A Chosen One storyline -- but the Chosen One is mentally shattered.

[Link the Writer]

This is something that's been floating around in the back of my mind. Think of all the stories you've read about Chosen heroes accepting the burden of saving the world, shrugging off trauma like it were nothing and pushing forward. Well, what if... that didn't happen? What if there was a story where a Chosen One, after years of bearing such a burden, just broke mentally. Not gone evil, just... regressed. Hate to bring Harry Potter into this, but this is what got me thinking on this train.

Copy/pasting what I wrote off of Reddit:

Something that I had been pondering on that would likely make a cool fanfic. What if during the sixth book, Harry (after all the trauma the past two years) just broke and mentally regressed? Like his mind shrank back to the pre-Hogwarts days to keep him safe? What would happen then? What would the Order do? His friends do? How would the world react when the Boy Who Lives is suddenly sitting in the Burrow watching 'Postman Pam' eating milk cookies and hugging a hippogriff stuffie?

It's not that he turns into an eight year old, but that his mind went, 'I can't do this anymore!' and retreats to a time when, while things weren't pleasant (re: the Dursleys) it made sense. So then we have Hermione, Ron, Lupin, Tonks, Molly, Arthur, and the others learning of Harry's past with the Dursleys by way of, say, them watching Harry flinch at closets under the stairs, or have meltdowns when Molly speaks sharply at Fred and George. Or he expresses wonder at magic like he hadn't seen it before. 'Wow! You make sparkles! How did you make the pot float?' And Hermione's all, 'I... I used Wingardium Leviosa, Harry... We learned that when we were eleven...'

I dunno if it's medically realistic, but I have heard that sometimes trauma does that to the mind? Like it goes, 'Nope, too much, too much, go back.' and the victim begins to act like they're young again? Was thinking what if that happened to Harry?

Effectively, the Chosen One's mind fractures and it does the one thing it thinks it can do and revert back to a time in the character's life when things were safe. Things made sense, and while this Chosen One slowly recovers (if they do at all), everyone else has to pick up the slack. Some question the prophecy; factions begin taking advantage of this new reality all while the Chosen One tucks themselves in a bed with a stuffie and a comic book.

I took the concept I had with Harry and am trying to make it into my own world.

Setting: Urban fantasy
Chosen One: Tharbie, came from an abusive household. Bore a mark foretold by prophecy and sent to a military academy where he's mentored by Polina, Isadore, and Ishim.
Villain: Dutchess Glinda
The Trauma/Inciting Event: Tharbie, after years of training, hardship, and war, witnesses a young orphan boarding an airship during a city evacuation, only to watch that same airship be blown up by an aerial strike from Dutchess Glinda's army, and that's when things fall apart. The remainder of his POV are flashbacks so we see the teen he used to be, the hero people wanted him to be.

Unfortunately, that's all I've got now. But was just something that's been milling about in my head. I guess the main issues are: (1) is this type of trauma well-documented, where the mind takes the victim backward to a safer time, (2) how far back do I want him to be? Physically he's still 15/16-ish, he still remembers bits and pieces, but it's all big overwhelming stuff.

 

[Pik]

It's not a bad concept but the issue could be the genre, I don't know how much of psychology can the fantasy genre handle, in a way it's offtopic in Harry Potter story. In your version it doesn't have to be, but your audience would probably be older generations unless you write it in a way that's suitable for all generations.

 

[Link the Writer]

Right, it'd have to be boiled down in a way a YA audience could get it, like how Avatar: The Last Airbender boiled down complicated East Asian philosophies in a way that would make sense for the viewers.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

It's an interesting concept, and yes, it is a thing. Age Regression Disorder

Slightly off-topic: "Tharbie" is very close to "Barbie," a name loaded with cultural associations. Just changing to "Tharby" would eliminate mental images of perky dolls with permanently arched feet. Likewise, the image of Glinda the Good intrudes on Dutchess Glinda. Fluffy pink evil in a floating bubble might be interesting, though.

