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DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Neutral Female

 Neutral Female
type
FeatureClass
 Neutral Female
label
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female
page
NeutralFemale
 Neutral Female
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })The hero and the villain are having a Sword Fight or similar one-on-one altercation.
Meanwhile, our lovely heroine, whom the narrative will insistently claim is physically capable, is just standing around... and doing absolutely nothing (and not in a winning way, either). This isn't a case where she's trapped, incapacitated, physically impaired, or any less experienced than the hero, himself. This is an able-bodied woman with some established ability who is just standing around on the sidelines, helplessly watching while the men do all the dirty work.
So no trying to improvise to assist the hero. No calling for help. No making any attempts to stalk off while the villain is distracted; anything that could possibly enable the hero's success. Not even cheering the hero on to boost morale. You could replace her with an inanimate prop for all the good she's doing.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })The situation doesn't necessarily have to be Hero vs. Villain. It can also apply between good guys, especially in terms of romantic competition. The point is that the girl is still not helping either of them nor doing anything to stop the fight, not even by saying something that could settle everything between the combatants.
There are cases where her inactivity or lack of involvement in a fight can be justified. As stated above, she may be injured or Bound and Gagged and thus unable to move. She could be lower on the Super Weight scale or lack experience. Another reason could be This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself (where none of the hero's allies help him) or the hero insists on an honorable one-on-one duel. An especially fickle heroine may simply be waiting to see which man comes out on top, since Women Prefer Strong Men.
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); })What differentiates her from a regular Load is that it's established she has abilities or has choices at her disposal but when confronted with duking it out among the boys she's suddenly rendered inept by virtue of being female. Compare to Damsel in Distress but with a case of Faux Action Girl; which often serves as both the source and result of this trope. The distinction is that the Faux Action Girl is consistently failing to live up to her hype. It is a character trope. This trope here is more of a situational trope and it could have some justifying context (This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself for instance). Thus, not every Neutral Female is a Faux Action Girl.
The reasoning for this trope’s existence likely lies in the fact that in most cultures, men are seen as being obligated to help women in need, and if he doesn’t he is generally seen as a coward. Women, meanwhile, are generally not under the same pressures to help men in danger. This is further compounded by double standards where if a man is in a situation where he needs help, he is seen as undeserving of said help from anyone, let alone women.
Also compare Standard Female Grab Area which is where being caught by the wrist or upper arm is enough to impede her. Both tropes are often caused by the writers' unwillingness to have a woman fighting (and thus being hit by) a man. Polar opposite of the Defiant Captive, who may be helpless but won't let that stop her from telling her captors exactly what she thinks of them.
Not to be confused with female RPG characters with a Neutral component to their Character Alignment.
 Neutral Female
fetched
2023-03-04T23:29:41Z
 Neutral Female
parsed
2023-03-04T23:29:41Z
 Neutral Female
processingComment
Dropped link to WouldntHitAGirl: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Neutral Female
processingComment
Dropped link to lampshadehanging: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Neutral Female
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Neutral Female / int_1beda93b
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_1beda93b
comment
Alt-Zoe in Sluggy Freelance. Justified since, like all Dimension of Lame characters, she's completely and utterly opposed to violence.
 Neutral Female / int_1beda93b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_1beda93b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sluggy Freelance (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_1beda93b
 Neutral Female / int_5755b96a
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_5755b96a
comment
The Order of the Stick:
Lampshaded when Roy's kidnapped sister is asked why she didn't bother to warn her rescuer (her older brother, no less) of an ambush over an accidental slight before kicking his sword over to him. She explains that she's True Neutral, and goes both ways.
Therkla also joins this territory when she realizes that between the compelling arguments of Lawful Evil against Chaotic Good is a whole slew of inappropriate ego. So she tries to compromise hard. It doesn't end well.
 Neutral Female / int_5755b96a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_5755b96a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_5755b96a
 Neutral Female / int_73930393
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_73930393
comment
Twitch Plays Pokémon Red has an interesting example: Air, the Lapras, was consistently the weakest member of the party, but it wasn't until the game was finished and the party data transferred to a copy of Gold that it was discovered that Air was in fact female.
 Neutral Female / int_73930393
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_73930393
featureConfidence
1.0
 Twitch Plays Pokémon Red (Web Video)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_73930393
 Neutral Female / int_86c3beca
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_86c3beca
comment
Subverted by Girl Genius during the "Maxim Buys a Hat" arc. Maxim nearly wins the fight with Ol' Man Death for his hat, but his granddaughter Zeuxippe hits Maxim with a jar of olives to stop him taking it. Ol' Man Death objects as her interference meant that he would have to forfeit. Maxim is sportsman enough to find a way that his opponent won't have to forfeit, by categorizing her as a "course hazard".
