History Characters / MCUDefenders

* SociopathicHero: Her actress even describes her as [[https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/18/daredevil-the-punisher-and-elektra-will-make-matt-murdock-question-his-role as a sociopath]], stating that the world is a game for her adns he'll get what she wants from it by any means necessary. She's willing to refrain from killing for Matt's sake, but it's made clear she quite enjoys killing. [[spoiler:This is the first clue that she is the Black Sky, and she was like this even while being trained.]]

* OffWithHisHead: Elektra decapitates Alexandra after impaling her through the back.

* UseTheirOwnWeaponAgainstThem: Elektra kills Jacques by stabbing him with his own sai.

* SociopathicHero: She's willing to refrain from killing for Matt's sake, but it's made clear she quite enjoys killing. [[spoiler:This is the first clue that she is the Black Sky, and she was like this even while being trained.]]

* CameBackStrong: Getting resurrected as the Black Sky by The Hand, enhanced her physiology to a Superman level. She's strong enough to send people flying with her blows and durable enough to survive getting hit by a car and get up almost immediately.

* NotSoDifferentRemark: Elektra is drawn to Matt because of the darkness she senses in him, and suggests he feels the same for her.

* OneWomanArmy: As [[spoiler:The Black Sky]] Elektra is established as being one of the best fighters in the world to the point that [[spoiler:Alexandra]] tells her that she has more power and skill in combat than anyone can learn in a single lifetime. [[spoiler:This is proven in ''The Defenders'' as she can take on all four members of the team, both individually and as a group, and that by the time of the FinalBattle she is considered the most dangerous opponent the group has to beat.]]

* CameBackWrong: When she is revived by the Hand, she has amnesia and doesn't even remember who Matt is... which isn't really an example, since the Hand specifically resurrected her to be exactly like that and tell her [[ThatManIsDead she should act like the person she was before is basically dead]]. Played straight later on when [[spoiler: she ''does'' get her memories back, and turns on them for her own end]].

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:By Nobu, leading to her death]].

* ItIsDehumanizing: Elektra takes extreme offense at Nobu calling her "it". It's worth noting however that the Hand nonetheless treat her with reverence, indicating that to them, calling the Black Sky "it" is simply the proper form of addressing such a powerful entity.

* BadassNormal: Elektra is a deadly martial artist who can utilize any form of weapon. The Resurrection Elixir turns her into an EmpoweredBadassNormal.

* ActionGirl: From a young age, she was trained by Chaste to become a formidable warrior.

* BigBadWannabe: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. [[spoiler: It's clear that Murakami, Madame Gao and Bakuto aren't too happy with Elektra's takeover and plan to kill her once [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness she has used Danny to get them the substance]]. It's ''also'' quickly clear that Elektra doesn't give a shit about the Hand either and really just wants to [[EvilFeelsGood give in to her darker impulses and be free]]... and, of course, she wants to get the attention of Matt.]]

* WhiteShirtOfDeath: In "Guilty as Sin", Elektra gets her white shirt splattered when she gives the ninja a SlashedThroat.

* WorkingWithTheEx: She teams up with Matt to fight the Hand, despite the two of them being a couple and then broken up while in college.

* SafetyInIndifference: She acts pretty nonchalant about everything, and working with Matt seems to be more of a game then anything else. But as we learn more about her it comes increasingly obvious this is [[StepfordSmiler just a mask]] she uses to prevent herself from being hurt. She genuinely loves Matt but knows he could never love the real her, and also like Matt, Stick managed to give her some abandonment issues.

* TogetherInDeath: She's entirely willing to spend the rest of her live and the NothingAfterDeath with Matt, whether fighting against him or alongside him.

* WorkingWithTheEx: She teams up with Matt to fight the Hand, despite the two of them having dated and then broken up while in college.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[spoiler:Matt seems to be the only one who thinks this, and in the end it's his belief in her that keeps her from joining the Hand after being revealed as the Black Sky]].

