History DamselInDistress / AnimeAndManga

** In the Arrancar and Hueco Mundo arcs, [[GenkiGirl Orihime Inoue]]. She went with [[spoiler:Sosuke Aizen]] ([[IHaveYourWife kinda]]) ''willingly'' to protect her friends [[spoiler: right after they got their asses kicked by the Arrancar ([[SadisticChoice had she not gone, they would've been killed and Karakura would've been destroyed right on the spot]])]]... The story arc is NOT shy about showing the tremendous emotional and physical strain it brings on her [[spoiler: to the extreme of causing her a HeroicBSOD that almost made her cross the DespairEventHorizon]]; sure, [[spoiler: Ichigo and Ishida manage to reach for her]], but things go wrong immediately afterwards, and before ''that'' [[BreakTheCutie she was throughly abused]] by Loly, Menoly, Nnoitora, and Ulquiorra, among others. [[spoiler: It takes Orihime almost a ''year'' to fully get over the horrible effects of her imprisonment.]]

* [[GenderFlip Gender-flipped]] in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' where Eren gets kidnapped three times in three different story arcs, thus earning him the name "[[FanNickname Princess Eren]]".
** Also subverted [[spoiler:Although she is also kidnapped, Historia (who is technically a princess) is the one to escape and also free Eren from captivity.]]

* ''Manga/FantasyBishoujoJunikuOjisanTo'': {{Gender Ben|der}}t protagonist Tachibana is weak, easily overpowered and often in danger since he basically has no skill aside from being cute and attractive. Even after leveling up, since most of his growth goes to his luck stat, Jinguuji ends up having to rescue him almost every arc. It's later revealed this is more or less by design, since instead of receiving an overpowered weapon like other heroes seem to have, he has Jinguuji as his weapon.

* Deconstructed in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena''. Many shows have DID girls who go through Hell and back, but remain sweet and nice and without many psychological marks because many writers won't know what to do. ''Utena'' points out that in RL, people of both genders stuck in these roles will ''stop'' being "pure" and "sweet" and start acting more passive-aggressive and manipulative, if they're forced into situations where they can't seize direct power. This is ''very'' obvious in the cases of Shiori Takatsuki (looks sweet and gentle and demure, but is very malicious and has horrible self-esteem since her "best friend" Juri is a beautiful and strong LadyOfWar), Kozue Kaoru (repeatedly gets herself in trouble and flirts/sleeps with other guys to catch the attention of her twin older brother and "prince", Miki), and ''specially'' [[spoiler: Anthy Himemiya (once performed a huge sacrifice, paid the price by both suffering immense physical pain and becoming a passive figure as the Rose Bride, ultimately became a mix of BrokenBird and [[TheDragon puppet]] to her ManipulativeBastard brother Akio a.k.a. Dios aka End of the World) and Utena Tenjou (she's ''not'' one since the beginning, but her insecurities and naiveté more than once play quite a part into shoving her close to the "role")]] This is not to say that BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil, or that it's stupid to be remain nice after a tragedy. It's just pointing out a general trend: if weakness is imposed on people, it ''will'' bring consequences.

* In ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'', Clarisse is pursued by the Count and one of [[TheHero Lupin]]'s priorities in this story is protecting/rescuing her.

** In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo Part Five]], Trish Una ends up in this situation twice, once when Diavolo revealed that he had been tricking Bucellati's team into bringing her to Venice so he could kill her, and then again during the [[spoiler:Chariot Requiem arc when Chariot Requiem ends up putting Diavolo's soul into the same body as hers (Mista's, for the record), and he uses his King Crimson to immobilize her Spice Girl and take over said shared body.]]

