Retired Badass: Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~lazy_dad~~.jpg|link=Scamp|frame|Tramp doesn't come out of retirement very easily.]]

[[File:lazy dad.jpg|link=Scamp|frame|Tramp doesn't come out of retirement very easily.]]

{{quote|''"Just when I thought I was out they ''pull'' me back in!"''|'''Michael Corleone''', ''[[The Godfather]] 3''}}

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How well do you know your neighbors, shop keepers, the old guy down the street with all the little mementos from around the world? If you haven't known them your whole life there's a chance they may be a badass.

Just as [[~~Badass|badasses~~]] come in many different varieties, so do retired badasses. Some are happily retired from adventuring, sports, fighting, or whatever they used to do and are content to [[Home, Sweet Home|live a normal life in a normal little town]], or even the simple life in [[Arcadia]]. Some have become shopkeepers who just do a little work to keep in touch with people and get by in their old age. Some get promoted within their organization to a [[Desk Jockey]] supervisory role. Often, they spend all their time [[Call to Agriculture|tending a field]]. Some of them never really get into retirement because every time they start to settle into it they [[Ten-Minute Retirement|get jolted back out]]. Maybe they have [[In Harm's Way|a secret longing to get back into the game]], (whatever it may be) or regrets about the past. [[Heroic Neutral|Often they're perfectly happy in their retirement]] and are pointedly ignoring events of the outside world until the evil [[Mooks]] of whatever [[Big Bad]] that is looking to take over the world come in and wreck his shop, then laugh at him because, after all, what can an old man do about it? It doesn't take long for the asskickery to commence.

Just as [[badass]]es come in many different varieties, so do retired badasses. Some are happily retired from adventuring, sports, fighting, or whatever they used to do and are content to [[Home, Sweet Home|live a normal life in a normal little town]], or even the simple life in [[Arcadia]]. Some have become shopkeepers who just do a little work to keep in touch with people and get by in their old age. Some get promoted within their organization to a [[Desk Jockey]] supervisory role. Often, they spend all their time [[Call to Agriculture|tending a field]]. Some of them never really get into retirement because every time they start to settle into it they [[Ten-Minute Retirement|get jolted back out]]. Maybe they have [[In Harm's Way|a secret longing to get back into the game]], (whatever it may be) or regrets about the past. [[Heroic Neutral|Often they're perfectly happy in their retirement]] and are pointedly ignoring events of the outside world until the evil [[Mooks]] of whatever [[Big Bad]] that is looking to take over the world come in and wreck his shop, then laugh at him because, after all, what can an old man do about it? It doesn't take long for the asskickery to commence.

Their personalities often break down into two broad categories; some are [[Zen Survivor]] types who've made peace with their past and the fact that they are no longer [[The Hero]], and now just want to get on with their life. Other times, bitter and cynical with age, they turn into a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] after being put on the [[Scrap Heap Hero|scrap heap of life]].

One thing badasses of all types have in common is that they're magnets for trouble, and even in retirement this doesn't change. Occasionally these guys get pulled back into action because the [[Big Bad]] (or his men) know his reputation and come to make trouble. Other times it's because a young [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy]] wants to make a reputation by beating the old legend. Perhaps the most frequent case is that when the heroes are in trouble and need help to accomplish their goals, they will come to the [[Retired Badass]] either for physical help or advice about their quest, or because the retired badass is a past teacher, [[Mentor]], even father figure.

One thing badasses of all types have in common is that they're magnets for trouble, and even in retirement this doesn't change. Occasionally these guys get pulled back into action because the [[Big Bad]] (or his men) know his reputation and come to make trouble. Other times it's because a young [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy]] wants to make a reputation by beating the old legend. Perhaps the most frequent case is that when the heroes are in trouble and need help to accomplish their goals, they will come to the '''Retired Badass''' either for physical help or advice about their quest, or because the retired badass is a past teacher, [[Mentor]], even father figure.

