History Main / DirtyCoward

** Played straight with Angelo Fortunato, the oft-forgotten second ComicBook/{{Venom}}. After he got ahold of the symbiote, [[BigBadWannabe he brags about how it puts in the same league of supervillain as]] [[Characters/MarvelComicsMagneto Magneto]] or Characters/DoctorDoom and kills a random civilian to prove it. But once Spider-Man gains the upper hand in their one and only battle, he immediately turns tail and runs, disgusting the symbiote, who declares Angelo to be an unworthy host, and it ditches him just as [[DisneyVillainDeath he's leaping between two buildings]].

[[folder:Religion]]
* ''Literature/TheBible'':
** The wicked are described as such in [[Literature/BookOfProverbs Proverbs 28:1]]:
-->''"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion."''
** According to [[Literature/BookOfRevelation Revelation 21:8]], the fearful is one of the sinners who will be cast into the [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Lake of Fire]].
[[/folder]]

[[AC: ''Ace Combat'']]
* In ''Fanfic/ThreeStrikes''
** Trigger calls Count a coward when he turns tail and runs with the other Spares when Mr. X arrives, which may have spurred him to return and help Tabloid deal with Mihaly’s wingmen. He grows out of it later, and by the time they joined LRSSG, Count is actively assisting Naomi in battles.
** Brigadier General Clemens is also one, which is used to the advantage by the LRSSG when they threatened that he would be sent into a penal unit to be punished for his crimes. Clemens immediately breaks and sells out his co-conspirators in the plot against Trigger without hesitation.

[[AC: ''Calvin and Hobbes'']]
* Hobbes, intended to be a LovableCoward or CowardlyLion, ends up [[CharacterDevelopment developing]] into this in Season 3 of ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''. WordOfGod confessed it was due to unintentional {{Flanderization}}, and it was finally taken down a notch by Season 4.

[[AC:Crossover]]
* Alfe in ''Fanfic/ANewProblem'' ran away when Horace and Roba were being attacked by a bear.

* ''Fanfic/TheBoysRealJustice'': As the battle between the Seven and the Legion of Doom goes wrong for the former, A-Train and the Deep try to run, but Black Manta, Doctor Polaris, and Grodd catch up and maim them. Manta cuts Kevin's arm off while Polaris breaks both of A-Train's legs, and Grodd almost bites off Reggie's head.

* ''Fanfic/ADevilAmongstWorms'': Makima describes Lung as this, stating that whenever adversity become too great, his will becomes broken along with his power, contemptuously noting that he lacks a sliver of courage or a fraction of [[TheDeterminator Denji's valor]]. [[BerserkButton He does NOT take this accusation well]] and tries to prove the Control Devil wrong in fighting her... but fails and ends up trying to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run for his life]] when she proves to be [[UnderestimatingBadassery too strong]] even in his most powerful state.
* ''Fanfic/TheUnexpectedRookie'': For all of his bragging about being a better racer than Mcqueen and his students, Chick Hicks is the first to flee the race track [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl screaming]] when the Decepticons attack while the Autobots and Radiator Springs cars stay and fight them off.

[[AC:''Dungeons & Dragons'']]
* ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': In one story, Spectra's smuggling companion ditches her at the first sign of trouble, leaving her alone, naked, and defenseless in the middle of nowhere with a Giant Frog actively trying to eat her.

[[AC:Fire Emblem]]

[[AC:''Game of Thrones''/''A Song of Ice and Fire'']]

[[AC:''Godzilla'']]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'':
** Alan Jonah is viewed as this by both San and Vivienne Graham, who observe he'll put anyone's life on the line or straight-up sentence them to certain death without pity or mercy in the name of the so-called greater good, even someone who he genuinely cared about; but he'll ''never'' willingly risk his own life. He also proves to be not quite as strong as he thinks he is with his couple brief {{Villainous Breakdown}}s.
** One of Jonah's subordinates, Guard B-04, is basically just an immature bully who makes crude, childish and vicious taunts at San and Vivienne solely for shits and giggles, and who only dares taunt them whilst there's a containment field or a large number of armed guards between him and the TwoBeingsOneBody hybrid.

