No Badass to His Valet: Difference between revisions

 

{{quote|''"You tell me where my suit is, woman!! We are talking about the greater good!"

 

[[Badass|Archetypical tough guys]] and [[Anti-Hero|anti-heroes]] often give off an aura of authority and attitude around them, a countenance that gives even the most courageous individuals feelings of doubt and fear; a warning to all to treat the character with caution. As a result, these characters are apt to intimidate anyone they meet into doing what they want, whether it be doing their bidding or merely just leaving them alone.

 

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'': Keiko Yukimura is one of the few people who knows [[Delinquent|Yusuke Urameshi]] and isn't scared of him, and she doesn't even allow his attitude to affect her. As a result, she often acts as his conscience, and isn't afraid to [[Megaton Punch|knock him on his ass]] if he crosses the line.

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* The ultimate comic book example is [[Batman|Alfred Pennyworth]], Bruce Wayne's faithful retainer, friend, and one-man support system. As the man who practically raised Bruce Wayne, he is absolutely immune to Batman's intimidation, one of the few who can unflinchingly confront him to his face if need be, and is the first to deflate him when he gets too obsessive. Alfred is one of the few people Batman has complete faith in, and, in fact, he doesn't even try (or even desire to try) to control Alfred (beyond the whole butler/employer relationship they have, which is... complicated) the way he keeps absolute control over the rest of his world. Of course, Alfred Pennyworth is afraid of ''no one''. Being a former SAS commando can do that to you.

** Dick Grayson is utterly unafraid of Batman, as well. [[Lampshade Hanging|This is pointed out]] in at least a couple of issues.

** At least since coming [[Back From the Dead]], so is [[Green Lantern]] Hal Jordan. Which makes sense; Batman wields fear as a weapon but the Green Lanterns are all about defying it.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

** Having grown up as [[The Grim Reaper|Death]]'s adopted daughter, Ysabell was utterly unintimidated {{smallcaps|by his voice}}. His granddaughter, Susan, acts much the same way, as does his ''actual'' valet Albert. Albert is a bit of an odd case, though, in that he ''is'' terrified of death; he just doesn't find the anthropomorphic personification of it all that worrisome.

*** In fairness to Albert, he's been living on about three months of life for the past 2,000 years and is now down to about ten seconds.

* In the ''[[Star Trek Expanded Universe]]'', Federation President Bacco and Bajoran First Minister Asarem both have secretaries who embody this trope, as did Worf during his stretch as Klingon ambassador.

* In ''[[1632]]'', nearly everyone is careful of Emperor Gustav's well-known volatile temper (his valets carry around extra chairs when he's campaigning, because they know he likes to smash chairs when he's angry) and his touchy nature when it comes to insults. Julie Simms isn't intimidated at all, and even once called him a fathead to his face. And got away with it.

* In the [[Conan the Barbarian]] story ''[[The Phoenix on the Sword]]'', there is a scene where King Conan of Aquilonia and General Prospero are discussing the state of the kingdom. Prospero speaks to Conan as he would an old friend rather than his king, and the story even mentions the "easy familiarity" that exists between Conan and Prospero.

* Eve and Roarke are both intimidating people in the [[In Death]] series. Eve's used to bullying her way around, and Roarke is a [[Badass]] who [[Fiction 500|owns everything]]. The only people to consistently and calmly deflect their spite whenever they rage or angst are Mira and Summerset, their respective parental figures.

 

* [[Almighty Janitor|Merlin]] is most definitely this to [[White Prince|Prince Arthur]] in ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''. He is almost completely immune to Arthur's royal demands and complaining, largely due to the fact that Arthur cannot intimidate him. He's also totally willing to knock the royal ''prat'' down a knotch or twenty whenever he becomes too unbearable, punishment be damned.

** There's an element of this with Gaius and Uther as well. He's one of the few who isn't afraid to call Uther out from time to time.

* Chizuru Kagura, the cool-headed [[Miko]] from [[The King of Fighters]], cannot make [[Anti-Hero|Iori]] [[Jerkass Woobie|Yagami]] completely bend to her will, but she ''can'' make him team-work with none other than his sworn enemy [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You|Kyo Kusanagi]].

 

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Authority Tropes]]

[[Category:Servant Tropes]]

[[Category:Hero Tropes]]

[[Category:Badass]]