Index: Underlings | The Villainous Way of Command | The Villain’s Apprentice
Deserved superiority | The Quest for thy Hate | M for Mystery | Farm Commonwalker
The Definition
The Dreamer, though they share many common characteristics with the Commoner Hero, absolutely burn with want for adventure.
This might be because the Dreamers are the progeny of Heroes or, Chosen Ones, hidden at the literal buttocks of nowhere, for reasons most dire. Some cannot stand what they perceive to be dull, drab, monotonous life, where every day is exactly the same. They yearn for the excitement that only a life of adventure will bring, often naively assuming that everything will be all sunshine and butterflies.
Dreamers are frequently in conflict with the Commoners who raised them, their neighbors, or even their siblings. Though not always and not all, some Dreamers, while imagining an exciting career of dashing heroics, fail to notice that it is the Commoners' rather drab, monotonous job that maintains civilization.
However, where the Commoner Hero relishes in his or her chosen occupation and bathes in the peaceful calm of wholesome daily repetitiveness, the Dreamer does not such thing. Instead, in secret if they have to, the Dreamer does some basic weapon/mecha/magic training, in preparation for their future lives of glorious adventure.
Saving the Kingdom/Galaxy and rescuing the Prince/Princess, after all, is often quite the battlefull line of work.
The Dreamer, although they love their family and work on the farm/factory, are ready to leave at the drop of a hat. When the wise old Mentor arrives to unveil their grand destiny (if they are the Chosen One); the King's advisor recruits them since they are progeny of famed Heroes of the Land; the Evil Empire invades their sleepy village; the Galactic Mega-Corp enslaves their Super city; without exception, they all accept the Call to Adventure.
Character craft
Without question, the Dreamer is just as relatable as the Commoner Hero and for three simple reasons:
Needs a mentor
Naive to a fault
Overeager
Again, for the purpose of this article I will focus on the basics. Establishing a foundation which you can use to add more tropes, as you create your particular Dreamer. Though making it your own is quite important, the base you build upon must be sturdy and stable. Train your most eager imagination, and there is no limit to what you can create!
Needs a mentor: Being a self-trained, wannabe adventurer, the Dreamer is in dire need of a mentor figure. Which is where the old, wise, wizard-like character, an integral part of the Hero's Journey, comes in. Often they could be a dodgy person with suspicious outwards appearance, yet a heart of gold. We aren't talking mysterious women who lurk in distant bodies of water and are in the habit of donating magic swords.
The Dreamer, being inexperienced in the ways of the world (or Galaxy) since they spent their childhood living on the buttocks of nowhere, are in dire need of proper direction. To hone their basic skills and learn when to or not use them. Of course, if said Dreamer is also the Chosen One, they shall be needing a lesson in magic swordsmanship, mecha piloting, or unique spell-weaving.
The Mentor, of course, is much more than a simple trainer. In many cases, they are a father or mother figures and teach the Dreamer many, important life lessons. Here I have to mention that not all mentors die during the Hero's Journey, but all leave the Hero to stand on his or her own legs, after their job is done.
Naive to a fault: The Dreamer is oftentimes a dewy-eyed whelp, in the sense that they have rather naïve view of the way things work, as far as them glamorous heroic things are concerned. This can lead them to become manipulated by dashing rogues, and convinced to do things which may not be entirely “right.”
They may fall into otherwise easily evaded traps, grifted by cunning thugs, or duped by the Villain into revealing important information. This is where their more experienced companions come in and protect the Dreamer from all sorts of clever deceptions.
Training in the way of the sword is one thing, but untangling the string of a cunning plot, entirely another beast. A Hero needs good, perceptive head on their shoulder or they won't be a Hero for long. Even if they are a Chosen one, or the progeny of famed Heroes, the Dreamer still needs to overcome their naivete.
As it often happens, the Dreamer may lose their mentor or one of their companions because of his or her naivety. Though tragic, this event is part of the Hero's Journey and an important life lesson...
Overeager: Another main quality of our Dreamer is their overeagerness to act. Be it jumping into the fray ill-prepared or confronting the Big Bad without any semblance of a plan, this will bring our Hero much trouble. Yet, how can we chastise them since their entire being yearns for doing what they've dreamt about all those years?
Finally, after so many years spent living in perpetual boredom, they have the magic sword, the most amazing mecha in the galaxy, and that unique magic glowing under their fingertips. Despite all the warnings of their Mentor, the words of their much wiser companions, again, the Dreamer is what he or she is. They are eager to slay the Dragon, best the Big Bad, or free the Kingdom.
