History DamselInDistress / WesternAnimation

*** Subverted in ''Pioneer Days'' and ''WesternAnimation/BuildingABuilding'', where Mickey tries to rescue Minnie [[DistressedDude but is captured himself]], whereupon Minnie breaks free on her own and rescues Mickey.

*** Two of Isabella's {{Elseworld}} equivalents also fall into this category. Princess Isabella of feudal China is abducted by Doofus Khan, and Phineas and Ferb learn the Way of the Platypus to mount a rescue mission. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] In 1914 Panama, where she literally carries around business cards designating herself as a fully certified damsel, as well as an {{Ingenue}}, FemmeFatale, and [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers tile and grout installer]]. Later on, she hands them another: [[spoiler: [[CardCarryingVillain "Dirty Double Crosser"]], as it's revealed she's in league with the Doofenshmirtz counterpart to keep him from hurting her mother.]]

%%* Jez on an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''. She quickly develops StockholmSyndrome, though.

* The entire episode of "Beauty Marked" in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' was made in order to ''subvert'' this as much as possible. While Danny and Tucker are under the mindset that the kidnapped Sam needs rescuing, she managed to figure a way out just fine. It is their meddling that gets her captured again/still.

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' special, "Destination Imagination"; the plot was to save Frankie after she was kidnapped by an imaginary friend who controls a trippy world inside a toy box, but near the end it's revealed that she wasn't kidnapped at all, and that she willingly stayed with the imaginary friend to keep him company. But at the climax, when the imaginary friend has a VillainousBreakdown and becomes a monster (thanks to a verbal lashing by Mr. Herriman), the characters fight him to protect Frankie from being trapped in the imaginary world forever. However, the gang are roundly defeated by the monster, and ultimately it's Frankie who becomes the hero of the story: not only does she distract the monster so that the gang can escape the toybox -- she briefly stays behind but soon escapes on her own, thus completing the subversion -- but she chooses to free the lonely friend as well, having offered to bring him to Foster's, [[DefeatMeansFriendship where he can have all the friends in the world]].

*** But played straight as recently as ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers''

-->'''Terrorist''': Let's make an example of this hero. A very tragic example, I'm afraid, Miss...?\\
'''Lois''': Lane.\\
'''Terrorist''': Lane? Lois Lane? [[OhCrap The one Superman always saves?!]]\\
'''Lois''': 'Fraid so.

--->'''Zoey''': I don't even ''know'' how many times Mike's saved my butt. Mike, if you're watching this, me and my butt thank you.

* Marina the mermaid from ''WesternAnimation/ZigAndSharko'' is an oblivious example. Even though the titular Zig is always trying to capture and eat her, and the titular Sharko always saves her, usually right before she’s devoured, she [[TooDumbToLive never notices any of it, not even after she’s literally BEEN IN ZIG’S MOUTH SEVERAL TIMES]].

*** Subverted in ''Pioneer Days'' and ''WesternAnimation/BuildingABuilding'', where Mickey tries to rescue Minnie but is captured himself, whereupon Minnie breaks free on her own and rescues Mickey.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon, poor Susan Richards, the Invisible Woman, would be hit with this trope, especially in the first season. An episode in the second season would have Sue admonish Doctor Doom for using this trope. He [[EvenEvilHasStandards apologizes for doing so,]] but explains [[PragmaticVillainy that this is the quickest, most effective way to get what he wants.]]

** There are, however, some occasions where Velma Dinkley fills this role, such as nearly being dismembered by a [[LumberMillMayhem sawmill]] [[ConveyorBeltODoom blade]] by the titular ghost in the ''[[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou Where Are You!]]'' episode "That's Snow Ghost!".

** There are, however, some occasions where Velma Dinkley fills this role, such as nearly being dismembered by a [[LumberMillMayhem sawmill]] [[ConveyorBeltODoom blade]] by the titular Snow Ghost in the ''[[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou Where Are You!]]'' episode "That's Snow Ghost!".

** There are, however, some occasions where Velma fills this role, such as nearly being dismembered by a [[LumberMillMayhem sawmill]] [[ConveyorBeltODoom blade]] by the titular Snow Ghost in the ''[[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou Where Are You!]]'' episode "That's Snow Ghost!".

** There are, however, some occasions where Velma fills this role, such as in the nearly being dismembered by a [[LumberMillMayhem sawmill]] [[ConveyorBeltODoom blade]] by the titular Snow Ghost in the ''[[Franchise/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou Where Are You!]]'' episode "That's Snow Ghost!".

* In WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'s ''[[ShowWithinAShow Quailman]]'' comics, his LoveInterest Patti sometimes ends up as this so she has one more reason to swoon over [[AuthorAvatar Quailman]]. This ends in ''Brand Spanking New Doug'' when Patti becomes a SchoolNewspaperNewsHound, and her new ''Quailman'' counterpart is the reporter Miss Mayo. It's ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when Patti outdoes Doug in so many things that he fails to impress her. His reaction is to turn her a super-heroine of her own, the complete and utter CanonSue Supersport, who ends up single-handedly not only saving Megalopolis, but also rescuing Quailman and making the city's previous number-one superhero look like an amateurish buffoon in comparison.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama: Zoey, Played straight in ''Revenge of the Island''.
-->'''Zoey''': I don't even ''know'' how many times Mike's saved my butt. Mike, if you're watching this, me and my butt thank you.

* Marina the mermaid from WesternAnimation/ZigAndSharko is an interesting example. Even though the titular Zig is always trying to capture and eat her, and the titular Sharko always saves her, usually right before she’s devoured, she [[CloudCuckooLander never notices any of it, not even after she’s literally BEEN IN ZIG’S MOUTH SEVERAL TIMES]].

* Elita One gets this with her love interest Optimus Prime in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersGeneration1''. To lure Optimus to his doom, the Decepticons capture Elita. However, when Optimus arrives, he [[DistressedDude gets captured himself]] and Elita first has to save him before he can manage to save her. It's pretty 50/50 with them.

-->'''Zoey''': I don't even ''know'' how many times Mike saved my butt. Mike, if you're watching this, me and my butt thank you.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama. Zoey, Played straight in ''Revenge of the Island''.