** Captain [[TheSquadette Tashigi]] of the Marines is unfortunately this for most of her appearances. Though in her introduction she was a subversion as [[BloodKnight Zoro]] witnessed her getting attacked by a couple of mooks and was gonna jump to her rescue but then was amazed when she cut both of them down in seconds. Tashigi also resembles Zoro's dead childhood friend [[PosthumousCharacter Kuina]] and has to be saved by him despite their warring factions. Even in a FreakyFriday situation when Tashigi is swapped in the body of her superior Smoker (who can turn into smoke) Tashigi is immediately overpowered by Luffy who expresses surprise at the fact Smoker has seemly grown weaker. Though after Sanji saves her from [[DoubleAgent Vergo]] and Zoro rescues her '''again''' from Monet the snow harpy, Tashigi manages to bring Monet down in DesignatedGirlFight fashion making her less of a damsel (though Zoro had to help her).

*** While she's not kidnapped per se, Nami does need to be saved in the Arlong Park and Skypiea arcs. In the former she was forced by [[ArcVillain Arlong]] as a child to [[MadeASlave join his crew]], and after years of abuse and ultimately being lied to the entire time, she [[BrokenTears begs Luffy to help her]], which he does. In the latter example, Nami [[AloneWithThePsycho pretends to join]] [[AGodAmI Enel]] out of pure terror after seeing him [[InvincibleVillain effortlessly blast her crewmates]], planning to escape as soon as she can. [[SubvertedTrope Though]] when she sees Luffy show up to help her and save the island, she's able to [[DamselOutOfDistress find the courage she needs]] to stand up to him, and at the end of the arc she gives her captain the assist he needed to land the final blow on Enel.
*** Also happens to her in the second and tenth movies, although both are non-canon

*** While she's not kidnapped per se, Nami does need to be saved in the Arlong Park and Skypiea arcs. In the former she was forced by [[ArcVillain Arlong]] as a child to [[MadeASlave join his crew]], and after years of abuse and ultimately being lied to the entire time, she [[BrokenTears begs Luffy to help her]], which he does. In the latter example, Nami [[AloneWithThePsycho pretends to join]] [[AGodAmI Enel]] out of pure terror after seeing him effortlessly blast her crewmates, planning to escape as soon as she can. [[SubvertedTrope Though]] when she sees Luffy show up to help her and save the island, she's able to [[DamselOutOfDistress find the courage she needs]] to stand up to him, and at the end of the arc she gives her captain the assist he needed to land the final blow on Enel.

** While she's not kidnapped per se, Nami does need to be saved in the Arlong Park and Skypiea arcs. In the former she was forced by [[ArcVillain Arlong]] as a child to [[MadeASlave join his crew]], and after years of abuse and ultimately being lied to the entire time, she [[BrokenTears begs Luffy to help her]], which he does. In the latter example, Nami [[AloneWithThePsycho pretends to join]] [[AGodAmI Enel]] out of pure terror after seeing him effortlessly blast her crewmates, planning to escape as soon as she can. [[SubvertedTrope Though]] when she sees Luffy show up to help her and save the island, she's able to [[DamselOutOfDistress find the courage she needs]] to stand up to him, and at the end of the arc she gives her captain the assist he needed to land the final blow on Enel.
** Also happens to her in the second and tenth movies, although both are non-canon

** While she's not kidnapped per se, Nami does need to be saved in the Arlong Park and Skypiea arcs. In the former she was forced by [[ArcVillain Arlong]] as a child to [[MadeASlave join his crew]], and after years of abuse and being lied to, she [[Broken Tears begs Luffy to help her]], which he does. In the latter example, Nami [[AloneWithThePsycho pretends to join]] [[AGodAmI Enel]] out of pure terror after seeing him effortlessly blast her crewmates, planning to escape as soon as she can. [[SubvertedTrope Though]] when she sees Luffy show up to help her and save the island, she's able to [[DamselOutOfDistress find the courage she needs]] to stand up to him, and at the end of the arc she gives her captain the assist he needed to land the final blow on Enel.