It is yet another step along their Hero's Journey, where they could lose their Mentor or a beloved companion. Someone has to sacrifice themselves so the Chosen One lives to fight the Big Bad another day, the downtrodden people of the Kingdom saved, and peace across the Galaxy, restored.
The Reforged Hero
Following their initial failures, the Dreamer shall replace their naivety with shrewdness, their overeagerness with measured character, and their lost Mentor with... themselves. Yes, and because of all the loss they'd suffered, the mistakes they made, the Dreamer is no longer a dewy-eyed whelp, but a proper Hero.
Indeed, just like the Commoner Hero they probably will also suffer from PTSD, yet their willingness to answer the Call to Adventure, them being a Chosen One, or their Heroic lineage might work in their favor. As strange as it sounds, oft the naïve are less hit by the horrid war dreams since they have a strong belief in their role as an adventurer, a Hero whose sacrifices will bring peace to the Kingdom.
Though the sacrifices of their companions and the loss of the Mentor, often due to their own mistakes, will weigh heavily on their shoulder, this burden shan't crush them. Instead, just like a crucible, all of it will reforge the Dreamer's character into a unrelenting Hero. One willing to walk through the valley of death, give their own life, but slay the Dragon, defeat the Big Bad, and bring the gift of peace back to a wartorn Galaxy.
That, which does not kill our Dreamers, makes them stronger.
If I may give an example from my own work, this would be the character of Boris. A telepath, who was captured and sold into slavery as a child, he endured long years of torturous labor mining uranium ore. Him and his fellow slaves were reduced to mere digging implements, easy to replace when they “broke.”
Following the loss of his parents and his freedom, Boris had to abandon nearly all dreams. His crucible was him learning how to survive in this hellhole. Then came the planning and the plotting, all focused on escape first, vengeance second. The boy grows into a young man full of stubborn determination, forced to shed his childhood naiveté in order to survive.
His one dream was to grow strong enough so he could escape, and this he did not just by following One Punch man's training routine, but growing smarter. Learning everything he could about his captors, their strengths and weaknesses, how to exploit their vices, gave him a definite edge. When one is surrounded with enemies, unarmed and weaker than them, they better forge something out of nothing, or they would fall.
Ultimately, Boris's plot of many years bears fruit, when he finds a way to disable the inhibitors which keep telepathic individuals like him in check. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Indie Opinion
Rebuilt, the Core of our Hero empowers his or her main power – their dreams. Powerful vessels of plot, and the sails of many a story, said noble aspirations are what many readers/viewers/players find most beloved in our heroes. Be it the want to save others, restore peace, or best a villain so they would no longer cause the doom of innocents, dreams are oft a superpower most glorious to behold.
The Dreamers, they have this allure to them, and why many follow them beyond the gates of Hell if need be. Hopeful imagination of futures peaceful and of lives free from soul-crushing oppression, 'tis what the honest, hardworking person yearns. This is why we love characters like the iconic Dreamer Luke Skywalker, naïve but stalwart Frodo Baggins, the determined Ripley, and clad in her shining hope Leia Organa.
It is a great feat to create Heroes of our own, who fight for their noble dreams to become reality. To inspire and to charge minds and hearts, this is our duty, fellow wordsmiths!
I will leave you with an excerpt from the Terran Minarchy’s Morale Officer Handbook:
“One never lets go what one loves, but fights for it to the death.”
The Brothers Krynn The Lord Otter The Man Behind the Screen R. H. Snow Vulkan Joyce Jenny Homan Josh Tatter Joseph Wiess Sam Rake A.C. Cargill, Author Michaela McKuen Michael B. Morgan Made in DNA Garhom Tenkage Victoria Jensen The Rewind The Chronicler Kathrine Elaine Tom Hyland Joshua T Calkins-Treworgy Andrew Smith Maximilian P Siddell Redd Oscar Daniel O’Donnell A-thon X Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️ Harold Ember Abby Geno Frequency’s Substack Dwina Murphy-Gibb Katelynsam Dixon Richard Glover Heidi Zawelevsky Maribel
I loved this, dreamers' are often the most fascinating characters at least when starting out, I love the contrast between them and more experienced heroes such as with Luke & Han, or Yuna and say Auron.
Thank you for the honorable mention!