History Main / DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel

* [[spoiler: Jessica Ushiromiya]] in ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi''. [[spoiler: While she ''is'' an asthmatic IllGirl, she more than once pretends to be more ill than she truly is.]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''Anime/{{Mai-Otome}}'', Shizuru intentionally gives herself up to the invading Schwarz forces to buy Natsuki enough time to escape and get enough help to take back Garderobe.

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* ''Film/TheAvengers'' reveals that this is a favorite tactic of Natasha Romanoff / ComicBook/BlackWidow. Her introductory scene opens with her tied to a chair and surrounded by thugs, who are ready to torture her at behest of a rogue Russian general... then a call from her fellow Agent Coulson confirms this is just another day of work for her and she breaks out and beats them all up the minute he needs her on a different mission.

* ''Film/TheAvengers'' reveals that this is a favorite tactic of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow.

* In ''{{Literature/Everworld}},'' [[TokenEvilTeammate Senna]] knew that someone like [[GodOfEvil Loki]] was going to come for her eventually, so she purposefully manipulated people she knew to get sucked into Everworld with her. Particularly early on she tried to [[PlayingTheVictimCard play the innocent]] MacGuffinGirl, but [[SiblingYinYang April]], [[TheSmartGuy Jalil]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Christopher]] could see through her. [[HeroicWannabe David]] had a harder time of it, though, for [[MoreThanMindControl various reasons]].

* It's strongly implied in the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' anime that Mai Shiranui's apparent {{Chickification}} is this, since she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy because he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: Confirmed at the almost end of TheMovie: when the normally VERY badass Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, [[FieryRedhead Mai]] [[LetsGetDangerous immediately decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and she ''very easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]] [[BrokenBird Panni]], a ''very''' powerful DarkActionGirl who had just as easily defeated [[CallBack the same guy that held Mai hostage]] in the second TV special.]]

* ''Manga/BlackButler'' deconstructs this trope with [[spoiler: Elizabeth "Lizzie" Middleford]]. The attitudes of Victorian society and her fears that NoGuyWantsAnAmazon coming from an incident she witnessed in her early years result in her hiding her talent as a MasterSwordsman [[spoiler: and LittleMissBadass [[BadassAdorable Adorable]] ]] ''and'' living in constant fear that her fiancé [[spoiler: Ciel Phantomhive]] would reject and hate her if he knew the truth. In the process of [[ObfuscatingStupidity hiding her talents and pretending to be clueless]], the poor girl's self-esteem suffers and she [[DistressBall even places herself at great risk]], out of fear of being seen as "uncute" and "undesirable". Once [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend the truth comes out]] and she learns [[UnderstandingBoyfriend he doesn't mind]] marrying a LadyOfWar, she's noticeably more confident.

* It's implied in the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' anime that Mai Shiranui's {{Chickification}} is actually this, since she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy because he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: May have been confirmed in TheMovie: when the normally VERY badass Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, [[FieryRedhead Mai]] [[LetsGetDangerous immediately decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and she ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]] [[BrokenBird Panni]], a ''very'' powerful DarkActionGirl who has just as easily defeated [[CallBack the same guy that held Mai hostage]] in the second TV special.]]

* ''Manga/BlackButler'' deconstructs this trope with [[spoiler: Elizabeth Middleford]]. The attitudes of Victorian society and her fears that NoGuyWantsAnAmazon result in her hiding her talent as a MasterSwordsman and living in constant fear that her finance would hate her if he knew the truth. In the process of hiding her talents and pretending to be clueless, her self-esteem suffers and she even places herself at great risk out of fear of being seen as "uncute". Once the truth comes out and she learns he doesn't mind marrying a LadyOfWar, she's noticeably more confident.

* It's implied in the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' anime that Mai Shiranui's {{Chickification}} is actually this, since she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy because he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: May have been confirmed in TheMovie: when Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, Mai [[LetsGetDangerous immediately decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]] [[BrokenBird Panni]], a ''very'' powerful DarkActionGirl who defeated [[CallBack the same guy that held Mai hostage]] in the second TV special.]]

* It's implied in the FatalFury anime that Mai Shiranui's {{Chickification}} is actually this, since she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy because he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: May have been confirmed in TheMovie: when Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, Mai [[LetsGetDangerous immediately decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]] [[BrokenBird Panni]], a ''very'' powerful DarkActionGirl who defeated [[CallBack the same guy that held Mai hostage]] in the second TV special.]]

Compare ISurrenderSuckers, and ArentYouGoingToRavishMe.

* It's implied in the FatalFury anime that Mai Shiranui's {{Chickification}} is actually this, as she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy since he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: May have been confirmed in TheMovie: when Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, Mai [[LetsGetDangerous immediately decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]].]]

* Alicia Pris pulls this off in ''{{Solatorobo}}''. hiring the SkyPirates to kidnap her, all in the hopes that the [[NiceGuy good cop]] Waffle will come rescue her. Unfortunately for her, Red gets there before her intended man and HilarityEnsues.

* [[spoiler:Alicia]] pulls this one off in ''{{Solatorobo}}''. [[spoiler:She even goes so far as to ''hire'' the SkyPirates to kidnap her, all in the hopes that Waffle will come rescue her.]] Unfortunately for her, Red gets there before her intended man and HilarityEnsues.

