MIA WILDEs TROPES
by @RobinBlade

Tropes applying to the traditional nun trained to efficiently kill demons and Underworld creatures. Mia Wilde.

The Ace: The trump card of the Church of the Ancient Ones. Or so she wants you to believe. Despite her undying loyalty, resourcefulness and invaluable contributions as a nun, Mia finds herself marginalized and disdained by the high-ranking nuns of the Church. A past incident has branded her as a traitor, tarnishing her reputation and undermining her standing within the organization. Her mission to retrieve Miyuuki serves as her final chance to settle the score and redeem herself from the alleged betrayal that led to her excommunication. It is a desperate opportunity for Mia to repay her debt and secure her long-awaited return to her homeland in Ireland. However, this complicated position within the Church does not wash away the fact that she's a formidable foe. Mia remains as a constant pain in the ass to the V7D, using her skills and experience with lethal precision. But to say that the Church has her in high regard... that's not entirely true. 

Affably Evil: She's one of the story's most dangerous and persistent antagonists, but she possesses a surprising degree of fondness and respect for The V7D, and even a obsession/crush for Medea, despite her considering her religious beliefs of her as a blasphemous heathen. Despite her ruthless nature in combat, there's a softer side to her—a woman who appears weary rather than bloodthirsty when she's not engaged in battle or hunting monsters. Mia's positive traits gradually fade away as her fixation on Medea transforms into a more ominous, spiteful, and heedless obsession. She starts displaying an indifference to the collateral damage incurred by others in the course of her conflicts with Medea, showing a readiness to manipulate and ally with anyone who can heighten the suffering of her "beloved."...

Scarily Competent Tracker: With her cutting-edge armor packed with advanced tracking tech, Mia moves like a high-tech bloodhound zeroed in on its prey. There’s no evading her heightened senses and sleek, state-of-the-art gear. She can sniff out anyone, anywhere, leaving no stone unturned in her relentless pursuit. It's almost uncanny how quickly she located The V7D, a task that would have taken months for others. But Mia is not just about rushing blindly into battle. Oh no, she's smarter than that. After pinpointing their whereabouts in a mere matter of weeks, she bided her time, observing and studying her targets with meticulous precision.

Named After Somebody Famous: Mia Wilde's namesake comprises porn actress Mia Malkova and the iconic writer Oscar Wilde.

It's All About Me: For Mia, it’s always been about her and Medea—or at least, that’s how she sees it. Her obsession, fueled by an almost egotistical need to destroy Medea’s life, consumes her entirely—even when the literal world is falling apart around them. Eventually, Medea’s patience runs dry. She’s had enough of Mia’s toxic fixation and shuts her down with a brutal, final line: “There is no US!” before cutting off Mia’s left leg to put an end to it. Needless to say, that didn't halt Mia for long, as she then made a deal with Anthony in exchange for a new suit.

Fighting Irish: She is Irish, just like her namesake, and delights herself while attacking the V7D. She strikes all of the usual Irish brawler notes: aggressive, unafraid of fighting despite injuries, and prone to occasional stevedore-like cursing.

Gadgeteer Genius: Mia is not just a badass nun with a mean blade; she's also quite tech-savvy. When she got her hands on that Powered Armor made from dragon scales, she knew it had potential, but it needed a little... upgrade. With her engineering skills and a mind full of creative ideas, she turned that armor into a true marvel of modern technology. She tinkered, tweaked, and modified it until it became a perfect extension of herself.

Evil is Petty: My goal for Mia is to turn her into one of the most absurdly over-the-top examples of petty villainy, in a way that's almost funny in how extreme it is. Her descent into full-blown antagonist territory kicks off after Medea rejects her, following a one-night stand that was basically date rape. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t because Mia was unattractive or anything like that. Medea shut her down because she was already in a committed relationship with Nicoletta and was completely fed up with Mia constantly butting into their lives and stirring up unnecessary drama. Of course, Mia doesn’t see it that way—because why would she?

