History Main / NervesOfSteel

* LetsPlay/{{Critikal}}. That man fears nothing. Even ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'', which is memetic for scaring people, not only fails to scare him but ''bores'' him to the point he starts telling a story about his teen years to pass the time. Thus far the only thing that's ever scared him was [[spoiler:a leaf falling in his peripheral vision]].

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' has Guts and Griffith. Guts switches between this and a [[TheBerserker roaring, bloodthirsty warrior]] when faced with the demonic Apostles attracted to his Brand of Sacrifice. It doesn't matter when or where they attack him, Guts always figures out a way to fight back and never breaks down from fear or despair. Griffith is [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], putting on a calm and friendly facade while he does whatever it takes to accrue more power for himself, culminating in him sacrificing his friends to the Apostles. Another example would be Pippin who was the only besides Guts who was not immediately overcome with terror during the Eclipse.

* A trait common to most, if not all, Contractors of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack.''

** ''Anime/MazingerZ'': TheProfessor Gennosuke Yumi. Eighteen-meters-tall killer robots are advancing towards his Institute? Mount Fuji is about of erupting and burying them under burning lava? Squads of armed soldiers are besieging them under the threat of set off an earthquake under their feet if they do not surrender? A spy is aiming one gun towards him? He has been captured and is being used like a hostage? It happens all the time! Basically, Yumi is a scientist, hence he refuses to panic and instead of it he uses his analytical mind to study the trouble and find a solution quickly. He is so good keeping his cool he can come across like cold and aloof sometimes. Usually, he only expresses emotion when one of the kids -- Kouji, his daughter Sayaka or their friends -- are in serious and immediate danger.

* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'': Corporal Hicks defines this trope. It's illustrated early in the film when he spends most of the drop down to the colony ''asleep'', in contrast to Gorman's nervousness and the boisterous behavior of his fellow Marines. After his unit gets largely wiped out, unlike Gorman (who freezes up under pressure and then gets knocked out), Hudson (who becomes a nervous wreck), and Vasquez (who enters a murderous rage), Hicks never once loses his cool.

** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': The good doctor himself can give both Tony and Steve a run for their money. Faced with an EldritchAbomination neither he nor anyone in his team can hope to defeat, and the imminent transformation of Earth and the entire universe into a hellscape, he proceeds to [[spoiler:fly right up to the EldritchAbomination in question and sets a time loop that locks him and it in an eternal duel. Yes, the being will - and quite brutally - kill him effortlessly, but he will keep coming back, trapping it with him. Effectively, he dies hundreds if not thousands of times in increasingly brutal manners and refuses to break till Dormammu yields and leaves earth]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': This is half the reason that Jedi are so damn awesome. Often leads to AwesomenessByAnalysis.
** In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', Poe Dameron shows signs of this too. It's part of [[AcePilot the job]].
--->''[Finn is escaping with the captured Poe by pretending to be transferring him... through the flight deck.]''\\

* InspectorJavert from ''Literature/LesMiserables'' is a really interesting take on this. No danger can shake his cool, calm reserve: he'll arrest an armed gang with a [[TechnicallyASmile grin]] and a barrage of [[DeadpanSnarker pithy one-liners]], stare down the barrel of a gun and (accurately) predict it will misfire, duck hurled paving stones, and face his execution at the hands of angry revolutionaries with equanimity. Show him ''mercy'' when he's not expecting it, though, and it's a [[HeelRealisation whole]] [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity different]] [[DrivenToSuicide story]]...
** Actually [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] with Javert at least once in the novel. As when he arrests Valjean at Fantine’s sick bed, making her have a DeathByDespair Valjean has a moment of TranquilFury ripping off a bedstead making the up-until-then smug Javert “retreat across the room” and when Valjean coldly asks him not to disturb him during his last words to Fantine’s body, Javert outright trembles. Given Javert’s aforementioned fearlessness [[BewareTheNiceOnes it’s a mark of how shit scary Valjean must be when angry]] that even someone like Javert chickens out when face to face with it.

