History Main / FemmeFataleSpy

To qualify as this trope, the character must be a young attractive female who uses her "charms" (sexual, emotional manipulation, or both) to work in a capacity for espionage specifically under a guise of innocence. She can be a member of LaResistance or TheEmpire, be [[TheIdealist idealistic]], motivated by revenge, or OnlyInItForTheMoney and personal gain, as long as it's an attractive female spy, it fits this trope. This trope however does not apply to females who are merely secret agents. There must clearly be incidences of fraternizing with the enemy as TheMole.

* ''Literature/TheSilerianTrilogy'': FemmeFataleSpy: Elelar is a straight example, and surprisingly effective, gaining state secrets from the head of the Valdani administration in Sileria.

* ''Zeppelin'' (1971) opens with the protagonist, a FakeDefector going to meet Stephanie, a beautiful German spy in World War One. His superior makes a DeadpanSnarker comment about how dedicated he is, that he would go to meet the woman without having to be ordered to do so.

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* Barbie ends up playing this role in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. She did love Ken before realizing what was really going on at Sunnyside and then rejected him. [[spoiler: She played this role well enough to push him into a HeelFaceTurn, and they end the movie HappilyMarried.]]

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-->'''Dominika Egronova, to her uncle''': ''[Full of deadpan hatred]'' You sent me to whore school.

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* Ziva David, ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', but only occasionally. She is better known for more "direct" methods then seduction.
* ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'': Indiana Jones meets UsefulNotes/MataHari in one episode, also losing his virginity to her.

* Devonne from ''Series/TheWire''.

* Sarah Walker on ''Series/{{Chuck}}''.
* Irene Adler from ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', the BBC series, where she's a dominatrix instead of an opera singer.
** Indeed, she [[spoiler:very nearly]] succeeds at [[spoiler:turning the British treasury into her own personal bank account]].

* Russian spy Dottie Underwood from ''Series/AgentCarter'' is an early graduate of the country's Black Widow program, where orphan girls are trained to fulfill this trope. Her most successful mission was seducing Howard Stark and stealing his designs, a nod to the comics where Natasha Romanov--the ComicBook/BlackWidow we know and love--initially played this role. Dottie goes on to become Peggy Carter's personal archenemy.

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-->I went home with a waitress,
-->Just like I always do.
-->How was I to know
-->She was with the Russians too?

-->Beware of pretty faces that you find\\
A pretty face can hide an evil mind

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* Milla Vodello from ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' is an attractive lady spy whose nickname is "The Mental Minx."

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* Eve in ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''. Doubly so once it's revealed she's the ReverseMole [[ItWasHisSled working for the United States government]].

* Fiona from ''Series/BurnNotice'' has played this role occasionally, although she generally prefers the MoreDakka approach.

See also GentlemanThief, ClassyCatBurglar, HoneyTrap, FemmeFatale, TheVamp and SpyCatsuit. Can be averted via TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction.

** [[https://newrepublic.com/article/153036/maria-butina-profile-wasnt-russian-spy The geniunity of which has proven to be at least dubious since then.]]
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To qualify as this trope, the character must be a young attractive female who uses her "charms" (sexual, emotional manipulation, or both) to work in a capacity for espionage specifically under a guise of innocence. She can be a member of LaResistance or TheEmpire, be [[TheIdealist idealistic]], motivated by revenge, or simply in it for the money and personal gain, as long as it's an attractive female spy, it fits this trope. This trope however does not apply to females who are merely secret agents. There must clearly be incidences of fraternizing with the enemy as TheMole.

* Ryōji Kaji from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' {{exploit|edTrope}}s, [[PlayingWithATrope toes]], {{downplay|edTrope}}s, and {{exaggerate|dTrope}}s this trope, as a [[GenderInvertedTrope Homme]] Fatale Spy: Played with because he chooses to [[DownplayedTrope flirt]] with numerous people to either throw them off as a HandsomeLech or win them over as a charmer but moments with Shinji and Misato have shown that this is mostly [[JerkassFacade a facade]]. Then it turns out that he isn't on anyone's side and is a double agent for another group, but exaggerated when it's revealed that he is [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent backstabbing several governments]].

See also GentlemanThief, ClassyCatBurglar, HoneyTrap, FemmeFatale, TheVamp and SpyCatsuit. Can be averted via TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction. SpiesAreLecherous may serve as an example of a gender-inversion of this trope.

See also GentlemanThief, ClassyCatBurglar, HoneyTrap, FemmeFatale, TheVamp and SpyCatsuit. Can be averted via TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction.

* ForeignCussWord: Lili mostly curses in French.

** She, at least, appears no more competent than the real Mata Hari, having been caught by U.S. authorities and extradited back to Russia via PrisonerExchange. With her cover thoroughly blown, she's been capitalizing on her looks and notoriety to become a media personality and TV host. She also did a photo shoot for ''Maxim'' magazine which played up this trope, posing in Agent Provocateur lingerie while holding a pistol.

