| rdfs:comment
| - Basically, the Lady of War is a female fighter who retains an air of grace and reserve not usually associated with violence. If not an actual princess, she tends to be otherwise highly placed, or at least look and act like it. If she's not a gentle-mannered Yamato Nadeshiko, she may be Tall, Dark and Bishoujo or arrogant and generally prissy and might become subject to a Defrosting Ice Queen scenario. Often, she's simply The Stoic. Also expect her Impossibly Cool Clothes to still reflect her position. She might even wear a Battle Ballgown. A pre-teen Lady of War is always Little Miss Badass.
|
| abstract
| - Basically, the Lady of War is a female fighter who retains an air of grace and reserve not usually associated with violence. If not an actual princess, she tends to be otherwise highly placed, or at least look and act like it. If she's not a gentle-mannered Yamato Nadeshiko, she may be Tall, Dark and Bishoujo or arrogant and generally prissy and might become subject to a Defrosting Ice Queen scenario. Often, she's simply The Stoic. In RPGs, female roles tend to be limited to magic use, but sometimes women get to take on more physical roles in combat, and that leads us to a different Odd Couple pair: the Lady of War and the Cute Bruiser. Character-design wise, she doesn't tend to be held up as a sex symbol the way most female warriors are, or at least not quite so obviously. The Lady of War does have her own charm in a cool, collected, Nicole Kidman way. She's also very unlikely to be paired with the protagonist -- that's what White Mages are for -- unless there is no White Mage. In any case, she almost certainly occupies a firm place in the hearts of at least a minority of the fandom. (see Hot Amazon) A Lady of War is almost always given an elegant weapon that emphasizes her femininity -- often a bow, rapier or naginata, all weapons that have a certain choreographic element in the way they're wielded. They also allow her to avoid getting her hands dirty and usually invoke Wouldn't Hit a Girl as a result. If guns are the norm, she's likely to prefer an easily-concealed revolver with deadly aim, as opposed to an automatic. If the story deals with martial arts, she'll use a "refined" fighting style like Tai Chi or Aikijutsu. Also expect her Impossibly Cool Clothes to still reflect her position. She might even wear a Battle Ballgown. In terms of physical capabilities, she's usually some form of the Fragile Speedster (or Glass Cannon, if a ranged fighter), but it's not unheard of for her to be a Jack of All Stats or Mighty Glacier/Glacier Waif, especially if she wears armor. A pre-teen Lady of War is always Little Miss Badass. Contrasted by Shorttank or Bokukko Cute Bruisers. Where the Lady of War is about grace and reserve, the tomboyish Cute Bruiser is more about unrestrained passion and power. The former also tends to be older than the latter. There is the possibility of having the Cute Bruiser grow up into a Lady of War, but it's not that common. Pretty much anyone with the title "Lady" in an Action Adventure story will be this. Compare Royals Who Actually Do Something, Rebellious Princess, Badass Princess, Kicking Ass in All Her Finery and Officer and a Gentleman. Contrast Princess Classic, Prince Charming. Compare/Contrast Modest Royalty. If she's based on Joan of Arc, she's a Jeanne D Archetype. Compare Silk Hiding Steel, for a woman who does her fighting in the court or parlor and with a fan and words instead of spear and shield. Note, a Lady of War is not just any female character who can fight or participates in combat. That would be an Action Girl, although nearly all Ladies of War are also Action Girls. A Lady of War is further distinguished by her grace and dignity as well as her combat aptitude. Essentially, she's the Distaff Counterpart to an Officer and a Gentleman. A Lady of War who uses magic instead of a more corporeal weapon is a Lady of Black Magic. May be the female half of a Battle Couple. Like a male Cultured Warrior, some incarnations have a chance of being developed into a Warrior Poet. Please list examples in alphabetical order. Examples of Lady of War include:
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)