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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 9 | [[quoteright:350:[[Literature/SnowWhite https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xenafication_snow_white.jpg]]]] |
| 10 | [[caption-width-right:350:[[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Left]]: Franchise/DisneyPrincess.\ |
| 11 | [[Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman Right]]: LadyOfWar]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''"This woman - you know, with the long golden braids and a bullet helmet, armed with a huge sword - has arrived to challenge them. She is Freada, shield-maiden daughter of Hrothgar! Now, um, *ahem*, the daughter of Hrothgar is ''supposed'' to be Freawaru, which means 'peace weaver' -- not 'beater of ass.'"'' |
| 14 | -->-- '''Website/SFDebris''', "Heroes and Demons" |
| 15 | |
| 16 | The polar opposite of {{Chickification}} and a subtrope of AdaptationalBadass. We all know girls will need role models, so what do you do when you're adapting or sequelizing a work from a "less enlightened" time? Make your female lead into an ActionGirl! |
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| 18 | The title comes from ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', who is ''not'' an example but rather the inspiration, being something of a TropeCodifier for ActionGirl. Xenafication thus can be defined as "becoming like Xena". Related to TookALevelInBadass and AdrenalineMakeover. Sometimes a specific form of AdaptationalBadass. Not to be confused with {{Xenofiction}} or [[WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko Xana]][[DemonicPossession fication]]. Often comes up by default in an ActionizedAdaptation or ActionizedSequel. Compare with RealWomenDontWearDresses (which can occasionally crop up as a side effect of this trope). |
| 19 | ---- |
| 20 | !!Examples |
| 21 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 22 | |
| 23 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 24 | %%* In ''Anime/RomeoXJuliet'', Juliet becomes Verona's very own Franchise/{{Zorro}}. |
| 25 | * Ladies and gentlemen, ''[[https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/eaw3tt/disc_the_war_chronicles_of_cinderella_ch1/ The War Chronicles of Cinderella]]'' (which [[StealthParody may be a parody of this very trope]]). Once the Fairy Godmother appears, [[spoiler:Cinderella becomes a HotBlooded shounen protagonist and starts fighting her, to prove that she is not a coward and has the strength of character to deserve to go to the ball]]. |
| 26 | [[/folder]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 29 | * ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'': Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow originally was just a FemmeFataleSpy whose main weapon was seduction and let other people do the fighting for her. When she [[HeelFaceTurn switched]] to the good side it was [[{{Retcon}} retroactively made apparent]] that Natasha was always combat trained due to the TrainingFromHell she got in the Black Widow program along with a SuperSerum that made her OneWomanArmy super assassin capable breaking a man’s neck [[KickChick with one kick]]. The Ultimate Marvel and [=MCU=] versions ditch all her early characterization and make Nat a badass from the start, though she’s still very skilled at seducing. |
| 30 | * ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]], while she always an Air Force officer, was still frequently the DamselInDistress for Mar-vell to save. However after getting infused with Kree DNA thanks to a explosion (this was retconed later with Carol always being a HalfHumanHybrid whose powers were awakened) turning her into a FlyingBrick ComicBook/MsMarvel. Carol got further powered up in X-Men where she got her Binary SuperMode and nowadays as Captain Marvel she’s one of the most powerful characters capable of wielding an Infinity Stone and knocking ComicBook/{{Thanos}} on his ass. |
| 31 | * ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Susan Storm was originally TheLoad of the team with a near useless power of invisibility. Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby took partial steps to fix that early on giving her force field projecting powers. However, it was Creator/JohnByrne who really powered her up by having her figure out [[SwissArmySuperpower nifty new ways of using her powers]] and learning to get aggressive enough to really use them well. Today, she is now considered one of the most powerful superheroes of the ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'' and even ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom'' underestimates her at his peril. |
| 32 | * ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': Betty Ross was a pretty standard Lois Lane-esque figure when she first appeared, being the sweet LoveInterest and [[DamselInDistress Damsel]] for Bruce and a foil to her ruthless father [[GeneralRipper General Ross]]. Things changed for Betty in TheSeventies however as she got her own transformation [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Harpy]] who could match the Hulk in strength, and even when she lost that transformation she was still more badass than before [[CallingTheOldManOut standing up to her father at her wedding with Bruce]]. In modern comics Betty became Red She-Hulk who was strong enough to destroy an [[EarthShatteringKaboom entire freaking planet]] with a clash with her former love Bruce, which is a far cry from the harmless DaddysGirl of the 60s. |
| 33 | ** In ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' Betty got AdaptationalJerkass first and then became the Ultimate ComicBook/SheHulk much sooner than her mainstream counterpart got her own Hulk form. Although unlike 616 Betty who joins Bruce's ''[[ComicBook/ImmortalHulk United States Hulk Operations]]'' as Red Harpy, Ultimate Betty gets depowered and held captive by SHIELD for the duration of the universe. |
| 34 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': While still starting the story as a DamselInDistress, Zelda in the Nintendo Power comics ends the story by capping Ganon with a Silver Arrow. Overlaps with AdaptationalBadass. |
| 35 | * ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': Shadow Lass. Compare the fight with the Persuader. Some decades ago: Hides behind her shadows and cries for Mon-El to help. After-reboot: Blinds him and mops up the floor with him. (The generic setup is so similar that it well might have been an intentional lampshading.) |
| 36 | * ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': The series has Lady Sif, a badass LadyOfWar who is the title character's recurring LoveInterest. She's based on Thor's wife from Myth/NorseMythology, who is a decidedly gentler [[MotherNature goddess of the crops]]. |
| 37 | * ''ComicBook/RapunzelsRevenge'': The comic has Rapunzel lassoing villains with her hair and generally kicking ass. |
| 38 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': |
| 39 | ** In some alternate timelines, ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson has had spider abilities and used them as a superhero. Hell, it doesn't even have to be AlternateUniverse, as MJ gets Spidey's powers in ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'' and in ''Superior Spider-Man 28'' [[https://www.spidermancrawlspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SuperiorSpider-Man28-p.10.jpg she make good use of the web shooters]]. |
| 40 | ** ComicBook/GwenStacy [[ILetGwenStacyDie was best known for dying tragically]]. However ComicBook/SpiderGwen revamps the character into a badass ActionGirl who beats out many of the other Spider-Women with sheer popularity. |
| 41 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': |
| 42 | ** Occurred with ComicBook/LoisLane's ComicBook/PostCrisis reboot, though in truth it was actually a return to her Golden Age roots (in the pre-Silver Age comics, Lois was indeed quite the badass). Whereas her dominant characterization in the Silver Age had derailed her into a typical shrieking helpless damsel and in MediaNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}} it was attempted to make her TakeALevelInBadass, her revamped continuity fully restored her original badassery and gave her an [[MilitaryBrat army brat]] past to provide an origin for it, and made her highly adept at hand-to-hand combat as well as a wide range of weapons and vehicles. The ''very first'' post-crisis miniseries in which she appeared had her beating up and commandeering the machine guns of a gang of terrorists holding her and a group of socialites hostage on a yacht, while Superman lets her take care of things as he obligatorily carries the yacht to safety. Needless to say, this pretty much makes him fall for her even harder than he had already. |
| 43 | ** InUniverse example in ''Superman'' #146 when a board game called ''King's Feud'' is reinvented as a video game called ''[[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 King's Blood Feud of Death]]'', and one of the changes is "curvaceous Princess Gwyneth is now Princess Gore, more deadly than any knight!" Superman points out that this ChainmailBikini-clad character is actually ''more'' sexist than the original DamselInDistress. |
| 44 | * ''ComicBook/SuperMarioAdventures'': Princess Peach, ordinarily the DesignatedVictim of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', is an asskicker on par with (if not greater than) Mario himself. She's just about unstoppable until Bowser resorts to [[HypnotizeTheCaptive hypnosis]]. |