Exactly how the retiree in question will respond may vary. Sometimes they will come fully out of retirement to join up with the heroes and their party, sometimes they will just give some words of advice and/or an epiphany that the hero couldn't come up with on their own, (or teach the hero something specific, like the ever popular [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique]]) but often they're just as likely to simply fade back into retirement once the immediate situation has been resolved. Their help or advice is frequently a one-shot deal: sure they can point a hero in the right direction, but after that, (and wiping the floor with some disrespectful mooks like those mentioned above), don't look to them for further help. After all, it's a big world and they're getting too old or [[Jade-Colored Glasses|disillusioned]] to play hero. Let someone younger pick up that mantle and save the world while they get back to living off their pension. However, they are usually more than capable of a [[Let's Get Dangerous]] moment if needed. Expect him to have an [[Emergency Stash]] of money / weapons / IDs when needed.

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** In a filler episode from the anime, it is revealed that a former first rate swordsman who fought Kenshin in the revolution now works as a children's teacher, having given up the sword. An old student who turned into an assassin tries to recruit him nonetheless.

*** That plot was recycled for the ''Ishinshishi e no Requiem'' movie, where one of the main characters (Takimi Shigure) was an ex-samurai who became a school retainer and the caretaker of his best friend's sister {{spoiler|whom Kenshin killed in the war}}.

** The title character himself is a [[Retired Badass]], and would very much like to stay that way. Of course plot always intervenes.

** The title character himself is a Retired Badass, and would very much like to stay that way. Of course plot always intervenes.

* ''[[Bleach]]''

** Ryuuken Ishida is supposed to be a doctor who turned his back on his family's quincy heritage long ago. Turns out he's not only still got the power, but he's officially carrying the Quincy Cross and, the one single time he uses his power, his abilities make his son look weak.

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** And at the end of the series, we're shown {{spoiler|Simon}}, of all possible people, [[Walking the Earth]], poor and unrecognized but apparently content.

* Though much younger than most, Nanjiroh Echizen from ''[[The Prince of Tennis]]'' fits quite well.

* Joseph Joestar in Part 3 of ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]''. It's worth noting that he looks quite a bit like Sean Connery in his later years, and Connery tends to play [[Retired Badass]] character quite a bit.

* Joseph Joestar in Part 3 of ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]''. It's worth noting that he looks quite a bit like Sean Connery in his later years, and Connery tends to play Retired Badass character quite a bit.

* Cologne from ''[[Ranma ½]]'' is a quintessential example of the trope. She has been shown to be ''the'' most formidable martial artist in the series, with abilities far surpassing anything the main characters can do (and quite possibly above Happosai's level.) Yet, she's perfectly content running the Cat Cafe and letting the weirdness erupt around her, occasionally providing nuggets of information and only rarely being an active participant herself.

* {{spoiler|Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald}} becomes one of this after the ''[[Code Geass]]'' [[Grand Finale]]. {{spoiler|(Prosperous [[Brick Joke|orange farm]] and Anya as his partner and/or adoptive daughter included)}}.

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== [[Film]] ==

* [[Batman~~|Batmans~~]] buttler Alfred usually is portrayed as a very intelligent and resourceful man, but not a fighter. In ''[[The Dark Knight Saga]]'', he is played by [[Michael Caine]], which still makes him the perfect elderly english gentleman, but also makes it completely natural when he mention that he did some armed work in the jungles of Burma when he was a younger man, which strongly implies him being ex special forces, probably SAS.

* [[Batman]]s buttler Alfred usually is portrayed as a very intelligent and resourceful man, but not a fighter. In ''[[The Dark Knight Saga]]'', he is played by [[Michael Caine]], which still makes him the perfect elderly english gentleman, but also makes it completely natural when he mention that he did some armed work in the jungles of Burma when he was a younger man, which strongly implies him being ex special forces, probably SAS.