[[AC: ''Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi'' / ''The Untamed'']]
* In ''Fanfic/TheBeastOfGusu'', after the attack on Cloud Recesses (mostly) fails, Wen Xu reveals his cowardice when facing a pissed off Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian as a wolf, begging for his life and insisting he will give them information if they take him prisoner. Wei Wuxian can tell he’s lying and laughs.

[[AC:''Harry Potter'']]
* Harry in ''Fanfic/PartiallyKissedHero'' tortures his foes horribly when they can't fight back and avoids direct confrontation when they can fight back. He will never enter a fight where there is a chance to lose.

[[AC:''Hetalia Axis Powers'']]
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': The homophobe is this. The homophobe, despite having brutally beaten and nearly raping Italy, ran like a pansy after Italy convinced Germany and Japan to stop beating the crap out of him.

[[AC:''How to Train Your Dragon'']]
* It is acknowledged in ''Fanfic/LostBoy'' that when Snotlout is not being a FearlessFool, he will rig a fight through cheating and underhanded tactics to give his opponent no real options.
--> '''Hiccup:''' Snotlout - the only time we actually fought, I had you down[.] And you - the coward that you are - had the twins pull me off you and hold me helpless as you beat me up. And then you whined to your parents that we had fought and they beat me as well. You held me helpless with a knife at my throat and assaulted me. You never fight fair! So which of us is the coward, Snotlout? You challenge me now when I am still healing and have only just lost a leg! Are you afraid of me in a fair fight?

[[AC:''Kill la Kill'']]
* Maiko in ''Fanfic/NaturalSelection'' never fights fair and ''never'' fights her own battles. She got Gamagoori's position by killing the true winner of the Naturals Election at the last minute after spending the entire thing hiding. She also refuses to fight anyone she's afraid of, like when she sent her men after Gamagoori despite her being a Three-Star and him not even having a Goku uniform at that point. She even spends the entire Naturals Election in the story hiding out in her manor watching everything unfold.

[[AC:''Kung Fu Panda'']]

[[AC:''The Lion King'']]
* Zazu in ''Fanfic/TheLionKingAdventures''. In ''Zazu's in Charge'', he's willing to abandon Simba and Nala in order to save himself from Scar and Hago.
-->'''Hago:''' You can't escape us now.\\
'''Zazu:''' Actually, I could always fly away.\\
'''Simba:''' And leave us behind? You chicken!\\
'''Zazu:''' When things get very serious, I look out for my own best interests. In a situation like this, I find you very irrelevant.\\
'''Nala:''' You ''are'' a chicken! You'd leave us to die just so you could save yourself?\\
'''Zazu:''' I'd love to say no, but unfortunately the answer is yes.

[[AC:''Miraculous Ladybug'']]
* In this ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' [[https://salthaven.tumblr.com/post/189536099637/not-too-much-salt-alya-and-nino-get-lila-to Salty Prompt]], Lila Rossi ''abandons'' the three young children she was babysitting (Chris Lahiffe and Ella and Etta Césaire; Nino and Alya's younger siblings) during an akuma attack, allowing said akuma to kidnap and brainwash them.

[[AC:''My Hero Academia'']]
* ''Fanfic/PassionOnDisplay'': Mineta screams and runs in terror when Bakugo is about to kill him for sending the entire class a private video with him in it.

[[AC:''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'']]
* If their encounter with Raven is any indication, the Space Ponies of ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'' will go out of their way to avoid fighting someone whose power cannot be determined, even if they are a member of a so-called inferior race. Some brave ponies!
* ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsFailure'': Stone Heart in "Write in the Head" uses a magical typewriter to enter ponies dreams. One of his targets is Spike, ''a defenseless child'', over his connection with Twilight. And rather than own up to his actions and face punishment for his crimes, he uses the typewriter to reverse time and erase everyone's memories of him.