| 45 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman underwent this ComicBook/PostCrisis; while she was already a superhero, the [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 80's version of the character]] played up her Amazon Warrior roots and even has her killing some of her foes. The [[ComicBook/WonderWoman2011 2011]] Post-ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}} reboot takes this up a notch by ratcheting up the Amazon warrior aspect even further. |
| 46 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 47 | ** ComicBook/JeanGrey embodied TheSmurfettePrinciple back in the 60s; despite her MindOverMatter powers she was more like TheTeam's [[https://kevinreviewsuncannyxmen.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/photo-17.png nurse maid]] than a ActionGirl in her own right. This all changed in the 70s, 80s and ''especially the 90s'' as apart from the whole Dark Phoenix Saga (where Jean became a CosmicEntity) Jean frequently goes on her own missions without ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} to back her up. Not to mention [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/4ddS-YVVYJYT49nZckMWEh3Us7mBE57Nqld80i1jpbaM-f2USrA0GPlaa_8NTVAidtzuc82fk2kL=s1600 the time]] where she gave ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} a telepathic NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. |
| 48 | ** Similar to Jean, Wanda Maxminoff aka ComicBook/ScarletWitch wasn’t much more than another member of her father ComicBook/{{Magneto}}’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants serving as the DesignatedGirlFight for Jean and got hit on by Mastermind and Toad. Wanda’s powers were also pretty lame as she could “alter probability” and shoot hex bolts. She became more powerful when she did a HeelFaceTurn to join The Avengers and by the time of modern comics she’s a badass RealityWarper who can kick ComicBook/DoctorStrange, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], ComicBook/BlackBolt and ComicBook/DoctorDoom’s asses and can go toe to toe with [[CosmicEntity cosmic beings]] and equal TheChosenOne [[ComicBook/GenerationHope Hope Summers]] in a fight. |
| 49 | ** ComicBook/KittyPryde in her debut was a TagAlongKid who mostly provided support and sneaked around with her {{Intangibility}} rather than fighting. She also needed to be frequently protected by her older teammates and [[DamselInDistress rescued]] from the likes of Caliban who tried to [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forcibly marry her]]. Kitty gradually became more badass as comics went on including receiving training from Wolverine, one particular comic shows how deadly Kitty’s power can be as she reaches into ComicBook/EmmaFrost’s chest and [[AndShowItToYou rips out her heart]]. In ''ComicBook/AllNewXMen'' Kitty becomes TheLeader of the X-Men herself which is a far cry from TheBabyOfTheBunch she once was. |
| 50 | [[/folder]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 53 | * Parodied in ''Fanfic/AngryMarinesRubyQuest''. Whereas in [[Roleplay/RubyQuest the original]], Ruby is more of an ActionSurvivor who is described as having a [[WomenAreDelicate "girlish figure"]] and requires the help of [[MenAreTough Tom]] to do most of the heavy lifting, here she's a ReligiousBruiser with UnstoppableRage who [[ActionGirlfriend saves Tom]] by punching a hole through the ceiling of his cell and escapes [[AbandonedHospital the facility]] by swimming to the surface [[spoiler:and then proceeds to flee with Tom to the moon]]. When questioned on how did she manage all her [[BeyondTheImpossible obviously impossible feats]], all [[TheNarrator the Angry Marine]] bothers to explain is that she's "guided by [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 the Emperor]]! [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments All things are possible by him!]]" |
| 54 | * Taken to hilarious extremes in [=ComicsNix=]'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgxrYH6xbTU Bella Swan]]: [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5674909/1/Bella-Swan-Pregnant-and-Furious Pregnant and Furious]], which basically treats ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' like ''Fanfic/ThirtyHs'' treats ''Franchise/HarryPotter''. Probably justified, since she made a DealWithTheDevil. |
| 55 | * ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has the canonical examples of Lady Sif, Pepper Potts (though a more downplayed example, as she hasn't -- yet -- been infected with Extremis or got her own suit), [[ComicBook/ScarletWitch Wanda Maximoff]], and [[ComicBook/WonderWoman Diana]]. |
| 56 | ** Wanda takes it even further than canon, favoring a BadassLongcoat and practical shirts and trousers in combat, unlike her canon counterpart's classic leotard and tiara and more recent fancy attire. She also has no aversion to close combat, if it comes to it. |
| 57 | ** Despite the fact that Diana is no older than 12 when the story starts and emphasizes compassion, she's also notably HotBlooded, takes down a monster that took the combined efforts of Wanda and Harry Dresden (with an assist from a [[CarFu Tumbler-driving]] Bruce Wayne) to defeat in a single shot, and goes bare-knuckle with a {{Dhampyr}} [[spoiler: Peter Parker]] possessed by [[VampireMonarch Dracula]] (who's an even match for [[PhysicalGod Thor]]). |
| 58 | * ''Fanfic/CodexEquus'': Many female characters in the Codexverse were adapted from all generations of the ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' series and other non-MLP media, and given upgrades in badassery to varying degrees. |
| 59 | ** In [=G1=] canon, Magic Star was the leader and TeamMom of the Dream Valley Ponies, though her toy's backcard implies she has magic powers, too. Here, she's a powerful [[TheArchmage Archmage]] capable of wielding powerful sorcery, as well as ''the'' greatest enchantress and [[UltimateBlacksmith wand-maker]] on the planet, though she's skilled enough to have created multiple non-wand artifacts over the Ages. She also re-Ascended [[spoiler:as the divine reincarnation of Plasmatio Equus, one of the [[TheOldGods Thirteen Empyreans]]]], which made her even ''more'' powerful and granted her a new domain in Creation [[spoiler:which Plasmatio was also a goddess of in life]]. |
| 60 | ** Melody from the G2 Musical Ponies toyline loved riding and dreaming with her Pony friends. Here, she started off as a [[HeroicLineage mortal Third-Age descendant of the Second Age's Melody]] who Ascended to godhood and became the Alicorn goddess of Musical Magic, Endurance, and Dreams. And as a result of absorbing copious amounts of WildMagic while trying to contain the Castle of Music's meltdown, she ended up becoming considerably older and more powerful than a typical goddess her age would've been; her entry explicitly compares her power levels to being on par with that of Belyolen and Temnobog, both of them "Tier IV"-ranked deities. |
| 61 | ** The Virtuous Seven came from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'', a SliceOfLife tv cartoon that focused on seven teenage fillies living ordinary lives in Ponyland. Here, while they do start out normal, they become beloved superheroines and {{Chosen One}}s picked by the Armors of Virtue in the Isle of Pony to wield them. They even helped defeat and kill Queen Dark Crystal, the living embodiment of Tellusian sapientkind's evils and vices, impressing the Grand Primevals. Three Ages after their deaths, the Virtuous Seven would Ascend and come BackFromTheDead as Alicorn goddesses and demigoddesses. |
| 62 | ** All of the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Mane Six]] were already badass heroines in canon, but of them all, only Twilight Sparkle became an Alicorn. Here, all of the Mane Six have additional powers and skills that their canon counterparts do not have. And not only does Twilight/Amicitia become an Alicorn, but the rest of the Mane Six Ascend, too. |
| 63 | *** Canon Twilight Sparkle was already a badass mage even before becoming an Alicorn, and after her transformation, she was able to take on Tirek and fight him to a standstill. In the Codexverse, she takes every single accomplishment made in canon and expands on them; before Ascending, she and her friends ''purified a Disorder Lord'' (a huge feat especially for a mortal). During her fight with Tirek, it's noted a huge portion of her power came from both herself and Cadence despite being also empowered by Celestia and Luna... and Twilight was just a ''demigoddess'' at the time. Even [[BigGood Luminiferous]], himself an ancient god, stated her potential is so immense it rivals his when he was at her age. Then she becomes ''more'' powerful when she Ascends to true godhood during the "League of Domination Crisis" [[spoiler:which saw her becoming the divine {{Reincarnation}} of Mana Equus, Equinekind's first goddess of Magic and the one who granted Equinekind the ability to use magic]]. Since then, she became the Princess equivalent of an EmperorScientist, spreading friendship while creating (or advocating the creation of) various technologies and spells. |
| 64 | ** [[Anime/KillLaKill Ragyō Kiryūin]] was already a powerful woman due to her Life Fiber DNA, her [[LivingClothes Kamui outfits]], and her devastating combat skill that surpasses even that of her daughters. Here, Silk Dawn is an ancient, "Primeval"-ranked goddess of Primordial Light, Fabric, and Beauty who is a daughter of one of the oldest deities alive, requiring even the likes of equally powerful, benevolent deities (such as her own children, who betrayed her for her constant abuse of them) to take her down for good. |
