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Submissive Badass

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A badass is a leader. They stride in confident, stare The Rival down, and dominate any situation they're in... Except when they don't.

This is an index for badasses who shy away from the leader role. They may appear meek and mild at first but show hidden reserves of strength, or conversely, they may appear strong and confident at first, but show a hidden gentle side. They might submit when the situation demands it, but they never break. Sometimes overlaps with The Smart Guy as this is most common in smarter characters. Could also be The Lancer, especially to a more classical hero. May be the result of a gentle character having Taken A Level In Badass, but it's also common for them to simply reveal their badassery partway through the story. Could be a work's way of reminding the audience that completing the Training from Hell is a job requirement for all the characters (such as if the characters are law enforcement or military). Such a character has a very strong chance of being The Chosen One. If not, they may be the Reluctant Hero. The Cloudcuckoolander has a strong chance of turning into this at the climax of the story. Often a result of Clap Your Hands If You Believe or The Power of Friendship or The Power of Love, being channeled by a normally useless or weak character.

No examples please. This is only an index of tropes.


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