History Main / NonActionProtagonist

It's worth noting that while examples of characters that can't fight themselves but let other beings do the fighting for them qualify (like TheBeastmaster or a MinionMaster, or autonomous variants of a PuppetFighter where the controlling character doesn't do the physical fighting themselves), characters that have direct control over another character's movements in a fight don't count, so tropes like MarionetteMaster and FightingSpirit are to be excluded.

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* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': The titular protagonist is the page image for a reason. Chuck Bartowski was an [[TheEveryman everyman]] and [[HollywoodNerd nerd]] who accidentally downloaded [[OmniscentDatabase the Intersect]] into his brain and got pulled into the world of espionage. Despite proving to be well in over his head, Chuck frequently resolves matters through his quick thinking and ability to plan ahead; he's not bad in a fight, but generally leaves the fighting to his far more experienced partner [[ActionGirl Sarah Walker]].

* Rokuro "[[InSeriesNickname Rock]]" Okajima from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. There's a good reason why he's the trope image. [[InAWorld In a setting]] defined for being a [[WretchedHive crime-ridden]], [[CrapsackWorld crapsack]] WorldOfBadass, Rock is (or rather, ''[[FromNobodyToNightmare was]]'') an idealistic Japanese salaryman who was abducted by a gang of pirates and took to life as the group's negotiator. He has no combat skills to speak out (outside of one instance of clocking somebody with a [[ImprobableWeaponUser bowling pin]], but the circumstances were that severe), but he really doesn't need it; he's generally bodyguarded by resident DarkActionGirl Revy, he sticks out by being a non-combatant who is ''very'' good at [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talking down his enemies non-lethally]] while using {{guile|Hero}} to overcome any problems that come his way. By the current point of the series, he's become near-universally respected among the denizens of [[WretchedHive Roanapur]] and is fast-track to [[spoiler:becoming a DarkMessiah AntiHero]], much to [[DefrostingIceQueen Revy]]'s mild disappointment.

* ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'': Protagonist Lawrence is an IntrepidMerchant and while he carries a dagger for self-defense, he has little fighting abilities. In dangerous situations, he mostly relies on [[GuileHero talking his way out]] or outsmarting his opponents. {{Deuteragonist}} and female lead [[PhysicalGod Holo]] does that actual fighting when it's needed and she enjoys teasing him about playing the role of a DistressedDamsel at times.

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/BlackLagoon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/untitledsmall.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Three guesses who [[NonActionGuy the protagonist]] in this image is.[[labelnote:Note]][[EntertaininglyWrong It's the nun sitting on the sofa, isn't it?]][[/labelnote]]]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Pyre}}'' has its AbsurdlyHighStakesGame Rites with all the clever athleticism and power you'd expect...and none of them are [[PlayerCharacter the Reader]], who is both more of a coach to the Nightwings and is implied to have a CareerRuiningInjury falling to Downside even if they aren't explicitly noted by the player as disabled.

** [[TheEveryman Richard]] [[NiceGuy Mayhew]] is your everyday 30-year-old office worker living in London who is thrown into the [[EldritchLocation London Below]] after he tried to save a wounded girl. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] at the end, when Richard [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level in badass]] and kills [[TheDreaded the Beast of London.]]]]
** [[MysteriousWaif Lady Door]] also counts. She appears at first as a DamselInDistress, but later the trope is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] as her [[OpenAndShut Opening]] ability is proven to be [[LethalHarmlessPowers unexpectedly deadly]]. [[spoiler: She uses this to [[DraggedOffToHell send the Angel Islington, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar "As [...] far away as I could".]]]]
** [[LoveableRogue Marquis de Carabas]] is the resident trickster of the London Below, who has little combat ability, but is a formidable enemy - for his true strength lies in his [[TheTrickster trickery]] and his ChainOfDeals. [[spoiler: He manages to use both to bring himself BackFromTheDead [[BackForTheFinale for the grand finale.]]]]

* ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher'' usually doesn't even have your human character on the field - you mostly just raise your {{Mon}}s and stay the heck out of the way.

