“Damsel in Distress” comes from the French saying “Demoiselle en detresse” where demoiselle means “young lady” and “en detresse” means anxiety and despair which is caused by abandonment and danger. The “Damsel in Distress” trope has been around for hundreds of years, traced back to the story Perseus rescuing his princess Andromeda. Since then it has been perpetuated through books, movies, and most recently video games. Beginning with the creator of Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto who also created the game Donkey Kong which eventually lead to the creation of the Mario franchise. In these games Princess Peach is the stereotypical “Damsel in Distress” who gets kidnapped in 13 of the 14 main games. To be a “Damsel in Distress” a character does not necessarily have to be weak of powerless but but must be reduced to helplessness and needs to be rescued by the main protagonist for the benefit of his story arch. This is objectifying because the woman is being acted upon used as a prop in the hero and villian’s battle. There is also the disempowerment of the female which leads to the empowerment of the male main character. When the damsel gets kidnapped she is unable to rescue herself; whereas if the hero gets kidnapped he escapes to showcase his own abilities. Also the damsel’s imprisonment is seen as a trial for the hero to overcome. She might not be a “Damsel in Distress” from start to finish. She may be a helpful damsel who sometimes offers hints or assistance.