[[AC:''Naruto'']]
* Near ''all'' Naruto focused fics have the Civilian Council of Konoha as this, to the point that they are either described as: wetting themselves, blabbering like babies, sweating like mad, knocked out, crapping themselves, or all the above by the tiniest amount of KillingIntent from Naruto or other characters. This is also common in any fics that focus on bashing Sakura.

[[AC:''Portal'']]
* This is Wheatley's FatalFlaw in the ''VideoGame/Portal2'' fic ''Fanfic/BlueSky'', where he shows this trope twice, and both times cause Chell to be genuinely pissed off at him:
** In one instance, he considered just abandoning a wounded Chell away from [=GLaDoS's=] wrath just to save his own skin, but relents at the last second.
** In another instance, he suggested to Chell to just leave the residents of Eaden to [=GlaDoS=] and go away together.

[[AC:''Punch-Out!!'']]
* ''Fanfic/ShiningAndSweet'': In "Bullying Blues", when being grilled by [[BullyHunter Aran Ryan]] about which one of them is Veronica (who had previously assaulted Katrina), Claire nearly immediately gives Veronica up and backs away to protect herself.

[[AC:''Rango'']]
* ''Fanfic/OldWest'': Benjamin Hares is a conman who left his pregnant wife Grace penniless and homeless to escape the people he owed. When he returns and fails in selling Grace's lands so that the BigBad would cover his debts, he resorts in his desperation to [[DomesticAbuse assaulting Grace]] to make her obey, actually relishing in it. [[OhCrap All the bravado evaporates]] when he realizes he has brought that way upon himself the UnstoppableRage of Rattlesnake Jake, the same one whom he acted condescendingly towards earlier. [[spoiler:Benjamin then spends his last moments as the coward he is.]]

[[AC:''RWBY'']]
* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfRemnant'': This is Klein's opinion regarding Jay Winchester. While Klein honestly believes that Salem is a true goddess who deserves his worship, he believes that Jay is simply an opportunist trying to ensure that he'll get to survive Salem's wrath.

[[AC:''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'']]
* ''Fanfic/CatRa'': {{Discussed|Trope}}. Adora eventually comes to this conclusion about Catra in her own version of the iconic scene from "Promise," believing Catra was never a true friend and always ran when they got in trouble, leaving her to take the rap.

[[AC:''Worldwar'']]

[[AC:Unsorted/Dormant/Dead]]
* ''Fanfic/IWillNotBow'' series:
** Noboru provokes a fight with a golden slime against Alice and the others' warnings, and when the slime calls for help, uses a [[{{Teleportation}} teleport crystal]] to escape, leaving the others to fend for themselves; Alice and Mai are the only survivors, and only because Ren, Riku, and Helios [[BigDamnHeroes heard their screams and saved them]]. He proves just as cowardly in real life, [[spoiler:forcing Alice to grovel before him to prevent him from posting a video to ruin Dan's reputation, and gleefully beating her up and calling her worthless to her face... only to completely FreakOut and beg for mercy when Dan shows up and beats him senseless.]]
** Yamato, Sugou's [[TheDragon Dragon]]. It's most pronounced in chapter 8; he openly calls Kirito's group [[PitifulWorms maggots]] and takes great delight in gloating about how much stronger he is than them and how he LovesTheSoundOfScreaming... but the minute Kirito, possessing Kayaba's ID and admin privileges, {{depower}}s him, he screams like a little girl and immediately tries to make a break for it.
** Rotto [[spoiler:uses Luna as a HumanShield against Rin during a tournament and slowly beats her to a pulp while she can't fight back. When he's beaten up by Lilly in the next chapter, he begs for the mercy he didn't show Rin; Lilly gives him none.]]
** In the Caged Canaries arc of ''The Lost Stories'', Sugou's men [[spoiler:molest Alice, then tinker with her mind and force her to attack Ren, watching and laughing as she attacks and tries to kill him with sadistic glee. When Alice breaks free of the brainwashing and Ren turns his attention on them, they immediately lose all their bravado and freak out, the last one standing even [[VillainsWantMercy begging Ren for mercy]].]]
* ''Fanfic/BadFutureCrusaders'': [[TheSpymaster Featherweight]] relies on his status to intimidate others, and his changeling minions to fight them for him. When neither works, he runs away with his tail between his legs.
* Alexander Valentine of the ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'' fic ''Fanfic/HereInMyArms''. At first, he's smugly gloating over Tsukune and his harem and boasting of his superiority, but the very ''instant'' he discovers that [[spoiler:Tsukune's a Blood Sage]] and that Inner Moka is released from her seal, he changes his tune, shamelessly begging Moka for forgiveness and trying to run for his life. Inner Moka even lampshades his attitude change right before she literally beats him to a bloody pulp:
-->'''Inner Moka''': What happened to all that confidence you had, weakling?
* ''Fanfic/RanmaSaotomeChiMaster'' has Qiáng Wang, a [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Triad boss]] who wants revenge on Ranma and his guru for destroying his organization. He goes after Ranma because he's the weaker of the two, and because [[RevengeByProxy killing him will hurt her]]. When he finds out he underestimated the pigtailed martial artist, he flees from the fight they're having, leaving a BrainwashedAndCrazy Ryoga to kill him. It's also mentioned in the backstory that he ran away both times his organization was dismantled.
* [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition First Enchanter Monette]] in ''Fanfic/WalkingInCircles'' always looks out for herself first, even if she has to look away when injustices happen to innocent mages despite the fact that it's her job to be their voice. She’s one of Evelyn's constant reminders about what’s wrong with the Circles, thus giving her one more reason to see them gone.

