History Main / NoBadassToHisValet

* ''FullmetalAlchemist'' has Roy Mustang, the powerful and intimidating Flame Alchemist, a {{Chessmaster}} and ColonelBadass who exudes authority. Half a step behind him is Riza Hawkeye, his oldest friend, personal assistant, and the only person who can mouth off to him without any possibility of retaliation. She acts as his secretary, bodyguard, and conscience, and is not above doing things like kicking his legs out from under him to stop him from entering a fight he can't win. Needless to say, her loyalty is completely beyond question and there is no one Roy trusts more; she's even the only person in the entire series to see him cry. (And yes, there's a lot of ShipTease happening there, because EveryoneCanSeeIt.)

* 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 Pennysworth is afraid of ''no one''. Being a former SAS commando can do that to you.

* Ginny Weasley shows signs of this in ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''. Everyone else is terrified of Harry's angsty rampages. Ginny cooly and calmly defuses him.

* Kif Kroker from Futurama knows all too well that Zapp Brannigan is nothing more than a cowardly braggart whose "exploits" are sewn wholesale from a lavish blend of [[KillEmAll sending wave after wave of his own men to their deaths]], [[SuicideMission turning any mission into a death sentence]] and [[BlatantLie outright lies.]] Any such comment from Zapp is inevitably met with [[DeadpanSnarker snark and a depressed sigh.]]

* Kif Kroker from FutuRama knows all too well that Zapp Brannigan is nothing more than a cowardly braggart whose "exploits" are sewn wholesale from a lavish blend of [[KillEmAll sending wave after wave of his own men to their deaths]], [[SuicideMission turning any mission into a death sentence]] and [[BlatantLie outright lies.]] Any such comment from Zapp is inevitably met with [[DeadpanSnarker snark and a depressed sigh.]]

* Similar to the Bleach example, from FullmetalAlchemist we have [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Mei], who has absolutely no fear of [[SerialKiller Scar.]]

* [[FireEmblem Ike]] is like this to anyone he meets, though once they join the player party people learn he really isn't that mean.

* Also from ''YuYuHakusho'', Kurama is pretty much the only one who can make fun of Hiei with no fear of vengeance whatsoever, being the closest thing he has to a best friend.
*** Actually, Hiei doesn't retaliate because he's scared of Kurama.

* In ''{{Durarara}}'', the typical reaction most people have to encountering [[TheBerserker Shizuo Heiwajima]] is to either run away in terror or to pick a fight with him in order to (fail to) prove their badassery. Tom's response, on the other hand, was to go, [[BullyingADragon "Yeah, those guys are dicks]]. Want to hang out?"

But for every intimidating loner, there's one person on whom their gruff exterior will have no effect. It could be because this person knows who they're dealing with personally, and, thus, don't really take their glares and threats seriously. It could also be because they're so innocent and upbeat that they don't even consider the loner's threatening exterior to be threatening. Whatever the case, they refuse (knowingly or otherwise) to be intimidated.

** Perhaps the very reason for the entire series. [[spoiler: Yusuke's Yokai ancestor Raizen was successfully seduced during his visit to Earth centuries ago by a sexy witch doctor who had absolutely no fear of him whatsoever, in a one-night stand where the two fell in true love. She later dies giving birth to their child. When he returned to Makai, sans offspring (who remains on Earth and continues the Urameshi bloodline) his heartfelt memory of her becames his MoralityChain as LoveRedeems him into a NobleDemon who refrains from eating humans (despite that being the only food his specific species can consume) , and inspires him to establish a ProudWarriorRace kingdom of fighting monks who also refrain from eating humans as well and who seek to spread that philosophy across the demon world.]]

