History Main / BadAssPacifist

* During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, many members of the Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as the Quakers, attempted to reconcile their church's strict pacifism with their desire to see the fall of fascism. To this end, they often volunteered to serve as medics, going unarmed onto battlefields to save lives, rather than end them. Dangerous enough in a normal conflict, but in the Pacific Theatre and South-East Asian Theatres, where the Japanese had a habit of [[KickTheDog targeting non-combat personnel such as medics]], this was borderline suicidal. But they did it anyway. Because they were Badass.

* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' can be played this way, and the game's storytelling heavily reflects this. [[spoiler:It's even necessary to do this in order to achieve the GoldenEnding.]] They face down dozens of monsters more than capable of wrecking their soul and yet refuse to fight, even though they have the potential to wipe out all life in the Underground.

** King developed his practice of nonviolence as a strategy throughout his adult life. Although he traveled with bodyguards after many threats to his life, he eventually required that they be unarmed. He did not, however, extend this to the bodyguards hired to protect his family - he deliberately risked only himself.

* The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh lead civil resistance within Vietnam against the Vietnam War and against both the North Vietnam and military South Vietnam governments; organizing the rebuilding of schools and medical facilities destroyed in the fighting. He was exiled to the United States, where he encouraged Martin Luther King Jr. and other Americans opposed to the war, and then to France. Following the end of the war in 1975; he went to Singapore to help refugees from Vietnam by hiring a boat, sneaking them to shore, and dropping them off inside the French embassy. When the Singapore government found out, [[PersonaNonGrata he was banned from the country for the next 35 years]]. Hạnh continued to promote pacifism and "engaged Buddhism" for the remainder of his life and was allowed to return to Vietnam shortly before his death.

* Nonviolent social movements such as the Indian Independence movement, certain portions of the American UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, and Otpor! in UsefulNotes/{{Serbia}} were essentially ''[[BadassArmy armies]]'' of Badass Pacifists.
** The ongoing Belarusian Democracy Movement is this as well.

* Military [[TheMedic medics]], Under international law, medics are not allowed to engage in combat or be deliberately attacked. They earn a disproportionate number of praise and formal commendations for bravery in combat, the US military medal for this being the 'Medal of Honour'. Note that medics ''are'' allowed to act in self-defence or in the defense of their patient(s). The penalty for a medic who engages in offensive action is that the medic's protected status is considered void. Likewise, medical vehicles and personnel have to be clearly identifiable and must conform to many other rules. Against nations or organizations that do not obey the laws of land warfare, this punishment is rather lacking in teeth. In the US wars in UsefulNotes/{{Afghanistan}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}, medics did not expect insurgents to refrain from targeting them and line medics rarely refrained from assaulting with their infantrymen.

** The Dalai Lama - while the current incarnation is a wonderful example (particularly in his ability to [[HonestAdvisor Speak Truth To Power]]), many of the prior incarnations have been pretty stellar, too.

* To a lesser extent, Donatello from the ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage'' comics was described as a pacifist but is clearly still badass.

* For a man who constantly professes his dislike of violence, ComicBook/BatLash is remarkably good at it. In his defence, he always attempts to talk his way out of danger. But, if you push him, you will regret it.

* Doctor Leslie Thompkins is a close friend of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]], and she is never afraid to stand up to him and give a verbal beatdown about the life of violence he has chosen. She chooses to work in the worst, most crime-ridden areas of Gotham despite offers of more prestigious and high-paying positions because she believes that is where she is most needed. Doctor Thompkins is fully aware of what a cruel world it is out there, and that only makes her feel it is all the more important to not PayEvilUntoEvil.

* ''Franchise/TheSimpsons'': Lisa Simpson (before her {{Flanderization}}, that is) used words, speeches, {{blackmail}}, and trickery to deal with her problems. Later, however, she became a lot more willing to resort to violence.

Please note that '''this trope is not "[[BewareTheNiceOnes Nice person]] [[MartialPacifist who will kick your ass]] [[ReluctantWarrior if you make them angry]]."''' This trope describes an ActualPacifist who can completely defeat an enemy without any violence on their part ''whatsoever;'' perhaps they can take a beating from a MemeticBadass without backing down, giving in, or giving in to the temptation of betraying their ethics, or alternatively they can talk aforesaid MemeticBadass into putting down his weapon. Alternatively, they may be a variant on a [[DeadlyDodging gymnast]] — without landing a single blow they can escape a whole bunch of enemies, generally giving the impression that they could kick ass ''if they wanted.''

