Don't get me wrong: I love Skyrim. I think there are many things that are an improvement on Oblivion. Followers, dual wielding, the new race designs...I could go on about all that for days. But this post is not about a love-fest. It's about the one thing I really, truly dislike about the game:

I do not like "chosen one" stories. No matter the format. Books, shows, films, games, whatever it is, I am always turned off by the protagonist being "destined" for his fate. (Note that some of this does not apply to Skyrim, but it is often found in other "chosen one" stories.)

Give me a story about someone working her way up from nothing. GIve me someone who is not written of in prophecy, whose destiny is not found in the stars, whose victory is not assured. A hero doesn't need a special birth or lineage or powers. She doesn't need to be marked for death by the villain Because It Is Written, but because she grows to be a threat to his plans. Allies shouldn't fall in line just because someone wrote it down centuries before. What about all the people who were fighting before you were? Why do they step aside for someone seen in a crystal ball?

It is far less thrilling to be a savior when you already are one. You can't escape destiny. You can't turn away from it, say no, because it's in the script. Not only that, it makes saying "yes, I will step up, I will do this" much less exciting. You were meant to play the part all along. You had no choice. Your cards are laid out for you. Your motives don't matter. You could be doing it for power, greed, spite, boredom, freedom, et cetera, but ultimately you are doing it to Be A Hero. Trust isn't earned, it's forced.

It also makes anyone who opposes the hero into a complete idiot from the get go. Enemies and naysayers don't have a point when they argue against you. They're either with you or against you (nevermind that they could be neutral or apathetic or any number of things). You could play as one of the most evil people around, even worse than the antagonist, but it doesn't matter because you're were chosen to save, to lead. You are right, ultimately, and that is that. Your motives don't matter. Your mistakes are inconsequential. Her flaws are scrubbed, her ends justify her means. The accomplishments you make and the accomplishments of others are diminished because you are Special.

This is often found hand in hand with the villain who has no motivation. The villain is bad Because. The villain eats kittens for breakfast and children for dinner so we know that he is Evil. He is so obviously evil that his wrongness is unquestionable, and, rather boring. The antagonist should have motivations too. Good points and bad points, flaws and good qualities. Black and white makes for a limited palette, and when you are the chosen one, those are often the colors you end up with.

A hero shouldn't be special because of what she is, rather she should be special because of what she becomes.

How about simply being someone who is there witnessing the events? That's what I do with my mods. You aren't a 'chosen one'. You don't have special powers. You are not picked by the gods.

You are placed in a conflict, and must help the people around you through it. Is that good?

I agree, I wonder what the next term for 'chosen one' will be for the next ES game I really love the feeling that whatever power separates me from the rest was earned or skilfully mastered.

Yes, this is what I'm talking about. I would like to see more stories with variations on the hero theme that are written that way to begin with.

Who says you are the ONLY Dragonborn of this age?

And to better put it in perspective:

Lets take a look at both the Nerevarine and Talos. Some have argued that instead of being destined to "become", they simply took power. Thats especially in Talos' case, and some even argue that for the Nerevarine.


Not a good enough answer? I imagine if you failed, another Dragonborn might've done it for you.

Agreed (though being 'chosen' because one is the descendant of some other chosen one is even worse).

I like to think that in most stories that go the whole 'chosen one' route there is space to argue about whether or not destiny/fate is REAL.
Most of the stories I can think of with a prophecy which I have enjoyed have had grey areas and 'well, maybe this isn't what is happening,'.
It would be lazy and stupid to constantly have it as the reason for any main character but I actually don't have much of a problem with the idea when it is executed well.

Warning: I just woke up. I could be talking complete pants or misunderstanding you massively.

Unfortunately you never do meet another Dragonborn and another one existing (at the same time) is never mentioned so this isn't really relevant.

I have nothing against protagonists grabbing power. That is actually exciting compared to being destined for greatness.

Edited for clarity.

I agree that the chosen part is annoying, but it's not necessarily true for all TES games.

If you look at Daggefell you are exactly what you want to be, no prophecy. Nothing.

In Morrowind you are somebody that looks like you could fufill a prophecy, but not necessarily the one. Others have failed, more would not have tried at all. Your success is a testimony to your power and if you wouldn't have done it there would have been no problem because Azura would have picked another.

In Oblivion you are the chosen one, the only one that can save the world and it's hugely annoying.