| 65 | ** In [=G1=] canon, Glory was a young Unicorn who could teleport herself and others by "wishing", though one [=G1=] comic depicted her using magic comet rays to save Sparkler after the latter was turned invisible by a flower necklace. Here, it's revealed that Glory's magic is fueled by belief -- the stronger her beliefs are, the stronger her spells become, which explains how she ended up in a Human kingdom far away from home. After training under [[{{Seers}} Prince Stella Fictor Cahaya]], Glory Ascends and becomes the Alicorn goddess of Magic, Belief, and Friendship, though she goes further by turning an eldritch goddess during the "Cosmic Prophet Debacle" thanks to Caelum Filum's influence. She's also a swordsmare whose chosen weapon is a divinely-made rapier named ''Majestic'', created by her friend, Princess Magic Star/Magicum. |
| 66 | ** Rarity of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3'' was a Unicorn filly armed with a Rainbow Wand, which had the power to create rainbows and restore colors. Here, in addition to her canon abilities, Rarity Ascends to godhood under Luminiferous' tutelage as the Alicorn Princess Arcus Unicornia, and becomes one of both Unicornia and Ponyland's major defenders, earning the [[VillainRespect respect]] of the Third Age's [[TheEmpire Old Cryptan Empire]]. At the end of the Third Age, when the Oceanaiads enacted their [[TakingYouWithMe suicide gambit]], Rarity/Arcus absorbed the ''entire'' Rainbow Nexus into herself and miraculously survived, in the process empowering herself so drastically that she is presently equal to Luminiferous in both age and divine power. Of note, shortly after her aforementioned deed, Rarity/Arcus tested her powers and discovered a casual blast obliterated ''a nearby mountain''. |
| 67 | ** Pillow Talk was only featured in one [=G1=] Pony toy set called the "Slumber Party Gift Pack", with not even a backstory card to her name. Here, she starts off as a sleep-talking filly with powerful Dream magic until she killed a Dream Demon while protecting the sleeping foals of Paradise of Estate. Under the tutelage of the Somareia and later Somarenus himself, she becomes a capable heroine who helped her fellow Paradise Ponies combat many threats of the First Age, including the Hydianites. While she was left psychologically broken when the Hydianites captured and tortured her, she was able to bounce back thanks to her friends and family's support, later Ascending to godhood as the Alicorn goddess of Dreams, Sleep, and Protection. In the Third Age, she participated in the "Abyssal Wars" and helped fight the [[EldritchAbomination Abyssal Ones]], which transformed her into an eldritch goddess due to the Abyssal Ones' sheer eldritch presence and power. |
| 68 | * In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' canon, Loren has a strong introduction in ''The Andalite Chronicles'', and when she's reintroduced in the main series she risks her life to save Tobias, but then she majorly fades back. ''Fanfic/{{Daemorphing}}'''s Loren becomes a full Animorph about halfway through the series, fully participating in their actions. |
| 69 | * In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', Elisif the Fair was the grieving widow of Skyrim's former High King and turned out to be an ineffective leader when she tried to take his place, ending up as a mere PuppetQueen to whichever side won Skyrim's CivilWar. In ''Fanfic/ElisifTheDragonQueen'', she takes the role of the PlayerCharacter as the Dragonborn and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass as the story goes on]]. Around halfway through ''The Wolf Queen Awakens'', she [[spoiler:kills Ulfric in a DuelToTheDeath and later goes on to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu slay Alduin]].]] |
| 70 | * ''Fanfic/TheFirstSaniwa'' does this to Kuzunoha, UsefulNotes/AbeNoSeimei's mother. Rather than the helpless fox demon chased down by hunters before being saved by Abe no Yasuna in mythology canon, she is now a {{naginata|sAreFeminine}}-wielding badass capable of wiping out her pursuers herself, with Yasuna only playing the role of a distraction in the story. |
| 71 | * Hinata in ''Fanfic/AGrowingAffection''. In the first book, she and Franchise/{{Naruto}} become training partners, and Tsunade decides to put them [[ShipperOnDeck as a pair]] through TrainingFromHell. By the middle of book 3, Kakashi acknowledges she is one of the ten strongest Leaf ninjas. [[spoiler: She kills Madara towards the end of the last book. With a little help from Sakura.]] |
| 72 | * Jasmine in the Pokemon games is a sweet girl who nurtures a sick Pokemon back to health. Jasmine in the ''Fanfic/HarryPotterPokemonMaster'' series? A badass warrior chick raised by freedom fighters who loves knives. |
| 73 | * ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5276798/1/Kairi-Gaiden Kairi Gaiden]]'' does this to Kairi during ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. Instead of getting rescued by Pluto and spending the game talking to the Twilight Town trio, she goes on her own adventure, earning her own Keyblade (instead of being handed it by Riku), honing the fighting skills she gained from her time trapped in Sora's body, and fighting a new foe. |
| 74 | * Daenerys in ''Fanfic/AManOfIron'' and its sequels. By ''A Shield of Man'', she has sworn never to wear a dress again, choosing to wear Dothraki leather and leads her army into battle while wielding fire powers. |
| 75 | * ''Fanfic/TheMythOfLinkAndZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Three major female characters adapted from ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' are given a major upgrade in badassery compared to their canon counterparts. |
| 76 | ** Zelda is a canonical example of this trope already, with her incarnation in the game being the most powerful ever. However, this version of Zelda has Nayru's Love, Farore's Wind, and Din's Fire. She eventually gains control of these powers and thus is a bit of an ActionGirl in her own right when she's very much not during this period. Even more, [[spoiler: her sealing power is upgraded, where she doesn't just have flashy golden powers, but can transform into an enormous golden owl.]] |
| 77 | ** Impa was shown to be quite powerful in combat as shown in ''Age of Calamity'', but in the original game, she was a feeble eldery RetiredBadass. In this fanfic, she's an OldMaster who can fight and kill Yiga members without a struggle. [[spoiler: She eventually is deaged back to being 20 years old, and then further gets an upgrade when she gets access to her own powerful spirit animal like Zelda and Link have.]] |
| 78 | ** Paya in the game is the epitome of TheIngenue and the ShrinkingViolet, barely having the mental capacity to even talk to Link. [[spoiler: That's how she starts in this fic, too. The Lakna Rokee quest is kept from the original game, and used to give her a motivation to want to learn how to fight. She does, and becomes quite good at it. She then gets even more powerful when Astor's Malice Orb is purified into the Sheikah Orb, and it grants her access to numerous time manipulation powers, including summoning monsters from across different timelines.]] |
| 79 | * Aurora from ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'' is often given this treatment in fanfics, though arguably she had it in her in the original - it's just that there isn't much ass-kicking to be done when you live in a peaceful forest. In ''Seldom All They Seem'' by Creator/{{Bemusedlybespectacled}}, for example, Aurora is a thief, who can kick some ass if needed. |
| 80 | * If a ''Film/TronLegacy'' fic ''doesn't'' kill off [[SequelNonEntity Yori]], chances are, they'll end up doing this. Justified as Clu's rule is even nastier than Master Control, that she already fought against Master Control as a [[AcePilot pilot]] and [[TheEngineer saboteur]], and that someone has to be kicking ass and taking names for the Users with her bondmate out of the picture. |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 84 | * Disney's ''WesternAnimation/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime'' features the [[PrincessClassic classic]] Franchise/DisneyPrincess escaping from a demon pumpkin carriage onto horseback in a tattered wedding dress with her disheveled hair blowing in the wind. |
| 85 | * Disney turned ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'''s [[TheIngenue Esmeralda]] into a street-smart CombatPragmatist ActionGirl who fights with Frollo's {{mooks}} on a regular basis, to the point that she needs CharlesAtlasSuperpower for most of her stunts to even work. It's downplayed overall, as they also [[AdaptationalIntelligence made her smarter than the original character]], and that the character trait that stands out most about Esmeralda in the adaptation [[PluckyGirl is her moral courage]] rather than being an ActionGirl. |
| 86 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' does this with the mermaid from the original story. Ariel rescuing her prince from a shipwreck becomes a full action scene, and she later saves his life again from Ursula. It's downplayed in the first film, but in the prequel TV series and sequel movie she's a definite ActionGirl. |
| 87 | * Although Fiona is an original character, ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' does this to the PrincessClassic, DamselInDistress and SaveThePrincess tropes themselves by having her practice kung fu. |
| 88 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' makes Rapunzel a more pro-active character, who knocks out the male lead with a frying pan as soon as he sneaks into her tower. She also uses her hair itself as a weapon numerous times. Like Esmerelda, this is downplayed - as Rapunzel's strength lies in her kindness and compassion for others. |
