History BadassAdorable / AnimeAndManga

* There's usually one in every incarnation of the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series: [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure Hikari/Shiny Luminous]], [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar Mai/Cure Egret]], [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 Urara/Cure Lemonade]], [[Anime/FreshPrettyCure Inori/Cure Pine]], [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Tsubomi/Cure Blossom]], [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Ako/Cure Muse]], [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Yayoi/Cure Peace]], [[Anime/DokiDokiPrecure Alice/Cure Rosetta]], [[Anime/HappinessChargePrettyCure Yuko/Cure Honey]], [[Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure Haruka/Cure Flora]], [[Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure Kotoha/Cure Felice]], [[Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode Himari/Cure Custard]], [[Anime/HugttoPrettyCure Emiru/Cure Macherie]], [[Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure Lala/Cure Milky]], [[Anime/HealinGoodPrettyCure Nodoka/Cure Grace]], [[Anime/TropicalRougePrettyCure Sango/Cure Coral]], [[Anime/DeliciousPartyPrettyCure Yui/Cure Precious]], and [[Anime/HirogaruSkyPrettyCure Mashiro/Cure Prism]]. Special mention goes to [[Anime/HirogaruSkyPrettyCure Elle/Cure Majesty]] for being an active Cure at only ''one and a half years old''.

* By [[Creator/StudioGainax Gainax]], there's Nono in ''Anime/DieBuster'' . Arguably, the cutest [[spoiler: robot]] you'll ever meet, is in fact [[spoiler: the seventh Buster Machine and a PersonOfMassDestruction capable of controlling the Buster Corps, slicing one of Saturn's moons in half and kicking the shit out of an EldritchAbomination the size of a planet.]] And all of this while being ditzy and having [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Nia's]] voice.

* ''Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubLove'' has the titular Defense Club themselves, a group of 5 cute ([[DeadpanSnarker if snarky]]) [[PrettyBoy Pretty Boys]] who all have their endearing moments, but they are still competent [[MagicalGirl Magical Boys]] who when the chips are down, they are capable of showing their true power and pack a punch. Special mention goes to Yumoto, TheBabyOfTheBunch who loves cuddling [[MentorMascot Wombat]], but also can purify the MonsterOfTheWeek and can take them on alone without losing most of the time.

* Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubLove has the titular Defense Club themselves, a group of 5 cute ([[DeadpanSnarker if snarky]]) [[PrettyBoy Pretty Boys]] who all have their endearing moments, but they are still competent [[MagicalGirl Magical Boys]] who when the chips are down, they are capable of showing their true power and pack a punch. Special mention goes to Yumoto, TheBabyOfTheBunch who loves cuddling [[MentorMascot Wombat]], but also can purify the MonsterOfTheWeek and can take them on alone without losing most of the time.

* Amongst other examples in ''Literature/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'', we have Mai and Yui, twin girls who wield [[DropTheHammer giant hammers]] with profound efficiency, but the star of the show, Maple, winds up captivating the hearts of many with her innocent smile, even after it's shown that she can effectively ''dissolve'' every enemy player in a ''hundred-meter radius.''

* Yamamaya, the cute little ''iriomote'' cat from ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh''. [[spoiler:He reappears]].

* Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubLove has the titular Defense Club themselves, a group of 5 cute ([[DeadpanSnarker if snarky]]) [[PrettyBoy Pretty Boys]] who all have their endearing moments, but they are still competent [[MagicalGirl Magical Boys]] who when the chips are down, they are capable of showing their true power and pack a punch. Special mention goes to Yumoto, TheBabyOfTheBunch who loves cuddling [[MentorMascot Wombat]], but also can purify TheMonsterOfTheWeek and can take them on alone without losing most of the time.

* ''Literature/EiyuuNoMusumeToShiteUmarekawattaEiyuuWaFutatabiEiyuuOMezasu''[[labelnote:Translated title]]The Hero Who was Reborn as the Daughter of Heroes Aims to Become a Hero Again[[/labelnote]] might as well be called “Badass Adorable: The Series”. Main character Nicole takes on a bunch of kobolds, almost completely unarmed, at ''age three'', in an attempt to rescue some kids who went off into the woods. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome She completely fails]] and [[BigDamnHeroes has to be rescued]] by [[ParentExMachina her parents]], but it’s the first indication that she still has the heroic potential from her past life. (Said past life having been killed while trying to save an orphanage from a rampaging demon.[[note]]Ironically, everyone who knew [[GenderBender him]] in his previous life viewed him as a ButtMonkey at best.[[/note]]) By the time she’s five, she’s skilled with a sword, and has the ability to amplify the magical strength of others, and by the time she’s seven she’s able to kill wild boars armed with just a short sword, as well as [[spoiler:incapacitate human traffickers with just her sword and a length of string]]. She can also shrug off her foes’ sword slashes despite her [[InformedFlaw alleged]] weak constitution. Her best friend Michelle is even more this trope, despite lacking any HeroicLineage or past life as a hero. Her power is ImprobableAimingSkills, as demonstrated as a 5-year-old when she hits a target (though not the bullseye) from 100 meters away ''her very first time using a bow''. Then two years later, she ''utterly destroys'' an armored foe that had been stonewalling Nicole, albeit [[spoiler:thanks to divine intervention]]. Keep in mind that Nicole has the knowledge and experience from her past life, while Michelle ''does not''.

