History Main / BattleButler

* Falkon in ''Film/RedSonja'' is a meek servant to the young Prince, but also a stalwart warrior, when the need arises.

** And in ''ComicBook/PublicEnemies'', he guarded the cave with a shotgun.

* In ''Literature/TrashOfTheCountsFamily'', being an AlmightyJanitor is a requirement for working in the Henituse household. The two butlers we see are [[ProfessionalKiller Ron]] and [[ServileSnarker Hans]]. [[InformedAbility Although we don't see much of Hans' abilities]], [[CoolOldGuy Ron]] is one of the best fighters in the series.

** A great deal of a typical game session consists of the maid characters conflicting with each other (not normally at a PvP-ish level) due to personality clashes, outside loyalties (none of them technically being against the Master's side in no way means they need to be on the same side, or that of society or sanity), domestic squabbles and general random weirdness going on at the same time. This also tends to repeatedly put maids into situations they're individually very badly suited for. While the role of a butler isn't absolutely necessary, a butler explicitly being required to be above it all makes one useful to have around both to keep the other players at least working together whenever the plot demands it and to give to a player who isn't comfortable mixed up in the competitive elements.

* Bevan the butler in ''Film/WouldYouRather''. He's a former MI5 operative, skilled in torture techniques, and has absolutely ''no'' qualms about shooting people dead.

* Jarvis, the butler of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''. He's not anywhere near Alfred-level badass but he's got some military background of his own.
* Alfred Pennyworth, essentially Franchise/{{Batman}}'s [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(military) batman.]] Not exactly a ''battle'' butler, but his skill at espionage and disguise rivals Batman's, and as a retired secret agent he knows his way around a shotgun. A former combat medic, he's also a skilled surgeon, and has served as Batman's private physician over the years (just think how tough ''that'' job must be...)

** From the ''{{Elseworlds}}'' story "Dark Allegiances" by Creator/HowardChaykin comes this magnificent exchange:

* Zinda Blake, Lady ComicBook/{{Blackhawk}}, was hired by Oracle as the pilot and general mission support for the ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey. However, being a superhero in her own right, she never just stays with the vehicles. In the 2010 relaunch of the series, when she winds up stuck in another life-or-death situation, [[LampshadeHanging she points out that she was just supposed to be the pilot.]]
* In the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse, one of the many duties of Quackmore, [[HypercompetentSidekick Scrooge's extremely skilled butler]], is to maintain and, if necessary, operate the defenses of the Money Bin-including the ''artillery''.
* Wong, mystical martial artist and servant to ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange''. He's skilled in the martial arts of Kamar-Taj, and also has rudimentary knowledge of magic.
** In the mini-series ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'', Strange reveals that Wong has been his tutor in the martial arts over the years:

* Tyler, ComicBook/LargoWinch's butler during the Venise arc of the young millionaire's adventures. Ten pages or so after his introduction, he ''[[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impales a mafioso sent after Largo with a parasol]]''. Largo notes that despite being an uptight Englishman in his sixties, Tyler can save his life twice, shoot four men, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking quote Chateaubriand]] in a single day of work. [[spoiler: Tyler's martial prowess comes from the fact that he is a retired British soldier hired by Robert Cotton to spy on and manipulate Largo.]]
%%* ComicBook/LexLuthor has [[DarkActionGirl Mercy]].

* Bryan Hand from ''ComicBook/MsTree''. Mr Hand was officially employed as Mike, Jr.'s tutor. However, Mr Hand is also a former SAS trooper and ex-mercenary. Michael hired him because he could double as Mike, Jr.'s bodyguard; a function he performed frequently throughout the series.
* Crete, Agustus Medici's hulking butler in ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets''.

* Cadbury, butler to ComicBook/RichieRich and the Rich Family, has a skill set large enough to qualify him for the mask and cape crowd.

* Manute from ''ComicBook/SinCity'' fills this role for Ava Lord in "A Dame to Kill For" and for mob boss Wallenquist in "The Big Fat Kill."
* An issue of ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel1977'' had Darth Vader himself traveling with ''three'' servants, all highly-trained assassins. One wonders if there's an agency somewhere in the Galaxy. That said, they all die attempting to inhume Princess Leia over the course of the issue.

