What defines dark fantasy?
Is it just elves that wear black or is there more to it? Maybe a mood or setting? Maybe it’s an antihero thing? Im curious as to what it means and what some of the defining/seminal works of dark fantasy might be.
The best definition I’ve heard of Grimdark, which has a certain overlap with dark fantasy, is that morally good decisions lead to bad outcomes. Not every good decision leads to a bad outcome and not every bad outcome is due to a good decision. But as a rule of thumb, doing the right thing is a bad thing.
From an ideological perspective, think of it as a rejection of the uplifting and hope-filled narratives of high fantasy such as JRR Tolkien’s work, where characters like the hobbits exhibit the best humanity has to offer in bravery and fortitude and love. Even the darkest aspects of the mythos of middle-earth is filled with instances of redemption and the light standing against the darkness.