* [[RebelliousPrincess Relena Darlian-Peacecraft]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing''. [[GoThroughMe Jumps in front of a gun]] to save a guy who had a gun pointed at ''her'' just a minute ago and tells her would-be saviour off for his crude methods. Later flies an airplane in between two [[HumongousMecha gigantic machines of mass destruction]] in mid-combat to save the same guy's ass once again and tell his attacker that his cruelty and underhanded tactics are a disgrace to the name, country, and ideals he claims to stand for (namely, hers). Would rather have her country surrender than let her pacifist ideals be the cause of bloodshed, and makes such a large impression while doing exactly that that the people attacking her country promptly "invite" her to become their figurehead, so they can convince the masses that they were on the side of the good guys all along. [[spoiler:She accepts and [[ReassignmentBackfire makes them regret it.]]]] Physically insignificant, but her sheer strength of will and unwavering idealism earns her the admiration of everyone from the guy who started out wanting to kill her to the resident MagnificentBastard, as well as a promising career as a politician. [[spoiler:Lady Une, the woman who assassinated her father]]. To drive the point further, by the end of the series [[spoiler:Lady Une ''gives'' Relena a gun and asks her to take revenge properly, but she ''refuses'' to do so and says it's useless.]]

* Queen Otohime in ''Manga/OnePiece'' is a much-beloved monarch, who despite her poor health, can convince criminals to turn their life around. Her crowning moment of achievement is when she managed to gain the Celestial Dragons' support for the motion for Fishmen to live in the surface. Let that sink in a moment. She managed to convince the most despicable, cruel, yet ''immensely'' influential tyrants of the setting to help her. Even better, when said tyrant returns later in the series he saves Shirahoshi (Otohime's daughter) from another Celestial Dragon and reveals that he's changed his attitude completely. She didn't just convince him to help her, she made him completely reform.

* Satsuki Matoi in ''Fanfic/MaimDeMaim'' is rather strong, whether she's equipped with Junketsu or not, but she doesn't really prefer to fight and generally tries to resolve her battles peacefully and without violence (i.e [[spoiler: her trying to convince Evelyn to surrender in one chapter]]) but, if peace and diplomacy won't work, then she will resort to violence, playing with this trope. In chapter 22, she forgoes this trope, as [[spoiler:she was preparing to help raise an army for Nudist Beach to storm REVOCS-owned Tokyo but she snaps out of this by Ch. 25]].

* Kieren in ''Series/InTheFlesh'' manages to save the lives (un-lives?) of two zombies so they can be treated by staring down the barrel of a gun and convincing the group to capture them for extra profit rather than kill them. Said group was known for a pathological hatred of zombies, oh and Kieren is a zombie himself so he's barely in a better position than the feral zombies he's protecting.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': During their invasion of the Inner Sphere, Clan Smoke Jaguar was so infuriated by the people they conquered rising against them that they decided the best option would be to destroy civilian apartment blocks one by one until the leader of the resistance revealed themselves. Smoke Jaguar mechwarriors razed building after building full of men, women and children until a lone monk, having absolutely ''nothing'' to do with the rebellion, ran out into the streets and proclaimed himself to be the resistance leader. No points for guessing what happened to him.
* From ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' there's the prestige class known as the Apostle of Peace. In order to get there you have to take vows of poverty and nonviolence which basically stop you owning anything or hitting anything. However, once you are there, ''weapons just shatter when they hit you'' and you can make demons recoil by basically just saying "Bad boy! Go to your room!"

* While she's known among her friends for having a HairTriggerTemper, Amy Rose's biggest moments from the Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog games involve her talking down the enemy. Throughout the games, her RousseauWasRight ideology and the speeches that result from such have either lead directly to an antagonist character's HeelFaceTurn or is the catalyst for a HeelRealization later in the story.

* There are a panoply of characters in Literature/MaleRising that live up to this. Aiza Khalid and the women of Java staged silent protests and passive resistance against the colonial Dutch government, capitalizing on the shame of hurting unarmed women. The Abacar family also joined the dancing protests in Igboland against [[spoiler: the Imperial government of the British Empire]].

* [[BadassPreacher Martin Luther King Jr..]] The man was faced with violence and hate over and over again, never involved himself in either and changed the world.

* Military [[TheMedic medics]], Under international law, medics are not allowed to engage in combat or be deliberately attacked. They earn a disproportionate number of praise and formal commendations for bravery in combat, the US military medal for this being the 'Medal of Honour'. Note that medics ''are'' allowed to act in self-defence or in the defense of their patient(s). The penalty for a medic who engages in offensive action is that the medic's protected status is considered void. Likewise, medical vehicles and personnel have to be clearly identifiable and must conform to many other rules. Against nations or organizations which do not obey the laws of land warfare, this punishment is rather lacking in teeth. In the US wars in UsefulNotes/{{Afghanistan}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}, medics did not expect insurgents to refrain from targeting them and line medics rarely refrained from assaulting with their infantrymen.

