Well hello there, Reader,

I was scrolling through Threads a day before Horse Cover Gate when I saw a different complaint on Bookthreads. This reader was bemoaning how all the Legendary Characters (main leads) in Fantasy books nowadays were in the 14-19 age range. But how was she, a 40+ year old person, supposed to relate?

Now, back when I was a newly minted adult, Reader, I remember having the exact opposite complaint.

“I’m 18. I’ve just taken public transit to the City by myself for the first time. How am I supposed to relate to a 35-year-old divorcee with a kid?”

Oh, young me. Now I’m turning 42 in a few months. 😹

But…maybe you’re like this aforementioned reader, Reader. And the idea of the Big New York Publishing Houses featuring younger and younger Legendary Characters in their Fantasy makes you go meh 🫤 every time you look at the new release selection.

Well then here’s 4 ways to feature older characters in your Fantasy:

1) Long-lived Beings

Often portrayed as otherworldly and beyond knowing, beings of extremely long lifespans could just as easily be portrayed as set in their ways, autistic, thrill-seekers, or annoyed by change and progress.

If you’re looking for ideas, just skim through any thread where people bemoan the loss of anything from food to entertainment to tech from the '60s to the '90s.

Though Frieren is over a thousand years old and an elf in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, she’s extremely relatable. She’s annoyed at having to update her magical certifications so often. That the flavors of food at a restaurant have changed. And that she gets lost in towns that have changed drastically since the last time she was there.

Sound familiar? 😒

2) Mentor Role

Like Merlin to young Arthur in The Sword in the Stone, your Legendary Character doesn’t have to be experiencing everything in the world for the first time to offer the reader a new experience. Instead, they could be guiding another as they experience those firsts.

For example, the Branches of Past and Future series by MN Bennet centers on telepathic magical school teacher Dorian as he prepares teen witches for their magical proficiency exams.

And in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Frieren spends a majority of the series acting as a mentor to fellow mage Fern and young warrior Stark. A role she never foresaw herself ever taking in her life, despite its long length.

3) “Life” Happens

Some absolutely wild things happen in fantasy stories. Sometimes you end up getting Rip Van Winkled for a few decades while trapped in antique pottery. Or get isekai’d into the body of a book’s villain. Or die in battle and get summoned into someone else’s body a decade later as part of a secret revenge plot.

Whatever the reason, your character is displaced temporally somehow. They’re either older than they should be, younger than they should be, aged while the world around them didn’t, or didn’t age while the world passed them by.

In the Urban Fantasy series October Daye by Seanan McGuire, changeling Toby spends 14 years trapped in the form of a fish while her human husband, daughter, and the rest of the Fae community presume her to be dead. Once the spell finally breaks, she’s forced back into a life as a Fae private investigator, but without her family or support system. Talk about being a fish out of water. 😵

​Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is…interesting. Wei Wuxian is killed in battle when he and Lan Wangji are about 22. Then Wei Wuxian is summoned into the body of a different 20ish-year-old man 13 years later. And that’s just the opener of the story! It’s one of my fav series of all time and well worth the read.

4) Not for Newbies

If the plot of your story were handed to some fresh-faced teens, would they basically get shanked in the first 30 pages, Magnus Chase style? Then better leave it for more “seasoned” characters.

If you think about it, The Mummy is basically: inexperienced dude bro adventurers get murdered by the plot until only our Legendary Characters remain…to return for the sequel!

In the most recent Dungeons & Dragons movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, our “heroic” band of misfits have been on more than a few quests before making their hilariously unnecessary jailbreak. This story—however—is a surprisingly heartwarming found family heist, complete with damsel rescuing, epic-level evil spell casters, and even a chonky dragon.

Well, Reader, I hope these examples help you next time you want to craft a Fantasy story featuring an older Legendary Character. Until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.

Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

🐱

PS 👉 Fun Fact: Washington Irving, the author famous for writing “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is the same dude who wrote “Rip Van Winkle.” Crazy right?

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AB. Mala AB. Mala, a masterful storyteller, brings fantasy to life with vibrant worlds and unforgettable characters. Inspired by epic lore and timeless myths, AB's works captivate readers around the world. When she's not writing, you'll find her cosplaying or painting illustrations for her books. Subscribe to her newsletter. Subscribe​

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