History Main / ActIOnGirl

-->-- "I'm Me", '''Vanessa Doofenshmirtz''' from ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''

The Action Girl is a female {{Badass}} who can go toe to toe with her male counterparts without breaking a sweat. DamselInDistress? Not for this babe. She doesn't sit around waiting to be rescued. She's headbutting her jailer and [[RedundantRescue breaking herself out.]] She proves, with her very being, that girls aren't only ''not'' helpless, they kick ass. But not just "any girl with a fight scene" can be considered an Action Girl. An Action Girl is accompanied by RuleOfCool, and routinely and reliably gets in on the combat. And what's more, she ''wins''.

* BadassDamsel: Looks and acts like a damsel but far from helpless.

** UndercoverModel: She's a police detective going undercover in a beautiful-woman-related job to investigate a crime.

* CombatStilettos: Impractical-looking high heels seem to rarely impede an Action Girl's fighting ability.

** GirlyBruiser: The Action Girl happens to be incredibly girly as well.

** {{Catfight}}: ...like the above, but done mainly for {{Fanservice}} and less serious and dramatic.

* GirlsNeedRoleModels

Because of {{Double Standard}}s, and their effects on RealLife society most works draw on, true Action Girls are less common than male Badasses. If you want to get more into the why of that, check out the GenderDynamicsIndex or our very own [[Analysis/ActionGirl Action Girl Analysis]] page. The short version however, is the concept that MenAreStrongWomenArePretty and females should StayInTheKitchen. For a very long time, females who did much but wait around for their hero to come rescue them were unusual and rare. Even now, women aren't automatically assumed to be able to fight and protect themselves the way men are. Society has progressed since then and Action Girls are popular and more common than ever, but girls still haven't completely caught up with boys when it comes to expectations in media, hence the continued existence of this trope.

Compare the Action Girl with her EvilCounterpart, the often far-more-aggressive DarkActionGirl, and the more mundane versions YouGoGirl and PluckyGirl. Not to be confused with AffirmativeActionGirl, who is just a girl added to the cast in an adaptation or new season to balance out the gender ratio, no matter what role she actually plays (though, often, the girl ''is'' an Action Girl herself). See RealWomenNeverWearDresses for when people think that ''every'' female character has to be an Action Girl to deserve something similar to basic respect.

** {{Catfight}} ...like the above, but done mainly for {{Fanservice}} and less serious and dramatic.

Because of {{Double Standard}}s, true Action Girls are less common than male Badasses. If you want to get more into the why of that, check out the GenderDynamicsIndex or our very own [[Analysis/ActionGirl Action Girl Analysis]] page. The short version however, is the concept that MenAreStrongWomenArePretty and females should StayInTheKitchen. For a very long time, females who did much but wait around for their hero to come rescue them were unusual and rare. Even now, women aren't automatically assumed to be able to fight and protect themselves the way men are. Society has progressed since then and Action Girls are popular and more common than ever, but girls still haven't completely caught up with boys when it comes to expectations in media, hence the continued existence of this trope.

* ChainmailBikini: [=Fanservice=] ahoy!

** [=Catfight=] ...like the above, but done mainly for [=Fanservice=] and less serious and dramatic.

* CuteBruiser: She might ''look'' small, sweet, and mostly harmless, but she [[MegatonPunch hits like a freight train]].
** GirlyBruiser: The Action Girl happens to be incredibly girly as well.

* ChainmailBikini: {{Fanservice}} ahoy!

* AngelsPose: A common ShoutOut or parody of ''CharliesAngels'': Silhouettes of Action Girls (usually three of them) in fighting stances.

** CatFight: ...like the above, but done mainly for FanService and less serious and dramatic.

* SmallGirlBigGun: Prefers a {{BFG}} or is some other variant of TheGunslinger.

* GirlsWithGuns: Prefers to use guns.

* SmallGirlBigGun: Prefers a {{BFG}}.

* DragonLady: She comes from Asia, and is often associated with the Triad or Yakuza.

* LadyLegionnaireWear: A segmented, armored skirt

* MiniDressOfPower

** ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: A girlfriend who kicks your ass if you harm her boyfriend

* DragonLady: TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo kicking [[FantasticRacism gweilo]] ass.

** [[JeanneDArchetype Jeanne d'Archetype]]: Action girls modelled on Jeanne Darc[[hottip:*:The "d'Arc" thing was a misunderstanding. This is why she is not from Arc. ]]({{Joan of Arc}}).

Sometimes an Action Girl can start off well, but [[CharacterDerailment derail]] into a FauxAction Girl over time, with no adequate justification for it. This is known as {{Chickification}}.