** Actaully, most of the Batman continuities have Alfred be a retired [insert badass millitary position here]. It's for a reason he's the batcave's last line of defence and the only person in the batfamily Batman won't comment about using a gun.

* Walt Kowalski, [[Clint Eastwood]]'s character in ''[[Gran Torino]]''.

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* [[Bones|Max Brennan]], [[Papa Wolf|the kindest guy who will stab you to death, gut you, put you on a stick and set you on fire if you put his family in danger]]. Normally he's a science teacher who loves kids. Mess with his kids and he comes out of retirement.

* Christopher Henderson in ''[[24]]'', though a dark take since once Jack attempts to coax him out of retirement, it's revealed that he had actually already come out of retirement, did a [[Face Heel Turn]] and was now a [[The Dragon|Dragon]] for the season's [[Big Bad]].

** Jack himself attempts to retire <s>twice</s> FOUR TIMES. The first time is following the first season. Jack is not retired in the true sense and listed as inactive. This is mainly due to the breakdown of his relationship with Kim, as well as suicidal thoughts following the big twist at the end of the season. Even so he's pretty quick to tell people he doesn't work for CTU anymore. Next is between seasons three and four, where he opts for a desk job in the Department of Defense. The third time is between seasons six and seven where he chooses simply not to come back to the United States. [[But Thou Must!|Obviously, this doesn't quite work out.]] As of Day 8, Jack is FINALLY truly retired from government work. He even tells someone this in the trailer for the season. He's living peacefully in New York City with Kim and his grandchild (guess this means you can add [[Retired Badass]] as well). [[Desk Jockey|No DoD desk job]], [[He's Just Hiding|no running from China]] and [[Walking the Earth|no trip to Africa]]. Needless to say since this is 24 it's not going to last long. Near the end of said trailer cue [[Dramatic Gun Cock]] and typical [[Crowning Music of Awesome]] that goes with nearly everything 24 related.

** Jack himself attempts to retire <s>twice</s> FOUR TIMES. The first time is following the first season. Jack is not retired in the true sense and listed as inactive. This is mainly due to the breakdown of his relationship with Kim, as well as suicidal thoughts following the big twist at the end of the season. Even so he's pretty quick to tell people he doesn't work for CTU anymore. Next is between seasons three and four, where he opts for a desk job in the Department of Defense. The third time is between seasons six and seven where he chooses simply not to come back to the United States. [[But Thou Must!|Obviously, this doesn't quite work out.]] As of Day 8, Jack is FINALLY truly retired from government work. He even tells someone this in the trailer for the season. He's living peacefully in New York City with Kim and his grandchild (guess this means you can add Retired Badass as well). [[Desk Jockey|No DoD desk job]], [[He's Just Hiding|no running from China]] and [[Walking the Earth|no trip to Africa]]. Needless to say since this is 24 it's not going to last long. Near the end of said trailer cue [[Dramatic Gun Cock]] and typical [[Crowning Music of Awesome]] that goes with nearly everything 24 related.

** President of Awesome David Palmer. After some rather unfortunate business in Season 3, he decided not to run for re-election and left political life. Come Season 4, and the current President, the weakly Charles Logan, decides that he needs somebody with balls to save America from mass nuking. One phone call later and President Palmer is back in the saddle (much to the annoyance of the actual Republican cabinet). [[Rule of Cool]]? Yes, but who cares?

* Shepherd Book of ''[[Firefly]]'' fame is a relatively kindly old preacher whose mission in life is to guide the flock he's found on the good ship ''Serenity.'' Sometimes, said flock gets in trouble, and when that happens, the same kindly old preacher starts blasting men in the knees, knocking a cop senseless with his bare hands, and slicing apart battle droids with a giant curved machete.

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== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==

* Sometimes found in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' either as something that happens during the course of the story, or as a small event when, say, an innkeeper pulls the mace down off his wall to help the heroes and show that it's not just ornamental. Having the [[You All Meet in An Inn|'adventure inn']] be run by a retired high-level adventurer is something of an old cliché in the game.

