parody, HumansAreTheRealMonsters is a very common theme in these works. Ultimately, they should still have some darkness about them,[[GreyAndGreyMorality as should all species,]] but how about having them somewhere north of the lowest moral denominator? Alternately, go ahead and try to anwser the question of ''why'' humans are such bastards, as opposed to just stating it as such. Perhaps they were DriventoVillainy by desperation, or [[HumansAreCthulhu perhaps there's just something off about them compared to the other races.]]

* As mentioned almost the point of parody, HumansAreTheRealMonsters is a very common theme in these works. Ultimately, they should still have some darkness about them,[[GreyAndGreyMorality as should all species,]] but how about having them somewhere north of the lowest moral denominator? Alternately, go ahead and try to anwser the question of ''why'' humans are such bastards, as opposed to just stating it as such.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. That's probably the most important thing to watch out for in Dark Fantasy. No matter how good you are at making the audience depressed, make sure that they still care about your character. That is, don't invoke dark elements pointlessly, and don't make the characters the reader is supposed to root for, too unlikable (and, presumably, [[DracoInLeatherPants vice versa]]). You don't need to give {{Hope Spot}}s to keep the audience to the end -- sometime they're aware from start that your character won't make it, yet they will continue the story since they want to know how it will end. Angst is to be expected, but try not to put it on [[DeusAngstMachina too]] [[{{Wangst}} thick]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Fantasy Roleplay'' certainly deserves a mention, especially in the older editions, before heroics started to leak in from the battlegame.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' and the HBO series ''Series/GameOfThrones'' with AnyoneCanDie in full swing. The list of dead characters is longer than the list of surviving characters.

* ''[[Franchise/CthulhuMythos The Cthulhu Mythos]]'' is a great of this genre with [[EvilGod evil gods]] and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s galore. Whilst magic isn't present, it doesn't mean that the wrong word won't attract unwanted attention. As it is set in our world, it is however lacking in general nastiness.

* ''Franchise/TheCthulhuMythos'' is a great of this genre with [[EvilGod evil gods]] and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s galore. Whilst magic isn't present, it doesn't mean that the wrong word won't attract unwanted attention. As it is set in our world, it is however lacking in general nastiness.

* ''TheCthulhuMythos'' is a great of this genre with [[EvilGod evil gods]] and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s galore. Whilst magic isn't present, it doesn't mean that the wrong word won't attract unwanted attention. As it is set in our world, it is however lacking in general nastiness.

* ''{{Warhammer}} Fantasy Roleplay'' certainly deserves a mention, especially in the older editions, before heroics started to leak in from the battlegame.

It's quite easy to look at the Tropes in {{Fantasy}} and twist them to suit the darker tone. Maybe a retelling of a classic fairy tale like Literature/{{Snow White|and the seven dwarfs}} or Literature/SleepingBeauty but adding a darker flavour to the tale? Some AlternateCharacterInterpretation can play into this, a previously good character could quite easily be twisted into a {{Chessmaster}} villain who is simply putting on a [[BitchInSheepsClothing cute and innocent act]] to [[BatmanGambit achieve their own ends]].

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' and the HBO series GameOfThrones with AnyoneCanDie in full swing. The list of dead characters is longer than the list of surviving characters.

* Use racism. Averting the high-fantasy alliance of standard fantasy races and making them hate each other helps estabilish a dark fantasy atmosphere. They may even not be corrupted or evil, but believe that everyone but them is corrupted and evil.

** DeliberateValuesDissonance: As part of the above, you might show that many past cultures had moral systems that don't mesh with our own. Slavery, DomesticAbuse, [[OldManMarryingAChild child marriage]] and the like may be an accepted part of the setting's culture.

* Magic – it is fantasy we speak of, after all. It is not strictly necessary to do anything specific with magic in your story, but it's got a great potential. Many Dark Fantasy stories, as you would imagine, take the opportunity. There's a reason tropes like MagicIsEvil and BlackMagic exist. You may build upon real-world stories and legends, which offer plenty of examples to pick from. It could include grisly prices such as a DealWithTheDevil or HumanSacrifice, or just as well, magic users are [[VainSorceress not]] [[BlackMage nice]] [[EvilSorcerer people]] [[WickedWitch either]]. Anyway, even without all of that, it's pretty much given it won't be about harmless joy and helping upstart heroes.

