History Main / HighFantasy

* Many FrancoBelgianComics belong to High Fantasy, with a twist: [[spoiler:the plot seems classical at the beginning, but at the end, the BigBad is never the one we believed]]: ''Légendes des Contrées Oubliées'', ''ComicBook/LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', ''L'épée de cristal'', ''Les brumes d'Asceltis''. Others are LowFantasy or HeroicFantasy with some elements of High Fantasy: ''ComicBook/{{Thorgal}}'', ''LeRoiCyclope'', ''ComicBook/{{Lanfeust}}'', ''ComicBook/LesLumieresDeLAmalou'', ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'', ''Complainte des landes perdues'', ...

* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' , and almost anything else written by Creator/BrandonSanderson.
* The ''Literature/OldKingdom'' series is somewhat unusual, as its premise revolves around necromancy and the undead.

* ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' by Stephen King borders the line between High Fantasy and UrbanFantasy in a {{Western}} setting.
** ''Liturature/TheStand'' has even more elements of High Fantasy, but it's strictly our world AfterTheEnd. However King ties it in later to his other-worlds {{Mythopoeia}}.

The boundary between High Fantasy and LowFantasy is probably impossible to pin down, but the ''{{Deverry}}'' and ''{{Deryni}}'' series are near the borderline, and may straddle it. In both, the protagonists are involved in high-level power politics, with the fate of their nation in the balance, but Deverry has superhuman evils which the Deryni series lacks. Another borderline series would be the violent, low-magic ''ASongOfIceAndFire'', which is on an epic scale, in a pseudo-medieval setting, with the looming menace of the Others, but lacks a Dark Lord (so far). The Literature/{{Discworld}} novels as a whole are another problematic case; they are generally considered LowFantasy, but several of them tick all the boxes on the core elements noted above and epic-level plots (like ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'') happen just as frequently as street-level ones (like ''Discworld/TheTruth'').

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* ''RaveMaster''
* ''RecordOfLodossWar''
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic''

* Many FrancoBelgianComics belong to High Fantasy, with a twist: [[spoiler:the plot seems classical at the beginning, but at the end, the BigBad is never the one we believed]]: ''Légendes des Contrées Oubliées'', ''LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', ''L'épée de cristal'', ''Les brumes d'Asceltis''. Others are LowFantasy or HeroicFantasy with some elements of High Fantasy: ''ComicBook/{{Thorgal}}'', ''LeRoiCyclope'', ''ComicBook/{{Lanfeust}}'', ''ComicBook/LesLumieresDeLAmalou'', ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'', ''Complainte des landes perdues'', ...

* [[TropeMaker Unsurprisingly]], the [[TheFilmOfTheBook live-action adaptation]] of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''.

** ''TheElenium'' - by the same [[Creator/DavidEddings author]], and does pretty much the same thing. Only in six slightly longer (and darker) books. But still two epics. Think ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'' set in 14th century Europe, with magic, except the FiveManBand busts Gods instead of ghosts.

* ''The ChroniclesOfThomasCovenant''

* ''DeltoraQuest''

* ''TheDuelOfSorceryTrilogy'' fits on some details, but is more LowFantasy in other respects.
* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' by Isaac Asimov has some elements of high fantasy, like ''StarWars''. Also Creator/CJCherryh's ''[[Literature/MorgaineCycle Morgaine]]'', Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' and Creator/CatherineAsaro's ''Literature/SkolianSaga''. Some SciFi may also feature a VR high fantasy world e.g. ''Literature/EndersGame'', ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''.

* ''TheMalazanBookOfTheFallen''

* ''TheMirrorOfHerDreams''

* ''SwordOfTruth'' possesses all the core elements, although [[TerryGoodkind the author]] [[SciFiGhetto would rather not have his work lumped into the fantasy section, thank you very much]].

* ''TheWheelOfTime''
* ''TheWitcher''

* ''Literature/BranHambric'', which has the feeling of UrbanFantasy in a fictional world.

