History Main / ActionDuo

%% {{Zero context examples}} and badly written ones have been commented out.

%%* ''RipAndTeri''. Hero and Survivor, respectively.

%%* Neville Flynn and Sean Jones in ''SnakesOnAPlane''. Sean does shape up, though, when the snakes threaten the remaining passengers while Neville is off fixing the plane.

%%* Edward and Bella during the action sequences in the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' movie.
%%* Jimmy 'The Tulip' Tudeski and Nicholas 'Oz' Ozeransky, ''TheWholeNineYards''

%%* Optimus Prime (or Bumblebee) and Sam in the ''[[Film/{{Transformers}} Transformers]]'' films.

%%* Pedro and Nico from {{Rio}}.
%%* Hansel and Gretel from {{Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters}}

%%

* Tallahassee and Columbus in ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'' provided this trope's page image for a reason: "Columbus" spends almost the entire movie in InternalMonologue about how one has to be cautious and plan carefully in various ways to avoid dying in an AfterTheEnd zombie-filled world, demonstrating that he's a classic ActionSurvivor. "Tallahasee", in contrast, delights in playing the ActionHero role in a world filled with AcceptableTargets for his aggression, and is the more proactive zombie-killer of the two. Tallahassee's direct approach and Columbus' smarts and caution lead them to being a good post-apocalyptic team.

[[AC:Advertising]]

%%[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
%%* [[BadassPacifist Rock]] and [[DarkActionGirl Revy]] from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''.

[[AC: ComicBooks]]

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

[[AC: LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:Professional Wrestling]]

%%[[AC: VideoGames]]

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1322397371010567200
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

%% {{Zero context examples}} and badly written ones have been commented out. Every single example on this page needs to make three things clear: One character is a physical fighter, once character is an survivor of the action and they have some sort of relationship.

[[quoteright:250:[[Film/{{Zombieland}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zombieland-actionduo_4984.jpg]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Pictured from left to right: "[[ActionSurvivor Columbus]]" and "[[ActionHero Tallahassee]]".]]

%%[[AC: {{Film}}]]

%%* Tallahassee and Columbus in ''Film/{{Zombieland}}''

Believe it or not, the {{Badass}} and ActionSurvivor aren't so different that they can't share the spotlight in the same story together.

When both are paired they create an Action Duo similar to SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan and RedOniBlueOni; only these two will be practically opposites in just about every possible trait, most notably combat skill. The {{Badass}} is of course MadeOfIron, skilled at brawling and shooting, and brave enough to wade through any firefight. However, he will often be saddled by the plot with baby-sitting the ActionSurvivor, who can [[NonActionGuy (at best)]] [[FragileSpeedster run and dodge extremely well]], through endless firefights that may be targeted at ''him''.

If the NonActionGuy at least manages to compensate by being TheSmartGuy, you have BrainsAndBrawn. On the other hand, if the {{Badass}} [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining sacrificed a basic skill for their awesome training]], the Action Survivor will help [[UpbringingMakesTheHero round them out]]. Expect these disparities and constant action to make them VitriolicBestBuds. However, if they're compatible enough with each other in that they each manage to kick equal amounts of ass, they're probably BashBrothers.

The plot usually requires the {{Badass}} either protect the ActionSurvivor as they try to escape a ClosedCircle, or with an EscortMission with the Survivor as a LivingMacGuffin. Occasionally, the Survivor takes up the role of SideKick and "sells" [[TheSmartGuy his skills]] as useful to the {{Badass}} on his mission. They usually form a working partnership, even becoming friends.

%%* In ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'', John [=McClane=] is the {{Badass}} and Matthew Farrell is the ActionSurvivor.

%%* Funnily enough, BadAss [[AntiHero Derek]] and ActionSurvivor [[TheReliableOne Stiles]] from ''Series/TeenWolf'' pretty much embody this trope in every other scene they have together.

* Vesper and Corrick in ''Webcomic/{{Plume}}''. Vesper is a young girl who's never been to the "wide world", yet while somewhat lost, still pulls her weight and manages to engage the bad guys, while Corrick is an immortal {{badass}} guardian spirit of hers with very little that could surprise him anymore.

