Act IV of the Hero’s Journey

We arrive at Act IV of the Hero’s Journey. The Hero has overcome the Darkest Cave. The Sword, now seized, guides the Hero to the last dregs of the quest. The Hero begins the Road Back and commits to finishing the Journey. This leads to the final battle, where Resurrection of the Hero transpires. The Hero then returns to their Ordinary World with the Elixir.

With Act III over, the story should address any outstanding conflicts in character or plot arcs. Promises are fulfilled to the readers in full. This should leave readers satisfied with the ending, or excited for the sequel.

Despite the victory over the Cave, the Journey is unfinished. Now having seized the Sword, the Hero confronts the consequences of their actions and recommits to saving their Ordinary World. The final battle looms to test the Hero again. Like the Darkest Cave, this final trial takes everything to overcome it—and it should push the protagonist to their limits.

During this final ordeal, the Hero experiences an all-is-lost moment. The whole Journey is at risk, and the Ordinary World is in peril. The Hero has failed in their quest. Evil has won. Or has it?

The protagonist experiences a second resurrection or spurt of growth in this desperate moment. This cumulates in a final push to triumph over the Enemy.

The Hero, now successful in their Journey, returns to their Ordinary World with the Elixir. Unlike the Sword, a tool or means to continue the quest, the Elixir is the panacea to the problems of the Ordinary World. The Elixir embodies what the World lacks, what may cure its ‘diseases’ or fix its problems.

With the World restored, the Hero may retire or they may assume a new role in society. Many writers use this to branch into new series via offspring of the Hero─or the cycle repeats in a sequel.

In a series, multiple smaller Hero’s Journeys accumulate across multiple books.

There are many takes on the Monomyth. Some split the Journey into three Acts, others into four. Others skip over a section or merge parts like the Darkest Cave and the Resurrection ordeals into one.

The Hero’s Journey is a solid guideline for story writing, but it is flexible in its application. An author or screenwriter should gauge the story’s needs, then tailor the Monomyth formula accordingly.

And that concludes the Hero’s Journey series. From Act I to IV, the Hero grows, developing into a savior figure for their world. Evil is defeated, peace restored, and the Monomyth ends.

Thanks for reading!