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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 10 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1428483098075421800 |
| 11 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 13 | [[quoteright:251:[[Series/JeevesAndWooster https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7d7402b225a00af8418dbeac45a75089.png]]]] |
| 14 | [-[[caption-width-right:251:{{Zany Scheme}}s abound, but Creator/StephenFry barely [[FascinatingEyebrow lifts an eyebrow]].]]-] |
| 15 | |
| 16 | ->''"Ever notice a lot of butlers are named Jeeves? You know, I think when you name a baby 'Jeeves'... you've pretty much mapped out his future, wouldn't you say? Not much chance he's gonna be a hitman, I think, after that. 'Terribly sorry, sir, but I'm going to have to whack you.'"'' |
| 17 | -->-- ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', "The Pilot Pt. 2" |
| 18 | |
| 19 | %% One quote per page is sufficient. Put additional quotes in its own subpage. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | The Jeeves is the perfect British butler, valet, or manservant. [[BritishStuffiness Always well-dressed, unfailingly polite, devoted to his employer]]... and usually much smarter or more level-headed than [[UpperClassTwit his employer]], too. Usually can manipulate him so subtly that he does not even have to speak WithDueRespect to achieve his ends. And you will only know him [[LastNameBasis by his last name.]] |
| 22 | |
| 23 | The canonical example is Jeeves himself, from the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' short stories and novels of Creator/PGWodehouse and the ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'' TV series based on them. The original Jeeves, just for the record, is a valet, not a butler -- that is, he's a personal manservant, not a chief of domestic staff; as a bachelor living in a flat, Wooster doesn't have the kind of staff to warrant a butler. (Though all that said, if the call comes, Reginald Jeeves can buttle with the best of them.) The same is true of many examples of this trope, as the two roles are commonly confused. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | A somewhat common inversion, which began while Wodehouse was still writing, is to have the butler as a brutish thug (and possibly a BattleButler). Both the original and the inversion are examples of an actually useful kind of valet taken to the logical extreme. After all, if an aristocrat is in fact [[UpperClassTwit foolish and incompetent]], then [[ConservationOfCompetence a competent valet is an urgent necessity]] if they are to survive everyday life. Conversely, an aristocrat may find it useful to have a brutish thug on retainer to deal with certain... inconvenient problems. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Note that The Jeeves, even if a valet, is not prone to the NoHeroToHisValet plot, generally having a clear view of his master's faults and virtues, though he may, on occasion, allow his view of the former to jaundice his view of the latter. Usually a HypercompetentSidekick and often a ServileSnarker (the original was both). Complete opposite of the BumblingSidekick. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | If the Jeeves should appear in a work of MysteryFiction, expect copious LampshadeHanging on the idea that TheButlerDidIt. |
| 30 | ---- |
| 31 | !! Examples: |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder:Advertisement]] |
| 37 | * Many commercials for the drink mix Tang feature a butler serving a rich family, who calls him to serve something to their thirsty son. The butler serves the kid some Tang, while internally thinking "He does not deserve it". |
| 38 | |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 42 | * ''Anime/{{Bakugan}}'' has Kato, the butler of [[RichKids Marucho]]. [[spoiler:In fact, his unfailing politeness [[OutOfCharacterAlert is what ticks]] [[LivingLieDetector Shun]] off on an impostor [[TheDragon Hal-G]] attempting to misdirect the team. What did Shun notice? The Kato on the radio ''once'' referred to Marucho by his name alone, as opposed to "''[[InsistentTerminology Master]]'' Marucho"]] |
| 43 | %%* ''Manga/BlackButler'': The central premise. |
| 44 | * ''Manga/CountCain'': Riffael Raffit is an ex-medical-student, beyond competent, devoted to a fault, and always turns up right when his master needs him. [[spoiler: Until it turns out he's [[SplitPersonality even more mentally unstable]] than Cain is, at least.]] |
| 45 | * ''Manga/DrStone'' has Francois, Ryusui's [[AmbiguousGender ambiguously gendered]], CrazyPrepared butler. Their first act upon being depetrified (and getting properly dressed) is to walk towards Ryusui's location in a straight line for two days without rest, without so much as a drop of sweat in their face, after which they promptly demonstrate their hypercompetence by [[SupremeChef preparing enough preserved food]] to last for a voyage across the ocean. According to Ryusui, "not possible" is not part of Francois' vocabulary. |
| 46 | %%* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'': Pagan, the Darlian family butler. |
