This study examines the field of special operations (SO) and its strategic utilization within hybrid defence. It explores how established perceptions shapes its role within Sweden’s evolving security landscape, characterized by great power competition (GPC) and hybrid threats. Applying the lens of Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory and critical discourse analysis as the method, the research maps discursive boundaries, actors and their agency, and embedded assumptions. Findings illuminate possible disruptive tensions between what constitutes SO and the prerequisites for hybrid defence within GPC. The study highlights the imperative to reimagine and expand the conceptualization of special operations beyond a military and SOF-centric approach in a new era.