History Main / BodyguardLegacy

* ''Manga/BinboGamiGa'': Has this relationship with Nadeshiko Adenokouji and her butler Shinobu. Shinobu's family has served the Adenokouji for generations, with each member assigned to a given person, Shinobu ending up with Nadeshiko since childhood. He's also tasked with eliminating threats behind her back to ensure her safety.

* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': The Butler family have been raising their children to become bodyguards to the Fowl family ever since Virgil Butler was contracted to be a bodyguard, servant, and cook to Lord Hugo de Fole in the middle ages. Some in-universe etymologists theorise that the word "butler" came to mean "chief servant" [[BeenThereShapedHistory specifically because of the relationship between their families]].

Instilling the importance of the role from a young age can help ensure the bodyguards won't [[BodyGuardBetrayal betray their liege]], though exceptions do exist.

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* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': Ortus Nigenad has, nominally, succeeded his late father as [[SwordAndSorcerer Cavalier Primary]] to the ruling {{Necromancer}}s of the Ninth House. This proves to be a problem as unlike his father, he's a poet with no skill or taste for combat. In ''Literature/GideonTheNinth'', he runs away when called to active duty and is hastily replaced with the protagonist.

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* ''Literature/NewJediOrder'': Defied. After Chewbacca's death, some of his family step up to assume his Life Debt to Han Solo (and by extension, Leia, Luke, and the Solo children). Han refuses them since he's still raw from Chewie's death and doesn't want anyone else, especially Wookiees of Chewie's own family, dying because of him.

* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'': The Morinozuka family is sworn to protect the Haninozuka family ([[BodyguardingABadass whether it's necessary or not]]). As such, host Takashi Morinozuka acts as Mitsukuni "Hani" Haninozuka's bodyguard and overall big brother figure (even though Hani is [[OlderThanTheyLook older than anyone else]] in the club as well as probably the strongest fighter in the setting).

* ''Fanfic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': Chapter 6 of the sequel ''Picking Up the Pieces'' reveals that in each Changeling hive, there is a family who are bred to protect the Changelings' Royal Family, the Sages of the Past and the Hivemind Body. Each generation, the current Royal Protector (the designated bodyguard for the current Queen) fathers a set of triplets, the oldest of whom becomes the next Royal Protector, while his brothers become the Sage's Protector and the Hivemind Protector, respectively.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': During the reign of House Targaryen, seven Darklyns served in the elite Kingsguard, far more than any other family. They were so proud of this fact that they displayed seven white shields, the symbol of the Kingsguard, on their coat of arms. This was before [[TheCaligula King Aerys II]] decided to [[FamilyExtermination execute their entire family]] for rising in rebellion and taking him prisoner.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': The Butler family have been raising their children to become bodyguards to the Fowl family ever since Virgil Butler was contracted to be a bodyguard, servant and cook to Lord Hugo de Fole in the middle ages. Some in-universe etymologists theorise that the word "butler" came to mean "chief servant" [[BeenThereShapedHistory specifically because of the relationship between their families]].

* ''Literature/TheHeirsOfAlexandria'': An ancient blood-debt binds the members of the Icelandic Clann Harald to guard and teach the Hohenstauffen heirs and potential heirs. The first book in the series opens with Erik Hakkonsen renewing the family vow and becoming Manfred's bodyguard.

* ''Literature/NewJediOrder'': Defied. After Chewbacca's death, some of his family step up to assume his Life Debt to Han Solo (and by extension, Leia, Luke, and the Solo children). Han refuses them, since he's still raw from Chewie's death and doesn't want anyone else, especially Wookiees of Chewie's own family, dying because of him.

* ''Series/PairOfKings'': As revealed in "The Evil King" that the Makoola family have worked to protect the Kings of Kinkow ever since the first [[SiblingsShareTheThrone Twin Kings]]. It being Mason's ancestor who stopped King [[EvilTwin Kalakai]] from killing his good hearted brother [[TheGoodKing King Malakai]], when during a duel they fell into his quarters and Kalakai attempted to deliver the killing blow to his vulnerable brother.

* ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'': Both Koinumaru and Inuwaka clan of [[LittleBitBeastly dog]] ninjas try to select and train retainers for the Millennium Guardian, Kamui Tokinomiya. The former clan was able to send Konoha to be a retainer for Kamui, Nazuna and Akane coming from the latter clan to try to be Kamui's retainers as well.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'': Bayek is the last of a long line of Medjay, a group of elite warriors who served as peace-keeping police force of sort, protecting Egypt and her people, answering to the Pharaoh. Bayek inherited the role of Medjay from his father Sabu and intended to train his own son, Khemu, to continue the tradition. However, both Sabu and Khemu are killed as the result of tragic betrayals instigated by power hungry royals. Over the course of the story, Bayek has largely disavowed his oath of protection to the ruling class, but there is an arcing mission that requires him to carry out objectives for Cleopatra and help her get to a hostile location safely. Bayek's need for vengeance and justice for his family and the betrayal by the very leaders he swore to protect leads to the creation of the Hidden Ones, precursors to the Assassin's Brotherhood, a guild that serves more generally as protectors of the common man from elite rule. Many Assassins are also born and raised in the Brotherhood.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': The Crownguards are a long line of personal guards to the emperor of Demacia, the latest two being Garen and Lux. Garen plays the role straighter being a high ranking official in the Demacian military and Emperor Jarvan IV's close friend since youth.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'': The Goshin Clan mainly exist to look over the Reincarnation Orb, which is [[spoiler:the "sealed" form of Kagura]]. "Naraku" is the name given to the person who is tasked to look over the Reincarnation Orb [[spoiler:once Kagura reawakens and recover the Orb once Kagura inevitably exhausts her body to the point of self-destruction.]]

It is a simple fact of life that in some roles protection is essential. In spite of the many benefits of authority and/or importance one universal downside is that it tends to attract the attention of those who mean you harm. In short you need bodyguards. But the question that had troubled many throughout the centuries is how can you ensure that your protectors are both capable and loyal?

You could [[PraetorianGuard form an elite unit of the strongest soldiers]] supposedly loyal only to you, turn your defence over to [[CadreOfForeignBodyguards skilled foreign warriors]] unlikely to be swayed by local politics, or simply go for [[BodyguardBabes gorgeous but deadly women]]. However, some end up deciding that it's an occupation best [[BadassFamily kept in family]].

The Bodyguard Legacy is when protecting a position (or individual) is a responsibility handled by members of the same family, generation after generation, with the children of the previous bodyguard inheriting the mantle (and quite often training for the position their entire lives). The reasons for this tradition can vary greatly. It might be linked to FamilyHonour, it might be due the feeling of a debt they owe, or it might simply be that the first one was so good at the job that it was made their official legacy.

By instilling the importance of the role from a young age, this can help ensure the bodyguards won't [[BodyGuardBetrayal betray their liege]], though exceptions do exist.

A Subtrope of LegacyOfService which also involves the responsibilities of serving being passed down through a family, only focusing on specifically protection rather than more general employment.

!!!Examples:
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Indexes: ProtectiveTropes, ServantTropes, LegacyTropes