Farm Boy: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

To make things safer, any such heritage will be spoiler marked, [[It Was His Sled|no matter how obvious]].

Does not ''have'' to be male, but [[Always Male|almost always is]].

 

 

 

{{examples}}

* Slightly off course is Sheeta from ''Laputa [[Laputa: Castle in the Sky]]''. She's a farmgirl {{spoiler|who is descended from the Laputian royal family,}} but she already knows this when we meet her (neither we nor Pazu does, though).

* Jack from ''[[MAR]]''. Really a sidekick, but still a farmboy.

 

* Don't forget [[Superman]], who was raised as naive farmboy Clark Kent. Last son of Krypton.

** Inverted with [[Superboy]], his younger clone, who went to go live with the Kents for a "proper upbringing". Superboy has quite a bit more hubris than his progenitor, though...

 

* Tobias Talltree of ''[[Clouded Sky]]'' is a farmboy before being chosen to become a Pokémon guide.

 

** Anakin Skywalker is also a farm boy, of sorts, though replace "farm" with "He's a slave" and "[[I Am Who?|Son of someone important]]" to [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|"Virgin birth".]]

** The [http://asylums.insanejournal.com/scans_daily/367889.html second-best] Imperial pilot, [[X Wing Series|Soontir Fel]], was also a farmboy who loved to fly. He got pushed into service after stopping an [[Attempted Rape]] and offending the son of someone important, and quickly became an [[Ace Pilot]]. Unlike the other two from his 'verse, he grew up on a greener world and throughout his life he loved the soil and liked working with growing things. His [[Hand of Thrawn|clones]] were the same - part of an Imperial sleeper cell instead of immediately being part of the TIE fighter core, they became farmers and actually [[Becoming the Mask|abandoned the Empire]].

* ''[[The Matrix]]'' has Thomas A. Anderson starting off as a regular office worker - essentially the modern, urban version of the Farmboy - until fate said "Knock knock, Neo". The only things missing here are his hometown and parents getting destroyed - understandable as his "hometown" and "parents" are ''what he'll end up fighting against''.

 

* The ''[[Belgariad]]'' has (Bel)Garion the farmer's nephew. His home town was not blown up and his "aunt" Polgara turned out to be a powerful and ancient sorceress. {{spoiler|Son of the Rivan Kings.}}

** Durnik, the humble farm blacksmith of low birth, who insists that he's nobody important, {{spoiler|turns out to be a signifigant part of the Prophecy and comes [[Back From the Dead]] to fulfill it, becoming an immortal sorcerer in the process and marrying Polgara}}. Too old to be a farm ''boy'', but he otherwise seems to fit.

* Subverted thoroughly by [[Elizabeth Moon]] in ''[[The Deed of Paksenarrion]]:'' Paks is A) a girl, and B) a sheepfarmer's daughter who is... actually the daughter of the sheepfarmer and the sheepfarmer's wife too. She gets all her power through hard slogging, not having been born to it. (The first book in the trilogy is actually called ''Sheepfarmer's Daughter.'')

* Rand in ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' is a "farmer's son" who was ''also'' {{spoiler|the reincarnation of the Dragon (not the trope, but an ancient warrior known as the Dragon), known as the Dragon Reborn. To the Aiel, Rand is He Who Comes with the Dawn and the Car'a'carn (Chief of Chiefs). To the Atha'an Miere, the Sea Folk, he is the Coramoor. His main titles are Shadowkiller (by wolves), Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn, and True Defender of the Light. His birth was heralded by Gitara Moroso, Aes Sedai and Keeper of the Chronicles, who died from the sheer force of Foretelling his birth. Just in case anyone were ever to doubt how special he really is}}, his {{spoiler|dead birth mother was a [[Rebellious Princess]], whose disappearance started a war, and who may have been [[Not Brainwashed]]}}, and his dead birth father was a [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Aiel]] [[Badass General|clan chieftain]].

*** Rand is actually quite cunning and intelligent, and he plays the Game of Houses pretty darn well. Not to mention that he has {{spoiler|all of Lews Therin's memories}} for reference. He gets advice in political matters from [[Love Interest|Elayne]] [[Everything's Better with Princesses|Trakand]], and tends to leave military exploits to General [[Born Lucky|Matrim]] [[Instant Expert|Cauthon]], as it isn't that he is necessarily bad at these, just that others are better. What he is terrible at is keeping his cool (and is hamstrung by some stupid weaknesses), and he is growing increasingly insane, which is a major reason he foists off ruling to stewards and mainly restricts himself to using his power and dangerous nature to keep everyone together as best he can (not terribly well, but the task is impossible), as none will work together without him, even in the face of the last battle being nigh.