* In the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Wedge Antilles is said to alternately have cold-space lubricants and ice water in his veins. He just about invariably keeps cool and adjusts to new situations. Certainly, Wedge feels emotions, some strongly, but he's well able to analyze and understand them. He's only shown losing control once -- when someone uses FantasticRacism to diss one of his nonhuman pilots, who ''just'' died to save the man, he pulls a NeckLift and never mind that the other man is taller.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': Mr. Morden. Gotta hand it to him; not even being arrested, threatened by most of the cast or coming face-to-face with [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Ambassador Kosh]] seems to unnerve him. [[spoiler:The fact that two equally advanced aliens constantly watch over him may have something to do with that -- when Londo kills/chases them off, he finally cracks.]]

* ''Series/BurnNotice'': Michael Weston.
** He even makes a comment about this is another episode. Stating how one can never tell if someone does have Nerves of Steel. Where a trained soldier could crack easily under pressure but a father whose son was kidnapped can have ice water in his veins.

** Simon Tam displays this in "[[Recap/FireflyE09Ariel Ariel]]". River does in "[[Recap/FireflyE14ObjectsInSpace Objects in Space]]".
** Simon operating on Kaylee in "[[Recap/FireflyE01Serenity Serenity]]" with (as far as he knew) the possibility that he and River might be killed or turned over to the Alliance hanging over his head.
*** Also, directing Zoe in operating on him in "Objects in Space". Including warning her when he's about to pass out.
*** Simon is a classic SugarAndIcePersonality and is [[TheStoic stoical]] a lot of the time. River had an even harder time in "Objects in Space". She had her amygdala torn out after all and thus is flooded with emotion
*** Wash is able to go from the funny sarcastic guy to completely calm and in control in mere moments as well, as best seen in the Pilot in where he shows us just WHY Malcolm and Zoe have such trust in him and provides us with one of the best Crowning Moments Of Awesome in the series by outmaneuvering the Reavers without losing that stoic calm.
*** Also in the [[Film/{{Serenity}} Movie]], outmaneuvering the Reavers while flying directly into the thick of an Alliance armada. When Mal panics and tries to direct him, "No, no, no, ''no!''" Wash simply matches his tone, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" and keeps his bearing.
*** Zoe walks into the room where her husband and her oldest friend and comrade are being tortured and cuts the villain off before he can even finish presenting his impossible dilemma, all without changing expression. When she gets given Wash and Mal's ear, she calmly accepts both, then returns to the ship and puts the ear on ice before heading back out for the rescue mission.
*** Her response to [[spoiler: Wash's death]] in Serenity is almost equally flat. She freaks out initially, but no more than a few seconds later, she is coolly walking off the ship, checking her weapons, and telling the others that "he's not coming."

** Sherlock has his moments, too. In the fourth episode, he's being threatened at gunpoint and is told that if he doesn't come up with a piece of information he ''doesn't have'', John will be killed. Despite this clearly concerning him, he still remains relatively calm and thinks fast enough to [[AwesomebyAnalysis deduce]] the information he needs. It helps that Irene gives him a vital clue at that moment by [[spoiler:looking down at herself]].
** And both of them handle the finale of the first season ender pretty well -- particularly the last few moments.
** And in the same episode with Irene, John didn't as much as ''blink'' when Sherlock threw the CIA dude out the window.
** And he calmly threatened death on a professional killer.
** Also, Sherlock remained calm with Magnusson, and Mary remained calm when she did shoot Sherlock, though she did look apologetic.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
** Spock displays this.
** Kirk often does, too.

*** Makes you wonder why the loud klaxon sounds when an operation is underway. Wouldn't this have come up before?
** And of course, Data does this. Though "Fiber optic nerves" would be more accurate in his case.

** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': In "Absolute Candor", Emmet (the Emergency Tactical Hologram) is totally nonchalant when he reports to Rios that ''La Sirena'' is seconds away from being obliterated by Vashti's security net.

