History SoYouWantTo / WriteASpaceOpera

* Whenever aliens are involved, the ones who often get the most attention are usually either RubberForeheadAliens, HumanAliens, AmazingTechnicolorPopulation aliens (especially [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]), TheGreys, LittleGreenMen, as well as other, very [[HumanoidAliens humanoid]] aliens. [[LizardFolk Reptilian Aliens]] and InsectoidAliens are also fairly common, but normally as AlwaysChaoticEvil races.

Whenever aliens are involved, the ones who often get the most attention are usually either RubberForeheadAliens, HumanAliens, AmazingTechnicolorPopulation Aliens (especially [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]), TheGreys, LittleGreenMen, and other very HumanoidAliens.

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Also, don't feel like you're limited to just humans and aliens for your characters. [[RobotRollCall Robots]], [[ArtificialLimbs cyborgs]], [[ClonesArePeopleToo clones]], [[{{Mutants}} mutants]], and [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots androids]] are all standard fare for a Space Opera as well.

This is also a good place to talk about alien designs. There's a lot of standard alien types that viewers will expect to see. You'll want to have [[LizardFolk Reptilian Aliens]] and InsectoidAliens, which are some pretty typical [[AlwaysChaoticEvil enemy races]]. TheGreys and some form of LittleGreenMen are also a solid inclusion, with the former working well as [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate mysterious scientists]] while the latter makes a good quirky sidekick. Then, of course, you have your RubberForeheadAliens; these are great on a budget, if you plan for your story to be filmed in live-action--a bit of amateur prosthetics is all that's needed. And much like anime, You Gotta Have Green Skin. A GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe is a classic Space Opera trope. Her skin doesn't have to be green specifically--purple, blue, anything works so long [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign as long as it looks alien]] enough. It's also become common to feature furry, mammalian aliens--UrsineAliens is the closest tropes, but nothing says they have to be bears. This is without getting into your PlantAliens and your [[BlobMonster Blob Monsters]] and various other types of aliens you can design. The point is to have fun with it, and let your imagination roam free!

Also, don't feel like you're limited to just humans and aliens for your characters. [[RoboRollCall Robots]], [[ArtificialLimbs cyborgs]], [[ClonesArePeopleToo clones]], [[{{Mutants}} mutants]], and [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots androids]] are all standard fare for a Space Opera as well.

Also, don't feel like you're limited to just humans and aliens for your characters. [[RobotMaid Robots]], [[ArtificialLimbs cyborgs]], [[ClonesArePeopleToo clones]], [[{{Mutants}} mutants]], and [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots androids]] are all standard fare for a Space Opera as well.

* '''The EvilOverlord''': Where there's a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Ragtag Bunch Of Heroes]], there's an evil overlord for them to topple. Villains are one of the highlights of the genre, and so their appearance must be immediately striking. Many a Space Opera has gone the route of EvilIsHammy by giving their antagonist a flair for the dramatic. The risk here is that, by making the villain too flamboyant, they might come off as a SissyVillain. A good villain must be intimidating, though, and a tried and true method is to use the TinTyrant; put them in darkly colored full-body armor that completely obscures their features, and give them [[TheStoic the personality of an iceberg]]. In case you couldn't already tell, this character will often be a Darth Vader {{Expy}}. Bonus points for a BadassBaritone or a voice modulator. Consult the StandardEvilEmpireHierarchy for some ideas of who might be working under your main villain. (Examples: [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Darth Vader]], [[Film/FlashGordon1980 Emperor Ming]], [[Film/BattleBeyondTheStars Sador of the Malmori]])

* '''ActionGirl''': Since the protagonists of these series are so often male, there is often also a badass female character for them to play off of. These characters are often [[HyperCompetentSidekick more skilled than the hero]], so as to prevent them from being [[TheChick the useless chick]], and will often avert the GuysSmashGirlsShoot trope. Expect them to have some sort of [[BrokenBird tragic backstory]]. This trope is obviously AlwaysFemale, but is much more likely to be [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe some kind of alien]]. (Examples: [[Film/TheForceAwakens Rey]], [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 Gamora]], [[Anime/CowboyBebop Faye Valentine]]).