 Neutral Female / int_86c3beca
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Neutral Female / int_86c3beca
featureConfidence
1.0
 Girl Genius (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_86c3beca
 Neutral Female / int_986cb669
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_986cb669
comment
In Bambi, Faline just stands against a rock wall and watches Bambi and Ronno fight over her. Justified as in real life, a doe would be fine with bucks fighting over her. Less so when she is utterly unable to do anything when the hunting dogs show up and corner her; in real life, female deer can give predators hell with their hooves, and she's roughly the same size as Bambi, who trashes them.
 Neutral Female / int_986cb669
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_986cb669
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bambi
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_986cb669
 Neutral Female / int_995f87b7
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_995f87b7
comment
Averted in one memorable scene from Shrek, where an inexplicably French Robin Hood is about to throw down Shrek and "rescue" Princess Fiona. But it's Fiona who ends up clobbering Robin and his Merry Men with some Wire Fu and Bullet Time moves.
 Neutral Female / int_995f87b7
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Neutral Female / int_995f87b7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Shrek
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_995f87b7
 Neutral Female / int_a2807d38
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_a2807d38
comment
In Twitch Plays Pokémon Crystal, Oxxy Ozworme, the team's Metapod, is the least-used and most under-leveled member of the main party, outclassed by such male Pokemon as Feraligatr, Eevee, and even Togepi! Subverted, however, with Abed the Raticate, who can hold her own against most of the guys in the party, with the glaring exception of Feraligatr.
 Neutral Female / int_a2807d38
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Neutral Female / int_a2807d38
featureConfidence
1.0
 Twitch Plays Pokémon Crystal (Web Video)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_a2807d38
 Neutral Female / int_b0c8849e
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_b0c8849e
comment
Sheena in Kid Radd starts off this way, because thanks to her NPC programming, she's not allowed to harm or be harmed in combat. Several times she expresses her frustration with this condition, until she learns she's absorbed some code from her duplicate in Kid Radd 2, which, when invoked, allows her to fight the enemies after her and Radd this time, though this also leaves her vulnerable to taking damage — a problem which is minimized by her ability to switch back to her old NPC mode at will.
 Neutral Female / int_b0c8849e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_b0c8849e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Kid Radd (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_b0c8849e
 Neutral Female / int_b9b796cf
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_b9b796cf
comment
Subverted in Fate/stay night with Sakura, who keeps trying to make Shirou stop participating in the Grail War and despite having the potential of Tohsaka knows nothing of fighting or real magecraft. She's actually the biggest powerhouse of any single character in the entire game... and she is not on Shirou's side by that point.
 Neutral Female / int_b9b796cf
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Neutral Female / int_b9b796cf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Fate/stay night (Visual Novel)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_b9b796cf
 Neutral Female / int_bd310eaa
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_bd310eaa
comment
Averted in El Goonish Shive by both Sarah and Melissa.
Sarah attempts to talk her way out of a fight between Elliot and Hedge, and when that doesn't work she goes for a Groin Attack, grabbing Elliot, and fleeing. This would have likely worked if Hedge had been an ordinary human.
Melissa has no fighting skills, so when confronting a dragon, she screams, knowing her super-powered friend is nearby, then buys time for him to jump into action by attempting to disprove its ability to fly a la The Flight of Dragons.
 Neutral Female / int_bd310eaa
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Neutral Female / int_bd310eaa
featureConfidence
1.0
 El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_bd310eaa
 Neutral Female / int_db2eaaa1
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_db2eaaa1
comment
Averted in The Book of Life. Maria takes part in the action at every opportunity, and leads the finale battle.
 Neutral Female / int_db2eaaa1
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Neutral Female / int_db2eaaa1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Book of Life
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_db2eaaa1
 Neutral Female / int_e081af79
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_e081af79
comment
Averted in The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob!, when Jean saves Bob from a bigfoot. She had resented being reduced to a damsel in distress earlier in the story. She also resents it when he tries to leave her behind where it's safe in the subsequent storyline.
 Neutral Female / int_e081af79
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Neutral Female / int_e081af79
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob! (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_e081af79
 Neutral Female / int_e365af07
type
Neutral Female
 Neutral Female / int_e365af07
comment
In Dino Attack RPG, as revealed in Greybeard's Pensieve Flashback, the infamous pirate "Bad Luck" Beatrice took on this role while Grisbarba and Anton Gaston dueled in a swordfight, doing nothing but standing off to the side and shouting at them to stop. Justified in that she could not do more because she was unarmed; once Anton was disarmed and Grisbarba prepared to kill him, she did grab Anton's fallen sword and step in, accidentally cutting off Grisbarba's hand in the process. Besides, even if she tried to step in before Anton was disarmed, it would have done more harm than good since Grisbarba was too drunk and would likely have killed her in his stupor.