* [[TrueNeutral Kino]] from ''Literature/KinosJourney''. Seriously, just [[http://i47.tinypic.com/2dc8gv5.jpg look at that adorable face!]] But if you endanger her life, [[CombatPragmatist she will shoot you through the head at point-blank range]] or [[BewareTheNiceOnes drive a knife right through your heart]]...[[ItGetsEasier without ]] ''[[TheStoic any ]]'' [[TheStoic hesitation.]]

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl''. As noted InUniverse, the First Generation cyborg girls are of an age when kids are most adorable. Henrietta and Angelica in particular are subject to CutenessProximity. Of course that's the point, as they are black ops assassins who are meant to get their targets guard down.

* Most of the combatants in ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'' qualify for the "adorable" part to one extent or another, and it could be said that simply ''participating'' in Tankery is indicative of ''some'' level of badassery. But if that's not enough...

* There's usually one in every incarnation of the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series: [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure Hikari/Shiny Luminous]], [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar Mai/Cure Egret]], [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 Urara/Cure Lemonade]], [[Anime/FreshPrettyCure Inori/Cure Pine]], [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Tsubomi/Cure Blossom]], [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Ako/Cure Muse]], [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Yayoi/Cure Peace]], [[Anime/DokiDokiPrecure Alice/Cure Rosetta]], [[Anime/HappinessChargePrettyCure Yuko/Cure Honey]], [[Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure Haruka/Cure Flora]], [[Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure Kotoha/Cure Felice]], [[Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode Himari/Cure Custard]], [[Anime/HugttoPrettyCure Emiru/Cure Macherie]], [[Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure Lala/Cure Milky]], [[Anime/HealinGoodPrettyCure Nodoka/Cure Grace]], [[Anime/TropicalRougePrettyCure Sango/Cure Coral]], [[Anime/DeliciousPartyPrettyCure Yui/Cure Precious]], and [[Anime/HirogaruSkyPrettyCure Mashiro/Cure Prism]].

** We also have Part 4's [[TeensAreShort Koichi]] [[NiceGuy Hirose]], Part 5's [[PsychopathicManchild Narancia]] [[CuteAndPsycho Ghirga]] and Part 6's [[TokenMiniMoe Emporio]] [[AdorablyPrecociousChild Alniño]].

* ''Anime/MagiTheLabyrinthOfMagic'': Aladdin is a young child, but he's also a [[TheChosenOne Magi]], as well as a very powerful mage.

* ''Manga/{{Unico}}'', an adorable baby unicorn who has the power to bring happiness to whoever he befriends, but is also able to fight against enemies, and is capable of growing to a giant adult sized winged unicorn as necessary? Bonus points since, like Astro Boy and Kimba, he was created by Osamu Tezuka.

* ''Literature/EiyuuNoMusumeToShiteUmarekawattaEiyuuWaFutatabiEiyuuOMezasu''[[labelnote:Translated title]][[OverlyLongTitle The Hero Who was Reborn as the Daughter of Heroes Aims to Become a Hero Again]][[/labelnote]] might as well be called “Badass Adorable: The Series”. Main character Nicole takes on a bunch of kobolds, almost completely unarmed, at ''age three'', in an attempt to rescue some kids who went off into the woods. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome She completely fails]] and [[BigDamnHeroes has to be rescued]] by [[ParentExMachina her parents]], but it’s the first indication that she still has the heroic potential from her past life. (Said past life having been killed while trying to save an orphanage from a rampaging demon.[[note]]Ironically, everyone who knew [[GenderBender him]] in his previous life viewed him as a ButtMonkey at best.[[/note]]) By the time she’s five, she’s skilled with a sword, and has the ability to amplify the magical strength of others, and by the time she’s seven she’s able to kill wild boars armed with just a short sword, as well as [[spoiler:incapacitate human traffickers with just her sword and a length of string]]. She can also shrug off her foes’ sword slashes despite her [[InformedFlaw alleged]] weak constitution. Her best friend Michelle is even more this trope, despite lacking any HeroicLineage or past life as a hero. Her power is ImprobableAimingSkills, as demonstrated as a 5-year-old when she hits a target (though not the bullseye) from 100 meters away ''her very first time using a bow''. Then two years later, she ''utterly destroys'' an armored foe that had been stonewalling Nicole, albeit [[spoiler:thanks to divine intervention]]. Keep in mind that Nicole has the knowledge and experience from her past life, while Michelle ''does not''.

* ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' gives us [[KingIncognito Seth]]. Looks to all the world like a cute teenage girl. If you [[HeroicRROD somehow]] manage to hurt [[PersonOfMassDestruction her big brother]], [[MakeMeWannaShout kiss your ass goodbye.]]

* From ''LightNovel/DeathMarchToTheParallelWorldRhapsody'', there are Tama, Pochi and Arisa: Tama and Pochi are two cute 10-year-old demihumans (cat and dog, respectively) who love to play with their friends, have BigBrotherWorship for Satou and can easily overpower grown men thanks to their training, while Arisa is an 11-year-old FallenPrincess who also has PsychicPowers and has no problem in using them to defend herself or her friends.

* Mile from ''LightNovel/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife'' is a 12-year-old girl who looks less than ten, who can fight evenly with some Elder Dragons.

* Tabitha from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero''. She is a powerful wind mage, can be adorably {{Moe}}, and is very much a [[TheWoobie Woobie]].

* ''LightNovel/HarukaNogizakasSecret'': Haruka Nogizaka rarely shows the badass part of the trope but the first time Ayase Yuto saw her doing it was enough to make him understand he must never make her angry. And that's because her anger was directed at a boy trying to take her from him.

* While the "badass" part is something in the own heads, Rikka and Sanae from ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'' could still count, as they both fit firmly into the "adorable" part.

* Shion from ''LightNovel/No6'', the NiceGuy {{Bishonen}} with big eyes and a huge heart. However, [[BewareTheNiceOnes get him pissed off enough]], usually by messing with Nezumi, and [[{{Yandere}} take cover]].

* Most of the characters from ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' qualify...which should be obvious, since they're {{Moe Anthropomorph|ism}}s of Malign Deities from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos. Special mention goes to Nyarko (Nyarlathotep) herself, for being a beautiful teen girl with long silver hair, gleaming emerald eyes...and a SlasherSmile every time she [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill rips dark abominations to shreds]] with her {{crowbar|Combatant}}.

** Millim Nava looks and acts like a pre-teen pink-haired girl who's easily impressed by new things and tends to come off as ditzy. She's also [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld one of the oldest]] [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking and strongest Demon Lords]] on the planet, a BloodKnight who's ''very'' good at what she does, the daughter of the multiverse's creator dragon deity, and probably one of the few who could legitimately defeat Rimuru in a one-on-one battle.

** The {{Shana Clone}}s! Even the [[BadassNormal non-magical ones]] pack a serious punch. The [[Literature/{{Toradora}} palmtop tiger]] is '''not''' to be messed with.

* There's usually one in every incarnation of the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series: [[Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure Hikari/Shiny Luminous]], [[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 Urara/Cure Lemonade]], [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Tsubomi/Cure Blossom]], [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Ako/Cure Muse]], and [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Yayoi/Cure Peace]].

** [[PluckyGirl Moriyama]] [[GreenThumb Shiemi]] also qualifies after she TookALevelInBadass, going from ShrinkingViolet DistressedDamsel to {{Determinator}} CombatMedic. And she's as awkwardly adorable as Rin above, with some CuteClumsyGirl thrown in for flavouring. And how Badass is she? Fully capable of giving you a CurbStompBattle, that's how.

* ''LightNovel/BlackBullet'' has cursed children, who are AlwaysFemale and are [[CursedWithAwesome born with Gastrea virus in their blood where they can manipulate the virus to grant themselves superhuman powers]]. Most of them are 10-years-old at the oldest. Some of these cursed children serve as Initiators in Civil Securities and are capable of kicking ass and are extremely cute at the same time. Examples include [[NiceGirl Enju Aiahra]], [[ColdSniper Tina Sprout]], [[BadassBookworm Kayo Senju]], and even [[CuteIsEvil Kohina Hiruko]].

* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'':
** Celty, a SinisterScythe-wielding HeadlessHorseman of a BadassBiker... who wears adorable [[color:pink:pink]] pajamas, likes to talk online, and is afraid of space aliens. Her helmet also has kitty-cat ears on it!
** Also, Mikado, the shy, gentle OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who's new to the city. He also [[spoiler: has managed to more or less weaponize Anonymous by being the leader of a massive organized gang called the Dollars that he directs via cellphone texts and chatrooms]].

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'':

* High Elf Archer from ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' is not particularly impressive in close combat, but she is an excellent archer who has killed many goblins. You can't tell that she's such a good fighter because she looks like an inconspicuous girl, albeit like a particularly pretty elf.

* From ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD'', we have Koneko Toujou. She's cute as a kitten (makes sense, given that she's a [[CatGirl nekoshou]]), considered Kuoh Academy's mascot -- and can kick your ass without a sweat.

* A male example can be seen in ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon''. Bell Cranel is a nice, polite, and even pure-hearted boy. But if someone poses a threat to his friends or a girl is in danger, he quickly gets to know Bell from his combative side.

* Shion from ''LightNovel/{{No6}}'', the NiceGuy {{Bishonen}} with big eyes and a huge heart. However, [[BewareTheNiceOnes get him pissed off enough]], usually by messing with Nezumi, and [[{{Yandere}} take cover]].

* ''Anime/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'': Aladdin is a young child, but he's also a [[TheChosenOne Magi]], as well as a very powerful mage.

* As a [[ShrinkingViolet timid]], doe-eyed AllLovingHero, ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'''s Jacuzzi is about as {{Moe}} as you can possibly make a man without [[LoliconAndShotacon without turning him into Shotabait]]. He's ''also'' prone to crazy feats of badassery like taking out eighteen mafia-owned speakeasies in a single night or going one-on-one with a crazy, flamethrower-wielding cult leader.

* ''LightNovel/EiyuuNoMusumeToShiteUmarekawattaEiyuuWaFutatabiEiyuuOMezasu''[[labelnote:Translated title]][[OverlyLongTitle The Hero Who was Reborn as the Daughter of Heroes Aims to Become a Hero Again]][[/labelnote]] might as well be called “Badass Adorable: The Series”. Main character Nicole takes on a bunch of kobolds, almost completely unarmed, at ''age three'', in an attempt to rescue some kids who went off into the woods. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome She completely fails]] and [[BigDamnHeroes has to be rescued]] by [[ParentExMachina her parents]], but it’s the first indication that she still has the heroic potential from her past life. (Said past life having been killed while trying to save an orphanage from a rampaging demon.[[note]]Ironically, everyone who knew [[GenderBender him]] in his previous life viewed him as a ButtMonkey at best.[[/note]]) By the time she’s five, she’s skilled with a sword, and has the ability to amplify the magical strength of others, and by the time she’s seven she’s able to kill wild boars armed with just a short sword, as well as [[spoiler:incapacitate human traffickers with just her sword and a length of string]]. She can also shrug off her foes’ sword slashes despite her [[InformedFlaw alleged]] weak constitution. Her best friend Michelle is even more this trope, despite lacking any HeroicLineage or past life as a hero. Her power is ImprobableAimingSkills, as demonstrated as a 5-year-old when she hits a target (though not the bullseye) from 100 meters away ''her very first time using a bow''. Then two years later, she ''utterly destroys'' an armored foe that had been stonewalling Nicole, albeit [[spoiler:thanks to divine intervention]]. Keep in mind that Nicole has the knowledge and experience from her past life, while Michelle ''does not''.

* ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'':

* [[TrueNeutral Kino]] from ''LightNovel/KinosJourney''. Seriously, just [[http://i47.tinypic.com/2dc8gv5.jpg look at that adorable face!]] But if you endanger her life, [[CombatPragmatist she will shoot you through the head at point-blank range]] or [[BewareTheNiceOnes drive a knife right through your heart]]...[[ItGetsEasier without ]] ''[[TheStoic any ]]'' [[TheStoic hesitation.]]

* ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh'' has [[ThePollyanna Shi]][[IdiotHero buya]] [[StupidGood Yuu]][[LoveFreak ri]], who sometimes becomes a PersonOfMassDestruction if his loved ones or [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething country]] are threatened.

** Unico from the [[Manga/{{Unico}} manga series]] of the same name (including ''Anime/TheFantasticAdventuresOfUnico'' and ''Anime/UnicoInTheIslandOfMagic''). Possibly the cutest baby unicorn you will ever see, [[spoiler: killed a fifty-story demon lord by impaling him with his horn.]]
* ''Manga/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'':