* AdaptationalModesty: Elektra's pre-resurrection outfit has pants and some more covering on the torso. Post resurrection, she gets a suit closer to her iconic red bathing suit/leotard but with black leggings to tone down the {{Stripperiffic}} nature of the outfit. She often wears a long black coat over it to further tone things down.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: She wasn't well liked by the other initiates of the Chaste. [[spoiler:Because she was a Black Sky, and they knew it.]]

* CameBackStrong: Getting ressurected as the Black Sky by The Hand, enhanced her physiology to a Superman level. She's strong enough to send people flying with her blows and durable enough to survive getting hit by a car and get up almost immediately.

* DarkActionGirl: She's seen beating up dozens of criminals, leaping off rooftops, and generally going toe-to-toe physically with a highly trained vigilante like Matt. After resurrection, she becomes Alexandra's main assassin, until she kills Alexandra and declares herself in charge of the Hand.
** Even in the flashback scenes that show her early relationship with Matt show signs of this. If her facial expressions are anything to go by, she appears to be getting a sexual thrill from the idea of Matt executing his father’s murderer.
* DeadpanSnarker: She's got a bit more "snark" than "deadpan", considering how she loves getting under peoples' skin like this.

* EarlyBirdCameo: Referenced via flashback in "Nelson v. Murdock" by Foggy as that "[[GorgeousGreek Greek chick]]" Matt dated in college. In season two we see some of their college dating life.

* GorgeousGreek: Naturally, it wouldn't be Elektra without this trope. While she is still very beautiful, [[spoiler:she is ethnically Asian from indeterminate origin that is only Greek by adoption]].

* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler:Though not really touched upon, it's clear the Elektra was Matt's first love and the one he seriously wanted to spend his life with. Even after all the shit she puts him through (and discovering she's a Black Sky) in Season 2, he ''still'' chooses to be with her. When she is killed by Nobu (and gone forever after ''The Defenders''), he is left devastated and her memory still haunts him, as Matt knows damn well that try as he might, no other woman will understand him the way she did.]]

* {{Omniglot}}: She's fluent in Greek, English, Japanese and French. She also took Spanish classes at Columbia University.
* OneWomanArmy: As [[spoiler:The Black Sky]] Elektra is established as being one of the best fighters in the world to the point that [[spoiler:Alexandra]] tells her that she has more power and skill in combat then anyone can learn in a single lifetime. [[spoiler:This is proven in ''The Defenders'' as she can take on all four members of the team, both individually and as a group, and that by the time of the FinalBattle she is considered the most dangerous opponent the group has to beat.]]

* RedIsViolent: Elektra tends to wear red clothing and she can be highly vicious in battle.

* WeaponOfChoice: Later in Season 2, she takes a liking to DualWielding a pair of Sais she takes off a rival assassin.

!!!'''Species:''' Human

!! Introduced in ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}''
[[folder:Malcolm Ducasse]]
!!''Malcolm Joseph Ducasse''
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ducasse_malcolm.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I don’t want powers. I mean, I do not want to be on the receiving end of them either, but I don’t know, I just like people too much."'']]

!!!'''Citizenship:''' American
!!!'''Affiliation(s):''' Kilgrave Victim Support (formerly), Cheng Consulting Management (formerly), Hogarth and Associates (formerly), Alias Investigations
!!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/EkaDarville
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/DarwinLeRoy (Latin-America Chilean Spanish dub), Alexandre Drummond (Brazilian Portuguese dub)
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'' | ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}''

->''"So what, it's just every man for himself, then, huh? Everything I learned in church, all the praying that my mom did for the sick and the dying, all the... all the community projects my dad worked on, basically, everything that they taught me... it was all bullshit? They're idiots and I'm just the only asshole in the world who didn't know?"''

A social worker who lives down the hall from Jessica and is her assistant at Alias Investigations.

%% Note: Any new pictures should be 300x300 pixel width and height, and have a 5 pixel black border around it.

