Frequently cited examples of a damsel in distress in comics include Lois Lane, who was eternally getting into trouble and needing to be rescued by Superman, and Olive Oyl, who was in a near-constant state of kidnap, requiring her to be saved by Popeye.
We see the "damsel in distress" theme featured in the early Disney princess movies. Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, and Belle are all searching for their true love and waiting to be saved by a prince charming. Each of these Disney princesses are white, tall and thin, and of course have a small waist.
In the contemporary version, Disney's Cinderella, Cinderella again was the damsel in distress. The father is absent and never mentioned in the story. Just like in the Brothers Grimm version, Cinderella was not treated well by the stepsister and stepmother. Cinderella was made to do all the chores for the household.
Enter the Shrek franchise and its princess: Princess Fiona. When she is initially introduced in the first Shrek movie, she has all the trademarks of a classic damsel in distress: trapped in a bad situation and in need of a prince to rescue her.
Shrek the Third (2007) - Damsels of Destruction Scene (8/10) | Movieclips
How is Princess Fiona a damsel in distress?
When Princess Fiona is rescued, she is the embodiment of a damsel-in-distress who was waiting for her "prince" to come rescue her. Later on in the film, she stands up for herself and does not wait to be rescued, breaking stereotypes based on sex and gender.
spunky and reserved. She has been taught the niceties of being a princess, but she has a tomboyish side. She's also hesitant to truly let others in, keeping some powerful secrets that she has trouble sharing with others.
Rapunzel is voiced by an American actress Mandy Moore. She tells BBC Breakfast that unlike a typical damsel in distress who waits for a prince to rescue her, her heroine prefers to take the lead and usually ends up rescuing the guy. Video footage courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
The supporting cast is just as strong and substantial: Annabeth is never reduced to a damsel-in-distress, and she's admired for her intelligence and strength rather than looks.
But what many don't realize is that there is another reason why this trope is so popular in stories. It's when the woman openly displays her vulnerability. Her distress. Her pain and trauma tap into her soul in such a way that many can empathize with her.
At the end of the 1989 animated film, Eric saves the day and kills Ursula. But in the new movie, Ariel is no longer the damsel in distress. She takes matters into her own hands and kills Ursula herself. Ariel and Eric's marriage brings the sea kingdom and the people on land back together.
They want to feel needed and want to feel strong, and the damsels in distress make them feel exactly like that. There's something about a helpless girl that men can't resist, and this is all I have been able to gather.
damoiseau the masculine corresp. to damoisel, damsel.] A young man of gentle birth, not yet made a knight. (Occurring in 15th c. translations from French, and in modern archaists.)
Peach has occasionally been known to take on a heroic role but- as the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom- she has been repeatedly kidnapped since childhood. One might describe her as the quintessential Damsel in Distress. After all, she has been kidnapped more often than any other girl.
Leia's character exhibits an interesting duality. On the one hand, her role in the story is the classic damsel-in-distress; on the other hand, her character is a strong, independent woman who takes charge when necessary. Considering how badly Han and Luke bungled that prison escape, her leadership is necessary.
The eponymous character of Alice in Wonderland is a perfect example of the wide-eyed damsel-in-distress archetype. She's a young, beautiful girl with very little life experience who finds herself falling headfirst into a strange world beyond imagining.
Annabeth Jackson (Nee Chase) is the demigod daughter of Athena and Frederick Chase. She is the girlfriend and later on wife to Percy Jackson, and the mother to four kids: Cast, Ethan, Zoe and Violet Jackson. She is currently working as an architect.
Yes, Annabeth is married to Percy Jackson, and has three kids: Cast, Ethan, and Zoe. How was Annabeth Chase born? Annabeth Chase is the half-blood daughter of the goddess Athena and the mortal man Frederick Chase.
Throughout all series, Percy and Annabeth have shown many romantic feelings for each other, mainly in The Last Olympian and The Battle of the Labyrinth, though Annabeth shows it more than Percy, and Percy just thinks about it instead.
Mother Gothel imposes extensive gaslighting on Rapunzel, a term used to describe a form of psychological manipulation that causes someone to question their own reality, oftentimes by presenting a false narrative which leads someone to doubt their perceptions and become misled or disoriented.
Mother Gothel appears in Tangled (2010). For hundreds of years, Gothel hoarded the rejuvenation powers of a magical golden flower to remain young and beautiful, while keeping the flower's existence a secret from the rest of the world.
Being gaslighted by her mother and stolen at birth are some of the traumas that Rapunzel faces in her life. Trauma can cause confusion from constantly being in a fight-or-flight state of mind. That is why Rapunzel is not able to put the pieces together of the lost princess during the movie.
One of the film series' main characters, Fiona is introduced as a beautiful princess placed under a curse that transforms her into an ogre at night. She is initially determined to break the enchantment by kissing a prince, only to meet and fall in love with Shrek, an ogre, instead.
She does end up marrying Farquaad, but it is sunset, and she turns into an ogre, horrifying everyone but Shrek and Donkey. The king arrests the both of them, but the dragon eats him. Shrek and Fiona declare their love for one another, and after they kiss, she still changes into an ogre.
Princess Fiona says to Shrek, "And where would a brave knight be without his noble steed?" Donkey misunderstands and comments, "I hope you heard that. She called me a noble steed. She think I'm a steed."