** Perhaps the very reason for the entire series. [[spoilers: Yusuke's Yokai ancestor Raizen was successfully seduced during his visit to Earth centuries ago by a sexy witch doctor who had absolutely no fear of him whatsoever, in a one-night stand where the two fell in true love. She later dies giving birth to their child. When he returned to Makai, sans offspring (who remains on Earth and continues the Urameshi bloodline) his heartfelt memory of her becames his MoralityChain as LoveRedeems him into a NobleDemon who refrains from eating humans (despite that being the only food his specific species can consume) , and inspires him to establish a ProudWarriorRace kingdom of fighting monks who also refrain from eating humans as well and who seek to spread that philosophy across the demon world.]]

** Perhaps the very reason for the entire series. Yusuke's Yokai ancestor Raizen was successfully seduced during his visit to Earth centuries ago by a sexy witch doctor who had absolutely no fear of him whatsoever, in a one-night stand where the two fell in true love. When he returned to Makai, his heartfelt memory of her becames his MoralityChain as LoveRedeems him into a NobleDemon who refrains from eating humans (despite that being the only food his specific species can consume) , and inspires him to establish a ProudWarriorRace kingdom of fighting monks who also refrain from eating humans as well and who seek to spread that philosophy across the demon world. Meanwhile, on Earth, the witchdoctor gives birth to their child, creating the Urameshi bloodline.

** Perhaps the very reason for the entire series. Yusuke's Yokai ancestor Raizen was successfully seduced during his visit to Earth centuries ago by a sexy witch doctor who had absolutely no fear of him whatsoever, in a one-night stand where the two fell in true love. When he returned to Makai, his heartfelt memory of her becames his MoralityChain that converts him into a NobleDemon who refrains from eating humans (despite that being the only food his specific species can consume) , and inspires him to establish a ProudWarriorRace kingdom of fighting monks who also refrain from eating humans as well and who seek to spread that philosophy across the demon world. Meanwhile, on Earth, the witchdoctor gives birth to their child, creating the Urameshi bloodline.

** Perhaps the very reason for the entire series. Yusuke's Yokai ancestor Raizen was successfully seduced during his visit to Earth centuries ago by a sexy witch doctor who had absolutely no fear of him whatsoever, in a one-night stand where the two fell in true love. When he returned to Makai, his heartfelt memory of her becames his MoralityChain that converts him into a NobleDemon who refrains from eating humans (despite that being the only food his specific species can consume) , and inspires him to establish ProudWarriorRace kingdom of fighting monks who also refrain from eating humans as well. Meanwhile, on Earth, the witchdoctor gives birth to their child, creating the Urameshi bloodline.

** Also from ''YuYuHakusho'', Kurama is pretty much the only one who can make fun of Hiei with no fear of vengeance whatsoever, being the closest thing he has to a best friend.

* In {{Durarara}}, the typical reaction most people have to encountering [[TheBerserker Shizuo Heiwajima]] is to either run away in terror or to pick a fight with him in order to (fail to) prove their badassery. Tom's response, on the other hand, was to go, [[BullyingADragon "Yeah, those guys are dicks]]. Want to hang out?"

* Whistler is like this to {{Blade}}, though he's quite the {{Badass}} himself.

* ''{{Discworld}}'': Reformed GentlemanThief Moist Von Lipwig has his LoveInterest Adora Bell "Spike" Dearhart. Part of the reason he was attracted to her in the first place was because she wasn't fooled by him.

*** 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.

** Having grown up as Death's adopted daughter, Ysabell was utterly unintimidated [[AC:by his voice]]. His granddaughter, Susan, acts much the same way, as does his ''actual'' valet Alfred. Alfred 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.

[[AC:{{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 Pennysworth is afraid of ''no one''. Being a former SAS commando can do that to you.

** Having grown up as Death's adopted daughter, Ysabell was utterly unintimidated [[AC:by his voice]]. His granddaughter, Susan, acts much the same way, as does his ''actual'' valet Alfred. Alfred 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.

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]

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* In the StarTrek ExpandedUniverse, Federation President Bacco and Bajoran First Minister Asarem both have secretaries who embody this trope, as did Worf during his stretch as Klingon ambassador.