** At least prior to the recent [[Reset Button]], it seems the Forgotten Realms is stuffed full of [[Retired Badass]] characters... and then stuffed some more.

** At least prior to the recent [[Reset Button]], it seems the Forgotten Realms is stuffed full of Retired Badass characters... and then stuffed some more.

*** Whole areas populated by these. One example would be ''City of Ravens Bluff'' <ref>still available [http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13961 in old free downloads]</ref> ~~-- during~~ the city's raise as a major trade port its populace grew from about 17000 resident and 3000 adventuring to about 30000 settled plus 10000 ~~adventurers -- fair~~ number being high-level, with the heads of local Wizards Guild equal in power to less powerful among the rulers of [[The Magocracy|magocracies]], and so on. Dales are different, but Dalesfolk tend to be very tough. In both cases, locals who live to tell interesting tales ''and'' outside adventurers who like the atmosphere end up settling there.

*** Whole areas populated by these. One example would be ''City of Ravens Bluff'' <ref>still available [http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13961 in old free downloads]</ref>—during the city's raise as a major trade port its populace grew from about 17000 resident and 3000 adventuring to about 30000 settled plus 10000 adventurers—fair number being high-level, with the heads of local Wizards Guild equal in power to less powerful among the rulers of [[The Magocracy|magocracies]], and so on. Dales are different, but Dalesfolk tend to be very tough. In both cases, locals who live to tell interesting tales ''and'' outside adventurers who like the atmosphere end up settling there.

*** 4e got most of those retired badasses dead. Elminster and Drizzt are just about the only two, and both are very busy. (Elminster is VERY retired... he doesn't leave his hut!)

* Often used to keep the [[Designated Hero|designated heroes]] in check. One of the easiest ways to stop a 7th level adventurer from robbing a shop blind is to have a [[Easily Angered Shopkeeper|retired 14th level adventurer as the shopkeep.]] They're also helpful for breaking up a [[Bar Brawl]] (whether or not the PCs started it).

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* [[Badass Grandpa|Bill]] from [[Left 4 Dead]]. A former (so technically retired) Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam.

* Buddy Cheque, Abner Dubbleplay, and Erik Stream from ''[[Backyard Sports]]''. Barry Dejay seems like this, but he's not officially retired; he just has a broken ankle (and is a [[Ted Baxter]] rather than a badass).

* ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'' has Dr. Mordin Solus, an old <ref> Technically, he is in his early thirties, but given the Salarian short life span it makes him a seasoned adult</ref> Salarian doctor who set up a free clinic in the slums of a space-borne [[Wretched Hive]] so he could [[The Atoner|spent his final years helping people]]. He is also a former black ops science specialist who's very handy with a submachine gun, casually murders mercenaries who try to shake his clinic down and hangs their corpses outside as a warning, and willingly enlists on a suicide mission to stop the Collectors and their Reaper masters.

* ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'' has Dr. Mordin Solus, an old <ref>Technically, he is in his early thirties, but given the Salarian short life span it makes him a seasoned adult</ref> Salarian doctor who set up a free clinic in the slums of a space-borne [[Wretched Hive]] so he could [[The Atoner|spent his final years helping people]]. He is also a former black ops science specialist who's very handy with a submachine gun, casually murders mercenaries who try to shake his clinic down and hangs their corpses outside as a warning, and willingly enlists on a suicide mission to stop the Collectors and their Reaper masters.

* Ford Cruller from ''[[Psychonauts]]'' is retired, due mainly to {{spoiler|a past battle shattering his mind into several personalities}}. This problem is remedied by the presence of psiantium, leading to {{spoiler|a rather dramatic entrance during Sasha and Milla's battle with Oleander}}.