* Let's stary by bringing up the fantasy element again. For example, in High Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy, take care when making maps of your world. It is quite easy to slip into ArtisticLicenseGeography. Looking at real world maps and plate tectonics can definitely help you avoid this. Many of the problems of this kind are shared with other fantasy genres, so it is advisable to study their potential pitfalls.

* ''TheCthulhuMythos'' is a great of this genre with [[EvilGod evil gods]] and EldritchAbominations galore. Whilst magic isn't present, it doesn't mean that the wrong word won't attract unwanted attention. As it is set in our world, it is however lacking in general nastiness.

* As much DarkFantasy relies on {{Deconstruction}}, DeliberateValuesDissonance is often seen. DomesticAbuse, [[OldManMarryingAChild child marriages]] and other things we think of as horrible may be accepted by the setting's culture.

* Let's start with world building details. For example, let's assume it's a StandardFantasySetting. Will the FiveRaces be present? If they are present, then how corrupted/evil will each race be? The answer is that, likely, their darker side will be brought to light. [[OurElvesAreBetter Standard tropes of the Elves]] allow them to be portrayed as [[ScrewYouElves absolute asses]] rather easily - and going further, we get at [[TheFairFolk their original depiction]], where they can easily become just plain inhuman. Or you can turn them on their heads, make the Elves [[EnslavedElves enslaved]] or wiped out. Dwarves' love of gold means they're greedy and couldn’t care less about everyone else. Hobbits, even if they are still the merry small folk, are probably keeping a monumental collection of skeletons in their closets. Still, it's pretty likely that HumansAreTheRealMonsters.
* Your hero could be, at the best, a KnightInSourArmor or maybe someone [[AntiHero darker and more morally ambiguous]]. Considering the setting, how likely it is that he/she will win in the end? How about [[FaceHeelTurn joining]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the villain]]? And then, perhaps, the "hero" is a VillainProtagonist from the start.
* Who are the gods of this CrapsackWorld? Do they exist at all? Are they [[JerkassGods assholes of the highest calibre]] only interested in [[PassThePopcorn sitting back and watching humanity fail]]? Maybe the [[VillainsActHeroesReact only active god]] is the [[GodOfEvil one trying to destroy everything]] with TheLegionsOfHell.

* Make sure you don't overdo it. Sure, a hapless wench once in a while is to be expected, but don't spend too much time on the lovingly detailed description, and resist the temptation to insert gratuitous {{Gorn}} or rape scenes for the sake of shock value. It's one thing to write a bad story, entirely another to deal with accusations of creepy fetishes or extremist politics. Just think twice before you do that. And, God-Emperor help us, we ''do'' hope these weren't your actual beliefs or fetishes. (See also: SoYouWantTo/AvoidUnfortunateImplications)

* Make sure you don't overdo it. Sure, a hapless wench once in a while is to be expected, but don't spend too much time on the lovingly detailed description, and don't shoehorn in gratuitous {{Gorn}} or rape scenes just for shock value. It's one thing to write a bad story, entirely another to deal with accusations of creepy fetishes or extremist politics. Just think twice before you do that. And, God-Emperor help us, we ''do'' hope these weren't your actual beliefs or fetishes. (See also: SoYouWantTo/AvoidUnfortunateImplications)

* Make sure you don't overdo it. Sure, a hapless wench once in a while is to be expected, but don't spend too much time on the lovingly detailed description, and don't shoehorn in {{Gorn}} or GratuitousRape scenes just for shock value. It's one thing to write a bad story, entirely another to deal with accusations of creepy fetishes or extremist politics. Just think twice before you do that. And, God-Emperor help us, we ''do'' hope these weren't your actual beliefs or fetishes. (See also: SoYouWantTo/AvoidUnfortunateImplications)