History Main / GentlemanDetective

* Creator/AgathaChristie's Tommy Beresford and HerculePoirot.

TheOtherWiki has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentleman_detective page]] on this trope. See also MysteryFiction and DetectiveFiction.

[[folder: Anime]]
* While he's an inspector instead of a detective, Ninzaburou Shiratori from Manga/DetectiveConan has the rest down to a T. He's TallDarkAndHandsome, comes from a rich background, is very much a SharpDressedMan, and he's quite the gentleman towards women [[spoiler: and specially to his VictoriousChildhoodFriend, Sumiko Kobayashi.]]

* Some versions of Franchise/{{Batman}}, particularly those that lean toward the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealism end of the scale]].

* Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's Literature/CAugusteDupin came from a wealthy family, although he had been reduced to a more humble lifestyle. Holds the rank of Chevalier (Knight) in the Légion d'honneur. Likes hieroglyphs. Can spell ratiocination.
* Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's Literature/SherlockHolmes is of aristocratic stock and education, but begins his story as a poor, single-minded criminologist - presumably, any family money there was would have gone to his older brother or another relative. His later fortune, social standing and range of intellectual interests are developed in the course of his detective work. It is the worldly, sociable middle-class professional Dr Watson who acts the QuintessentialBritishGentleman of the pair.
* Creator/DorothyLSayers' Literature/LordPeterWimsey is another archetype. Younger brother of a duke, he was educated at Eton and Oxford, he is notably eccentric, and collects 15th Century books as a hobby.

* Literature/ArseneLupin is not only a GentlemanThief, but also a detective from time to time.

* Franchise/ProfessorLayton. He's actually an archaeologist by trade, not a detective, but his "notable eccentricities or unusual hobbies" as mentioned in the intro are puzzles, meaning he gets into some mysteries. He also makes it a point to be a proper gentleman to everyone he meets.

* [[InspectorLynley Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley]], 8th Earl of Asherton. He is counterbalanced by his partner, the [[WorkingClassHero working-class]] Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. She is not impressed by his wealth, title or police rank, and lets him know this at every opportunity.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Some versions of Franchise/{{Batman}}, particularly those that lean toward the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealism end of the scale]].
[[/folder]]

* ProfessorLayton. He's actually an archaeologist by trade, not a detective, but his "notable eccentricities or unusual hobbies" as mentioned in the intro are puzzles, meaning he gets into some mysteries. He also makes it a point to be a proper gentleman to everyone he meets.

Subtrope of GreatDetective. A sleuth who is known to belong to the higher strata of society - to have been raised in a privileged environment, and shows it, even if they have since rejected their background. Will tend to be some form of polymath, possibly autodidactic, at the least being very well-educated and well-read. Probably multilingual to boot, and often has notable eccentricities or unusual hobbies. Frequently a competent musician. Like the GreatDetective, this was first instantiated in the form of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's C. Auguste Dupin, and popularised by Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's Literature/SherlockHolmes.

* EdgarAllanPoe's C. Auguste Dupin came from a wealthy family, although he had been reduced to a more humble lifestyle. Holds the rank of Chevalier (Knight) in the Légion d'honneur. Likes hieroglyphs. Can spell ratiocination.

* The ''Paul Temple'' detective series, broadcast on Creator/BBC radio between 1938 and 1968, features a gentleman detective who solves crimes too baffling even for Scotland Yard, assisted by his wife "Stevie" and his [[BattleButler manservant]]. Thought to be too anachronistic and old-fashioned when it ended in 1968, it has been periodically revived in updated one-off specials and short runs between 2006 - 2013.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/NickKnatterton'' (full name: Nikolaus Kuno Freiherr von Knatter), German comic strip character, uses the pseudonym because he promised not to embarrass his noble family.

* NgaioMarsh's Roderick Alleyn.

* The Hildibrand questline of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' gives us two examples: Briardien, who plays this trope quite straight, and Hildibrand Manderville, who tries to be this ([[SmallNameBigEgo and thoroughly thinks he's successful]]) but is more like a chivalrous InspectorOblivious.

* E.C. Bentley's Philip Trent (acknowledged by DorothyLSayers as a model for Lord Peter)

[[AC: Anime]]

Subtrope of GreatDetective. A sleuth who is known to belong to the higher strata of society - to have been raised in a privileged environment, and shows it, even if they have since rejected their background. Will tend to be some form of polymath, possibly autodidactic, at the least being very well-educated and well-read. Probably multilingual to boot, and often has notable eccentricities or unusual hobbies. Frequently a competent musician. Like the GreatDetective, this was first instantiated in the form of EdgarAllanPoe's C. Auguste Dupin, and popularised by Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's SherlockHolmes.

* Creator/ArthurConanDoyle's SherlockHolmes is of aristocratic stock and education, but begins his story as a poor, single-minded criminologist - presumably, any family money there was would have gone to his older brother or another relative. His later fortune, social standing and range of intellectual interests are developed in the course of his detective work. It is the worldly, sociable middle-class professional Dr Watson who acts the QuintessentialBritishGentleman of the pair.
* DorothyLSayers' LordPeterWimsey is another archetype. Younger brother of a duke, he was educated at Eton and Oxford, he is notably eccentric, and collects 15th Century books as a hobby.

* Creator/DashiellHammett's [[Literature/TheThinMan Nick Charles]].

* It's not clear if NeroWolfe came from a rich family or if he's a self-made man, but otherwise he fits this trope to a tee: He's extremely wealthy, has a reputation for being a gourmet, and only leaves his house rarely and under protest--notably, once for a show involving his favorite hobby, growing orchids.

* It's not clear if NeroWolfe came from or if he's a self-made man, but otherwise he fits this trope to a tee: He's extremely wealthy, has a reputation for being a gourmond, and only leaves his house once for a show involving his favorite hobby, growing orchids.

* S. S. Van Dine's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo_Vance Philo Vance]]

* [[InspectorLynley Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley]], 8th Earl of Asherton. He is counterbalanced by his partner, the [[WorkingClassHero working-class]] Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. She is not impressed by his rank, and lets him know this at every opportunity.

* Some versions of ComicBook/{{Batman}}, particularly those that lean toward the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealism end of the scale]].

* ArseneLupin is not only a GentlemanThief, but also a detective from time to time.

* The Lady's nephew Robert in Mary Elizabeth Braddon's [[LadyAudleysSecret Lady Audley's Secret]].

[[quoteright:337:[[DashiellHammett http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4061814135_2b5bdd51ac_9921.jpg]]]]

* DashiellHammett's Nick Charles.

* Leslie Charteris's Simon Templar, a.k.a. TheSaint.

%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1325531463013032000
%%Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:NewspaperComics]]
* ''ComicStrip/NickKnatterton'' (full name: Nikolaus Kuno Freiherr von Knatter), German comic strip character, uses the pseudonym because he promised not to embarrass his noble family.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* [[InspectorLynley Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley]], 8th Earl of Asherton. He is counterbalanced by his partner, the [[WorkingClassHero working-class]] Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. She is not impressed by his rank, and lets him know this at every opportunity.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's AgentPendergast.