Read Time: 12 Minutes

One cornerstone of any world—whether you’re writing about a small friendship group, a complex fantasy world, or a dystopia—is power. 

Power isn’t just about ruling nations—it seeps into every aspect of life. What you believe, what you think is ‘normal,’ the trends you follow, the people you read about in history books and how they’re portrayed, the news you consume and whose perspective it’s told from—all of this is shaped by an intricate power play that has evolved over centuries of human civilization.

There is always competition for power: who calls the shots, who is trusted, who we glorify and who we cast aside.

Why does history remember some people while others disappear? How does an idea become common sense? Why do we trust certain people to gather data and draw conclusions for us? Why do we have certain traditions and cultural rules? Who determined them, and why do we follow them?

This blog post explores the tools leaders, influencers, and institutions have used to gain and retain power—whether to unite societies, shape beliefs, or consolidate control.

First Tool Of Power: Knowledge

In a society where knowledge is widely accessible, independent news outlets operate freely, power is diversified, and advanced technology makes censorship difficult. The majority of citizens are educated enough to critically engage with political issues, forming opinions based on reason rather than simply echoing their leaders.

However, when access to knowledge is restricted, the balance shifts. Those in power can control narratives, limit critical thinking, and shape public perception to serve their own interests.

CORRUPT GOVERNMENT AND INFORMATION

At its worst, the government directly controls the news, propaganda replaces journalism, and censorship silences dissenting voices. 

Primary sources are scarce—whether due to corruption, suppression, or a lack of technological infrastructure. 

A small, elite group—government officials, state-approved scholars, or corporate media executives—gathers and interprets information, leaving the general public with only secondary sources and pre-digested conclusions. 

With no access to raw data, the average citizen cannot fact-check or verify the legitimacy of studies, reports, or historical records. Reality itself becomes whatever those in power declare it to be.

A FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT AND INFORMATION

At its best, a nation has independent and transparent news outlets, free from government control. Power is diversified, which makes corruption more difficult. Advanced technology increases the difficulty of censorship, and a vast majority of the citizens are educated enough to discuss political questions concerning them independent from the opinion of a political leader (the ordinary citizen can problematize and reason around a political problem without needing to use ‘(political leader) says…’)

But knowledge alone isn’t enough. The way people receive, process, and trust information is just as crucial—this is where education and authority bias come into play.

The world is an overwhelming flood of information, and your brain is constantly sorting through it. To make sense of it all, it relies on shortcuts—filtering out what seems unimportant and trusting authority figures to interpret complex issues for us.

In a functional society; data is transparent and fact-checked by reliable, objective and independent specialists. But it’s still a play of power. Who decides what data is important? Who gets to interpret study-results? 

Who do you grant the power of credibility, and why? 

• Who decides what information is credible—and why do people trust them?
• Who has access to knowledge, and who is excluded?
• What makes someone an ‘expert,’ and is there a way to verify their claims without relying on them?
• Who has access to education? 
• Is the common person literate in your world – or do the common person have to rely on institutions, teachers and/or people of power to verbally communicate information? 
• Is the common person educated enough to read and fact-check data at its primary source? 

How Does Information Spread? 

• Is all information needed to draw a reasonable conclusion available – or is there missing technology/data? Who makes the “educated guess” – and how impartial are they?
• How do people learn about the news? Is it easy to check other sources, or is information about events outside their location scarce?
• What technology does your world use to share information across distances?
• Who owns said technology and/or news outlets?

Second Tool Of Power: Ideology And Culture

What if power didn’t need force, laws, or weapons? What if it only needed an idea—a promise that taps into people’s deepest fears and desires?

A worried, angry, or desperate person is vulnerable when someone swoops in and promises to ease all their pain (in exchange for some power).

Examples of ideological power (for good and bad)

• Nationalism – A nation’s identity can be used to unify or divide, giving leaders the power to mobilize entire populations. 
• Religious Power (symbolic) 
• Ideology (democratic, socialist, conservative, etc).
• Large movements (LGBTQIA+, civil rights movement, women’s movement)
• Categorization of people: Classism, racism, homophobia, sexism, etc – By defining who belongs and who doesn’t, those in power create hierarchies that justify oppression.

What do people fear?

Imagine living in medieval Europe. Your family lives in poverty, cold and famine; you had a couple of bad harvests, and the black plague is a constant threat to your loved ones. You are scared.

You want to believe that even after death, which you see so much of and live so close to, you will still find a sense of peace and happiness with your loved ones.

So when the church tells you that you’ll get to “paradise” as long as you listen to its word and follow its books—isn’t it tempting to believe in heaven?

So, in your world, what do people fear the most (and who would ease that fear?)

Is it fear of poverty (susceptible to someone who promises them riches), death (susceptible to someone who promises them a happy afterlife), loneliness and being an outcast (susceptible to someone who offers them a sense of identity and belonging)? 

What do people desire?

What do people in your world yearn for but cannot easily attain? Is it wealth? Safety? Recognition? A place in history? The people who have already achieved this become symbols of power—the trendsetters, the visionaries, the ones others follow.

Those who have achieved society’s ideal—whether wealth, status, or influence—become symbols of power. They shape trends, set the moral standard, and define what the future should look like.

And the people who have achieved their societies’ ideal will also (most likely) be considered more moral, attractive, intelligent, and strong (and whatever positive attributes your fantasy world values). Why? Because of the Halo effect.