* Juste Ueki Tylor from ''Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'' is a lackadaisical, incompetent, and above all ''[[BornLucky lucky]]'' captain (in fact, [[MeaningfulName his name is pidgin-English for "Just Lucky Tylor"]]) who spends the series lightly drifting through a war between humans and SpaceElves, sweet-talking, smooth-talking, and occasionally seducing his way out of trouble throughout the series. He only has his position because he, er, "impressed" the assessment AI so much "she" crashed.

* ''Literature/NeroWolfe'': Even though the detective genre does not oblige the main character to be a physically strong fighter, Nero Wolfe still stands out. Wolfe absolutely hates leaving his house and [[HatesBeingTouched doesn't touch anyone unless it's absolutely necessary]]. His personal assistant [[{{Foil}} Archie]], however, is an active character, taking part in fights and shootouts when necessary.

* Rokuro "[[InSeriesNickname Rock]]" Okajima from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. There's a good reason why he's the trope image. [[InAWorld In a setting]] defined for being a [[WretchedHive crime-ridden]], [[CrapsackWorld crapsack]] WorldOfBadass, Rock is (or rather, ''[[FromNobodyToNightmare was]]'') an idealistic Japanese salaryman who was abducted by a gang of pirates and took to life as the group's negotiator. He has no combat skills to speak out (outside of one instance of clocking somebody with a [[ImprobableWeaponUser bowling pin]], but the circumstances were that severe), but he really doesn't need it; he's generally bodyguarded by resident DarkActionGirl Revy, he sticks out by being a non-combatant who is ''very'' good at [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talking down his enemies non-lethally]] while using [[GuileHero guile]] to overcome any problems that come his way. By the current point of the series, he's become near-universally respected among the denizens of [[WretchedHive Roanapur]] and is fast-track to [[spoiler:becoming a DarkMessiah AntiHero]], much to [[DefrostingIceQueen Revy]]'s mild disappointment.

* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'': While the show is MagicalGirl anime and Fakir, Rue, and Mytho all show some level of combat ability throughout the series, Duck as Princess Tutu dances with her antagonists rather than fighting them. Justified, since her main purpose is to extract Mytho's heart shards from their hosts, which involves the hosts processing their own emotions so they'll let go of the heart shards. Discussed with Fakir, who at a few points questions Tutu's common sense when trying to fight particularly violent antagonists with ballet.

A Non-Action Protagonist stands out as [[TheEveryman an everyday schmuck]] or otherwise-mundane person who in particular is found in [[ActionSurvivor a situation well in over their heads]], but there's no way they stand a chance at besting their enemies in a physical fight. Maybe it's a WorldOfBadass where everyone ''but'' them is capable of fighting in some way, maybe they're TrappedInAnotherWorld with [[SummonEverymanHero no notable qualities that'd help their survival]]. Some writers' portrayal of this kind of character ([[DoubleStandard mostly for men]]) would tend to make them a NonActionGuy for [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway their lack of clear masculinity]], but other, more creative writers may genuinely roll with this idea in spite of such. Often, it's their qualities ''outside'' of combat [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower that drive the story forward and serves as much of the conflict]].

Maybe they're a GuileHero who uses [[TheTrickster trickery and deceit]] to deceive and con to get out of sticky situations. Maybe they're a MagneticHero who uses [[TheCharmer charisma]], [[RousingSpeech oratory]] and [[FlunkyBoss minions]] to do the fighting, oftentimes TalkingTheMonsterToDeath if their flunkies can't defeat them. Maybe they're a [[TheSneakyGuy Stealth Hero]] who prefers sneaking past enemies than fighting them head on, or maybe they're a ScienceHero who uses technology and applied knowledge [[BrainsVersusBrawn to accomplish what combat cannot]]. Either way, if the protagonist of the story is in a setting defined by present danger and ''isn't'' an ActionHero, ''and'' regularly prefers using any other means to achieve their objectives outside of violence, then you have a case of a Non-Action Protagonist.

