Theory of the Monomyth Introduced by Joseph Campbell: Critical Analysis

The Monomyth in Video Games There have been tales about heroes for as long as there have been tales. Some of the earliest recorded works remaining today, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and King Arthur in History of the Kings of Britain, are extensive stories of legendary leaders and heroes. Modern day stories have much to draw on, and though the medium is ever changing, the common template of an adventuring hero remains prevalent in society today. In the following, I will explain (with examples) the theory of the monomyth, introduced by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and explore how this has impacted the story design in video games. Campbell describes the basic narrative pattern in the following manner: “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 23) Though originally referring to mythology, the monomyth can be applied to contemporary stories through modern media. There are obvious connections to video game structures in this description: most games have a form of tutorial in the beginning, both to immerse the player in this supernatural wonder, and to illustrate the training of the character.

The fabulous forces encountered throughout the game reach the climax at the end of the game (usually in the form of a “boss” or final fight), and when told well, the victory rewards players with a satisfying and happy ending. The seventeen phases as originally described by Campbell can be broken up into three “acts” known as departure, initiation, and return. Due to the nature of video game storytelling, some elements may have been excluded or presented differently as the player proceeds through the game as the protagonist. (Wrisinger, 2014, p. 12)

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Act One, Departure

1. The Call to Adventure – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Campbell wrote, “A blunder – apparently the merest chance – revels an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 46) In the game series The Legend of Zelda, the protagonist Link starts off as a simple boy living an ordinary life. In Twilight Princess, a teenage Link had no idea what he was getting into when he chased after the monsters who had kidnapped his friends. This act opened Link to an entirely new and strange world; a call to adventure.
2. Refusal of the Call – The Last of Us Protagonist Joel is initially hesitant to continue the journey after his partner Tess is bitten by an infected mutant; Tess persuades him to finish the job for her, and thus Joel takes control of his life and gives it meaning.
3. Supernatural Aid – Video game tutorials Video games broadly serve as the supernatural aid gifted to characters in video games. Either explicitly or implicitly, the games early stages serve to provide the player with the tools and knowledge required to get started on their journeys.
4. Crossing the Threshold – Fallout 3 Campbell writes “Beyond … is darkness, the unknown, and danger; just as beyond the parental watch is danger to the infant and beyond the protection of his society danger to the member of the tribe. The usual person is more than content, he is even proud, to remain within the indicated bounds…” (Campbell, 1949, p. 71) Fallout 3 begins play with the character living in a vault. The moment the player is free to step out of the vault is a transition into a different and unknown world, knowing that nothing will be the same after. Post-apocalyptic Washington sets the scene for a stark contrast with the safety and security of Vault 101.
5. Belly of the Whale – Spyro the Dragon Spyro receives his call to adventure when the rest of the dragons are crystallised by Gnasty Gnorc. After rescuing a few dragons in early levels, Spyro comes up against the first world boss and marks the first major challenge to the smooth sailing of the first part of the game. At this point, the player knows what they are up against, and realise the challenges ahead will be of increased complexity and difficulty. Campbell: “That is why the approaches and entrances to temples are flanked and defended by colossal gargoyles: dragons, lions, devil-slayers with drawn swords, resentful dwarfs, winged bulls. These are the threshold guardians to ward away all incapable of encountering the higher silences within.” (Campbell, 1949, pp. 84 - 85) In defeating his enemies to rescue his friends, Spyro enters this “temple” as a carefree youth and is reborn as the hero of the realm.

