History Main / SilkHidingSteel

* Millie in ''SevenBridesForSevenBrothers''. A feminine, demure and plucky woman, who can persuade her captor/fiance to shave and improve his tablemanners. She'd be a YamatoNadeshiko if not for the fact that she's American.

** Rukia too. For the first arc she's powerless and still finds ways to help. For instance, she can pull the silk over a teacher's eyes to get Ichigo out of trouble.

* In ''TheWheelOfTime'' series, Aes Sedai are frequently described in these terms. In order to master the female half of the source, one must "surrender" to it, and likewise the most masterful manipulators show every sign of being submissive... while somehow discreetly guiding people to their goals. Rand uses this exact term to describe Moiraine, and says the more forceful Elaida is similar but has "dispensed with the silk".

* TalesOfSymphonia's heroine Collete. Despite her [[{{TheKlutz}} clumsiness]] and [[TheDitz being a little ditzy,]] Colette can fit this trope, as she is very soft-spoken, [[TheMessiah caring,]] submissive, places others' needs ahead of her own, [[NiceGirl and extremely kind]]. Her [[CuteBruiser skill in battle is nothing to sneeze at, either.]]

* Lenalee from DGrayMan falls somewhere between this trope and YamatoNadeshiko. On one hand she's a chinese girl whose devoted to friends and family and likes serving tea. On the other hand, she's a professional exorcist with a unique Innocence so she doesn't fit the 'domestic housewise' aspect.

* CrestOfTheStars: Lafiel, polite and proper even when threatening someone. By her strength of will and cleverness, she manuvered her way from 'prisoner' to recruiting Klowal's pet-like maids to rebel against him. As for 'being in charge' she may be a princess but she's still a 'pilot trainee' obey the ChainOfCommand. BTW, SheCleansUpNicely.

* Demon Hammer Marie Mjolnir, in SoulEater. A lovely and sweet lady who is also known as the 'Crushing Weapon' for a reason. When confronting the murderer of BJ, [[spoiler: Justin Law, she reacts to the possibility of him harming her students by landing a punch on his chest so hard he's thrown into the air. This comes after Justin, having clearly forgotten what series he's in, points out that though he and Marie are both Death Scythes, she has only a "woman's power".]].

* DemonCityShinjuku: Sayaka, a lovely ojo who travels into the most dangerous place in the story, by herself, and defeats a demon with her kind hearted will power.

* Edith Stone from ''Literature/TheRollingStones''. She's a quiet housewife who appears to have no strong opinions, but her kids point out that no family debate is resolved until she weighs in, and she politely but firmly dismisses her husband's objections to her going on a dangerous mission.

** It is implied that most of the women from the [[FantasyCounterPartCulture Yamani Islands (aka Japan/Asia)]] are this, being taught to fight as well as the boys because of the frequent pirate attacks. They're also experts at hiding emotion [[ProperLady and being unfailing proper and friendly]] even when plotting someone's murder. The Yamani women we do see in the books are definitely this. The [[YamatoNadeshiko domestic side]] doesn't show as well because they're fighting their enemies or ''guiding'' their allies.

* [[FinalFantasyVII Tifa and Aerith]] both fit this trope, but for different reasons. Tifa is the sweet and domestic MartialArtist, while Aerith is the feminine mother figure whose HOLY spell is the greatest threat to the {{BigBad}}'s EvilPlan.

* Several female leads from various Disney films such as [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ariel]], [[{{Disney/Aladdin}} Jasmine]], {{Mulan}}, and [[{{Tangled}} Rapunzel]].

* The mother of the titular heroine in the FurryComic ''AlbedoErmaFelnaEDF'', Eda, is a non-human example.

* Hisoka Mizushima of TokimekiMemorial fame. Though feminine and ladylike she has a way of manipulating [[HighSchoolHustler the people of her high school]] for her own benefit without them realizing it.

* ASongOfIceAndFire. The Tully motto is ''Family, Duty, Honor," and those are the words Cat lives by.

