My Idea Of A Black Escapism and Power Fantasy In Fiction

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]Hey everyone, welcome back to another video. Today's topic is a combination of subjects that, in truth, could have easily been multiple separate videos, but I felt I could probably cover everything in one video, and that is black escapism and power fantasy. These two topics are not anything new. Many people have already shared their opinions on these subjects and how they have been handled over the years, but I also wanted to speak on them from my own perspective. Let's start off with escapism in fiction. For those who may or may not know, escapist fiction is a literary genre designed to transport readers away from the pressures, routines, or unpleasant realities of everyday life into immersive, often fantastical, or exciting worlds. It acts as a mental refuge, offering comfort, emotional engagement, and often a sense of justice or wonder. There are plenty of examples of this, such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and many more. Yes, there are many different kinds of escapist fiction. However, I believe the most popular form of escapism is fantasy. Stories that are as detached from our reality as possible.

[00:01:03]Worlds filled with wonder, mystery, magic, adventure, and discovery that allow the mind to wander freely beyond the limitations of everyday life.

[00:01:12]Escapism is not just about distraction, either. It is also about aspiration, imagination, identity, and emotional restoration. The worlds people repeatedly immerse themselves in things that can influence how they subconsciously imagine beauty, heroism, civilization, and even what kinds of futures feel possible. That is the purpose of escapism in fictional stories. And as many of you already know, a large portion of these escapist fantasies are centered around Western Caucasian audiences. [music] This is not some hidden mystery or controversial observation. The primary focus characters are usually white Caucasians, and even when the world in question includes other races or cultures, they are often used more as supporting pieces to progress the story rather than being the central focus themselves. Everything in an escapist fantasy is often inspired by Western Europe. The people, the architecture, the clothing, the myths, the kingdoms, the religions, and even the monsters are usually drawn from European culture and history. Now, that is not always the case, but the point I am making is that whatever is created is generally created with a Caucasian audience in mind as the primary group meant to escape into that world. I am not saying anyone else cannot enjoy or escape into those worlds as well because they absolutely can. Many people from all backgrounds enjoy these stories. I am simply addressing the root creation and intended cultural framing behind many of these fantasy settings. And this naturally ties into the concept of a power fantasy. A power fantasy is a narrative or thematic element where a character possesses extraordinary abilities, influence, status, or competence allowing them to overcome challenges with relative ease. It serves as a form of escapism allowing audiences or creators to experience control, catharsis, dominance, admiration, and sometimes vengeance against overwhelming odds or injustices. Common in games, anime, comics, [music] films, and novels, these stories often focus on competence, low risk, and high reward.

[00:03:15]The audience is meant to imagine themselves in the position of the powerful character experiencing a life where they are respected, feared, desired, admired, or untouchable.

[00:03:25]Depending on the type of story and world building being done, power fantasy can manifest itself in many forms, but visually and culturally, the imagery heavily favors the Caucasian male archetype. Now, of course, the same principle also applies to East Asians and their own power fantasies, though with some small caveats. In the isekai genre, for example, around 95% of all isekai stories take place in fantasy worlds inspired by Europe with European architecture, medieval European kingdoms, European-style nobility systems, and European-inspired aesthetics. The Japanese audience sees a European setting through the lens of Japanese storytelling and Japanese wish-fulfillment. You get the idea. The setting itself may look European, but the fantasy and perspective are still ultimately built around the escapist desires of a Japanese audience. Now, let's get to the main talking point of the video. As of late, I have seen many discussions surrounding why there are not that many stories that truly allow Tanagerians to escape their reality. One criticism I have repeatedly come across online, especially when searching for new things to read, is the fact that many modern writers seem to have an odd obsession with constantly injecting what people often call black trauma, for lack of a better term, into these stories. It almost feels as though trauma itself becomes the defining characteristic of the character, the setting, or the entire narrative. Many fantasy stories centered around white audiences are allowed to simply be adventurous, romantic, mythic, absurd, or power-driven without constantly needing to justify their cultural legitimacy.