* '''And a man or woman to meet the mighty hour:''' At the center of this story must be the main character. Space Opera heroes are rarely very complex; they don't have a lot of moral quandaries, and even when they're a LovableRogue, they tend to be [[ButNotTooEvil just a click beneath]] your run-of-the-mill hero types, meaning they're a little more prone to being snarky and are open about their selfish interests, even though they're willing to put them aside for the greater good[[note]][[Film/HotFuzz THE GREATER GOOD]][[/note]]. Most examples of Space Operas tend to feature a man in the central role, but don't let that stop you from creating a kick-ass heroine. On the other hand, it's almost unheard of for Space Operas to [[MostWritersAreHuman star an alien]]; your story is guaranteed to be marketed to humans, and starring a fellow human makes them easier to sympathize with. Sometimes the humans [[AmbiguouslyHuman aren't even from Earth]]; in ''Franchise/StarWars'', despite taking place in a galaxy far, far away, humans that are identical to Earthlings are all over the galaxy without so much as an explanation. In ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}'', Earth explicitly ''exists'', but all the aliens encountered in the story are HumanAliens (with the exception of [[Creator/BrianBlessed BRIAN BLESSED]]'s [[WingedHumanoid Winged Humanoids]]), although the titular hero is still from Earth.

* '''The LovableRogue''': Diametrically opposed to the staunch, just hero is this character, the amoral JerkWithAHeartOfGold. They are always portrayed as [[MoneyDearBoy in it for the money]], and don't much care about SavingTheWorld or [[NotInThisForYourRevolution overthrowing the empire]]. Expect them to be [[EnsembleDarkHorse the coolest character]], with the [[DeadpanSnarker best one-liners]] and the [[GuileHero best solutions to bad situations]]. If put on the same crew as TheHero, they will often be TheLancer, and the Hero might be presented as less witty by comparison and more of a stickler for the rules. They will almost always be--or, at least, consider themselves to be--an AcePilot. This is another trope that is [[AlwaysMale usually male]] and [[MostWritersAreHuman always human]]. (Examples: [[Film/ANewHope Han Solo]], [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Peter Quill]], [[Anime/CowboyBebop Spike Spiegel]]).
* '''ActionGirl''': Since the protagonists of these series are so often male, there is often also a badass female character for them to play off of. These characters are often [[HyperCompetentSidekick more skilled than the hero]], so as to prevent them from being [[TheChick the useless chick]], and will often avert the GuysSmashGirlsShoot trope. Expect them to have some sort of [[BrokenBird tragic backstory]]. This trope is obviously AlwaysFemale, but is much more likely to be [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe some kind of alien]]. (Examples: [[Film/TheForceAwakens Rey]], [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Gamora]], [[Anime/CowboyBebop Faye Valentine]]).

* If any work can be considered Space Opera concentrate, it's [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse Marvel's]] ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''. This film really captures the feel of the classic Space Operas, but makes use of modern CGI technology to present a vast array of colorful aliens, both in the background and among the main characters, including two of the weirdest characters in the genre; a [[FunnyAnimal mutant raccoon]] and a [[PlantPerson a walking tree]] that [[PokemonSpeak can only say one phrase]]. Between these two, and Star-Lord's [[NoSuchThingAsAlienPopCulture obsession with nostalgia]] and Drax's [[BluntMetaphorsTrauma inability to understand metaphors]], the film really showcases how weird this genre can be. At the same time, the plot is a great example of a solid MacGuffin story, and the interplay between the various characters, as well as the culture clash inherent in Drax's premise, makes for a [[{{Reconstruction}} great use]] of the genre's conventions.

* '''That man or woman must confront aliens and exotic creatures:''' So we've established that the ''hero'' has to be human, but that doesn't mean that the entire cast has to as well. Just as important as the exotic locations are the exotic creatures that live in them, and a good Space Opera has a ton of interesting aliens. Sometimes they'll be the villains, but more often they'll be [[TokenNonHuman part of the main character's team]], or at least make the background look interesting. Expect the really exotic aliens--the ones who don't look human at all--to play minor parts in the story, often appearing only in a single scene. This is usually for budgetary reasons, but can also be because they will be harder to relate to for the audience. That shouldn't stop you from pulling out all the stops to create the weirdest aliens you can imagine.

When designing Princess Leia in the original ''Star Wars'' film, George Lucas apparently designed her hairstyle with the intention of creating something that was distinctly outside the fashion of the time, so that it wouldn't inevitably become dated when the '70s had ended. This is the sort of thinking that you'll want to have when it comes to designing your characters' costumes. No one can predict what will be hip in the future, so it's better to come up with something that's out there, rather than rely too heavily on modern sensibilities. If you don't, then a couple decades down the line your Space Opera will be covered in {{Zeerust}}. That being said, that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a certain charm to an UnintentionalPeriodPiece that's meant to be set in the future, and some of those end up being cult classics.