| 47 | * ''Manga/NurseAngelRirikaSOS'' has Shion, the faultlessly loyal butler to PrincelyYoungMan Nozomu Kanou. He's always level-headed; the only time his composure breaks is when Kanou collapses from exhaustion. [[spoiler: The man is even calm after being mortally wounded.]] |
| 48 | * ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'': Tokita, the Itoshiki family butler. He's ultra-competent and ''seems'' more sensible than his employers, although since this is a WorldGoneMad, he has his own quirks. |
| 49 | %%* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' : [[OldRetainer Genji]] and especially [[SupremeChef Gohda]]. |
| 50 | * ''Manga/WildRose'': Mikhail's butler Bernt is utterly unflappable and appears like a phantom the moment Kiri slacks off in his work. |
| 51 | [[/folder]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 54 | * ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'': Veronica's father, billionaire Mr. Lodge, has had a butler named Smithers. Some earlier issues had similar-looking servants with different names, including Jeeves. One thing all his butlers had in common -- they seemed to enjoy literally throwing Archie (or less often, other boys) out of the house for behaving unruly, or sometimes in Archie's case, for destroying a priceless antique. |
| 55 | * ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': Jarvis is considerably more level-headed than his employer, Tony Stark -- which one of them, after all, is the alcoholic? |
| 56 | * ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Alfred Pennyworth. And yes, given the title used for a military officer's personal assistant, that makes him Batman's batman. He's also a BattleButler in several incarnations, with British military and/or espionage training. Keeps Batman from either giving up, or going too far into KnightTemplar territory. While he isn't more intelligent or deductive than Batman (though he has his moments), he's certainly ''wiser'' than he is.\ |
| 57 | \ |
| 58 | This has changed over the years. When first introduced, Alfred was primarily there for comic relief, particularly in the role of a self-styled detective who either had to be rescued from the danger his bungling efforts got him into, or who triumphed by sheer luck and/or slapstick humour. Later, the detective angle was dropped, but one thing that remained that exemplifies this trope is that Alfred turned up at the door of Wayne Manor one day, announced to a startled Bruce and Dick that he had come to take up the role of butler to the household (which was news to them!) walked in, took up his self-appointed duties and never left. More recent versions of the character have him employed by the Waynes before the murder of Bruce's parents and make him a substitute father to the young orphan. Once the comic aspect was toned down, he's been the perfect gentleman's gentleman -- that is, extremely competent at everything he does, with the possible exception of getting Bruce to look after himself -- with a touch of razor-sharp wit that comes out in occasional glimpses of him as a DeadpanSnarker. |
| 59 | %%* ''ComicBook/RichieRich'': Cadbury, Richie's butler. |
| 60 | %%* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': Nestor, the butler of Marlinspike Hall. |
| 61 | %%* ''ComicBook/TomPoes'': Joost, the faithful butler of Olivier B. Bommel. |
| 62 | * ''ComicBook/{{XIII}}'': An odd combination of the brutish thug and unflappable manservant appears in Irina's employ, a bald, one-eyed and scarred mercenary who informs sir (XIII) that dinner will be served soon, that sir will find a tuxedo tailored to his measurements on the bed, and that XIII shouldn't try to escape, as he has been warned of sir's violent tendencies. [[NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine He later also serves as sommelier.]] |
| 63 | [[/folder]] |
| 64 | |
| 65 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 66 | * ''Fanfic/HalfPastAdventure'' has two examples. |
| 67 | ** Lisby, a character from [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime the original show]], is the butler for the Duchy of Nuts and the Jeeves for its residents… despite his voice making him difficult to take seriously. |
| 68 | ** Izak, the {{cyborg}} Jeeves for [[FemmeFatale master jewel thief]] [[PunnyName Penelope Farthington]]. |
| 69 | * ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndThePrinceOfSlytherin'': In the third book, Dobby goes from a shambling, trembling wreck to a hypercompetent Jeeves after Blaise Zabini has him watch the entirety of, what else? ''Series/JeevesAndWooster''. |
| 70 | [[/folder]] |
| 71 | |
| 72 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 73 | * ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'': Fred's family butler Heathcliff remains completely stoic and unruffled even as the team practices and tests their weapons with him as the target. |
| 74 | * ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryMeetSherlockHolmes'' has Tom in this role, as the dedicated, and somewhat aloof manservant to Holmes's client. He proves to be a reliable presence throughout the investigation (notably, the film features him and Jerry at perhaps their least antagonistic). |
| 75 | [[/folder]] |
| 76 | |
