History Main / OldRetainer

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Alumik Edroch for Repelista Jahad.
* ''Webcomic/TheMansionOfE'': Schmedley Brittle to Sylvester and his family.

* Jiiya, from ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'', fits this role.

* In Creator/DanAbnett's Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''First & Only'', in the flashbacks, Gaunt is [[ParentalSubstitute close]] to his father's cook, Oric, who would watch the arriving spaceships with him, humoring his statements that his father was coming on one, and point out the constellations. (A mustered-out Jantine veteran, ironically enough in view of his later conflicts with the Jantine Patricians.)
* Literature/HarryPotter: House elves. Most of whom regard freedom as disgrace and strongly prefer to serve BlueBlood families. Kreacher strongly exemplifies the "upholding of standards" against the disloyal son whom he goes out of his way to antagonize and [[spoiler: manages to betray to his death in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'' and later his halfblood heir, Harry; it is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to do what he needed to do for Master Regulus in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' that his loyalty is won over. Also note the "Master Regulus" to refer to a son of the house who was an adult at the time]].

* For possibly the '''Oldest''' OldRetainer ever we have Jenkins, the robotic butler in Creator/CliffordSimak's novel, ''City''.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', by Creator/TerryPratchett:

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' Literature/HorusHeresy novel ''The Flight of the Eisenstein'', Garro has a housecarl, Kaleb, as his equerry, claiming him according to [[GoodOldWays an old tradition]] allowed after he failed to qualify as a SpaceMarine himself.. Some fellow Death Guard Space Marines [[NiceToTheWaiter sneer]] at that [[GoodIsOldFashioned as a tradition that makes no sense]], smacking of sentiment. [[spoiler:When the sneering marines are going to firebomb the betrayed loyalist marines on the planet, Garro's efforts to stop them do not end in his own death only because of Kaleb's HeroicSacrifice and death.]]

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' ''Literature/BloodAngels'' novels, Fenn, having failed to qualify as a SpaceMarine, has worked for Caceus so long and so well that he has received longevity treatments.

* Sergeant Hoong is a faithful OldRetainer of Literature/JudgeDee 's family. Though he watched the Judge grow up he gave up trying to understand how his mind worked long, long ago.

* John and Elisa Barrymore from [[Literature/SherlockHolmes Hound of the Baskervilles]]. John's family, on his account, have served the Baskervilles for generations. OTOH, they've got a secret of their own: [[spoiler: Elisa's younger brother is a SerialKiller that's on the loose, so they're morally obligated to cover up for him (he doesn't really want to, but she's very adamant into doing it, [[TearJerker and cries bitterly when Selden bites it]].)]]
* Creator/SandyMitchell's Literature/CiaphasCain has Jurgen. Not only is he unfailingly loyal, he has very strict notion on what is improper for a commissar to do because it is his aide's job, and even Cain can not sway him from them.
** When Jurgen is apparently killed in the first novel, Cain goes into shock.

* [[SassyBlackWoman Mammy]], the house slave from Literature/GoneWithTheWind, loyally stays with the main character even after [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar emancipation]].

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's Literature/ConanTheBarbarian story "Literature/AWitchShallBeBorn" Salome tells Tamarais that Krallides, her faithful councillor, had been caught, and killed. ColdBloodedTorture had ceased to affect her, but this brings her to tears again.

* Coram Smythesson, Alanna's manservant and man-at-arms in the ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' quartet. Smythessons have been serving Trebonds for as long as anyone can remember, and he faithfully sticks by Alanna's side through her page years, Bazhir deserts, and the Roof of the World. He's the one who changed her diapers, taught her how to hunt and fight, and takes a fatherly interest over her love interests. When her father dies, he acts as steward of the Trebond lands.
* In the last book of the ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' quartet, ''Lioness Rampant'', Buri reveals that her family has served [[RebelliousPrincess Thayet's]] mother's family for generations.

* Collins is this for both Falkland and Caleb in ''Literature/CalebWilliams''. He is Falkland’s faithful steward (the only one who can bring Falkland back from his nighttime hikes), but also a father figure to Caleb, who calls him, “[m]y best, my oldest friend!”

* Mr. Amos (among others) in ''Literature/ConradsFate''. Subverted at the end, when it turns out that [[spoiler:he is actually the [[ImpoverishedPatrician Count himself]] gone undercover to maintain the family fortunes]].

* Literature/HarryPotter: House elves. Most of whom regard freedom as disgrace and strongly prefer to serve BlueBlood families. Kreacher strongly exemplifies the "upholding of standards" against the disloyal son whom he goes out of his way to antagonize and [[spoiler: manages to betray to his death in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'' and later his halfblood heir, Harry; it is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to do what he needed to do for Master Regulus in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' that his loyalty is won over. (Also note the "Master Regulus" to refer to a son of the house who was an adult at the time]].

->''"I always thought you were like a...well, slave's the wrong word, but...really? Mother ''pays'' you?"''

* [[Anime/{{Madlax}} The Bakers have served the Burtons for centuries!]]

* In ''LightNovel/TheStoryOfSaiunkoku'', Shi Seiran to protagonist Kou Shuurei and her father Kou Shouka. He is more of a family than anything else.

* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': [[TheArchmage High Wizard]] Razen has served the royal family and country of Falmuth for ''centuries'', extending his lifespan via [[BodySurf stealing the bodies of others]] after destroying their original souls once his current one gets too old. He's especially proud of this legacy of service.

* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': [[TheArchmage High Wizard]] Razen has served the royal family and country of Falmuth for ''centuries'', extending his lifespan via [[GrandTheftMe stealing the bodies of others]] after destroying their original souls once his current one gets too old. He's especially proud of this legacy of service.

* Butler of ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''. The Butlers have worked for the Fowls for generations, and Butler also has a strong personal loyalty to Artemis.

* ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}'' has Old Adam Goodheart, who remains Robin/Ruthven's servant after his FaceHeelTurn.

** Kamek could also count for this, since it's canon that he was serving Bowser when his liege was a baby.

** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' Leon can happen upon a diary entry from the butler of the Salazar family. The diary entry talks about how the Los Illuminados that Saddler controls is a successor to a prior cult that Ramon Salazar's ancestor (the original owner of the castle) stamped out centuries ago. The reason why the cult harassed the original Salazar? The Las Plagas was buried underneath the castle, and centuries later Saddler came to collect. The butler laments that Saddler's rhetoric of how Salazar needs to atone for the sins of his ancestor is unfounded, and that the new cult is just as dangerous as the old one. Sadly, Salazar does not pay the butler any mind and obeys Saddler without question, but the butler resigns himself to serving his master, just as he did Salazar's father before him. The fate of the butler is never shown, but all the same his situation is unfortunate.

-->-- '''Sterling Archer''' to Woodhouse, ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Pneumann (from Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/TomStrong'' comic) was built by Tom's father, and helped raise Tom from infancy. Now he helps the Strong family fight crime and perform acts of derring-do.
** Particularly impressive in the Robots of Doom where [[spoiler: Pneuman essentially shrugs off a 70-year old robotic lobotimization because his "first loyalty will always be to you."]]
* Alfred Pennyworth of the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' mythos was the friend of Thomas and Martha Wayne before they got murdered in their DeathByOriginStory.
** He continues to refer to Bruce and [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick]] as "Master Bruce" and "Master Dick" mostly as a term of affection; he still sees them as his boys, rather than grown men.
* Comicbook/{{Superman}}'s Kryptonian robot servant Kelex, inherited from Jor-El by way of the Phantom Zone, tends the Fortress of Solitude and worries in a detached way about the master. Until Steel's niece reprograms him with a hip-hop attitude...

* Comicbook/DoctorStrange has Wong, his manservant, associate, and most trusted friend. They have been a pair since Strange first set up shop in New York, and Strange acknowledges Wong as ''his'' master in matters of physical combat.

* In Creator/TheBrothersGrimm's ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/6faithfuljohn.html Faithful John,]]'' the dying king orders Faithful John to prevent his son from going into a certain room. When this fails and the new king falls in love with a portrait he sees there, Faithful John accompanies him, and when he learns of perils, protects the king and his bride at the price of looking like a madman. Finally, to avoid execution, he explains, and is turned to stone.
* In Creator/JosephJacobs's "Literature/{{Tattercoats}}", Tattercoats is ignored by her grandfather and abused by all the servants, except for one faithful nurse, who looks after her all the time she is growing up.

[[folder:Film]]
* Hobson in ''Film/{{Arthur 1981}}''. In fact, when [[spoiler:Hobson dies, Arthur says his father died]].

* ''Film/{{Fearless 2006}}'': The personal servant Huo Yuanjia had as a child is still there to tend for the abandoned family estate when Huo comes back after years of self-imposed exile.

%% * Singh in ''Film/TheWolfman2010''.

-->'''Henry:''' Walk this way. ''(shuffles off)''\\

* In ''Film/TheParentTrap1998'', the butler Martin has a fond, forthright relationship with both his employer and her daughter. He is also expected to accompany them on interstate trips, although this causes a bit of dissonance when Elizabeth sees him in his swimming trunks.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* In ''Pinball/WhoDunnit1995'', Butler is this to Victoria; he used to work for her mother, and she hires him as her manservant. [[spoiler:He's really her father, Walter, and stays loyal to her due to his HappinessInSlavery.]]

* In the past of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', Malcador The Sigillite was this to TheEmperor, although by the time we meet him in the Literature/HorusHeresy novels he is [[TheGoodChancellor chief administrator of the growing Imperium]] and thus has little time to act as a personal assistant. Also, the Emperor is almost certainly older than he is by a [[TimeAbyss considerable margin]]. He is still the Emperor's only confidant and speaks to him as more of an equal than his gene-sons.

[[folder:Theater]]

* ''{{Franchise/Extrapower}}'': Daitoku Igor, the loyal butler of the Forcestar family.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

[[folder:Misc]]
* On Vivian Stanshall's comedy LP, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Henry_At_Rawlinson_End Sir Henry At Rawlinson End,]] the butler to the Rawlinson family is "Old Scrotum, the wrinkled retainer".
[[/folder]]

** Creator/DesmondLlewelyn's Q was a meta-example, as the sole element that made the transition from the UsefulNotes/ColdWar-era Bond films to the Creator/PierceBrosnan films of the 90s, appearing in every film from ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' to ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' ([[AbsenteeActor excluding]] ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'').