Dark is Evil: Mia really rocks the all-black look; aside from the nun robes, she even goes as far as to customize her dragon-scale armor with a sleek black spray paint job. Plus, she's got a talent for being incredibly persistent and petty, making her Medea's most irritating foe to date. Her endgame? Either winning Medea's heart or turning her life upside down before stabbing her heart.

Hero Antagonist: Compared to Medea, who started the story as a very dark shade of grey in her morality, even though she is not spotless in her morality. She wants to pursue Medea because she is a dangerous necromancer and mistakenly feels that Medea is making fun of Laurel by proclaiming herself to be the next Eye. Which, you know, is what Medea truly is; it's just... a little complicated. This eventually gets less and less effective as her quest becomes less ''I shall vanquish this heretic heathen'' and more ''You will be mine or your heart will stop beating''.

Deal with the Devil: Kinda literally. In a pact with Anthony, Mia agreed to serve as Freki's personal enforcer, all in exchange for a set of powered armor fashioned from dragon scales. The motive? A stronger chance of giving Medea a serious beatdown.

Horns of Villainy: Mia's mask-helmet is adorned with horns that begin at her forehead, though they're long enough to reach the back of her head, trailing down her neck and curving upward, resembling more of a jester's cap than traditional horns. It could be a subtle hint that she's fooling herself into thinking she can win Medea's love.

Ax-Crazy: Mia starts off as just an unethical, brutally pragmatic jerk who’s in it for the money, but still psychologically stable. However, as she becomes more obsessed with Medea—more fixated on her than enamored—she begins to lose all the inhibitions she once had. This obsession amplifies her aggression, turning her increasingly violent and unhinged. By the time of their final confrontation, she’s devolved into a vicious, near-feral berserker, completely abandoning any strategy in favor of pure brute force. At this point, all she cares about is creating things to hurt Medea, destroying both her life and her sanity.

24-Hour Armor: Although she's shown as a typical nun in some scenes, she's primarily depicted wearing her exoskeleton and helmet. Her face is revealed only when her helmet is destroyed, which has happened on occassions, given her line of work.

Oireland: Mia's Irish heritage runs deep in her veins, hailing straight from the heart of Belfast. Growing up in that spirited city instilled in her a profound sense of national pride, a fire that fuels her in every clash she faces. It doesn't matter who stands in her way, be it human, dragon or wolf, she channels that indomitable Irish spirit to fight even if she's just tired of it.

Bullying a Dragon: In spite of being well aware of the dangerous depths to which Medea can descend when provoked, Mia persistently pushes her adversary to the edge. However, this relentless confrontation results in a catastrophic outcome for Mia. In the heat of battle, she suffers a grievous injury, her left leg torn asunder in a brutal display of Medea's wrath. The defeat inflicted upon her by Medea's hands surpasses even the severity of her previous victory over Quincey. It is a crushing blow, leaving Mia vulnerable and at the mercy of her opponent. Yet, just as it seems that Medea's wrath will claim its ultimate prize, Nicoletta steps in to halt Medea's lethal strike, saving Mia from the brink of certain death. This intervention serves as a pivotal moment for Medea, allowing her a brief respite to collect herself amidst the chaos. Meanwhile, for Mia, this abrupt turn of events delivers a brutal reality check, shattering any illusions and forcing her to confront the harsh truths of the power gap between her and the Nero Angelo.

Red Baron: The Belfast Brawling Brute. Mia's not exactly thrilled about the nickname as she's not really a brute in terms of fighting prowess, but she's smart enough to roll with it for the sake of her reputation. Let's face it, there's no denying that "Belfast Brawling Brute" carries a far more badass and imposing aura than her actual given name "Mia."

Bond Villain Stupidity: In classic villain fashion, Mia finds herself with several openings to kill Medea and the entire V7D. Nevertheless, whether she gets caught up in monologues or her sadistic tendencies keep her from delivering the fatal blow, she inadvertently provides them with openings to escape or devise a counterattack. This is somewhat justified in the case of Medea, as Mia's motives toward her involve either "love me or endure a life of personal hell, with me as the designated torturer."

