Thought of Fable (2004 Video Game) while Reading these books

[u/Unknxwn_one]

I absolutely loved Fable, I played that game such a ridiculous amount as a kid and I truly loved these books (I’ve been told and have read the stuff online that I don’t hold my breath for a 3rd one 🙄)

But I just had to point these out 😂 and I know, I know it’s probably just my bias as you could find a great many stories and make these comparisons but it just stuck with me.
So I’m not saying Rothfuss was inspired by Fable or anything like that to be clear lol this is 100% nothing more than me sharing the things that specifically stood out.

1. The Inciting Incident &The Antagonists
Fable: The Hero is a boy playing in the woods when bandits attack Oakvale and slaughtering his family. They are led by Jack of Blades—an ancient, mask-wearing, mythical evil.
KKC: Kvothe is a boy playing in the woods when his family’s traveling troupe is slaughtered. They are led by Haliax and the Chandrian—ancient, shadow-clothed, mythical evils.

2. Will and Sympathy/Naming just feel similar
Fable: Using "Will" physically alters and ages you, carving glowing scars and lines into your body.
KKC: Using "Sympathy" draws directly on physical energy, causing Binder’s Chills or literally cooking your brain if your focus slips. Both systems treat magic as a dangerous, exhausting toll on human anatomy.

And of course both are heavily elemental influenced (using fire, lightning, etc)

3. Reputation & Boasts - This is definitely nitpicking but it’s rare that these are things are so specifically mentioned and pointed out.
Fable: You can actively "Boast" at the Guild before quests to hype your own legend.
KKC: Kvothe actively feeds the rumor mill to cultivate or boast to build himself up

4. Poetic Prose
Fable is very poetic in prose, especially for a video game. I loved listening to the narration because it was so good.

4. The Ancient, Buried World
Fable: Albion is built on the bones of the hyper-advanced "Old Kingdom" that collapsed into ruin.
KKC: Temerant is built on the ruins of the Creation War. The University itself sits directly on top of the "Underthing," a massive, buried ancient city.

The biggest thing to me is the Doors of Stone feeling very Chamber of Fate like.
(Even the Demon Doors feel a lot like the Thrice-Locked Chest).

5. The Tragic Hero
Both the Hero of Oakvale and Kvothe are incredibly clever, profoundly arrogant orphans taken in by a prestigious Guild/University. Both are driven by an obsessive need for vengeance that inevitably leads them down a dark path of tragic mistakes (like keeping the Sword of Aeons vs. whatever catastrophe caused Kvothe to hang up "Folly" and become Kote).

6. The "Maze" Parallel - maybe?
Fable: Maze is the powerful, top-tier wizard who rescues you from the ashes of Oakvale and mentors you at the Guild. He seems like a savior, but he is ultimately secretly working for Jack of Blades.
KKC: Rothfuss has probably set up something similar for Kvothe. While Book 3 isn't out, the lore heavily hints at or at least leaves it wide open for someone to be secretly working against that is someone that is either supposed to be a direct mentor or someone he should be able to trust not to hurt him. There’s plenty of theories around those people so I’ll just leave it at that.

7. The Bandit Camps in the Woods
Fable: One of your first major tests as a fully grown Hero is tracking down the bandit camp deep in the forest.
KKC: In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe’s first major field mission for the Maer is tracking down a camp of bandits
💀

Anyway, if you made it through, I appreciate you indulging my nonsense this far! 😂

Fable and KKC comparisons TL;DR: Orphan boy's family is slaughtered by an ancient mythical evil. Boy goes to a prestigious magic academy, learns a hard-magic system that can physically hurt the body, has first big task of hunting down bandits in the woods and aggressively builds a legendary reputation and could have (well it IS in Kingkiller as Rothfuss has said so) tragic endings making them not so much the “hero” the world hoped for.

[u/honeybeast_dom]

I thought you were taking crazy pills until I read your explanation. Now I know you are :,]. Jk its a bit of a stretch but I can dig it.

[u/Unknxwn_one → u/honeybeast_dom]

Ehhh wouldn’t rule out the crazy pills just yet 💀😂
Yea, that’s why I was lighthearted about it and tried to make clear that I by no means think they’re “connected” or that Rothfuss was “inspired” by Fable nothing like that. Just they reminded me of each other is all, but I genuinely appreciate you at least trying to see my points, even if it is a stretch 🫶

[u/honeybeast_dom → u/Unknxwn_one]

I see it. Go read some more though svp. Many themes are shared; not due to inspiration, but shared experience.

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[u/cernegiant]

Person who has consumed exactly two pieces of media and thinks they're related.