| 89 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' does this to Princess Peach. In the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros games]], she's usually ''the'' DamselInDistress, (when she's not a playable fellow heroine like in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRun'', and especially ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' where everyone else was out of commission and she saved her kingdom all by herself), otherwise usually being conflict-adverse and a passive figure. She's also a well defined soft-spoken GirlyGirl ([[GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak with a tomboy streak]]). Here, right from the get-go, she's a more confident, outspoken, and assertive active ruler, actively planning to stop Bowser of her own initiative and even joining Mario to take the fight to the Koopa King. And, outfits shared with the games aside, [[TomboyPrincess more of a Tomboy than a Girly Girl]]. |
| 90 | [[/folder]] |
| 91 | |
| 92 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 93 | * Queen Gorgo in ''Film/ThreeHundredRiseOfAnEmpire''. In the [[Film/ThreeHundred first movie]] she was already a strong and courageous queen, but there's no hint she's trained in combat and her only action scene involved her [[spoiler:fatally stabbing a courtier who betrayed Sparta and [[ScarpiaUltimatum coerced her into sex]] in exchange for saving her husband]]. In the sequel she's shown straight-up leading troops into battle (which didn't happen in real life, though it's ''far'' from the only example of ArtisticLicenseHistory in the ''300'' franchise). |
| 94 | * Alice in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', to a smaller extent. She becomes TheChosenOne who is destined to slay the Jabberwocky with the Vorpal Sword. She dons armour in the final scene but doesn't do too much fighting (she is still a ProperLady from Victorian society after all). But she still defeats the beast. |
| 95 | * Susan Pevensie in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' series of movies. This is to remedy some ValuesDissonance in the original book, where Father Christmas says that "battles are ugly when women fight". Susan doesn't fight in the battle in the first movie, but she is shown to be an excellent archer and kills Jadis's dwarf at the end. By the sequel, she's essentially a brunette Legolas and gets to fight and take part in battles; in fact, Susan gets the first kill when saving Trumpkin from the Telmarines. Lucy avoids battle completely in the first film, attempts to fight Nikkabrik in the second (as well as drawing a dagger when being faced by an army of Telmarines), and properly becomes an ActionGirl in the third. This is presumably due to the character being a teenager now. |
| 96 | * Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse: Like most ComicBook/PostCrisis comics, Diana/Wonder Woman's Amazon Warrior roots are played up, she fights with a shield and a sword and she kills some of her foes, particularly when Creator/ZackSnyder directed films featuring her (''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', ''[[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague Justice League]]'') or had a strong influence over them (''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}''). Director Creator/PattyJenkins deliberately wanted to {{avert|ed Trope}} this trope in ''Film/WonderWoman1984'', however. She's still an effective fighter in, but not as vicious as in other films. |
| 97 | * Hermione Granger didn't properly become an ActionGirl until the fifth ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book, and even then she was still inexperienced. In [[Film/HarryPotter the films]] she gets Xenafied two stories earlier by riding around on the Whomping Willow (and somehow being able to use its momentum to throw Harry through the hole), being able to throw a pumpkin seed several feet through a kitchen window to break a sugar bowl, blast a cage door open, and perfectly imitate a werewolf's call to save everyone. In the books, the most she does is kick Sirius in the head to get him off Harry (oddly enough the film left '''that''' out). Also, her BitchSlap to Malfoy was changed to a punch. |
| 98 | * Creator/KeiraKnightley plays a scantily clad, sharp-shooting Guinevere in ''Film/KingArthur2004''. |
| 99 | * Mina Harker in ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' has this twice over, as in the [[Literature/{{Dracula}} original novel]], Mina despite getting a pistol, only has a supporting role in Dracula's defeat, and in [[ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen the comics]], Mina is TheLoad and unabashedly and frequently the DamselInDistress. In the movie, however, Mina actually has vampire powers, making her an ActionGirl. She even takes down TheMole. |
| 100 | * In an attempt to make her an actual character (and cut down on the amount of characters), Arwen from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' was given a big chase scene on horseback that Glorfindel does in the book. She was originally intended to fight at Helm's Deep as well, in order to allow her and Aragorn to actually interact, but it was cut in favor of sticking closer to the books. By that point, however, fans had already dubbed her Xenarwen. Creator/LivTyler even comments on this in the extended version's behind the scenes, saying she had done months of swordplay training to prepare for Helm's Deep, before the fans caught wind and dubbed her "Liv Tyler, Warrior Princess", and the idea was scrapped. |
| 101 | * Evelyn Carnahan in ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. In the [[Film/TheMummy1999 first film]], she is able to hold off most of her attackers (not so much a fully rejuvenated mummy, however), but not necessarily fight back. By the [[Film/TheMummyReturns second film]], she knows how to use katanas and sais, and aim guns with deadly accuracy thanks to living with an ex-legionaire for ten years and starting to remember her previous life as an Egyptian princess. |
| 102 | * Pepper Potts in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, as Pepper in comics rarely got any kick-ass moments and her specialised PoweredArmour has no offensive functions. In the movies, Pepper not only [[Film/IronMan kills the first Big Bad]], but also briefly [[Film/IronMan3 becomes superhuman with the Extrimis Virus]], killing the villain again, and in [[Film/AvengersEndgame the battle for earth]], Pepper gets her own ''fully armed'' Iron Man suit and fights alongside Tony as a BattleCouple. |
| 103 | * Elizabeth Swann from ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' was never [[PluckyGirl actually weak or passive]] in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl first movie]], and even fought alongside Will in the final battle. However, in the sequels she ditched the dress, [[ActionGirl grabbed a sword]], and TookALevelInBadass. It was partially explained for the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second movie]], with her telling Jack that Will taught her how to sword fight. |
| 104 | * Daphne in the ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie banks on Creator/SarahMichelleGellar's ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' fighting moves to make her tougher. The trope is lampshaded when the gang [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether meets up after a long time apart]] and she reveals that she studied martial arts because she's so sick of always being the DamselInDistress. |
| 105 | * While Irene Adler has [[BreakoutVillain gotten an expanded role]] in ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'' adaptations for a long while, in the 2009 film ''[[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 Sherlock Holmes]]'', she becomes a definite ActionGirl, which is showcased in a MuggingTheMonster scene. This probably has to do with the fact that the film also emphasizes Holmes and Watson's (canonical) fighting prowess. In the sequel, Mary seems like she's getting this treatment as well - as she threatens an assailant with a gun. But she's not in the thick of battle for the rest of the movie (though she does prove integral in the climax). |
| 106 | * ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers2011'' makes [[TheVamp Milady]] a DarkActionGirl who can take down a half-dozen men while wearing a PimpedOutDress. In the original book, she had all her fighting done for her by minions, with her, the narration and other characters all saying that she ''had'' to have others do the fighting and killing for her, because she, as a woman, was simply incapable of being physically violent. |
| 107 | * ''{{Film/Pan}}'': |
| 108 | ** The film makes Tiger Lily an ActionGirl who fights with Peter against Blackbeard. |
| 109 | ** In the book, Peter's mother was a standard Victorian woman. In this version she was a fairy who led LaResistance. |
| 110 | * An in-universe example in the live-action ''Film/PeterPan'' film. Wendy's version of Literature/{{Cinderella}} swashbuckles with pirates trying to steal her glass slippers and gutting any pirate who dares to call her "girly". |
| 111 | * ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' (pictured above in comparison to the [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Disney movie]]) has Snow White donning knight's armor and leading a rebellion against the Evil Queen. In this version of the story, she hasn't just been forced to scrub floors, she's been locked in a tower for eight years. Like the Esmeralda example in the "Films — Animation" folder, this is downplayed. In this case, Snow White's strength as a character comes from her kindness and courage and is about her journey to become TheHighQueen. The only fight scene she has is with Ravenna. The Evil Queen now becomes a BigBad who uses her powers to conquer entire kingdoms, technically making her an example of the trope too. |
