Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Split BadassDecay
, started by KnownUnknown on Feb 2nd 2010 at 11:01:14 PM
- Miles Edgeworth in the Ace Attorney series is introduced as a ruthless, brutal prosecutor who seems not to care at all about human rights and terrifies everyone around him, even his subordinates. Eventually, though, he becomes instead quirky, awkward and fussy but likable, while Gumshoe and his other subordinates are flanderized into useless ditzes that he has to use Tough Love on. This seems due mostly to his status as Ensemble Dark Horse, but is explained in-universe by learning from his former friend Phoenix that one doesn't have to be brutal to be just. Unfortunately, they ruin that last part with the retcon that he never knowingly used forged evidence, thus taking away a lot of his original badass (and villainous) points.
I think someone mistakes badassery for ruthlessness. If anything Miles became MORE badass as the series went on, going form losing to Phoenix twice in row to beating him after a long battle in the sequel, not to mention getting his own spinoff where he shows his badasery full on facing and winning agaisnt one hardened criminal after another finishing it with taking down Zero-level Magnificent Bastard. His No Social Skills were always there, and him not using forged evidence wasn't even a retcon, he was never proven to do this in the first place. I don't see how is that supposed to be Badass Decay.
Okay. Not to be confrontational, but did they say why?
Edited by TropesForever
Same reason as I Call It "Vera" I assume. Certain parties just really like their Whedon.
Fair enough. It is where this site came from.
Edited by TropesForever
All of Metroid: Other M. That is the epitome of badass decay.
Even after Nintendo retconned the three best-selling Metroid games in the entire franchise (the Prime series), Samus still killed Ridley a number of times before Other M, but randomly has a breakdown of PTSD.
Also, she randomlybecomes an obedient bitch for no reason, putting herself in unnecessary danger. "You know, Samus, your health isn't going down out of boredom, it is going down because you're taking UNCESSARY HEAT DAMAGE!" ~Johnny, reviewing Metroid: Other M preior to Samus /finally/ activating her Varia Suit.
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I was checking why the example was deleted. The user who removed it simply said: "Not this crap again". I'm not sure if it was a ROCEJ thing, the tone of the entry being too ranty, or just a hasty removal. I'm putting it here for reference:
- Samus has a game that's pretty well based in this. Not just in the fact that she's only concerned about what her ex-commanding officer thinks of her but, worse than that, the scene with her and Ridley. That's right. Samus, the Action Girl that's kicked the asses of thousands of pirates, the chick who has blown up giant plants, the titan that bested two clones of herself, blown up a giant metroid with Phazon, is seen freaking out at the sight of Ridley, screaming for help, when she KNOWS she's killed this thing more times than she can remember.
If I had my will, I'd add it back by downtoning the negativity, but I don't want to start an edit war, so it's up to the rest to decide.
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smgy
Is there a trope for "cutification"? I deem this when a person gives something a cute moniker or plays with it/hugs onto it like a puppy despite it being not cute IRL, possibly hideous, frightening, and meant to be Badass... or something that would simply be without a cuteness quotient like a chesspiece or a calculator, etc. (unless really small or brightly colored, which are usually considered cute). It's like a combination between Badass Decay and I'm Taking Her Home with Me!... I think.
Who is Telcontar?
NerdsAreSexy.. sometimes
I don't understand the page image. Explain, please?
This has got to be like the 5,000th time I forgot my email or password... Hide / Show Replies
"Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has been accused of this by fellow conservatives when she endorsed moderate Republican Mitt Romney for the 2012 US Presidential election. In the previous Presidential election, she said that she would prefer Democrat Hilary Clinton over moderate Republican John Mc Cain."
Arn't we kinda stretching the definition of "Badass" alot here?.
Edited by shoboni
Is this really an example of Badass Decay?
- The Mandalorians were originally portrayed as a Proud Warrior Race. Now they're portrayed as a pacifist population trying to get away from their Proud Warrior Race reputation, with many upset at the move.
I can't believe you forgot about Dean Winchester from Supernatural... Serious badass until the whole "Sam is the devil's vessal" saga.
How can the Robin Williams in the episode of Law and Order SVU count as a subversion. Wasn't he in only one episode?
Edited by riddlerj
A couple of months ago i was tempted to post Lady of War Signum from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha on the list beacuse of her incident on the Ch. 7 of the current FORCE manga, but everyone and their grandma keep me from doing it claiming that it's too soon to do it because the season is still starting and we don't know what resulution Signum's character will going to receive when she finally reappeaars on screen. I guess it's necessary to follow the ultimate conclusion of a curbstompped Badass to determine if it can be correctly adressed as a Decayed Badass.
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Well, she finally aweakened in Force Ch. 18 and her first reaction was lest tan satisfying. She didn't show any Heroic Resolve or badass resolution about the fact she was horribly trashed, instead displayed the behavior of a crappy Moe character and give a dumb smile towards Hayate and the Unisons.
