History Main / BadassDamsel

* Elizabeth Swann from PiratesOfTheCarribean is like this in the first movie, in the second and third, she graduates to ActionGirl.

--> -- Colette Brunel, ''TalesOfSymphonia''

-> "Are you aware of who exactly I am?!"
--> -- Nia Teppelin, ''GurrenLagann''. Said to Adiane the Elegant, who was in her mecha when Nia was on foot. Yeah.

* Guinevere from ''{{Merlin}}'' probably has the highest amount of kidnappings and captures on the show, but (as actress Angel Coulby has said in interviews) is also the strongest emotionally. The writers have also admitted that she's got the most common sense.

** Admittedly, though, it '''is''' a comedy film (starring W.C. Fields, no less), so ValuesDissonance may apply here-- the scene was probably [[PlayedForLaughs meant to be funny]].

[[AC: {{Film}} (Live Action)]]

This trope subverts the DistressedDamsel routine so hard it's not even funny. A female character who seems like a damsel in distress, and might even ''be'' one, but is still cool-minded and emotionally-strong enough that the audience roots for her anyway. Maybe she gets kidnapped a couple of times, but makes up for it by pulling an epic CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Maybe she has the appearance and personality of a YamatoNadeshiko, yet also has a {{BFG}} on her and mows down 85% of the enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps she's just a PluckyGirl of epic proportions who gets handed a DistressBall, but still tries to help as much as she can. Or, alternatively, she may ''never'' get kidnapped, and could be a genuine ActionGirl, but simply doesn't have the tomboyish, athletic appearance and attitude that most people picture when they think of an ActionGirl. Either way, you just can't help but love this girl. She may get kidnapped by the BigBad a lot, but blast it all, she's got SKILLS.

[[GurrenLagann http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nia_badassdamsel_1641.jpg]]
[[caption-width:341:Helpless? Physically, yes. Emotionally, NEVER.]]

* Quoted '''and''' pictured: Princess Nia Teppelin from GurrenLagann. She will politely but clearly tell you that she will not die. Even if you're about to dematerialize her.

* Elizabeth Swann from PiratesOfTheCarribean is like this in the first movie, in the second and third, she graduates to ActionGirl

* [[TheLegendOfZelda Princess Zelda]] is probably second only to Peach in the "getting kidnapped by the BigBad" department, but she's proved herself capable of kicking ass in ''OcarinaOfTime'', the ''SuperSmashBros'' series, ''WindWaker'' and ''SpiritTracks''.

This trope subverts the DistressedDamsel routine so hard it's not even funny. A female character who seems like a damsel in distress, and might even ''be'' one, but is still cool-minded and emotionally-strong enough that the audience roots for her anyway. Maybe she gets kidnapped a couple of times, but makes up for it by pulling an epic CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Maybe she has the appearance and personality of a YamatoNadeshiko, yet also has a {{BFG}} on her and mows down 85% of the enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps she's just a PluckyGirl of epic proportions who gets handed a DistressBall, but still tries to help as much as she can. Either way, you just can't help but love this girl. She may get kidnapped by the BigBad a lot, but blast it all, she's got SKILLS.

** Ella, from ''EllaEnchanted''. Despite her [[BlessedWithSuck gift of obedience]], she manages to escape her finishing school of horrors and then again from [[CharmPerson ogres]] who plan to eat her. Finally, she has to break her curse on the sheer strength of her love for Char, so she doesn't destroy his life by marrying him.

----

->Um... um... Die!
->-- Colette Brunel, ''TalesOfSymphonia''

->"Are you aware of who exactly I am?!"
->-- Nia Teppelin, ''GurrenLagann''. Said to Adiane the Elegant, who was in her mecha when Nia was on foot. Yeah.

* Akima from ''[[TitanAE Titan A.E.]]''. By the time the others break her out of prison, she had knocked out all the other cellmates.

[[AC: Video Games]]
* Yuna from ''FinalFantasyX'', the sweet, shy, innocent YamatoNadeshiko who gets kidnapped a couple of times... and is also a {{Guile Hero}}ine like no other. Heck, both times she gets captured lead to a CrowningMomentOfAwesome on her part. Not to mention she TookALevelInBadass in the sequel.
* Colette Brunel from ''TalesOfSymphonia'' is also sweet, ditzy, frail, and gets whacked with a DistressBall more than once. She's also a GlassCannon who can pull off some lovely combos in battle, and even fights back against DarkActionGirl Pronyma when she tries to kidnap her.
* Estelle from ''TalesOfVesperia''. A [[FriendToAllLivingThings gentle]], noble personality and [[SpoiledSweet sweet but sheltered]] disposition, light pink hair AND the party healer? You'd never expect her to ''also'' be a HotChickWithASword, and with such [[PluckyGirl willpower]] she's willing to [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething abandon her comfy life in the castle just to travel the world and help anyone in danger]].
* GenderFlipped in ''{{Disgaea 3}}'' with Almaz and Princess Sapphire. He might be able to hold his own as a swordsman, but he's still been made Mao's slave, is slowly turning into a demon and is generally in over his head. The Princess is, however, [[ChainsawGood rather]] [[AnAxeToGrind protective]] [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend of him]].
* [[SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]]. Despite being the most famous DistressedDamsel in video games, she's been proving herself capable in combat since SMB 2.
* [[TheLegendOfZelda Princess Zelda]] is probably second only to Peach in the "getting kidnapped by the BigBad" department, but she's proved herself capable of kicking ass in ''OcarinaOfTime'', the ''SuperSmashBros'' series, ''WindWaker'' and ''SpiritTracks''.
* Princess Lilina of Ostia from FireEmblem 6 starts as this, as you find her locked in a room of her own castle. As soon as Roy meets up with her, though, he hands Lilina a Thunder tome and tells her to fight with him... and she does so without any hesitation. It gets even better when she's promoted into Sage, then she can potentially become the most powerful magic user of the whole game.
* [[ResidentEvil Rebecca Chambers]].