** {{Space Marine}}s have the special rule "And They Shall Know No Fear", representing how their biological modifications and mental conditioning have left them without a real fear response. They can fall back if defeated in close combat or after suffering heavy casualties from enemy fire, but this is a TacticalWithdrawal rather than a rout, and the Space Marines automatically regroup after doing so.
*** One of the signs of how far the Chaos Space Marines have [[FallenHero fallen]] is that they do not have this rule. Their nerves are very much not steel, and they know fear. [[spoiler:Cypher is unusual since he's a Chaos Space Marine who still has the "And They Shall Know No Fear" rule.]]

* The Batter from ''Videogame/{{OFF}}'' definitely counts, apart from when he's purifying spectres.
* Yu from ''VideoGame/Persona4'' has them, even more so should you pick the right dialogue choices. Not to say he doesn't show emotions like confusion or panic, it's just that he manages to stay calm and collected regardless. When emotions run high, he often gets the option to tell others to calm down. In fact, late in the game, [[spoiler:telling the others this is crucial should you want to avoid the first BadEnding.]]
** ''[[UpdatedRerelease Golden]]'' has a scene that exemplifies this: [[spoiler: On the route to the true ending, if the Jester Link has been ranked up to 6 before the DiscOneFinalDungeon, it will auto-advance at certain points past it. After Rank 9, Yu has a choice to confront [[EvilCounterpart Tohru]] [[BigBad Adachi]], the character in question... who then pulls a gun on him. One of his responses to this is "You won't shoot me.", and in response Adachi does! Said bullet whizzes dangerously close to Yu's head... and he doesn't even ''flinch'' from it.]]

** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' and its [[VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2 sequel]] has [[NiceGuy Jude]] [[CombatMedic Mathis]]. As a medical student (and an actual practising doctor in the sequel) it makes that he would be trained in that regard...but he just naturally seems able to keep his cool in the face of danger. Might have to do with being a TeenGenius as much as his personality.
*** [[TheAce Milla]] [[GodInHumanForm Maxwell]] is much the same, though how much is her keeping her calm in the face of danger and her not valuing her life (in the first game) is up for debate. [[spoiler: Her alternate version in the sequel subverts this trope, however.]]

** Similarly, the third culprit in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', while more temperamental than the above example, is calm enough to not have any tells that Apollo can Perceive. Zig-zagged, as he finally breaks down when Apollo [[spoiler:reveals his plan to get his accomplice to testify against him.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Kai counters any dirt slung at him with a blunt, and sometimes even smug, retort. This is best illustrated against Melissa's BrutalHonesty after defeating her dragon in 'Confronting the Dark'.

* [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee]].
** The former earned his nickname specifically from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bull_Run The First Battle of Bull Run]] (a.k.a. First Manassas) when his brigade was one of those that came up to hold the line after the initial attacks of the Union had driven other Confederate troops off in disorderly retreat. While the nickname was a compliment of his courage ("There is Jackson standing like a stone wall"), what makes particularly clear that the trope fits is the ''place'' where his brigade was standing like a stone wall: [[TheStrategist just over the crest of the hill, where the Union artillery fire could not ravage them.]] (What's more, his cannons were placed just ''on'' the crest, meaning the recoil sent them backward out of the line of fire for safer reloading.)
* This is practically required of all medical professionals across the board. Surgeons work incredibly long hours under high levels of stress where the slightest shake of a finger or hand could cost a patient their life. Virologists and bacteriologists handle some of the deadliest biological agents in the world, the steadiness of their hands and laboratory regulations an absolute must in guaranteeing their own safety. Nurses and orderlies have to care first-hand for unruly, terrified, or dying patients, often seeing them through the most painful (or last) moments of their lives. There's a good reason why the burnout rate is so high in many medical fields.
** ''Especially'' neurosurgeons. You have to have them to heal them because one little slip of your hand (which must be ''very'' steady) can cause a potentially fatal mistake.
* Similarly, Pilots. There's a reason they're known for their DangerDeadpan. When zooming across at nearly the speed of sound in a metal tube, no matter if it's just a pilot by himself in his jet fighter, a few passengers in a small plane, or ''hundreds'' of lives in his hands in a large passenger plane, pilots, on a rule, remain calm and composed even as they careen to certain doom. This is just as well considering that quick thinking, steady hands, and rapid problem-solving skills are the only things that can save a flight from crashing when things go wrong.

