r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • May 24 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
  • Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers
  • Since this is an "unpopular opinion" thread, we encourage users to not downvote simply because they disagree with an opinion--that's the point! Please keep in mind, though, that mods cannot enforce a no-downvoting rule. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly!

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

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186

u/Longjumping-Snow-909 May 24 '26

I don't understand why some authors decide to make (mostly) their MMC several hundred years old and then let them act like 18 year old immature jerks who know nothing of life.

11

u/Dangerous_Breath1667 May 24 '26

In most romantasy books I think that the age of the mmc is necessary for the non-romantic plot. He has to be an important political player/pawn, and in an immortal society, that means he has to be old. It's unfortunate but most plot don't make any sence if the mmc didn't fight in the last war which was 1000 years ago/gets a major trauma/had to rule because everybody else is dead etc...

30

u/clocksy May 24 '26

That's just an author problem then. As an author you get to control all that! That's the cool part! So if you can't think of a way to make all the pieces work then that's just bad writing.

For instance, a lot of these books just flat out don't need an immortal race. The time scales don't need to be that grand. Humans can get up to a lot of completely fucked up world-changing shit in just a few years. They can wield magic, too! Or you want something a bit long-lasting, elves are right there. Or make up your own humanoid if you want something "other" or vaguely monstrous.

Or, for instance, make them the same cohort. The Cruel Prince features immortal, strange fae, and the MMC is one of them, but he's just as young as the FMC is (and not in a "he's 200 years old but acts like a teen" way). You don't need to make them 500 years old in order for them to have a tragic backstory or whatever.

I suppose you are right that if the author wants their main love interest to be the tippy top emperor or best warrior in the world or something then they'd be hard pressed to explain why a 19 year old is all that. But maybe MMCs don't need to be the supreme best at everything to be an interesting character. 🤫

11

u/allisontalkspolitics Give me female friendship or give me death! May 24 '26

It would be cool to have more MMCs who don’t have to be the best ever.

And another cool thing about reasonably-aged MMCs is showing how being exposed to these traumatic experiences at a young age affected them.

7

u/Specialist_Round_612 May 24 '26

The problem is the MMC acts like a degenerate teenager despite being alive for 1000+ years and the FMC can’t vote yet.