The Damsel in Distress

The damsel in distress archetype is one of the older archetypes out there. Traditionally it is seen in myths, fairy tales, but more recently can be found in superhero comics, action movies, comedies, and even video games. It's still a very common archetype and it isn't limited to any one genre.
The damsel in distress is traditionally depicted as a young beautiful maiden, often at the height, or approaching puberty. Their defining features are their beauty, their helplessness, and their passivity. It can be argued that the first wave of feminism influenced the fact that princesses such as "Sleeping Beauty" and "Snow White" even got their own movies, but it wasn't until the third wave of feminism hit (late 1980's and early 1990's) that we started to see more active Disney females such as Belle from "Beauty and the Beast".



The video below is about the damsel in distress trope in video games, but more importantly, it gives a brief history of the damsel in distress throughout the ages.
http://youtu.be/X6p5AZp7r_Q?t=3m9s