[[folder:Film — Animation]]
* Iago of Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. For much of the second movie ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' onward, he spent a lot of time looking out for himself almost exclusively (he even makes up a whole song about it), although unlike many of the examples here, he can be courageous and selfless. Two examples come up in the second film.

Other times it can be subtle. Confronting fear isn't always punching the right person in the face--sometimes the cowardice can come from running from one's responsibilities. A DisappearedDad or MissingMom that [[ParentalAbandonment went to get milk]] one day as opposed to [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou having a seriously good reason]] can be an example. [[CannotSpitItOut Other forms]] of estrangement can be the result of cowardice on either party's side, though who's right depends on the author.

Other times it can be subtle. Confronting fear isn't always punching the right person in the face--sometimes the cowardice can come from running from one's responsibilities. A DisappearedDad or MissingMom that [[ParentalAbandonment went to get milk]] one day as opposed to [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou having a seriously good reason]] can be an example. [[CannotSpitItOut Other forms]] of estrangement can be the result of cowardice on either party's side, who's right depends on the author.

[[folder:Myth and Legend]]
* Literature/TheIliad:

* King Mark from the Tristan and Isolde part of the Myth/ArthurianLegend. Or at least he's like this in Malory's ''Literature/LeMorteDArthur''.

Usually a villain unless [[PlayedForLaughs used comically]], although they may sometimes be [[JustForFun/DyingLikeAnimals a certain type of civilian]] that gets in the way. When used as a villain, this is a cheap way to make the heroes look good in comparison, [[BlackAndGrayMorality even if they're not]] [[DesignatedHero everything they should be]]. Villainous Dirty Cowards tend to fall squarely into NeutralEvil, since they are first and foremost out for their own hides at the expense of others. One of the best ways to demean the BigBad is by making them out to be a coward. It's doubly ironic if [[TheDreaded the one who brings fear into the hearts of others]] [[PaperTiger turns out to be a pathetic scaramouch]] who [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritically]] makes others feel weak because they are really the weak one and try to hide it. After all, only TheBully can bring the "dirty" into the Dirty Coward trope.

May be the MilesGloriosus, and even believe his own brags when out of danger. The FearlessFool may invoke this to persuade his companions to [[YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb act like idiots]]. A FairWeatherFoe could be considered a social form of this, acting mean to their enemies if they can afford to, but are willing to act nice if acting mean could have consequences. Cases of WouldHurtAChild and BadPeopleAbuseAnimals often have undertones of this, since they involve harming something innocent and unable to defend themself. Not to be confused with the CombatPragmatist, who may employ tactics that can be considered dirty and cowardly but does so out of cold calculation rather than fear. Contrast the LovableCoward, who numbers among the good guys and has foibles portrayed far more sympathetically, generally due to [[AtLeastIAdmitIt their not trying to pose]] as anything ''but'' a coward, and even then will often face their fears and ultimately still risk their lives if the chips are really down (as will the CowardlyLion). TheSoCalledCoward is by definition mistaken for one of these; if they don't want to be, they'll say "NobodyCallsMeChicken." See also TheBully (characters who are brave enough when tormenting those weaker than they are, but [[ThinSkinnedBully showing their true colors]] in the face of those equal to or stronger than they are), OriginalPositionFallacy (where one holds a moral position on the assumption that they will receive the benefits, without considering that they may be among the ones to suffer from said beliefs), SoreLoser (where someone isn't afraid of death or injury so much as they are of losing, though many Dirty Cowards are also Sore Losers), and OpportunisticBastard. Does not apply when [[KnowWhenToFoldEm retreating really is the most practical option one has]]. Often overlaps with ScrewThisImOuttaHere, where someone enters a situation that they don't want to be a part of, so they decide to just leave.

** The wicked is described as such in [[Literature/BookOfProverbs Proverbs 28:1]]:

Usually a villain unless [[PlayedForLaughs used comically]], although they may sometimes be [[JustForFun/DyingLikeAnimals a certain type of civilian]] that gets in the way. When used as a villain, this is a cheap way to make the heroes look good in comparison, [[BlackAndGrayMorality even if they're not]] [[DesignatedHero everything they should be]]. Villainous Dirty Cowards tend to fall squarely into NeutralEvil, since they are first and foremost out for their own hides at the expense of others. One of the best ways to demean the BigBad is by making them out to be a coward. It's doubly ironic if [[TheDreaded the one who brings fear into the hearts of others]] [[PaperTiger turns out to be a pathetic scaramouch]] who [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritically]] makes others feel weak because they are really the weak one and try to hide it. After all, only TheBully can bring the "dirty" into the Dirty Coward trope, and someone who is genuinely strong would have nothing to prove by picking fights.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars2}}'': Upon being cornered by Mater in the climax of the film, [[spoiler: Miles Axelrod is forced to deactivate the bomb he put on Mater and expose himself as the leader of the Lemons]] to avoid getting himself killed.

May be the MilesGloriosus, and even believe his own brags when out of danger. The FearlessFool may invoke this to persuade his companions to [[YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb act like idiots]]. A FairWeatherFoe could be considered a social form of this, acting mean to their enemies if they can afford to, but are willing to act nice if acting mean could have consequences. Not to be confused with the CombatPragmatist, who may employ tactics that can be considered dirty and cowardly but does so out of cold calculation rather than fear. Contrast the LovableCoward, who numbers among the good guys and has foibles portrayed far more sympathetically, generally due to [[AtLeastIAdmitIt their not trying to pose]] as anything ''but'' a coward, and even then will often face their fears and ultimately still risk their lives if the chips are really down (as will the CowardlyLion). TheSoCalledCoward is by definition mistaken for one of these; if they don't want to be, they'll say "NobodyCallsMeChicken." See also TheBully (characters who are brave enough when tormenting those weaker than they are, but [[ThinSkinnedBully showing their true colors]] in the face of those equal to or stronger than they are), OriginalPositionFallacy (where one holds a moral position on the assumption that they will receive the benefits, without considering that they may be among the ones to suffer from said beliefs), SoreLoser (where someone isn't afraid of death or injury so much as they are of losing, though many Dirty Cowards are also Sore Losers), and OpportunisticBastard. Does not apply when [[KnowWhenToFoldEm retreating really is the most practical option one has]]. Often overlaps with ScrewThisImOuttaHere, where someone enters a situation that they don't want to be a part of, so they decide to just leave.