| 77 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 78 | * ''Film/FiveFingers1952'': Subverted, with more than a hint of FridgeHorror, by Agent Cicero. Diello plays the part of a loyal gentleman's personal gentleman to perfection but is inwardly consumed by resentment at his low social status. If you have ever wondered what Jeeves would turn into should he start to dwell on why a person as intelligent and cultured as he is should be a mere servant, the answer is Diello. |
| 79 | * ''Film/TheAdmirableCrichton'' is about the eponymous butler doing his level best to keep this role up even when his UpperClassTwit employers and a handful of staff are ''stranded on a desert island'', and doing a pretty damn good job at it considering the resources available. When they take too many liberties in expecting an impossible level of luxury, he's forced to resign and start his own camp on the other side of the island... which they soon come crawling over to join, entirely unable to fend for themselves. |
| 80 | %%* ''Film/Arthur1981'': Hobson, Arthur's valet, is an uncommonly sarcastic instance of this trope.%%How is he an example? |
| 81 | * ''Film/{{Clue}}'': Wadsworth is a more scheming variant on this. [[spoiler:In the third ending, it's revealed that he's the real Mister Boddy and "Mister Boddy" was actually his butler.]] |
| 82 | %%* ''Film/DarkAndStormyNight'': Jeens. |
| 83 | * ''Film/DaSweetBloodOfJesus'': Creator/RamiMalek plays one. He is the very educated and proper Seneschal Higginbottom, manservant to pseudo vampiric Dr. Hess Green. (Although he can be a bit catty with Ganja, Green's new lover and loses his temper dealing with her, but only once. Jealousy is a probable cause of this). |
| 84 | * ''Film/DjangoUnchained'': Stephen provides a very interesting subversion. He isn't British and he isn't a gentleman. He is, however, a genius butler who can fix anything for his idiotic master -- with both him and his master being pure evil. |
| 85 | %%* ''Film/GosfordPark'': [[spoiler:Mrs. Wilson]] [[TheDogBitesBack turns this to unusual ends]].%%Quotes aren't context. |
| 86 | %%-->[[TheSummation What gift do you think a good servant has that separates them from the others? It's the gift of anticipation. And I'm a good servant. I'm better than good. I'm the best. I'm the perfect servant. I know when they'll be hungry and the food is ready. I know when they'll be tired and the bed is turned down. I know it before they know it themselves.]] |
| 87 | * ''Film/HarryAndTheButler'': Fabricius is a very proper and upright butler, a typical Jeeves. The joke is the he has been hired by Harry, a poor man who lives in a shack in a junkyard. Harry is old and lonely, and after he comes into an UnexpectedInheritance he decides to indulge in an old fantasy, and hire a valet to serve and pamper him for 11 weeks, which is when the money Harry inherited will run out. |
| 88 | %%* ''Film/LeonardPart6'': Frayn, Leonard's butler. |
| 89 | * ''Film/MissFisherAndTheCryptOfTears'': Absolutely nothing seems to faze Crippins, the Lofthouse family butler: from Phryne asking for Lord Lofthouse's car keys in the middle of the night, to Lord Lofthouse and his brother almost coming to blows in the ballroom, to Lord Lofthouse being arrested for murder. [[spoiler:Part of the reason for this equanimity is that TheButlerDidIt.]] |
| 90 | %%* ''Film/MurderByDeath'': Bensonmum, memorably acted by Alec Guinness. That's [[RunningGag Jamessir Bensonmum]], to be precise. |
| 91 | %%* ''Film/MyManGodfrey'': Godfrey, the hero, except for the pardonable sin of being American. |
| 92 | * ''Film/TheParentTrap1998'': Martin is the devoted butler to Annie (the British twin) and her mother. After they reunite with Hallie (the American twin)and the father, he finds romance with their housekeeper, Chessy. |
| 93 | * ''Film/RugglesOfRedGap'', in which the proper, stuffy Ruggles suffers from a lot of culture shock when he's gambled away to a couple of loudmouthed Americans and winds up working in Red Gap, Washington. |
| 94 | %%* ''Film/TheShining'': Delbert Grady, albeit briefly. Jack even calls him "Jeevesy". |
| 95 | %%* ''Film/TopHat'': Bates for Horace. |
| 96 | %%* ''Film/ItsLoveImAfter'': Basil's loyal servant. |
| 97 | %%* ''Film/TradingPlaces'': Coleman, Louis Winthorpe and Billy Ray Valentine's butler. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 101 | * ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': Butler, the BattleButler, has some resemblance to the subversion, but is well-spoken enough to resemble TheJeeves. |
| 102 | * Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/BlackWidowers'' stories: "{{Literature/Northwestward}}" |
| 103 | ** Henry is as unobtrusive as ever, deftly serving baked Alaska and solving the mystery for Mr Wayne. |
| 104 | ** Cecil Pennyworth is the butler to Mr Wayne, and nephew of Alfred Pennyworth. His elliptical manner of mentioning his flight plan causes the mystery of the plot. |
| 105 | * The [[MeaningfulName meaningfully-named]] Jock Strapp of the ''Literature/CharlieMortdecai'' series is written as the subversion type, and is actually described as the anti-Jeeves. He's crude DumbMuscle and completely loyal to his cunning employer, the eponymous VillainProtagonist (or anti-hero on a good day). |
