Fantasy centered on a protagonist systematically growing stronger through training, levels, or mastering magical abilities.
Progression fantasy makes power growth the central engine of the story. The protagonist starts weak and gets stronger through training, study, combat, or system-based advancement. Readers follow the climb: new techniques learned, new tiers reached, new abilities unlocked. The genre borrows from gaming culture, xianxia, and shonen anime, and it thrives in web fiction and self-publishing.
Progression fantasy is one of the fastest-growing categories in web fiction and self-publishing. Its structure, built around measurable growth, creates a uniquely addictive reading experience. If you're writing in this space, understanding the conventions helps you deliver the satisfying power-ups readers crave while still building a compelling story around them.
The genre's breakout success: a protagonist climbing a cultivation-style power ladder, with each advancement feeling earned.
A time-loop progression story where the protagonist grows through repetition and strategic learning.
A more literary take on progression, following a student learning a magic system through structured academic study.
Getting stronger isn't interesting on its own. Each advancement needs to serve a story goal, solve a problem, or create a new one.
The climb is the fun. If your character reaches the top by Act 2, you've burned your best material.
Design a three-tier power system for a character. Write three short scenes (200 words each): one where they fail because they're at tier one, one where they barely succeed at tier two, and one where tier three feels like a genuine payoff. The growth should feel earned, not given.