This trope is especially common in MonsSeries; barring a few genre outliers, most {{Mon}} games generally don't feature combat with the inevitably-human protagonists so much as their [[OurMonstersAreWeird monster companions]] doing all of the heavy lifting, which in turn allows more emphasis and development on the human characters' non-combat qualities.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused]] with BadassPacifist, ActionSurvivor or SupportingProtagonist; they don't have to necessarily be a pacifist themselves to qualify for this trope, just that they don't do the fighting in a predominantly action-packed series. Action Survivors can overlap, but they are generally considered separate due to many ActionSurvivor characters being to some degree combat-capable unlike Non-Action Protagonists, wherein a Supporting Protagonist is defined by being the main [=POV=] of a story while not being the main focus in CharacterDevelopment. SuperTrope of NonEntityGeneral and StockLightNovelEveryman, the former being a a form of FeaturelessProtagonist used mainly in strategy games who doesn't take part in combat, and the latter being a common figurehead in Japanese ''isekai'' media. Compare and contrast with NonActionGuy, the trope's ([[AlwaysMale almost always male]]) comedic counterpart, and NonActionBigBad, where the BigBad of a work is defined by their inability to fight themselves.

* Juste Ueki Tylor from ''Anime/IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'' is a lackadaisical, incompetent, and above all ''[[BornLucky lucky]]'' captain (in fact, [[MeaningfulName his name is pigdin-english for "Just Lucky Tylor"]]) who spends the series lightly drifting through a war between humans and SpaceElves, sweet-talking, smooth-talking, and occasionally seducing his way out of trouble throughout the series. He only has his position because he, er, "impressed" the assessment AI so much "she" crashed.
* Yukiteru Amano from ''Manga/FutureDiary'' is this at first, but [[SubvertedTrope gradually subverts this over the course of the story]]. In the beginning, he leaves most of the fighting to Yuno, though it's [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] since even then he offs three other diary owners even before [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]]. This is subverted later on when he becomes more competent in combat and even fights alongside with Yuno.
* Ciel Phantomhive from ''Manga/BlackButler'' is a young boy from VictorianLondon who ends up contracting a demon -- Sebastian Michaelis -- [[BattleButler to serve as his butler and guardian]]. While he himself is not a fighter, and if anything is the weakest character physically, he is noted as a capable [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] who is far more than capable of manipulating others into his plans. He proved it during the murder mystery arc where he planned out and orchestrated the entire event; lacing the blame on someone else in order to complete the mission given to him from the queen, all while not only keeping suspicion off of himself, but also making himself seem like a victim. Then very end where he only tells a young Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of his scheme because he wanted to motivate him to continue to write mystery novels.

* ''Film/{{Maverick}}'': Played with. Bret Maverick would certainly ''like'' to stay out of the action; he's a professional gambler, not a gunfighter, and much prefers bluffing and tricks to get out of tight spots, like arranging himself to win a staged fight and scare off an opponent, or tricking a bunch of drunk renegades into thinking they're surrounded by gunmen; he's also a quick draw but admits he "can't hit shit," and being a bit of a dandy he's wary of ruining his clothes. That doesn't stop him from being forced into several scrapes, including stopping a runaway wagon (nearly getting himself tossed off a cliff in the process), and engaging in a non-lethal shootout with the aforementioned renegades. By the third act Bret seems to have gained some spine, shown when he straight-up attacks Angel's thugs by himself.
* ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'': Theo is a cynical bureacrat tasked with protecting the world's first pregnant woman in 18 years, no easy task when crossing dystopian England with trained soldiers shooting at them from one side and armed militants shooting back on the other. Theo himself never even picks up a gun, and survives mostly by guile and a good running start (although once he smashes someone's face with a car battery).

* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' gives the male protagonists plenty of action scenes, but Mina Harker's primary contributions to the plot come in the form of developing a psychic link with Dracula after she's bitten by the count, and helping riddle out his route across Europe.

* ''Literature/TheHobbit'': Peaceful hobbit Bilbo Baggins is hired to be thief in a company of rough-and-tumble dwarven warriors. While he starts out a stuffy ClassicalAntiHero, he later proves his mettle [[GuileHero through his wits]]. Nonetheless, he misses the entire Battle of the Five Armies because he got knocked out early in.
* ''[[Literature/AHerosWar A Hero's War]]'': Cato has no combat-relevant skills, not even leadership, and for some reason he physically can't use magic. However, his insights from Earth about engineering and science lead to a {{Magitek}} revolution that results in the territory of Minmay developing the most dangerous military force in the world. Cato himself, meanwhile, is mostly just running the new university and collaborating with specialists to come up with new ideas.

