Badass Gay

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Harmony: Oh, God, how did you get away?
Gay Perry: I shot him with a small revolver I keep near my balls.

—Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know - and I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole.

—Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Stagger Lee"

With the fading tradition of portraying gay people as sissies, bitches or perverted, and with some young people using the word "gay" as if it meant "incompetent" or "stupid", it still requires some skill to successfully make a character completely Badass while at the same time having the character directly or indirectly engage in same-sex romance. If done well, the contrast between the negative stereotypes and the awesomeness of the character can enhance the character(s) and/or the plot quite a bit. Author Appeal (or in cases gone wrong, Author Tract) may be involved. Note that gay romance or a Gay/bi identity is enough for this trope - it doesn't have to be both.

The audience can be expected to regard a romance between two individuals of different genders as simply a romance, yet regarding a romance between two individuals of the same gender as a gay romance rather than just a romance. However, unless the work is about homophobia, don't expect the characters to encounter any homophobes raining on their parade. Except maybe a stray Straw Loser or two. However, don't be surprised if they get suspiciously similarly discriminated against for some unrelated and maybe unearthly reason. That way, the authors can lampshade the trope without subverting it.

This trope has no inherent connection to Manly Gay or Agent Peacock. Sure there is some overlap, but you don't have to be muscular, macho or pretty to be a badass. Lesbian characters on this trope tend to avoid macho/butch stereotypes as well as the lesbianism intended for a male audience stereotypes, being feminine yet both proper and cool.

In recent years, with LGBT relationships becoming more accepted and characters in fiction being open about it, this Trope can easily overlap with Battle Couple.

Examples of Badass Gay include:

Anime and Manga

  • Fire Emblem (no connection to the video game) from the series Tiger and Bunny. Appears to be just a Camp Gay character, but is a superhero and a successful CEO who dabbles in various business affairs for fun. He can get very serious when needed, though he rarely ever is. His costume even looks like a cross between Batman's and Gatchaman's.
  • General Blue from Dragon Ball. He may be a homosexual, but he's immensely powerful enough to defeat Kuririn and take on Goku. His homosexuality helps in some sense because Bulma tried to sexually distract him and he wasn't affected.
  • Shinobu Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho. Yeah, he's a villain, and he has a LOT of issues, but he's also a martial-arts prodigy born with a very strong spiritual sense and the World's Strongest Man until his death.
  • Sailor Moon has the lesbian version of this in Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Utterly ruthless in their mission, willing to sacrifice individuals to save the world (sadly for them they're in an idealistic series) and are shown to be entirely refined. Also they're always fan favorites.
  • Another pair of lesbian examples, Setsuna and Tsukuyomi in Mahou Sensei Negima.
  • While Leeron from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann may be incredibly Camp Gay and not a direct fighter, he is still the main mechanic for the show's Humongous Mecha and one of the first to embrace Kamina's Beyond the Impossible philosophy.
  • Fushigi Yuugi‍'‍s Nuriko swoons over Hotohori (and later on, Miaka) and is a Wholesome Crossdresser... but has super strength and kicks some major ass. Right up to the end.
  • The transsexual demon Arachne from Angel Sanctuary.
  • Bon Clay, Ivankov, and his followers from One Piece are probably among the gayest characters yet they seem kick a whole ton of ass.
  • Air Gear has Yasuyoshi Sano, otherwise known as "Aeon Clock" who fights on par with King-level Storm Riders despite not having any form of Regalia.
  • Kunzite and Zoisite from Sailor Moon, quite possibly the first LGBT anime couple that the dub translators had no problem with. In fact, the only real complaints fan had was that it was a Relationship Upgrade from how it was in the manga, little more.

Comic Books

Let me make this situation clear for you. I know what special abilities you have. I can see the enhancements. I can detect the increased electrical activity in your brain. I know what moves you're preparing to make. I've fought our fight already, in my head, in a million different ways. I can hit you without you even seeing me. I'm what soldiers dream of growing into. I'm what children see when they first imagine what death is like. I'm the Midnighter. Your Move.

