damsel
n.n. a woman who is seen as being in trouble and needs to be rescued. This word is often used in stories or movies to describe a character who is waiting for a hero to save her.
n. a woman in distress who is expected to be rescued by a hero. Often used in literary or cinematic contexts to describe a passive female character.
The knight rode into the castle to rescue the damsel.
In many classic fairy tales, the damsel is locked in a tower until a brave knight arrives to set her free.
The modern retelling subverts the traditional trope by transforming the damsel from a passive victim into an active participant in her own rescue.
From Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin domnicella, a diminutive from Classical Latin domina (“mistress, lady”), from dominus, from demh₂-. Doublet of demoiselle, doncella, and donzella.