%%* Peabody from ''ComicBook/{{Zot}}''

* Escargoon, Dedede's butler/servant/secretary from the ''Anime/{{Kirby|Right Back At Ya}}'' anime is often described as a Battle Butler. While he doesn't engage in close combat with any effectiveness (even Dedede can [[DropTheHammer best him in that department]]), he's often seen leading the troops and managing the combat machines.

If a Battle Butler is female she will probably [[BadassInANiceSuit wear a suit]], even if she is called a maid. If she does wear an appropriate [[{{Meido}} maid]] outfit, she is a NinjaMaid. 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 TheDragon if their master is the BigBad.

* In ''Film/{{Sunset}}'', Alfie's chauffer Arthur doubles as his enforcer: being used to intimidate and rough up those Alfie finds annoying. Unfortunately for Arthur, over the course of the movie, [[MuggingTheMonster he repeatedly attempts this on people who are much tougher than they look; like Wyatt Earp]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''

* Riffael "Riff" Raffit of the Hargreaves family in ''Manga/CountCain''.

* Wynnfield from ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}''. He doesn't look like much, but his fight scene features him ''[[GoodOldFisticuffs boxing]]'' a ''[[MultiArmedAndDangerous four-armed]]'' {{samurai}}.
* In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', Wormmon acts as a (not especially useful) Battle Butler for Ken, getting nothing but insults and whippings in return. [[spoiler:Ken comes to regret abusing Wormmon, though, after he performs his HeelFaceTurn.]]
* Gaomon from ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad''. He is not only Toma's partner on the battlefield, he is also Toma's butler in his manor, often seen serving him tea. Hell, his catchphrase is [[GratuitousEnglish "Yes, Master."]]. You'd be lying if that doesn't remind you to [[Manga/BlackButler Sebastian's "Yes, My Lord".]]

* ''Anime/DragonautTheResonance'' has Amadeus, Sieglinde's dragon.

* From ''[[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai]]'' we have Kasai. [[spoiler: With his occasionally {{Yandere}} 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]]

* Vanilla Ice in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. He's ''so'' faithful to Dio that when Dio asks him to slice off his own head, he proceeds to do so with no hesitation. He got better.
** A lesser example can be found in Rozas, Miss Holly's Butler. When a musclebound thug threatens his mistress, Rozas springs into action, sending him sailing with a single kick - this in spite of the fact that the guy is twice his size and probably less than half his age.

* Jodo from the second ''Lupin III'' movie, ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' diligently serves the Count, even serving as one of his ninjas and [[spoiler:taking down Zenigata's stolen autogyro and Lupin himself with a rooftop-mounted machine gun.]] At the end, he [[spoiler:asks Goemon to kill him, since he has no purpose but to serve the (now-dead) Count.]]

* Raymond Bishop, butler to Neo France's George de Sands, has a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome as a Battle Butler in ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam''.
* Hong Long, [[{{Ojou}} Wang Liu Mei's]] butler/[[spoiler:brother]] in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00''.

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
** Setsuna to Konoka.
** Chachamaru to Evangeline.
** Ostia's Governor General, Kurt Godel seem to have one of those.
* Delia Ketchum of ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' has a powerful Mr. Mime as a housekeeper of sorts that helps her with household chores. The team of Delia and Mr. Mime had, on at least one occasion, helped protect the nearby Pokémon Lab from a Team Rocket attack.

* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', the Berlitz family's old butler, Sebastian, shows a reasonable amount of battling skill when he thinks Dia is an intruder on the estate. You really can't blame him for being a bit paranoid after what recently happened to his masters.
* Alfred from ''VisualNovel/PrincessLover''. When Princess Charlotte's carriage is attacked by a group of thugs in a jeep, despite appearing elderly he leaps into their vehicle and starts beating the crap out of them. The leader pulls a pistol on him and he removes its slide (ala Creator/JetLi in ''Film/LethalWeapon4'') before the thug can even think about pulling the trigger. If not for Charlotte's carriage crashing in the process, main character [[TheHero Teppei]]'s own attempted rescue would've been completely superfluous in the face of Alfred's badassery.