** Nami the resident [[MoneyFetish money-lover]] and navigator of the "Strawhats Pirates" has been kidnapped and rescued more times than anyone on board the crew (even more than Usopp and Chopper) she is abducted usually because of her good looks and her superior navigation skills. Nami is normally rescued by the three strongest males on the crew Luffy, Zoro and Sanji (frequently) and only learned how to defend herself in the Alabasta arc where she given a weapon by Usopp a storm summoning [[WeatherControlMachine lighting rod]] called "Clima tact" turning her into a [[{{Xenafication}} fighter,]] but she continues to be kidnapped anyway, turning her into a FauxActionGirl at best.

** Most Princesses in One Piece are kidnapped or are frequently in danger. Vivi acknowledges that she isn't strong but still tries her best to save her county, [[spoiler:Rebecca due to a promise she made to her mother and her father [[OverprotectiveDad Kyros]] making sure she doesn't bloody her hands ''ever'' teaches her DeadlyDodging but this doesn't hold up when [[BigBad Domflamingo]] comes in to ruin Rebecca's day.]] And [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Mermaid Shirahoshi]] gets captured throughout the Fishman island arc but in end gets a ability to [[TheBeastMaster control sea kings]] and is apparently one of the [[LostSuperweapon ancient weapons]] so she's not quite helpless but still acts like it for the majority of the time. [[spoiler: Even Reiju, Sanji's older sister seemed like the only princess who was gonna [[DamselOutOfDistress avert]] this trope gets shot by Pudding half way though the arc and then held at gunpoint during the climax, Reiju does get a kick-moment before getting overpowered by Big Mom and needed to be saved by Luffy and Sanji]].

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* ''Manga/FantasyBishoujoJunikuOjisanTo'': {{Gender Ben||der}}t protagonist Tachibana is weak, easily overpowered and often in danger since he basically has no skill aside from being cute and attractive. Even after leveling up, since most of his growth goes to his luck stat, Jinguuji ends up having to rescue him almost every arc. It's later revealed this is more or less by design, since instead of receiving an overpowered weapon like other heroes seem to have, he has Jinguuji as his weapon.

* Done twice in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', once to [[AnIcePerson Mizore]] through an ArrangedMarriage, once to [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Moka]] for being a LivingMacGuffin. In [[SplitPersonality Moka's]] case, it's actually both this and BadassInDistress, depending on which of her personalities we're talking about.

** Nami the resident GoldDigger and navigator of the "Strawhats Pirates" has been kidnapped and rescued more times than anyone on board the crew (even more than Usopp and Chopper) she is abducted usually because of her good looks and her superior navigation skills. Nami is normally rescued by the three strongest males on the crew Luffy, Zoro and Sanji (frequently) and only learned how to defend herself in the Alabasta arc where she given a weapon by Usopp a storm summoning [[WeatherControlMachine lighting rod]] called "Clima tact" turning her into a [[{{Xenafication}} fighter,]] but she continues to be kidnapped anyway, turning her into a FauxActionGirl at best.

* ''Anime/DeltoraQuest''

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'',

* *On the opposite end of the spectrum, [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Part Three]]'s plot is driven entirely by the fact that Holly is slowly being killed by her own Stand, so the main cast need to travel to Egypt and kill DIO to end the curse before fifty days are up.

* Nao from the ''Manga/LiarGame'' starts off as this, extremely naive and crying whenever someone who she put her trust in (even if she shouldn't) deceived her and always relying constantly on Akiyama to help her. But she [[TookALevelInBadass matured]] and now, she's quite a force to be reckoned with, using her honest character to trick others, even deceiving [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastards]] Yokoya and Akiyama on separate occasions without either of them realizing it until afterwards.

* Happens several times in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' First is Konoka during the Kyoto arc, but that's a JustifiedTrope since she had not waken up her own powers and she didn't have any similar to self-defense training. Then a demon captures Asuna. Lastly, [[spoiler:Asuna and Anya are held captive by Fate. Unfortunately, the rest of the team is unaware of this, as Asuna is replaced by a doppelganger, and Anya is MIA to begin with.]]

* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'':

* Subverted in ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'', as a part of the TwistEnding of the first half of the story. [[spoiler:The Magic Knights ''thought'' [[BarrierMaiden Princess Emeraude]] was the Damsel in Distress who summoned them to Cephiro to rescue her, but she actually entered the dungeon she's seemingly "imprisoned" in of her own free will due to her conflicted emotions. She's actually in love with her supposed kidnapper Zagato, but as the [[BarrierMaiden Pillar of Cephiro]], having feelings for ''anyone'' outside of her duty is enough to plunge Cephiro into chaos. Since the Pillar [[ICannotSelfTerminate can't harm themselves]] and no one in Cephiro can harm them either, the only option she feels she has left is to summon the Magic Knights from another world [[SuicideByCop so they can kill her]]. In the end, her emotions drive her berserk and the Knights have no choice but to fulfil her request.]]

** Also subverted [spoiler]Although she is also kidnapped at first, Historia (who is technically a princess) is the one to escape and also free Eren from captivity.[/spoiler]

** In the Arrancar and Hueco Mundo arcs, [[GenkiGirl Orihime Inoue]]. She went with [[spoiler:Sosuke Aizen]] ([[IHaveYourWife kinda]]) ''willingly'' to protect her friends [[spoiler: right after they got their asses kicked by the Arrancar ([[SadisticChoice had she not gone, they would've been killed and Karakura would've been destroyed right on the spot]])]]... The story arc is NOT shy about showing the tremendous emotional and physical strain it brings on her [[spoiler: to the extreme of causing her a HeroicBSOD that almost made her cross the DespairEventHorizon]]; sure, [[spoiler: Ichigo and Ishida manage to reach for her]], but things go wrong immediately afterwards, and before ''that'' [[BreakTheCutie she was throughly abused]] by Loly, Menoly, Nnoitora and Ulquiorra, among others. [[spoiler: It takes Orihime almost a ''year'' to fully get over the horrible effects of her imprisonment.]]

* Examples found in ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'':
** Lana, from the floating Totola village, who had been abducted by the Urubus in order to be sacrificed to Pachamama.
** Myeena, Papacamayo's adoptive daughter, who is abducted by the Olmecs.
** Zia spends a good part of the plot as this. Heck, the entire reason she joins the plot is her being kidnapped. First brought to Spain, then kidnapped back from Spain to South America.

* Subverted in Battle Spirits Sword Eyes with Grenada. The show starts out with the premise that Tsurugi has to rescue her [[spoiler: but as it turns out, she was on the side of the villains willingly. This is later twisted again when it's revealed that she was a ReverseMole working with the Red Army.]]

* Nominally, Princess Syalis of ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'' is this. ''Nominally'', because a) Syalis, a {{Workaholic}} from all the administrative work she does as a princess, views this as an opportunity to catch up on her sleep, b) the demons ''fear her'' because of the lengths she'll go to to get said sleep, and c) it's made clear she could totally escape if she wants to, but she doesn't, again, because she'd rather be sleeping.

* Nominally, Princess Syalis of ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'' is this. ''Nominally'', because a) Syalis, a {{Workaholic}} from all the administrative work she does as a princess, views this as an opportunity to catch up on her sleep, b) the demons ''fear her'' because of the lengths she'll go to to get said sleep, and c) it's made clear she could totally escape if she wants to, but she doesn't.

* Nominally, Princess Syalis of ''Manga/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'' is this. ''Nominally'', because a) Syalis, a {{Workaholic}} from all the administrative work she does as a princess, views this as an opportunity to catch up on her sleep, and b) the demons ''fear her'' because of the lengths she'll go to to get said sleep.

* Nominally, Princess Syalis of ''Anime/SleepyPrincessInTheDemonCastle'' is this. ''Nominally'', because a) Syalis, a {{Workaholic}} from all the administrative work she does as a princess, views this as an opportunity to catch up on her sleep, and b) the demons ''fear her'' because of the lengths she'll go to to get said sleep.