!'''Potential Subversions'''

* '''There must be a quest:''' In order to prevent the End of the World, the hero will invariably have to go on a journey. As mentioned above, it's usually a matter of escorting a MacGuffin across the galaxy to get it to a hiding place or to be able to use it against the villains. The important point, though, is travel; people read and watch Space Operas to see the exotic locations. Popular locales are [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet cities where a multitude of races intermingle]], often with a [[BarFullOfAliens hive of scum and villany]], or any variety of [[SingleBiomePlanet Single Biome Planets]]; [[SlippySlideyIceWorld ice planets]], [[LostWoods forest planets]], [[ShiftingSandLand desert planets]], [[LevelInTheClouds cloud planets]], [[LethalLavaLand volcanic planets]]...the limits are your own imagination. The only requirement is that you choose a couple of diverse locales to bounce between.

This is also a good place to talk about alien designs. There's a lot of standard alien types that viewers will expect to see. You'll want to have [[LizardFolk Reptilian Aliens]] and InsectoidAliens, which are some pretty typical [[AlwaysChaoticEvil enemy races]]. TheGreys and some form of LittleGreenMen are also a solid inclusion, with the former working well as [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate mysterious scientists]] while the latter makes a good quirky sidekick. Then, of course, you have your RubberForeheadAliens; these are great on a budget, if you plan for your story to be filmed in live-action--a bit of amateur prosthetics is all that's needed. And much like anime, [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Green Skin]]. A GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe is a classic Space Opera trope. Her skin doesn't have to be green specifically--purple, blue, anything works so long [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign as long as it looks alien]] enough. It's also become common to feature furry, mammalian aliens--UrsineAliens is the closest tropes, but nothing says they have to be bears. This is without getting into your PlantAliens and your [[BlobMonster Blob Monsters]] and various other types of aliens you can design. The point is to have fun with it, and let your imagination roam free!

* '''The EvilOverlord''': Where there's a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Ragtag Bunch Of Heroes]], there's an evil overlord for them to topple. Villains are one of the highlights of the genre, and so their appearance must be immediately striking. Many a Space Opera has gone the route of EvilIsHammy by giving their antagonist a flair for the dramatic. The risk here is that, by making the villain too flamboyant, they might come off as a SissyVillain. A good villain must be intimidating, though, and a tried and true method is to use the TinTyrant; put them in darkly colored full-body armor that completely obscures their features, and give them [[TheStoic the personality of an iceberg]]. In case you couldn't already tell, this character will often be a DarthVaderClone. Bonus points for a BadassBaritone or a voice modulator. Consult the StandardEvilEmpireHierarchy for some ideas of who might be working under your main villain. (Examples: [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Darth Vader]], [[Film/FlashGordon1980 Emperor Ming]], [[Film/BattleBeyondTheStars Sador of the Malmori]])

* '''TheHero''': The [[LanternJawOfJustice square-jawed]] protagonist of the story. They are usually TheCaptain of their spaceship, armed with a RayGun and a [[GuileHero sharp wit]] with which to outsmart their enemies. This character has a trick up their sleeve for nearly every situation, and is often staunchly just and good, to the point of skirting the edge of being an InvincibleHero. Sometimes they have a background in the military or law enforcement. Traditionally presented as AlwaysMale, but nothing's stopping you from creating a [[ActionGirl heroine]] in the same vein. A little harder to subvert is that this character is Always Human; after all, your audience is [[MostWritersAreHuman almost always human]], and you want them to be able to empathize with and project onto this character. (Examples: ComicStrip/BuckRogers, ComicStrip/FlashGordon, ComicBook/{{Valerian}}, [[VideoGame/MassEffect Commander Shepard]].)
** One popular subversion is to turn this character into a KidHero, and have them be a NaiveNewcomer to the larger world of the Space Opera, serving as something as an AudienceSurrogate both in that the audience learns about the world alongside them, and the target audience is usually teens. Eventually, they're expected to grow into a more traditional hero. (Examples: [[Film/ANewHope Luke Skywalker]], [[WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet Jim Hawkins]], [[Film/TheLastStarfighter Alex Rogan]]).