[00:04:59]Black fiction, however, is often expected to carry educational, political, or historical weight by default. In fact, although this is still relatively rare from my observation, I have even come across the talking point that one supposedly cannot write a black character without somehow involving slavery, racism, oppression, historical suffering, or generational trauma, and that doing so is what supposedly makes the story feel authentic. That the struggle itself is what validates the black character's existence within the narrative. Look, no rule says you cannot include these serious themes in your stories if that is what you want to write about. Serious stories absolutely have their place, and there is nothing inherently wrong with exploring trauma, racism, or historical suffering in fiction. There is a difference between stories that merely include tanagerians and stories that allow blackness to exist outside the gravitational pull of racial oppression entirely. However, it does somewhat defeat the purpose of escapism because, contrary to popular belief, many tanagerians do not want to think about racism, oppression, or trauma every waking moment. Many people simply want to escape the [ __ ] that was created in the real world. They want stories where they can exist beyond suffering. Sometimes people simply want the freedom to exist inside fantasy the same way everyone else already has for decades. However, for me personally, when I think about escapism and power fantasy that truly caters to tanagerians, I approach it from a completely different mindset and perspective. There are thousands upon thousands of stories out there, many of which I either do not know about or may never come across in my lifetime. Still, I do have examples of what black escapism looks like to me. Keep in mind, of course, that this is going to differ depending on the individual. What one person sees as empowering escapism may not necessarily be the same for someone else. If you have been watching my videos for a while, then you have probably heard me mention some of these examples in passing before, but now I want to go into a much deeper analysis regarding why I enjoy them so much, especially as someone who is a massive fan of fantasy. Because for me, the appeal is not simply about seeing black faces inserted into already existing frameworks. It goes beyond surface level inclusion. It is about atmosphere, themes, cultural framing, aesthetics, world building, symbolism, mythology, and the overall feeling the story gives when you engage with it. To me, true escapism is when you can completely immerse yourself into a world and feel as though that world was built with people like you in mind from the very foundation upward, not as an afterthought, a diversity checkbox, or as a supporting accessory to somebody else's journey, but as the central focus of the world itself. The heroes look like you, the legends look like you, The kingdoms, philosophies, beauty standards, warrior classes, spirituality, and mythology all feel connected to your image and existence rather than orbiting around somebody else while you stand at the edge of the frame. Let's start off with the most notable of escapism for Tanagerians, which is Marvel's Wakanda. Now, as we know, Wakanda is the fictional, technologically advanced African nation in Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The premise of Wakanda is that it's built around a what if idea. That being, what if an African nation was never colonized and became the most advanced country in the world?

[00:08:18]That is the premise of this escapism. An African civilization that was allowed to develop on its own terms, no interruption, no exploitation, no extraction of resources by outside powers, just uninterrupted growth, culture, innovation, and sovereignty.

[00:08:35]Wakanda was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Black Panther, who first appeared in Fantastic Four number 52 in 1966.

[00:08:44]It was created because most depictions of Africa in Western media at the time, and sometimes still do to this day, were and are heavily shaped by colonial stereotypes of poor, primitive, dependent, [music] tribal, or lacking technological sophistication. Wakanda was created partly as a direct reversal of those narratives and as a fantasy escape from real African political and historical complexities. And for the most part, it did the job. Many Black Americans, and then eventually much of the wider Tanagerian world, began to view Black Panther and Wakanda as a form of escapism from their reality. It became a way for many people to mentally deal with, push back against, and temporarily escape the constant negative imagery they are often subjected to in media and society. Objectively speaking, it is probably the most recognizable and mainstream example of Black escapism [music] that we currently have in modern popular culture. T'Challa, in particular, represents a major power fantasy for many black American men and other Tanagerians across the world.

[00:09:44]T'Challa is not just another superhero.

[00:09:47]He is a king, a warrior, a strategist, a genius, technologically superior, physically elite, wealthy, and globally respected. He is not portrayed as somebody struggling to prove his humanity to the world every 5 minutes.

[00:10:01]He is presented as powerful from the very beginning and the world around him acknowledges that power. And psychologically, >> [music] >> this kind of power fantasy matters far more than many people realize. Escapist fiction often fulfills unmet emotional, psychological, cultural, or even civilizational desires within people.

