History Main / CowardlyLion

* ''Fanfic/CodeGeassPaladinsOfVoltron'': Shirley takes Hunk's place as this on the team.

* Tojo in ''Fanfic/TheLionKingAdventures'' is a literal example.
* Hobbes is [[CharacterExaggeration exaggerated]] into this in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''.
* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning'', the heroine, Vale, is a [[NiceGirl kind-hearted]] ShrinkingViolet who is (understandably) terrified of going into the arena and [[ChildrenForcedToKill being forced to fight her fellow tributes to the death]]. However, when it comes to defending the people she cares about, [[BewareTheNiceOnes she is no pushover]].
* [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Jonathan]] in ''Fanfic/FairyTalesAndHokum'', which Rick lampshades:
-->"''Sure, you tend to freak out, and you yell a lot, and you get startled, and your first instinct is to run away. Big deal. You know what I've noticed since I met you and Evy? Every time she ran into danger, you were never far behind. Same goes for Alex, and even me. So I'm telling you, if for some reason we get separated, don't worry about me and just'' go."
* PlayedForLaughs in the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/1326589 Impromptu Midterms.]]'' The teams are sent to eradicate a nest of Grimm cubs, and [[ButtMonkey Jaune]] ends up dragged into the middle of it. So while everyone else is fighting the cubs, they keep hearing his screams of terror...and then [[spoiler:they find him in the nest, alive and surrounded by the corpses of Grimm he just killed]].

* Agent Lapis from the ''WebOriginal/ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum'' is fully aware that her first response to just about anything is to panic, which usually manifests as screaming in terror and diving for the nearest hiding place, and frequently [[SourSupporter believes in the worst-case scenario as far as the Duty is concerned]]. But as one unfortunate [[GodModeSue God-Mode Stu]] found out the hard way, if you hurt anybody she holds dear - or even [[FireForgedFriends anybody whom she merely works with]] - she will '''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge END]]''' you.
* [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/322786/unicornia "Unicornia"]]: Blueblood is a coward, but didn't stop him from helping the royal guard stop those terrorists at all.
* The version of Misty's Psyduck and Cynthia's Lucario (at least as a Riolu) in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' are strong examples of this trope. Both are easily spooked and prefer not to fight, but will protect their trainers when push comes to shove.

* Like in canon, Samwell Tarly is this in ''Fanfic/BequeathedFromPaleEstates'', though he shows this before he ever meets Jon or anyone so supporting. When a plague sweeps through Westeros and Essos and the inoculation method was derided by the Faith to a point Randyll wouldn't hear of it (to a point of beating the boy when he insisted on it), Samwell ran off with his two younger sisters to Dorne to get them innoculated. Even Randyll has to respect this, as it saved the three of them while his wife, eldest daughter, and preferred son Dickon died of he plague, even if he still despises everything else about his bookish, plump son.

* The ''Fanfic/PokedexAdventures'' series uses this for Rosa. Afraid of many things, including ghosts and [[AbsurdPhobia Sewaddles]], but she's still willing and able to fight Team Plasma if she has to.

* Scar from ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]'' is a villainous (not to mention literal) example of this trope. Though he's portrayed as your usual DirtyCoward, (i.e. running from conflict, begging for mercy when cornered) he [[CorneredRattlesnake actually puts up a pretty good fight against Simba]] in the film's climax.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BarbieMariposa'', Willa may hate going into danger, but she will if it's to protect the kingdom, and she always comes through when it counts.
* Arlo from ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur''. A major theme of the film is accepting that it's okay to be scared, and finding the courage needed to face your fears.
* The TropeNamer reappears as the star of ''WesternAnimation/LionOfOz''.

* DaddysGirl: In the remake, Judy says that her father taught her to drive trucks from a young age.

Not all heroes are fearless. Some of them are characterized by nervousness, timidity, reluctance to go anywhere near danger -- all the hallmarks of a coward. Yet when push comes to shove, they will always be right there in the thick of the action, doing whatever it takes to accomplish their objective and get themselves and their teammates out alive. In other words, ''not'' a DirtyCoward or AccidentalHero.

