Badass in Distress: Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~bman_9383~~.png|link=Batman: The Animated Series|frame|You'll never believe who rescues him.<ref> [[This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman|Aquaman?]]</ref>]]

[[File:bman 9383.png|link=Batman: The Animated Series|frame|You'll never believe who rescues him.<ref>[[This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman|Aquaman?]]</ref>]]

We all have the [[Damsel in Distress]] and [[Dude in Distress]] for our heroes and [[Badass~~|Badasses~~]] to save. But what if our Badass is slowly growing [[Invincible Hero|too powerful and invincible]]? Sure, it's [[Rule of Cool|really cool]], but nobody likes a [[God Mode Sue]]. What shall we do?!

We all have the [[Damsel in Distress]] and [[Dude in Distress]] for our heroes and [[Badass]]es to save. But what if our Badass is slowly growing [[Invincible Hero|too powerful and invincible]]? Sure, it's [[Rule of Cool|really cool]], but nobody likes a [[God Mode Sue]]. What shall we do?!

For starters, we can have them [[All Up to You|trade places]]. What if the Badass (or [[Action Girl]], if the character in question is female) gets put in the [[Dude in Distress]]'s shoes? Suddenly our Badass finds himself in a situation where he cannot use his magnificent escape skills, and there's only one thing he can do: wait for someone else to rescue him. He's [[Not So Invincible After All]]...

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Done well, this turn of events can add realism to an otherwise invincible character. Done badly, it may leave the audience wondering if the Badass just caught the [[Distress Ball]] today.

[[The Lancer]] is often subject to this, because aside from being the most likely candidate for [[Badass~~|Badassery~~]], they're often hit with [[An Aesop]] about [[The Power of Friendship]]. Having butted heads with the hero once too often and [[Ineffectual Loner|stormed off to work on their own]], they fail spectacularly and have to be rescued by [[The Hero]], after which the Aesop has been taught and they can resume kicking ass.

[[The Lancer]] is often subject to this, because aside from being the most likely candidate for [[Badass]]ery, they're often hit with [[An Aesop]] about [[The Power of Friendship]]. Having butted heads with the hero once too often and [[Ineffectual Loner|stormed off to work on their own]], they fail spectacularly and have to be rescued by [[The Hero]], after which the Aesop has been taught and they can resume kicking ass.

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*** Actually, ''[[Word of God]]'' says he would have won that fight.

*** {{spoiler|He was also taken by surprise by [[Badass General|Thymilphof]] after snapping Simon out of his [[Heroic BSOD]]. Thymilphof burst out from under him and mortally wounded him. He still manages to be badass even when dying.}}

* This happens to Kyoya Hibari from ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]''. He's pretty much one of the most [[Badass]] characters in the entire series, and remained largely undefeated. Until the [[Genre Shift|first serious arc]] with Rokudo Mukuro began. He goes over to fight Mukuro, only to be defeated (due to his [[Flaw Exploitation|weakness being exploited]]), and held captive. With some help from Tsuna and Gokudera, he manages to break out and wreak havoc. His [[Badass~~|Badassness~~]] didn't decay ''any'' from it at all.

* This happens to Kyoya Hibari from ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]''. He's pretty much one of the most [[Badass]] characters in the entire series, and remained largely undefeated. Until the [[Genre Shift|first serious arc]] with Rokudo Mukuro began. He goes over to fight Mukuro, only to be defeated (due to his [[Flaw Exploitation|weakness being exploited]]), and held captive. With some help from Tsuna and Gokudera, he manages to break out and wreak havoc. His [[Badass]]ness didn't decay ''any'' from it at all.

* {{spoiler|Death The Kid}} from ''[[Soul Eater]]'' is this for a while, although now he is out of the Book of Eiben and is ready to start kicking ass again.

** Also {{spoiler|Maka Albarn}}, during the Envy and Sloth chapters of the same book.

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** The entire guild including such powerful guys as Makarov, Mirajane, and Gildarts, when they're sucked into Edolias and turned into an immobile magic source. Only the 3 Dragonslayers (who were immune to the teleportation spell) and Lucy (who was protected by her spirits) managed to stay free. Gray and Erza were later freed halfway through the arc, but the rest of the guild spent the entire arc helpless.