* ''ElvenQuest'' parodies the High Fantasy setting. The Chosen One (a dog in our world but a human in his) must band together with an Elf, Warrior Princess and Dwarf to find the mystical Sword of Asnagar and defeat the cunning and oddly genre-savvy Lord Darkness.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''FireEmblem'' is this mixed in with LowFantasy elements (e.g the worlds are mostly populated by humans, most of the battles are fought between humans though Dragons may be involved somehow), several characters that can you recruit may even be [[PunchClockHero Punch Clock Heroes]], and the series seems to lean towards the cynical side on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, though some of the games can also lean towards the idealistic side as well). Plus, it must be noted that the [[FireEmblemJugdral Jugdral Series]] is very dark in tone.
* ''KingdomHearts'' is divided into many small worlds, mostly imaginary, or based on Disney films.

* ''{{Overlord}}'' takes all the tropes of this genre and runs away with them.

* ''Webcomic/GoblinsOfRazard''. contains a lost prince and a band of followers on a quest.

* ''OurLittleAdventure'', if you factor all of its parts.
* ''OverlordofRavenfell'' parodies and subverts the High Fantasy setting, from the perspective of the villain.
* ''WayfarersMoon''.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'': A rare UrbanFantasy version but fits nonetheless.

* ''ThePiratesOfDarkWater''.

* ''ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath'' fits most of the elements, though it's very tightly focused on the heroine and her immediate friends and family despite the world-shaking events going on, and at least as far as supernatural forces are concerned it's more BlackAndGreyMorality than BlackAndWhiteMorality.

* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor''. Mainly when the plot is set in Asgard.

* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor''. Mainly whenever the plot is set in Asgard.

* ''ComicBook/{{Thor}}''. Mainly whenever the plot is set in Asgard.

* ''ComicBook/Thor''. Mainly whenever the plot is set in Asgard.

* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' by Isaac Asimov has some elements of high fantasy, like ''StarWars''. Also Creator/CJCherryh's ''[[Literature/MorgaineCycle Morgaine]]'', Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' and Creator/CatherineAsaro's ''Skolian Empire''. Some SciFi may also feature a VR high fantasy world e.g. ''Literature/EndersGame'', ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''.

* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' by Isaac Asimov has some elements of high fantasy, like ''StarWars''. Also Creator/CJCherryh's ''[[Literature/MorgaineCycle Morgaine]]'', Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' and {{Catherine Asaro}}'s ''SkolianEmpire''. Some SciFi may also feature a VR high fantasy world e.g. ''Literature/EndersGame'', ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''.

* Music/{{Negativland}} once created a hysterical parody of [[InAWorld trailers for High Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy films]], using dozens of snippets from DonLaFontaine narrations. It's on ''Moribund Music of the 70s''.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* ''{{Bone}}'', though with a sense of humor throughout.
* Many FrancoBelgianComics belong to High Fantasy, with a twist: [[spoiler:the plot seems classical at the beginning, but at the end, the BigBad is never the one we believed]]: ''Légendes des Contrées Oubliées'', ''LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', ''L'épée de cristal'', ''Les brumes d'Asceltis''. Others are LowFantasy or HeroicFantasy with some elements of High Fantasy: ''ComicBook/{{Thorgal}}'', ''LeRoiCyclope'', ''ComicBook/{{Lanfeust}}'', ''ComicBook/LesLumieresDeLAmalou'', ''BlackMoonChronicles'', ''Complainte des landes perdues'', ...

* Many FrancoBelgianComics belong to High Fantasy, with a twist: [[spoiler: the plot seems classical at the beginning, but at the end, the BigBad is never the one we believed]]: ''Légendes des Contrées Oubliées'', ''LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', ''L'épée de cristal'', ''Les brumes d'Asceltis''. Others are LowFantasy or HeroicFantasy with some elements of High Fantasy: ''{{Thorgal}}'', ''LeRoiCyclope'', ''{{Lanfeust}}'', ''LesLumieresDeLAmalou'', ''BlackMoonChronicles'', ''Complainte des landes perdues'', ...