[00:10:20]Many individuals underestimate the importance of representation when it is tied directly to power, competence, beauty, intelligence, leadership, and sovereignty. Because at the end of the day, stories influence how people imagine themselves and how they imagine what is possible. Yes, theoretically speaking, a Tanagerian person could project themselves onto a Caucasian character with a similar archetype or trope. People have done that for decades because, realistically, there were not many alternatives available. However, the psychological effect is not exactly the same when you, as a Tanagerian, see someone who physically resembles you occupying that same seat of power, importance, admiration, and authority.

[00:11:02]There is a different emotional response when the king looks like you, when the genius looks like you, when the warrior, the chosen one, the ruler of the most advanced civilization, and the symbol of strength all share features similar to your own people. That distinction matters whether people want to openly acknowledge it or not. And I think that is one of the reasons why Wakanda resonated so strongly with so many people across the world. It was not simply because it had black characters in it. It was because the fantasy itself centered blackness as powerful, regal, and untouchable, rather than constantly associating it with struggle, suffering, poverty, or oppression. Wakanda was presented as unconquered, technologically dominant, wealthy, self-sufficient, and culturally proud.

[00:11:46]For many people, especially those who had spent years consuming media where blackness was primarily attached to pain or social struggle, that kind of imagery felt refreshing and emotionally significant. Now, whether someone personally likes Black Panther or not is a completely separate conversation. The point is the effect it had and why it resonated the way it did. It tapped into a desire that many people did not even fully realize they had until they finally saw it represented on such a massive global scale. Now, let's look at another example of black escapism that many people might not have come across or even necessarily associated with this subject, and that is Guild Wars Nightfall and the continent of Elona within Guild Wars. Elona is one of the major continents in the world of Guild Wars, introduced primarily in the expansion Guild Wars Nightfall. Elona is heavily inspired by a mixture of North African, East African, and West African influences with subtle hints of Middle Eastern aesthetics layered in as well, though the primary foundation is distinctly African throughout its design and cultural framing. What stood out to me when I first came across Elona was that it was not simply Africa in fantasy form in a superficial or decorative sense. Instead, it blended multiple cultural inspirations into something stylized, mythological, and cohesive.

[00:13:04]Elona presented African-inspired architecture and world-building as central to the identity of the setting, rather than treating it as exotic background decoration. The environment, [music] cities, factions, and mythology were all built with that aesthetic at the core.

[00:13:18]More importantly, darker-skinned characters were normalized within the setting rather than being treated as exceptions or background anomalies. They were simply part of the world's baseline identity, which, in itself, changes the way the setting feels when you engage with it. It is not framed as something unusual or noteworthy within the world.

[00:13:38]It is simply the world as it exists. As I mentioned earlier, you are able to access Elona for the first time through the Guild Wars Nightfall expansion. One of the strengths of how Guild Wars is structured is that you do not need to play through the earlier campaigns in order to access Nightfall. It functions as a stand- alone experience. With Nightfall, the structure of the story is essentially a heroic coming-of-age narrative set within the continent of Elona, but it gradually escalates into something much larger in scale, eventually developing into a religious apocalypse centered around the return of a fallen god. In this context, you begin the game as a young recruit of the Sunspears, an elite order sworn to protect Elona and maintain order across the continent. Within that framework, Elona itself functions as the escapist world, but the power fantasy comes from your role inside it. As the newly recruited Sunspear, you are not a bystander or background figure. You are positioned within a mythic narrative of destiny, growth, and protection. You gradually rise from a relatively unknown recruit into a central figure tied to the fate of an entire Afro-inspired civilization. This is, in my view, something you do not see often enough in mainstream fantasy settings, at least not in this specific cultural framing. I am not saying it does not exist elsewhere, but it is not as commonly encountered as one might expect. And part of the reason I personally connect with Guild Wars Nightfall is precisely that it takes this kind of Afro-inspired world building seriously, not as decoration, but as the foundation for a full-scale epic narrative where you are actively placed inside that world as a meaningful participant in its destiny.