** During the same arc, [[Badass|Natsu]] and Wendy were captured by the king of Edolas and drained of their magic; having been unable to use it in Edolas, they couldn't use their powers to escape and had to be rescued by Lucy, Erza and Gray.

* Ran, Kazuha, Heiji and Kogoro (though in his case it's more like [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]) have caught quite the [[Distress Ball~~|Distress Balls~~]] in [[Detective Conan]].

* Ran, Kazuha, Heiji and Kogoro (though in his case it's more like [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]) have caught quite the [[Distress Ball]]s in [[Detective Conan]].

* ''[[Inuyasha]]'': The [[One-Man Army|most powerful]] character in the series is [[Badass Long Hair|Sesshoumaru]]. As he himself once [[Badass Boast|observes]], he's never been cornered into a desperate situation. He's also the only thing standing between [[Big Bad|Naraku]] and the [[Gotta Catch Them All|last shard]] of the [[Dismantled MacGuffin|Shikon no Tama]], resulting in {{spoiler|Magatsuhi, the [[Complete Monster|dark will]] of the [[Ultimate Evil|Shikon no Tama]],}} being sent after him to [[The Chessmaster|take advantage of]] Sesshoumaru's {{spoiler|[[Not So Invincible After All|weaponless state]]. [[The Strategist|Magatsuhi]]}} immediately exploits Sesshoumaru's {{spoiler|[[Handicapped Badass|one-armed status]] and succeeds.}} [[Annoying Younger Sibling|Younger brother]] [[The Hero|Inuyasha]] ~~[[Badass in Distress|~~rescues]] him but not before {{spoiler|his [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!|remaining arm]] is [[I Can Still Fight|ripped]] to [[Healing Factor|shreds]].}} That doesn't stop {{spoiler|[[Magnificent Bastard|Magatsuhi]]}} rendering Inuyasha's [[BFS|sword]] [[Shoot the Hostage|useless]], {{spoiler|stabbing Sesshoumaru [[No One Could Survive That|through the heart]],}} and capturing Inuyasha. {{spoiler|Not only does [[Determinator|Sesshoumaru]] [[Not Quite Dead|not die]], but he ''[[Came Back Strong|comes]] [[Took a Level In Badass|back]] [[Up to Eleven|even]] [[Chain-Reaction Destruction|stronger]] [[Person of Mass Destruction|than]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|before]]''.}}

* ''[[Inuyasha]]'': The [[One-Man Army|most powerful]] character in the series is [[Badass Long Hair|Sesshoumaru]]. As he himself once [[Badass Boast|observes]], he's never been cornered into a desperate situation. He's also the only thing standing between [[Big Bad|Naraku]] and the [[Gotta Catch Them All|last shard]] of the [[Dismantled MacGuffin|Shikon no Tama]], resulting in {{spoiler|Magatsuhi, the [[Complete Monster|dark will]] of the [[Ultimate Evil|Shikon no Tama]],}} being sent after him to [[The Chessmaster|take advantage of]] Sesshoumaru's {{spoiler|[[Not So Invincible After All|weaponless state]]. [[The Strategist|Magatsuhi]]}} immediately exploits Sesshoumaru's {{spoiler|[[Handicapped Badass|one-armed status]] and succeeds.}} [[Annoying Younger Sibling|Younger brother]] [[The Hero|Inuyasha]] rescues him but not before {{spoiler|his [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!|remaining arm]] is [[I Can Still Fight|ripped]] to [[Healing Factor|shreds]].}} That doesn't stop {{spoiler|[[Magnificent Bastard|Magatsuhi]]}} rendering Inuyasha's [[BFS|sword]] [[Shoot the Hostage|useless]], {{spoiler|stabbing Sesshoumaru [[No One Could Survive That|through the heart]],}} and capturing Inuyasha. {{spoiler|Not only does [[Determinator|Sesshoumaru]] [[Not Quite Dead|not die]], but he ''[[Came Back Strong|comes]] [[Took a Level In Badass|back]] [[Up to Eleven|even]] [[Chain-Reaction Destruction|stronger]] [[Person of Mass Destruction|than]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|before]]''.}}

* [[Action Girl|Moka]] recently got hit with this in ''[[Rosario + Vampire]]''. That only applies to [[Split Personality|Inner Moka]], whereas Outer Moka is a [[Damsel in Distress]].

