Abstract. Complexity and self-organization in burning plasmas are consequence of the interaction of energetic ions with plasma instabilities and turbulence; of the strong nonlinear coupling that will take place between fusion reactivity profiles, pressure driven currents, MHD stability, transport and plasma boundary interactions, mediated by the energetic particle population; and finally of the long time scale nonlinear (complex) behaviors that may affect the overall fusion performance and eventually pose issues for the stability and control of the fusion burn. These issues are briefly discussed in this work, with a view on their potential applications to other research areas.