    • His husband/love interest Apollo is quite badass as well.
  • Rictor and Shatterstar from X-Factor, both of whom can kick plenty of ass with or without powers. While Shatterstar doesn't seem to think of love in terms of gender, Rictor recently[when?] came out as gay and not bi, as previously assumed (he had been in on-panel relationships with women, but apparently never found them fulfilling).
  • The current[when?] Batwoman was ousted from the military after being caught in a relationship with a fellow female cadet. She fights shapeshifting animal henchmen with only her average strength and wits and has survived being stabbed in the chest.
  • Wiccan and Hulkling from the Young Avengers. Both are undeniably badass with one being a reality-warping mutant and the other a shape-shifter alien hybrid. They also happen to be in a happy relationship with each other and will do unspeakable things to anyone that tries to hurt their boyfriend.
  • Sarah Rainmaker from Gen 13, obviously.

Film

  • In the parody film Stripperland, the badass Tallahassee parodied character, Frisco, is revealed to be gay.
  • In the film version of Watchmen (but not the comic), the lesbian "Silhouette" was arguably the coolest of the first generation of superheroes. In both versions, the homophobia against her from other superheroes is used as a narrative tool to portray the superhero subculture as being morally bankrupt -- and indirectly led to her murder.
  • "Gay" Perry in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a very tough Private Detective. In one scene, it turns out he's hidden a gun in his crotch, because if he's frisked by a man who knows he's gay it's the best hiding spot. When Perry uses it, Harry experiences a moment of confusion about whether there was a gun in there or it was "a gay thing".
  • Though his sexual orientation is never spelled out for the audience, Wez from The Road Warrior is a terrifying mohawked berserker driven to murderous fury by the death of his younger, prettier companion, whom his boss, Lord Humongous, explicitly calls his "loved one." Of course the whole Mad Max series has a faint transgressive undercurrent, so it could just be part of the overall insanity.
  • Sir Elton John As Himself in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Literature

  • Older Than Feudalism: Achilles and Patroclus from The Iliad were more like Blood Knight Gay and a Battle Couple to boot. The entire reason the two are made cousins in the 2003 movie Troy was because it was the only way the producers could think of to avoid any LGBT connotations. Achilles's desire to enter battle with Hector is ignited when Hector accidentally kills Patroclus (thinking him to be Achilles). Note that the ancient Greek culture didn't divide people into heterosexual and homosexual but instead into active/dominant and receiving/submissive. One can assume that Achilles was the active/dominant in the relationship, although the general Trope still applies to Patroclus.
  • In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book of the Harry Potter series, we finally get Dumbledore's backstory, detailing how his romance with Grindelwald made him the Badass Mentor he has been throughout the series. Although it's incredibly subtle. Most people (besides the obvious) never even thought about it until we got a Word of Gay.
  • In Prinsessan Kristalla, the titular Princess Crystallia and her girlfriend have several badass moments, like when they save the dragon from all the Knight Templar "heroes".
  • In the final novel of the Slave World series, two female protagonists have to go on a daring rescue mission behind enemy lines - infiltrating the timeline they once belonged to, as England is on the edge of getting psychopaths as their new rulers and the cold war between the timelines threatens to erupt into a full scale war between the worlds. The queen trust these women with this mission not only because of their well known intelligence and skill, but also because of the one thing that make her certain that they will never betray England at this crucial point in history: Their undying devotion to Lady Isobel and Lady Abigail respectively.
  • Augustus of the Tour of the Merrimack series. A Patterner Cyborg, he possesses both incredible physical strength and Awesomeness By Analysis abilities.
  • Lee Farrell and Tedy Sapp in the Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker.
  • Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series has some gay, lesbian, and bi Herald characters, and as Heralds they're pretty much required to be badass, psychic soldier-rangers. Herald-Mage Vanyel was especially badass, being one of very, very few people to achieve the huge power of a mage adept, and almost single-handedly holding off an entire army that attacked his country. He was also pyrokinetic, telepathic, empathic, telekinetic, and clairvoyant, a skilled swordsman, an important adviser to the king, and able to predict the future.
  • The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan has a number of Badass Gay characters, but the standouts are definitely Ringil and Seethlaw.
  • Dekka from Gone is a lesbian example, and, as of Fear, Edilio qualifies as well.
  • Cnaiür urs Skiötha from R. Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse. He is an unparalleled murderer, strategist, and tactician, as well as being one of the only characters that can resist Kellhus' manipulation and eventual domination.
  • The Mortal Instruments has Invisible to Gaydar Alec Lightwood, demon hunting Shadowhunter and protective older brother, as well as his boyfriend, Camp Gay (technically bisexual) Magnus Bane, an immortal warlock and one of the most powerful characters in the series. Sister series The Infernal Devices gives us Magnus's ex-boyfriend Woolsley Scott, eccentric leader of the werewolf pack. Head vampire DeQuincey is also hinted at as being bi.
    • Lesbian examples include Aline Penhallow and her girlfriend Helen Blackthorn, both notable Shadowhunters.