| 106 | * Vimes' butler Willikins in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' books encompasses both this trope and its subversion: normally, he is the perfect Jeeves (minus the subtle manipulation of a wayward master), but in his childhood or when the situation demands, he was and can become again a thug. |
| 107 | ** Indeed, in ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'' he switches from one to the other in mid-sentence. "''Let 'em 'ave it right up the...'' oh, is that you, Sir Samuel?" |
| 108 | ** In ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', he keeps acting like the perfect Jeeves even after personally eliminating half of a dwarf commando squad attacking the Vimes home, and then hosing down their invasion tunnel with a flame-thrower. |
| 109 | *** Also in the same book, Willikins admits to having been a street gang member (in a gang even Vimes, a gang kid and possibly the Disc's dirtiest fighter, describes as a tough, mean lot) in his youth, favoring a cap-brim lined with sharpened penny coins. We also see him assisting the Watch as a volunteer reservist later. Vimes marvels at the difference in Willikins' working-class background and his current highbrow butler status. |
| 110 | ** In ''Literature/{{Snuff}}'', [[spoiler:Vimes insists that Willikins come with the family to the country manor. Willikins acts as personal manservant, preparing drinks and getting the manor's staff to respect their new master, and bodyguard, heavy on the latter. While the examples above could fall into service or self-defence, some of Willikins' actions are very shady, things Vimes may want to but won't order, such as shooting at an old lady while making a gang think one of their own did it, making them definitely in the wrong and giving the police an opening; and killing the PsychoForHire when he escapes for a second time, rather than delivering him to the police.]] |
| 111 | ** The Igors are pretty much this for the MadScientist type. Although they are willing to work for non-mad scientist types. |
| 112 | * Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/DominicFlandry'' series has Flandry's valet, Chives, who is a clear ShoutOut to Jeeves. Even if he is not human. (And starts out as a [[HappinessInSlavery slave]].) |
| 113 | * ''Literature/HerculePoirot'': Poirot's valet Georges is an exemplar of BritishStuffiness and reliability. Poirot occasionally uses him in his investigations or as a sounding board when Hastings is unavailable, to which Georges responds admirably. |
| 114 | -->"We are going into the country, Georges," said Hercule Poirot to his valet.\ |
| 115 | "Indeed, sir?" said the imperturbable George.\ |
| 116 | "And the purpose of our journey is to destroy a monster with nine heads."\ |
| 117 | "Really, sir? Something after the style of the Loch Ness Monster?"\ |
| 118 | "Less tangible than that. I did not refer to a flesh and blood animal, Georges."\ |
| 119 | "I misunderstood you, sir."\ |
| 120 | "It would be easier if it were one. There is nothing so intangible, so difficult to pin down, as the source of a rumour."\ |
| 121 | "Oh yes, indeed, sir. It's difficult to know how a thing starts sometimes." |
| 122 | * Because he apparently hated butlers (going so far as to say they had their own circle of hell, [[LaserGuidedKarma where kitchen-maids and journalists could watch their torments from Heaven]]), Creator/HilaireBelloc wrote a different kind of subversion in ''The Emerald of Catherine the Great''. The butler acts like TheJeeves around his master (except his schemes don't work), but is thuggish to the other servants. He even switches between [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents posh dialect and Cockney]], depending on whether there are toffs around or not. |
| 123 | * ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': Most of the stewards of the Royal Manticoran Navy. Not so much the part about being smarter or more level-headed, but definitely the part about manipulating the captains, commodores and admirals they serve into being properly dressed and fed, and at providing proper hospitality even at the most awkward times or when the most unusual and unexpected guests show up. |
| 124 | * ''Literature/InDeath'': Summerset, a butler who is naturally British. However, he doesn't seem interested in manipulating his employer Roarke very much. |
| 125 | * The ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series of short stories and novels by Creator/PGWodehouse, later adapted into the popular ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'' TV series. |
| 126 | ** Jeeves is the TropeNamer, of course, albeit with a few shades of UnbuiltTrope. Jeeves is a consummate professional on the clock, and since his boss Bertie is the POV character that is where we usually see him. However, it is mentioned, often in throwaway lines, that Jeeves has a wider circle of friends than Bertie, several clubs and at least one on-and-off girlfriend. Jeeves is also a very skilled card player, and will occasionally hustle his betters at whist or bridge when asked to be the fourth player in a game. Finally, Jeeves is well-acquainted with violence, capable of silently incapacitating a police officer, and a highly skilled shotgun marksman. Not quite what you picture when you think "Jeeves", wot? |