* ''[[Arcanum]]: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura'' has an interesting example. Late game, you run into {{spoiler|the elven mage Nasrudin, chilling on an uncharted island, after being thought dead for lord knows how many years. What's particularly shocking, however, is that the entire plot up until this point has lead you to believe that you're the living one, the reincarnation of Nasrudin.}}.

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== [[Web Comics]] ==

* Played with in [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/6/25/ this] example of [[Catch Phrase|dreaded continuity]] from ''[[Penny Arcade]]''.

* ~~ShinÃ~~© and Shaedo in ''[http://www.newrem.com NewRem Comics]''. Both characters had played major parts in saving the world, the former even having at one point been made the world's goddess, before moving on to lives of internet-trolling and video-game playing, respectively.

* ShinÃ© and Shaedo in ''[http://www.newrem.com NewRem Comics]''. Both characters had played major parts in saving the world, the former even having at one point been made the world's goddess, before moving on to lives of internet-trolling and video-game playing, respectively.

* In ''[[Bruno the Bandit]]'', the protagonist's mother Eunyce is eventually revealed to be one of these. Before that, she's entirely retired; afterward, she comes out of retirement more or less permanently, ready to use her skills whenever necessary.

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' gave us:

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* Edward Teach aka Blackbeard retired from piracy after ditching most of his crew and settled down to live as a country gentleman in South Carolina. Of course, this didn't keep him from taking the old ship out every once in a while and indulging in some piracy when he got bored. Bribes to the governor and local judges ensured that the authorities looked the other way.

* John L. Burns was a veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. At the ripe old age of 68, he was constable of Gettysburg PA. The Civil War Battle of Gettysburg began a few months shy of his 70th birthday, and Burns snagged his old flintlock and walked out to the battle lines. His ass-kicking abilities undiminished by age, he joined the Union soldiers (who were mostly a third or a quarter of his age) and showed them how it was done, even shooting a Confederate officer off his horse. Neither you or I will be this cool when we're 70.

* Buzz ~~Aldrin--former~~ NASA astronaut, decorated Air Force fighter pilot, second man to walk on the moon, MIT doctoral degree holder, and well...you get the ~~idea--had~~ enough of conspiracy theorist crackpot Bart Sibrel's heckling and punched him right in the kisser [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOo6aHSY8hU on video] when he was [[Badass Grandpa|72 years old]] And despite taking place in September 2002, the incident is ''still'' the second suggested result when "Buzz Aldrin" is typed into Google search.

* Buzz Aldrin—former NASA astronaut, decorated Air Force fighter pilot, second man to walk on the moon, MIT doctoral degree holder, and well...you get the idea—had enough of conspiracy theorist crackpot Bart Sibrel's heckling and punched him right in the kisser [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOo6aHSY8hU on video] when he was [[Badass Grandpa|72 years old]] And despite taking place in September 2002, the incident is ''still'' the second suggested result when "Buzz Aldrin" is typed into Google search.

* Cinncinatus, the retired Roman general, came out of retirement and saved Rome from invaders. Then he retired back to his farm rather than submitting to the temptation to use his fame to make himself an [[Evil Overlord]]. In doing so he was held up to Roman Schoolboys for ages after as an example of faithful public service.

* General, later Field Marshal and even later President, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, born 1867. He made his lifetime career in the Czarist Russian army, retiring as a fully serving General of Cavalry of the Lifeguards in 1917, having participated in both Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905 and WWI 1914-1917. After the declaration of Independence of Finland December 1917, he was pleaded to become the commander-in-chief of the White Army. After the Finnish Civil War he retired. Little did he know that his [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] was yet to become. His happy pensioneer's days were over in 1939, when the Winter War began. Again he was called to service, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Army. He was promoted to Field Marshal in 1940, and he served as the Supreme Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces until the end of the Continuation War. After the Armstice with USSR 1944 and resignation of President Risto Ryti, he was nominated as ''the President of Finland''. Why? Because [[Worthy Opponent|he was the only person both Finns and Soviets could trust]]. He passed away in 1951.