* The American Plains Indians (Lakota, Sioux, etc) had a practice called counting coup in which warriors would go unarmed into a battle and touch an enemy warrior with a coup stick. Although they were not pacifists all the time, they did this purely to be badass, thinking it more honorable than violence.
* Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Hawa Abdi has been running a hospital in Somalia for 29 years. During this time, the hospital has been attacked numerous times and was once even invaded outright by a militia group that barricaded her in her office and held patients captive. They eventually wound up ''[[PityTheKidnapper begging]]'' her to reopen the place, and she [[RefugeInAudacity refused to do so unless they left her alone completely and issued a written apology]]. Which she got. She also once walked out alone to [[ShamingTheMob confront]] (another) rebel militia group that was blocking a [[UsefulNotes/TheRedCross Red Cross]] supply truck and came back not just with the supplies, but with the militia acting as an honor guard.

* After the murder of a British soldier in Woolwich, England in May 2013, a whole series of attempted far-right demonstrations (for those where any people actually bothered to turn up) sprung up around the country and tried targeting mosques. What did a mosque in York do when it found itself victim to one of these demonstrations? It invited in the EDL and BNP members who had marched on it in for [[BritsLoveTea tea and biscuits]], plus a friendly game of football (soccer to you yanks). The end result? The fascists left without causing any damage or further fuss.

* In July 2014, [[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=818524438192556 some footage went around the internet of an English woman abusing some migrants]], with hypocritical statements, racial and Islamophobic slurs, and even several punches. What's the best thing about the video? In spite of the constant verbal abuse and physical assault, ''none of the abused so much as raise a fist''. The most they do is block a punch or move her arm out the way, and get some damn good snark in. As some of the commentators put it:

* The Blue Lantern Corps of ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' was specifically designed to be this. Rather than adding another group of power ring-waving warriors, they are selected from the ranks of spiritual leaders and tasked with providing healing and moral support to others as opposed to blasting bad guys.

* Marvel's Wundarr the Aquarian. Initially, he was a child-like Superman expy/parody (he was rocketed to Earth by parents who mistakenly believed their planet was about to explode, for instance). However, after exposure to the Cosmic Cube, his power was altered to allow him to absorb and nullify any amount of energy, in proportion to how extreme it is. For example, people can walk or shake hands inside his sphere of influence, but a punch would be slowed to a light tap, a bullet would drop from the air, and even a nuclear explosion would be rendered into a mild illumination (and a bomb inside the field would fail to explode). He is also able to share the cosmic point of view the Cube gave him by touch, which tends to negate hostile intent. Badass Pacifism is basically his entire superpower.

See also ViolenceIsNotAnOption, for a situation when no amount of violence could save the day anyway.

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* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_man Tank Man]] may not have accomplished his goal, but that photograph has yet to be matched in worldwide exposure of a single person's bravery amid insurmountable odds.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Tavros Nitram is either this trope or a fatalistic BrokenBird: he has epic PsychicPowers but refuses to use them in combat. [[note]]He doesn't get much screentime and spends most of it being [[MindControl kicked]] [[WheelchairWoobie around]] by Vriska (a SerialKiller who is much, ''much'' [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass stronger]] than him) so it's difficult to tell.[[/note]] It's worth noting, however, that he lived to adolescence on a DeathWorld ruled by a ProudWarriorRace that actively oppressed him because of his [[FantasticCasteSystem low caste]]. And that he's one of the sanest, most emotionally stable [[DysfunctionJunction trolls]].

** Worf becomes one in "Birthright". Worf finds a Romulan prison camp, where Klingons have been held prisoner for so long, their children don't even realize it's a prison, they think it's a refuge from the war. The Romulan commander is proud that they have created a place where Romulans and Klingons can live in peace, but Worf sees that it has come at the price of the young Klingons being ignorant of their culture and their heritage. Without committing or encouraging a single act of violence, Worf teaches the young Klingons about their heritage. Even as the Romulan commander threatens to execute Worf, he doesn't fight back because he wants the Klingons to see how threatened the commander is by Worf, despite his non-violence, so that they will see that their home is really a prison.
** In "Gambit" [[spoiler:Picard discovers an ancient Vulcan weapon that can only be defeated by one of these. A mad Vulcan discovers the weapon and kills the criminals who helped her find it. She tells Picard that the weapon cannot be stopped, but Picard realizes that the weapon is powered by the violent thoughts of the target. Picard orders his crew to empty their minds of violent thoughts and the weapon is rendered useless. Even Worf was unaffected by the weapon once he emptied his mind of violent thoughts.]]
* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': The Tua'than refuse to use violence, but this does not make them weak, like their creed the Way of the Leaf says. Without hesitation, a group of them stand up to armed Whitecloaks searching for Egwene and Perrin, forming a shield using their bodies which lets them get away, even though they're beaten up for it.

** [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]], although a formidable fighter in her own right, seems to only enjoy fighting as a sport and when outside of the ring, tends to solve her problems using diplomacy, resolving fights with a MidBattleTeaBreak and maybe a firm scolding.

* While she's known among her friends for having a HairTriggerTemper, Amy Rose's biggest moments from the VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog games involve her talking down the enemy. Throughout the games, her RousseauWasRight ideology and the speeches that result from such have either lead directly to an antagonist character's HeelFaceTurn or is the catalyst for a HeelRealization later in the story.