* '''The EvilOverlord''': Where there's a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Ragtag Bunch Of Heroes]], there's an evil overlord for them to topple. Villains are one of the highlights of the genre, and so their appearance must be immediately striking. Many a Space Opera has gone the route of EvilIsHammy by giving their antagonist a flair for the dramatic. The risk here is that, by making the villain too flamboyant, they might come off as a SissyVillain--which could work, so long as that's your intention. A good villain must be intimidating, though, and a tried and true method is to use the TinTyrant; put them in darkly colored full-body armor that completely obscures their features, and give them [[TheStoic the personality of an iceberg]]. In case you couldn't already tell, this character will often be a DarthVaderClone. Bonus points for a BadassBaritone or a voice modulator. (Examples: [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Darth Vader]], [[Film/FlashGordon1980 Emperor Ming]], [[Film/BattleBeyondTheStars Sador of the Malmori]])
** On the subject of villains, the Evil Overlord rarely works alone. Consult the StandardEvilEmpireHierarchy for some ideas of who might be working under your main villain. Is he working for someone else, in a sort of TheManBehindTheMan situation? Or, if your main villain is the [[BigBad Head Honcho]], then perhaps he has a [[TheStarscream Starscream]] who is constantly vying for his power. Giving the villain other characters to interact with does risk humanizing him; if you don't want that to happen, you can always rely on an army of FacelessMooks or an AlwaysChaoticEvil race of aliens.

* '''There must be a quest:''' In order to prevent the End of the World, the hero will invariably have to go on a journey. As mentioned above, it's usually a matter of escorting a MacGuffin across the galaxy to get it to a hiding place or to be able to use it against the villains. The important point, though, is travel; people read and watch Space Operas to see the exotic locations. Popular locales are [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet cities where a multitude of races intermingle]], often with a [[BarFullOfAliens hive of scum and villany]], or any variety of [[SingleBiomePlanet Single Biome Planets]]; [[SlippySlideyIceWorld ice planets]], [[LostWoods forest planets]], [[ShiftingSandLand desert planets]], [[BubblyClouds cloud planets]], [[LethalLavaLand volcanic planets]]...the limits are your own imagination. The only requirement is that you choose a couple of diverse locales to bounce between.

The world is in peril. There is a quest to save the world, and a hero to undertake it. They meet aliens and exotic creatures, they travel from planet to planet, and fight armies of insurmountable odds to great personal cost, all to beat a powerful and evil villain. The genre is the SpaceOpera, one of the most beloved subgenres in science fiction. Everyone knows a Space Opera when they see it, but then, not everyone can name what elements separate it from any other sci-fi story set in space. How does one write a Space Opera? And more importantly, how does one write a ''good'' Space Opera? Below you'll find some tips to help you do just that...

This is also a good place to talk about alien designs. There's a lot of standard alien types that viewers will expect to see. You'll want to have [[TheReptilians Reptilian Aliens]] and InsectoidAliens, which are some pretty typical [[AlwaysChaoticEvil enemy races]]. TheGreys and some form of LittleGreenMen are also a solid inclusion, with the former working well as [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate mysterious scientists]] while the latter makes a good quirky sidekick. Then, of course, you have your RubberForeheadAliens; these are great on a budget, if you plan for your story to be filmed in live-action--a bit of amateur prosthetics is all that's needed. And much like anime, [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Green Skin]]. A GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe is a classic Space Opera trope. Her skin doesn't have to be green specifically--purple, blue, anything works so long [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign as long as it looks alien]] enough. It's also become common to feature furry, mammalian aliens--UrsineAliens is the closest tropes, but nothing says they have to be bears. This is without getting into your PlantAliens and your [[BlobMonster Blob Monsters]] and various other types of aliens you can design. The point is to have fun with it, and let your imagination roam free!

* '''Blood must rain down the palace steps:''' This line serves two purposes. The first part indicates the stakes of the adventure. Lives will be lost, and there will often be some kind of BigBadassBattleSequence between the villain's army, and whoever the hero can rally to help him. [[BloodlessCarnage It's admittedly rare for blood to be shown onscreen, though.]] The second part mentions a palace, and refers to the fantasy-esque nature of the genre. Space Operas are basically fantasies that use science-fiction elements. Planets are effectively just different cities, in a narrative sense, hence the propagation of the SingleBiomePlanet. Many of them still use magic, and castles, and royalty as major plot devices. It's just that instead of [[FiveRaces elves and dwarves]], you have aliens.

