[[TalesOfPhantasia http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mint.gif]]
[[caption-width:200:Pacifist, healer, love interest, with a staff.]]

The Co-Star of an [=RPG=] will [[WeaponOfChoice invariably wield]] [[SimpleStaff some kind of stick]] [[DropTheHammer or blunt object]], while the hero [[NotCompensatingForAnything gets a sword]]. In fact, usually it's obvious the stick isn't even going to be used ''as'' a weapon; [[MagicWand it makes the inevitable magic abilities of this character better]].

Early in the game this can give her (this is [[AlwaysFemale rarely a guy]]) a long-range advantage. Once the party finds more dedicated magic users and items, [[TheMedic she'd better know some healing spells]]. Also known as the Girlfriend Healer (as per [[http://somehedgehog.livejournal.com/245807.html this sort-of-real-world example]]), since she is inevitably expected to fulfill both roles.

Sometimes she'll have the best of some kind of useful spell, but unless it's a HolyHandGrenade, it's [[LastDiscMagic too little too late]].

A StaffChick is quite often a RebelliousPrincess or MysteriousWaif as well, occasionally treading into MarySue territory.

Sometimes she's [[TheSmurfettePrinciple the only girl]], but more often, she's accompanied by a BlackMagicianGirl, CuteBruiser, or LadyOfWar for the sake of contrast. They sometimes share an OddFriendship. The Staff Chick is, as her name implies, often TheChick.

Despite the name (and that first paragraph), a number of examples below don't ''actually'' wield a staff. Conversely, not every chick who wields a staff is a StaffChick.
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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime ]]

* Mireille in ''.hack//tasogare no udewa densetsu'', an {{Expy}} [[spoiler:as well as [[IdenticalGrandson identical daughter]]]] of Mistral [[spoiler: due to the fact that she's useing her mother's character, albit renamed]] She shares the same subversion, being a constantly plotting GenkiGirl that drags her teammates around and uses them for information that will benefit herself. However, her young age (and I mean ''very'' young) means that she doesn't have the hidden wisdom and maturity of Mistral. She's also contrasted sharply and amusingly with Hotaru, a BlackMagicianGirl that would fit better as a StaffChick.

** Which makes Hotaru's {{OVA}} appearance a complete subversion of this trope.
* Yuuno, Shamal, and Caro in ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', although they use rings and gems instead of staves. Actual staff users in the series tend to be [[SmallGirlBigGun another type of character that would never be mistaken for this]].
* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' has [[YamatoNadeshiko Konoka Konoe]], the supportive healing mage of the group. Except she uses fans instead of a staff.
* Kaaya of TheTowerOfDruaga. While normally a naive and innocent MysteriousWaif, she occasionally shows a very devious and manipulative side.
* Sylphiel in ''TheSlayers''. Notable that by the time of ''Slayers NEXT'', her only offensive spell that she mastered was town-destroying Dragon Slave... and the only reason why she bothered to learn it was because she hoped to use it to compete for [[IdiotHero Gourry Gabriev's]] heart against [[{{Tsundere}} Lina]] [[BlackMagicianGirl Inverse]].
* While her powers of demon summoning are more in line with a BlackMagicianGirl, ''MahoujinGuruGuru'''s Kukuri has a personality more in line with a Staff Chick.
* While Elie finds an actual staff at one point, ''RaveMaster'''s Belnika is better suited to the role of Staff Chick.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Goldmoon, from the ''{{Dragonlance}}'' series, was a prototypical example of this, although the main hero wasn't her love interest.
* At the same time, the ''Sword and Sorceress'' books possibly gave rise to the phenomenon (as well as female duo Ho Yay) and even turned it into a cliche.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: TV and Movies ]]