Unlike TookALevelInBadass, these characters don't get over their fearful ways after a single moment of glory. They remain scaredy-cats and/or insecure in their regular lives despite the fact that they can kick major ass when they put their minds into it. Many of them will tell everyone to ThinkNothingOfIt, because they think the fear they felt trumps the heroism they performed. These characters may also be {{Combat Pragmatist}}s who get the job done by using brains rather than brawn when they go up against enemies that outclass them and they know they'll get killed if they just charge in and attack. Typically, his closest friends know exactly what he is capable of and know they can depend on him in crises, with a little prompting of course.

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.

Contrast the FearlessFool -- especially when it is invoked to encourage him. Prone to HeroicSelfDeprecation and FaceYourFears. See also LovableCoward. One possible way to describe a WeakButSkilled PaperTiger. Not unusual for this character to be a StoneWall. Compare HeroicNeutral.

* Scar from ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]'' is a rare villainous (not to mention literal) example of this trope. Though he's portrayed as your usual DirtyCoward, (i.e. running from conflict, begging for mercy when cornered) he [[CorneredRattlesnake actually puts up a pretty good fight against Simba]] in the film's climax.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luigis_mansion_dark_moon3.jpg]]]]

* Scar from ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The Lion King]]'' is a rare villainous example of this trope. Though he's portrayed as your usual DirtyCoward, (i.e. running from conflict, begging for mercy when cornered) he [[CorneredRattlesnake puts up a pretty good fight against Simba]] in the film's climax.

* Albert Lory from ''This Land Is Mine'' lives in an unnamed country under Nazi occupation and, literally, runs home to his aged mother any time there is an allied air strike. He eventually makes a HeroicSacrifice because he's more terrified of seeing his friends picked off one by one than actually dying.

* ''Fanfic/TheUnfantasticAdventuresOfBizarroNo1'': SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}}'s a massively powerful being, but his first impulse after hearing about the menace of the [[ManOfKryptonite Blue-Kryptonite Men]] is to run away. Once he gets over his initial reaction, though, Bizarro rallies the Leaguers and cooks up a strategy to defeat the Blue-K Men.

[-[[caption-width-right:350:He ''is'' afraid of the ghosts...but he still gets the job done.]]-]

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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luigis_mansion_dark_moon3.jpg]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:He ''is'' afraid of the ghosts...but he still gets the job done.]]-]

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* Dan Thompson's action-strip AffectionateParody ''Webcomic/RipHaywire'' features dog companion TNT who, despite being an abject coward, is always by Rip's side.

* Arlo from ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur''. A major theme of the film is accepting that it's okay to be scared, and finding the courage needed to face your fears.

* A major characteristic of the [[TropeNamer Cowardly Lion]] in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment is cowardice]]. This doesn't prevent him from joining Scarecrow and Tin Man to rescue Dorothy when she's captured by the Wicked Witch of the West.
-->'''Cowardly Lion:''' All right, I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I'll tear them apart! I may not come out alive, but I'm going in there! There's only one thing I want you fellows to do.\\
'''Tin Man and Scarecrow:''' What's that?\\
'''Cowardly Lion:''' Talk me out of it!
* Albert Lory from ''This Land Is Mine'' lives in an unnamed country under Nazi occupation and, literally, runs home to his aged mother any time there is an allied air strike. He eventually makes a HeroicSacrifice because he's more terrified of seeing his friends picked off one by one than actually dying.
* In ''Film/KingKong2005'', Bruce Baxter abandons the rescue mission, claiming that they're going to die and all but calling himself a coward. This doesn't prevent him from returning JustInTime to rescue the rescuers, in a BigDamnHeroes moment that would give Han Solo a run for his money.
* Bob from ''Film/DrugstoreCowboy'' is pretty open about his neurosis and his reliance on drugs to keep the stresses of world away from him. The people around him are still awed by the acts of {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry he performs out of sheer panic.

