Peruse the latest offerings on your favorite streaming platform and you might see the following titles: Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and Warrior Nun. What do these series have in common? They fall into the fantasy genre. And with more fantasy series like Wheel of Time and Shadow and Bone coming down the pipeline, it is safe to say that people cannot get enough.

Like other genres, fantasy has familiar story elements and plotlines that keep fans coming back for more. In fact, these tropes cross national borders and culture. For example, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about a group of unlikely heroes banding together to face a dragon and a similar concept was later explored in South Korea’s Dragon Raja by Lee Yeongdo. Given the rising prominence of webtoons, dramas, and novels in translation, fantasy fans are bound to spot more similarities between works from North America and South Korea. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some classic Korean fantasy tropes.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is one of those tropes that transcends genre. You can find a variation of it in almost any kind of story, ranging from romance to horror. In the fantasy genre, reincarnation is often tied to destiny or karmic redemption. Sometimes both. A great hero has been reborn and now he holds the fate of the world in his hands. Perhaps a powerful evil has returned to life and now her opponents must decide whether she deserves a second chance or she should be stopped at all costs.

Example: Mariposa by Y.R. Shin

Gaming and Raids

Be honest. Have you ever wished that your life was more like a video game? The adventures, the cool clothes, and the often-wild hair—we’ve probably all had that thought at one point or another. But let’s be real. Having to complete all those quests and fight powerful monsters would be stressful! Even so, fantasy novels featuring dungeon raids, gaming structures, and system-controlled story lines have grown increasingly popular in recent years. Readers love this wish-fulfillment trope and how it provides a welcome escape from reality.

Example: Solo Leveling by Chugong

Revenge

Another trope that can be found in many different genres, revenge has become a staple of fantasy novels. Its presence can often be found in the backstory of many protagonists. Sometimes it’s a hero seeking vengeance for the murder of his beloved family. Maybe a heroine fights to take down the villain who ruined her life. The underlying emotion of anger combined with a sense of righteous justice drives the eternal popularity of this trope—as well as the question of whether the protagonist will be consumed by their thirst for revenge at the cost of all else.

Example: Return of the Female Knight by Lee Halin

Transmigration

While not as common in the modern Western fantasy tradition, transmigration pervades fantasy novels from the other side of the Pacific, making it one of the most popular Korean fantasy tropes. The premise is simple: the protagonist meets an untimely end in our world and wakes up to find themselves in a fantasy world. Maybe the world is entirely new. Or maybe the protagonist recognizes it as the setting for their favorite novel, webtoon, or video game. And with no way home, the protagonist must learn to adapt to their new surroundings. The appeal of this trope is that it combines the fish-out-of-water concept with modern, real-world sensibilities via a contemporary character learning to live in a fantasy world often filled with magic and monsters.

Example: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint by Sing-Shong

The Disgraced Royal Heir

Who doesn’t love an underdog story? While we may not consider royalty to be underdogs at first glance, imagine losing your family, your home, and sometimes your very name. How do you react? Do you accept your new circumstances? Or do you fight to get everything back? That’s often the dilemma faced by outcast royal heirs, who must save their kingdom from unscrupulous players.

Example: Deor by J.oori

Korean fantasy tropes span the spectrum from the familiar like royal heirs seeking vengeance, to the refreshing like waking up to find yourself a minor character in your favorite video game. No matter the shape they take, however, they promise excitement, adventure, and a welcome escape from daily life.