* Vesper and Corrick in ''Webcomic/{{Plume}}''. Vesper is a young girl who's never been to the "wide world" and who often finds herself completely lost in the situation, while Corrick is an immortal {{badass}} guardian spirit of hers with very little that could surprise him anymore.

* Vesper and Corrick in ''Webcomic/{{Godslave}}''. Vesper is a young girl who's never been to the "wide world" and who often finds herself completely lost in the situation, while Corrick is an immortal {{badass}} guardian spirit of hers with very little that could surprise him anymore.

%%[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

* Yorick Brown and his bodyguard Agent 355 in ''YTheLastMan''. She kicks ass; he opens handcuffs and locked doors and quotes pop culture.
%%* Jeb and Tommy from DCComics' ''StarRaiders'' graphic novel, as appropriate for a band of SpacePirates.

* Cindy Lauper played the action survivor role with Wrestling/CaptainLouAlbano, who later became a wrestler himself, and more famously with Wendi Richter. She occasionally tied to help in matches but her main role was to sing their entrance music and act as a cheerleader.

* "The Ugandan Giant" Wrestling/{{Kamala}} had this dynamic with Wrestling/FreddyBlassie, Friday and Kim Chee. Blassie was a former wrestler who could reasonably handle himself but the other two totally relied on Kamala for protection.

* "The Ugandan Giant" Wrestling/{{Kamala}} had this dynamic with Wrestling/ClassieFreddyBlassie, Friday and Kim Chee. Blassie was a former wrestler who could reasonably handle himself but the other two totally relied on Kamala for protection.

* The King Wrestling/JerryLawler has wrestled well into his 60s but since the turn of the millennium his most high profile role has been a commentator in WWF television where he wasn't on the active roster but proved very protective of his non wrestler partners such as Wrestling/JimRoss and Wrestling/JoeyStyles should they be attacked. Physically attacked anyway, he had no problem with them being insulted. Wrestling/AlSnow and Johnathan Coachman were the EvilCounterparts to Jerry and JR specifically, Snow being more an AntiVillain who had to do Coach's fighting but nonetheless [[GreenEyedMonster coveted JR and King's jobs]].

%%[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
%%* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' and Ron Stoppable.

[[AC:Professional Wrestling]]
* "The Ugandan Giant" Wrestling/{{Kamala}} had this dynamic with Wrestling/ClassyFreddyBlassie, Friday and Kim Chee. Blassie was a former wrestler who could reasonably handle himself but the other two totally relied on Kamala for protection.
* Wrestling/PaulBearer wasn't much of a wrestler later in his career, so he switched to managing others, most famously his sons Wrestling/TheUndertaker and Wrestling/{{Kane}}, in which case he rounded them out [[TheQuietOne by being willing to speak]].
* Wrestling/JimmyHart, who had spent years evading pro wrestlers who wanted to beat the piss out of him and Wrestling/HulkHogan, who had spent years leg dropping pro wrestlers who wanted to beat the piss out of him, in Wrestling/{{WCW}}.
* Ricardo Rodriguez was a professional wrestler but in Wrestling/{{WWE}} his wrestling role was downplayed in favor of being a VeryPunchableMan who followed around Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio. Then this was attempted again with Wrestling/RobVanDam. After Del Rio snapped and kicked Rodriguez's ass.

%%
%%
%%
%%

%%

* From the first, there is a lot of tension and distrust between ''{{Firefly}}'''s Mal and Simon. Despite the distrust, when Simon is about to let himself be killed for his sister in "Safe" Mal comes in leading the team in a rescue party, demanding they let the two go. When Mal is in danger in "War Stories" Simon's aim is too poor to be of any help but he still manages to survive.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' and Ron Stoppable, of course.

[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* [[BadassPacifist Rock]] and [[DarkActionGirl Revy]] from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''.
* Manga/{{Toriko}} and Komatsu.

* Jeb and Tommy from DCComics' ''StarRaiders'' graphic novel, as appropriate for a band of SpacePirates.