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' Noah has Gopher, a young (may or may not be an artificial creation) minion who serves Noah unquestioningly. So far ''unsuccessfully'', but he's determined, at least. Mosquito is a clearer example, being Arachne's Battle Butler. And he's a far more effective one beating Kid rather brutally before getting owned by his Defence Mechanism Superpower. Both are devoted to their respective masters.

* Taijir from ''VisualNovel/TheyAreMyNobleMasters'' is a loyal butler, and a retired mercenary. A ''flick'' from his finger has enough force to send Ren into solid rock. Oh, he can also do Ki attacks.

** There's also Kagura Mutsuki's assistant, Hibiki Kohaku although not at first. It took until [[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction the fourth game]] to really show off his skills. He's an assassin/ninja, and looks strikingly like [[Franchise/AttackOnTitan Captain Levi]].

* Every Jarl in the province of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' has a Housecarl in charge of his or her protection. By becoming the Thane of a city, you can get a Housecarl of your own, who is charged with guarding you and all you own with his or her life and is a very able ally in your adventures. In addition, the Hearthfire DLC also allows you to designate a Steward for your home.

** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' you have YesMan, a semi-immortal robot who is loyal only to you (because only you can get into the building where he lives) and he commands an army of highly advanced kill bots with Wolverine-like healing factors.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy''

* Thoma from ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' is the housekeeper and chief retainer of the powerful Kamisato Clan, at least on paper. But besides household chores, he is also an exceptionally well-connected [[TheFixer Fixer]] that can handle just about any task that is necessary in service of the Yashiro Commission. He's also a skilled warrior in his own right, with a Pyro Vision and the courage necessary to [[spoiler: throw a spear at the [[PhysicalGod Raiden Shogun]]'s face]]

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', you can [[http://www.wowhead.com/item=65923 get three Battle Butlers of your own]].

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Rick Arrowsmith from the VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/BulletButlers'', by Ocelot. A bishonen gun-wielding butler with ScaryShinyGlasses, he's unquestionably loyal to his master, Selma Fortenmayer (Which may have something to do with her role as the potential savior of the world). Interestingly enough, he's the protagonist of the game, not a side-character.
* [[spoiler: Mizoguchi]] from BL Visual Novel ''Hadaka Shitsuji'' definitely counts. He's essentially a bodybuilder with experience in martial arts in a suit. One event has him literally kick a metal door off the hinges and run after a speeding taxi.
* Albert, Sakuya's butler in ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'', is actually [[spoiler: an assassin posing as a butler.]] Sakuya knows this and has him just where he wants him -- [[spoiler: poised to kill Sakuya if Sakuya gave the signal, and defending him with his life against other assassins who might steal his kill.]]
* Amaki in ''VisualNovel/{{Morenatsu}}'' is implied to be one of these many times, with such quotes as "how did he get behind me so silently" If you do a certain [[RapeAsDrama action]] to one of the love interests he calls you out to the park the next day and warns you "anything that hurts or confuses" his charge "should be removed"
* ''VisualNovel/PrincessEvangile'' has Masaya in the ending of Ruriko's route [[spoiler: become the family butler for the Kamiyagi family, in order to prove himself worthy of being with her following his expulsion from Vincennes. On the side, he also acts as Ruriko's personal bodyguard, having already proven himself to be able to fight back during the common route.]]
* Bark in ''VisualNovel/TickTack'' is the head butler and, supposedly, an expert fighter. [[InformedAttribute This never comes up.]]
* Kanon, Ronove and Genji from ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry''. Kanon and Genji are both human servants of the Ushiromiya family, but in the fantasy-themed scenes, they display potent magical power and can hold their own against magical creatures. Ronove is a demon who is usually employed as a servant (he apparently makes amazing cookies), but is also a powerful combatant. It's more apparent for Kanon and Ronove in their appearances in ''VideoGame/UminekoGoldenFantasia''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'s long-suffering valet, Sir Arthur Henry Woodhouse. When the fighter pilot he batted for in World War I was killed by a German sniper, Woodhouse stormed and single-handedly cleared the enemy trench with a combat knife. Before he was discharged, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge he killed--and]] ''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge scalped]]'' [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge --50 Germans]], earning the Victoria Cross. Even in his extreme old age, he kept twin double-barreled sawed-off shotguns--which Archer occasionally "borrowed"--as his personal sidearms. When he believed that an officer he had clashed with during the war was coming to kill him, he and an old war buddy completely fortified Archer's apartment; complete with ''machine gun nests!'' His [[spoiler: gravestone]] revealed that he had been awarded some of the United Kingdom's highest military honors, listing him as "Arthur Henry Woodhouse VC, GBC, DSO, DSC, MC."