Act Two, Initiation

1. The Road of Trials – Cuphead Cuphead is a side-scrolling run and gun game known for its immense difficulty. The titular character is tasked with collecting soul contracts for the Devil. Along the way, he is faced with multiple bosses that he must defeat in order to save himself. As Campbell notes, the hero must survive a succession of miraculous tests and ordeals, aided by advice and amulets of the supernatural helpers whom he met before entering the region (Campbell, 1949, p. 89). Common to many video games, Cuphead must utilise different weapons and power ups to defeat the numerous enemies throughout the game.
2. The Meeting with the Goddess – ¬Mafia Romantic interests in video games are not as common as in movies, books and other media. However, the video game Mafia incorporates a relationship and explores the consequences of mercy when the protagonist Tommy questions his morals upon being ordered to kill an informant who turns out to be a friend of his partner. He covers up the fact that he lets her live, choosing not to betray his relationship over his loyalties to his boss. Campbell writes, “The meeting with the goddess … is the final test of the talent of the hero to win the boon of love” (Campbell, 1949, p. 109). In this turning point of the game, it shows that Tommy is not a cold-blooded killer; that the truth is somewhat more complicated, and this sets up the rest of the game to be viewed in that light.
3. Woman as Temptress – Fallout 4 In the Fallout series, the player can use various narcotics such as alcohol to temporarily boost their stats. There is a risk that overuse can result in an addiction, which will reduce the stats of the player until they have it fixed by a doctor. Again, this does not strictly have to be a woman as the temptress. Though Campbell refers to a woman in this step of the journey, I feel that in this case “woman” is a metaphor for a desire for the hero to escape the temptations of ordinary life.
4. Atonement with the Father – Red Dead Redemption In Red Dead Redemption, John Marston is forced to hunt down members of his old gang. The game’s climax ends with John hunting down his mentor and surrogate father, Dutch. After a long fight, Dutch tells John that the government agents will not stop once he is dead. In taking his own life, Dutch completes John’s journey with a form of atonement, forever changing him and returning him to his family.
5. Apotheosis – Mega Man Mega Man is a creation of scientist Dr Light. A former human converted into a fighting robot to stop the evil Dr. Wily, as the player fights through the various levels and defeats the minor bosses, he assimilates that robots’ special weapon and can use that in the game going forward. Once the player successfully defeats the six robot masters and collects all their knowledge to empower himself, he is finally ready to face the final enemy, Dr. Wily.
6. The Ultimate Boon – Super Mario The classic damsel in distress trope is evident in the Super Mario series, with Mario and Luigi having to defeat Bowser in order to rescue Princess Peach.

Act Three, Return

1. Refusal of the Return – Various Open-world RPGs often take a non-linear approach to the main story line. Quests can be completed in different orders, side quests can be skipped entirely and finishing the final mission does not at all mean the game is complete. Often, I get to the point of finishing the game, only to deviate and run around completing optional missions before I front up for the final boss. Though this is my own choice, and not the choice of my player, I feel a sense of obligation to complete as much as I can before finishing the game and returning to reality.
2. The Magic Flight – Portal 2 The second half of Portal 2 revolves around making it back to the main control room where the antagonist, Wheatley, has taken over the facility; his incompetence runs the risk of destroying the complex. The magic flight, as Campbell tells it, becomes a lively and comical pursuit (Campbell, 1949, p. 182); Wheatley is voiced by comedian Stephen Merchant, and he maintains the humour of the game despite his characters attempts to assassinate the protagonist Chell.
3. Rescue from Without, and
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold – The Witcher In the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia finds himself betrayed by the Princess he had helped previously. Facing death, he is miraculously saved by an ally and lives to fight another day. As Campbell writes, “The hero may have to be brought back from his supernatural ad­venture by assistance from without. That is to say, the world may have to come and get him.” (Campbell, 1949, p. 192) At the end of the game, Geralt must live with the consequences of his actions and decide whether he shares the supernatural knowledge of events to come with his allies.
5. Master of Two Worlds – Pokemon Gold/Silver Pokemon trainers compete to become the Champion of the Pokemon League. In Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal, once the player has become the champion of one Pokemon league, the game grants the player the ability to travel to the region from the previous games. This opens an entirely new front, a new challenge for the player, and upon defeating the Pokemon League again, they become the ultimate Pokemon Master.
6. Freedom to Live – GTA: Vice City The climax of GTA: Vice City ends with Tommy Vercetti killing his enemies and being free to run the city as a drug lord. Though not a conventional ending for most stories, it nevertheless encapsulates the completeness of a story while leaving open the possibility that the hero will embark on further adventures. The monomyth, or hero’s journey, has almost become the standard form for modern storytelling. Examples abound in many different forms of media, and though not every game follows every step exactly, game developers use this as a method to deepen the game experience for players. As exemplified above, each different genre of game focuses on a different aspect of the journey to best fit their narrative style and tell their story in an engaging and rewarding way.