[00:15:16]Guild Wars Nightfall made me realize that we don't have many coming-of-age stories within this kind of setting, and once you get a taste of it as a Tanagerian, you'll want more. And yes, while I have been speaking from a man's perspective, Guild Wars: Nightfall lets you create your own character, so the story isn't gender-locked. Next up, we have The Elder Scrolls Redguard of Hammerfell. In the lore of The Elder Scrolls, the Redguards are one of the most culturally distinctive human peoples in Tamriel. They are a warrior society originally descended from a lost continent called Yokuda, and their identity is tightly bound to survival, exile, and martial discipline. Yokuda, their homeland, was destroyed in a mysterious cataclysm, which forced the survivors to flee eastward and eventually settle in Hammerfell. The Redguards did not conquer Hammerfell in a single invasion. They arrived as refugees from the destroyed continent of Yokuda and gradually settled the region over time. Over centuries, they adapted to the land, formed competing states like the Crowns and the Forebears, and through conflict, assimilation, and expansion, >> [music] >> became the dominant culture of Hammerfell. Hammerfell became Redguard territory not through instant takeover, but through long-term survival, state-building, and demographic and political consolidation. Redguards are widely regarded as some of the most naturally gifted warriors among humans in Tamriel. One of their signature traditions is the Ansei, legendary sword saints who can achieve near mystical levels of mastery with the blade. Now, when it comes to their new homeland, Hammerfell, it is not a unified nation.

[00:16:49]They are historically divided into two major factions: the Crowns, which prioritize traditionalist nobility, a strong emphasis on monarchy, and adherence to ancient Yokudan customs; and the Forebears, who are more cosmopolitan, trade-oriented, and more open to imperial and foreign alliances.

[00:17:06]This internal division is one of the elements that makes the Redguards particularly compelling as a people.

[00:17:12]When it comes to the Redguards themselves, they are heavily inspired by desert and coastal African aesthetics, specifically West African and Sahelian influences. Of course, there are also smaller indirect inspirations included in their design, such as Middle Eastern and Japanese influences, but the core identity and cultural foundation of the people are predominantly African inspired. There are a lot of Tanagerians across the world who could relate to this. When it comes to the escapism that the Redguards offer, there are a few key themes. These include survivors of an advanced civilization forced into exile after the destruction of their homeland, a people finding themselves in a new and hostile environment, and the ongoing struggle between preserving tradition and embracing change. Of course, there is more to it than that, but that is the general gist. As for the power fantasy, the Redguard power fantasy is very distinct from other races in Tamriel, as it focuses on things like the blade mastery fantasy, the survivor of collapse fantasy, which leans into the question of whether one should preserve or adapt, or the independent warrior fantasy expressed through roles such as mercenaries or lone adventurers. Of course, unlike Black Panther and Wakanda, where the main plot follows T'Challa, Guild Wars, Nightfall, and Elder Scrolls Redguard let you create character in the world. However, just like Wakanda, the aforementioned fiction have notable characters and setting that feature dark-skinned Africans in all manner of forms that your created character interact with, making the world feel alive. And for the last example I have, we come to Runeterra's Shurima from League of Legends. Shurima is one of the most mythologically rich civilizations within League of Legends and its expanded universe, Runeterra. At its height, Shurima was a vast continent-spanning empire that unified much of its surrounding region under a single imperial system. The empire was built around the idea of divine rulership through something known as the Sun Disc Empire, where emperors and chosen individuals could undergo a sacred ritual of ascension, transforming into god-like warrior beings with immense power. However, the empire eventually collapsed due to betrayal, catastrophic events involving ascension magic going wrong, and growing political instability that tore the civilization apart from within. In the current timeline of Runeterra, Shurima is undergoing the possibility of rebirth through Azir, the last emperor of Shurima, who has returned in an attempt to reclaim the Sun Disc and restore the empire to its former glory. There is a lot of history surrounding Shurima, but to summarize it simply, the core fantasy of Shurima is restoration fantasy. It feeds into the desire to rebuild a fallen civilization and reclaim a lost greatness. Personally, I feel this is something many Nigerians could strongly connect with because it resembles how many continental Africans feel about their own respective homelands and the desire to see them restored, respected, stable, prosperous, and powerful again.