Smarter Than You Look: Don't let Mia's tired and unassuming appearance fool you when she's off-duty. Behind that facade lies a seasoned soldier, trainer, and mentor. Her expertise is no joke. She unknowingly becomes a catalyst for Medea's combat growth, honing her hand-to-hand combat skills through clever tactics and unconventional methods, all while she's actually fighting her.

Freudian Trio: Of the three main villains, Mia is the Id to Warren's Ego and Anthony's Superego.

Consummate Professional: Mia is portrayed as an absolute professional from start to finish in the story. She's not one to engage in banter and remains mostly eerily silent during her initial appearances, catching her enemies off guard and attempting to quickly tear them apart. Once she sets her sights on a target, there's no turning back. However, as the story unfolds, she starts to subvert this. We gradually delve into her personality, her past, and the hidden layers beneath her surface. As we start seeing things from her perspective, she transforms from a mere entity into a fully fleshed-out character, complete with her own complexities and depth... nah who am I kidding? She's just a selfish, petty bitch.

Demon Slaying: The Main Characters do a lot of this in general, but for Mia, it's both her profession and a tradition.

Feral Villain: Mia doesn’t start out like this, but her obsession with Medea slowly chips away at her sanity, turning her into a single-minded monster. All she wants is to break down every part of Medea’s mind and force her to reciprocate her "feelings." By the time of their final battle, Mia has completely unraveled, literally foaming at the mouth in her frenzy to destroy Medea’s sanity 

Affectionate Parody: Mia is an affectionate parody of the ''petty villain'' archetype, a tribute to villains like Black Manta, Joker, and Reverse Flash. She's decked out in the gear, fueled by ambition, radiates malevolence, and wields the arms, but she's presented not just as a plain villain, but as an unlikable, mean jerk who simply wants to make Medea's life a total nightmare just for having the audacity of not reciprocating her feelings.

Not Good with Rejection: Getting the cold shoulder from Medea after trying to be her girlfriend didn't sit right with Mia. Throughout the story, Mia dedicates the majority of her screen time to the development of cutting-edge technology as well as her own physical prowess. Simultaneously, she brokers a literal deal with the devil, all within the framework of an elaborate scheme. Mia's goal isn’t just to win Medea over. Oh no, she’s either going to make Medea fall for her willingly or break her down so completely that love, or at least some twisted version of it, feels like the only way out.

Know When To Fold 'Em: After trying (and failing miserably) to kill her obsession-love interest-prey a total of seven times, Mia had gotten her ass handed to her each and every time. The cherry on top? Medea, in their final confrontation, had even managed to cut off Mia’s once athletic leg, leaving her with a prosthetic. Mia seemingly started to come to her senses, maybe even reconsidering her relentless pursuit and deciding to back off for good. And then along came Anthony with a deal...

Alas, Poor Villain: As the story goes on, Mia's character becomes more sympathetic, especially in terms of her motives. At first glance, she may seem like a ruthless warrior who enjoys hunting demons, but her later behavior suggests otherwise. When she appears before The High Nun's court, Mia's expressions are full of desperation and sadness, and her partner Camille Byron's comments confirm that she is a disgraced soldier akin to a Ronin who longs to return to her master's (the Church's) good graces. Her mission to retrieve Yuuki and kill Medea is not just about personal vendetta, but also an attempt to repay an impossible debt to her superior. Mia's excitement at the prospect of The High Nun arriving personally shows how much she values the chance to make amends and regain her honor.

Evil Sounds Deep: The helmet in her tracking and combat gear makes her voice sound deeper and more intense, which actually helps her avoid raising suspicion about Mia Wilde and the Belfast Brawling Brute being one and the same. Even after everyone figures it out, she sticks with it. Guess she's a fan.

Ironic Name: The name Mia has its origins in the ancient Egyptian word "Mr," which translates to "beloved." The irony lies in the fact that Mia is smitten with an Egyptian woman, yet she's far from being beloved in return.