A Badass Pacifist describes an ActualPacifist who, without doing anything violent, is much more awesome than many of us will ever be, and commands all the respect you give 'the baddest guy on the planet' even though (or in some cases, ''[[TheFettered because]]'') they never go on the offensive. These are the people who will stand and take a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown without striking back and without giving in; they are also very fond of [[TurnTheOtherCheek Turning the Other Cheek]]. A variation of a StoneWall, in other words. If they do something proactive to defeat their enemies, it is never by using physical force, but by using words. VerbalJudo, ShamingTheMob, and TalkingTheMonsterToDeath are the tools of their trade. It is always their goal ToWinWithoutFighting — and win they do.

* ''Literature/DemonCityShinjuku'': Think kind people are weak? Then you haven't met Sayaka Rama. She is SilkHidingSteel and able to stop a fire-demon formed from the condensed hatred and grief from 10 years of murdered and orphaned children from killing TheHero ''with sheer kindness and love alone,'' and redeeming the demon so she can to go to heaven to reunite with her mother. ''Don't'' underestimate kindness.

* Tohru Honda from ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' [[spoiler:[[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight speaks gently]] to Akito Sohma, who is in the midst of her VillainousBreakdown... and it ''works''. (To put it on perspective, she did this towards an older woman who is lashing out in both fear and madness-- ''and has been swinging a bloodied knife around''.) When Tohru nearly falls victim to DeathByFallingOver, rather than gloat, Akito screams for help, marking the beginning of her HeelFaceTurn]]. And even earlier, she successfully got [[spoiler:Kyo]] to calm down when [[spoiler:he was in his cursed form -- again in perspective, cursed!Kyo is foul, huge, smells like rotten flesh, and also totally desperate, as it's the trademark of the cat's position as TheUnfavorite.]]

* The main character of ''Manga/AngelDensetsu'', Kitano Seiichiro, mostly qualifies for this. His fighting style consists of letting people hit him until they grow tired. Usually because he misunderstands the situation and believes himself to be deserving of the pain or, in one instance, *not* understanding the reason he's being attacked, and thus refusing to give up. Of course, he typically finishes off his opponents with a double palm strike, but he is actually attempting to push them out of the way, for one reason or another, not hit them. [[spoiler:Only towards the end of the series does he intentionally hit enemies once and even then only in order to prevent further violence and protect his friends.]]
* The main character from ''Manga/GoldenBoy'' is one of these as well -- or at least is aspiring to be one. When he was attacked and resorted to punching his assailant out, he revealed that -- among the other training he's done -- he is a master black belt, but felt that he has failed all of his learning by resorting to violence, and that he still has more to learn.

* Daisuke/Duke Fleed from ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer''. Normally Daisuke avoids the fight if there not is a good reason. In an episode Goro, a child who sees him as a model, gets angry with him because he refuses to fight with Banta, but Daisuke makes him understand that fighting is not always the right choice.

** Henry is also something of a MartialPacifist or at least that's what he becomes. Before the story, he was an avid computer gamer and one of his faves was a Digimon fighting game, where he chose Terriermon. However, one of these battles went wrong and Henry became overwhelmed with guilt for making Terriermon fight in the first place. This outburst of compassion led to him getting his Digivice and Terriermon entered the real world and becoming his partner. This incident is why he is initially adamant about not letting Terriermon fight. Fittingly, he is also a martial arts student.

* Thorfinn achieves his greatest moral victory in ''Manga/VinlandSaga'' this way. In order to stop a war, he asks to see the king of one of the sides. One of the king's bodyguards tries to chase him off by punching him, only to discover that Thorfinn won't be persuaded no matter how many blows he lands. Thorfinn then makes a bet that if he can tank one hundred blows to the face, he'll be allowed to speak to the king -- and pulls it off, completely exhausting the bodyguard in the process who at the end can barely lift his arms. When asked why he simply didn't punch out the bodyguard to prove his credentials, Thorfinn points out that negotiating for peace by punching someone is a self-contradiction. [[spoiler:He then proceeds to successfully solve the conflict nonviolently by telling the king that if he's going to keep pursuing TheNeedsOfTheMany, Thorfinn is going to [[StartMyOwn build his own kingdom where the Few can flee to]]. Canute is so amused he backs down.]]

* To a lesser extent, Donatello from the ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage'' comics was described as a pacifist, but is clearly still badass.
* The Blue Lantern Corps of ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' was specifically designed to be this. Rather than adding another group of power ring waving warriors, they are selected from the ranks of spiritual leaders and tasked with providing healing and moral support to others as opposed to blasting bad guys.