Live Action TV

  • Sam Adama from Caprica. He is a tall, muscular mob enforcer/hitman. At one point he infiltrates a government minister's mansion, while shirtless, poses dramatically showing off his muscled, tattooed torso and then proceeds to slash the guy's throat. Also fond of beating people up, inflicting property damage and anything involving firearms. His long-suffering husband is mostly okay with all of this, but still has limits...

Sam: Larry hates it when I come home bloody.

  • In season five of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow has arguably grown past the slayer herself in badassery, powered by her relationship with Tara. (The sixth season is a completely different story, which is one of the main reasons why so many hate the sixth season.)
  • Spartacus: Blood and Sand has this in spades. The first season has Barca and Gnaeus, the prequel season has Barca and Auctus, and the third season has Agron. Aversions are Pietros and (arguably) Nazir.
  • In Torchwood, Captain Jack successfully asks his male co-worker Ianto out on a date while they are in the middle of saving the world together.
  • In the Doctor Who episode "Day of the Moon", Canton Everett Delaware III is shown to be a badass government agent who helps the Doctor defeat the Silence after getting kicked out of the FBI for "wanting to get married" in 1969. Right at the end of the arc, Nixon asks him if the person he wants to marry is black, because he would be willing to push to overturn that law. "Yes," says Delaware, "he is."
  • In one Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Jadzia Dax gets a girlfriend named Lenara Khan. When the mandatory technological disaster happens, Jadzia gets to be the Knight in Shining Armor and heroically save her beloved Damsel in Distress Lenara.
    • Bonus points that neither the lovers themselves, their friends nor even their enemies even notice that Jadzia and Lenara are of the same gender, in spite of both of them being very feminine. They are, instead, persecuted because the symbionts whose memories they each carry were already married in previous hosts. "Reassociation", as it is known, with a past host's spouse is strictly forbidden and highly taboo in their culture. As a result the episode is full of Does This Remind You of Anything? conversations as the two first try to deny their feelings for each other (until Jadzia saves the day and wins the girl) then try to hide it from Lenara's well-meaning but judgmental brother in order to avoid persecution and exile (which would be an eventual death sentence for their symbionts).
  • Oka from Deep Love and nobody expected it because he also doubles as Camp Gay, but when he rescues somebody from three tough men, wow.

Oka: "Don't underestimate fags or else you'll pay for it!"

