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Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy: Mutually exclusive?

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Amratat Makin' my way downtown from Uptown Since: Sep, 2024
Makin' my way downtown
#1: Jan 7th 2025 at 12:36:45 PM

Looking over the trope pages, it seems to suggest that if a setting is Dark Fantasy it can't also be High Fantasy. In a way, this makes sense, as both seem to have the same level of magic in them, but due to the difference in tone generally would apply to different works, but what do you think? What kind of setting would be both Dark Fantasy and High Fantasy, such that both tropes legitimately apply?

king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#2: Jan 7th 2025 at 12:50:38 PM

I think a work can be both. Dragon Age is an example, as it was always intended as a mix between Dark Fantasy (dark setting, Body Horror, Fantastic Racism, Grey-and-Grey Morality in many cases) and High Fantasy (in the first and third game's there's an overall narrative of heroes triumphing over evil, even if those heroes might be morally grey; the setting avoiding being a full Crapsack World, with an overall optimistic tone; magic being capable of good just as its capable of evil; etc.).

Edited by king15 on Jan 7th 2025 at 8:51:00 PM

Reymma RJ Savoy from Edinburgh Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
RJ Savoy
#3: Jan 7th 2025 at 1:24:22 PM

There's already been a lot of discussion on what defines High Fantasy as opposed to Low Fantasy, and this is another complication. These are useful terms, but a lot of works do not fall neatly into these categories.

To me, High Fantasy is more about scope and fantastic elements than morality or tone, so they are not mutually exclusive. A story can combine a world-spanning plot and plenty of magic and superhuman feats while also having nuanced antagonists and a dark atmosphere. Tales of Berseria would be one example.

Edited by Reymma on Jan 7th 2025 at 9:24:34 AM

Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.
TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#4: Jan 7th 2025 at 5:27:14 PM

Dark Souls 2 is basically a Dark Fantasy story (world is in inescapable decline and almost everyone in the setting is dead or a zombie) in a High Fantasy setting (mostly in terms of visual direction, but there's a much more clear cut "good vs evil" conflict over the fate of the world, much unlike the other two). So I'd say its possible.

Edited by TheLivingDrawing on Jan 7th 2025 at 8:30:32 AM

Once Upon A Time.
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#5: Jan 8th 2025 at 6:00:31 AM

In situations like these, my go-to response is: genres are not an exact science. There's always a grey area of edge cases that fulfil most requirements of a genre, but not all.

I don't see any reason that a work couldn't be both High Fantasy and Dark Fantasy.

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