what are your thoughts on tropes like, secret prince or hidden chosen one?

I was bored and wanted to talk about this trope. If anyone knows any good or bad examples, you can comment on them below.

Like all tropes, it depend of the execution more than the idea itself.

In my personal opinion, I'm somewhat neutral on this trope, but it can feel cheap when a narrative pushes the underdog idea, but then does a 180-degree turn with the protagonist.

Harry Potter is technically a hidden chosen one, given that the prophecy is not revealed to exist until book five. I'm going to call it a bad example because the battle with voldemort was always significantly less interesting than the battle against jobbers like Umbridge and Lockheart and Severus Snape. This weird snake nazi man who occasionally kicks the door down like team rocket if they didn't know what fun means has now been upgraded to your destined enemy. Weep and rejoice.

As for secret prince, nothing beats Captain Carrot. Like yeah that guy who arrested you for stealing without a license is secretly the king. What of it?

It depends if you're talking about someone hiding their identity or not knowing their identity. It also depends if said someone is the MC or not.

I generally haven't been impressed in stories where the MC doesn't know his identity, because you get the impression at the start of the story that the MC is your generic ordinary person, using his discipline and skills to lever advantages in unfavorable situations. But then if the MC then discovers he's actually 'the chosen one', it sort of numbs me to his entire character because now it reads more like 'I can do this because of my special bloodline' rather than any learnt skill.

I think this also probably holds for side characters, but I can't recall a story where this really appears in the same way.

If it's the MC knowingly hiding their identity, I'd rather know about it as the reader because I'm not really into the guessing games and drama that arises from 'I have a secret that I can't tell anyone about'. If it's a side character, then it's all fine I guess.

laccoff_mawning said:

It depends if you're talking about someone hiding their identity or not knowing their identity. It also depends if said someone is the MC or not.

I generally haven't been impressed in stories where the MC doesn't know his identity, because you get the impression at the start of the story that the MC is your generic ordinary person, using his discipline and skills to lever advantages in unfavorable situations. But then if the MC then discovers he's actually 'the chosen one', it sort of numbs me to his entire character because now it reads more like 'I can do this because of my special bloodline' rather than any learnt skill.

I think this also probably holds for side characters, but I can't recall a story where this really appears in the same way.

If it's the MC knowingly hiding their identity, I'd rather know about it as the reader because I'm not really into the guessing games and drama that arises from 'I have a secret that I can't tell anyone about'. If it's a side character, then it's all fine I guess.

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Definitely the first one, where MC doesn't know his identity. Your opinion about these stories is actually true: the reveal and the new power-ups that come with it really weaken the whole character development. It would be nice if the reveal is only for abstract things like politics and claims of power stuff, instead of "I'm superior because of blood".

thegingernut said:

Harry Potter is technically a hidden chosen one, given that the prophecy is not revealed to exist until book five. I'm going to call it a bad example because the battle with voldemort was always significantly less interesting than the battle against jobbers like Umbridge and Lockheart and Severus Snape. This weird snake nazi man who occasionally kicks the door down like team rocket if they didn't know what fun means has now been upgraded to your destined enemy. Weep and rejoice.

As for secret prince, nothing beats Captain Carrot. Like yeah that guy who arrested you for stealing without a license is secretly the king. What of it?

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I recently completed Game of Thrones, and it had a really good secret prince plot. The whole Azor Ahai thing and hints given by the mysterious red lady and the follow-up to Jon Snow being built to the image were so good. It would've been better if the last season had actually held that instead of ruining it.

c37 said:

where MC doesn't know his identity

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Back when I read more random cultivation novels where the MC eventually discovers they had better origins than some random orphan in a cheap and backwater town or whatever, I came up with a pretty solid 'reason' as far as I'm concerned.

We usually see the whole 'young master' trope, usually the fodder to be slapped down or whatever, but it stands that the MC would be in that exact situation if they had their original backstory.

So there is a 'rule of non-interference' where some powerful factions who can afford it, send their young to fend for themselves alone in another location, instead of being given everything their families can provide. That turns an MC with a powerful backstory, into an MC who also had to struggle for a while to strengthen their mind and soul.

Being brought up 'by your backing' in a cultivation novel almost always seems to be a flaw for cultivation, as you rarely exceed the struggles that your family allows you to make in a safe space, while MCs who have that powerful start but no backing are 'against the world' and grow for it.

You can justify any number of remote monitoring, soul flames, viewing fate and other things, but in the end controlled struggle; while having some memories temporarily suppressed as a coming of age thing doesn't seem like an unreasonable 'challenge' for someone who is being tested as a heir to a major force.

Well, in my series (originally posted here as "Between Worlds" but currently on Pocket FM as "Between Earth and Pyrroth"), the characters were mostly "hidden chosen ones" - sort of.
The initial MC, David, had only one hint prior to the second chapter, that he was anything but a normal person - and that hint is not revealed to the audience until he's already beginning to discover his full powers. The other characters around him also start showing new abilities as his awakening is a catalyst for him "drawing his five" to him... but then, his kids are meant to be the "true" Chosen Ones and ... well, the daughter hides it because she prefers living on a world where magic is rare and she has to succeed by her own abilities, while one brother prefers the world of magic as he ... well, he finds it easier to find partners there, really, and the other just doesn't care where he is, but knows his abilities will draw unwanted attention if he shows them off too much anywhere.

tbh, growing up there was such an oversaturation of it, that I either try to subvert the trope if it makes sense for the story to have a chosen-one.

I definitely think it can be done well, just not as a 'shocker' to the audience.

Like by having a character do the choosing (instead of a nebulous sign) or having the royal's secret identity known to the audience. Or even have the chosen status be a subject of mystery the characters care about.

CharlesEBrown said:

Well, in my series (originally posted here as "Between Worlds" but currently on Pocket FM as "Between Earth and Pyrroth"), the characters were mostly "hidden chosen ones" - sort of.
The initial MC, David, had only one hint prior to the second chapter, that he was anything but a normal person - and that hint is not revealed to the audience until he's already beginning to discover his full powers. The other characters around him also start showing new abilities as his awakening is a catalyst for him "drawing his five" to him... but then, his kids are meant to be the "true" Chosen Ones and ... well, the daughter hides it because she prefers living on a world where magic is rare and she has to succeed by her own abilities, while one brother prefers the world of magic as he ... well, he finds it easier to find partners there, really, and the other just doesn't care where he is, but knows his abilities will draw unwanted attention if he shows them off too much anywhere.

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This one seems interesting, closer to my. You see, I want to make my "chosen one" hunted. Because he is an anamoly which enemies usually unite to kill. But after the war among enemies stretches and one side starts looking for advantages, they start favouring this "chosen one" kin to use as weapons.

worldismyne said:

tbh, growing up there was such an oversaturation of it, that I either try to subvert the trope if it makes sense for the story to have a chosen-one.

I definitely think it can be done well, just not as a 'shocker' to the audience.

Like by having a character do the choosing (instead of a nebulous sign) or having the royal's secret identity known to the audience. Or even have the chosen status be a subject of mystery the characters care about.

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I planned a volume-stretched reveal, yk bits and pieces of it are revealed slowly like an onion.