*Gabrielle, from the ''Xena'' tv series, is a good example of a staff chick, especially as she develops spiritual powers to balance out Xena's LadyOfWar character.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* A very good example is found in Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition with Tim Rhymeless, a rare male example.
* The Princess of Moonbrooke in ''DragonQuestII'' is probably the UrExample.
* Aerith from ''FinalFantasyVII'' is probably the [[TropeCodifier archetypical example]], though far more developed than your typical staff chick.
* Rosa from ''FinalFantasyIV'' (also a DistressedDamsel) was almost a prototype for the breed, except her non-magical [[StraightArrow archery]] was often a match for some melee characters. She could wield a staff as well, but her best weapons were bows and arrows.
* Garnet/Dagger, ''FinalFantasyIX'' -- uses magical "rackets" as well as staves, doubled as a [[SummonMagic Summoner]] -- otherwise fit the trope to a T.
* Yuna, ''FinalFantasyX''. Averted in ''FinalFantasyX2'' where Yuna has as much access as Rikku and Paine to all manner of death-dealing hardware.
* Given all the ''FinalFantasy'' examples, the [[AvertedTrope aversion]] in ''FinalFantasyV'' is notable. Each character can switch to any job at any time, so in a battle there could be between zero and four staff-wielding party members.
**Also, due to the ability to give characters secondary commands such as Equip Sword or Barehanded, its possible that none of the mages would be using staves anyway. Especially since the Barehanded ability inflicts more direct damage than the most powerful staves in the game...
* Also concerning most FinalFantasy games, the [[TheMedic "White Mage"]] / StaffChick usually learns Holy at some point, equivalent to the [[BlackMagicianGirl "Black Mage's"]] Flare spell (if not more powerful).
* ''FinalFantasyII'' has a subversion. Of your 3 main party members, Firion is TheMario, having equal stats across the board. Maria's stats are consistent with a BlackMagicianGirl / SquishyWizard, with higher Intelligence than Spirit. Guy, with his HitPoints and Attack score, is TheBigGuy / The MightyGlacier, but he gets 5 points to Spirit over Firion and Maria, making him a good choice for WhiteMagic. Of course, you can LevelGrind your characters to whatever style you choose.
* Nina in the last three ''BreathOfFire'' games (though she used a rapier in the first and energy-shooting rings in the second.)
** ''Breath of Fire III'' was a subversion, with Ryu -- the NotCompensatingForAnything male lead -- serving as TheMedic, with the next runner up being a MadScientist [[PettingZooPeople bunny-girl]] with a {{BFG}}. Nina was a straight-up BlackMagicianGirl instead.
** Also subverted in BoF II, in that the first female character to join your party was a chick, had a staff, but was an {{Action Girl}} who couldn't even use magic. Nina doesn't join unitl later, and then acts as a {{Black Magician Girl}}.
** Nina spends more time a BlackMagicianGirl than the TheMedic. She was the medic in I, Black Magician Girl in II and III, and a combination of both in IV.
* In ''ShadowHearts'', the main female character - while fitting the standard of a healing-specialist Staff Chick - uses a ''book''... [[ThrowTheBookAtThem as a bludgeoning weapon.]]
** In ''From The New World'', it's subverted - the girl using staves (actually magic wands) is a BlackMagicianGirl. The main character comes closer, although he uses knives; it's suicide to run him as anything but the party's healer.
*** Gets played fairly straight by the end, though - Hilda's second form becomes the most effective healer (while still being a bludgeoner with her wand-cum-club) of the party with a spell to revive and full-health one party member and another to full-health the entire party.
* Raine Sage from ''{{Tales of Symphonia}}'' is female, uses a staff, and is [[TheMedic the team healer]], but is a subversion in just about every other way. She's cold, not the main love interest, and inclined to swat her teammates when they behave in a manner that she disapproves of or when they get the wrong answer to a question. Her place in the story is as the teacher for TheHero, TheChick, and TheSmartGuy.
** Tear from ''{{Tales of the Abyss}}'' is a similar subversion, except that she ''is'' the main love interest. She's cold, originally showed up as part of an assassination attempt, and constantly calls the main character on it when he's being an idiot.
* Like Raine, Mistral in the first ''[[DotHack .hack//]]'' games is a staff-using female healer, but is completely unlike the usual personality type. She's [[GenkiGirl hyper and loud]], is obsessed with rare items, and is always nosing around for more information. However, she has a mature, serious side that manifests itself in her real-world life and in ''tasogare no udewa densetsu''.
** [[LoveFreak Atoli]] and [[{{Yandere}} Shino]] in [[DotHack .hack//G.U.]] mostly fit the trope.
* Elena in ''{{Grandia}} II''.
**Subverted slightly, in that Millenia was the third of the top-tier party members, and most definitely wasn't anything like Elena, except in her choice of romantic pursuits. Oh, and that usage of a crossbow, too.
* Rosalind in ''{{Summoner}}''.
