History Main / EffortlessAmazonianLift

You have your regular ActionGirl. She has the looks, and the attitude. But you want to indicate her strength, without having her beat the crap out of someone. That's where Effortless Amazonian Lift comes in.

A DistaffCounterpart to BridalCarry, this refers to a woman visually displaying the strength to lift and carry someone similar-sized or heavier than herself in her arms. This trope is used in an attempt to subvert gender expectations, and show that the woman in question has unusual physical strength. When involving a couple, [[MasculineGirlFeminineBoy it can also be used to show who wears the pants in the relationship]]. Usually displayed by a CuteBruiser or a BigGal. When done by someone with no such characteristics, it is even more notable.

Note that this does not refer to a woman simply carrying ''something''. The action must always emphasize her prodigious strength.
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* Makoto Kino of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' is the group's BigGuy and physically the strongest of the Inner Senshi. In her debut, she lifts a guy over her head, with no signs of physical strain. She also does this during an ice-skating scene, and [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/makoliftsami_6389.JPG in a dancing scene,]] demonstrates the strength to lift Ami by the waist and single-handedly over her head. And she does that without transforming into Sailor Jupiter. In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]], Makoto's strength is also shown by lifting Usagi onto her shoulder to save her from a speeding car.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' loves to show just how strong Starfire is. Whether it's lifting Beast Boy in hippo mode, lifting ten times more weight than Cyborg can with JUST ONE ARM or even being the only one out of the Titans who can lift a special Tamaranian goblet (which is apparently made out of depleted uranium). [[spoiler:No wonder she trashed Evil!Cyborg so easily.]]

* In ''Literature/PhoenixRising'' Kyri picks up a crate (containing stonesculpt hangings) weighing between 400 and 450 pounds by herself. Another had been giving two grown men and strong warriors trouble earlier.
* During a discussion about magic in ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' Daylen [[SwissArmySuperpower makes himself weigh over seven metric tons]], and Lyrah hefts him into the air with ease. This stuns both of them, as she's amazed that [[WrongContextMagic he has four Light bonds]], and [[HowDoIShotWeb he had no idea]] that it was possible for a Lifebinder to [[MasterOfOneMagic specialize]] their SuperStrength.

* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''. Charley Dixon is understandably skeptical that Cameron is a 'big scary robot' until he sees her pick up a body this way. As an EMT he knows just how much a body weighs.

* Played for laughs in ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'' when dainty WholesomeCrossdresser [[SuperStrength Nuriko]] sees a weightlifting contest in progress, effortlessly picks up and holds the current contestant ''and'' the weight ''overhead'', and walks away with the prize.

* Tsukiko of ''Manga/SamuraiHighSchool'' can easily walk while carrying three people. She can even chase a thief while carrying them.
* ''Manga/HitomiChanIsShyWithStrangers'': Combined with BridalCarry when Hitomi catches Himari from falling down some steps.

* [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus]] carrying Kevin in one of the ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' [[http://cnn.captainn.net/scans/cn1-22.jpg comics.]] It's a rather clear image of her being in charge. Kevin's protests only add to that demonstration.
* Bravura does this several times to ComicBook/{{Asterix}} in ''Recap/AsterixAndTheSecretWeapon''. It helps that he's about half her size.
* The title heroine of ''ComicBook/AmazonGazonga'', despite her diminutive height and (mostly) petite build compared to the other Amazons, frequently picks her much taller love interest up, slings him over her shoulder, and then runs long distances carrying him.
* Batwoman carries a larger man at least half a mile up a sizable hill without strain in ''ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth''.
* ''ComicBook/SecretSix'' features a rare female-to-female example when [[DarkActionGirl Scandal Savage]] casually carries her girlfriend [[AmazonianBeauty Knockout]] over her shoulder [[https://pm1.narvii.com/6404/3dba32addcfa65a465d3a1342c9e60acd8205747_hq.jpg when rescuing her from Hell]]. What makes it qualify is that [[StatuesqueStunner Knockout]] is way bigger and heavier than Scandal, who outside of her HealingFactor, has normal human strength.
* ComicBook/{{Vampirella}} frequently displays that she’s 700,000 times stronger than the average man (yes, this is canon) by, despite her petite yet fit and athletic build, lifting up males and either seducing them or forcing them into submission. She shows no physical strain while doing this and often explains that she cannot feel said human. You can see one of the many examples of this at [[https://imgur.com/a/pubvE1a this moment where she's performing a throatlift]].

