[kronostar]

I'm a big fan of fantasies as many of you are, but it sometimes irks me how the author will often seem to have the message that anyone with a will can accomplish good and great things. The hero will sometimes mock or try to prevent prophecy and try to motivate the common everyman person to greatness.

However, in all the stories I can think of the hero basically has a royal lineage that makes him great and is usually how he gets his powers. Basically most of these stories have the hero unaware of his royal lineage combat the forces of evil to rise up and become a hero/leader/king and to have it confirmed that not only did he earn his position it was his by right because of his parents. In the more magically inclined stories the hero has an innate ability that no one else possesses enabling him to essentially become "the most powerful man in the universe" (couldn't resist the He-man quote).

examples:
Jesus Christ - son of God and descendant of King David - Bible
Rand al Thor - son of queen Tigraine and Aiel chieftains - wheel of time
Richard Rahl - grandson of first order wizard and son of Darken Rahl (wizard king) - sword of truth
The Ohmsfords - magic family and only descendants of King Shannara who can use sword of truth and wishsong - Shannara series
Simon - grew up kitchen boy, but was son of the fisher king - Memory, Sorrow, Thorn
Eragon - son of a dragon knight - Inheritance Cycle
Luke Skywalker - son of Darth Vader - Star Wars
Taran - orphaned son of the high king - Chronicles of Prydain
Naruto - orphan son of the 4th Hokage - Naruto anime/manga
Harry Potter - Strong Potter wizard family descendant of Gryffindor and the Peverell along with Voldemort's touch - Harry Potter series
Pug - orphan, but great innate magic - Riftwar
Perseus, Heracles, Beowulf, King Arthur -various mythologies

These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm curious on your thoughts about the phenomenon. Again part of me enjoys it as these characters are my heroes and I'm encouraged to be more like them as I fight the challenges in my own life. But then there's the reality that I'm not the long lost son of a wizard king whose inborn super powers essentially force me to become a hero.

[Useless Trivia Man]

It's simply a tried-and-true plotline, and it's definitely not only used in the sci-fi/fantasy genres.

To me, the best example of someone-to-emulate that you gave was Richard Rahl. He doesn't have to use his wizardly abilities to do the Right Thing when faced with a moral dilemma. I actually wish I were more like that guy.

[Jeff N.]

You and me both UTM. Richard was a great man, fictional or not.

[Joe Dalton]

Taran was not the son of the highking, in fact the whole point of the book was that he wasn't.
The translation on the sword as later found out read, one of noble worth, rather than one of noble blood.

Anyway to be honest I find it a plotpoint of an underachieving writer.
I enjoyed reading about Taran because he made a real journey and became someone of noble worth. His first attempt to draw the sword lead to him getting poofed. It wasn't untill he had journeyd and studied under the crafters, and had experienced loss that he became who he was and could draw the blade.

The lord of the rings was great because the hero wasn't a champion, rather he was a hero because of his strong character that could withstand temptation long enough to make the journey. Where both the mighty and weak did not have the strength to withstand it for a moment, he endured it.