* Pretty much any sub captain who is reasonably good. Submarine actions are ''very'' slow and unlike some types of warfare, a sub captain cannot keep himself going by mere "Fight or Flight" instinct.
** In part, this is often due to their training with their submarine's nuclear power plant. Nuclear engineering is often described as "You will watch every dial, with absolute attention, all of the time." and must be ready at any moment to take the necessary steps to bring a problem under control.

* In the 23-F coup attempt in Spain, in which troops stormed the Congress of Deputies and ordered all politicians to the ground -- weapons pointed at them -- three of them disobeyed: Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, who stood up and ordered the leader to desist (to no avail, but took some balls), Adolfo Suárez, who remained sitting down (also took some balls), and Santiago Carrillo, who remained sitting and calmly lit up a cigarette showing Nerves of Steel and balls of the same material.
** Carrillo later explained his reasoning to the press: "Why didn't I obey? Well, simple. I was the leader of the PCE (the Spanish Communist Party) [[note]]The perpetrators of the coup were Francoists (fascists)[[/note]]. It didn't matter if I lied down or stood if they succeeded they would have killed me all the same". In other words, he was convinced he wouldn't leave Congress alive, so he decided to FaceDeathWithDignity.

* An unwritten item on the essential qualifications list for commercial and military aviators, emergency responders and pretty much every other profession you can name where the smallest panic-induced mistake can cost lives.
** This is why DangerDeadpan is a stock trope for both the AcePilot and MissionControl.

* ''Manga/SPYxFAMILY'': Twilight AKA Loid Forger remains calm and coolheaded in most situations and missions (Except when dealing with his forged family). Regardless of how dire and intense the moment is, he maintains his composure and unyielding commitment to seek things through to the very end.

** If the protagonist has the Calm Temperament augment, their relaxed personality reduces the stress they get from working by 2 points.

* ''Manga/Berserk'' has Guts and Griffith. Guts switches between this and a [[TheBerserker roaring, bloodthirsty warrior]] when faced with the demonic Apostles attracted to his Brand of Sacrifice. It doesn't matter when or where they attack him, Guts always figures out a way to fight back and never breaks down from fear or despair. Griffith is [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], putting on a calm and friendly facade while he does whatever it takes to accrue more power for himself, culminating in him sacrificing his friends to the Apostles.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}''. How many times have you seen this guy panic, or even show any sign of fear?

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': A perk of the same name is present in both ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. With its effect granting an increase to the regeneration of Action Points, which the player character(s) uses mostly to attack enemies in V.A.T.S., this can be inferred as gaining an unflinching focus in battle and attacking with more precision.

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* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFuckboy's'': Pretty much all of the playable characters count as this, with Freddy, Toy Freddy and Springtrap treating almost all of the threats they come across as more annoying obstacles rather then genuine threats. Freddy also momentarily freaks out at having to fight a god named Cranky Kong but quickly regains his composure and manages to defeat him and even has the guts to mock him over his failure afterwards.

*** Saeko is one on a technical level, as her Boxercise training provides her with greater psychological resilience towards Fear, Drunk, Charm, and Silence than her teammates, which are classified as mental status effects.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Rarity the unicorn is a [[PlayingWithATrope fun example]]. She's usually an [[LargeHam overly-dramatic]] DramaQueen, but is also utterly unflappable in the face of actual danger. Her reaction to having her hair [[NobodyTouchesTheHair magically turned into a literal rats' nest]] is to panic and scream for a mirror, but being captured and enslaved by the [[OurTrollsAreDifferent diamond dogs]] results in... mild annoyance, with her eventually freeing herself. Incidents of physical danger are almost invariably treated with reason and calm, while annoyances are quick to be declared "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis THE! WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!]]".