| 112 | * Also occurs in 2012's other Snow-White adaptation, ''Film/MirrorMirror'', with the seven dwarves training Snow White to be a CombatPragmatist ActionGirl. |
| 113 | * Dracula's brides in ''Film/VanHelsing''. In addition to getting names and characterisation, they also get plenty of fight scenes and are a lot more competent than the [[FauxActionGirl supposed heroine]]. They're also given the handy little power of turning into harpy-like creatures whenever they feel like it. |
| 114 | * The 2003 live action ''{{Film/Thunderbirds}}'' film reveals that Lady Penelope is quite a capable ActionGirl when she and Parker are ambushed on Tracey Island. [[GirlyBruiser She kicks ass while wearing her pink pantsuit and high heels]] and uses a ParasolOfPrettiness as a weapon. |
| 115 | * ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' does this to Violet Beauregarde. In the books, she doesn't appear to be particularly strong; here, her EstablishingCharacterMoment sees her take down two fully-grown men, and she's shown to be aggressive when it comes to competitions in general (likely to [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl better contrast her]] with the more feminine Veruca). |
| 116 | * ''Film/{{Wendy}}'': Here unlike in most portrayals Wendy's a {{tomboy}} ActionGirl who's feisty as all of the Lost Boys, Peter included, since she's {{one of the boys}} and an {{outdoorsy gal}}. |
| 117 | [[/folder]] |
| 118 | |
| 119 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 120 | * This is the whole point of ''Literature/ThePrincessSeries'' by Jim C. Hines. Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty -- all [[DamselInDistress Distressed Damsels]] in the original tales -- form a ''Series/CharliesAngels''-esque ActionGirl PowerTrio who kick ass throughout the fairytale world. Other alumnae include Literature/TheLittleMermaid -- who is the homicidally insane warlord and ruler of the merfolk -- and Literature/LittleRedRidingHood, who is a [[PsychoForHire psychotic serial-killer/professional assassin]]. |
| 121 | * Literature/NancyDrew is another example like Lois Lane of this going in the opposite direction then swinging back with a vengeance. In the original stories of the 1930s, she was definitely more headstrong than a typical teenage girl of the time period, but her greatest strength was being stubborn and clever instead of being strong. After a near OrwellianRetcon of the stories in the 1950s, she became quite a bit more ladylike, with a lot more "smiling sweetly" and "asking nicely." However, after the Feminist Movement rolled around and the stories changed publishers in the 1970s, Nancy became a full fledged ActionGirl. The SpinOff series "The Nancy Drew Files" gave Nancy martial arts training and made the already-tomboyish George an accomplished athlete. The most recent series "Nancy Drew: Girl Detective" is a more partial example: They're not quite to the level they were in the "Files," but they have gotten a bit more clever, George is still athletic, but also a computer whiz, and the normally timid Bess is now a full-fledge WrenchWench. |
| 122 | * ''Literature/TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'' features plenty of mythological and historical {{Action Girl}}s such as Scathach the Shadow and Joan of Arc, but it applies this trope to several others. Perenelle Flamel becomes one of the most powerful sorceresses known to mankind, and Virginia Dare gets similar treatment. |
| 123 | [[/folder]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 126 | * ''Series/{{Cursed|2020}}'': |
| 127 | ** In this take on the Arthurian Legend, Guinevere or the Red Spear as she's known here goes from a noblewoman to a Viking raider, with an aggressive personality to match. |
| 128 | ** Similarly, the Lady of the Lake becomes a sword-wielding MagicKnight who leads a resistance. |
| 129 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Although she's not much of an ActionGirl herself, Ellaria Sand is portrayed here as vengeful and war-mongering, commanding the [[AmazonBrigade Sand Snakes]], personally killing [[spoiler:Princess Myrcella and Prince Doran]], sitting in on war councils and sailing with Yara Greyjoy's fleet. This is a stark contrast to [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire the books]], where Ellaria is characterized as a gentle person who wants to avoid violence, trying to dissuade the Sand Snakes from their revenge plots. |
| 130 | * In ''Series/HappyEndings'' this happens mildly to Jane during Krav Maga and then much more dramatically to Penny after Jazz Kwon-Do. Jane is already kind of a violent, action ready person, but Penny is a very girly, LargeHam type of woman. |
| 131 | * The ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'''s version of Galadriel begins the story without her ring of power and FightsLikeANormal, wielding a sword and wearing armour. In the books she is ActionGirl and LadyOfWar too, but relied mostly on her potent magical powers. Tolkien indeed described her being "of Amazon disposition" in his letters. |
| 132 | * In ''Series/LostInOz'', Princess Ozma is mentioned as having been trained from birth to fight the Wicked Witch, and is apparently in her 20s. [[spoiler: It's actually a subversion, as by the time the heroes rescue her she's lost all fighting capabilities and has been enchanted to be an eight-year-old]]. |
| 133 | * ''Series/Merlin2008'': Morgana is portrayed as a skilled swordswoman in the first series and brags that she used to beat Arthur in training. After her FaceHeelTurn, she becomes an extremely powerful EvilSorceress, one of the few opponents to consistently challenge Merlin (until he utterly curbstomps her in the final episode). |
| 134 | * In ''Series/TheNewAdventuresOfRobinHood'', Marian is a full-blown Series/{{Xena}} clone, even down to her outfit and whip. |
| 135 | * ''Series/OnceUponATime'' has a long tradition of this: |
| 136 | ** Snow White in particular is an extraordinary ActionGirl more than willing to fight anyone who tries to keep her away from Prince Charming (at one point planning to snipe the Evil Queen with a magic bow and [[InstantDeathBullet Instant Death Arrow]]). In this case it's fully justified as, after the Huntsman spares her, she becomes a forest bandit to survive. Season 5 reveals that she got her start as a teenager, with help from Hercules. |
| 137 | ** Little Red Riding Hood also kicks copious amounts of ass, [[spoiler:though in her case, it's because she ''is'' the Wolf in this adaptation--the trademark red cloak is an enchanted item that keeps her from transforming, and once she finds out the truth, she uses her wolf form to help her friends--after making sure they get ''far'' away from her first.]] |
| 138 | ** Ditto for Red's grandmother. Far from being eaten by a wolf, this one stands guarding all night with a crossbow and is able to shoot a gun out of someone's hand when her granddaughter is threatened. NeverMessWithGranny indeed. |
| 139 | ** A smaller case with Princess Anna from ''{{WesternAnimation/Frozen|2013}}''. It's established that she knows how to swordfight, a skill she didn't display in the film (not that she was ever in a situation where she would ''need'' to demonstrate it). She and Kristoff become a BattleCouple once or twice, and she was the one who trained Charming. She explains that she learned from her soldiers after the film. |
| 140 | ** Implied with Maid Marian, as she's shown drawing a weapon to help fight a snow monster. However the monster is quickly destroyed by Regina's magic - and Marian is not in any other battle scenes. Also, [[spoiler:she's not really Marian, but a glamoured Zelena]]. |
| 141 | ** Regina the Evil Queen, although downplayed: on top of being a LadyOfBlackMagic, later seasons reveal she learned to fight with a sword. |
| 142 | *** A spell of sorts brings everyone to a parallel universe with role reversals: Regina becomes a Snow White expy (and vice versa), thus a bandit, archer, sword fighter and so on, enforcing this trope in full. |
| 143 | ** Downplayed with The Blue Fairy. She's a pacifist most of the time, but ''does'' lead an attack against Regina in the war. |
| 144 | ** Tiger Lily also becomes an ActionGirl who is also a former fairy and therefore force for BigGood. |
| 145 | ** If you mess with Tinkerbell here, don't expect her to act by proxy via the Lost Boys or the mermaids: she'll knock you off and pin you to the wall with a knife or a poisoned stick at your throat. |
| 146 | ** The SpinOff series does the same with Alice in ''Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland'', wherein our female protagonist is able to take out a number of asylum orderlies all by herself. The second episode shows her being taught by her love interest in a flashback. |
| 147 | ** Both iterations of Cinderella: the first is a PrincessClassic mostly played straight, until she picks up a shotgun and [[spoiler:apparently]] goes after her stepmother and stepsister; the second is as much an ActionGirl as Snow White, what with [[KickingAssInAllHerFinery sword fighting in a ball gown]], infiltrating the ball to try and assassinate the prince, joining LaResistance and so on. |