* Amy Sage in ''PhantasyStar II''. Being a futuristic-themed game, Amy is actually classified as a Medical Doctor. While the actual use of staves in this game is limited to the ''Fire Staff'', which is entirely optional in favour of certain other weapons, she's the only one who can actually equip it.
** Male example in ''PhantasyStar IV'': Raja. All of his plentiful skills and spells are healing/support based, with one exception in the form of a devastating holy flame attack, and-- you guessed it-- he uses a staff. Somewhat unique in that he's a wise-cracking, elderly, ordained and respected priest, rather than being young and idealistic as the archetype tends to require.
* Mint in ''{{Tales of Phantasia}}''. Late in the game, her fairly potent arsenal of heals, cures, stunning hammers and status enhancers is capped off by the power to temporarily ''stop time''. Given, it [[UselessUsefulSpell doesn't work on bosses]], but it's [[RuleOfFun freaking]] [[RuleOfCool sweet]] [[AwesomeButImpractical to have around]].
* Shana and later Miranda from ''{{Legend of Dragoon}}'', although they both wield [[StraightArrow bows]]. Shana is also a MysteriousWaif.
* Furiae in ''{{Drakengard}}''. When she's seen wielding anything, it is always a staff.
** [[spoiler: Manah, who was the psychotic antagonist in the first game, returns in the sequel as a playable character. She wields a staff and strong attack magicks. And yes, she is the love interest.]]
* Subverted with Mist and Elincia in ''[[FireEmblem Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'' (and ''Radiant Dawn''). Both are typical staff-wielding healers, but are also dangerous [[LadyOfWar swordswomen]] (espeically Elincia with her sword Amiti, who can kill almost any non-boss in one round). In fact, in ''Radiant Dawn'', they gain SS-rank mastery in ''swords'' and only S-rank in staffs.
** Also note that both, when casting magic from a staff do so using their ''swords''.
* Speaking of ''Fire Emblem''... A fact present in several of these games is that one of your first allies will be a Cleric (on-foot Staff Chick) or a Priest (on-foot male healer), and some rounds later you'll be able to recruit a Troubadour (mounted Staff Chick), and sometimes a Valkyrie (mounted Staff Chick who is also a BlackMagicianGirl), a Sage (basically the same, but on foot and with either gender), or a Bishop (Light magic user *and* healer that promotes from Clerics and Priests (they can also promote from the all-male Monks, which use offensive magic instead of staves)).
** ''Seisen no Keifu'': Edin (Cleric), Diadora (Shaman, but has a very effective Silence staff), Ethlin (Troubadour), Lachesis and Claude (High Priest). Though you get Ethlin first. [[spoiler: In the second part of the game where you use the ''children'' of the first part charas, you have Rana (Cleric), Nanna (Troubadour) and Corple (Priest).]]
** ''Fuuin no Tsurugi'': Ellen (Cleric), Saul (Priest), Clarine (Troubadour), Cecilia (Valkyrie), Yodel (Bishop).
** ''Rekka no Ken'': Serra (Cleric), Priscilla (Troubadour), Pent (Sage), Renault (Bishop).
** ''Seima no Kouseki'' (The Sacred Stones): Natasha (Cleric), Moulder (Priest), L'Arachel (Troubadour), Saleh (Sage).
** ''Akatsuki no Megami'' (Radiant Dawn): Micaiah (Light Mage), Laura (Cleric), Elincia (Queen), Mist (Valkyrie), as well as several Sages.
*** Though Miciah can also become a GlassCannon type when she hits higher levels.
*** Laura's class is actually Priest rather than Cleric, which made her the first ever female priest in the series.
** Their personality and/or roles also don't necessarily fit the typical mold - Clarine being a WellExcuseMePrincess type, Serra and L'Arachel fitting the GenkiGirl type (Serra's more of a StepfordSmiler, though, since she's got some issues), and Micaiah and Elincia being the leaders of their respective armies. Many of them do, though - including some of the male healers.
* Carlie of ''[[WorldOfMana Seiken Densetsu 3]]'', except she used a mace as her weapon. The actual staff-user of the game, Angela, has the personality and skill set of a BlackMagicianGirl.
* Completely reversed in ''[[{{Atelier}} Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana]]'', where the main, male protagonist Klein is a staff-wielding magic item-chucking alchemist. Lita (TheChick) is a blade-claw wielding, super-fast melee heavy. In fact, she later gets a power to trade defense for offense, making her the most powerful melee character in the game (if your main character can keep her alive with his healing magics).
** It's worth noting that the entire ''Atelier'' franchise prior to ''Atelier Iris'' features female protagonists. The protagonist in ''Atelier Iris'' is male in order to increase mainstream appeal, but his visual design, characterisation, NPC relationships, and combat role are virtually identical to those of his female predecessors, yielding a rare reverse genderflip.
* The Sorceress in ''Diablo II'' is a spell-casting, staff-wielding, Caucasian female. Then again, since this is ''Diablo II'', she isn't ''required'' to wield a staff.
* Mia from the first ''GoldenSun'' game. Has the weapon, the personality, and specializes in water/ice and healing magic.
* Xehla of ''BatenKaitos'', although since attacks are dictated by cards she never actually whacks something with her staff. She does specialize in magic, however.