Abhorrent Admirer: Towards Medea, but it's not because Mia is unattractive (she definitely isn't); Medea is just put off by her obsession and fanatical beliefs. Whenever possible, Medea avoids or rebuffs her. The fact that Mia once made advances while drunk, and Medea is happily with Nicoletta, doesn't make things any better.

Red is Evil: After Medea completely wrecked her original armor, Mia wasn’t about to let that be the end of things. She made a deal with Anthony, offering to work as Freki’s enforcer in exchange for a new suit of armor. Anthony didn’t disappoint—he hooked her up with an upgraded version, now decked out in his signature red and gold.

Clothes Make the Superman: Mia may be just an ordinary human, but she proves that she is a walking slaughterhouse by wearing a powered armor made of dragon scales. This cutting-edge armor proves totally necessary in battles against formidable foes, including super-strong vampires, du Cronos Dynasty dragons, and even the mighty Eye of Laurel. Not one to stay stagnant, Mia upgraded her armor to perform flawlessly underwater, proving her versatility in any environment. And let's not forget her epic aerial showdowns during the Atlantic War.

Handicapped Badass: During the Siege arc, Mia is shown using a prosthetic leg from the knee down, courtesy of Medea's act of slicing it with Mia's own blade. Yeah, Mia had pushed Medea's buttons one too many times with her failed assassination attempts. She still fights as good as she used to when she arrives to the Atlantic War, though.

Cute and Psycho: Mia's batshit-insane, but she can flash a smile and blush like an innocent girl or a loving mom, and don't forget, she's a nun during the day. Medea's thrown off by it—she despises Mia's psycho side, but she's not exactly bothered with her cute/nice side, she only wishes it was genuine.

Arch-Enemy:  In the grand scheme of things, Mia is Medea's Captain Ahab, and she'll forever be her Moby Dick.

Comedic Sociopathy: While Mia is often depicted as a menacing supervillain, her efforts to torment Medea sometimes veer into such absurd pettiness that they become almost comical. Sabotaging the dinner party designed for Medea to meet her in-laws, damaging a movie theater's screen to sabotage the couple's movie night, and booking every single room at the hotel where Nico and Medea were planning to honeymoon are just some of the petty shit Mia has pulled on the couple.

Secret Keeper: Once the Head Nun dropped the bombshell that she's actually a vampire and Miyuuki's own mother, things got real interesting for Mia. Her mission? Pack her bags and head straight to Italy to track down the whereabouts of the little draculina. But her boss made it crystal clear that this intel is strictly on a no need-to-know basis. And guess who ain't on the need-to-know list? You got it, The V7D.

Nun too Holy: Let's count the ways, shall we? Mia is a nun, indeed, but she's also a demon-slayer, a tracker, an oathbreaker, and is not trying to live a chaste lifestyle at all, being actively sexual with her fellow nun and partner Byron, while also being troubled by her attraction towards Medea. The kick is that she's a Nun worshipping both Anthony (who is the god of madness and lies, promotes self-indulgence and encourages sexual freedom) and Laurel (who approves of demon slaying and violence as long as you're using it to protect yourself or somebody else).

Motive Decay: In the beginning, Mia might've had a genuinely sympathetic goal. But when it gets to Under Siege, she's become someone who just wants to keep inflicting pain on Medea over and over, ready to do whatever it takes to hurt and spite her forever. Byron even calls her out, stating that Medea is the only reason Mia's still around, and Mia doesn't even try to argue.

Hopeless Suitor: Try as she might, Medea absolutely refuses to be her partner. After Medea makes it clear they're not happening, she comes to terms with the fact that her feelings won't be returned and chooses to spend the rest of her days either tormenting Medea or accepting death if Medea decides to retaliate.

Undying Loyalty: Invoked. In the pact she struck with Anthony to secure a new suit of armor for her ongoing conflict with Medea, Mia also agreed to become Freki's primary enforcer. This commitment binds her soul to Freki, with her armor acting as a warning system by triggering headaches whenever he faces danger or imminent attack.

An Arm and a Leg: Courtsy of Medea. She created a prosthetic from her battle armor that blends good enough with it when she puts it on, it even seems to include a small jetpack and blades below the foot.