* Admiral Piett in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' have seen Vader choke imperials for their failures first hand and is visibly terrified that this might happen to him. He manages to hold himself together and isn't killed by Vader in the end.
* Unlike [[AcePilot his]] [[TheChosenOne friends]], Finn in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' is just trying to get as far as humanly possible away from the First Order. But whenever he's actually put on the spot, after venting his dismay he doesn't hesitate to kick ass to help them out.
* [[LoveInterest Steve]] [[BadassNormal Trevor]] in ''Film/WonderWoman2017'' is normally a suave, unflappable spy in the service of the Allies during the [[UsefulNotes/WW1 Great War]], and his moxie is shown in his flashback to the job that led him to stumble onto Themiscyra. However, under the effects of the [[TruthSerum Lasso of Truth]], he reveals how truly terrified he is of the whole travesty of the war. [[spoiler: This is even evident in his HeroicSacrifice as he's clearly scared and doesn't want to die. It takes a moment for him to hype himself up but he still manages to go out with a smile]].
* Spencer Gilpin in ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' is a easily-scared, socially awkward nerd even when placed in the body of [[TheAce Smolder Bravestone]], where he is packed with a HeroicBuild, SuperStrength, [[SuperSpeed speed]] and [[SuperReflexes reflexes]]. Despite all these advantages, he is easily frightened and his first reaction to danger is start running. His CharacterDevelopment is learning to be braver than he originally was.

* Ichabod Crane in ''Film/SleepyHollow''. He's terrified throughout the entire course of the investigation, often to the point of fainting. Nonetheless, he pursues the case relentlessly despite his fear, going so far as to engage the Headless Horseman in physical combat - twice!

* Ichabod Crane in ''Film/SleepyHollow''. He's terrified throughout the entire course of the investigation, often to the point of fainting. Nonetheless, he pursues the case relentlessly despite his fear, going so far as to physically engage the [[Determinator Headless Horseman]] in physical combat - twice!

* ''Disney/TheRescuersDownUnder'' has a scene in which Bernard, the shy stuttering unlucky mouse janitor, is attacked by a razorback hog in the Australian outback. After running and hiding, Bernard realizes that Bianca, Jake, and Cody are all depending on him, turns around, ''thrashes the full-grown wild boar by its tusks'', and [[LetsGetDangerous forces it to carry him to the scene]].

* CowardlyLion/WebComics

* In ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning'', the heroine, Vale, is a [[NiceGirl kind-hearted]] ShrinkingViolet who is (understandably) terrified of going into the arena and [[ChildrenForcedToKill being forced to fight her fellow tributes to the death]]. However, when it comes to defending the people she cares about, [[BewareTheNiceOnes she is no pushover]].

* [[LoveInterest Steve]] [[BadassNormal Trevor]] in ''Film/WonderWoman2017'' is normally a suave, unflappable spy in the service of the Allies during the [[UsefulNotes/WW1 Great War]], and his moxie is shown in his flashback to the job that led him to stumble onto Themiscyra. However, under the effects of the [[TruthSerum Lasso of Truth]], he reveals how truly terrified he is of the whole travesty of the war. [[spoiler: This is even evident in his HeroicSacrifice as he's clearly scared and doesn't want to die. It takes a moment for him to hype himself up but he still manages to [[GoOutWithASmile go out with a smile]] ]].

* In the ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]]'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning'', the heroine, Vale, is a [[NiceGirl kind-hearted]] ShrinkingViolet who is (understandably) terrified of going into the arena and [[ChildrenForcedToKill being forced to fight her fellow tributes to the death]]. However, when it comes to defending the people she cares about, [[BewareTheNiceOnes she is no pushover]].

* [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/322786/unicornia Unicornia]]: Blueblood is a coward, but didn't stop him from helping the royal guard stop those terrorists at all.

* ''FanFic/TheStoryOfTwilightGlow'': Twilight becomes [[EvilOverlord Nightmare Moon's]] de facto advisor. Despite being understandably nervous and fearful, she still manages to stand up, and even physically attack, Nightmare when she goes too far.

Contrast the FearlessFool -- especially when it is invoked to encourage him. Prone to HeroicSelfDeprecation and FaceYourFears. See also LovableCoward. One possible way to describe a WeakButSkilled PaperTiger. Not unusual for this character to be a StoneWall.

Contrast the FearlessFool -- especially when it is invoked to encourage him. Prone to HeroicSelfDeprecation and FaceYourFears. See also LovableCoward. One possible way to describe a WeakButSkilled PaperTiger.