What Are Popular Plot Conflicts In Tommy X Ranboo Fanfiction?

Memory loss tropes are everywhere, but I’m tired of them. The better conflict is simpler: Ranboo’s cautious neutrality versus Tommy’s all-consuming allegiances. When Tommy demands ‘pick a side,’ and Ranboo’s side is just them, that’s the good stuff. It forces Tommy to confront what he’s asking for.

This ship has such a fascinating dynamic because the conflict often comes from their foundational misunderstanding of each other. I see a lot of fics playing with the tension between Tommy's chaotic, loud-mouthed brand of loyalty and Ranboo's more reserved, anxious, and fundamentally gentle nature. The most popular conflict seems to be a version of Ranboo being forced to choose between his alliance with Technoblade (and by extension, a more peaceful, isolated existence) and Tommy, whose very presence screams conflict and draws danger. It’s that push-pull between Ranboo's desire for stability and Tommy's embodiment of turbulent change.

Another huge one is memory and identity. Writers love using Ranboo's canonical memory issues to create heartbreaking scenarios where he forgets crucial moments with Tommy, or even forgets Tommy entirely, leading to a desperate and often angsty rediscovery. It inverts their usual dynamic, making Tommy the one trying to prove a connection that’s been erased. You also see a ton of ‘enemies to reluctant allies to something more’ arcs, especially in AU settings like modern college or superhero AUs, where their opposing factions or social circles force them together against their will. The real meat of the conflict isn’t just external drama; it’s the internal struggle of two damaged kids figuring out if they can trust another person not to be a source of more hurt.

Less discussed but really effective are fics where the conflict is almost entirely internal and atmospheric. Tommy grappling with post-resurrection trauma or exile PTSD, and Ranboo, who is dealing with his own enderman-related existential dread, trying to help but feeling completely unequipped. The conflict isn’t them fighting each other, but fighting their own natures and pasts to be present for the other person. It’s a quieter, more melancholic type of story that I’ve been seeing more of lately.

Honestly, I think a lot of the popular conflicts miss the mark by making Ranboo too passive. The good stuff, in my opinion, leans into his hidden steel. Fics where he actively goes against Tommy’s self-destructive impulses, not just wrings his hands about it. Like, Tommy wants to charge into a reckless confrontation for revenge, and Ranboo doesn’t just plead—he physically blocks the door, uses his own connections to sabotage the plan, anything to stop him. That creates a real, juicy conflict because it pits Tommy’s freedom against Ranboo’s protective care, and neither is entirely wrong. It’s more compelling than another memory-loss angst fest, which feels overplayed now.

You can practically chart the evolution of popular conflicts by the major SMP lore drops. Early on, it was all about the tension from the Community House destruction and L’Manberg politics, simple ‘us vs. them’ stuff. After the exile arc, conflicts became deeply psychological, focusing on Tommy’s trauma and Ranboo as an observer trying to bridge the gap. Post-resurrection, I’ve noticed a shift towards more supernatural or cosmic stakes—their conflicts involve the very fabric of the server, revival books, and enderwalk states, with Ranboo sometimes becoming an antagonist not by choice but by entity possession. It raises the stakes from interpersonal drama to something mythic. The constant, though, is the core imbalance: Tommy gives Ranboo courage and color, Ranboo offers Tommy a fragile, quiet safety, and the conflict arises when that trade-off feels threatened or becomes unsustainable. That’s why even fluffy AUs will have a third-act breakup over something like ‘you’re too much’ or ‘I can’t keep up with your chaos’—it’s baked into their character DNA.