Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

The tendency, as seen in various comic books and video games, to make [[The Smurfette Principle|the one female character]] [[The Archer]] or a [[Squishy Wizard]], and give the burliest male character a [[BFS|giant melee weapon]]. In comic books, especially [[Marvel Comics]] in the 60's and 70's, female characters were often given powers that were ranged or unconventional enough to let them avoid direct melee combat. Apart from being realistic,{{verify}} part of this is due to cultural taboos against showing [[Wouldn't Hit a Girl|women getting hit]]. It may also have to do with the fact that a skimpy costume looks more plausible on someone who isn't in melee. While [[Action Girl]]s have long since become commonplace these days, heroines are still more likely to have ranged powers than the guys.

 

* Inverted in ''[[The Avengers (film)|The Avengers]]'': Black Widow is a good shot but an even better martial artist, while Hawkeye is good at martial arts but phenomenal with a bow.

* Inverted in ''[[Snow White and the Huntsman]]'': When Snow White fights in the climactic battle, she does so with sword and shield while her childhood friend William spends the entire movie fighting with bow and arrow.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* The classes of MMO [[Dragon Nest]] sort of falls into this. The male classes, Fighter and Cleric, are both pretty up close and physical. Meanwhile, the female classes are Archer and Sorceress, who are both mostly ranged.

* [[Super Mario 3D Land]] has Boom Boom and Pom Pom, [[the Dragon]]s of the game. Boom Boom attacks with his fists while Pom Pom throws boomerangs.

* Your initial party in ''[[Blaze Union]]'' works like this, featuring Garlot the (lance-wielding) knight, Jenon the swordsman, and Siskier the archer. From the point the party begins to expand, though, you accumulate lots of heavy-hitting melee ladies and a couple of ranged-fighter men.

* Inverted in [[Fallout: New Vegas]]. Your humanoid male companions are a mechanic who uses [[Revolvers Are Just Better|revolvers]], a [[Cold Sniper]], and a doctor who uses [[Frickin' Laser Beams|energy weapons]]. Your humanoid female companions are a mutant assassin who uses a helicopter blade as a [[BFS]], a scavenger armed with a [[Power Fist]], and a cowgirl with a [[Short-Range Shotgun]].

* Averted in an interesting way in ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' with the [[Battle Couple]] of Robin and Starfire- he's a [[Badass Normal]] with an array of ranged and close-combat weapons, and she's a [[Flying Brick]] with both superstrength and the ability to fire energy blasts. Both are equally capable of smashing ''or'' shooting. For the rest of the team, Cyborg (who has superstrength and a sonic cannon) also does both, but Beast Boy's tends to turn into big, powerful animals to fight at close range, while Raven, though her mystical abilities make her probably the most powerful member of the team, tends to fight from a distance and stay out of direct combat. The Titans pretty much cover the whole spectrum of this trope.

** Also averted with the Titans East team, where Speedy (being an archer) and Aqualad (whose main offensive ability is hydrokinesis) aren't all too good at close range and Bumblebee is a [[Flying Brick]].

 

== [[Real Life]] ==