Tropes can vary wildly—from soft and cuddly interactions like “grumpy x sunshine,” to the infamous “enemies to lovers,” where authors will tout all sorts of disturbed interactions we’re supposed to find “appealing” or “romantic.” MCs can be “cinnamon rolls,” or “unhinged and morally gray.” Romance can be sweet to “dark”—like your favorite brew of coffee.
But beneath all these snappy BookTok hashtags, one undeniable truth rises from the murk, continuing to assert its dominance over just about all of popular literature:
People taking care of and protecting others has, and always will be, the most appealing scenario across any genre, age range, or medium.
Think about it—the ride-or-die friend; the love interest who comes out of an unexpected time and place; or the reluctant parent—everything traces back to the same core idea: protection.
Humans can be pretty shitty; but for the most part, a good chunk of us are decent, hardworking people who just want one thing: people to love and understand us. Regardless of the types of stories audiences have flocked to over the years, that idea has continued to center in just about every piece of our media.
Now, technically speaking, there are two overarching tropes that dominate all of media—protection and sex. But we all know the overused, age-old adage of “sex sells” and why. And I’m here to argue that protection is the superior among the two anyway. (Not that there’s anything wrong with being horny; it’s a normal human reaction that can be dealt with in consensual and pleasurable ways. But not everyone even enjoys getting horny in the first place—and ultimately, we have other, more pressing emotional needs that are far more fulfilling to satisfy.)
Protection breaks down into three main subcategories: Friendship, Parenting, and Romance.
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Friendship
The “we’ve got each other’s backs” mentality. Think the Fellowship in Lord of the Rings; the way the crew of the Enterprise looks out for each other; or the way Han, Luke, and Leia are bonded.
We all want to know somebody’s there for us. And platonic support is extremely pivotal to our flourishing and even basic survival as human beings. After all, at our core, we’re social creatures—even the most curmudgeonly among us.
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Parenting
Whether or not the characters are actually related, the mature, experienced (and sometimes somewhat grumpy) character looking after their companions is always a warm and fuzzy dynamic to witness. Think Batman and his flock of Robins; the Mandalorian with Grogu; Uncle Iroh’s affection and guidance for Zuko; or the way many fans latched onto Iron Man and Spider-Man in the MCU (even if it is highly debatable how much of a positive or helpful influence Tony was on Peter).
Regardless of how parental we ourselves would actually feel if thrust into a situation, the idea of an older, more experienced character nurturing and protecting someone who needs a hand of guidance is appealing.
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Romance
It’s easy to see why a healthy romance falls under today’s topic. Having a committed partner to support you, and to offer your support to, clearly fits the bill of craving protection.
But even darker and more questionable romances can still be explained by our thesis.
Now, I’m not going to cover the relationship dynamics that are clearly just expressions of the authors’ kinks. But many “dark” romances and romantasies still dig their roots into the same soil as the rest of our argument.
The idea of someone dangerous, distrusting, and/or disapproving of others, who makes an exception for the MC, feeds the same basic need for safety and protection. It takes the panic of being thrust into a life-threatening situation—married to a conniving enemy, stranded in hostile territory, or hunted by someone dangerous—and turns that terror into safety and comfort.
The enemy king is actually soft and protective past his hard veneer; the person stranded with the MC with is actually kind enough to help her survive; or the hunter has enough humanity left in his heart to renounce violence towards the MC in the face of love.
Notwithstanding if the love interest actually does act benevolent and respectful towards the MC, the scenario follows the same basic thread; the same base desire.
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