In Skyrim you are as close to being the only one without actually being it. Any dragonborn could finish the MQ, hell maybe even some people that are incredibly powerful but not Dragonborn. Still another candidate could have picked up, it was however unlikely.

So Skyrim was already going back in the right direction, now we just have to hope that the next one (Please be Elsweyr, please be Elsweyr) will be even better

I must be remembering Oblivion wrong.
Oh wait, do we mean that you're the Chosen One because the Emperor foretold it?

I'd say in oblivion you are NOT the chosen one. you just are in the right place, at the right time.

My problem with it is that it isn't well-executed often. The ending is already written, as it were. And it's boring to know that everything is likely to turn out all right. Off the top of my head, Harry Potter is an example of a prophecy that had something different about it, and I liked that. (Rowling also allowed her main characters to be unlikeable at times too which is great.)

I'm a big reader, and I'm very surprised when anyone manages to write these sort of things in an engaging way. (And I think A Song of Fire and Ice has permanently spoiled me in general.)

Uriel And Martin Septim were alive at the same time, so there CAN be more than one dragonborn at a time, depending on how you define it - in this case, one with dragon blood.

The Greybeards identified you as Dragonborn because you absorbed a dragon soul a short walk from High Hrothgar. There are lots of people who could be Dragonborn, and they just don't know it yet. You fulfill the destiny of the Dragonborn because you chose to be proactive like that, and not stand around doing guard duty and leave fighting dragons to your cousin.

Good to know it wasn't in all the games.

My problem isn't just with Skyrim. The trope is so pervasive (in fantasy especially) that I break out in hives when it appears.

(And agreed on Elsweyr. After seeing the Khajiit npcs in this this game and reading up on more of their lore, I would love to see a game in a fresher, weirder setting.)

Agreed! I just want to watch my character develop and become a threat to the enemy's plans just like you said and develop him the way "I" want too.

"Maybe I'm the Dragonborn, and I just dont know it yet." Many gaurds say this which could imply that there are other dorment Dragonborn out there, waiting unknowingly for something to happen. Maybe that "something" is your failure and so other Dragonborn must rise up to finish what you started. Even the Greybeards said there may be other Dragonborn out there but you were the only one revealed thus far.

But considering the chosen one term is still valid. It's not a coincidence.

And regardless of other Dragonborns existing, you're still fulfilling a prophecy, which is one of my points. A prophecy makes things boring.

Yes, from the very start you were the one that was chosen to close the gates. In the end Martin made the sacrifise and saved the world, but he couldn't have done it without you. Without you Kvatch would have burned down, cities would have been destroyed, martin would have died. It was your destiny from the very second the game started.


Yet Uriel saw you in a vision and he immediately placed the faith of the world in your hands.


Up to a point, but if there are more people that can fufill the prophecy and if there are more people that can save the world then you are no longer all that important. You are simply the best of all the possible options. I agree that no prophecy would be better, but it's not like you are the only hope.

Maybe it is because I have recently been reading the Dune series, I'm sort of groovy with the whole prophecy idea.

I think personally I'm a lot more forgiving with books, movies, or games in terms of the main story as I can think of many different interpretations of event, etc. I also don't necessarily consider what is written/shown to be absolutely concrete. This maybe ISN'T the way I should go about it and most likely means that I won't see a 'bad' writer as easily as others.

As a side note: Rowling lost me after the fourth or fifth book. It's like she stopped caring. The last one is especially atrocious.

The Septims are not Dragonborn, they are descendants of Dragonblood. Same meaning but NOT the same thing

Yes it is, to quote:

"Most scholars agree that the term was first used in connection with the Covenant of Akatosh, when the blessed St. Alessia was given the Amulet of Kings and the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One were first lit. "Akatosh, looking with pity upon the plight of men, drew precious blood from his own heart, and blessed St. Alessia with this blood of Dragons, and made a Covenant that so long as Alessia's generations were true to the dragon blood, Akatosh would endeavor to seal tight the Gates of Oblivion, and to deny the armies of daedra and undead to their enemies, the Daedra-loving Ayleids." Those blessed by Akatosh with "the dragon blood" became known more simply as Dragonborn."

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/book-dragonborn

My Deja Vu sense is tingling.

The Septims could not shout, they were the barrier against the daedra, the Dovahkiin is not the same as they

You mean all the Septims or just those two? They all carry Akatosh's blessing in their veins, but there weren't any dragons around at the time. So you're the only one who had a chance to absorb dragon souls.

Wait I know you, you're that new member of the companions! so you what, fetch the mead? - nuff said.