So yeah, she's not really showing to be as badass as she used to be so i guess she finally qualifies to be an example of this trope.
May 29 2010 - May 29 2012 IT'S HERE! HAPPY 2nd WORFDAY SIGNUM!! Let's party xD!
So am I the only one who believes Ziva from NCIS should be an example of Badass decay?
I mean she went from this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LkmeCuVyVc&feature=related
to getting captured and needing to be saved by the male agents of NCIS in two of the last three season finales.
What is it called when a character experiences Badass Decay, but then returns to his or her previous level of badass (or even exceeds it)? Is that Took a Level in Badass, or is that trope just for characters who had never been badasses before and one day got a whole lot tougher?
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I second that question i really want to know if theres a trope for a "Badass Decayed" character who then is able to recover his Badassery xD
I third that question. Does it count as Badass Decay if a character lets his badassness decay on purpose?
"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thinking, and don't be a dumbass."
I think there should be such a trope. Maybe "Retrieving The Coat" would work if the Spike theme is being used for the page?
I have mixed feelings as to whether or not Tetra fits this, considering her part in the final battle, and you know, basically only the Master Sword and Light Arrows (only found after the kidnapping) can lay any harm on Ganon and even then, the former doesn't really until later on...
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What about hibari kyoya, that is definitely badass decay. He's not even an antagonist with a heel face turn. Look he goes from, being able to bite to death gokudera, yamamoto, and even dying will mode tsuna, to being on par or being beaten by them. That's definite badass decay, no matter how you argue it
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He's still the most powerful Guardian, and Tsuna and the others all got upgrades and training. He's still as much a terrifying badass as he was during the Varia arc.
Mighty pirate!
Same question I asked on the old discussion page: How is Spike an example of this? He spent perhaps four or five episodes in season two of Buffy as a bad guy and had one moment of badassery (killing the Annointed) before turning into an ineffectual Anti-Villain.
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I have to agree. The theme and former name of this page seems a little like complaining about character development some didn't like. Spike was on the show for, basically, 6 years (counting the last season of Angel, but mostly discounting season 3 Buffy's one appearance where he did next to nothing). In all the time, his "glory days" as a badass villain were as noted above, and a brief tenure early s4 Buffy/s1 Angel. The majority of his time, he is not really a villain. Also, his season 4 shackling (the chip) wasn't a gradual decay. He was IMMEDIATELY rendered utterly pathetic. The resulting years of character development only saw him rise. Honestly, Spike going from "powerless, leashed, pet former villain chained to a chair watching soaps with the old Brittish guy" to "champion who gives his life to save the world" should count as taking levels in badass, not badass decay.
Also, a lot of what can be said for Spike's supposed decay can be said for Angel. The opening quote is a mockery of Angel. The picture of puppet Spike never happens in the series proper, but DOES happen to Angel in the episode Smile Time. Angel was once the scourge of Europe, even moreso than Spike. He was the big bad of season 2, supplanting Spike. He eventually winds up an angsty father and ineffectual business man with no clear goal until the last handful of episodes. In the last season we are treated to him getting his butt kicked by a geriatric luchadore and by Spike in a throw down for the title of Chosen One. Oh, and being turned into a puppet. So one has to ask, why wasn't this once "Angelfication," and why no mention of Angel.
Reasoning for recent edits:
Naruto: Included Sakura’s hesitation to kill Sasuke, giving him time to choke her, and how he had been fighting nearly all day.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Joey being put in dog suits doesn’t reflect on his skills. Kaiba does get a good amount of badass moments in the anime along with him being made into an Adaptational Hero compared to his manga self.
Pokémon: Added in the reason why Pikachu lost in his first battle in Unova. Removed Gary’s example, as we only saw him battle once in the first season, making his case more of an Informed Ability.
Digimon: Angemon zigzagged this trope, as while he was no stronger than the others, he did have a few moments where it was subverted. Maybe that’s part of the reason he couldn’t Digivolve normally for half the season. Gatomon only had one fight against most of the Digidestined’s Champion levels and didn’t get another fight until she was revealed as Kari’s partner. In later fights as a Champion, she rarely fought opponents who were bigger than her.
Bleach: With what was listed for Ichigo, him zigzagging this trope was included.
Buso Renkin: Removed Tokiko’s example, as her not getting any major fights for awhile doesn’t make her this.
Space Jam: Bugs was at first intimidated because the aliens had lasers, but soon tricked them into giving him and the other toons for a chance to compete for their freedom, coming up with basketball as the game due to initially having the advantage over them.
Korra: Removed Katara and Toph’s examples. We never got to see Katara in action and Toph, while older, still kicked ass, with no signs of her skills having declined, but she chose not to get involved with the final season’s conflict.
“This is your story. You decide where it starts and how it ends”.