Compare Silk Hiding Steel for a Proper Lady with a steel core in general, and Nothing Nice About Sugar and Spice for the more girly, loopier, and less successful versions.Ī subtrope of Action Girl, though not all Action Girls qualify as Ladies of War if they lack the calm, dignified demeanor. If she's based on Joan of Arc, she's a Jeanne d'Archétype. Contrast Princess Classic, Prince Charming. See also Girly Bruiser.Įxpect anyone with the title "Lady" in an Action-Adventure story to be this.Ĭompare Royals Who Actually Do Something, Rebellious Princess, Pretty Princess Powerhouse, Kicking Ass in All Her Finery and Officer and a Gentleman. There is the possibility of having the Cute Bruiser grow up into a Lady of War, but it's not that common. The former also tends to be older than the latter. While the Lady of War is about grace and reserve, the tomboyish Cute Bruiser (or Girly Bruiser if they are more feminine) is more about unrestrained passion and power. If she were a preteen, she'd be a Little Miss Badass.Ĭontrast Short Tank or Bokukko Cute Bruisers. It is possible a degree of Sarashi will be necessary to deal with an inescapable physical reality which might impede free movement in combat. In terms of physical capabilities, she's usually some form of the Fragile Speedster (and/or Glass Cannon, if a ranged fighter), but it's not unheard of for her to be a Jack of All Stats or Mighty Glacier/ Glacier Waif, especially if she wears armor. If the story deals with martial arts, she'll use a "refined" fighting style like Tai Chi or Aikijutsu or will be given the gymnastic prowess to engage in some variant of She-Fu.Įxpect her Impossibly Cool Clothes to still reflect her position. If guns are the norm, she's likely to prefer an easily-concealed revolver with deadly aim, as opposed to an automatic. They also allow her to avoid getting her hands dirty and usually invoke Wouldn't Hit a Girl as a result. (see Amazon Chaser)Ī Lady of War is almost always given an elegant weapon that emphasizes her femininity - often a bow, rapier, naginata, steel fan, or even an umbrella, all weapons that have a certain choreographic element in the way they're wielded. In any case, she almost certainly occupies a firm place in the hearts of at least a minority of the fandom. She's also very likely to have no Love Interest at all, or if she does, she is very unlikely to be paired with the protagonist - that's what White Mages are for - unless there is no White Mage. The Lady of War does have her own charm in a cool, collected, Nicole Kidman way. In RPGs, female roles tend to be limited to magic use, but sometimes women get to take on more physical roles in combat, and that leads us to a different Odd Couple pair: the Lady of War and the Cute Bruiser.Ĭharacter-design wise, she doesn't tend to be overly sexualized in the way that other types of Action Girl often are, or at least not to such an unsubtle degree. If she's not gentle-mannered, she may be an Aloof Dark-Haired Girl or arrogant and generally prissy and might become subject to a Defrosting Ice Queen scenario. If she's not a Pretty Princess Powerhouse, she tends to be otherwise highly placed or at least look and act like it. Basically, the Lady of War is an Action Girl who retains an air of grace and reserve not usually associated with violence.
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