Charles Atlas Superpower: Mia is a seasoned demon slayer nun who has dedicated years to honing her skills. Her dragon scale armour is a testament to her training, as it is as heavy as it looks, yet she moves and wields it with ease as if it were weightless paper.

Chained by Fashion: Once the deal was done with Anthony, he jazzed up her "Trapper" outfit with a new color scheme, but it's pretty much the same old look. The only discernable change is the addition of gold arm bracelets on Mia's forearms, signaling her contractual ties with Anthony, mirroring Medea's necklace indicating her affiliation with Laurel.

Doesn't Like Guns: Initially, she wasn't keen on using guns or any kind of firearm when facing off against the V7D. She even steered clear of arrows or any other projectile, favoring hand-to-hand combat to take down both human and animal opponents. Her spiral into madness changed that, leading her to use them in the most brutal manner possible.

Malevolent Masked Woman: Her ''Tracker'' suit involves a black, horned expressive mask that enhace any type of nightmare face she doesn't want to make with her real face.

Neck Snap: In their final showdown, Mia wasn’t messing around—she wanted to finish things fast, aiming straight for Medea’s neck. For the first five minutes, all she did was try to snap it. She went all in, twisting, turning, putting every ounce of strength into it. And after multiple tries, she finally heard that satisfying crack. Medea’s neck was broken. Victory, right? Well, not so quick. Turns out, someone wasn’t ready to let Medea stay down. Seraphim, pissed and clearly not having it, manifested from within Medea’s body and healed her host's busted spine in no time. Next thing you know, Medea’s back on her feet, fresh as ever, ready to keep going.

If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her..: Mia is on the receiving end of this threat by none other than Quincey. He's got a feeling that Mia's a bit too obsessed with Medea, and when his buddy agrees to a "date" with her, he throws out a warning that he'll go through with what he almost did last time if Byron hadn't jumped in to stop their scuffle.

Older and Wiser: After her attack on Medea cost her her left leg and she upgraded to the 'Trapper' armor, Mia displays a newfound calmness, cunning, and carefulness, which stands in contrast to her previously impulsive and emotionally driven behavior with the Tracker armor. Yet, her inherently volatile nature and profound self-disdain hinder her from fully being this.

Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: Once she ''fell for'' Medea, it's like everyone else in the world was suddenly invisible. It's all about Medea for her. But it becomes a deconstruction of this trope, where it's more about obsession than love, going as far as ruining Medea's life until she reciprocates.

The Corrupter: She almost succeeded in getting Medea to abandon all the growth she'd gone through and straight up kill her. The only reason that didn’t happen was thanks to Nicoletta stepping in at just the right moment. In a similar way, Mia nearly convinced Nicoletta to give up her whole non-lethal approach. She had Nicoletta on the edge, ready to throw away her mission to heal and start destroying, but then Medea stepped in, reminding her what she stood for.

Expressive Mask: Her mask is able to emote when she is wearing it, not so much she doesn't have it on.

Skewed Priorities: So, as mentioned earlier, she got shipped off to Italy to track down Miyuuki and haul her back to the Church pronto. However, upon meeting Medea and hearing her claim of being the Eye of Laurel, she becomes obsessed with her instead.

Walking Armory: In addition to her imposing armour, fashioned from the scales of a dragon, Mia remains ever-prepared for any situation, wielding a concealed blade nestled within her arm guard, an arsenal of lethal poisons, an aerial mode (a retractable jetpack) an aquatic mode, and a well-stocked medical kit, lest she ever finds herself in dire need of healing beyond the protection of her useful but not impenetrable armour.

Villainous Underdog: Medea, despite her stature comparable to that of a college student, instills fear and awe among both the living and the dead. With control over the majority, if not all, wandering souls in the mortal realm, the capacity to expel demons, and eventual elevation to angelic status, she wields significant power. In contrast, Mia is an ordinary human woman outfitted with powered armor and an obsessive attachment to Medea. Despite her lack of supernatural abilities, she presents a formidable challenge as an opponent.

Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Mia's right eye is usually covered beneath her hair, presenting a striking contrast to Medea. While Mia's right eye is perfectly healthy, she chooses to keep it hidden behind her locks. On the other hand, Medea's left eye is blind, but she's just too used to it by now so she doesn't feel the need to hide it.

Womanchild: Looking beyond the façade of the soldier-nun persona, Mia reveals herself to be almost like a deeply infatuated teenage girl. Her personality is marked by self-centeredness, a lack of foresight, and a fiery temper, and she is not hesitant to resort to manipulation or force to achieve her desires. Above all, she has constructed an intricate fantasy surrounding the life she envisions once her obsession, Medea, decides to be with her. In all fairness, many of my characters are manchildren to some extent. Even Medea.

Sore Loser: Related to the above, she’s a terrible sport whenever anyone—especially Nicoletta and Quincey—gains the upper hand in their fights. She throws tantrums, whining that they must have somehow cheated, and making a scene about it every time she’s losing.

Unreliable Narrator: According to Mia, the Church gave her the boot over a misunderstanding, and now she's on a mission to get accepted back in Ireland and make amends with the Church. She insists it's nothing personal with Yuuki or Medea, just her to-do list. Her actions, however, paint a different picture: She demonstrates unexpected pettiness in her methods, throws herself entirely into her offensives, and doesn't hold back on the cruelty during battles. And the fact that she's developed this romantic-possessive fixation on Medea? Yeah, that's not doing her statement any favors.

Villainous Virtues: Mia’s got enough self-awareness to realize that her obsession with Medea took her to some seriously dark places. She knows that trying to kill everyone in Medea’s life out of sheer spite was extreme, but in her mind, it all could’ve been avoided if Medea had just agreed to be her girlfriend in the first place. So yeah, she’s not exactly taking full responsibility, and it’s not like she’s looking for a pat on the back either. When it comes down to it, Mia straight up tells Medea to send her to Hell, fully aware that nothing she’s done could possibly earn her a peaceful afterlife.

Honorary True Companion: At the start of the du Cronos Dynasty arc, Mia makes a deal with Anthony that gives her temporary membership in the Dynasty, like she’s got some kind of extended VIP pass. She’s not fully in, but she’s definitely more than just an outsider now. The deal is pretty straightforward: in exchange for getting her new Tracker armor, which gives her a serious boost in strength and resilience, Mia’s now bound to the Tribal Chief. For the next 20 years, she has to serve and protect Freki, acting as a bodyguard or enforcer.

Yandere: Mia is totally infatuated with Medea, like big time. She's "in love" with her, but it becomes way too obsessive. And she'll go all out to get back at anyone who dares to insult Medea or her lover, Byron. Mia's also super jealous of any other women in Medea's life, even her teammates! She constantly tries to mess up their lives just because they have a thing for Medea. Oh, and don't even get me started on Nicoletta. She hates her just because she's already dating Medea. And, she threw a fucking missile at Medea and Nico while they were trying to have their first kiss!

Moment Killer: Probably intentional. Just as Medea and Nicoletta are about to share their first kiss, surrounded by the beauty of Naples, Mia strikes. There's no warning—one second, they’re lost in the magic of the city, and the next, they’re dodging for their lives as a deadly projectile cuts through the air.

Break Them by Talking: Mia tries to get under Medea's skin every now and then by throwing in some verbal jabs, but honestly, she's not exactly good at it. Her attempts to mess with Medea's head are clumsy at best, with moral arguments that don’t really hold up. It doesn’t help that Medea couldn't care less about what Mia has to say.

Combat Pragmatist: So when she goes up against the V7D, she doesn’t just rely on brute strength. She’s got a trick hidden up her sleeve, one that’s as slick as it is ruthless. Right before things heat up, she discreetly doses the group with a powerful knockout drug. It’s not immediate though—she times it perfectly so that, right in the middle of the battle, it hits them hard. One by one, they start stumbling, disoriented and helpless, too out of it to back each other up. And as they fall like dominoes, Mia sets her sights on Quincey, ready for the one-on-one showdown.