* Walter C. [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Dolnez/Dornez]] from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' is a rather literal example. Not only is he incredibly badass and able to kill armies of vampires with his RazorFloss since he was 14 years old, but his devotion to Integra and the British crown is unquestioned. [[spoiler:Until his still questioned FaceHeelTurn, making him some kind of BloodKnight or so.]].

* The Dark Lovers from ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch''; as their name implies, they represent different types of false love, and are all obsessed with their Master, Gackto ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS Gakuto]] if you prefer the {{scanlation}}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.]]

** There's this quote from the [[http://youtu.be/5uIVkhtU1Ls?t=7m59s second]] one-shot [[TheAbridgedSeries abridged series]] that sums up this trope nicely.
--->'''Walter:''' Hello, my name is Walter C. Dornez, [[RetiredBadass ex-vampire hunter]] and butler to the Hellsing Organization. I answer the door, I clean up the estate, and I [[DoubleEntendre take out]] [[PreAssKickingOneliner the trash]]. And I also kill self-entitled little twats like yourself.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':

* ''Literature/ASongOfFireAndIce'': As First Steward, Marsh supervises the Night's Watch members who provide food, clothing, animal care, and indoor maintenance to the rest of the group, making him like a butler with an unusually large staff. He leads a contingent of men to defend the Bridge of Skulls from Mance's army.

* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', Rachel Alucard's butler Valkenhyn R. Hellsing brews a mean cup of tea and is always deferential to "Madame Rachel" -- and he's a werewolf. Oh, and he was also one of the Six Heroes who [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kicked the Black Beast's ass a century ago]].
** There's also Kagura Mutsuki's assistant, Hibiki Kohaku although not at first. It took until the [[VideoGame/BlazblueCentralFiction fourth game]] to really show off his skills. He's an assassin/ninja, and looks strikingly like [[Franchise/AttackOnTitan Captain Levi]].

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'' Ward inherits not only one, but two of those when his father dies. Axiel is more the standard variety, a valet who is also a good fighter, while Oreg is not only trained as an assassin, he's also a powerful mage and a kind of ghost who is magically bound to a ring.

* In the Literature/HoratioHornblower novel ''Flying Colours'', Hornblower decides to bring his burly coxswain Brown on the road to his and Bush's would-be execution as a "servant" because he'd be a useful man in an escape attempt. Afterwards, Hornblower employs him as an ''actual'' butler.

* WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'s long-suffering valet, Sir Arthur Henry Woodhouse. When the fighter pilot he batted for in World War I was killed by a German sniper, Woodhouse stormed and single-handedly cleared the enemy trench with a combat knife. Before he was discharged, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge he killed--and]] ''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge scalped]]'' [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge --50 Germans]], earning the Victoria Cross. Even in his extreme old age, he kept twin double-barreled sawed-off shotguns--which Archer occasionally "borrowed"--as his personal sidearms. When he believed that an officer he had clashed with during the war was coming to kill him, he and an old war buddy completely fortified Archer's apartment; complete with ''machine gun nests!'' His [[spoiler: gravestone]] revealed that he had been awarded some of the United Kingdom's highest military honors, listing him as "Arthur Henery Woodhouse VC, GBC, DSO, DSC, MC."

** Sebastian Michaelis ''is'' this trope. He could have written this trope all on his own, and made you tea and a five-star nine-course banquet in the meantime. After all, [[Main/CatchPhrase he's simply one hell of a butler.]]