The second thing to remember is that ArtisticLicense exists. While it's always fun to notice scientific accuracy in science fiction, it's not completely necessary. The fun of Speculative Fiction is the speculative part, so feel free to come up with things that are not entirely plausible according to modern science. Don't go overboard, of course, as an idea that's too ridiculous will break your audience's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief. One recurring example is FasterThanLightTravel; according to basically every law of physics, it's impossible. However, for any sort of interstellar travel to be viable, your characters would need to move faster than the speed of light. Thus, this is considered an [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality Acceptable Break From Reality]]. There are various other typical sci-fi tropes--aliens, mutants, droids, clones, FrickinLaserBeams--that are popular in Space Operas and aren't necessarily supported by modern science. Don't let reality stifle your imagination!

Epic space battles between space fighters and warships! Equally epic land battles between footsoldiers and fantastical pieces of machinery! ''HumongousMecha fights,'' in land [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs AND]] space! Swordfights and gunfights [[RecycledInSpace WITH]] {{FRICKIN LASER BEAMS}}! Anything goes [[RuleOfCool if it's awesome enough.]]

There are a couple easy mistakes to fall into when writing a Space Opera that could totally bog down the story. While the examples that work often become [[CultClassic Cult Classics]], the ones that don't become known as [[BileFascination laughingstocks]]--or worse, [[SoOkayItsAverage are completely forgettable]]. Fortunately, those failed attempts give us a good basis for what ''not'' to do when making a Space Opera.

One easy pitfall is to spend too much time on world-building. While it is important to figure out the details of how your universe works, this isn't information that needs to be shared with the audience unless it's going to be important. If your characters are going to a planet where [[HostileWeather the rain is acidic]], that's one thing. We don't really need to know every intricacy of the planet's economic system, how their leaders are elected, the history of their major countries, etc. It's good that you, the author, know the answers to these questions ''in case they come up'', but if they don't come up...well, there's a difference between [[ShownTheirWork showing your work]] and dropping an unnecessary InfoDump. World-building should always be limited to what is necessary for the ''story'', and should never overtake the characters or the plot. It's better to have fun characters and an intriguing plot with vague world-building, than to create flat characters and a boring plot to show off the cool world you made.

** One popular subversion is to turn this character into a KidHero, and have them be a NaiveNewcomer to the larger world of the Space Opera, serving as something as an AudienceSurrogate both in that the audience learns about the world alongside them, and the target audience is usually teens. Eventually they're expected to grow into a more traditional hero. (Examples: [[Film/ANewHope Luke Skywalker]], [[WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet Jim Hawkins]], [[Film/TheLastStarfighter Alex Rogan]]).

* '''The InnocentFanserviceGirl''': Despite being a bit dated, this is a trope that has managed to endure into the modern era. There is some [[JustifiedTrope justifiable]] logic to it; there's no reason why an alien race [[ValuesDissonance would have the same taboos]] concerning sex that humans do, especially when many cultures acknowledge how wonky they are. Nonetheless, there's no mistaking why this character exists; it's because SexSells. Usually the conceit of the character is that she has NoNudityTaboo, and is CultureBlind to human customs of modesty. Personality-wise, they will either have a [[GenkiGirl childlike innocence]], or be stoic to the point of [[EmotionlessGirl emotionlessness]]. A subversion that's beginning to gain some traction is to combine this trope with the Proud Warrior Race, and make the character a little more HotBlooded. Obviously, this trope is almost always a MsFanservice, but it could be refreshing to see a [[MrFanservice male version]] instead. (Examples: [[Film/TheFifthElement Leeloo]], [[Series/{{Farscape}} Chiana]], [[Film/{{Barbarella}} Barbarella]])

As mentioned above, part of the appeal of a Space Opera over any other type of science fiction is that you get to explore all sorts of exciting new planets. If that's not something you think you can have fun with, you might be better off working with a different sort of sci-fi genre. You're going to have to design at least two; if you only design one alien planet and set your entire story there, then we're dealing with a PlanetaryRomance. If you're dealing with a movie, you might want to rely on the ThreeActStructure to dictate your settings, because many films will have location changes coincide with act changes[[note]]Easy example; in ''Star Wars'', the first act is primarily on Tatooine, the second act are interiors for the Death Star and the Millennium Falcon, and the final act is the space battle around the Death Star.[[/note]] This will leave you with about three planets. If you're working in a more serial format, you'll have dozens of planets, and can expect to create as much as a new planet for each installment. To make this process easier, you'll probably have to rely a bit on PlanetOfHats. This is a good time for the reminder that [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]], and a couple shortcuts like Planet Of Hats or the SingleBiomePlanet exist for a reason. If you're only going to be on this planet for a couple scenes, there's no reason that you have to stress about every single detail of the planet when a nice, memorable gimmick will suffice.