* How Lana of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' got her job. During her animal rights protest phase, her and a few fellow hippies parked outside a fur store waiting to splash someone with paint. When said someone turned out to be Malory, she responded with a [[HandCannon .44 Magnum]] aimed at them. When everyone but Lana scattered, Malory knew she had a spy.

* In ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', when a gang of 15-year-olds is held captive by a duo of vengeful RealityWarper ghosts, Wendy is the only one to get scared but not ''panicked''. Even Dipper, who ultimately saves the day, has at least one freak-out.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Invincible}}'' has the protagonist's mother, Debbie. [[spoiler: After sleuthing out that her husband Nolan/Omni-Man deliberately killed the story's equivalent of the Justice League, Debbie gets drunk and confronts her husband. Despite knowing full well [[PersonOfMassDestruction what he can do]], she never flinches as she drops a PrecisionFStrike on him.]]
* Wildwing of ''WesternAnimation/MightyDucksTheAnimatedSeries'', once he puts on the "Mask of Drake [=DuCaine=]".

* Rocky, [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants Patrick Star's]] snail that's actually a rock.

* Brock Sampson of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' is a terrifying BloodKnight, but his own reactions are mostly very low-key.

* A villainous example is Lex Luthor in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010''. Lex never once loses his cool and always stays calm, even when he is targeted by [[spoiler:the real Roy Harper]], who is out to get revenge on him.

* ''Fanfic/TwilightsList'': Rainbow Dash thinks Twilight has these because she acts so cool and unperturbed in the face of Rainbow Dash's anxiety over the date. Unfortunately, this was because Twilight was actually asking Rainbow Dash out on a ''practice'' date, and as such, doesn't have any reason to be nervous. When Twilight realizes what has happened, she freaks out.
* In the ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/BlackWingsBlackSails'', Laurence stares down Lily and her flesh-dissolving, acid-spraying face-spurs without showing even the slightest hint of fear. The only thing that can unnerve Laurence and break his stoic mask is his former dragon, Temeraire.
* ''Fanfic/DanceWithTheDemons'': [[ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] gets shot with a poisoned dart during her wedding to [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]]. However, Bruce doesn't panic. He doesn't scream. He doesn't lose his composure. Instead, he rapidly assesses the situation, considers the tools at his disposal, coordinates his friends' efforts to save his wife, and forces himself to let them handle the situation when it's obvious he'd stand in their way.
-->[Kori] was awed. He wasn't letting himself shout, panic, even interrupt the team working on his wife. The man was so strong.
* In ''Fanfic/FateStarryNight'', Ritsuka treats having his hand impaled by Rider's spike as more of a minor annoyance than anything and stares down Berserker while having the gall to use Jason to purposefully piss off Greece's greatest hero to lure him away from Shirou. His ability to remain perfectly calm in high-tension situations confuses Rider, who wonders what the hell he went through to get to this point. But after successfully fleeing from Berserker, his legs turn to jello as he finally lets his fear seep in, showing that he's far from a FearlessFool.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}: A perk of the same name is present in both ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. With its effect granting an increase to the regeneration of Action Points, which the player character(s) uses mostly to attack enemies in V.A.T.S., this can be inferred as gaining an unflinching focus in battle and attacking with more precision.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':

A good trait for a BadassBookworm to have, at least if they want both halves at the same time. Note that nerves of steel may be hard to distinguish from TranquilFury at times. Previously susceptible characters may suddenly develop Nerves of Steel when it's TheLastDance. Showing a StiffUpperLip is a good way for a character to convince ''other'' people that they have Nerves of Steel. Compare HeroicSafeMode, where the emotional/thinking part of the brain "shuts down" to allow for instinctual survival mechanisms to work unclouded by emotions. PostVictoryCollapse is when a character ''fakes'' having Nerves of Steel, but breaks down as soon as the danger passes. Not related to BallsOfSteel, which is more literal, and has nothing to do with BoobsOfSteel either. Contrast NervousWreck.