[[AC: {{Film}}]]
* Jack Traven and Annie Porter in ''Film/{{Speed}}''.
* In ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'', John [=McClane=] is the {{Badass}} and Matthew Farrell is the ActionSurvivor.
* Tallahassee and Columbus in ''Film/{{Zombieland}}''
* Beck and Travis Walker from ''Film/TheRundown''
* Neville Flynn and Sean Jones in ''SnakesOnAPlane''. Sean does shape up, though, when the snakes threaten the remaining passengers while Neville is off fixing the plane.
* Col. Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson have some elements of this in the original ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' movie. O'Neill spent most of the film just wanting to blow everything to hell, while Jackson was basically wondering ''what'' the hell was going on. They avert this in the [[Series/StargateSG1 series]], however, when Daniel [[TookALevelInBadass took a level]].
* Edward and Bella during the action sequences in the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' movie.
* Jimmy 'The Tulip' Tudeski and Nicholas 'Oz' Ozeransky, ''TheWholeNineYards''
* John Mason and Stanley Goodspeed in ''Film/TheRock''
* Roy Miller and June Havens, ''Film/KnightAndDay''
* Optimus Prime (or Bumblebee) and Sam in the ''[[Film/{{Transformers}} Transformers]]'' films.
* In ''Real Men'' CIA agent James Belushi shanghais insurance agent John Ritter as a stand-in for an identical agent who was assassinated en route to communicate with aliens. They switch roles to some extent by the end of the film.
* Pedro and Nico from {{Rio}}.
* Hansel and Gretel from {{Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters}}

* ''Literature/ClearAndPresentDanger'' has Literature/JackRyan as the ActionSurvivor. Towards the end he teams up with a soldier who's more of an ActionHero.

* These are par for the course in Maillardet's Academy in ''Literature/ThePosterChildren''. The main duos of the first book are Zip and Mal, one a speedster, the other an excellent fighter, and June and Ernest, one preferring strategy (though she can [[PlayingWithFire provide firepower]]), one with SuperStrength.

* Weirdly, the Doctor from ''Series/DoctorWho'' sometimes plays ActionSurvivor to more military-style companions such as TheBrigadier or Captain Jack Harkness. Other times, however, the Doctor and his companion will subvert the trope by being a GuileHero and Guile Survivor, respectively.
* Dillon and Ziggy from ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. Dillon is a gritty MadeOfIron amnesiac much like {{Wolverine}}; Ziggy...hides behind a chair and makes shadow puppets. Not that the latter [[ChekhovsSkill ends up being less important]] than the ability to bust heads...
* Funnily enough, BadAss [[AntiHero Derek]] and ActionSurvivor [[TheReliableOne Stiles]] from ''Series/TeenWolf'' pretty much embody this trope in every other scene they have together.
* in ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' whenever [[TheBigGuy Elliot]] and [[PlayfulHacker Hardison]] are paired together on a mission, it tends to become this

[[AC: VideoGames]]
* Agents Archer and Kestrel in ''SplinterCell: Conviction''.
* Snake and Meryl in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''. Or Snake and Otacon in the final level [[spoiler: if you let Meryl die]].
* Booker and Elizabeth from ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite''.

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/CityUnderTheHill'': Seamus prefers to fight with his fists or beloved crowbar to the point where deadeye shot, Slim, is shocked to discover he can barely aim a gun.
* ''RipAndTeri''. Hero and Survivor, respectively.
* Riff (ActionHero) and Torg (ActionSurvivor) in ''WebComic/SluggyFreelance'', until Torg TookALevelInBadass in the "That Which Redeems" arc.
* [[{{Samurai}} Hatsu]], [[LittleMissBadass Anak]] and [[ActionSurvivor Ship]] [[TheSmartGuy Leesoo]] from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' form a three person version of this.

[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' and Ron Stoppable, of course.
* [[WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}} Ben Tennyson]] with [[GeneratorRex Rex Salazar]] in [[Ben10GeneratorRexHeroesUnited Heroes United]] and with Rook Blonko in Ben10Omniverse.

* John [=McClane=] and Matthew Farrell in ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard''