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Super-ability girl only notices that the normal guy in love with her is worthy of her notice and affection after he takes a serious amount of damage, often by losing a fight, in order to protect or help her in some way. It's not "distressed dude", as he doesn't need rescuing, it can precede "violently protective girlfriend", but not necessarily. What is the trope in which an ordinary guy proves his worthiness to an extraordinary girl by taking extraordinary physical risks, and often losing in a fight? It's not "loser gets the girl" because that requires both guys to fight over her, and defeat makes her realize that the winner never really interested her. This is more like the girl does not really know she reciprocates his love, until she sees the amount of physical pain and damage he is willing to absorb in their shared cause. It may be the prelude to the "violently protective girlfriend" but not always. Is there something like the "Steve Trevor Effect" from the Wonder Woman (2016) movie? Except in that, they hook up before he blows himself up, but that causes her to (posthumously) forgive him for their fight. Any ideas? It's not "weakness turns her on" because we are not talking about a character who is congenitally weak in body or personality, but usually he is in some way inferior to her - less educated, less intelligent, less trained, whatever. Often, the guy takes a beating in an attempt to serve her in some way, protection, rescue attempt, something. This usually leads to the moment when the girl realizes that the guy who she has been somehow looking upon as insufficient is suddenly recognized as worthy. It's also not the "after-action patch up" ,nor the "After-action hook-up". It's not the "Florence Nightingale effect"because there is not necessarily any medical personnel involved. It's more like a "relationship upgrade due to almost losing him" Several books do this, including Patrick Ness' "The Knife of Never Letting Go" and Brittany Cavallaro's "Charlotte Holmes" series. Both have superior and aloof female leads ignoring inferior but loyal male leads' growing dedication until some sort of damage threshold is passed.Once the damage threshold is passed, though, the female leads suddenly realizes the boy's importance to her, and there is an instant relationship upgrade. Any ideas?