* Recently in ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'', {{spoiler|[[Complete Monster|Silcardo]] decides to take [[Cute Bruiser|Miu]] as HIS new Disciple and as a result she got hit with the [[Distress Ball]] HARD. Not only that, but then she was [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] and pit against fighting Kenichi: Silcardo hoped to have Miu mentally broken via killing Kenichi, and thus complete a [[Face Heel Turn]].}} How does this end? {{spoiler|In failure: Kenichi gets to Miu in the end, she returns to her senses, and they take on their enemies together. It wasn't a complete failure though as Silcardo brought up successful traces of a [[Blood Knight]] on her.}}

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* ''[[Kimba the White Lion]]'' had some cases where [[Killer Rabbit|Kimba]] needed to be rescued by either [[The Lancer|Roger Ranger]] or [[Karmic Jackpot|one of his subjects that he helped before]].

* Happens to all of the Children in [[Neon Genesis Evangelion]], with he most glaring example being {{spoiler|Rei in ''Rebuild''.}}

* [[Tenchi Muyo!]] has both Ryoko and Ayeka in the OAV's. When Kagato arrived, his first action was to make Ryoko go [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] and then take her hostage; Tenchi, Mihoshi, Ryo-ohki and Ayeka go to rescue her. Then, after {{spoiler|he almost kills Tenchi and Ryoko gets free as a result}}, Kagato captures Ayeka and {{spoiler|tries to brainwash her into revealing the Jurai Family secrets}}, but is refused at the last moment. Meanwhile, {{spoiler|Mihoshi finds and releases ''another'' [[Badass in Distress]]... Washu, whom Kagato has kept prisioner in a [[Pocket Dimension]].}}

* [[Tenchi Muyo!]] has both Ryoko and Ayeka in the OAV's. When Kagato arrived, his first action was to make Ryoko go [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] and then take her hostage; Tenchi, Mihoshi, Ryo-ohki and Ayeka go to rescue her. Then, after {{spoiler|he almost kills Tenchi and Ryoko gets free as a result}}, Kagato captures Ayeka and {{spoiler|tries to brainwash her into revealing the Jurai Family secrets}}, but is refused at the last moment. Meanwhile, {{spoiler|Mihoshi finds and releases ''another'' Badass in Distress... Washu, whom Kagato has kept prisioner in a [[Pocket Dimension]].}}

** Happened to Ryoko again later, when she was captured by Dr. Clay and replaced by a doppleganger. [[Becoming the Mask|Too bad that same doppleganger fell for Tenchi too]].

** Ayeka also gets put in this position in ''Tenchi Universe'', when {{spoiler|she's kidnapped by that continuity's Kagato.}}

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== Films -- Live-Action ==

* Raphael in the ''[[TMNT]]'' movies, especially the second movie thanks to his stint working alone had him getting captured by Shredder, Tokka and Rahzar and had to be saved by his brothers before he can kick ass again. He's [[The Lancer]], so that explains. The more recent TMNT movie, however, subvert it that even though Raphael is still [[The Lancer]], his stint caused [[The Hero|Leonardo]] to get caught instead.

* ''[[Star Trek]]''. In [[Star Trek (film)|the 2009 movie]], Captain Pike is captured by Romulans, heinously tortured, and, when rescued, ''still'' manages to kill a few of his ~~tormentors -- one~~ literally seconds after being rescued.

* ''[[Star Trek]]''. In [[Star Trek (film)|the 2009 movie]], Captain Pike is captured by Romulans, heinously tortured, and, when rescued, ''still'' manages to kill a few of his tormentors—one literally seconds after being rescued.

* ''[[Star Wars]]''. At the end of Episode V, [[The Lancer|Han Solo]] is imprisoned/embedded in a chunk of carbonite. And what does he do mere hours after getting out? Kills Boba Fett. ''While he's still blind'' (Fett got better).

* Basically the premise of ''[[Rambo]] III''. Rambo gets Trautmann out of a Soviet prison in Afghanistan, and the two of them proceed to destroy half the Red Army.