| 148 | * As mentioned above, Maid Marian from the BBC's ''Series/RobinHood'' had a secret identity as the Night Watchman, a masked and hooded vigilante who was giving alms to the poor long before Robin came up with the idea. Despite Marian having a reputation as an ActionGirl in the original ballads, the Night Watchman was clearly an attempt on the writers' behalf to have a "strong, modern take" on Marian, an idea that (in the context of the show) was somewhat unnecessary for several reasons: a) Marian already had a vitally important role as the spy and informant within Castle Nottingham, b) the concept was stuffed full of FridgeLogic (why didn't anyone notice that the NWM had breasts? Why did Marian need the guise in the first place considering taking food/money to the poor was hardly illegal? Where did she get her combat skills in the first place?[[note]]She claims her father had her trained so that she "would have choices", but given that Sir Edward spends the entire show fretting over her and forbidding her to do things means that this explanation makes even ''[[VoodooShark less]]'' sense[[/note]]), and c) despite being presented as a skilled fighter, the writers often had her thrown into the role of DamselInDistress ''[[FauxActionGirl anyway]]'' (and most of her best badass moments were done ''without'' the disguise). For the most part, the writers get away with it considering their Marian ''was'' a three-dimensional character in her own right, and the idea fitted in well with Marian's rebellious attitude, but often the Night Watchman just felt like an excuse to have their lead female do an occasional back-flip or karate chop. |
| 149 | * Lucy Lane in the comics is best known as ComicBook/JimmyOlsen's stewardess love interest (though she did become Superwoman for a while). In ''{{Series/Supergirl 2015}}'' she's a MilitaryBrat who has become a major by the time she debuts in the show. She even [[spoiler: assumes control of the DEO at the end of Season 1]]. |
| 150 | * ''Series/TheWalkingDead'': Carol was an anti-social ShrinkingViolet who was too afraid to fight zombies and other enemies, but from Season 3 onward she becomes a CoolOldLady OneWomanArmy who slaughters hordes of walkers and AxCrazy humans alike and is willing to make the harder choices that others are too afraid to consider. Then she completely lays waste to a cannibal base holding her friends hostage, annihilating an entire armed group of sociopaths. |
| 151 | [[/folder]] |
| 152 | |
| 153 | [[folder:Mythology & Religion]] |
| 154 | * Maid Marian from the Myth/RobinHood legends is an odd case. She was an Action Girl in some of her original appearances (fighting Robin to a standstill [[SweetPollyOliver while disguised as a boy]] in one ballad). Victorian writers turned her into a DamselInDistress. Modern writers tend to make her an Action Girl again. |
| 155 | [[/folder]] |
| 156 | |
| 157 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 158 | * Noticing that most wrestling promotions of the USA were only giving women five minutes to wrestle, Penny Banner and Tom Randolph opened PGWA in 1992 where women would be able to wrestle for fifteen to thirty minutes. A match with Lexie Fyfe under the banner is credited with getting [[Wrestling/{{Lita}} Angelica]], who was primarily known for managing otherwise, a wrestling role in the WWF. |
| 159 | * Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} was originally brought into WWF to feud with Wrestling/{{Sable}}, but due to the latter's contract saying she couldn't take bumps, she came off looking rather weak. About a year passed and Jackie was able to show off her true ring skills, often getting in matches with men and even briefly winning the male Cruiserweight title. |
| 160 | * The WWE "Divas" as a whole got a big boost from 2001-2004 when David "Fit" Wrestling/{{Finlay}} came on board and was placed in charge of the division. More time and effort went into matches, storylines and pushing women who could actually wrestle. The Divas got to wrestle in rougher matches as well such as hardcore matches, tables matches and even a steel cage match. After Finlay went back to being an active wrestler, they quickly went back to the bikini models, short and tedious matches, and girl drama formula once again. Things slowly turned in their favour again in TheNewTens, with WWE themselves dubbing it the 'Women's Revolution'. |
| 161 | * Wrestling/TrishStratus is the wrestling queen of this trope. She came into Wrestling/{{WWE}} as a manager with an athletic build, but little actual fighting ability of her own, was shown as a submissive type for most of her early tenure, and then stepped up her in-ring work in a BIG way. She's now remembered as fondly for her impressive matches as for her impressive looks, and is in WWE's Hall Of Fame. |
| 162 | * Dutch Mantel was to Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s knockouts what Fit Finlay was to WWE's divas, taking them from valets who occasionally fought to giving them their own division where they sometimes wrestled in ''Impact'''s main event. Likewise, the division got a lot less time and importance once he was no longer a factor. |
| 163 | * Women wrestlers often debut as valets or managers to male superstars, before eventually making the transition to in-ring competitor. {{Wrestling/Naomi|Wrestler}}, Wrestling/SummerRae, {{Wrestling/Carmella}} and even further back with {{Wrestling/Jacqueline}} mentioned above all debuted as valets but became wrestlers full-time. |
| 164 | [[/folder]] |
| 165 | |
| 166 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 167 | * Fitting with the Alice in Wonderland example in Film, Alice takes ''several'' levels in badass in ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice''. Justified as it's a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind. |
| 168 | * Yuri of ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''. A DamselInDistress in the first game, but by the second has been taking up Kyokugen herself, much to her family's reluctance, and becoming an active fighter in that game and many more to come, mostly in the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' series. |
| 169 | * Jennifer Parker got hit with this trope very hard in ''Videogame/BackToTheFutureTheGame''. In the film trilogy, Jennifer was a [[TheLoad useless]], emotional SatelliteLoveInterest to Marty, but [[spoiler: in an alternate timeline]] in the game she becomes a rebellious bad girl stirring up trouble for the Citizen Brown Regime and actively assists Marty in taking it down. |
| 170 | * Elizabeth in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' ''Burial at Sea'' Episode 2 now wields the shotgun and other firearms effectively due to her inability to use [[RealityWarper Tears]] which no longer makes her a SquishyWizard. |
| 171 | * The ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' series does this for pretty much every female character, ditto for ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors''. Sun Shangxiang is a borderline example as she was known as something of an ActionGirl by the standards of her time. |
| 172 | * Terra from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' gets this in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''. In ''[=FFVI=]'' Terra while very powerful (especially in her [[SuperMode Esper form]]) is pretty meek and tends to dislike violence. In ''Dissida'' Terra is an unbridled LadyOfWar who’s more than willingly throw it down against Kefka and Sephiroth with her magic and swordplay. |
| 173 | * Yuna in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2''. She goes from being a White Mage/Summoner (Both of which are stock 'female' jobs in that franchise) to being gun slinging ActionGirl who thanks to the metagame Dressphere system, can be any of several 'boyish' jobs such as Warrior, Dark Knight and Berserker. |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'': |
| 175 | ** Aerith reverses the {{Chickification}} she got in ''[[Franchise/CompilationOfFinalFantasyVII The Compliation]]'' in the remake. All the [[PluckyGirl pluckiness]] she had from the original game that was largely [[DamselInDistress absent]] in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', is dialled up to badass levels. Instead always needing to rescued, Aerith can [[DamselOutOfDistress get herself out of trouble]]--best seen when she takes out Don Corneo‘s goon [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl with a chair]]. [[spoiler: There’s also the FinalBattle where saves Cloud from BigBad Sephiroth with her magic and even insults him like it’s nothing]]. |
| 176 | ** Downplayed with Tifa. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Gameplay-wise]], she’s always been a badass fighter, but the original game and other media focused more on her gentle qualities being the TeamMom and LivingEmotionalCrutch to her LoveInterest Cloud. Tifa’s only cutscene fight in the original game was a [[WimpFight girly slap fight]] with Scarlet and in actual bouts she tends to get [[TheWorfEffect clobbered]] (e.g her fight with Loz in ''Anime/AdventChildren''). In the remake, Tifa’s martial arts badassery is much more apparent. In various cutscenes, she pulls of all kinds of crazy feats like sending Eligor flying with her SuperStrength and can destroy Shinra mechs with a single punch. |
| 177 | ** In the original FFVII, Jessie was a clumsy chick who bordered on being TheLoad for [[LaResistance AVALANCHE]]. In the remake, she’s a spunky DemolitionsExpert who can hold her in own in a fight with her grenades. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the Whispers of Fate distract Jessie as she’s about to take down a Shinra helicopter and she gets killed as a result]]. |
| 178 | * ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''-branded spinoff ''[[VideoGame/FistOfTheNorthStarKensRage Ken's Rage]]'' does a similar thing for Mamiya, taking her from TheLoad to a tricky and technical character capable of going one-on-one with the other powerful martial artists in the series. |
| 179 | * ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'': |
