"Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities."
There are many kinds of ways in which a character can be empowered. True ways and faux ways, ways that come from within and ways that come from the outside, ways that are mundane and ways that are supernatural.
Not to be confused with Super-Empowering, which refers to increasing tangible/physical strength.
Empowerment, True (unless subverted)
- Breaking the Glass Ceiling
- Cinderella Plot
- Ethical Slut
- From Nobody to Nightmare (Empowerment is not necessarily a good thing)
- From Zero to Hero
- Helping Would Be Killstealing
- Pride Parade
- Safe, Sane, and Consensual
- The Suffragette
- Supernatural Aid
- Took a Level in Badass
Empowerment, Faux (unless played with)
- Confidence Building Scheme
- Culture Justifies Anything
- Magic Feather
- Mistaken for Superpowered
- The Presents Were Never from Santa
- Questionable Consent
Empowerment, True or Faux
Often providers of true empowerment
- The Armorer: Provides necessary and/or high-tech gear for the hero.
- The Chooser of the One
- The Engineer: As noted in its description, this character is rarely the protagonist, but is often essential in giving the leads the technical means to reach their goals.
- Enigmatic Empowering Entity
- Fairy Godmother
- Mentor Archetype
- Santa Claus
Often distributors of faux empowerment
Often receives (or builds) true empowerment
Often receives (or delude themselves into) faux empowerment
- Armoured Closet Gay
- Boomerang Bigot
- Moral Guardian
- Egocentrically Religious
- Straw Feminist
- Straw Loser
- Windmill Crusader
Tropes about averting empowerment
- Desperately Needs Orders
- Internalized Categorism
- Not Used to Freedom
- Only the Author Can Save Them Now
- Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality
- Tall Poppy Syndrome
Individual examples, not fitting any of the above tropes
- (none added yet)
