princess rescue
Save the royal
Princess rescue is a video game narrative trope where the player's goal is to save a captured princess from a villain—the template established by *Super Mario Bros.* and countless fantasy games.
The term often appears in criticism of lazy or sexist storytelling, where the princess exists only as a prize to be won: Another princess rescue plot? How original.
The phrase can extend to any scenario where someone plays hero to save a passive damsel figure.
- once upon a timeTraditional narrative opening
- castleFortified medieval residence
- towerTall slender edifice
- locked awayConfined in secure storage
- dragonLegendary fire-breathing reptile
fire breathing · evil sorcerer · knight · damsel · hero · quest · sword · captive · fair maiden · dungeon · fairy tale · brave · save · adventure · enchanted · glass slipper · true love · villain
- Disney tropestrue love's kiss, happily ever after, evil stepmother, talking animals, fairy godmother
- legendary featsepic quests, David and Goliath, John Henry, dragon slaying, giant killing
- medievalknights, castles, cathedral, kings, queens
- royaltyking, queen, kings, queens, princes
- Dragon SlayerSaint George, Siegfried, Beowulf, magic sword, dragon lair
- questsquest, seeking, main quest, searching, side quest