Tough Traveling – Messiahs

Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn is the mastermind of Tough Traveling. What’s Tough Traveling? Pretty much, it’s a weekly feature on Thursdays where we dig around to come up with examples of common tropes in fantasy, using Diana Wynne Jones’ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as our inspiration and guide. Nathan has invited one and all to join in the fun, so feel free to come up with your own lists and add the link on Nathan’s weekly post, which will also contain (unleash) the next weeks theme. So let the fun begin …

This weeks theme? MESSIAHS

If the world needs saving who are you going to call?  Perhaps there is someone out there destined to save everything?  It sounds like you need…a Messiah.  (Thanks Rabindranauth for the topic).

I had a harder time with this than I expected. A couple came to mind immediately, clear as day. But, then I struggled with “Is this a Hero? Or is this a Messiah?” I dunno. But, here’s what I came up with:

The Deliverer (or Shar’Dama Ka) from The Demon Cycle Books by Peter V. Brett

This is a fun one because there are a couple of contenders for the role. Is it farm boy turned powerful demon slayer, Arlen? Or is it Jardir, a Krasian warrior who has declared himself to be Shar’Dama Ka and is leading a holy war against the demons. But, maybe it will turn out to be someone else all together! Maybe it will turn out to be Renna! Well, OK, probably not. But, you never know

The Crowman from The Black Dawn Duology by Joseph D’Lacey

This is a controversial one because the opinions on the The Crowman are divided amongst the population. All agree he is the pivotal figure in possible end of the world. But, half believe him to be a messiah, a savior that will rescue them all. The other half believe him to be the devil that will end them all.

Kvothe from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

Kvothe has many names. Too many names for me to remember, but I feel like one of them has got to be a messiah role, just because that’s the type of guy he is. Excels at everything, winning and saving the day just seem to be completely his speed. Without Kvothe, the world would probably unravel.

White Prophet and Catalyst from Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb

Just because of spoilers, I’m not going to name who these two are. But every white prophet (of which there are not many, only one alive in any given moment of time) has a catalyst, a single person they can use to help shape the world and set it on a better course.

Azor Ahai from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Followers of the Lord of Light believe Azor Ahai will rise again and save the world from the Others with Lightbringer, his flaming sword. Melisandre, the red priestess, is claiming she has found him in Stannis Baratheon. Does anyone other than those two believe he is actually Azor Ahai reincarnate?? Or that he actually wields Lightbringer? I call shenanigans!