* Marcellus Ardsen of ''Fanfic/SoulEaterTroubledSouls''. Marcellus does not participate in combat and is implied to be bad at it anyway. Nonetheless, while never delivers a single blow in battle, Marcellus makes up for it through sheer guts, intelligence of two different kinds, levelheadedness, and a very strong moral compass. He's a good weapon partner and coach to Tsuji and, after his CharacterDevelopment, he's pretty cutting verbally. In one notable instance, Marcellus throws himself in front of his sick mother and takes the front bumper of a car to his back.

* ''Fanfic/TheFlowerPrincessAndTheAlchemist'': Orihime shows ''dangerous'' signs of being this, if her first confrontation with [[SerialKiller Scar]] is anything to go by. She might not be able to tear you down ''[[ActualPacifist physically]]'', but she sure as hell can tear a person down ''[[BreakThemByTalking psychologically]]''. Al once innerly remarks how ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes scary]]'' this is. Given that this story takes place about [[TimeSkip half a year]] after [[DamselInDistress her rescue from Hueco Mundo]], [[FridgeHorror did she take a cue or two from]] [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Aizen]]?

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' has Hiccup taming dragons as a result of him being friendly to them instead of defending himself against them. That alone takes more courage than just to kill dragons on sight.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsFriendshipGames'': Sunset Shimmer winds up facing [[spoiler: a brainwashed and power-mad Twilight Sparkle, who is hellbent on destroying her world for magic. How does she defeat her? After absorbing the power of Harmony, she fixes the damage Midnight Sparkle caused, pulls into her into a white void, and simply offers her a hand in friendship]].
* Walter from WesternAnimation/SpiesInDisguise a GadgeteerGenius who detests violence, presumably because his mother was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, he often tries non violent solutions to problems with his various gadgets, his gadgets end up coming in handy on more than one occasion and he helps save the world in the end.

* In ''Film/KillBill'', Hattori Hanzo is the greatest swordsmith in the world, and apparently an authority on swordsmanship as well. At some point in time, he vowed to never make another object that could kill, and retired to run a restaurant. He later broke his vow and made "The Bride" the sword she used to have her RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* Broken Sword and the calligraphy school he lives at in Zhang Yimou's ''Film/Hero2002''. During a rain of arrows on the school by the Qin army, the artists continue to write at their desks, even as many are killed in the assault. When Broken Sword's brush is destroyed by an arrow he snatches an arrow out of the air, breaks the tip and uses it as a brush. Finally, rather than allow the Qin emperor to be assassinated, the same one who ordered the destruction of his school, Broken Sword convinces the movie's protagonist to spare him, realizing that the end to war only emperor can achieve is too important to prevent.
* Kevin Flynn in ''Film/TronLegacy'' has nearly god-like abilities in the Grid, but he cannot use them against Clu because Clu was a program based off Flynn himself, and as a sort of dark mirror image of Kevin, he grows stronger when Kevin tries to fight him directly. Instead, Kevin restricts his powers to more subtle and nonviolent, but no less potent, applications, like healing damaged programs, reprogramming them to be helpful, or stopping a crashing elevator by overriding the physics it is based on. In one particularly memorable scene, he showcases his powers by winning a losing battle [[AwesomenessIsAForce simply by showing up]].

* ''Film/{{Matewan}}'': Kenehan mentions encountering these while he was in Fort Leavenworth military prison during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, after he sees Few Clothes carrying a gun. They were Hutterite (similar to the Amish-Kenehan calls them Mennonites here mistakenly) conscientious objectors and refused to cut their beards or wear clothes with buttons when they got into prison, as this was, along with bearing arms, against their religion. The guards then punished them by handcuffing them to the cell bars for eight hours a day, but even though it made the cuffs cut into their wrists, causing wounds, then eventually gangrene, they never broke, and kept tearing off the buttons with their teeth. He says he's never seen any braver men, and they were only there because they ''refused'' to use violence. TruthInTelevision-two Hutterite brothers died there from mistreatment, while many more (from the Hutterites and other groups) suffered as a result of their imprisonment.

* Atticus Finch from ''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird''. The only time ({{Backstory}} excluded) he picks up a gun is to MercyKill a mad dog - but he has a speech in the courtroom about how every man should be equal in the eyes of the court, and say the man is not badass. There is a reason why he's AMC's #1 of top 100 good guys. [[FriendlySniper There's another reason too]], but everyone knows it's not the important one.

** Two episodes later, in "[[Recap/Daredevil2015S2E3NewYorksFinest New York's Finest]]", Frank Castle's war on the Hell's Kitchen underworld as he avenges the death of his family has put the gangs at war, and the blood is so bad that gangbangers are trying to settle scores on the emergency room floor and don't care if ER staff or bystanders get hurt. Foggy happens to be at the hospital with Claire, trying to look for Matt, when one skirmish breaks out. Foggy is left stuck in the middle, and seeing how neither of the armed security guards present are in a position to do something, he speaks up.

** Deliberately invoked in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E4Listen "Listen"]]. Clara gives to a young Danny Pink, [[spoiler:and then to the Doctor as a child]], toy soldiers, lead by Dan the soldier man. When the young Danny notes that the Dan figure has no gun, Clara explains that why he's the leader; he is so powerful that he does not need a weapon.