!!!'''Citizenship:''' American

* BashBrothers: Criminals of New York must beware when these four start to kick ass together.

[[folder:General]]

[[redirect:Characters/MCUDefendersAndAllies]]

[[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > '''The Defenders''' ([[Characters/MCUDaredevil Daredevil]] | [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]] | [[Characters/MCULukeCage Luke Cage]] | [[Characters/MCUIronFist Iron Fist]]) -]]]

----
!! Spoilers for all works set prior to the end of ''Avengers: Endgame'' are unmarked.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:General]]
!!''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}''
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/defenders_2.jpg]]
[-[[caption-width-right:300:'''Stick:''' You think the four of you can save New York? You can't even save yourselves.]]-]
!!!'''Appearances:''' ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}''

->''"More death is coming, and the only thing keeping Manhattan from crumbling into a pile of dust is the four of you."''
-->-- '''Stick'''

A team of street-level heroes defending the mean streets of New York from more grounded threats.
----
* TenMinuteRetirement:
** Jessica [[RefusalOfTheCall Refuses The Call]] when she gets overwhelmed by [[TheReveal the massive amount of information being hurled at her]] in the restaurant. A few hours later she finds out the Hand are watching Raymond's family, so returns to the restaurant just in time for the fight.
** Matt at the start of the show hasn't done anything Daredevil-related since telling Karen his secret, out of guilt over Elektra's death and also over losing Nelson & Murdock. While getting ready for a court appearance, he briefly pauses mid-rehearsal when he hears a fight breaking out, but relaxes when he hears the police arriving to defuse the situation and resumes his rehearsing. After the earthquake, the amount of cries for help overwhelms him and he can't resist running to stop some looters and a store owner trying to shoot them with a shotgun.
* AlliterativeName: '''M'''att '''M'''urdock and '''J'''essica '''J'''ones.
* AntiHeroTeam: They're a much darker, morally grey team compared to the Avengers.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Despite living through [[Film/TheAvengers2012 the Incident]], to say nothing of their own superpowers and dealings with the Hand, Kilgrave, and Diamondback respectively, Matt, Jessica, and Luke have a hard time believing in Danny's superpowers.
-->'''Jessica:''' What are you on, lithium?
* BadassCrew: Composed of four of New York's deadliest fighters.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Matt and Danny have a few fights where they have to fight in civilian clothing, hence, suits and ties.
* BashBrothers: Criminals of New York must beware when these four start to kick ass together.
* BeingGoodSucks: A recurring theme for each member, ''especially'' Jessica; their victories are usually measured in the lives they ''didn't'' save and the damage it incurs on their reputations or relationships. They're usually in worse positions by the end of their stories than where they started.
* BloodKnight: One trait that they all share in common. They are all broken people who have violent tendencies.
* CanonImmigrant: The MCU version of the Defenders made it into the mainstream comics, featuring the same quartet.
* CivvieSpandex: Matt is the only member that wears a superhero outfit, the rest wear ordinary clothes.
* ColorMotif: All Defenders have their own colors frequently used as ColorWash or in uniforms. Matt uses red, Luke yellow, and Danny green. Jessica starts her series with Kilgrave's purple but ditches it for blue (with an occasional flash of purple) by the time of The Defenders.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience:
** Matt is associated with the color red. His necktie, glasses, cane, and Daredevil armor are all red. While we don't see it here, we know that he sees the world in red flames, and his motif evokes a lot of imagery of rage and punishment. His scenes, such as the church, are shot in red colors.
** Jessica is connected with tones of blue - but no longer purple (except for a flash in her intro), due to her triumph over Kilgrave. Scenes focusing on her tend to look cold and unwelcoming, but the scenes that don't focus on her tend to show blue, hopeful colors, like the sky. She mostly wears entirely black clothing, except for her blue jeans, and scenes featuring her tend to feature blue furnishings and blue-filtered light or water.
** Luke has a lot of warm, welcoming yellow colors in his scenes - he wears a yellow shirt, his hoodie has yellow accents, and he's introduced wearing an orange jumpsuit. His scenes show a lot of natural sunlight or lights through yellow shades, and most furnishings in his scenes are yellow or light wood.
** Danny primarily is shown with green, a very rich color, and he is the Defender with the most money. He wears green sweaters or jackets, his scenes such as Colleen’s dojo tend to have a lot of green hues, and his employees are also aware enough to complement his company's green office space with green shirts.
** Fittingly, the Royal Dragon where the four of them regroup, rest, and eventually decide to work together has all of the above colors in its decor and lighting. Even the neon dragon sign is lit only with red, blue, yellow, and green bulbs.
* ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: Only Matt and Danny go by actual superhero codenames.
** Jessica turned down the idea of the codename "Jewel".
** Luke has been casually called "Power Man" as a [[MythologyGag tongue and cheek reference to the comics]] but typically he simply goes by "Luke Cage". [[spoiler:Of course, "Luke Cage" in and of itself is an alias taken to disguise his true identity as Carl Lucas, so technically he ''is'' using a codename after all]].
** "The Defenders" is never actually brought up InUniverse, despite not only being the name of the series but also its final episode (much like in ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'', where in its own respective titular episode the codename ''was'' first brought up).
* CompositeCharacter: Bears the name of the Defenders, but the "street-level" themed team more closely resemble the ComicBook/HeroesForHire or the Marvel Knights.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: They're presented - first in their own individual shows and in this show - as gritty and urban crimefighters as opposed to the planet-level Avengers and the space-level Guardians.
* TheCowl: In contrast to the Avengers [[TheCape who get to show off their heroics in public, saving lives and getting wide recognition]]. The Defenders hunt down criminals and typically sneak about in an effort to keep a low profile. Even with Luke and Danny who lean towards TheCape with the hope they inspire, they still primarily operate by barging in on the villain's turf and bringing them down.
* DeadpanSnarker: An entire team of them. Jessica, being the most cynical of the group, puts extra emphasis on deadpan.
* DysfunctionJunction: Each of the four team members has a DarkAndTroubledPast:
** Matt was blinded in a car accident when he was nine years old. His boxer father was killed shortly thereafter for refusing to take a dive.
** Jessica lost her family, had to live with Trish's abusive mom, and has PTSD because she spent almost a year being mind-controlled by a sociopath.
** Luke is an ex-Marine who later became a sheriff's deputy, then got framed for murder by his own half-brother. While in prison, he got subjected to beatdowns, was forced to fight in an underground boxing ring, and got his powers in a special experimental operation meant to save his life. He then broke out and spent the next few years on the run.
** Danny is a billionaire heir whose parents were murdered by his dad's business partner. He has PTSD from surviving the same plane crash where he watched them die. The monks who raised him didn't help, as they beat him with sticks and taught him to suppress his childhood trauma instead of facing it.
** As Stick puts it:
--->'''Stick:''' You think the four of you can save New York? You can't even save yourselves.
* FightsLikeANormal: All of them, except perhaps Luke, predominantly rely on ordinary punches when fighting crime. Though Danny can enhance his with the Iron Fist when required.
* FireForgedFriends: By the end of ''The Defenders,'' they become this: Jessica and Luke are true friends, Matt admits that he's glad to have met them all, Matt and Jessica manage to earn respect for one another and see how they aren't so different, Danny and Luke get a budding {{bromance}}, and Danny is inspired by Matt to [[spoiler:carry on his mission to protect the people of Hell's Kitchen and New York after Matt's HeroicSacrifice.]]
* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: Danny is the Optimist, Jessica is the Cynic, Matt is the Realist, and Luke is the Apathetic.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble:
** Matt (Choleric) - Calm, focused, and the most mission-oriented. However, he prefers being a lone wolf and would rather not work as part of a team.
** Jessica (Melancholic) - [[GoodIsNotNice rude]], [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]], [[TheCynic cynical]], and definitely the most difficult team member to work with. She also got [[KnightInSourArmor drawn into the hero business unwillingly rather than by choice]].
** Luke (Phlegmatic) - kind and easy-going, but [[ReluctantHero initially preferred not getting involved in the hero business]].
** Danny (Sanguine) - the [[NiceGuy most compassionate and friendly]] of the Defenders, having a case of ChronicHeroSyndrome and actively looks out for the well-being of others.
* GeodesicCast: They form a team that contrasts with Film/{{the Avengers|2012}} and the Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy.
* GlassCannon:
** Jessica is strong, but she lacks the superhuman durability of Luke, the protective armor of Matt, or the defensive chi applications of Danny's powers, meaning she's still vulnerable to blades and gunfire and a car impact can badly weaken her until she recovers.
** Danny's not nearly as durable as Luke or Jessica, and doesn't have protective armor like Matt, but at full power, his punches can far exceed the former two's SuperStrength, as seen when [[spoiler:he punches the floor of the Rand boardroom hard enough to upheave everyone standing on it and blow out all the windows with the shockwave.]]
* HeartbrokenBadass:
** The trauma of Kilgrave is still hovering over Jessica, and her alcoholism has gotten worse. Her apartment is still damaged from the fight with Will Simpson.
** Matt is still mourning over Elektra's death, to the point that he's given up on being Daredevil completely. In the meantime, he's doing ''pro bono'' law work for disadvantaged people in Hell's Kitchen. He and Karen Page are back on speaking terms, but are not quite sure about resuming their romantic relationship. In the first episode, he is seen going to confessional and opening up to Father Lantom about how difficult Elektra's death has been on him:
--->'''Father Lantom:''' This other life you led. Is your heart still with it [Daredevil], or is your heart with the one who walked through it by your side?\\
'''Matt:''' Elektra?\\
'''Father Lantom:''' Yeah.\\
'''Matt:''' I do miss her. But how do I know that the things she brought out of me were wrong?\\
'''Father Lantom:''' From what you've told me about her, I think she'd be happy about how well you're doing. \\
'''Matt:''' Maybe. Or maybe she'd tell me I'm abandoning that life and with it, her memory.\\
'''Father Lantom:''' You're not abandoning Elektra, you don't have it in you. What you're doing, we call that 'moving on'. Purgatory is a place for the dead, Matthew, not the living. There's nothing wrong with letting people go. She'll find her peace. I pray you find yours as well.
* HeroesActVillainsHinder: A sharp contrast to their Avengers counterparts. These heroes don't wait around for the villain to make a move, and actively take steps in bringing an established successful villain down. They do so by picking off the villain's lowly minions, slowly working up the hierarchy, until being able to confront the BigBad themselves.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Not that Jessica is short (5'9), but the guys mostly tower over her (5'10 Matt, 6'0 Danny, 6'3 Luke). That being said, Jessica has SuperStrength powers that put her on-par with the others in terms of power.
* InNameOnly: They have nothing in common with the Defenders team in the comics which was far from "street level", originating with most members being powerhouses like The Hulk, Silver Surfer, and Dr Strange. If anything the MCU team more closely resemble the ComicBook/HeroesForHire, a for-profit superhero team founded by Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Basically, they are Heroes for Hire ''calling themselves'' "The Defenders".
* KnightInSourArmor: They've all been broken by the world around them, but they continue to fight for what they think is the right thing.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Several of these.