| 127 | ** Sebastian Beach, the butler supreme of Literature/BlandingsCastle. Beach doesn't have quite the same level of dignity as Jeeves, being a nervous, sweaty fat man. While Jeeves is the mastermind behind whatever ZanyScheme is afoot, Beach is usually reluctantly roped in, usually by [[CoolOldGuy Galahad Threepwood]], his employer's roguish younger brother. |
| 128 | ** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with Voules, Literature/ReggiePepper's manservant. Reggie Pepper was a [[UpperClassTwit scatterbrained aristocrat]] who was later [[{{Expy}} Expied]] into Bertie Wooster, and Voules at first appears to be a cool, calm forerunner of Jeeves... until he turns out to be an angry, drunken JerkAss who betrays his master. CharacterizationMarchesOn, what? |
| 129 | ** Also subverted with Brinkley, whom Bertie hires while Jeeves is temporarily working for someone else. Brinkley turns out to be an incompetent, violently alcoholic Communist who ends up setting fire to the house. |
| 130 | * From ''Literature/TheKingdomsOfEvil'', Mr. Skree |
| 131 | * Jeeves the [[{{Expy}} eponymous]] robotic BattleButler for Clan Korval in the ''Literature/LiadenUniverse'', [[spoiler:a rehabilitated decommissioned war machine]] who it turns out actually adopted his name and manner specifically from certain ancient novels [[spoiler:after having suffered at the hands of a character who is ''entirely coincidentally'' named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roderick_Spode Roderick Spode.]]]] |
| 132 | * ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'''s valet Bunter is not, in fact, smarter than his amateur-detective employer, but he does have a number of useful skills that his boss doesn't -- like knowing how to develop a photograph. |
| 133 | * Played with every which way in Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser's ''Literature/McAuslan'' story "The Servant Problem": zigzagged by [=MacNeill's=] [[IronLady grandmother]], who intimidates her employers; played straight by John, footman to a baronet who is the perfect manservant; and completely, utterly defied by every one of Lt. [=MacNeill's=] successive batmen, not to mention [=MacNeill=] himself. |
| 134 | * At the start of the short story collection ''Literature/PartnersInCrime'', Albert is attempting to be the sort of butler he sees at the pictures, much to Tommy's embarassment (he's had to stop him taking cards in on a silver platter). He grows into the role in later books. |
| 135 | * Mr. Butler from the ''Literature/PhryneFisher'' novels. He keeps Phryne's eccentric household running like clockwork and is never put out by any request, no matter how odd. |
| 136 | * In Creator/RobertAsprin's ''Literature/PhulesCompany'' books we have Beeker, the batman of Willard J. Phule. Whilst his insanely rich employer is busy inspiring his RagtagBunchOfMisfits troops (and he does -- no UpperClassTwit here), he's the one who frequently has to pull his arse out of the [[strike:line of]] fire. |
| 137 | * Stevens in Kazuo Ishiguro's ''Literature/TheRemainsOfTheDay'' is a {{deconstruction}} of this, [[spoiler: what with all the realising that his life has been meaningless and the Nazis and everything.]] |
| 138 | * ''Ruggles Of Red Gap'' which was also made into a play and a movie. |
| 139 | * Saturnin in the [[Literature/{{Saturnin}} eponymous Czech book]] is very resourceful and skillful and relishes helping his employer in unconventional ways while maintaining perfect polite demeanour. |
| 140 | * ''Literature/SacredMonster'': Jack employs an unflappable British manservant and scrounger named Hoskins. Jack keeps trying to get him to play the part even more thoroughly, ordering him to say, "You bellowed, sir?" whenever Jack yells for him. |
| 141 | * Rall, in the ''Literature/Spaceforce2012'' novels, is Jay's discreet and perfectly mannered personal servant. [[spoiler: It turns out that he's reporting Jay's every move back to his commander, but this doesn't affect the fact that he's otherwise a perfect servant - and he does warn Ashlenn to flee, before she's arrested by the Taysans for eloping with Jay.]] |
| 142 | * Miss Feng in Creator/CharlesStross' short story [[http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0701/Trunk.shtml "Trunk And Disorderly,"]] which is a pastiche of the ''Jeeves'' novels relocated to an indeterminate future. |
| 143 | * Konstantin Bothari from the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' fits as one of the tropes' subversions. He plays batman to Aral Vorkosigan in the Barrayaran army, and later young Miles Vorkosigan after his release from service, but his primary qualities are his loyalty to the Vorkosigans, love of his daughter, and his martial abilities as a body guard. Later Miles acquires the suave and Jeeves-like Armsman Pym, who more closely embodies the original trope. Both Bothari and Pym are examples of the BattleButler. |
| 144 | ** Pym's replacement is Armsman Roic, who started out as a local cop, caught the Vorkosigans' attention by saving the day from a mass shooter (while unarmed), and often feels inadequate because all the more senior armsmen have Imperial Security and/or military backgrounds. Like Bothari, he came from humble beginnings, but not ''quite'' as humble. |