* Stolen City's music video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksYre7Av4OE "Faces"]] has the father of the transgender girl. He doesn't raise his fists to defend her from the bullies. He just walks into the bar, shoots each of them a DeathGlare and makes it clear they won't be picking on his daughter again.

* Eiffel from ''Podcast/Wolf359'' is a lazy, irresponsible ActualPacifist and proud founder of Team What's Wrong With Handcuffs. He also outsmarted a scientific genius with nothing but a voice modifier and a cigarette, and [[spoiler:survived for over 180 days on a broken ship in deep space by freezing himself to the point of losing his hair, nails and half his bodyweight.]] Yikes.

* Lorette Strider in ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}''. She was a great interstellar explorer and worked for understanding between the Terrans and the Vilani. However she was one of the first killed in the Interstellar Wars, because of course she was TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth.

** There's also [[TheHighQueen Exalt Emmeryn]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''. She started by ascended to the throne at the age of 9. When the war with Gangrel begins, she refuses to back down and goes back to the capital just to reassure her people and make sure they are alright. [[spoiler: And when she gets captured, she [[HeroicSuicide jumps off a cliff]] to stop the Fire Emblem from falling into the wrong hands, managing to convince almost the entirety of Gangrel's army to stop fighting in the process. In the secret Streetpass chapters, it's revealed she survived the fall, albeit with some heavy brain damage. Even with that handicap, she manages to escape from a group of the [[ReligionOfEvil The Grimleal]] with little trouble. She can be recruited into your army, where she may become a fighter, even exterminating the Grimleal which her father failed to do.]]
* It is possible to play Faith as one in ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''. With her parkour skills, she can outrun all of the mooks. In fact, this how you get the best times in the Speed Runs.

* ''VideoGame/TheNamelessMod'' for ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' let you play without hurting a single life. In the original game you could almost, but not quite get to that point.

** Fuuka Yamagishi, the MissionControl of ''VideoGame/Persona3'', is one. Shortly after summoning her Persona for the first time, she allows you to see the strengths and weaknesses of the Boss Shadows that just [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]] two of your allies. Especially badass because she had just endured ''ten hours'' in Tartarus without being caught by a single Shadow and was probably tired as hell. (For reference, ''one'' hour in Tartarus is enough to wear out your party members.) If all of that isn't enough to convince you, she ''really'' earns this title in ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', when she [[spoiler: breaks the Malevolent Entity's control over Labrys]] despite ''not even being in the same world'' at the time.

* Harry Mason from ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories'' never kills, attacks or otherwise injures the enemies chasing him. That doesn't stop him from being an unstoppable {{Determinator}} when it comes to finding his daughter.

** [[CrusadingLawyer Phoenix Wright]] faces dangers both in and out of the courtroom, ranging from poisoners to mafia to [[AmoralAttorney Amoral Prosecutors]], never once backing down when he believes in his clients' innocence. Outside of the courtroom, he once ran on a burning bridge to make sure his partner was safe and investigated a case while having a 39 degree[[note]]102.2 in Fahrenheit scale[[/note]] fever to protect someone he cares about. His probably biggest badass moment is early in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'' when he defends the kid he barely knows accused of murder and then learns that in Khura'in lawyers face the same punishment as their clients if they fail. He gets a chance to walk out without consequences and ''refuses''.
** [[TheMentor Mia Fey]] is, for the most part, a PosthumousCharacter. Which doesn't stop her from helping Phoenix many times through the [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney first trilogy]], taking down a blackmailer who had connections to many major figures in the country or saving her sister several times. In her backstory, she manages to be ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend ''without being violent'' when she tracks down a girl who attacked her boyfriend and makes sure she'll rot in prison.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, the legendary Tongue (ancient [[HornyVikings Nord]] warriors who were masters of the [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]]) Jurgen Windcaller became one following his HeelFaithTurn, and instilled this philosophy in his [[OldMaster Greybeard]] followers. When the other Tongues tried to "shout" he and his teachings down, [[TurnTheOtherCheek he didn't fight back]]. Instead, he "swallowed" their words for three entire days to prove his mastery. This caused them to acknowledge his superiority and wisdom in the Voice. Despite the strength such a group may possess, he set the Greybeards' policy of non-intervention in worldly affairs, and of studying the Voice as a way to honor the gods. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', it takes the [[PlayerCharacter Dragonborn]] (a mortal blessed with the immortal soul of a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] by the [[DragonsAreDivine draconic]] TopGod Akatosh who the Greybeards are sworn to teach and serve) to convince them to help end the dragon menace to Skyrim, and even then they only offer their monastery as a neutral meeting ground for the warring CivilWar factions to hammer out a ceasefire agreement.
* ''VideoGame/{{Iconoclasts}}'' has the main character, [[WrenchWench Robin]]. Only armed with a stun gun and a wrench, she still manages to prove able to hold her own against the hostile wildlife and the [[TheTheocracy One Concern]], [[spoiler: and at the end of the game, she almost singlehandedly topples the Tri religion and kills their god (although [[GodGuise it actually wasn't a god]], but they didn't know that).]] Also a downplayed example, as [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman she does kill hostile wildlife and destroys]] [[MechaMooks One Concern robots]], and [[spoiler: she does have to kill one person in the whole game: Agent Black.]]

