Dirty Coward/Playing With
Basic Trope: A character is cowardly to the point of being disgusting.
- Straight: Bob runs away from any danger facing him and has no loyalties whatsoever.
- Exaggerated: Bob runs from everything, does nothing to justify his presence in the group silly enough to let him in, and happily betrays anyone in his way.
- Downplayed: Bob runs away from any danger facing him and always tells his teammates they should do the same. He would leave those who would still be willing to fight behind.
- Justified:
- Bob is the weakest or least talented member of his group, and he knows it. As a result, he prefers to let the stronger members handle problems and stay on the sidelines.
- Bob has had numerous bad experiences to the point that he views bravery as practically suicidal and views his own cowardice as plain good sense.
- Bob was forcibly dragged along against his will by the rest of the group, despite his constant and repeated protests that he couldn't help them. Knowing that he's in way over his head, and feeling no loyalty to the idiots who got him into this mess in the first place, Bob cuts out and abandons them at the first chance he gets.
- Inverted: Bob is a Fearless Fool who attacks the enemy even when running away would actually be a better idea.
- Subverted: Bob may seem like a Dirty Coward, but he's actually a Combat Pragmatist who only prefers to fight when he has the advantage.
- Double Subverted: But he is too nervous to get around to being really dangerous.
- Parodied: Bob leaps at his own shadow and is incurably untrustworthy, yet the group keeps him with them anyway.
- Deconstructed: Bob's cowardice originates from his own insecurities, laziness, and lack of confidence in his own ability. He is more capable than he thinks he is.
- Reconstructed: Bob is simply cowardly due to plain laziness and selfishness, not justifiable caution or a Freudian Excuse.
- Zig Zagged: Bob starts out as a shameless Dirty Coward, but either discovers or is told that he is capable of real courage and heroism. While Bob continues to be cautious and runs from anything he can't handle himself, he has become a more productive member of the team, is genuinely brave when the chips are down and is treated with real respect.
- Averted: Bob isn't cowardly at all.
- Enforced:
- "We need a cowardly, selfish character to backstab The Hero, the Big Bad, or both."
- We need a foil to the evil but brave, Emperor Evulz.
- Lampshaded: "This has got to be the umpteenth time Bob has abandoned me. Remind me why he is on the team again."
- Invoked: "It's been fun being with you, but I value my life, so good-bye!"
- Defied: Bob refuses to act like a coward.
- Discussed: "Bob goes by himself, so he can't betray or abandon anyone to save his own life."
- Conversed: "Bob is so cowardly it disgusts me." "Yeah, I bet he'll betray us eventually."
Run shamelessly for your life back to Dirty Coward.