| 145 | [[/folder]] |
| 146 | |
| 147 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 148 | * ''Series/{{Acapulco}}'': Even though he lives in Malibu, Maximo has an impeccable and full-suited British butler. He even lampshades that his butler is pure white to his nephew. |
| 149 | * Lurch in ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' fit in every single characteristic other than been British (as far as we know). |
| 150 | * Massively defied by Edmund Blackadder in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} the Third'', who constantly manipulates his self-confessed "thick as a whale omelette" employer for his own ends. Interestingly, his employer is portrayed by Creator/HughLaurie, who also played Wooster. |
| 151 | * Carson from ''Series/DowntonAbbey''. Only UsefulNotes/WorldWarI can stop him from running the house perfectly. |
| 152 | ** Also, Spratt, the Dowanger Countess' butler. |
| 153 | * In an episode of ''Series/EvenStevens''. Louis comes into enough money to hire his own Jeeves, called Chives, for a week. This is likely a parody of this trope. |
| 154 | * Mr. French from ''Series/FamilyAffair''. |
| 155 | * Geoffrey from the sitcom ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir.'' |
| 156 | ** And his spiritual ancestor, Benson [=DuBois=] of ''Series/{{Soap}}''. |
| 157 | * Frasier hires one of these in one episode of the [[Series/{{Frasier}} show named for him]], although he only plays up the BritishStuffiness when on the clock, and is happy to discuss Man Utd with Daphne in the kitchen. |
| 158 | * There is Frik from the mini-series ''Series/{{Merlin|1998}}''. He is the polite and well-mannered servant to Queen Mab who horribly mistreats him. He often tries to serve as the voice of reason only to be ignored and is often the one to actually carry out her plots. [[spoiler: He leaves her employ/is fired when Mab kills the woman he loves. He then helps Merlin destroy her.]] |
| 159 | ** He defines his role and the trope perfectly when Merlin meets him at the end saying: ''"There will always be a need for the perfect gentleman's gentleman, and I was and always will be one of the best."'' |
| 160 | * The basic premise of the sitcom ''Series/MrBelvedere'' is this, serving for an American Middle class family. |
| 161 | * ''Series/TheNanny'' |
| 162 | ** Niles. Well, sort of. Niles ''mostly'' fits the Trope. He's British, polite, sophisticated, and loyal to his employer... For the most part. Eventually, however, he becomes somewhat of a DeadpanSnarker and the OnlySaneMan in the cast, thinking Maxwell somewhat stubborn for his reluctance to admit his true feelings to Fran. [[spoiler:Eventually, in a late season, he gains enough backbone to finally tell his boss off and speak his true mind about it, and this ''finally'' convinces Maxwell to propose to Fran, and it sticks.]] |
| 163 | ** In the ForeignRemake ''La Niñera'' the Hispanic version of the character also fits the profile; Fidel in the Argentinian remake and Nicolás in the Mexican. |
| 164 | * ''Series/ThePhilSilversShow'': Martin from "Bilko's Double Life" is an American version. He acts as the more grounded valet and confidant of neurotic BlueBlood Herbert Penfield III and tries to help his employer relax more. |
| 165 | * Spencer from ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''. At some point, he got hired by Overdrive's team mentor Andrew Hartford prior to the latter building his son Mack around 2004-2005ish. Like some mentioned on this page, he also has the role of ServileSnarker down pat. |
| 166 | * Kryten of ''Series/RedDwarf'' is named after the Admirable Crichton, although he's TheWoobie as much as TheJeeves. |
| 167 | * Hudson from ''Series/UpstairsDownstairs'', who often puts duty and rectitude before compassion or flexibility, or even his own selfish needs. In one story, he panics when he is seen by Sir Richard at a restaurant entertaining relatives from Australia because he thinks he is aping his betters and thus deserves to be sacked. He is quite shocked when Bellamy doesn't get rid of him, though Bellamy's brother makes him squirm quite a bit. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 171 | * ''The Admirable Critchton'' appeared before even Jeeves. Though he plays HypercompetentSidekick to an entire family of [[UpperClassTwit Upper Class Twits]] (and single-handedly saves the day when they end up on a DesertedIsland), he still believes that it's wrong for the upper and lower classes to mingle too much and maintains that, as a mere servant, he should know his place. |
| 172 | * ''Theatre/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'': In the song "Go, Go, Go, Joseph", the Pharaoh's butler is referred to as "the Jeeves of his time". |
| 173 | * Tranio in ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew''--a GentlemanAndAScholar who's willing to do [[ChessmasterSidekick literally anything to help his master out]]. (And, incidentally, to help himself to some of his master's power.) Lucentio never does a thing without consulting him. |