* Linda does this frequently throughout the Supergirl comics, often taunting the men she lifts. [[https://ibb.co/ryp546h here is one of many examples]]
* HeroicSeductress ComicBook/{{Elektra}} does [[https://ibb.co/9hJFBhn this]] to a dude, and manages to look hot doing it.

* The opening episode of the final season of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' shows Buffy scooping up a male vampire twice her size out from his grave with one hand.

* Atalanta from ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' is able to lift Hercules himself in a bout of playfulness. She's played by bodybuilder Cory Everson, who probably did it with no special effects or other trickery - at least, there's no doubt she ''could'' easily lift Creator/KevinSorbo.

* In ''Series/KCUndercover'', one particular scene has the android Judy (designed to appear as a 12-year-old), effortlessly pick up her father Craig and spin him in the air during a public dance recital. The DJ nearby immediately comments on her abnormally powerful strength to size ratio.

* ''Series/SmallWonder'': [[DoAnythingRobot Vicki]] looks like a 10-year-old, but has no problem picking up her father, Ted; her brother, Jamie, or any other male character. Justified because of her RobotGirl status.

* ''Series/FullerHouse'' : Kimmy picks up DJ's date (literally) and explains that she used to guess people's weight at the carnival. For fun.

* ''Webcomic/ImTheGrimReaper'': While rescuing Chase from The Red Spades, Scarlet easily hoists him over her shoulder. She's even able to hold him like this while fighting off Brooke with her scythe.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'': Princess Looma Redwind, the Princess of the [[MultiArmedAndDangerous Tetramand]] species, proves to be a DaddysGirl when she hugs her father and lifts him off the ground. Her father is three times her size, by the way.

* Marge Simpson manages this at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode, "The Strong Arms of the Marge", when -- suitably muscled-up from intensive bodybuilding -- she sweeps up Homer in her arms and romantically whisks him up the cellar stairs.

* In one of the later seasons of ''Series/AlloAllo'', Helga is temporarily replaced by a very tall woman, who responds to Herr Flick's usual [[CatchPhrase "You may kiss me"]] by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqMlVRa4oMk grabbing him by the lapels and lifting him off the ground into a kiss]]. The camera clearly shows his feet hanging in the air, and the studio audience's incredulous-sounding laughter suggests that the lift was actually genuine, and the actress really was that strong.

* Kei from ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' easily lifts a grown man and swings him over her shoulder to rescue him from heavy enemy fire. It's meant to emphasize her position as the "muscle" and {{tomboy}} of the TomboyAndGirlyGirl duo she forms with Yuri.

* Shown twice in very short order in Episode four of ''Anime/IsekaiQuartet'', once with [[LightNovel/ReZero Rem carrying Subaru]] and [[LightNovel/KonoSuba Darkness carrying Kazuma]]

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', [[ShockAndAwe Shizuri]] [[EnergyWeapon Mugino]] can casually NeckLift a full-grown man (even if he is obese) and then throw or punch him across the room despite being a skinny teenage girl. It is noted that she doesn't have super strength. She prides herself in that her natural strength allows her to kick a guy's ass without even using her powers.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In one episode of the ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon, Roll carries Dr. Light and the governor this way, one in each arm.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' loves to show just how strong Starfire is. Whether it's lifting Beast Boy in hippo mode, lifting ten times more weight than Cyborg can with JUST ONE ARM or even being the only one out of the Titans who can lift a special Tamaranian goblet (which is apparently made out of depleted uranium). [[spoiler:No wonder she trashed Evil!Cyborg so easily.]]

* The ComicBook/SheHulk does this regularly, often for [[RuleOfFunny an easy gag.]]

* ''Series/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman regularly did this. She carried [[DistressedDude Steve Trevor]] from the beach on [[HiddenElfVillage Paradise Island]] after he was shot by a Nazi and once again to an American hospital. Those were simply the first two of many, many more.