Short answer. Yes, in principle. Section 54 of Rule 130 lets the character of the offended party be proved in a criminal case if it tends to establish, in any reasonable degree, the probability or improbability of the offense charged. A victim's reputation for violence can be offered under this exception, by reputation testimony or opinion testimony.
What the law says
Evidence of a person's character or a trait of character is not admissible for the purpose of proving action in conformity therewith on a particular occasion, except
Rule 130, Section 54 — Character evidence not generally admissible; exceptions. Read the full provision →
What the law says
The character of the offended party may be proved if it tends to establish in any reasonable degree the probability or improbability of the offense charged.
Rule 130, Section 54 — Character evidence not generally admissible; exceptions. Read the full provision →
What the law says
In all cases in which evidence of character or a trait of character of a person is admissible, proof may be made by testimony as to reputation or by testimony in the form of an opinion.
Rule 130, Section 54 — Character evidence not generally admissible; exceptions. Read the full provision →
The general rule this exception cuts against
Section 54 starts from a rule against using character evidence to show someone acted a certain way on a specific occasion. Evidence of a person's character or a trait of character is not admissible for the purpose of proving action in conformity therewith on a particular occasion, except. The article then lists specific exceptions, one of which applies directly to your situation.
The exception for the offended party's character
In criminal cases specifically, Section 54 allows exactly the kind of evidence you are asking about: The character of the offended party may be proved if it tends to establish in any reasonable degree the probability or improbability of the offense charged. A reputation for violence, offered to make it more or less probable that the alleged victim was the aggressor, fits within this exception when you are the accused raising self-defense.
How that character evidence can be presented
Section 54 also specifies the form this evidence can take: In all cases in which evidence of character or a trait of character of a person is admissible, proof may be made by testimony as to reputation or by testimony in the form of an opinion. You are not limited to a single method — reputation testimony about how the victim was generally regarded, or opinion testimony from someone familiar with the victim, are both available under the rule.
What this evidence has to actually establish
The exception is not a blanket license to introduce anything negative about the alleged victim — the evidence has to tend, in a reasonable degree, to establish the probability or improbability of the offense charged. General bad reputation unconnected to violence or aggression fits this exception less naturally than a specific, relevant reputation for the kind of conduct your self-defense claim is trying to explain.