With this kind of thinking in mind, what ideals do you think modern influencers represent? What fears and cravings are they playing into?  

Cultural Power. 

Cultural power is not just about creating trends; it is about defining what is ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable.’ If an ideology controls art, media, and academia, it shapes how an entire generation thinks—without them even realizing they are being shaped.

Who controls trends? Who creates trends? And who has access to influential creators, philosophers, professors and innovators? Who hosts events for “celebrities”?   

Different forms of Cultural “influencers”

1. Investors (who puts money into culture? Who decides what artform is funded)
2. Intellectuals, researchers, philosophers and academics
3. Art, music, theatre and literature
4. Speakers and Public Figures
5. Innovators
6. Influencers and marketers

Because culture is shaped by those in power, it often reinforces existing hierarchies—whether through racism, wealth, or gender. Which is why cultural power can also overlap with classicism, sexism, homo/transphobia and orientalism.

The people in power decide what “civilised” means, what “normal” is – and what is wrong, abnormal or shameful. Keep that in mind, both to avoid casting something from the real world as abnormal in your story (out of respect for different cultures and persons) but also to give your fantasy story more depth through an understanding of power.

Third Tool Of Power: Problem Solving

The Common Enemy

“We don’t like each other, but at least we’re not that guy.”

Chances are that if there are three people you don’t like – and two of these gang up on the third, your level of acceptance for the two will increase because you have a common enemy.

This could be tied to the concepts of ingroup and outgroup. We tend to like people who are similar to us, whether in ideology, traits, or preferences. And one way to create unity is to create a common enemy. 

Brutal Force and Military

This one’s quite self-explanatory: If you have weapons, brute force, or many allies, you can force people into compliance.

A more interesting question is why their allies are loyal to them. Unless you plan on writing a story with “mindless bad guys” (please don’t), they must be motivated to join the fight.

Is it ideology? Fear? Is there status in fighting? Is fighting/war glorified in your world? Are there practical benefits to joining the fight, like healthcare or pension insurance for their loved ones back at home?

Practical Protection and Organization

To have an efficient organization and access to resources, it doesn’t just have to involve weapons and force. It can also simply involve practical ways to make society efficient and to solve everyday problems for people.

A powerful state can contribute funding, efficient healthcare, legal advice, and legal guardians. It can oversee laws and regulations that simplify its people’s lives without them barely noticing them. If there are internal threats or dangers, a state can provide police or protection. State-approved universities can also offer certificates (how do you know a doctor is trained if there are no universities to certify them?).

They provide expertise in political problems and shortcuts so we can deal with our everyday issues instead.

For many societies, simply providing this efficiency in their everyday lives is a good reason to grant power to larger entities.

So, for the worldbuilders, what does your world’s body of power provide? What problems does it solve? Does it make life easier for its citizens? Are these systems functional or corrupted?

Examples of Problems A Government is Usually Expected to Solve

• Healthcare system
• Legal advisors, protection (lawyers, judges)
• Police and physical protection
• Regulations that streamline society (waste, transport, trading, economy)
• Human Rights Protection (preventing crimes against humanity)
• Providing education and certificates
• Marriage, guardianship and children’s rights

If Thease Problems Aren’t Solved by the Government, then by who?

If there isn’t a state that provides the services above, then who does?

• Inefficient or corrupt police can lead to people taking the law into their own hands and perhaps even forming gangs.
• A government which does not protect the people’s rights will lead the people to riot and alternative movements that question the body of power.
• If the healthcare system is corrupt or inaccessible – people will find alternative, risky operations for health (for example, if abortion becomes illegal, people will most likely search for alternative doctors to perform the procedure instead)

Fourth Tool Of Power: Resources 

What do people need in the world? What would be worth a lot? Who owns essential natural or cultural resources? What is a significant problem in your world that requires money to solve?

Money can buy you time, health, protection, and most certainly power. Consider what your fantasy culture values and needs and what they are willing to do to get it. The person who can provide the most valuable product for the best price will likely have financial power.

But what’s the cost of reducing costs for a product? Cheap workforce and exploitation in some cases – slavery in the worst cases.

What Determines Demand?

1. What people need (shelter, safety, food, warmth, electricity, transport, clothes)
2. What people value (material possessions that have symbolic value (religious or historically important symbols, status objects (like cards or luxury items)

What determines the price?

1. Who can produce the highest quality product for the best price?
2. Who can deliver the product in the easiest, most efficient, non-time-consuming way?
3. What does it cost to make the product and pay the workers?

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, power exists because we allow it to. 

Whether through fear, faith, tradition, group identity or practical necessity, every form of power in your world needs a reason to exist and why people don’t resist it. 

Even if this is a post about fantasy worlds, I do want to encourage you to think about what power you have and what control you give away. The best fantasy worlds reflect real people and society. 

Why do you follow the law? Is it to avoid punishment? Is it because you grew up in your society and have been socialised to accept the laws and norms around you on autopilot?

Why does your government yield power over you? What would happen if everyone stopped believing in society altogether? Would there be chaos – would someone else rise to power and how? Or does government provide a needed structure to give an outlet of power, to avoid chaos? 

Did you like this post? Here’s more like it:

• How to Find Purpose In Life 101
• How To Get And Stay Motivated In 3 Seconds
• Worldbuilding 101: How to Write Side-Characters
• How I quit people pleasing (and how you can, too)
• Fantasy Worldbuilding: How Does Power Work?