* Nancy Makuhari in ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' [[spoiler:is both TheMole and a literal clone of UsefulNotes/MataHari.]]

* Ryōji Kaji from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' {{exploit|ed}}s, [[PlayedWith toes]], {{downplay|ed}}s, and {{exaggerate|d}}s this trope, as a [[RareMaleExample Homme]] Fatale Spy: Played with because he chooses to [[{{downplayed}} flirt]] with numerous people to either throw them off as a HandsomeLech or win them over as a charmer but moments with Shinji and Misato have shown that this is mostly [[JerkassFacade a facade]]. Then it turns out that he isn't on anyone's side and is a double agent for another group, but exaggerated when it's revealed that he is [[DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent backstabbing several governments]].

* ComicBook/{{Mockingbird}} did this at least once when she was Bobbi Morse/Agent 19. She went undercover and become engaged to a man SHIELD suspected was involved with AIM so that SHIELD could gather information on him (he was involved with AIM).
* ComicBook/XMen villain ComicBook/{{Mystique}} isn't above playing this role from time to time. Being a {{shapeshifter}} helps.

* Kay-K from ''ComicBook/DoubleDuck'', a very attractive spy. In her first apparation ([[spoiler: before her HeelFaceTurn]]) she has no problem to use her beauty to manipulate male characters like Donald Duck. [[spoiler: She was the criminal Red Primerose who introduce herself in the Agency replacing secretly the director Jay J.]].

* Barbie ends up playing this role in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. She did love Ken before realizing what was really going on at Sunnyside and then rejected him. [[spoiler: She played this role well enough to push him into a HeelFaceTurn, and they end the movie HappilyMarried]].

* Marushuka in ''Film/TheAdventuresofTartu''. She's beautiful and part of LaResistance, trying to get Nazi officers to spill their secrets.

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' [[spoiler:Elsa Schneider]] is a German spy who sleeps with both [[spoiler:Indy and his father.]]

* Literature/JohnRain's LoveInterest Delilah's job with Mossad is to seduce targets to get information. She's routinely despised by her colleagues for her methods, although they have no problem using the intelligence she provides.

* Elizabeth Jennings from ''Series/TheAmericans'' has this arrow in her quiver. Averted by her daughter Paige in later seasons, with Elizabeth in one instance ordering her not to attempt to seduce a mark.

** Indeed, she [[spoiler:very nearly]] succeeds at [[spoiler:turning the British treasury into her own personal bank account.]]

* Elizabeth in Series/TheAmericans seduces a KGB defector in order to facilitate his kidnapping.

* EVA from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3''. Snake even refers to her as "a regular Mata Hari."

* Rouge the Bat fits as a femme fatale spy in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins,'' Orlesian[[note]]A FantasyCounterpartCulture of France[[/note]] Bards fill this role. Party member Leliana used to be one, and also doubles as a NaughtyNun; she has trouble reconciling the two aspects of her being, since she enjoyed her former career as much as her newfound faith. [[spoiler: She does this by the time of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', by becoming a spy for the Church]].

* Surprisingly {{Averted|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/VelvetAssassin''. Violette possesses a lot of feminine charm, but never uses them on her missions, preferring the more direct method of sneaking around and stabbing Nazis. Even the [[ArtificialStupidity dimwitted guards of this game]] are able to clue in that the heavily-armed and rather scary looking British woman didn't sneak into enemy territory because she wanted a good time.

* During the Cold War, British Secretary of State for War John Profumo was accused of putting national security at risk by having a sexual relationship with alleged call girl Christine Keeler, who was reputed to also be sleeping with Eugene Ivanov, a senior Naval Attache at the Soviet Embassy in London.

* For a multiplayer example, this is generally considered to be true about prostitutes during [[UsefulNotes/VietnamWar America's war in Vietnam]]. Much of the intelligence also came from other sources that were close to the Americans such as taxi drivers.

-->"When women are employed as secret service agents, the probability of success and the difficulty of administration are alike increased. Women are frequently very skilful in eliciting information; they require no disguise; if attractive, they are likely to be welcome everywhere, and may be able to seduce from their loyalty those whose assistance and information may be of use. On the other hand, they are variable, easily offended, seldom sufficiently reticent, and apt to be reckless. Usually they will work more consistently for a person than for a principle, and a lover in the Intelligence Corps makes a useful intermediary."

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* Rouge the Bat fits as a femme fatale spy in ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''.

* ''{{Series/Charmed}}'':

See also GentlemanThief, ClassyCatBurglar, HoneyTrap, FemmeFatale, TheVamp and SpyCatsuit. Can be averted with a SchlubPubSeductionDeduction.