* Nick from ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'', near the end of Surreptitious Machinations, has just been apprised of the true purpose of Velociraptor and is walking away from Trudy with Ki, who warned him. Trudy pulls an IfICantHaveYou, putting a gun to his head. He turns around, stands perfectly still and says "You do what you feel you have to, Trudy." She backs down.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Tavros Nitram is either this trope or a fatalistic BrokenBird: he has epic PsychicPowers, but refuses to use them in combat. [[note]]He doesn't get much screentime and spends most of it being [[MindControl kicked]] [[WheelchairWoobie around]] by Vriska (a SerialKiller who is much, ''much'' [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass stronger]] than him) so it's difficult to tell.[[/note]] It's worth noting, however, that he lived to adolescence on a DeathWorld ruled by a ProudWarriorRace that actively oppressed him because of his [[FantasticCasteSystem low caste]]. And that he's one of the sanest, most emotionally stable [[DysfunctionJunction trolls]].

* Reverend Sturdy Harris from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' episode "Freedom Ride or Die", is a mountain of a man who leads his Freedom Riders through the American South during the height of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. He and his followers' plan of 'non-violent direct action' leads them to get frequently attacked, but Sturdy defends himself with a martial art that is designed to pacify the attacker without harming them, as well as being so monstrously resilient that his attackers break their weapons (and hands) trying to attack him. Sturdy is also a DeconstructiveParody of this trope: besides his ComicallyInvincibleHero traits, he's something of a FearlessFool or even a DeathSeeker. He also doesn't seem to [[SuicidalPacifism appreciate the difference between practicing nonviolent direct action and just plain getting your ass whooped]], though that might have something to with the fact that he himself is powerful enough that there literally is no difference for him. Unfortunately for his not-similarly-gifted compatriots, his attempts to [[ObstructionistPacifist restrict them from using violence to defend themselves]] often means holding them in place for a beating.

* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' is the HalfHumanHybrid son of a member of an alien race of crystalline warrior women. Unlike his mother (who was a MartialPacifist), Steven absolutely ''hates'' fighting and tries to solve every conflict he faces non-violently. He usually manages to succeed in talking down his opponents before a serious fight occurs, but failing that, he'll try to at least tire them out to the point where all they can do is talk things out thanks to his alien ability being the summoning of shields and other defensive constructs.

* Clay in ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' was the resident BigGuy martial artist. In contrast to what being a [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texan]] Cowboy with [[DishingOutDirt Earth]] based ElementalPowers would have you [[PersonalityPowers think about his character]], he was very centered, low key and perhaps the wisest of the Xiaolin Warriors. This was demonstrated early on: A Xiaolin Showdown involving capturing a bird had Splicer flying all over the place trying to grab it, while Clay just meandered around the starting area. In the end, Clay won by ''gathering seeds for the bird to eat in his hat.''

* [[UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi Mohandas Gandhi]] endured a great deal of hardship while engineering his vision of nonviolent civil disobedience as a means to social change. His activism is considered a major factor in winning India's independence. Gandhi repeatedly insisted that pacifism is a braver action than violence, and even admitted that he found violence preferable to cowardice. The full quote is, "It is better to be violent if there is violence in our hearts than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence." Nonviolence must be pursued with zeal, courage, and conviction; you must be willing to accept death, injury or imprisonment. If you think fighting is a good idea but you're simply unwilling to risk your life yourself, then you have no place in a nonviolent movement.
* [[BadassPreacher Martin Luther King Jr..]] The man was faced with violence and hate over and over again, never involved himself in either, and changed the world.
** King's disciple and one of the youngest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis, also practiced non-violence, famously leading the march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge at the age of 25 with Hosea Williams and got his skull cracked open for his efforts. He survived, and rose up to become a Congressman for over 30 years until his death at the age of 80 in 2020. He inspired generations of young people and leaders with his message of love and peace, even [[UsefulNotes/BillClinton counting]] [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush various]] [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Presidents]] as his friends. He was also a bona fide CoolOldGuy, publishing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_(comics) an autobiographical comic book]], as well as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ATwisIrtfg participating in crowd surfing]].