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

* Kagome Higurashi from ''InuYasha'' would find herself in captivity rather often in the earlier arcs, having not been trained in martial arts before she got TrappedIntoAnotherWorld. Nonetheless, she still managed to help Inuyasha out a lot and even talked back at her captors frequently. Then she TookALevelInBadass and became TheArcher.
* [[GundamWing Relena, oh Relena Peacecraft.]] Sure, she can't fight as well as other girls, but she can talk her way out wonderfully and pulls more than one badass GoThroughMe to defend her friends, her Kingdom, or her beliefs.
* Anzu Mazaki from ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' also pulled this more than once, specially when [[spoiler: she managed to free Mokuba from Malik's henchmen at the cost of her own safety. In return, Kaiba himself saves her later.]]
* [[spoiler: Asuna and Anya]] from MahouSenseiNegima aren't halfway bad at this, but '''the''' example is actually [[spoiler: Ako Izumi.]]

[[AC: Film]]

** Ella, from ''EllaEnchanted''. Despite her [[BlessedWithSuck gift of obedience]], she manages to escape her FinishingSchoolOfHorrors and then again from [[CharmPerson ogres]] who plan to eat her. Finally, she has to break her curse on the sheer strength of her love for Char, so she doesn't destroy his life by marrying him.

* Akima from ''TitanAE''. By the time the others break her out of prison, she had knocked out all the other cellmates.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]
* Uhura of ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' can be quite intimidating when she chooses - one notable moment being when MirrorUniverse Sulu is [[HilariousInHindsight making advances]], and she pulls a dagger on him.

[[AC: Play By Post Games]]

[[AC: Western Animation]]

* Barbara Gordon in the BatmanTheAnimatedSeries movie is the most badass damsel ever. She talks back to Mr. Freeze, tries to reason with him once she learns about his IllGirl Nora, saves his KidSidekick, tries to save ''him'' too...

[[TastesLikeDiabetes BLEAH]].

This trope subverts the DistressedDamsel routine so hard it's not even funny. A female character who seems like a damsel in distress, but is still cool enough that the audience roots for her anyway. Maybe she gets kidnapped a couple of times, but makes up for it by pulling an epic CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Maybe she has the appearance and personality of a YamatoNadeshiko, yet also has a {{BFG}} on her and mows down 85% of the enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps she's just a PluckyGirl of epic proportions who gets handed a DistressBall but still tries to help as much as she can. Either way, you just can't help but love this girl. She may get kidnapped by the BigBad a lot, but blast it all, she's got SKILLS.

* Princess Nia Teppelin from GurrenLagann. She will politely but clearly tell you that she will not die. Even if you're about to dematerialize her.

Compare (as said above) PluckyGirl, BadassPrincess, LadyOfWar, {{Xenafication}}.

* GenderFlipped in ''{{Disgaea 3}}'' with Adell and Princess Sapphire. He might be able to hold his own as a swordsman, but he's still been made Mao's slave, is slowly turning into a demon and is generally in over his head. The Princess is, however, [[ChainsawGood rather]] [[AnAxeToGrind protective]] [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend of him]].

You know the DamselInDistress. She's [[PuritySue sweet, innocent, demure, beautiful, submissive, virginal]], and serves as TheHero's DesignatedLoveInterest, destined to [[DamselScrappy get her stupid ass kidnapped to invoke OMG-DRAMA!1111]] and do nothing else but to stand around mindlessly waiting for the big, strong macho-man to pull a BigDamnHeroes and rescue her from this vile realm of torment...

This trope subverts the DistressedDamsel routine so hard it's not even funny. A female character who seems like a damsel in distress, but is still cool enough that the audience roots for her anyway. Maybe she gets kidnapped a couple of times, but makes up for it by pulling an epic CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Maybe she has the appearance and personality of a YamatoNadeshiko, yet also has a {{BFG}} on her and mows down 85% of the enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps she's just a PluckyGirl of epic proportions who gets handed a DistressBall but still tries to help as much as she can. Either way, you just can't help but love this girl. She may get kidnapped by the BigBad a lot, but dammit all, she's got BALLS. Whoops, ''boobs''.

This trope subverts the DistressedDamsel routine so hard it's not even funny. A female character who seems like a damsel in distress, but is still cool enough that the audience roots for her anyway.
Maybe she gets kidnapped a couple of times, but makes up for it by pulling an epic CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Maybe she has the appearance and personality of a YamatoNadeshiko, yet also has a {{BFG}} on her and mows down 85% of the enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps she's just a PluckyGirl of epic proportions. Either way, you just can't help but love this girl. She may get kidnapped by the BigBad a lot, but dammit all, she's got BALLS.

* Kagome from ''InuYasha'' would find herself in captivity rather often in the earlier arcs. Nonetheless, she still managed to help Inuyasha out a lot and even talked back at her captors frequently. Then she TookALevelInBadass.