The Chosen One is a common trope in speculative fiction, though the roots of it as a concept are ancient in nature. The term refers to a character who is "chosen" by God, the gods, or fate itself to perform a special task of great importance, usually saving the world or taking down an oppressive force. The idea of a chosen one is usually inspired by similar archetypes found in religions and mythology. In Christianity, Jesus Christ is the Messiah, or anointed one, sent to save humanity from sin, while in the Jewish tradition, several prophets were specifically chosen by God to bring messages of repentance to their people. The Dalai Lama in Buddhism is a kind of chosen one, reincarnating through time to be the spiritual leader of the Buddhist tradition.

As mentioned previously, in the modern Western world, the idea of the chosen one is most prominent in popular culture. Harry Potter and Anakin Skywalker are two famous characters singled out as "chosen ones" in their respective stories. They were destined to fulfill a particular destiny before they were born, and these destinies involve saving the world/galaxy from the powers of evil. Some of the elements of their respective journeys evoke Christian messianic concepts, such as death and resurrection (e.g., Harry is killed by Voldemort, then comes back from the dead to fight Voldemort).

While at this point, the Chosen One trope is considered cliche, it is still a common device in books, movies, video games, and other storytelling media.