[00:20:10]It plays into the fantasy of remembering greatness, reclaiming civilization, rebuilding legacy, and reversing historical collapse. That emotional and psychological angle is a massive part of why Shurima stands out to me so much, and when it comes to the power fantasy itself, there are many characters whose destinies are deeply tied to the fate of Shurima. However, much like T'Challa with Wakanda, Azir operates on a very different type of power fantasy.

[00:20:35]T'Challa already rules over an empire that is powerful, stable, technologically superior, and globally respected. Wakanda already exists at the peak of its power. Azir, on the other hand, returns to an empire that has completely collapsed. It is a civilization that has fallen from grace, been buried beneath the sands, and reduced to myth and memory. His motivation is not merely to rule, but to restore that empire by any means necessary because he genuinely believes he is destined to rule and destined to rebuild what was lost. Azir's power fantasy, therefore, operates on an imperial and divine scale. It is not simply about personal strength or individual heroism. It is about restoration, legacy, destiny, rulership, civilization building, and reclaiming historical greatness. This is the kind of power fantasy that can be extremely enticing to many Tana Jarians. Not all, of course, but certainly some. And I know looking at Azir, you wouldn't guess it, but before his ascension to his current form, he was depicted as Tana Jarian man with dreads, similar to how most Shurimans are depicted. And just like all the fictional worlds I have talked about today, Shurima's aesthetics and inspirations pull heavily from African history and culture. Yes, the primary inspiration is clearly ancient Egypt, if that was not already obvious, but over time, Shurima has gradually evolved into a much wider fusion of North African, Sahelian, West African, and Afro-Arabian inspirations as well.

[00:22:01]The architecture, symbolism, clothing, mythology, monumental structures, desert kingdoms, solar worship, and imperial imagery all contribute to creating a setting that feels mythic, ancient, regal, and larger than life.

[00:22:15]The danger, mystery, fallen history, and larger-than-life scale all contribute to making Shurima feel alive as a setting.

[00:22:23]And despite all of that chaos, it still stands as one of the strongest examples of what fictional escapism can look like for people of African descent. However, these are only a handful of examples, and as you can tell, there is no singular African aesthetic, mythology, or fantasy framework. There are many more out there, some well-known and others far more obscure. There is a reason why many people of African descent gravitate towards certain kinds of fiction. These worlds allow people to mentally escape from the pressures, negativity, and trauma associated with real life. And in my opinion, denying people that form of escapism is genuinely unfortunate. And to be clear, I am not saying these kind of stories do not already exist because I am sure there are creators out there actively working on them right now. I think the biggest takeaway from all of this is simply that black escapism does not always need to revolve around reminding the audience of real-world black trauma.

[00:23:17]Talented Jerry-Ann's are allowed to imagine themselves beyond what the world constantly tries to force down their throats. They are allowed to exist in stories as kings, conquerors, explorers, scholars, warriors, inventors, gods, adventurers, legends, rulers, heroes, anti-heroes, or even [music] villains without their identity constantly being reduced to suffering. They are allowed to exist in fantasy without needing to justify their humanity every single time they appear on screen or on the page.

[00:23:47]Human beings in general naturally desire mythologies that allow them to imagine themselves as central to beauty, greatness, power, civilization, and destiny, and we're no different. Of course, it goes without saying that like any form of mythology or power fantasy, escapism can become unhealthy if it turns into superiority complexes, but at its healthiest, escapism allows people to psychologically explore possibility, meaning, aspiration, and imagination beyond the limitations of everyday life.

[00:24:18]And in my opinion, a lot of good strides have already been made in addressing this issue over the years. We are gradually seeing more stories emerge that experiment with these ideas and perspectives. I think part of the challenge now is that audiences need to keep their ears to the ground when new stories are released, while creators themselves also need to learn how to market these stories more effectively so people can actually discover them. If I were to summarize the entire point of this video, it would be this. It is not necessarily that I do not want to see black characters in political settings or serious situations, but rather that I would like to see black characters where historical racial suffering is not the core thing that defines them. There is more to us than suffering, oppression, and constantly fighting to justify our humanity. That is all I really wanted to talk about today. I hope you all found this video interesting. If you did, be sure to hit the like button, subscribe, and I'll catch you all in the next video. Peace.