 

[Link the Writer]

It's an interesting concept, and yes, it is a thing. Age Regression Disorder

Slightly off-topic: "Tharbie" is very close to "Barbie," a name loaded with cultural associations. Just changing to "Tharby" would eliminate mental images of perky dolls with permanently arched feet. Likewise, the image of Glinda the Good intrudes on Dutchess Glinda. Fluffy pink evil in a floating bubble might be interesting, though.

Ah, good point. Tharbye could work. I'll brainstorm the villain's name, though. Maybe...Madame Tindal, named after my seventh grade English teacher who made fun of my hearing loss in middle school?

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Maybe...Madame Tindal, named after my seventh grade English teacher who made fun of my hearing loss in middle school?

Revenge served cold. I like it.

 

[Pik]

Right, it'd have to be boiled down in a way a YA audience could get it, like how Avatar: The Last Airbender boiled down complicated East Asian philosophies in a way that would make sense for the viewers.

Possibly, yes. I read that the genres such as fantasy externalize inner psychological processes such as adventure quests or battles with dragons, in a way it would be the same story told from a psychological and fantastical pov. Even though there could be stories out there successfully combining these factors.

 

[Naomasa298]

This is something that's been floating around in the back of my mind. Think of all the stories you've read about Chosen heroes accepting the burden of saving the world, shrugging off trauma like it were nothing and pushing forward. Well, what if... that didn't happen? What if there was a story where a Chosen One, after years of bearing such a burden, just broke mentally. Not gone evil, just... regressed. Hate to bring Harry Potter into this, but this is what got me thinking on this train.

You mean like Thomas Covenant?

 

[Naomasa298]

Villain: Dutchess Glinda

Is there an Elphaba as well?

 

[Link the Writer]

You mean like Thomas Covenant?

Thomas had leprosy. I'm talking mental.

Is there an Elphaba as well?

****, I forgot Glinda was a character in Wizard of Oz.

 

[Naomasa298]

Thomas had leprosy. I'm talking mental.

His mental state was as a result of his leprosy, but it is an example of a broken character carrying all the trauma that isn't simply handwaved away. The leprosy itself isn't his handicap.

 

[defaux]

For all the connotations with the names that have already been discussed, I wont readdress, but I made the same mental connections.

The concept sounds like something right down my alley. Explorations of how trauma affects our actions and our mental/emotional state. What separates those who can survive, who can cope, who can redress their own past and move on, from those who can't?

From my understanding of how the mind works, the trigger event would need to be not just something catastrophic, but something that causes the protagonist to reconnect their own trauma memories. Empathy usually wouldn't be enough. Those types of self-preservation mechanisms kick in when the mind perceives itself to be in danger of repeating the same experiences.

Beyond that, the exploration of how a world dependant on a hero to be saved would react to the removal of said hero? That sounds like a fascinating place to explore. Does the world collapse or does something (someone?) else fill the void? Does that prove or disprove your prophecy - you could potentially get very clever here about how you word the prophecy, but doing so might also undermine your intention of removing the 'chosen one' from the picture.

To the genre question, it comes down to what the core focus is - is it the trauma induced regression? or is it on the consequences of the world? The former would likely be a more character focused genre, but the latter could still sit firmly in urban fantasy. Personally, I'm always a fan of stories that blend, cross or otherwise push genre boundaries.

 

[Pik]

In Harry Potter book series, Harry's biggest problem/opponent is Voldemort, in this urban fantasy version the main problem would be the protagonist's mental breakdown. If the issue was the mental breakdown AND some external force like Voldemort or war it could get too complicated (or it can seem untypical/refreshing). Or maybe the mental breakdown is not what is really troubling the main character but is a writing technique to show the flashbacks of different timelines. There's a difference between the urban fantasy about the mental breakdown and the urban fantasy about abuse, growing up and war where the mental breakdown is mentioned few times, e.g. in beginning of the story and at the end we realize Tharby is in some institution and then the flashbacks start of what happened to him. In Harry Potter books, Harry is hero because he succeeds in overcoming the obstacles, so your hero would need to (try to) overcome his mental breakdown and other obstacles. Could be fun story.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Harry Potter is one of my least favorite characters in popular literature. A story where The Hero has a massive mental breakdown and curls up sucking his thumb while the rest of the crew cowboys up and saves the world without him would be refreshing.