| 180 | ** Kairi, who progressively goes from being a standard DamselInDistress to a full-fledged Keyblade wielder. In [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]], she spent 80% of the story inside of Sora's heart, with her body an empty shell. In ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII II]]'', she acquires a Keyblade and is able to kick plenty of ass to save Sora, Donald and Goofy from an abnormally large swarm of Heartless (plus, in [[Manga/KingdomHeartsII the manga]], she saves Sora from Xigbar). ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'' reveals that Kairi is one of the Seven Guardians of Light, necessitating her to train with her Keyblade. While ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII III]]'' downplays this transformation, ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIIIReMind Re𝄌Mind]]'' revels in it and then some, as Kairi goes toe-to-toe with Xemnas and ''nearly'' manages to win (whereas Roxas and Xion both struggle to even land a hit on him), as well as teaming up with Sora to defeat Master Xehanort for good. |
| 181 | ** While Ariel in ''Franchise/TheLittleMermaid'' franchise qualified as an ActionGirl, she was made into a guest party member in ''Kingdom Hearts'' and kicked more ass than she did in the movie or TV series (though neither of them had Heartless so who's to say she wasn't already like that?). Way before ''Kingdom Hearts'', the ''VideoGame/TheLittleMermaid'' for the NES cemented her status as this. |
| 182 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' |
| 183 | ** The titular Princess Zelda has progressively become more active in the games as the series went on. Originally just a classic DamselInDistress, in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' she gained the badass alter-ego Sheik, who admittedly didn't do much against the actual BigBad. But in the later games, starting with ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'', it became her schtick to fire Light Arrows at Ganon during the final battle, and in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' she even [[spoiler:helps Link push his sword into Malladus' head]]. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' has her [[spoiler:spending most of the game entombed in crystal and serving as a DamselInDistress again at the very end, but the first part has her getting all the way through one and a half major areas by herself before getting caught and needing Impa's help for bodyguard services, not to mention her backstory]]. |
| 184 | ** Predating ''Ocarina of Time'' are the much less [[SoBadItsGood well received]] ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDIGames Wand of Gamelon]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDIGames Zelda's Adventure]]'', which reverses the roles and has Zelda rescue Link. In these games, Zelda is made a straight up ActionGirl with the exact same weapons and combat abilities as Link. |
| 185 | ** ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' pulls this off with a lot of characters. Zelda goes to battle in full battle gear, Sheik becomes a MusicalAssassin, and the likes of Ruto and Fi along others become PromotedToPlayable. Since this is a ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' spinoff, each of them deal with {{Mooks}} by the thousands. |
| 186 | ** Impa undergoes a similar development to Zelda; in her initial appearance she's an elderly servant, but later games turn her into an Amazon Warrior who acts as Zelda's bodyguard. Since ''Ocarina of Time'', her role varies from game to game between the two archetypes, but ''Skyward Sword'' [[spoiler: includes [[IWasQuiteALooker both]] [[MiniatureSeniorCitizens of them]] thanks to TimeTravel shenanigans]]. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' features the goddess Amaterasu, who is not a fighter in the original mythology as an action heroine taking the form of a NobleWolf. |
| 188 | * ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend 2'' gives this treatment to Chang-er, the Goddess of the Moon from Chinese myths, who went from a benevolent, kindly, motherly figure to an asskicking heroine who slays demons with her ParasolOfPain. |
| 189 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 190 | ** Rebecca Chambers is a strange case, in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil RE1]] she was a squealing mimsy whom Chris [[TheLoad needed to be rescue and look after]]. In [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil0 RE0]] however Rebecca [[ActionGirl kicks plenty of ass]] and even takes down the [[MonstrousHumanoid Prototype Tyrant]] ''all by herself''. Unfortunately since [=RE0=] is a prequel this means Rebecca's portrayals in [=RE1=] and [[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]] are essentially {{Chickification}}. |
| 191 | ** Sherry Birkin when she first appeared in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]] was the TagAlongKid and often TheLoad needing to be rescued, protected and cured from TheVirus by Claire and Leon. By the time of [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 RE6]] Sherry [[TookALevelInBadass has grown into]] a special agent SheFu badass with a Wolverine-esque HealingFactor, her revamp was considered by fans to be one of the better aspects of the game. |
| 192 | ** Claire Redfield in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake RE2make]], sure Claire was plenty tough in the original but she was still a pretty girly (pink-wearing) college biker at end of the day. In the remake however Claire is nothing short of a hardcore ActionGirl who mouths off at the antagonists, willingly fights ThatOneBoss [[MamaBear for Sherry’s sake]] and even [[GatlingGood wields the goddamn Minigun]] during the FinalBattle. |
| 193 | * The [[Myth/JapaneseMythology mythological]] Amaterasu ran and hid in a cave after her brother Susano'o vandalized her belongings, and then ran from her other brother Tsukuyomi when he murdered a servant in front of her. However, when she appears in ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'', she flips those usual portrayals around: she's a warrior goddess decked in {{Samurai}} armor and her play style - including debuffing and using her Mirror of Yata to actually harm her enemies - involves hacking and slashing her enemies with Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, which can create a SwordBeam that also debuffs enemy hits. Basically, she becomes a FrontlineGeneral that leads her team by literally fighting the best she can in front. |
| 194 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Amy Rose was kidnapped in her first video game appearance in ''VideoGame/SonicCD''. She was given a [[CarryABigStick Piko Piko Hammer]] in ''VideoGame/SonicTheFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', and was more than capable of taking care of herself. Prior to that, her InformedAbility of being a spunky tomboy who could fend for herself started coming into light with the SpinOff games. Though she's [[GirlinessUpgrade gotten less tomboyish]] over the years, this trait being passed to newer female characters like [[VideoGame/SonicRush Blaze]] and [[VideoGame/SonicBoom Sticks]]. ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' would retroactively have Amy go on adventure with Sonic and his friends sometime before ''Adventure''. |
| 195 | * ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur -- Soul Edge'' had Sophitia's sister Cassandra as an offscreen character who led a normal life. In ''Soul Calibur II'' she became a playable character who took up the weapons to rescue her sister. |
| 196 | * Chun-Li in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' was only fighting to avenge her father's death. If she wins the tournament she spends the rest of her life as [[IJustWantToBeNormal "an ordinary girl."]] [[CapcomSequelStagnation Subsequent rereleases]] show that she got tired of that VERY quickly and became a police officer. Then ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' retconned it further, showing she was a member of Interpol long before the ''Street Fighter II'' tournament. At some point she does retire, only to come out to [[MamaBear rescue the children she adopted]] before ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''. |
| 197 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' : |
| 198 | ** Princess Peach actually goes through this a lot when she's not the DamselInDistress, generally keeping her girliness unlike other adaptations. While she's on the receiving end of a kidnapping a lot in the main series, save for those times when she's playable like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRun'' (after rescuing her), and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', partaking in the action. In spin-offs, however, she shows herself as a very strong and capable fighter. The ''Mario + Rabbids'' games has her actively fighting alongside the Mario Bros with a literal shotgun and cannon equipped ParasolOfPain and even gave her a BigDamnHeroes moment where she saved her allies from being frozen and in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', while she is captured for a portion of the game, as soon as you rescue her, she joins your team and quickly proves to be a vital asset to the party with her healing magic and status effect attacks as well has her signature FryingPanOfDoom, CombatHandFan and brutal GloveSlap. The ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series tends to make her a helpful character even when captive, causing trouble for Mario's enemies as a SpannerInTheWorks and helping from afar in the final battles with her magic and she's even outright playable in ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' where she is portrayed as a DeadpanSnarker ActionGirl. In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' she is an exceptionally powerful fighter for her weight class and [[FightingClown odd fighting style]]. The biggest version of this however, would be in ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' (her first starring role) where as soon as she learns that Bowser had taken over her kingdom again and captured the Mario Bros. and her subjects, she goes into a fit of rage and solos Bowser and his army with nothing but her magical ParasolOfPain, her butt and her new-found power of emotion, ending up saving her kingdom all by herself. Not bad for being the DamselInDistress. |
