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troperville

Straight: The Big Bad and Bob fight while Princess Carol just stands and watches helplessly.
Exaggerated: Princess Carol is a skilled warrior with major street credentials under her belt, possessing abilities that far surpasses that of the Hero and Big Bad combined. But she just decides to stand by because...that's just what girls do.
Downplayed: ???
Justified:
- Princess Carol has a good reason not to join the fight — she is injured, immobilized, has no fighting skills, or is simply frozen with panic and indecision.
- A conflict of interest: Bob is her lover, but the Big Bad is her brother.
Inverted:
- Princess Carol has to be restrained from killing the Big Bad, herself.
- Action Girl
Subverted: Princess Carol seems to be doing nothing, but in actuality, she's chanting a spell to harm the Big Bad. Or she is the Big Bad.
Double Subverted: ...but the spell backfires and makes Bob's situation even worse.
Parodied:
- Princess Carol has an entire arsenal of weapons strewn at her feet yet is staring dumbstruck as the hero is facing near certain death at the hands of the villain.
- Princess Carol outright refuses to fight or escape when every opportunity is handed to her. Alternatively she may even volunteer to be captured because she feels it is her royal, female duty to let Bob, the hero, take care of all her problems.
Zig Zagged:
- Princess Carol is actually seen putting up a fight...so long as it's against another female character. But, once the other woman is out of commission, it's obvious that there's no more use for Carol and it's back to being a walking set-piece.
- Princess Carol puts up a noble effort to aid the hero only to A) be subdued through some form of intervention, B) only serves to make matters worse or C) the Big Bad simply declines from fighting a woman.
- Everyone is aware that the princess could help, but she just decides not to out of spite, honor, or genuine neutrality.
Averted: Princess Carol is already fighting when Bob arrives or makes an effort to assist in her escape in some way.
Enforced: The actress playing Carol got an injury recently, and can't do any fight scenes.
Lampshaded:
- The next exchange happens:
Bob: "Hey, Princess! Little help here?"
Carol: "Oh. Um... Sorry, that's just way too much testosterone for my comfort. I'll just stand right here and let you guys work this all out."
- Alternatively...
Carol: "Fight back, you say? Foolishness! I'm a helpless female. What? You just expect me to break a nail just to save everyone the trouble? Not on your life, sport."
Invoked: The Big Bad has magic to render Carol helpless; Bob tells her to stay out of the fight or she'll be taken hostage.
Exploited: ???
Defied: "Hey! I may be a Lady, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to sit by just so that a bunch of boys can be bull-headed dunderheads."
Discussed: "You know princesses. They just sort of stand there."
Conversed: "Isn't she going to do anything?"
Deconstructed:
- Bob is seriously injured or dies at the Big Bad's hands. Princess Carol, overwhelmed by guilt and despair at her inaction, vows to never be weak again and vigorously trains to become a better fighter.
- Princess Carol is berated for her uselessness in battle or is told to stay far away from the battlefield where she's out of everyone's way.
Reconstructed:
- Bob needs to defeat the Big Bad himself, so Princess Carol deliberately abstains from the fight to spare his honor.
- Alternatively, after watching Bob get the snuff beaten out of him Carol decides that Bob is more important than being proper and joins the fight.