** XII is a borderline case. It meets most of the requirements except the scale. There's some power politics and the looming threat of a war between two great powers, but it's limited to threatening one small kingdom/city-state caught between them rather than any serious threat to the world at large regardless of who wins. The over-arching quest is more about preventing the city of Dalmasca from being turned into a battleground of two rival empires, neither of which represent the GoodGuys, than attempting to defeat the EvilOverlord (who turns out to be a KnightTemplar AntiVillain)

* ''BranHambric'', which has the feeling of UrbanFantasy in a fictional world.

* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' by Isaac Asimov has some elements of high fantasy, like ''StarWars''. Also Creator/CJCherryh's ''[[Literature/MorgaineCycle Morgaine]]'', Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' and {{Catherine Asaro}}'s ''SkolianEmpire''. Some SciFi may also feature a VR high fantasy world e.g. ''Ender's Game'', ''Literature/TheDiamondAge''.

The setting of the stereotypical High (or "epic") {{Fantasy}}, a collection of tropes, often [[TheThemeParkVersion boiled down]] from ''TheLordOfTheRings'', [[FollowTheLeader which has been the foundation]] for many a series of [[{{Doorstopper}} doorstoppers]].

* ''The Literature/{{Belgariad}}'' - takes every single trope in the genre, [[LampshadeHanging laughs]] at them, then builds around ten books (and two [[DoorStopper epics]]) with them.

* {{Negativland}} once created a hysterical parody of [[InAWorld trailers for High Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy films]], using dozens of snippets from DonLaFontaine narrations. It's on ''Moribund Music of the 70s''.

* Scale - Epic. Power politics, wars, the death of nations, gods walking the earth, and the real threat of TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. This is what distinguishes HighFantasy from HeroicFantasy.

The boundary between HighFantasy and LowFantasy is probably impossible to pin down, but the ''{{Deverry}}'' and ''{{Deryni}}'' series are near the borderline, and may straddle it. In both, the protagonists are involved in high-level power politics, with the fate of their nation in the balance, but Deverry has superhuman evils which the Deryni series lacks. Another borderline series would be the violent, low-magic ''ASongOfIceAndFire'', which is on an epic scale, in a pseudo-medieval setting, with the looming menace of the Others, but lacks a Dark Lord (so far). The Literature/{{Discworld}} novels as a whole are another problematic case; they are generally considered LowFantasy, but several of them tick all the boxes on the core elements noted above and epic-level plots (like ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'') happen just as frequently as street-level ones (like ''Discworld/TheTruth'').

The [[SciFiCounterpart sci-fi version]] of HighFantasy is SpaceOpera, but not vice versa. The quintessential Space Opera doesn't necessarily include a Dark Lord equivalent, but if a Space Opera ''does'', as with StarWars or Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/AFireUponTheDeep'', it is High Fantasy [[RecycledInSpace in space]].

* Many FrancoBelgianComics belong to HighFantasy, with a twist: [[spoiler: the plot seems classical at the beginning, but at the end, the BigBad is never the one we believed]]: ''Légendes des Contrées Oubliées'', ''LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', ''L'épée de cristal'', ''Les brumes d'Asceltis''. Others are LowFantasy or HeroicFantasy with some elements of HighFantasy: ''{{Thorgal}}'', ''LeRoiCyclope'', ''{{Lanfeust}}'', ''LesLumieresDeLAmalou'', ''BlackMoonChronicles'', ''Complainte des landes perdues'', ...

* ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' by Stephen King borders the line between HighFantasy and UrbanFantasy in a {{Western}} setting.
** ''Liturature/TheStand'' has even more elements of HighFantasy, but it's strictly our world AfterTheEnd. However King ties it in later to his other-worlds {{Mythopoeia}}.

* The ''Literature/ChroniclesofPrydain'' are HighFantasy for children.