* Alicia Pris from ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'' stages herself a kidnapping scene to gets an attention of her love interest, a [[NiceGuy good cop]] named Waffle. Unfortunately for her, she's forgot to tell her sisters about this in details, so they get worried and ask the player character Red to rescue her instead.

* Alicia Pris from ''{{Solatorobo}}'' stages herself a kidnapping scene to gets an attention of her love interest, a [[NiceGuy good cop]] named Waffle. Unfortunately for her, she's forgot to tell her sisters about this in details, so they get worried and ask the player character Red to rescue her instead.

* Alicia Pris from ''{{Soratorobo}}'' stages herself a kidnapping scene to gets an attention of her love interest, a [[NiceGuy good cop]] named Waffle. Unfortunately for her, she's forgot to tell her sisters about this in details, so they get worried and ask the player character Red to rescue her instead.

* Surprisingly, [[spoiler: Elizabeth Middleford]] from ''Manga/BlackButler''. [[spoiler: She's hated by a significant chunk of the fandom who see her as an annoying, [[GenkiGirl genki]] DisposableFiance, but it turns out she [[DeliberatelyCuteChild acts the way she does]] because she was afraid that Ciel would see her as "[[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon uncute]]." She's really a LittleMissBadass.]] This can be seen as a {{Deconstruction}}: unlike most girls that fit this trope, [[spoiler: Elizabeth does this for what she genuinely believes is the sake of her beloved Ciel, and not because [[TheDulcineaEffect she simply likes being rescued]]. It also shows that poor Lizzie actually had to sacrifice a few things in order to maintain Ciel's pride; i.e., keeping her badassery at bay caused her emotional pain since she was ''terrified'' of being rejected if it ever came out, and not to mention there's the ValuesDissonance coming from VictorianBritain -- women who boldly stated their physical strength would be looked down on.]]

** Rukia Kuchiki in the ''Soul Society'' arc. [[spoiler: In this case, however, it's because she's ''suicidal'', and wants to die to [[TheAtoner atone]] for killing her sub-captain and first (unrequited) love in self defense after he was possessed by a hollow. The fact circumstances have prevented her from regaining the power she lost in the first episode don't help.]]
** Orihime later tries to pull this in the Hueco Mundo arc. She's first taken as a hostage after a cruel SadisticChoice, and later she tries to act like she has joined the Arrancar to get an opportunity to reject the Hogyoku with her powers. She has even less luck than Rukia does, [[BreakTheCutie and boy does that break her.]]

** Orihime later tries to pull this in the Hueco Mundo arc, trying to act like she has joined the Arrancar to get an opportunity to reject the Hogyoku with her powers.

* Surprisingly, [[spoiler: Elizabeth Middleford]] from ''Manga/BlackButler''. [[spoiler: She's hated by a significant chunk of the fandom who see her as an annoying, [[GenkiGirl genki]] DisposableFiance, but it turns out she [[DeliberatelyCuteChild acts the way she does]] because she was afraid that Ciel would see her as "[[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon uncute]]." She's really a LittleMissBadass.]] This can be seen as a {{Deconstruction}}. Unlike most girls that fit this trope, [[spoiler: Elizabeth does this for the sake of her beloved, and not because [[TheDulcineaEffect she simply likes being rescued]]. It also shows that Lizzie actually had to sacrifice a few things in order to maintain Ciel's pride; i.e., keeping her badassery at bay caused her emotional pain since she was deeply scared of being rejected if it ever came out, and not to mention there's the ValuesDissonance coming from VictorianBritain.]]

* It's implied in the FatalFury anime that Mai Shiranui's {{Chickification}} is actually this, as she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy since he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too shy/reserved to openly show his feelings for her]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training to pay attention to her.]] [[spoiler: May have been confirmed in TheMovie: when Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, Mai [[LetsGetDangerous decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival]].]]

* [[spoiler:June]] in ''ZeroEscape''. [[spoiler:In reality, she's the DeadlyGame's creator, and coldly manipulates everyone to ensure her survival.]]

While this character may look like a DamselScrappy at first glance, she's actually ObfuscatingStupidity. Whether she's pulling a WoundedGazelleGambit, or [[FetishFuel just into this sort of thing,]] she doesn't get captured because she's weak, she gets captured because she wants to. She may even [[RedundantRescue have the skills]] [[HiddenBadass to get out of the scrape she's in herself]] if she wanted to. [[BadassInDistress If this is the case]], expect her to say LetsGetDangerous at some point.

* A common interpretation for ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'''s Princess Peach.

* It's implied in the FatalFury anime that Mai Shiranui's supposed {{Chickification}} is actually this, as she wants to invoke TheDulcineaEffect on her crush Andy since he's either [[SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl too reserved to openly show his feelings]] or [[MarriedtoTheJob too focused on training.]] [[spoiler: May or may not have been confirmed in TheMovie: when Terry and Joe are [[BadassInDistress disabled]] by the enemy in a HostageSituation, Mai [[LetsGetDangerous decides to fight back]] [[BattleCouple alongside Andy]] and ''easily'' [[CurbStompBattle defeats her rival].]]

* [[spoiler: Jessica]] in ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi''. [[spoiler: While she ''is'' an asthmatic IllGirl, she more than once pretends to be more ill than she truly is.]]