 

[Link the Writer]

For all the connotations with the names that have already been discussed, I wont readdress, but I made the same mental connections.

The concept sounds like something right down my alley. Explorations of how trauma affects our actions and our mental/emotional state. What separates those who can survive, who can cope, who can redress their own past and move on, from those who can't?

From my understanding of how the mind works, the trigger event would need to be not just something catastrophic, but something that causes the protagonist to reconnect their own trauma memories. Empathy usually wouldn't be enough. Those types of self-preservation mechanisms kick in when the mind perceives itself to be in danger of repeating the same experiences.

Beyond that, the exploration of how a world dependant on a hero to be saved would react to the removal of said hero? That sounds like a fascinating place to explore. Does the world collapse or does something (someone?) else fill the void? Does that prove or disprove your prophecy - you could potentially get very clever here about how you word the prophecy, but doing so might also undermine your intention of removing the 'chosen one' from the picture.

To the genre question, it comes down to what the core focus is - is it the trauma induced regression? or is it on the consequences of the world? The former would likely be a more character focused genre, but the latter could still sit firmly in urban fantasy. Personally, I'm always a fan of stories that blend, cross or otherwise push genre boundaries.

I mainly like focusing on characters and their experiences within the world.

So as far as how the mind words, it wouldn’t be enough to just go, ‘Oh, I just watched a kid die in an aerial explosion’. But maybe it connects to failure=punishment=abuse from his past/fear of abuse/punishment? Like his trauma made a link between this and his bad upbringing and went, ‘Nope, not again.’

I think I want to keep the prophecy as vague as possible, mainly as I don’t know how to word it without it sounding like ‘He alone can defeat the Duchess, and he’s totes gonna win, lol’ But then again, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose, as if the stress of saving the world is diminished with, ‘Well, we’ve got other Chosen Ones, so you’re good’ then it makes what he went through kinda pointless. Then again, if maybe it’s vague enough like, ‘We’re not sure how the Duchess will be defeated, but we’re pretty sure he’s the one’ then it could work.

I think it’s a bit of both. Trauma + the consequence of the world thrusting this burden onto him and expecting him to be the one to save the world.

In Harry Potter book series, Harry's biggest problem/opponent is Voldemort, in this urban fantasy version the main problem would be the protagonist's mental breakdown. If the issue was the mental breakdown AND some external force like Voldemort or war it could get too complicated (or it can seem untypical/refreshing). Or maybe the mental breakdown is not what is really troubling the main character but is a writing technique to show the flashbacks of different timelines. There's a difference between the urban fantasy about the mental breakdown and the urban fantasy about abuse, growing up and war where the mental breakdown is mentioned few times, e.g. in beginning of the story and at the end we realize Tharby is in some institution and then the flashbacks start of what happened to him. In Harry Potter books, Harry is hero because he succeeds in overcoming the obstacles, so your hero would need to (try to) overcome his mental breakdown and other obstacles. Could be fun story.

Right, in that Harry Potter scenario, it was like he broke down but still remembered flashes of who he was, remembered his friends, etc. Some members of the Order wanted to protect him and figure out another way to stop Voldemort, while others wanted to force him back into the fight. Harry does help, like when he has the weird dreams about Voldemort, he’s encouraged to open up to the others about those dreams and they use it/interpret it for strategies to fight Voldemort himself.

Harry Potter is one of my least favorite characters in popular literature. A story where The Hero has a massive mental breakdown and curls up sucking his thumb while the rest of the crew cowboys up and saves the world without him would be refreshing.

I know, right? I mean, I know in that universe wizards are made of sterner stuff, and it’s YA fantasy etc. but honestly? I was half-expecting him to just snap.

Though here’s the thing: I suspect it’d have to involve a lot more than just snuggling up in a couch, legs pulled up, blanket over while eating milk cookies. Like actual childlike behavior (ie, sucking thumb/carrying a stuffie around, wanting to snuggle up to characters they trust deeply akin to a child snuggling up to a parent, holding a character’s hand/wrist, etc.)

I could get into the weeds in exactly how far regressed Tharby should be, the recovery time, etc. Though I’ve been told by others to stop overthinking and just write it out first.