Short answer: No. In Jainism, the Tirthankaras are paragons of non-violence (ahimsa) and renounce all violence. Their teaching and example emphasize protecting life and practicing compassion, even in difficult circumstances.

What this means in practice:

• There are no canonical accounts of a Tirthankar using violence as a defended action. Their life stories focus on renunciation, self-discipline, and spreading the path of non‑violence.
• Some legends in Jain literature involve events around them (e.g., protection by divine presence or miracles) but not the Tirthankara themselves engaging in violence as a defensive act.
• Differences between Digambar and Śvetāmbar traditions mainly concern details of the lives and teachings of the Tirthankaras, not a shift away from ahimsa as a core principle.

If you’d like more detail on a specific Tirthankar or a particular episode, tell me which one and I can explain with traditional Jain explanations.