| 174 | * Speed definitely comes off this way in ''Theatre/TwoGentlemenOfVerona''; he's a cheerful ServileSnarker with an unbelievably quick wit, as likely to rib his master for being in love as he is to help him put his gloves on. |
| 175 | [[/folder]] |
| 176 | |
| 177 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 178 | * ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': Haskill. It's telling that, when his master is the god of madness, and he lives in a dimension where everyone is insane, he's the OnlySaneMan. |
| 179 | * ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'': |
| 180 | ** Mr. Handies, a type of pre-war robots designed to serve as robotic butlers, valets and household aides, have this kind of personality, with variable levels of competence (and sanity) depending on their model and programming. They've also been successfully used as mechanics, lab assistants and doctors, although most models retain the British accent and fussy good manners. |
| 181 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout3'': When you get a house (either in Megaton or Tenpenny Tower), you are given a Mr. Handy to help explain the house's functions, give you fresh water, and tell you jokes. Both possible butlers speak with a British accent and have remarkable manners ([[ServileSnarker when they're not muttering sotto voce about not wanting to serve you, anyway]]). |
| 182 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': The Sink's Central Intelligence Unit is an unfailingly polite and amicable computer in your apartment in Big MT, able to repair and trade goods for you and always ready with a compliment or a wine recommendation. |
| 183 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' allows you to recover your pre-War Mr. Handy, Codsworth, and take him as a companion on your adventures. |
| 184 | * ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'' allows the player to give their Spartan-IV their own personal AI, with one of them having a butler-esque personality who is appropriately named BUTLR. |
| 185 | %%* ''VideoGame/LauraBow: The Colonel's Bequest'': There is a butler named Jeeves. |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' has Shivers, one of the portrait ghosts. He wanders the mansion looking for his master's will, hoping that he's included in it. |
| 187 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 188 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondandPearl Pokemon Platinum]]'' (and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]''), Darach is this to Caitlin. [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Castle_Valet_Darach Just look at him]] His title is Castle Valet, and he battles you in place of Caitlin, who is implied to have tantrums when she loses. Darach is polite and proper, and he also says En garde! Caitlin is also a powerful Psychic who can't control her powers, so you can see why she doesn't battle. [[spoiler: Doesn't stop her from TakingALevelInBadass and becoming an Elite Four member in [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]]]. |
| 189 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' introduces Indeedee, a species of Psychic/Normal-type Pokémon patterned off of domestic help. The male variant specifically invokes the classic Jeeves appearance with its design, and its ''Sword'' Pokédex entry claims it makes an excellent valet. |
| 190 | %%* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'': Lawrence is one of these to Dr. Nefarious. |
| 191 | * ''Franchise/TombRaider'': Winston was often known to follow Lara around in II and III during the tutorial levels, causing many irritated gamers to [[LockedInAFreezer lock him in Lara's freezer]]. |
| 192 | %%* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'': In the ''Blood and Wine'' DLC, Geralt is gifted ownership of a vineyard. The vineyard's majordomo, Barnabas-Basil Foulty, fits the trope almost perfectly.%%How? |
| 193 | * ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Engineers can craft a device that requests the presence of Jeeves, the perfect gentleman robot butler, who will attend to your needs for 10 min. Jeeves allows players to repair their armor and weapons, sell unwanted items, buy reagents for spells and grants bank access to skilled engineers. Truly a gaming gentleman's gentleman. The Jeeves robot, however, has the look of a clockwork gnome and lacks the British stuffiness of a true Jeeves. A closer approximation to TheJeeves in-game is the raid boss Moroes inside Karazhan. He's in charge of the grand dining hall, and is unflaggingly polite to you even when he's trying to kill you. Even when you kill him, he maintains his stuffy cool, saying only "How terribly clumsy of me." |
| 194 | [[/folder]] |
| 195 | |
