D.I.D. you think you could stop me?

[aozgolo]

I'm gonna say Paula from Earthbound (Mother 2). When you first meet her she's telepathically calling you for help (that sounds familiar...) and you have to go rescue her. Unlike other damsels in distress, this rescue is simply the catalyst for getting her in your party where she remains the rest of the game. While Earthbound wasn't the heaviest on story, Paula plays a crucial role in beating the final villain, so while she started as a damsel in distress, she ended up at the end a hero in her own right.

 

[Bizzaro Stormy]

Yeah, I agree on Saints Row. Shaundi really grew as a character, and I liked seeing basically all her evolution in SR4. Sure she was a damsel in distress from time to time but she more than made up for it.
While it got crazy, there was elements of pretty strong characterization in the Saints Row series.

I do remember being very confused when it mentions in Saints Row IV that you saved Shaundi from the building roof at the end of Saints Row the Third but no one else. Wasn't the whole point of that mission that you were rescuing everyone? And didn't you succeed? I distinctly remember untying many girl gang members and stopping the evil police woman from killing Shaundi, Mayor Reynolds, and Viola. I'm hoping that I just misunderstood that reference in the 4th game.

 

[Twintix]

Is it weird to not dislike Peach as a damsel? I know she does a lot of sitting around in many games, but hear me out: in Paper Mario she is a very active little damsel. Every chapter she sneaks out of her room to sabotage Bowser's plans, sending Mario useful info and items. Twink (that was the little star's name, right?) points out she isn't being very lady-like, after Peach assures him she's acting like a proper princess, just like she was taught and then proceeds to sneak out once again. Bowser forgives her everytime, because he can't imagine her doing anything too terrible. Girl got brains. She's fully aware of people's expectations of her and uses them to her advantage.

Peach deserves credit for that. If it weren't for all the other games she damseled in, Paper Mario would have made her my favourite damsel.

I agree with this post. I don't really understand why Peach's damselness bothers people so much. Is it because of how often it happens? Well yeah, she should consider hiring some better guards, but what else do people want her to do then?
Come Paper Mario, and she proves herself to be crafty and pro-active, despite lacking the means to escape her predicament.

Not to mention, I believe that Nintendo is catching on. There was a period that proved that Peach can kick some ass; Even Bowser's ass with the right tools. (Super Princess Peach) And yet she got captured with ease anyway in other games, which I guess confused people. (I've seen it too: "If she's so capable, why doesn't she do more to prevent herself from getting captured?") Come Super Paper Mario, where she's one of the heroes and fully playable, Super Mario 3D Land, where she actually manages to escape and fight back (She gets captured again anyway later, but props for trying) and Super Mario 3D World, where she's playable in a main series Mario game for the first time since Super Mario Bros. 2.

What I mean is that I think that Nintendo realizes that people are starting to grow a bit tired of the old D.I.D routine they've done, and now they might start changing it up a bit and play around a bit with the concept, or perhaps even make another main series game where Peach is playable. That'd be great.

I also like how the spin-off games make fun of the main series' D.I.D routines. Characters often react with "So she's been kidnapped? Again? Oh no...". Even Peach does it in The Thousand-Year Door.

OT: You know, the idea that the D.I.D is just a sexist story-telling device entirely depends on the context and execution for me, much like all story-telling devices. And even in context, they can be well-written or badly written. Much like other story-telling devices. Because in the end, they're just that - Tools to create a narrative.

When thinking of damsels, I quite like Zelda. Whether she gets kidnapped later or is already kidnapped, you know that she at least tries (and often does) get shit done before it happens to aid Link in his quest. She rarely just sits around unless there is literally nothing she can do. Not to mention, she's often a huge help in the final battles.