**** The point is that at the ''beginning'' he was a terrible leader, due to obvious things like his utter inexperience as well as things like letting emotions sway him, etc. However, a big part of the novels is how ''over time'' he learns how to be an effective ruler and general. A combination of factors makes this [[Fridge Brilliance|plausible]], for example: Lews Therin's counsel (ignoring his madness, the Lews was ''the'' greatest leader of his day), observing and receiving outright advice from Aes Sedai, gradual experience in the Game of Thrones and on the battlefield, various persons from the Age of Legends teaching him, etc. While he did make some awful decisions, by the later books he is an undeniable [[Magnificent Bastard]]; he ''regularly'' [[The Chessmaster|outwits]] the most "cunning" and feared individuals in the world with ease (often several [[Gambit Pileup|at the same time]]) and is close to [[The Emperor|uniting most of the world's nations]] under his banner, annihilating ''[[Four-Star Badass|armies]]'' in the process. Not to mention ''cleansing saidin''. You know, the sole reason that all male wielders go insane.

* In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Frodo is the equivalent of a [[Blue Blood|nobleman]] (i.e. rich enough to live a comfortable life of leisure) but Samwise Gamgee is a gardener. Unlike most Farm Boys, though, Sam does not [[Refusal of the Call|resist being chosen]], but rather forces himself into the quest when others are chosen. {{spoiler|Son of his Gaffer.}}

* Richard from Terry Goodkind's ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' novels started off as a humble woodsman, before saving the Mother Confessor. {{spoiler|He is the son of [[The Obi-Wan]]'s daughter and the [[Big Bad]], which also makes him the first War Wizard in a thousand years. He is also the first one to turn the Sword of Truth White, the Seeker of the Truth, and so on.}} Again, just in case you didn't know he was special. Despite all this, he insists he's a "simple woodsman."

* Westley in ''[[The Princess Bride (novel)|The Princess Bride]]'' begins as a farmboy, but eventually becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts. He's not related to anyone important, though.

* Subverted in the [[Dragaera|Vlad Taltos]] novel ''Athyra'', which is told from the perspective of a smarter-than-average Teckla [serf] named Savn, who also has some skill with magic. From Savn's perspective, Vlad comes across as the Obi Wan figure, but the reader realizes this isn't the case, and indeed Savn does not have the happy destiny of the other characters on this page.

** Son of {{spoiler|nobody. He was found as a baby nearby a violent battle where nobody survived, so he was without rank or heritage, something which his foster-father took as a sign that he was the chosen child.}}

** Subverted with Tomjon, {{spoiler|apparent}} heir to Lancre and {{spoiler|supposed}} son of King Verence I. Given to a troupe of actors to raise (mostly because that's how these stories are supposed to go, but also so that, if this whole king thing doesn't work out, he'll at least learn a useful trade) he was raised to be his father's son. Turns out that if you raise a king as an actor, he'll mostly turn out to be an actor.

* [[The Bible|Jesus]], a carpenter who goes on to be a famous rabbi, messiah, and martyr. {{spoiler|Son of [[God]]/[[Islam|a very major prophet]]/[[Jesus Was Way Cool|a nice dude]].}}

** His ancestor David is possibly the [[Ur Example]], making this trope at least [[Older Than Feudalism]]. Played with in that instead being the last scion from a lost royal line, he is the founder of the lost royal line.

* [[Codex Alera|Tavi of Calderon]], an orphan raised by his aunt and uncle, [[The Call Put Me on Hold|powerless]] in a world where [[Everyone Is a Super]]. As he grows up, saves the world repeatedly, and generally attracts attention by [[Badass Normal|being very]] [[Crazy Awesome|awesome]], people begin to notice strange things about him. Such as how {{spoiler|the [[Obfuscating Stupidity|mentally disabled]] slave owned by his uncle looks rather like legendary swordsman Araris Valerian behind the coward's brand on his face, and is uncannily good with a sword. Or how Tavi just happens to look a ''lot'' like Princeps Gaius Septimus, who was <s>killed in battle</s> assassinated under cover of a battle near Tavi's home shortly before he was born. Or how First Lord Gaius Sextus, Septimus's father, put Tavi through the Academy as his personal aide. Or how his bodyguard when he ends up Captain of a Legion is a brilliant, scarred swordsman named Araris... Yeah, [[Meaningful Name|"Tavi"]] is [[Secret Legacy|short for]] "[[Rags to Royalty|Gaius]] Oc'''tavi'''an."}}

* Gilbert Markham, the hero of ''[[The Tenant of Wildfell Hall]]'':

* Flinx from the [[Humanx Commonwealth]] novels was an urban variant, bought at a slave auction and grudgingly raised by the irascible Mother Mastiff in Drallar, the [[Wretched Hive]] capital of a rustic colony-world called Moth. {{spoiler|He's the product of an illegal eugenics experiment that left him [[Cursed with Awesome]] [[Psychic Powers]] and the only Class A mind capable of activating a [[Lost Technology]]'s galaxy-saving defense mechanism.}}

* Bria in ''[[The Last Dove]]''. She is raised in a rural village where she is mocked for not being able to Change. {{spoiler|Then she finds out that she's Queen Vasi's daughter}}

 

'''Kirk:''' No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space. }}

 

* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'', Link was a goatherd before he was pulled into a world of Triforces, shadow demons, and the neverending battle of good vs. evil. {{spoiler|Link is possibly descended (or at least reincarnated) from the previous Links.}}

** Other game's Links come close. Though not farmers, they often live a fairly simple life before something draws them into the adventure. Only the cartoon and direct sequels start out with a seasoned adventurer.