* Subaru Natsuki from ''Literature/ReZero'' really only has his "Return by Death" ability going for him, but he's noted to be one of the weakest protagonists in the plot. WordOfGod says he would lose in a duel with almost every other protagonist; Subaru can't even resort to magic to fight effectively. As a result, really only having his ability to count on, he uses a great deal of guile, trickery and SaveScumming in order to escape his doom. Despite these odds and how over his head he is, he very much gradually develops into a hero in his own way.

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': Before the Creator/MichaelBay films, this was how [[KidAppealCharacter Bumblebee]] was portrayed. In episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' where he plays a big role, he uses his guile, small size and guts to get out of jams. This was carried over to the Choose Your Own Adventure-style books of the time where he's the main character: Bumblebee has little to no combat ability (his actual function is '''Spy'''), and so has to avoid combat as much as he can.

** ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' has this too. While there's more than enough ways to brute force the game, generally agreed to be the most satisfying way to beat the game is with no combat at all. The final boss can be easily defeated with words as much as combat.

** Fuuka Yamagishi, the MissionControl of ''VideoGame/Persona3'', is one of these. Physically-speaking, while the other members of S.E.E.S. are physically adept at combating [[TheHeartless Shadows]], Fuuka is a shy, grungy nerdy girl who is introduced by being a bullying victim of a girl posse. Then she ends up in Tartarus by accident, and shortly after summoning her Persona for the first time [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome while surviving ten hours]] in the vitality-sapping dungeon, she allows you to see the strengths and weaknesses of the Boss Shadows that just [[CurbStompBattle wiped the floor with]] two of your allies. Even though her Persona is not capable of combat, she's still a critical ally to S.E.E.S.'s efforts in Tartarus, and a valuable member of the team.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has Ritsuka Fujimaru, who stands out even compared to all the other protagonists of other ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'' media; [[SameCharacterButDifferent both Shikis]] ([[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryougi]] and [[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Shiki Tohno]]) have [[MagicalEye Mystic Eyes]] of [[OneHitKill Death Perception]] and are trained assassins, [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Shirou Emiya]] can conjure swords on a whim and [[spoiler:has a FutureBadass self]], [[Anime/FatePrototype Ayaka Sajyou]] is a skilled DarkMagicalGirl who knows powerful old-school Magecrafts, and [[VisualNovel/WitchOnTheHolyNight Aoko Aozaki]] outright has access to [[TimeMaster the Fifth Magic]]. Ritsuka, meanwhile, never goes beyond being passable at best at the art of Magecraft themselves, and almost entirely relies on their Servants summoned through the game's [[GachaGames gacha system]] to do their fighting for them.

* The ''[[VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' [[VideoGame/AmnesiaAMachineForPigs series]] of [[VideoGame/AmnesiaRebirth games]] have this as a core part of the series' gameplay. Unlike many SurvivalHorror games of the time, fighting the various monsters within the depths are outright impossible, with the game's choices being to outwit, outsmart and outmaneuver them than try to fight. As a result, each protagonist fits the bill of this perfectly, with the trend only being broken with ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheBunker'', being the first in the series to allow the protagonist to fight back.
* [[ZigZaggedTrope Played with]] in ''VideoGame/{{Subverse}}'', but otherwise mostly played straight. The game features two distinct combat modes: the TurnBasedTactics ground combat and the ShootEmUp space combat. The protagonist (known only as "The Captain") is a brilliant pilot who fights personally in space combat, but is a complete amateur in hand-to-hand and leaves ground combat completely up to his BattleHarem. In the few cutscenes where he ''is'' shown with his boots on the ground, he is either hiding in cover, or getting his ass handed to him.

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[[caption-width-right:350:Three guesses who [[NonActionGuy the protagonist]] in this image is.[[labelnote:Note]][[EntertaininglyWrong It's the nun sitting on the sofa, isn't she?]][[/labelnote]]]]