Battle Butler: Difference between revisions

[[File:battle_buttler3_6872battle buttler3 6872.jpg|link=Black Butler (manga)|frame|Don't worry, he'll shine the silverware spotless after he kills you with it.]]

{{quote|''"In the early '80s, I was sparring butler for Mr. [[Chuck Norris]]."''|'''Geoffrey the Butler''', ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''}}

If a '''Battle Butler''' is female she will probably [[Badass in a Nice Suit|wear a suit]], even if she is called a maid. If she does wear an appropriate [[Meido|maid]] outfit, she is a [[Ninja Maid]]. If a Battle Butler is ''also'' referred to as a bodyguard, you can expect full blown samurai-level abilities; this type of Battle Butler tends to overlap with [[The Dragon]].

* The Dark Lovers from ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]''; as their name implies, they represent different types of false love, and are all obsessed with their Master, Gackto ([[Spell My Name with an "S"|Gakuto]] if you prefer the [[Scanlation|scanlationsscanlation]]s, Gaito in the anime). {{spoiler|Of course, ''he'' turns out to have just as intense loyalty to Sara with the exact same reason, which is the whole reason he wanted to destroy the world in the first place.}}

* Not a butler, per se, but Mikoto Minagi from ''[[MaiMy-HiME]]'' plays Battle Butler to two different characters. First, she's Mai's faithful sidekick (whom she [[Les Yay|likes]] ''[[Les Yay|very]]'' [[Les Yay|much]]), and later she becomes one for {{spoiler|her brother, who has the soul of the series' [[Big Bad]] living inside him}}. Despite her conflicting loyalties, she swears to protect them from ''anything'' that gets in her way...[[Cute Bruiser|and boy, can she ever]].

* Escargoon, Dedede's butler/servant/secretary from the ''[[Kirby]]'' [[Kirby: ofRight theBack Starsat Ya!|anime]] is often described as a Battle Butler. While he doesn't engage in close combat with any effectiveness (even Dedede can [[Drop the Hammer|best him in that department]]), he's often seen leading the troops and managing the combat machines.

* Both Kirishima Shinobu and Hosaka Mitsuru of ''[[Goshuushou Sama-sama Ninomiya Kun-kun]]'' are Battle Butlers to their [[Ojou|ojou-sama]] Houjou Reika. Both demonstrate extreme devoutness, top-notch martial skills, and protective behavior towards Reika.

* From ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni|Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai]]'' we have Kasai. {{spoiler|With his occasionally [[Yandere (disambiguation)]] client Shion and Doctor Irie, he breaks into a hospital filled with secret conspirators. He then gets to show off his skills with a shotgun including smacking some guy in the face with one after interrogating him. He is later shown shooting out the tires of a van with a sniper rifle}}

* ''[[Baccano!]]!'' has three of them, played with varying levels of straightness: Christopher Shouldered is the most simple and straightforward example, serving as Ricard Russo's bodyguard out of [[I Owe You My Life|gratitude for saving his life]]. Chane Laforet is a little more complicated, as she ''was'' an almost [[Love Martyr|disturbingly loyal]] servant of her manipulative father up until her run-in with {{spoiler|Claire Stanfield}}, after which she finds herself fretting the inevitable [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]]. Ennis is a subversion -- shesubversion—she initially fits all of the characteristics of a typical Battle Butler for [[Big Bad]] Szilard Quates (up to and including wearing suits and serving as his driver), until she gets the opportunity to voice her thoughts: she serves him only because [[You Have Failed Me...|he can kill her with a single thought if she doesn't]], and hates him more than anyone else does for the things he makes her do.

* Half the cast in ''[[Inu Xx Boku SS]]'': Miketsukami, Yukinokouji, Karuta, Natsume. Interestingly, for the most part their masters (except [[Butt Monkey|Watanuki]]) are even more battle-capable than them.

** Alfred, being a loyal Battle Butler, accompanied Bruce Wayne as he tracked Bane and his thugs during the events of [[Knightfall]] -- and—and then, when Bruce refused to obey his doctor's orders (or risk being completely paralyzed), he {{spoiler|resigned from Wayne's service entirely}}.

*:* In one issue of Batman: Gothic, Gotham City is overrun by homeless cultists. Batman and Robin are picked up from their hiding place by Alfred in the Bentley. When Batman asks whether Alfred had any trouble getting to them, Alfred replies "None sir." and holds up a pistol. To put it another way, Alfred is Battle Butler incarnate.

*:* Note also that if any other member of his team were to carry a gun, Batman would most likely fire them on the spot. But Alfred is the exception. Why? Because Bruce needs him more than any of the others. (Also possibly because Alfred's so much older.)

**::* Probably the latter. Modern portrayals of Alfred generally show him as an ex-military badass, but he's old and doesn't have the physical combat skills the rest of the Bat family do.

*:* In a flashback sequence in the House of Hush storyline in Streets of Gotham, Alfred is shown ''singlehandedly'' stopping an attempted hit on Leslie Thompkins.

*:* In the [[Booster Gold]] series, Booster goes back it time to the early days of Batman; when he goes to the Batcave he's repelled by Alfred using a rifle. And in Superman/Batman, guarded the cave with a shotgun.

* Cadbury, butler to [[Richie Rich (comics)|Richie Rich]] and the Rich Family, has a skill set large enough to qualify him for the mask and cape crowd.

