Warrior princess

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Bradamante rides off, having overthrown a knight (Orlando Furioso)
Bradamante rides off, having overthrown a knight (Orlando Furioso)

The concept of warrior princesses is relatively new in fiction but it became increasingly popular with the feminist movement's successes in female empowerment, gradually pushing the stereotype of a "damsel in distress" to the background. A warrior princess usually incorporates a strong female personality determined in pursuit of her goals and unabashed by the typical "man's work" like fighting wars or performing manual labour.

A trait that often distinguishes a warrior princess from tomboys and femme fatales is that she can stay clearly feminine and, since she usually is a literal princess and a good person (taking the role of heroine), she often reflects her social rank's ideal with noble principles and pursuit of some higher goal, which makes her even more sympathetic to the audience or the reader. Many warrior princesses have indeed become tomboyish or a femme fatale, splitting the presentation of the genre.

While princesses may often temporarily and unexpectantly escape a passive role by indulging in violence in emergencies to save themself or the hero, they do not warrant the title 'warrior princess' unless they engage in battle on a regular enough and skilled enough basis to be considered a warrior.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] History

Besides the figures of the Amazons, whose princesses appeared in Greek legends, various other warrior princesses have appeared in literature: Belphoebe and Britomart in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Bradamante in Orlando Furioso, and Camilla in the Aeneid.

Norse mythology and legend include many shieldmaidens; the valkyries, especially Brunhilde, are often depicted as shieldmaidens.

In Hindu mythology, Chitrangada, wife of Arjuna was the commander of her father's armies.

[edit] Literature

  • Kadiya, one of the three Princesses of Ruwenda from the Trillium series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton, has been explicitly called a "warrior princess" on many occasions by other characters, which is also quite appropriate considering her straightforward and determined nature.
  • Though never called a princess, Éowyn of The Lord of the Rings is the niece of King Théoden and the sister of Éomer, who later succeeds their uncle. She disguises herself as a warrior and kills the leader of the Ringwraiths. She later marries a prince.
  • Rachel of Animorphs is nicknamed "Xena: Warrior Princess" due to the fact that she, unlike the other Animorphs, often seems to enjoy battling evil. However, Rachel is interesting as a "warrior princess" for the fact that she often deals with psychological or moral dilemmas---for example, it was the fact that she so enjoyed battling evil that made an evil entity, Crayak, nearly seduce her to its side. Her friends sometimes comment that she enjoys battle so much that it would be hard for her to adjust to life when the war was over (thus likely a reason she died prior to the war's end).
  • Elayne Trakand one of the characters in the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan. Elayne was the daughter-heir and is now queen of the nation of Andor and often disregards her own safety in many situations in order to win a confrontation.
  • Margaret of Urbs, aka The Black Flame, in the first part (Dawn Of Flame) of the post-apocalyptic novel by Stanley G. Weinbaum, where a parallel is established between this character and the warrior queen, Semiramis. This novel inspired feminist movements in the U. S., and in 1946, female science fiction fan Jim-E Daugherty published a feminist science-fiction fanzine entitled Black Flames.
  • In The Chronicles of Narnia, by author C.S. Lewis, Queen Lucy the Valiant is renowned a tomboy and fierce warrior. While Queen Susan of the Horn is renowned as a deadly archer. And both fought in defense of their adopted homland in The Horse and His Boy.

[edit] Comics

[edit] Video games

These video game characters are, or developed into, warrior princesses.

  • Princess Zelda: Starting off as a damsel in distress in the Legend of Zelda, the first appearance of Zelda in a warrior role was in the American cartoon. In game, she first took on a warrior role in Ocarina of Time. She is first playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee, along with transforming into her alter ego Sheik.
  • In the Legend of Zelda cartoon, Sprite is actually a fairy princess, and does aid Link in battle on several occasions.
  • In Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, Princess Ruto as one of the Sages, aids Link in his final battle with her magic, as well as being a dominant explorer.
  • Krystal is an anthropomorphic blue-furred fox in the Star Fox series of Nintendo video games.
  • Princess Peach: Princess Peach began as a damsel in distress in Mario Bros. based upon the female interest in Donkey Kong, she first took on a fighting and playable role in Super Mario Bros. 2 along with her servant Toad, where violence consisted of throwing vegetables, enemies and blocks to destroy enemies. In the US she was known as Princess Toadstool. Due to the dubious nature of Mario 2's construction (Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic), Super Mario RPG can be considered the first instance of a game being designed with her fighting in mind. In it, she fights by slapping, hitting with a parasol or frying pan, as well as magic abilities that are mostly defensive save for the Psych Bomb. She also appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee with abilities reflecting the other games, with the addition of a golf club, related to her appearances in the Mario Golf series. Peach's first starring role in a video game came with the release of Super Princess Peach in 2006.
  • Princess Kitana of the Mortal Kombat gaming series is the deposed princess who also enters the tournament. She fights with bladed fans, and is often just as brutal as other characters.
  • Princess Elena of the Street Fighter seriesis a princess of an African tribe, and a martial artist practitioner of the art of Capoeira. She also holds a PhD in medicine.
  • In The Longest Journey, a character named Crow asks Lady Alvane to tell him of the "beautiful warrior princess who single-handedly won the War of the Balance", probably meaning herself and/or April Ryan [1].
  • Marle (AKA Princess Nadia Guardia) of Chrono Trigger is the princess of the Guardia Kingdom in 1000 AD. Marle meets Crono under the guise of a regular person, but her true identity is soon revealed. She fights with a crossbow.
  • Queen Catherine Ironfist from the old Might and Magic universe and her remote Ashan counterpart, Queen Isabel Griffin, both from the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
  • Lady Lyndis of Caelin aka Lyn from Fire Emblem (more exactly, the "Rekka no Ken" game) is the princess and last survivor of the Lorca tribe from the Sacae plains. She sets out to claim her right to the throne of Caelin (her mother, Madelyn, is the daughter of Lord Hausen, the current marquess), and later to help her friends (and possible romantic suitors) Eliwood of Pherae and Hector of Ostia to fight the corrupted Black Fang.
  • Lady Sia of Lady Sia is the game's protagonist. She's a skilled sword-fighter, magic-wielder and shapeshifter.