* Gaomon from ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad''. He is not only Toma's partner on the battlefield, he is also Toma's butler in his manor, often seen serving him tea. Hell, his CatchPhrase is [[GratuitousEnglish "Yes, Master."]]. You'd be lying if that doesn't remind you to [[Manga/BlackButler Sebastian's "Yes, My Lord".]]

** In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', your robot butler Codsworth ([[AbsurdlyDedicatedWorker who waited for 210 years]] for [[HumanPopsicle you]] to come home) can become one of your followers. He's pretty ''handy'' with his buzzsaw, and his blowtorch makes a decent flamethrower. With the ''Automaton'' DLC, he can be modded out with bigger guns and tougher armor, making him much more dangerous.

* Moving to Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's World of the Five Gods, Lady Tanar's albino eunuch secretary/bodyguard Surakos Bosha from the Penric series (who appears in ''The Prisoner of Limnos'' and ''The Assassins of Thasalon'') certainly qualifies. He's an excellent secretary and personal attendant, and also a skilled assassin.

* Glorfindel in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Granted, his specific position is never stated: but his normal role doesn't seem to be combat related, since he doesn't dress in armor or carry weapons most of the time. He certainly speaks to Elrond the way that a butler might be expected to. However, he has led Rivendell's military in the past and to great effect: notably at the Battle of the Last Alliance, and during the wars with Angmar. In the book it is revealed that the Ringwraiths are terrified of him, and for good reason: he's as powerful as a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Maia]], possibly even close to Sauron's power level. He is an example of an otherwise normal (well, normal for a Noldor elf) character TakingALevelInBadass. He's actually a reincarnated hero of the First Age, a Lord of Gondolin famous for killing a balrog (the name for evil Maiar of lesser power than Sauron). The reason he's serving Elrond is presumably because Elrond is the great-grandson of his previous lord, Turgon. However it should be noted that this would be Glorfindel's choice: as his oath of fealty to Turgon wouldn't require him to serve Turgon's heirs. Elves, being immortal, swear their oaths to individuals rather than families. Since the inhabitants of Gondolin were primarily Turgon's household servants and/or distant relatives (Glórfindel seems to have been both), he could qualify for this trope in relation to Turgon as well. Given that his house was named "The Golden Flower", it's a pretty safe bet that their primary duties weren't related to combat: but Glorfindel himself was evidently a badass even back then.

* Glórfindel in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. Granted, his specific position is never stated: but his normal role doesn't seem to be combat related, since he doesn't dress in armor or carry weapons most of the time. He certainly speaks to Elrond the way that a butler might be expected to. However, he has led Rivendell's military in the past and to great effect: notably at the Battle of the Last Alliance, and during the wars with Angmar. In the book it is revealed that the Ringwraiths are terrified of him, and for good reason: he's as powerful as a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Maia]], possibly even close to Sauron's power level. He is an example of an otherwise normal (well, normal for a Noldor elf) character TakingALevelInBadass. He's actually a reincarnated hero of the First Age, a Lord of Gondolin famous for killing a balrog (the name for evil Maiar of lesser power than Sauron). The reason he's serving Elrond is presumably because Elrond is the great-grandson of his previous lord, Turgon. However it should be noted that this would be Glórfindel's choice: as his oath of fealty to Turgon wouldn't require him to serve Turgon's heirs. Elves, being immortal, swear their oaths to individuals rather than families. Since the inhabitants of Gondolin were primarily Turgon's household servants and/or distant relatives (Glórfindel seems to have been both), he could qualify for this trope in relation to Turgon as well. Given that his house was named "The Golden Flower", it's a pretty safe bet that their primary duties weren't related to combat: but Glórfindel himself was evidently a badass even back then.

* ''Franchise/JohnWick'' has Charon, the concierge of the New York Continental Hotel. The place serves as a safe haven and neutral ground for assassins (of which nearly everyone in the city seems to be), and while he's content to stand his post at the front desk and offer any and all services required by his patrons with impeccable professionalism, he's more than capable of handling a variety of weapons should the need arise.