History Main / CowardlyLion

-->There is no shame in fear. There is only shame in letting fear rule you! Try not to look scared, and you will find bravery in your heart!
-->...any man who faces battle without concern, is a moonstruck ''fool''. To be brave is to go forward ''anyway'', no matter how afeared! ''That'' is why I go forward, with so many other brave men.

* [[ClassicDisneyShorts The Disney Short]] ''Lambert, the Sheepish Lion'' was this -- a lion cub raised by a sheep is terrified of everything, and ''bullied'' by the other sheep, until wolves threaten his mother

* Eric O'Grady in ''TheAvengers''.

* Krillin in ''DragonBall''.

* [[DisneyClassicShorts The Disney Short]] ''Lambert, the Sheepish Lion'' was this -- a lion cub raised by a sheep is terrified of everything, and ''bullied'' by the other sheep, until wolves threaten his mother

* This sums up [[TheSecretOfNIMH Mrs. Brisby]], quite well.

Usually, inverse of MilesGloriosus. Unlike TheSoCalledCoward, this character is not actually misunderstood and does not need to be viewed by other characters as cowardly; it is his own opinion that matters. (And the so-called coward may be perfectly confident in his own courage.) Unlike the AccidentalHero, the examples in this trope are characters that manage to get things done with their own worth, despite their fears.

* The TropeNamer is the Cowardly Lion in ''TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' and ''{{Wicked}}''.

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* [[ScoobyDoo Shaggy and Scooby]] sometimes come across as this. They're cowards, but they'll ''never'' abandon their friends.

* This summs up [[TheSecretOfNIMH Mrs. Brisby]], quite well.

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* Sir Penwood from {{Hellsing}}.

* Sena Kobayakawa. He's a coward that run at the first sight of trouble... but then [[AccidentalAthlete get drafted into football team]], had his team in dire strait, and then, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome forced by his own conscience]], runs into [[TheJuggernaut Seijuro]] [[WorthyOpponent Shin]]. [[{{Eyeshield21}} And the legend of the legendary runningback begins....]]

* Seventh seat Hanatorou Yamada from {{Bleach}} qualifies as this; he's often comically terrified, especially compared to the other Shinigami, but when it comes to saving Rukia (who was kind to him), he's willing to [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome go up against her fully-powered Captain-level brother to give her time to escape]], despite knowing he has no hope of winning.
* Yukiteru Amano from MiraiNikki. Even though at times he seems to have grown out of this, he remains a CowardlyLion 'til the end.

* Italy from AxisPowersHetalia. So much.

* [[ClassicDisneyShorts Donald]] is portrayed this way in ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers''.

* Jacuzzi Splot from ''{{Baccano}}''. The guy ravaged several mafia speakeasies, wielding a machine gun, while crying hysterically out of fear. He also helped save a train by defeating the terrorist group's leader in a TraintopBattle, only to be seen later being nearly dragged by his friends off said train while complaining loudly about the pain.