** Jessica and Luke are forced to fight when Luke gets [[BrainwashedAndCrazy put under the control]] of Kilgrave, the fight ends with Jessica knocking Luke out with a point blank shotgun blast to the head.
** Luke and Danny fight each other the first time they meet, with Luke mistaking Danny interrogating a Hand member as a mugging. Danny ends up using the Iron Fist technique on Luke, which actually works.
** When Danny tries to leave the complex, Matt tries to keep him there for safety. Danny doesn't cooperate and attacks, leading Matt and Danny to fight it out, with Matt mostly kicking Danny's ass. The other Defenders intervene, to which Danny eventually knocks everyone back with the Iron Fist. However Jessica ends the fight by knocking Danny out with a punch to the face.
* MythologyGag: Matt and Jessica's first meeting, with Matt showing up while Jessica is being interrogated is a scene lifted right out of the comics, complete with the line "Jessica Jones, stop talking."
* NewYorkIsOnlyManhattan: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. Every member of the Defenders is from the New York borough of Manhattan, which is where the events of ''The Defenders'' take place. Matt and Jessica were born and raised in Hell's Kitchen while Luke is a proud native of Harlem and Danny simply lives in Manhattan itself as opposed to a specific neighborhood.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: In a world of super beings, the Defenders are the "street level" heroes and far beneath the Avengers weight class, but they typically deal with villains and criminals with either less or no powers as well, hence are still able to be "super" in their own right.
* NotWearingTights: Unlike their comic counterparts, Daredevil is the only one who regularly wears a costume.
* OneManArmy: All of the Defenders are capable of serving as this, taking on whole squads of {{mook}}s on their own. The one time they couldn't fight the fight solo is when they are forced to form the team.
* OutsideContextProblem: As a group, to the Hand. While the organization had experience with fighting Daredevil in his own second season, and a long history of being opponents to the various Iron Fists, most of the opponents they had been fighting so far were the Chastes, who were regular humans with ninja training. The current Iron Fist being backed-up by a team of other superhumans is something entirely new for them, and clearly something they aren't prepared for.
* PragmaticAdaptation: The Defenders are usually a team of powerhouses and mystical heroes, while here they are composed of street level heroes.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits:
** As Stick brilliantly puts it in the trailer:
--->'''Stick:''' The [[RedBaron Devil of Hell's Kitchen]], the [[DeadpanSnarker smartass]] [[PrivateDetective detective]], the [[WrongfullyAccused righteous]] [[ClearMyName ex-con]], and [[TheBabyOfTheBunch the kid]] [[KiManipulation with a glowing fist]].
** Danny joins in too:
--->'''Danny:''' We make quite a team.\\
'''Jessica:''' No?\\
'''Danny:''' What are you talking about? [[ImmuneToBullets Bulletproof]] (Luke), [[HandicappedBadass blind]] [[FightsLikeANormal ninja]] (Matt), [[AndZoidberg whatever it is you are]] (Jessica).\\
'''Jessica:''' [[SarcasmMode Classy]].
* RedOniBlueOni: Jessica and Danny are the hot-headed and reckless Red to Luke and Matt's rational and controlled Blue.
* SimilarSquad: The team holds a roster of similar roles to The Avengers.
** Matt fills the role of Iron Man. Being the premiere hero and BreakoutCharacter, first introduced in their respective franchises. Both excel at their day jobs which allow them to be both heroes in their secret identities and their alter egos. Both are one of the possible leaders for their respective SuperTeam, while both were also given their superhero codenames by the media.
** Danny takes after Thor. Both are from a mystical culture that are [[ProudWarriorRace trained to fight]], with their powers derived from mystical means, and has [[FishOutOfWater trouble adapting to modern society]]. Both also have the most personal connection with the BigBad that caused the team to form for the first time.
** Luke is in the seat for Captain America. Both were experimented on to be {{Super Soldier}}s and have their physical attributes enhanced to superhuman levels. Both are idealistic heroes who want to see the goodness in people. Luke is even called "Harlem's Captain America" by Cottonmouth.
** Jessica is in the seat of Black Widow. Both are (initially) the sole female members of their teams, but can kick ass just as fine as the other members. Additionally, both have a DarkAndTroubledPast and have dealt with being BrainwashedAndCrazy.
** Stick is the stand-in for Nick Fury. The defacto mentors of the team who inform them of their purpose and guide them through their mission. Both have eye-sight problems, both are leaders of an organisation[[note]]SHIELD for Nick Fury, The Chaste for Stick[[/note]] that rivals the villains organisation[[note]]HYDRA for Avengers and The Hand for Defenders[[/note]], and both have resorted to morally questionable means.