| 199 | *** On an interesting note, one scrapped concept for the ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}} [=SuperChargers=]'' Toys/{{amiibo}} hybrids had Peach going full Xenafication with a suit of knight armor and a sword. The idea was rejected by Nintendo, however, who considered these changes too extreme and favored Donkey Kong and Bowser. |
| 200 | ** Princess Daisy. When she was first introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'', she was actually portrayed as a DamselInDistress where she is kidnapped by the evil alien Tatanga, and Mario had to defeat the alien to save her. Now, she's a TomboyPrincess who appears in various spinoff games alongside Peach and prefers competing in sporting events more. She would make her first playable appearance in a mainline ''Mario'' platformer in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', capable of kicking butt like the rest of the heroes. |
| 201 | * ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In the original ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 '87 TMNT]]'' cartoon, April O'Neil was often a victim who needed to be saved, with the tie-in video games following suit. However, some games are exceptions to the rule and have her receive fighting skills that are on par with the Turtles, especially in the wake of later adaptations with [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 more]] [[WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}} badass]] [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 incarnations]] [[WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles of her]]. |
| 202 | ** The Platform/SegaGenesis version of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters'' stands out as the only version to make April into a playable character, ditching her reporter look in favor of a full-on martial artist that can shoot out fireballs ala ''Street Fighter''. |
| 203 | ** ''VideoGame/NickelodeonAllStarBrawl'' features April alongside Leonardo and Michelangelo to represent the 1987 series in the base game, generally using [[ImprobableWeaponUser her studio equipment]] to complement her [[KickChick proficiency in kicking]]. |
| 204 | ** ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge'' has her join the Turtles' latest adventure from the very start and display some impressive fighting techniques that take a page from ''Street Fighter'', as well as occasionally using studio equipment as weapons like in the above example. |
| 205 | * ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'': Clementine was just an innocent little girl who liked to play and have fun, but as soon as the zombie apocalypse comes down on her [[spoiler: and the death of her best friend/surrogate parent Lee]] she graduates to a full on ActionGirl defending herself and outsmarting people bigger than her. |
| 206 | * ''VideoGame/WWFNoMercy'' decided to make the female wrestlers[[note]]this game predated the term 'Divas'[[/note]] playable competitively at the expense of realism and moveset accuracy. Trish Stratus, for example, used the koppu kick, rolling senton and choke w/bodyscissor in this game, even though at the time the game came out she was still in her "so bad she can botch a catfight" stage. They were also given enough stats to be competitively played rather than minimal stats like female wrestlers usually are in [=WWF/E=] games. Lita in particular was given a High Flying stat of 4, which made her not just competitive but fairly dangerous. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 210 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda1989'' cartoon, Zelda got xenafied. She could use all of Link's weapons except his sword, and favored, of course, [[GuysSmashGirlsShoot the bow and arrow]]. Her fighting ability seemed to swing wildly from episode to episode, from only nominally competent to almost as good as Link himself. In fact, there's several episodes where Link's ChronicHeroSyndrome and general stupidity get him into trouble, and Zelda needs to rescue ''him''. |
| 211 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': |
| 212 | ** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicApplejack Applejack]] got this treatment versus her prior appearances in the older shows. In the original, they defeated enemies with song and dance. In Season 4, she has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMFNOlQ43o0 one-on-one duel with a Chimera]]. Just look at her whole character compared to G1. In the original cartoon, her main contribution to the one episode she's in is to fall off of a rickety old bridge and need to be rescued. The UK comics make her a CuteClumsyGirl bordering on WalkingDisasterArea ([[MemeticMutation "Who's a silly pony?"]]) with an insatiable hunger for apples that's usually played for comedy, or paints her as a child who won't stay out of the cookie jar. Mind you, she ''does'' have "Applejack's Amazing Adventure" where she singlehandedly (singlehoofedly?) rescues the Twinkle-Eyed Ponies and straight-up ''kills'' the BigBad of the story, so there's more to her than meets the eye, but that's an exception to the rule; the JokeCharacter got ADayInTheLimelight and pulled a LetsGetDangerous moment once and ''only'' once. ''FIM'' AJ is a hardworking farm pony, very reliable, and very strong. The only time we get "silly pony" antics is in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E4ApplebuckSeason "Applebuck Season"]], when she'd been going for ''days'' without rest and her pride wouldn't let her accept help. |
| 213 | ** From the same franchise, [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicRainbowDash Rainbow Dash]]. In her previous incarnation, she was [[TheFashionista a fashionista]][[note]]Rainbow Dash [[MemeticMutation always dresses in style]].[[/note]] who lives in a [[SugarBowl cutesy world]] without any real danger. ''Friendship is Magic's'' Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, [[SuperSpeed is the fastest flier in Equestria]], [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kicked a dragon in the face]], and is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, ActionGirl, and G-rated [[TheLadette Ladette]] all in one, [[BadassAdorable cute yet badass]] package. There's a reason why she's the partial TropeNamer for TwentyPercentMoreAwesome. |
| 214 | * Daphne from ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' received this treatment as the series crawled into its later years. In the 1980s, Fred and Velma had completely disappeared, but Daphne [[TheBusCameBack had returned]] along with the mystery format, and assumed the [[TheLeader primary]] [[TheSmartGuy roles]] of the former two. By the time of the 2000s, ''WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' and the direct-to-video movies portray her as entirely capable in athletics, combat sports, and {{MacGyvering}}. All said and done, the revelation of her being a kick-ass martial artist in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndTheSamuraiSword'' doesn't exactly come out of ''nowhere''. |
| 215 | * Hilariously in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E4TreehouseOfHorrorX Desperately Xeeking Xena]]" Creator/LucyLawless herself gets this. She saves Bart and Lisa, then beats up the Comic Book Guy, before flying the Simpson children to safety--and not in a plane. |
| 216 | -->'''Lisa:''' Xena can't fly! |
| 217 | -->'''Lucy:''' I told you, I'm not Xena. I'm Lucy Lawless. |
| 218 | * ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries:'' Rapunzel is suddenly a fearless athlete capable of keeping up with the kingdom's most deadly warriors who have fought and trained for years, when in [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} the movie]] it was established she is afraid when people attack her, and while capable of defending herself, she's far more likely to run away. |
| 219 | * In the original ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' Supermarionation series Tin-Tin Kryano is sometimes involved in missions and is an excellent pilot, but is mostly Jeff Tracy's secretary or Brains's lab assistant. In the CGI ''WesternAnimation/ThunderbirdsAreGo'', "Kayo" Kryano is Tracy Island's head of security, and has her own stealth Thunderbird vehicle. |
| 220 | * TheCutie Zoey from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' starts as a DamselInDistress, but [[spoiler: goes into HeroicSafeMode in "Eat, Puke, and Be Wary", turning into a CuteAndPsycho ActionGirl in the process. ThePowerOfFriendship later gets rid of the psycho part, but keeps the ActionGirl part.]] |
| 221 | * ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': Glittering Goldie. In the Barks/Rosa comics she was a rich, elegant, and manipulative lady from Scrooge's past, who later fell on hard times in her old age. In the show, she's still young, and a pants-wearing badass adventurer who serves as a respected rival to Scrooge. |
| 222 | [[/folder]] |
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