[edit] Film

[edit] Television

[edit] Live

  • Buffy Summers: Portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Though not technically a princess, she has all the attributes of a warrior of justice and is an iconic heroine.
  • Xena: Portrayed by Lucy Lawless in the series Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena fought with a variety of weapons, most notably the Chakram. She was once a notorious warlord; the result of straying away from her original path of goodness: defending her homeland, to the path of darkness due to a deadly betrayal by (a fictionalized version of) Julius Caesar. On a seemingly unstoppable rampage, she destroyed anything (or anyone) who stood in her way. But after seeing the error of her ways (see Hercules: The Legendary Journeys for further explanation), Xena began to look for redemption by atoning her past misdeeds (which was where the television series began).
  • Shura Yukihimi: US title Princess Blade. Portrayed by Yumiko Shaku, Princess Yuki is Takemikazuchi royalty, a clan of assassins with very few of royal blood remaining, named after Takimikazuchi-no-Mikoto, a patron deity of warriors. When she discovers the leader of the clan killed her mother in order to take control, she must battle the leader and the rest of her clan. She is young, ruthless and very proficient with swords.

[edit] Animated

  • Princess Flame: In the cartoon Blazing Dragons, the princess, despite being demure and wanting to be Flicker's damsel, is quite a capable warrior and is never actually bested when she fights, winning the tournament in which the winner would win her hand.
  • In Sonic the Hedgehog, the princess of Mobotropolis on Mobius is Sally Acorn, who leads the freedom fighters in battling Robotnik's robots.
  • In Sonic Underground, Sonic's sister, Sonia the Hedgehog, is also a freedom fighter princess.
  • In the cartoon Teen Titans, sisters Starfire and Blackfire are alien warrior princesses of the planet Tamaran.
  • She-Ra, in the He-Man universe (and his female counterpart) is called the Princess of Power, and fights as well as any man. Her friend Princess Glimmer is also a fighter in her own right, though more inexperienced since she's still in training.

[edit] Computer animated

  • The Lady Zera, the young princess of Planet Ice, aids in the war against the beast drones in War Planets/Shadow Raiders. In one scene when Prince Pyrus offers her a hand up, she uses her insect-strength to leap higher than he could by vaulting. She has fought by throwing rocks, using an energy pistol with her extra arms, piloting a fighter, and is under martial arts military training by Jade of Planet Rock.

[edit] Anime

  • In Tenchi Muyo, both sisters Ayeka and Sasami Masaki Jurai are accomplished combatants who despite feminine demure, are able to aid in defending the earth and their friends.
  • Sailor Moon is the reincarnation of Princess Serenity, and also a warrior against demons in the show.
  • In Gundam Seed, Cagalli Yula Athha is a princess of the Orb Union who engages in aircraft and personal combat, with bravery in spite of extreme odds.
  • Vampire Princess Miyu stars Miyu, a half shinma who battles against evil shinma who do not belong on the earth.
  • In Slayers, the warrior priestess Amelia Saillune is princess of Saillune.
  • From One Piece, Princess Nefertari Vivi does occasionally battle, being skilled enough to rise to the top ranks of the Baroque Works, and has been willing to bear injury to keep her country safe.
  • In Scrapped Princess, Senes Giat, a princess of the Giat Empire, is often referred to as "Beast Princess" because of her untamed character and her fear-inspiring finesse with her sword and magic.
  • In Urusei Yatsura, Lum Invader is an alien princess sent to invade earth who decides not to conquer it when falling in love with its defender.
  • In Magic Knight Rayearth, three of the aspirants to succeed Princess Esmeraude as the Pillar of Cephiro were princesses: Lady Aska from Fahren, Princess Taata of Chizeta and Taata's older sister Princess Tarta.
  • Mai Otome takes place in a school that trains young women into fighters and learn etiquette at the same time.
  • Princess Mononoke (San), although not technically a princess, is the human guardian of the forest beings and spirits.
  • Lapüta displays a clear warrior-princess character concept
  • Many characters in the manga Claymore, are half-human, half-monster female warriors who were created to combat the carnivorous Yomas that prey on the human race. The main protagonist, Clare, is such a warrior.

[edit] See also

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