This is also a good place to talk about alien designs. There's a lot of standard alien types that viewers will expect to see. You'll want to have [[TheReptilians Reptilian Aliens]] and InsectoidAliens, which are some pretty typical [[AlwaysChaoticEvil enemy races]]. TheGreys and some form of LittleGreenMen are also a solid inclusion, with the former working well as [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate mysterious scientists]] while the latter makes a good quirky sidekick. Then, of course, you have your RubberForeheadAliens; these are great on a budget, if you plan for your story to be filmed in live action--a bit of amateur prosthetics is all that's needed. And much like anime, [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Green Skin]]. A GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe is a classic Space Opera trope. Her skin doesn't have to be green specifically--purple, blue, anything works so long [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign as long as it looks alien]] enough. It's also become common to feature furry, mammalian aliens--UrsineAliens is the closest tropes, but nothing says they have to be bears. This is without getting into your PlantAliens and your [[BlobMonster Blob Monsters]] and various other types of aliens you can design. The point is to have fun with it, and let your imagination roam free!

* To shift gears for a moment, another great Space Opera to delve into is ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', which presents a very different image of outer space, where things are just [[UsedFuture a little bit dingier]]. Whereas ''Star Wars'' and ''Valérian'' are based firmly in adventure stories and fantasy, ''Bebop'' builds off of the Western and FilmNoir genres, but setting it in space and centering on a cast that includes a cyborg and a [[FishOutOfTemporalWater cryogenic time-traveler]]. ''Bebop'' features no aliens, but its main focus is on the banter between its main characters, which makes it one of the seminal Space Operas.

* The ''Literature/FoundationSeries'' is an early example, dating back from the Golden Age of science fiction, and while it did inspire loads of later space operas (Franchise/StarWars is one, Literature/Dune is another)but it's unique on its own merits, given how it gleefully [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructs]] and [[{{Subversion}} subverts]] common space opera tropes, [[UnbuiltTrope even before they were commonly used.]]

* '''That man or woman must confront aliens and exotic creatures:''' So we've established that the ''hero'' has to be human, but that doesn't mean that the entire cast has to as well. Just as important as the exotic locations are the exotic creatures that live in them, and a good Space Opera has a ton of interesting aliens. [[FantasyAxisOfEvil Sometimes they'll be the villains]], but more often they'll be [[TokenNonHuman part of the main character's team]], or at least make the background look interesting. Expect the really exotic aliens--the ones who don't look human at all--to play minor parts in the story, often appearing only in a single scene. This is usually for budgetary reasons, but can also be because they will be harder to relate to for the audience. That shouldn't stop you from pulling out all the stops to create the weirdest aliens you can imagine.

** One popular subversion is to turn this character into a KidHero, and have them be a NaiveNewcomer to the larger world of the Space Opera, serving as something as an AudienceSurrogate both in that the audience learns about the world alongside them, and the target audience is usually teens. Eventually they're expected to grow into a more traditional hero. (Examples: [[Film/ANewHope Luke Skywalker]], [[Disney/TreasurePlanet Jim Hawkins]], [[Film/TheLastStarfighter Alex Rogan]]).

* '''TheHero''': The [[LanternJawOfJustice square-jawed]] protagonist of the story. They are usually TheCaptain of their spaceship, armed with a RayGun and a [[GuileHero sharp wit]] with which to outsmart their enemies. This character has a trick up their sleeve for nearly every situation, and is often staunchly just and good, to the point of skirting the edge of being a BoringInvincibleHero. Sometimes they have a background in the military or law enforcement. Traditionally presented as AlwaysMale, but nothing's stopping you from creating a [[ActionGirl heroine]] in the same vein. A little harder to subvert is that this character is Always Human; after all, your audience is [[MostWritersAreHuman almost always human]], and you want them to be able to empathize with and project onto this character. (Examples: ComicStrip/BuckRogers, ComicStrip/FlashGordon, ComicBook/{{Valerian}}, [[VideoGame/MassEffect Commander Shepard]].)