The ActionGirl is a female {{Badass}} who can go toe to toe with her male counterparts without breaking a sweat. DamselInDistress? Not for this babe. She doesn't sit around waiting to be rescued. She's headbutting her jailer and [[RedundantRescue breaking herself out.]] She proves, with her very being, that girls aren't only ''not'' helpless, they kick ass. But not just "any girl with a fight scene" can be considered an ActionGirl. An ActionGirl is accompanied by RuleOfCool, and routinely and reliably gets in on the combat. And what's more, she ''wins''.

Because of {{Double Standard}}s, true {{Action Girl}}s are less common than male Badasses. If you want to get more into the why of that, check out the GenderDynamicsIndex or our very own [[Analysis/ActionGirl Action Girl Analysis]] page. The short version however, is the concept that MenAreStrongWomenArePretty and females should StayInTheKitchen. For a very long time, females who did much but wait around for their hero to come rescue them were unusual and rare. Even now, women aren't automatically assumed to be able to fight and protect themselves the way men are. Society has progressed since then and {{Action Girl}}s are popular and more common than ever, but girls still haven't completely caught up with boys when it comes to expectations in media, hence the continued existence of this trope.

That being said, one must watch out for the dreaded FauxActionGirl. With the popularity of the ActionGirl increasing, creators are trying to slip them in for more appeal and political-correctness, without actually giving them a chance to show themselves off. The "Action" part of the character is left as an InformedAttribute, with characters constantly playing up how much of a badass she is, and yet when it comes to facing the music, she proves otherwise by being a DamselInDistress or suffering the effects of being on the wrong end of a CurbStompBattle, assuming she gets any action ''at all''. Basically she can talk the talk, but she can't walk the walk. Oh, and if she's on the right end of a CurbStompBattle, she's a DarkActionGirl.

Sometimes an ActionGirl can start off well, but [[CharacterDerailment derail]] into a FauxActionGirl over time, with no adequate justification for it. This is known as {{Chickification}}.

When the ActionGirl is mixed with the SmurfettePrinciple trope, she is called a "minority feisty."

Compare the ActionGirl with her EvilCounterpart, the often far-more-aggressive DarkActionGirl, and the more mundane versions YouGoGirl and PluckyGirl. Not to be confused with AffirmativeActionGirl, who is just a girl added to the cast in an adaptation or new season to balance out the gender ratio, no matter what role she actually plays (though, often, the girl ''is'' an ActionGirl herself). See RealWomenNeverWearDresses for when people think that ''every'' female character has to be an ActionGirl to deserve something similar to basic respect.

{{Subtrope}}s of ActionGirl:

* LittleMissBadass: Very young {{Action Girl}}s who are notable for skills and abilities other than, or in addition to, physical strength.

* LadyOfWar: Adult {{Action Girl}}s who are noble and graceful.

* MamaBear: Adult, and only becomes an ActionGirl when her children are threatened. However, sometimes MamaBear was already an ActionMom, in which case threatening her children is likely an effective form of suicide.

* AmazonBrigade: A group of {{Action Girl}}s who consistently work together with no male teammates.

* BattleCouple: An ActionGirl and her equally action-y boyfriend, husband, or [[LesYay girlfriend]].
* LovelyAngels: Two {{Action Girl}}s who work together as a consistent team.

!!! Closely related {{trope}}s, and {{trope}}s which often overlap with ActionGirl:

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Other women admire her strength, have her as a role-model, and [[LesYay have girl-crushes on her]].

* GirlsWithGuns: Subgenre focusing on {{Action Girl}}s who use firearms.

* IWasBeatenByAGirl: Losing a fight to an ActionGirl is often a blow to a male opponent's ego.
* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: If she wins fights by looking like the exact opposite of an ActionGirl, and then being [[CombatPragmatist cunning and cutthroat]].

!!Please list examples in the appropriate subtrope pages. Examples of {{Action Girl}}s who don't fit into any subpages may be listed here:

[[caption-width-right:300:The phrase "Fight like a girl" becomes a BadassCreed.

[[caption-width-right:300:The phrase "Fight like a girl" becomes a BadassCreed.[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:300:The phrase "Fight like a girl" becomes a BadassCreed.[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:300:The phrase "Fight like a girl" becomes a BadassCreed.[[note]]And then [[FauxActionGirl came the reboot...]][[/note]]]]

If you have time, please take time to put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.

[[caption-width-right:300:The phrase "Fight like a girl" becomes a BadassCreed.]]

->[[AmazonianBeauty I'm a big haymaker in a title fight]].\\
[[CuteBruiser I'm a cute black kitten with a nasty bite]].\\
I'm an action double-feature on a Friday night!\\
[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic I'm me!]]
-->-- "I'm Me", Vanessa Doofenshmirtz from ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''

* NaginatasAreFeminine