* Estelle of ''TalesOfVesperia'' is a slight variation in that she is a healer that uses a sword and shield. She even learns ''sword'' techniques.
* LoveFreak Flonne from the first ''{{Disgaea}}''.
** Except that (a) any (human) character can use ANY kind of weapon (their proficiency with it notwithstanding), (b) Flonne can actually be useful in a fight beyond support magic, and (c) she's a hell of a lot more effective with a bow anyway.
*** You've obviously never used the Mentor System to have Flonne learn every single offensive magic spell in the game, with a superior range to boot. This makes her a long distance killing machine.
* ''LostOdyssey'' has three of them. Also somewhat subverted in that the first staff-weilding magic user you get in your party is male (and an inveterate womanizer to boot).
* Riddell from ''ChronoCross''. Not the main female character, though. Then again, there are ''forty-four'' of them. [[spoiler:Forty-five if you count Lynx.]]
* Each ''StarOcean'' staff chick is a subversion in some way.
** 1) [[StarOcean1 Millie Chliette]] has her tsundere tendencies
** 2) [[StarOcean2 Rene Lanford]] doubles as a reasonably effective fist fighter and is a fully fledged main character in her own right.
** 3) [[StarOcean3 Sophia Esteed]] also has the abilities of a fully functional BlackMagicianGirl.
** 4) [[StarOcean4 Sarah Jerand]] is not the female lead and seems to be the most pointless character storywise. It's up for debate whether her spears count as staves.
* Princess Peach in ''SuperMarioRPG'', though she wields [[ParasolOfPain umbrellas]] instead of staffs.
** Not to mention [[FryingPanOfDoom frying pans]], [[PaperFanOfDoom fans]], and [[ArmorPiercingSlap slapping gloves]].
** Mallow too, despite being male. Throughout the game he mostly uses staffs and [[InstrumentOfMurder cymbals]], and is arguably the most magically diverse of the the party.
* Cecelia from ''[[WildArms1 Wild ARMs]]'', though arguably she ''is'' the main character, and eventually gets a full skillset.
* [=MOMO=] from ''{{Xenosaga}}'', though in later games she gets upgraded to an [[RuleOfCool energy bow]].
* Maya from ''[[LegendOfLegaia Legaia 2: Duel Saga]]''. She has some of the personality, and the Magic talents, but doesn't actually use a staff. Instead she casts attack magic.
* Cream the Rabbit is the closet to this role in ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic Chronicles]]'', attacking via her [[{{Mon}} Chao partner]] Cheese [[TechnicalPacifist rather than directly]]. Oh, and she's the [[TheMedic BEST WHITE MAGE EVER]]. As long as you equip [[GameBreaker Ferox]].
* Led from Septerra Core forgoes the traditional staff in favor of a giant wrench half her height. Works just as well, but also allows her to fix things.
* Marle from ''ChronoTrigger'' has all but the staff; rather, she uses a crossbow.
* ''BaldursGate'' has lots of girls with staffs, but the one that fits the archetype is Aerie: Mage/Cleric (so no armour, and restricted weapon usage, and a good healer).
** Plus she's one of the three potential relationships for a male character (the programmers went into a lot of detail in this game).
* Sypha Belnades from ''{{Castlevania}} III''. Her attacks are weak and have short range (similar to Grant's knife), but she gets [[FireIceLightning powerful magic]] to offset this weakness.
* The few women who do play WorldOfWarcraft almost universally choose to play a female night elf priest -- and spec her Holy/Disc (the healing spec) when she comes of age for raiding.
**There were lots of surveys on World of Warcraft. There was definitely no correlation there...
* Kilik is a rare male example from SoulCalibur. He's known for his healing abilities, empathy with those who are suffering, and his ability to lay out the beatdown with [[EmpathicWeapon Kali-Yuga]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* White Mage in ''EightBitTheater'' is in some respects a subversion, but in others a straight usage (she actually uses a hammer and only on Black Mage).
* Lumi from ''{{Adventurers}}!'' is one, although she keeps her staff in her HyperspaceArsenal when she's not casting spells.
* Vaelia from {{Drowtales}}, except for the fact that her weapon is closer to a naginata than a staff.
* Piffany from {{Nodwick}} has only two combat techniques: battering them with her staff, and '''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome COVERING EVIL CLERICS IN GOSH-DARNED SMILY FACES]]'''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow''. Totenkopf's [[NoNameGiven nameless]] female assassin wields an energy-tipped quarterstaff in the ElaborateUndergroundBase.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Although the average male samurai was no slouch with the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata naginata]], the weapon is more traditionally associated with women than with men. When the men switched to using spears, the "obsolete" naginatas were given to the women to defend their homes when their husbands were away at war, and the [[BladeOnAStick longer range of the naginata]] allowed a woman to counter the greater strength, weight, and height of a man.
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