 Neutral Female / int_e365af07
featureApplicability
1.0
 Neutral Female / int_e365af07
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dino Attack RPG (Roleplay)
hasFeature
Neutral Female / int_e365af07

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Neutral Female
processingCategory2
Action/Adventure Tropes
 Neutral Female
processingCategory2
Always Female
 Neutral Female
processingCategory2
Contrived Stupidity Tropes
 Neutral Female
processingCategory2
Gender Dynamics Index
 Scamper the Penguin (Animation) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 My-HiME / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Pandalian / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Tekken: Blood Vengeance / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Spider-Man Noir (Comic Book) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Knights of the Dinner Table (Comic Strip) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Shinra High SOLDIER / Fan Fic / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Dominoes (Fanfic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Pokédex (Fanfic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Queens of Mewni (Fanfic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Blacks, the Greens and the Reds (Fanfic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Vow (Fanfic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Air Force One / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Amores Perros / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Breaker! Breaker! / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Casino Royale (2006) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Cat Women of the Moon / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Dawn of the Dead (1978) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Don: The Chase Begins Again / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Don't Breathe / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Eegah! / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Fourteen Plus / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Free Fire / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Fugitive Alien / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Gamera vs. Barugon / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Girl in Gold Boots / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Green Lantern (2011) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Hearts of the World / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 High Noon / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Hudson Hawk / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Invasion U.S.A. (1952) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Jungle Queen / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Kaleidoscope / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 King Kong (2005) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 King Of The Rocket Men / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Knight and Day / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Kung Pow! Enter the Fist / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Mad Max: Fury Road / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Manos: The Hands of Fate / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Masters of the Universe / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Mortal Kombat (2021) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Ninja Assassin / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 OSS 117: Lost in Rio / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Point Blank (1967) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Predators / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Prom Night (1980) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Psycho / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Puma Man / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Raw Deal / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Raw Deal (1986) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Robin Hood: Men in Tights / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 San Francisco International Airport / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Self Defense / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Serenity / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Serenity (2005) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Shoot 'Em Up / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Sleepy Hollow (1999) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Slumdog Millionaire / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Soultaker / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Space Mutiny / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Spectre / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Stardust / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Subspecies / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Blade Master / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Deadly Bees / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Golden Child / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Golden Voyage of Sinbad / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Incredible Melting Man / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Karate Kid Part II / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Living Daylights / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Mole People / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Mysterious Mr. M / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Power (1968) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Princess Bride / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Pumaman / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The School for Good and Evil (2022) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Train to Busan / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Westworld / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Wonder Woman (2017) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Yor: The Hunter from the Future / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Zombi 2 / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Zombie Nightmare / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Disney Princess (Franchise) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Leprechaun (Franchise) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Slayers / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 A Brother's Price / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 A Swiftly Tilting Planet / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Bridget Jones / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Domain / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Lost Lady / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Mordant's Need / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Slayers / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Beyonders / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Devil in Iron / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Eye of Argon / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Faerie Queene / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Homestuck Epilogues / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Princess Bride / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Squire's Tales / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 BadassDamsel
seeAlso
Neutral Female
 SlidingScaleOfProactiveness
seeAlso
Neutral Female
 TraceMemory
seeAlso
Neutral Female
 Eyeshield 21 (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Get Backers (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Pokémon Adventures (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Remina (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Rurouni Kenshin (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Wolf Guy - Wolfen Crest (Manga) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 My Superhero Academy / Role Play / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Batman (1966) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Fringe / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Gemini Man / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Kamen Rider BLACK / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 My Kitchen Rules / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Robin of Sherwood / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Rocky Jones, Space Ranger / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Ministry of Time / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Wagon Train / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Wonder Woman (1975) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Babes in Toyland (Theatre) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Don Giovanni (Theatre) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Newsies (Theatre) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Another Code (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Batman: Dark Tomorrow (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Eternal Eyes (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Friday Night Funkin': Corruption (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Mass Effect (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 New Super Mario Bros. (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Professor Layton (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Silent Hill: Homecoming (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Vagrant Story (Video Game) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The SpongeBob SquarePants Anime (Web Animation) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Tiny Fuppets (Web Animation) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Diamanda Hagan (Web Video) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Marble Hornets (Web Video) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Kid Radd (Webcomic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Tails Gets Trolled (Webcomic) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Fire and Ice (1983) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 King Arthur & the Knights of Justice / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Pocahontas / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 Robin Hood (1973) / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female
 The Corsican Brothers
seeAlso
Neutral Female
 The Scarlet Pumpernickel / int_79eb1e2e
type
Neutral Female