* Crete, Agustus Medici's hulking butler in ''[[100 Bullets|One Hundred Bullets]]''.

* Paul "Dibbs" Plutzker of 1995 film: ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'' film. He acts as Carrigan Crittenden's personal bodyguard. "Don't come near me, you spiteful spook, or I'll knock you into the next world".

* Cadbury from ''[[Richie Rich (comics)|Richie Rich]]''. When the villains send an assassin to make it look like he committed suicide, Cadbury ends up making quick work out of the assassin and breaks out of prison.

** Not to mention the time when Willikins left Vimes' service to fight in Klatch -- bitingKlatch—biting a D'Reg's nose off at one point, and generally being Sergeant Badass.

* Possibly the ultimate example: [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s Sgt. Bothari, who's taken into the [[Vorkosigan Saga|Vorkosigan]] household as a sworn retainer after being discharged from the military on grounds of being totally bugfrak insane; he's large, paranoid-schizophrenic, sexually odd, ''profoundly'' devoted to his Lord and Lady (especially the latter), and -- byand—by the end -- heartbreakingend—heartbreaking.

** You could argue that Battle Butler is basically the job description for a Count's leige-sworn Armsman -- mostArmsman—most of the ones who are actual characters, rather than part of the background action, certainly qualify.

** There's also the Tac-Spec FIII Footman Droid, who such roles as chef, waiter, chauffeur, putting out the Master's wardrobe for the day with with such tools the ability to make a head-shot from 10  km away, a a high-power railgun in their arm and the strength to drive their fist throught a tank. Of course, they were built in secrect on a "you ask, we sell" basis for nobles and Corrupt Corporate Executive by a front company for an assasin's guild...

* Of the classic "Rich Idiot with No Day Job" variety, you have [[P. G. Wodehouse|PG Wodehouse]]'s concoction: [[Jeeves and Wooster (novel)|Jeeves]] -- the—the valet to end all valets. He doesn't physically manhandle anyone, but he looks after his mental featherweight of an employer, Bertram Wooster. One can only imagine Jeeves does it simply for amusement, and there have been several fan theories on the matter.

*** ''[[And Shine Heaven Now]]'' turns him into a full-blown vampire hunting Battle Butler, though--inthough—in fact, he was the one that taught [[Hellsing|Walter]] everything he knew, in both the butlering and battling fronts.

* ''[[Changeling: The Lost]]'' divides Changelings into "seemings" (general 'character classes' as determined by appearance and magic affinities) and "kiths" (specialized classes determined by the nature of the character's Durance). The Wizened seeming has the "Chatelaine" kith, for preternaturally skilled manservants and house-managers. Combine this with a fighting style (such as Kung Fu or Boxing), and BAM''bam'', instant Battle Butler.

* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' has Jurgen, battle buttler to Ciaphas Cain '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM'''. AsidesAside from carrying a BFG of a plasma weapon, being Cain's driver and general aide, Jurgen makes sure that Cain always has a cup of Tanna tea at hand.

* ''[[Wild ArmsARMs 3]]'' has Todd Dukakis, who serves as the butler of [[The Rival]] of the protagonists to the point of accompanying her and [[Quirky Miniboss Squad|her family]] on treasure hunting expeditions. He is also quite good with a sword and shows his loyalty by {{spoiler|briefly aiding the protagonists in the rescue of his master when she is abducted by another group of villains.}}

** Todd himself is a [[Shout-Out]] to Macdullen/Magdalen from the first ''[[Wild ArmsARMs 1|Wild ARMs]]''. He's literally a combat butler; he's always by Jane Maxwell's side, and while he doesn't do much battle-worthy in the original game, in the remake he uses a sword quite effectively (and will even join your party at points).

* There is an actual class of Pokemon trainer called "Castle Valet" (Castle Butler in the Japanese version) in Pokemon, however it refers to [https://web.archive.org/web/20130701153813/http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Castle_Valet_Darach_and_Lady_Caitlin Darach]. Darach is implied to be the actual battler, while Caitlin just sits down watching the battle. There is also a class of trainer named "[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Maid Maid]".

* In ''[[Blaz BlueBlazBlue]]'', Rachel Alucard's butler Valkenhyn R. Hellsing brews a mean cup of tea and is always deferential to "Madame Rachel" -- and—and he's a werewolf. Oh, and he was also one of the Six Heroes who [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|kicked the Black Beast's ass a century ago]].

* Thaddeus, Hazel Green's lovestruck majordomo in ''[[College Roomies from HellCRFH|College Roomies From @#!*% !!!]]''

** Finally, ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' crosses the [[Battle Butler]] with the [[Yes-Man]] in the character Lugnut. His only apparent motivation for fighting (or doing anything, really) is his undying loyalty to Megatron. Naturally, he hates [[The Starscream|Starscream]], and will use his [[Rocket Punch|Punch of Kill Everything]] to pound you into the dirt for even the slightest hint of disrespect or treason.

* [[Battle Butler|Battle Butlers]] are a cliché of British military tradition. A British officer in the [[Good Old Days]] would have a soldier assigned to him, called [[Batman|a batman]]. The batman would essentially serve as the officer's servant and bodyguard. It was also customary that the batman would stay with "his" officer after said officer retired, meaning that almost all personal servants of retired officers had a LOT of military experience and pretty solid [[Badass]] credentials.