2. The Hero Will Battle Without Flinching, Yet Wince When A Woman Wipes His Wound
Notable Offenders: Beauty And The Beast, James Bond, Raiders of the Lost Ark He's only gone and bloody done it. He has successfully fended off the hoards with their guns, while he was unarmed to begin with. He had to snap a man's neck to obtain his weapon, and then use the body as a makeshift shield. Wave after wave of snarling henchmen tried and paid the ultimate price for not knowing their role. Our guy may even have got shot, but he won't make a sound. He will have got punched in the face and repeatedly hit but not even flinched. And then it's over at last, and his romantic interest will come over and sit him down as she wipes the blood coming out from the tiniest wound. And then he says "ouch" like a little girl. What this does is help illustrate that this monstrous man full of machismo is actually vulnerable deep down. And by this point in the story, he is open and honest enough that he can admit pain in front of this woman who has changed everything for him. He appreciates her help, admires her character and won't pretend to be anything he isn't for this moment at least. Now you can make a case for the adrenaline wearing off, but I see it as nothing more than a calculated attempt to make women swoon and men wish the fight scene lasted longer.