# Fate and Destiny in Conan Stories

> Theme guide for Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard.

Characters often feel driven by inexorable forces or prophecies, and Conan's rise from a wandering mercenary to a leader and king suggests a destined path shaped by his actions and the world's chaos.

## Where it surfaces

- [II: The Black Lotus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-black-lotus): Conan's fatalistic view of the gods and his acceptance of an uncertain afterlife reflect themes of fate and destiny.
- [I: Death Strikes a King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-death-strikes-a-king): The stars dictate the timing of the king's death, and his soul's fate hangs in the balance, ultimately saved by Yasmina's fatal act.
- [VIII: Yasmina Knows Stark Terror](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/viii-yasmina-knows-stark-terror): Yasmina is forced to relive all her past lives, suggesting a deterministic cycle of suffering and the inescapable weight of her own history.
- [I: The Bloodred Crescent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-the-bloodred-crescent): The ancient curse of the Askhaurian dynasty dictates that a witch named Salome will be born each century.
- [The Hyborian Age](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/the-hyborian-age): The historical progression of races and kingdoms is portrayed as inevitable, with the cataclysm and subsequent rise of the Hyborians and Picts driven by forces beyond individual control.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/themes/fate_and_destiny
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/themes