Video Games

  • Dragon Age. In all games, the protagonist can be gay or bi (or for that matter, an Anything That Moves type) if the player wants him or her to be.
    • In Origins, Leliana. We really ought to invent a Badass French Person trope just for her. For many reasons. Zevran, as well, though he is a bit depraved, he's still pretty badass.
    • In Dragon Age II there are five romance options among party members (Anders, Fenris, Isabela, Merrill, and Sebastian) and all except Sebastian are bi.
    • In Dragon Age: The Last Court both the romance options - The Elegant Abbess and The Wayward Bard - are bi.
    • Dragon Age: Inquisition takes this a step further, with two romance options - Dorian and Sera - who are openly gay, and only accept the advances of a protagonist of the same gender. Cullen, Josephine, and Iron Bull are bi, and the last one may well be the most badass of the whole crew.
  • The Mass Effect series gives us the entire Asari race. All omnisexual, all biotics, all prepared to fling you across the room telekinetically if you piss them off.
  • And the first case BioWare put out of the closet: Juhani. Jedi Guardian (built for fighting). So hand a Catgirl a lightsaber and enough Force Powers to knock you across a room with a temper that's kept in check mostly by the Jedi Code. Sweet lady, but don't piss her off.
  • All of the canonically non-heterosexual characters in Metal Gear (Big Boss, Ocelot, Volgin, Raikov, Scott Dolph and Vamp) qualify to some degree. Big Boss is the most indisputably badass, although his bisexuality is never explicit in game and is a very minor facet of his character.
  • In Fallout: New Vegas, the "Confirmed Bachelor" and "Cherchez La Femme" perks turn the male and female Courier into this. Curiously enough since both perks give a 10% damage bonus against enemies of the same gender as the Courier and the overwhelming majority of human enemies in the game are male, this means that the game encourages players who choose a male PC to make him gay for Min-Maxing purposes.
    • Veronica is a lesbian, and she's quite comfortable in power armor and tends to punch things so hard they explode.
    • Christine, all but stated to be Veronica's ex-girlfriend in the Dead Money expansion, is no Shrinking Violet either.
  • Makoto in Enchanted Arms. At the beginning he is pretty Camp Gay. But when he reappears as the mysterious man he has changed... A lot. He still crushes on Toya though.
  • Heather in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a confident, competent rogue who joins the party only because she has eyes for Nephenee.
  • Venom from Guilty Gear has been confirmed gay and is very capable of kicking ass.

Web Comics

TT: If it's me going through with this, hypothetically,
TT: I'm not dropping some limp wristed shucks buster on his ass, and praying to the horse gods of irony for reciprocation.
TT: There will be no rocking back and forth on pigeon-toed feet, while my face flushes with the blood of a thousand timid bishies.
TT: I will not hold one tentative hand behind my head like a flustered asshole from an Asian cartoon, nor will an oversized bead of sweat overlap ludicrously with my visage.
TT: If it's me, I'm going all out.
TT: Oceans will rise. Cities will fall. Volcanoes will erupt.
TG: uuh
TT: What I'm saying is, it's going to be a scene, and bystanders need to brace themselves.

Web Original

  • Mille Chanteau of Ilivais X is incredibly strong-willed, consistently enthusiastic (unless X is screwing with her temperament), superbly hammy, and head-over-heels for Iriana. While she is interested in men as well, the story undeniably is focused on their relationship. Similarly, Iriana, while nowhere near as tough and optimistic, at least TRIES to make people think she's a cold-blooded badass, and while she tends to fail, she does have her moments.
  • Angel Dust from Hazbin Hotel, mostly in the prequel comic and "Addict" music video. He was a brutal mobster while alive, and as a demon becomes Cherri Bomb's partner in gang wars against Sir Pentious.

Western Animation

Real Life

  • One by-product of the debate in the U.S. of allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military is to raise awareness of how many already are serving with distinction, and have served throughout history.
  • King Richard I the Lionhearted took this trope up to eleven; he was pretty much a Blood Knight Four-Star Badass Gay.
  • Homosexuality was very common among the armies of the Spartans.
  • Alexander The Great, though debatable since he was after all Greek, some historians suspect his sudden death was brought on by heart break after his lover and man at arms had died, but before that in a stint of just 12 years he conquered his way through the entire Mediterranean, Egypt, Persia and only stopped at India because of monsoon season and his men's homesickness.
  • The Sacred Band of Thebes, 150 Battle Couples of men and their lovers, so mighty that they handed the Spartans their asses a few times.
  • Siegfried Sassoon. Yes, that's right, the First World War poet. When he wasn't writing (justifiably) angsty and horrific war poetry or protesting the war's improper prolongation, he was crawling out into No Man's Land on regular German-hunting patrols. Robert Graves, in his autobiography, describes him as flipping between happy warrior and bitter pacifist, and describes his battlefield activities with the words "wholesale slaughter". Consider that Graves himself was an active combat officer in one of the most godawful wars in history, and it gives you some idea of what Sassoon was like.
  • Freddie Mercury.
  • Comedian and talk show host Graham Norton was stabbed in the heart, and is absolutely fine, and this fact is hardly ever brought up.
  • Elton John (Sir Elton John, that is) actually saved Eminem from drug abuse.
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