* Military [[TheMedic Medics.]] Under international law, medics are not allowed to engage in combat or be deliberately attacked. They earn a disproportionate number of praise and formal commendations for bravery in combat, the US military-medal for this being the 'Medal of Honour'. Note that medics ''are'' allowed to act in self-defence or in the defense of their patient(s). The penalty for a medic who engages in offensive action is that the medic's protected status is considered void. Likewise, medical vehicles and personnel have to be clearly identifiable and must conform to many other rules. Against nations or organizations which do not obey the laws of land warfare, this punishment is rather lacking in teeth. In the US wars in UsefulNotes/{{Afghanistan}} and UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}, medics did not expect insurgents to refrain from targeting them and line medics rarely refrained from assaulting with their infantrymen.

* The Finnish conscientious objector Arndt Pekurinen. Before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, he was repeatedly jailed (and at least once beaten by members of the Lapua movement) for refusing to serve in the army. An international petition on his behalf included the signatures of sixty British [=MPs=], Creator/HGWells and UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein. Thanks in part to his efforts, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}} received its first alternative to military service, but this option only covered times of peace. Pekurinen was again imprisoned when the Winter War broke out and later sent to the front at the beginning of the Continuation War with orders that he would take up arms and use them. He refused to even put on a uniform and was executed without a trial by the third soldier ordered to do it - the first two refused. While on the way to the front he was reported to have said, loosely translated, "It was pointless to bring me all the way out here, you could have just killed me in Helsinki."

* Actor Lew Ayres became a pacifist after his role in ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, he enlisted as a conscientious objector. He took a lot of flak in Hollywood for it but served with distinction in the Pacific Theatre and New Guinea. As noted above, it takes a special kind of courage to go unarmed into a battlefield where medics were specifically targeted.

** UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, raised as a Quaker, joined the U. S. Naval Reserve after four months at a dead-end job of replying to correspondence with the tire rationing division, was involved in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII in a logistics person in charge of loading and unloading aircraft as well as preparing manifests and flight plans for C-47 operations, and moved up from lieutenant junior grade to a Navy lieutenant, lieutenant commander, and eventually commander, followed by serving as Eisenhower's vice-president, and his eventual election as President in 1968.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_Revolution Carnation revolution]] that toppled the military dictatorship of Portugal. Okay, it was a Military coup, but it succeeded because it had massive public support, and because the military forces loyal to the government flat out refused not only to fire on civilians but refused to fire on their former comrades in arms in the revolutionary faction (The [[StateSec GNR Republican guard]] had no such qualms and killed 8 civilians). The revolution is so named because when troops marched into crowds with orders to disperse them, the crowed put carnations in the troop’s gun barrels, and the soldiers let them. The revolution is probably best summed up by these extract from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Carnation_Revolution timeline on Wikipedia]]

:: Yep, the officers loyal to the government has to resort to fisticuffs because no-one wanted to use guns.
* As said in other tropes, Creator/ChuckNorris in real life avoids getting into fights. One time a local tough guy tried to bully Norris into giving him his seat at a bar and Norris quietly complied. Later, tough guy realized who he was talking to and asked Norris why he didn't kick his ass. Norris replied "What would it prove?".

* Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Hawa Abdi has been running a hospital in Somalia for 29 years. During this time, the hospital has been attacked numerous times, and was once even invaded outright by a militia group who barricaded her in her office and held patients captive. They eventually wound up ''[[PityTheKidnapper begging]]'' her to reopen the place, and she [[RefugeInAudacity refused to do so unless they left her alone completely and issued a written apology]]. Which she got. She also once walked out alone to [[ShamingTheMob confront]] (another) rebel militia group that was blocking a [[UsefulNotes/TheRedCross Red Cross]] supply truck, and came back not just with the supplies, but with the militia acting as an honor guard.

* In June 2017, a man deliberately crashed his van into a crowd of people outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, London, killing one and injuring ten. [[http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/imam-hailed-as-hero-for-calming-crowd-and-defending-attacker/news-story/46343335fba56ca4f5a6ba5ab7bd04f8 Local imam Mohammed Mahmoud stepped in to protect the driver from an angry mob]], with some others coming to help him, while the driver was laughing and shouting "I want to kill all Muslims!" The imam and his helpers managed to flag down a passing police car and helped the driver into the back of the car, while warning the police that an angry mob was trying to get to him.

* [[Film/SchindlersList Oskar Schindler]] saved over 1,200 Jewish people during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. Additionally, during UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, his factories (originally enamel manufacturers) never produced a single piece of usable munition. Schindler accomplished all this by a mixture of charm, bribery, and "technically correct" statements.

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'': Prince Phil '''thinks''' he embodies this trope. He has the badass part down pat, but [[BoisterousBruiser fails on the pacifist part]]. He's known for ironically-named martial arts moves like "PACIFIST CRUSH!" and "GOODWILL TO ALL MANKIND KICK!".

* Buddha from ''Manga/ShuumatsunoWalkureRecordofRagnarok'', while being a pacifist and the only one of the fighters so far to spare his oponent when he thought he defeated him, Buddha is incredibly skilled in combat, so much so that he defeated Zerofuku without taking a single injury.