Fiction is one of the oldest ways that people use to transmit real ideas to others. It's often a powerful way to transmit empathy or morals, in particular. This goes back as far as the Epic of Gilgame...
I like how the themes of fascism and megalomania (obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others) are contrasted with the themes of being ordinary, flawed, and ‘simple’ in some stories/shows. A small group of friends who are friendly with others, much smaller and weaker than the King or Emperor in the story, wind up defeating that person. They become extra motivated to defeat the evilness of that powerful individual when he hurts or kills one of their friends. Their grief is shown as something that empowers them.