-->'''The Fleet''': *[[{{Mythbusters}}de-asses the area with the quickness]]*

* ''BabylonFive'' has Ambassador Delenn from the planet of Minbar who is a [[BadassPreacher priestess]], [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking stateswoman]], and LadyOfWar. She has an aristocratic but sweet personality. But she can be quite sharp underneath and can personally command a battle fleet.

* CaptainPlanet Gaia is wise and respectable and generally above lying, one time she twisted a FreakFridayFlip to get a villain's minion to do her bidding even after she switched back. On a daily basis, she'd have to be steel willed to put up with the pollution of the villains.

* {{Cyborg009}} Lina a {{kuudere}} and mother figure for Phil. Both of them are Psychic Assassins.

Compare CulturedBadass, which would probably be the closest thing to a male equivalent, despite being gender-neutral.

* Mixy is generally the most reasonable and sweet-tempered of the gang, yet quite capable of bullying the others into following her lead when she felt inclined to stand up for herself.

** FireEmblemJugdral brings [[YamatoNadeshiko YNs]] in each of the three separate "timelines". In Seisen's first generation we have Princess Adean of Jungby, a StaffChick; the second generation has Adean's daughter Lana and Lana's {{expy}} Manna, also {{Staff Chick}}s; and finally, ''Thracia 776'' has Safy the StaffChick, Selfina the LadyOfWar HorseArcher, and maybe Sleuf the Staff ''Dude''.

* CaptainPlanet Gaia is wise and respectable and generally above lying, one time she twisted a FreakFridaySwitch to get a villain's minion to do her bidding even after they switched back. On a daily basis, she'd have to steel willed to put up with the pollution of the villains.

** [[FinalFantasyV Lenna]] fits too. She's a PrincessClassic who apparently decided to skip the 'frail' part.

* The MysteriousWaif Ninian from ''FireEmblem 7''. Also, Fiora the eldest Peg Knight sister: more evident seen in her supports with her teenage sister Florina, [[MyBelovedSmother whom she adores and overprotects]].
** And there's a male [[DudeLooksLikeALady (if girly-looking)]] example too: Lucius the Monk.
** Natasha from FE 8 can be seen as this and the StaffChick, and arguably the same goes to the Peg Knight Syrene and another maile, the monk Artur.
** And then there's Ellen, Juno and Sophia from FireEmblem 6, all hiting the {{trope}} [[StaffChick in]] [[LadyofWar different]] [[DarkMagicalGirl degrees]].
** FireEmblemTellius gives us a female and two ''male'' examples: Astrid, Rhys and Oscar, respectively.
** FireEmblemJugdral brings [[YamatoNadeshiko YNs]] in each of the three separate "timelines". In Seisen's first generation we have Princess Adean of Jungby, a StaffChick; the second generation has Adean's daughter Lana and Lana's {{expy}} Manna, ''also'' {{Staff Chick}}s; and finally, ''Thracia 776'' has Safy the StaffChick, Selfina the LadyOfWar HorseArcher, and maybe Sleuf the Staff ''Dude''.

** It is implied that most of the women from the [[FantasyCounterPartCulture Yamani Islands (aka Japan/Asia)]] are this, being taught to fight as well as the boys because of the frequent pirate attacks. The Yamani women we do see in the books are definitely this. We don't even see the [[YamatoNadeshiko domestic side]] because they're fighting their enemies or ''guiding'' their allies.
** Kel's mother appears so nice and motherly now, but as part of the Tortall delegation to the Yamani Islands, she, in fact, was the reason an agreement was reached, by protecting the Yamani's most sacred items from being stolen by pirates (by herself).

She is Silk Hiding Steel, a ProperLady with an iron core. She might look like TheIngenue, perhaps even purposefully, but [[BeneathTheMask this rose has thorns]]. She may never show it publicly, but she has a cunning mind with sharp intelligence and a strong will that won't bow for anyone. She never loses her cool and can take anything life throws at her. Should the time come to fight, she won't hesitate.

* Toph Bei-Fong of AvatarTheLastAirbender, daughter of one of the richest families from the Earth Kingdom....[[UnderStatement isn't this.]] She's crude, rude, and out-spoken. But she had to act like a demure, helpless blind girl for 12 years, so she can definitely act the part on occasion.