Complex messiahs: The 12 greatest sci-fi saviors from film and TV
The return of Dune's Paul Atreides has us thinking about Neo, Anakin, and other unforgettable chosen ones
Film Features Michael Shanks
When Dune: Part Two arrives in theaters on March 1, we’ll finally get to see Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides complete his arc from sheltered royal heir to full-on space messiah. It got us thinking about the classic trope of the chosen one, and the other great examples in science-fiction films and TV shows. As Hitchhiker’s Guide To Galaxy author Douglas Adams once put it, “It’s one thing to think that you’re the center of the universe—it’s another thing entirely to have this confirmed by an ancient prophecy.”
Imagine being told that one day you’re going to save the world, and having no idea how to go about doing that. The path of a chosen one isn’t easy, but it makes for great storytelling. Maybe that’s why it’s so common, especially in genres heavy with allegory, like science-fiction and fantasy. There’s a lot of crossover there, but with Dune as our inspiration, we’re going to stick to science fiction here.
Not every heroic savior is a chosen one. With apologies to Thor, that’s what heroes do. What’s different about these characters is that they’re told of their destiny in advance, through prophecy or some other form of special selection. They have to live with the burden of that knowledge, which is often delivered to them before they’ve matured into adulthood. In fact, the whole concept of a chosen one, besides being a wish-fulfillment fantasy that allows everyone to believe they could be secretly exceptional or important, is a pretty solid metaphor for maturity. Plus, we just enjoy watching Paul and other characters on this list come into their own power.