* Lucas in ''[[Mother 3]]''.

** Lucas' twin brother, Claus, counts too. [[Aloof Big Brother|In a different sort of way]].

* [[Dink Smallwood]] is a pig farmer who dreams about becoming a knight. {{spoiler|His heritage is deliberately left wide open for the [[Fanon]] to explore.}}

* The hero/heroine of ''[[Dungeon Siege]]'' starts as you guessed it, a humble farmer.

** In the [[Uwe Boll]] [[Video Game Movies Suck|movie]], the character is even ''named'' "Farmer".

* ''[[Etrian Odyssey]] III'' has the [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Farmer]] class, which is supposed to be the weakest physically, but with plenty of skills useful for explorers to have handy.

* Evan in [[Maple Story]]. Just a normal boy living in a pig farm until he had a dream meeting a dragon. Guess what happens to him when he woke up from his dream...

* Hilbert from ''[[Last Scenario]]'', except for the bit about being [[Refusal of the Call|reluctant]] and [[I Just Want to Be Normal|whiny]]; he [[Heroic Wannabe|always wanted to be one]] and [[Jumped At the Call]] when he was told at the beginning of the story that he was the descendant of a legendary hero. {{spoiler|Which, as it happens, is [[Unwitting Pawn|exactly what they were hoping for]].}}

* Constantly reminded of, Stahn of [[Tales of Destiny]] from a little village in Lienea is taken for a dolt and doesn't get complimented very well by anyone except for the priestess Philia.

* The Colonist [[Multiple Choice Past|origin]] for Commander Shepard of [[Mass Effect]] is more or less this, in comparison to [[Military Brat|Spacer]] and [[Street Urchin|Earthborn]]. It implies that Shepard grew up in a backwater human colony which conveniently got the [[Doomed Hometown]] treatment.

 

* Juinn of ''[[Juathuur]]'' {{spoiler|(son of the Salamander King.)}}

* In ''[[Wapsi Square]]'' [http://wapsisquare.com/comic/not-going/ Bud disclaims responsibility for her culture on the ground she was the equivalent of a Mid-West farm girl with common sense.]

* Subverted with Lars from ''[[Girl Genius]]''. According to [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20050316 his backstory], he was a cheesemaker's apprentice until he ran away with a circus. Later, he fell in love with Agata, but ultimately {{spoiler|1=he died as an [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061215 ordinary guy]}}.

 

* Hilde Becker from ''[[Lambda|Opening Move]]'' is a naive [[Meaningful Name|baker girl]] from a rural seaside town. She gets smooth-talked into joining the army by a [[Mentor Mascot|weird rabbit-thing with wings and five ears]]. Whether or not she's related to anyone important is still unknown.

* Arnie Harvey from Wisconsin, ordinary chubby kid whose family owns a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Until he gets superpowers in the [[Whateley Universe]]. He gets superstrength ''and'' superspeed. At the time of his story "Triple Threat" he is considered a campus ''supervillain''.

 

* Megan from the original ''[[My Little Pony]]'' cartoon. Not the daughter of anyone important (her parents don't ever come up, actually), but she ''definitely'' fits.

** Speaking of [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|ponies]], two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony grew up on farms. Applejack tried to leave as a kid but ultimately returned, feeling the family farm was her destiny. Nowadays she seems to run it, and while she has helped save the world twice shows no intention of ever giving up being a farmer. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, happily turned away from the farm when she realised her destiny lay elsewhere, a destiny that as mentioned included saving the world twice, but mostly [[Serious Business|bringing parties and laughter to other ponies]]. Of course, Pinkie claims the farm was so boring that they ''grew rocks'' and that her parents were the pony equivalent of Amish... so [[Unreliable Narrator|we don't know how much of this is true]].

 

* Zhu Yuanzhang: youngest son of a peasant, whose home town was [[Doomed Hometown|wiped out by a flood]] when he was [[Dangerous Sixteenth Birthday|sixteen]] and who went on to found the Ming dynasty by way of the [[Going Native|Red Turban]] secret society (and [[The Starscream|murdering their previous leader]]).

* Mao Zedong was born a peasant's son, rising to become dictator of [[Red China]] aged 56.

* Richard Bong, the top US [[Ace Pilot]] of all time (he got to 40 kills before being pulled from combat) was raised on a farm.

** He died while testing a P-80 Shooting Star on 6 August 1945. In some cases, his death shared the next day's front page with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

* [[wikipedia:Audie Murphy|Audie Murphy]] was a poor farm boy from Texas. At one point he even lived in a place called Farmersville.

 

{{reflist}}