List of romantasy novel tropes

This is a list of common romantasy (romantic fantasy) tropes that you can use as inspiration in your own novel or writing.

If you’d like to add an element of fun to perusing this list, why not try my random romantasy trope generator instead?

What are tropes?

Tropes are common themes, plot devices or motifs in novels. In other words, they are common scenarios and patterns that take place in your novel.

For example, a common trope in romantasy novels is the fated mates where the protagonist and their love interest are destined to be together.

List of romantasy tropes

Most of these tropes are self explanatory but to ensure this list is accessible to both new and veteran writers alike, I have written a short explanation for some tropes that may not be familiar to everyone. Furthermore, many tropes can fit into multiple categories.

Profession tropes

• Royalty

• Mentor/mentee

• Apprentice/knight

• Secret heir

• Tavern workers

• Palace guard

• Palace adviser

• Assassin

• Witches and wizards

• Swordsperson

• Dark lord

• Guardian

• Outlaw

• Outcasts

• Bard

• Supreme ruler

• World's worst spellcaster

• Dual wielding

• Nobility

• Healers

Relationship tropes

• Secret admirer

• Friends to lovers

• Love at first sight

• Secret stalker

• Aloof couple

• Star-crossed lovers

• Unrequited love

• Break up to save them

• Us against the world

• Rescuer

• Unattainable love interest

• The one that got away

• Wanting different things

• Just friends

• Two person love triangle – mistaken identity

• Rivals

• Fated mates

• Matchmaker gone wrong

• Always right

• Enemies to lovers

• First love

• Meet cute

• Against the odds

• Disguise

• Beauty and the beast

• Singles pact

• Reversal of fortune

• Lovers in denial

• Opposites attract

• Forbidden love

• Rich vs. poor

• Competition rivals

• Falling in love with the wrong person

• Wrong side of the tracks

• Soul mates

• Bait and switch

• Person in peril

• Not good enough for them

• Last to know

• Secret romance

• Frenemies

• Mistaken declaration of love

• Cyrano – when a nerdy person helps a popular person date someone by telling them what to do

• Destiny

• Fish out of water

• Dating the wrong person

• Undercover romance

• Bully crush

• Right in front of you all along

• Hate to love you

• Riches to rags

• Best friend's sibling

• On the rocks – love interests who had broken up get back together

• Redemption story

• Long distance relationships

• All grown up

• Different worlds – in romantasy, they can literally be from different worlds!

• Everyone can see it except them

• Fear of commitment

• Second chance

• Emotional scars

• Not good enough – a love interest thinks they aren't good enough to be loved

• Learn to love – one love interest falls in love with their teacher or mentor

• Allergic to commitment

• Miscommunication

• Secrets

• Coming out

• Meet-cute

• Happily ever after

• True love’s kiss

• Love triangles

• Interspecies pairings

• Forced proximity

• Who did this to you?

• The rough villain is secretly soft

• Touch her and you die

• Captor/captive

• Chosen one

• Broody protector

• Fake marriage

• Found family

• Grumpy and sunshine

• He falls first

• Only one bed

• Hades and Persephone

• Fake dating

• Lack of commitment

• Insta love

• Need for sameness

• Secret royalty

• Best friends to lovers

• Saving the world from the evil overlord

• Becoming evil

• Strong heroine – the opposite of a damsel in distress, these heroines save themselves!

• Fairytale retellings

• Elemental magic

• Slow burn

• Bad boy/good girl

• Protector/savior

• Revenge

• Abduction

• Seemingly weak protagonist has secret powers

• Shadow daddy – morally grey man with an attitude

• Protagonist smells like lavender – that is absolutely not happening after weeks of travelling and camping!

• Protagonist loses their powers

• Surprise pregnancy

• Hidden identity

• Class differences

• Reluctant companions

• Fairy courts

• Magic academy

• The reluctant hero

• Secret heir

• Lucky novice

• Lost heir

• The antihero

• Orphan hero

• Reincarnated from the gods

• Intergenerational trauma

• Distracted by love

• Diplomaticmarriage

• Group of misfits

• Travelling parties

• Secret identity

• Misfits

• Next generation – the protagonist's child features in their own novel or series

Protagonist and love interest \ tropes

• Morally grey

• Virgin

• Rake – a "loveable scoundrel", often a rich playboy who invests his money and time on women, drinking and gambling

• Tamed rakes

• Mary Sue – one love interest, often female, is unrealistically flawless

• Protective

• Childhood sweethearts

• Outcast from society

• Loveable rogue

• Widow

• Jock and nerd

• Grumpy vs. sunshine

• Puppy hero

• Good girls want bad boys

• Pretty boy

• Diamond in the rough

• Possessive

• Alpha hero

• Rags to riches

• The protector

• Anti-hero

• Oblivious to love

• Reformed villain

• All grown up

• Tortured lover

• Sworn off romance

• Cinderella

• Beta – one love interest is not an alpha and may be less confident

• Damsels out of distress

• Hunk

• Caretaker

• Ugly duckling

• Wallflower

• Not like other girls

• Playboy

• Physicality – such as big muscular guy vs. small girl

• Plus-size

• Reformed rakes

• I can fix him

• Innocent

• Girl next door

• Dude in distress

Fantasy race and animal tropes

• Dragons

• More dragons

• Even more dragons

• Give us all the dragons!

• Dark elves

• Elves and dwarves

• Demonic creatures

• Halfling

• Faes

• Elves

• Trolls

• Dwarves

• Goblins

• Demons

• Shapeshifting

• Guardian animals

• Fire-breathing dragons

• Unicorns

• Werewolves

• Vampires

• Legendary creatures

• Monsters

• Animal familiars

• Fairy godmother

• Animal guides

• Horses

• Gnomes

• Orcs

• Talking animals

• Magical creatures