History Main / DareToBeBadass

* Shang-Chi invokes this on ComicBook/SpiderMan during the very beginning of ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland''. Shang-Chi seeks to teach Peter a new fighting style to compensate for the loss of his SpiderSense. When Peter laments that it was easier with the power, Shang-Chi tells him it was a crutch and that he can do ''so'' much better. And he does.
* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', Doctor Doom has become the God of Battleworld and, in doing so, he has punished his enemies, the ComicBook/FantasticFour. Sue has become his consort, Johnny is the sun, and Ben Grimm is the Shield that surrounds the southern edge of Battleworld, keeping out the zombies, giant insects, and Ultrons. Except Ben doesn't know that this is punishment--Doom has wiped their minds, so all they know is that Doom is God. Until ''Thanos'' gets himself captured and reveals what Doom did to Grimm:

* In ''ComicBook/{{Bizarrogirl}}'', ComicBook/LanaLang's speech manages to force ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} out of her despondency and get her to fight her counterpart.

* In ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'', the Eradicator is overpowering Franchise/{{Superman}} as the former seeks to kill the latter's son, Jonathan, because of his HalfHumanHybrid heritage. Jonathan, holding [[ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog Krypto]]'s lost cape (as the dog had been absorbed into the Eradicator), wants to help his father, but he isn't sure if he can. Lois, however, tells him that he's the best of both worlds and that he can be great if he chooses to be. [[spoiler:He zips up his S-Shield jacket, solders on the cape and charges into battle, aiding his father.]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Royals}}:'' While under attack from a ludicrously huge Chitauri swarm, Medusa gives one of these on Flint, which proves effective enough to get him to use his powers on ''Pluto''.

* ''Anime/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer'' has the resident CharClone Graham Aker giving one to TheHero in the final 20 minutes of the movie:
-->'''Graham:''' WHY ARE YOU HESITATING?! You were the one who told me to keep fighting in order to live. You taught me that! Even if it's a contradiction, you must continue to exist! You said that is what it means to live... ''[Activates Trans-Am]'' Go on, young man! [[LargeHam LIVE AND BLAZE A TRAIL TO THE FUTURE!]]

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' seriously seems to have a thing for this trope; but then again being a classic American adventure story maybe this isn't surprising. Consider [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings the final episode]] of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''; Picard is back in time and ordering the ''Enterprise'' to take on a dangerous anomaly which will most likely destroy the ship. He reassures his confused crew with the classic line:
-->'''Picard:''' I cannot explain why we have to do this. All I can say is that I ''know'' you can do this. Because... you are '''the finest crew in the fleet'''. Now, engage.

-->''"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman...Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."''

The Dare to Be Badass makes the distinction that the character turning their back on the dare is somehow lesser as a person for not accepting it. Conversely, the character is being asked to step up to awesomeness because, deep down, he/she (to use the words of [[Film/StarTrek2009 Captain Christopher Pike]]) feels like they are meant for something more. Something greater. This will usually punctuate, or trigger, massive CharacterDevelopment.

* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Zero's rescue of Tohdoh and his fellow rebels from the execution they had come to accept is accompanied by a lecture on the nature of miracles. Creator/AdultSwim accurately described this scene as Zero berating Tohdoh for "not being badass enough."

* The memetically famous song, "The Meaning of Truth," from ''VideoGame/FZero: [[AnimatedAdaptation Falcon Densetsu]]'' is basically saying this when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTJvbI9DfTA translated.]]

TheHero is called upon to step up to the plate and be awesome. Sounds a lot like the CallToAdventure, you say? Well yes, the two are closely related. The difference is, an Adventure Call is more like, "Hey! You totally want to take on this quest to slay [[OurDragonsAreDifferent the dragon]] and save the [[DamselInDistress princess]] because it sure beats washing cars and sipping lattes all day (and you might even get a nice check, or even more, out of the deal)."

* Meta example in TabletopGame/BladesInTheDark: The manual exhorts players to be bold, ambitious and daring, pointing out that there are plenty of mechanisms that can be used to mitigate risks ''post facto'', and that the type of person who values safety, regularity, and predictability is not the type of person who becomes a ''Blades In The Dark'' player character.

* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': During a sparring session, Gojo tells Megumi that he never tries his best because he is of the mindset that he can always just [[TakingYouWithMe use his trumpcard at the cost of his own life]] if he's desperate to win. He then encourages Megumi to be greedier and actually try his best. When Megumi remembers Gojo's words while fighting a Special Grade curse, rather than summon his trumpcard as he has tried before, he instead opts to perform [[DomainHolder Domain Expansion]]; while his technique is incomplete and "ugly", it provides him with enough of a power boost that he manages to turn the fight around and win.

** After Rukia [[spoiler:restores his Shinigami powers]], she dares Ichigo not to prove himself a badass to her, but to the enemy standing before him.