Homer’s Iliad is one of the first uses of a structured tournament as a narrative device in fiction
Achilles organizes formal athletic competitions, a subnarrative with rivalries and disputes over prizes.
—> "every subsequent tournament arc in manga is looking back on Dragon Ball" i.e. Hunter x Hunter, Naruto, etc.
Modern power system tiers & progression are derived from chinese cultivation fiction.
Tolkien developed the canonical races —> elves, orcs, dwarves, etc. (1937-55)
Dungeons & Dragons integrated this and in 1974 innovated:
(1) the party system —> fighter, mage, and cleric
*By 1977 there were more familiar names added —> thief, ranger, paladin, druid, monk, assassin, bard
and (2) numerical ability stats —> Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma
Portal fantasy is apparently Western (Alice In Wonderland, Narnia, etc.)