** The only member of the core Avengers who's absent is a Bruce Banner/Hulk figure.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: [[WideEyedIdealist Danny]] -> Luke -> Matt -> [[TheCynic Jessica]].
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Jessica's and Luke's SuperStrength as well as the latter's NighInvulnerable skin are glossed over in some fights. Although one could make an argument that the Hand's members are somewhat superhuman themselves considering their resurrection and enhancements, the same people then also fight on par with BadassNormal's like Colleen or Matt. {{Justified|Trope}} in Luke's case: Stick says he could do a lot more damage if he didn't pull his punches, but Luke says he doesn't want to kill anybody. In fact, he very likely would've been able to subdue Elektra if Stick hadn't gassed him with that incense.
* SuperStrength:
** Luke and Jessica's main [[JustForPun strength]].
** Danny when he's using the Iron Fist.
* SuperheroSpeciation: Played with, as most of the Defenders powers amount to some form of hitting people.
** Jessica and Luke have superhuman strength as their main powers. Matt and Danny have vastly different powers (super-senses, the Iron Fist) but use martial arts as their main mode of attack.
** On the other hand, Jessica is not bulletproof like Luke (Audrey Eastman called her bluff), but can run more quickly and jump higher than he. Although Matt doesn't have Danny's mystic abilities, he makes up for it with his [[SuperSenses heightened senses]].
** In a way, the whole team forms a spectrum from BadassNormal to flat-out superpowered:
*** Matt Murdock is essentially just a BadassNormal. He has SuperSenses as well, but they don't augment Stick's training. He's also the only member to use weaponry (his billy clubs and escrima sticks).
*** Danny Rand uses Supernatural Martial Arts (see below). While the Iron Fist gives him some level of Super Strength[=/=]EnhancedPunch, he usually FightsLikeANormal.
*** Luke Cage is a MightyGlacier. He has Super Strength, is ImmuneToBullets, and has a HealingFactor and SuperToughness in case anything ''does'' get through his skin. He also [[EmpoweredBadassNormal was a Marine]] but doesn't use his skills much.
*** Jessica Jones is a FlyingBrick. She has Super Strength, Super Toughness (though not as much as Luke), a Healing Factor, and [[NotQuiteFlight "guided falling"]]. However, she [[UnskilledButStrong doesn't know any fighting techniques]].
---->'''Jessica:''' Jesus, am I the only one left who doesn't know karate?!
* SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: They deal with the smaller threats local to New York that get overlooked by the Avengers.
* SupportingProtagonist: Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. Despite the ''Defenders'' series being billed as a superhero team-up, and all four heroes getting equal screentime, it mostly revolves around Matt, Danny, and the mystical war between the descendants of K'un-Lun. Once the initial incidents draw them into the investigation, Luke and Jessica are mostly muscle, and their MythArc about [=IGH=] and Reva's experiments go unmentioned and unrelated to the Hand's plan.
* TheTeam: When faced with a threat that none of them can deal with on their own, they band together to fight in the "War for New York".
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Much like the Avengers, they don't all get along with each other immediately. Jessica was weirded out by Matt when he abruptly shows up in her life, while Luke and Danny get into a fight with each other. Jessica also keeps her cold snarky attitude towards the rest of the team.
* ThouShaltNotKill: As noted in their individual sections, all four of them have codes about killing their enemies, though to varying degrees; Matt openly touts it as his number-one rule and even goes out of his way to prevent allies from landing kills. Luke also actively refuses to kill and has to restrain himself during fights to avoid landing fatal blows on his opponents. Jessica killed Reva on Kilgrave's orders, and only killed Kilgrave after all other non-fatal attempts to stop him failed. Danny almost killed Harold Meachum but was spared the blood of murder by Ward showing up to finish him off. [[spoiler:After all the atrocities that the Hand commit while coming after them, and with their global power and influence, the Defenders ultimately conclude that they have no choice but to ''kill'' the Five Fingers of the Hand just to make the nightmare stop.]]
* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: Danny is The Hunter (righteous, but naive), Matt is The Lord (represents the law) and Luke is The Prophet (the everyman from the streets).
* TrueCompanions: As much as Luke and Jessica don't want to admit it, they do end up becoming this to Danny and Matt. Colleen says that she and the Defenders are starting to fill the hole that the death of Danny's parents left him with, which means that they're as important to Danny as Colleen is. Later, Matt admits that while he wished the circumstances of meeting them were different, he is ultimately glad that he managed to find people like him.
* TokenMinority: Luke is the sole non-white Defender. Matt could also be included, as he is the only one with a physical disability thanks to his blindness. Jessica is also the sole female member.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Luke and Jessica have some shade of this, as Jessica still shows some level of attraction to Luke, but he's currently hooked up with Claire.
* WeakButSkilled: Compared to Luke and Jessica, this is Matt and Danny. Danny has access to super-strength when he wields the Iron Fist, but that's inconsistent. Matt is this again compared to Danny, which he demonstrates by [[LetsYouAndHimFight handing Danny his ass]] before taking cover from the Fist.
* WhiteMaleLead: Matt is the most conventionally super-heroic of the four, while the Hand's scheme was started in ''Daredevil'' season 2 and ''Iron Fist'' season 1. [[spoiler: Matt even symbolically passes the torch to Danny at the end, despite his competence having been called into question through most of the series.]] Jessica and Luke have some cool moments, but have to be brought in to help via cases that are tangential to the plot.
* WorkingClassHero: All of them save for Danny come from these roots. Matt comes from a working-class background and mostly handles ''pro bono'' legal work for disadvantaged people in Hell's Kitchen who can't afford the higher-priced firms. Luke deals with street crime in Harlem. Jessica is a private investigator who has clients of all backgrounds, both rich and poor.
* WorkingTheSameCase: Each of the four are investigating the criminal activities of the Hand, and find themselves in Midland Circle at the same time.
** Jessica is tracking down John Raymond, after receiving a threatening call from someone using a voice scrambler to not take the case. When John kills himself rather than let Elektra kill him, she gets brought in by Misty, who caught her stealing evidence from the crime scene. Matt gets dragged in through this case as Foggy sends him to be Jessica's attorney, and he follows her to Midland Circle.
** Luke is working with Misty Knight to track down Cole, after Cole's brother becomes the most recent victim in a string of murders in Harlem of young men who are getting recruited into a mysterious well-paying job associated with the Hand and then get killed off very shortly thereafter. He and Danny end up encountering each other while coming upon a "clean-up" project sponsored by The Hand. After Luke and Danny get into a fight caused by Luke interrupting Danny's attempt to interrogate Cole, Claire and Colleen get them into the Chikara dojo and force them to realize they're on the same side.
** Danny and Colleen are already investigating the Hand, and have had a setback when, while following up on a lead in Cambodia, Elektra attacks them, wounds Danny, and kills the man they were seeking to get information out of.
* YouAllMeetInACell: Matt and Jessica meet when Matt, out of the blue, shows up to provide impromptu legal counsel while Misty is interrogating her.
* YouAllMeetInAnInn: PlayedWith. They don't all actually meet up in the Royal Dragon, but immediately after all four do meet in Midland Circle, they run into the Royal Dragon to lay low. Danny convinces the owner to let them stay by paying his rent for the next six months, and ordering "four of everything." Stick finds them shortly thereafter, and thus begins an InfoDump that sets up our heroes teaming up to defeat the Hand.
[[/folder]]

!!Members
[[index]]
* [[Characters/MCUDaredevil Matt Murdock / Daredevil]]
* [[Characters/MCUJessicaJones Jessica Jones]]
* [[Characters/MCULukeCage Luke Cage]]
* [[Characters/MCUIronFist Daniel Rand-K'ai / Iron Fist]]
[[/index]]
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