| 196 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 197 | * ''VisualNovel/SevenKingdomsThePrincessProblem'': The player character is assigned a personal butler, Jasper, for the duration of the Summit. He's there to help manage your schedule, run errands, assist with planning and setting up any events you decide to host, keep you apprised of relevant information, and generally in all ways assist you in your efforts to successfully navigate the Summit and achieve your goals there. Jasper is extremely poised and professional and very competent at what he does - as well as being very mysterious and suspiciously well-informed. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 201 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Gilgamesh Wulfenbach's assistant Wooster, named after the employer of the original Jeeves, is a [[spoiler:complete aversion]] of this trope, considering that [[spoiler:he works for British Intelligence. Gil knows about this.]] Despite being [[spoiler: a spy with his own agenda]] and a university friend rather than someone hired as a professional manservant, he does seem to be good at his [[spoiler: cover]] job. And given [[MadScientist who his employer was]], having a batman with non-traditional talents probably came in handy. |
| 202 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Equius' lusus, Aurthour, is a magnificently mustached centaur who serves as a live-in manservant for his charge, always ready to dart in at his side with a fresh towel or glass of milk. Equius' commentary notes that he's simply the best there is at being a butler. |
| 203 | * ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' is part of the canon of the crossover webcomic ''WebComic/AndShineHeavenNow'' meaning that Jeeves himself (along with Bertie) appears in the series. As it turns out, everything Walter knows, whether about being a butler or being a vampire hunter, he learned from Jeeves. |
| 204 | * ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'': Perrault effectively runs his master's life. Until he decides he's bored; and even then setting guidelines for continued success while he's gone. |
| 205 | * ''Webcomic/PvP'': After he won the lottery, Robbie hires a butler ''named'' Butler who plays this to the hilt and can solve any problem the other characters have if they ask him to... and apparently [[spoiler:[=LolBat=] in his spare time]]. |
| 206 | * ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Alumik Edroch, father of Evan Edroch, the butler of [[{{Hikkikomori}} Princess Jaina Repelista Jahad]]. He's got the dress code right and generally is more mature than all the [[AmazonBrigade Princesses we meet]]. Also, he knows many of these Princesses so well that he knows exactly what they want. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 210 | * In the ShowWithinAShow ''Caleb Rentpayer'' from the ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' cartoons, Caleb is a young slacker who somehow came into a lot of money. From the brief snippets of the show we've heard, his hapless butler Tuxworth seems to be half Jeeves, half ButtMonkey. |
| 211 | -->'''Caleb:''' You throw like a girl, Tucksworth. |
| 212 | -->'''Tuxworth:''' Caleb, that suitcase was ''heavy!'' |
| 213 | * Mr. Deeds of ''[[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-662 SCP-662]]''. |
| 214 | [[/folder]] |
| 215 | |
| 216 | [[folder:Websites]] |
| 217 | * The search engine [[http://uk.ask.com/ Ask.com]] was formerly known as "Ask Jeeves" and their mascot was a valet named Jeeves who fit this trope to a T, though he was eventually phased out after the website was rebranded to simply "Ask.com". |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 221 | * In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', Princess Bubblegum has Peppermint Butler. Like many examples of this trope, he's got plenty of HiddenDepths--he's even friends with [[TheGrimReaper Death]]. |
| 222 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' has a butler named [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Woodhouse]] ([[Creator/PGWodehouse get it?]]) who is definitely more down-to-earth than his employer. Unusually, in contrast to the norm wherein TheJeeves is the one "really in charge", Archer treats Woodhouse like shit (although we frequently get hints that the valet has his own little ways of getting revenge). |
| 223 | * ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'': Mr Fog's manservant Rigodon [[note]]Passepartout in the French dub, as was his name in the novel; Barnabash in the Czech dub[[/note]] is a very competent manservant to Mr Fog. He's stellar at his job, despite being French and not British, as is typical for this trope. Mr Fog is dissatisfied with one thing only — he may not be ''absolutely'' punctual. We're talking minutes and seconds. |
| 224 | * In Batman cartoons, this trope extends as far as other characters making jibes at Alfred Pennyworth, calling him "Jeeves". Particularly Harvey Bullock calls him this in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' in the episode "Over the Edge" when Alfred jumps on Commissioner Gordon [[spoiler: to knock him off balance to keep him from shooting Batman.]] |
| 225 | * Hovis from ''WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}}'', who acts as the DeadpanSnarker OnlySaneMan towards the [[ComicTrio cats']] antics. |
| 226 | * An episode of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' had Danny getting rich and getting a butler named Hobson. |
| 227 | * Duckworth from ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987''. |
| 228 | ** In the [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017 2017 reboot]], Duckworth doesn't initially appear, but [[spoiler:is revealed to have been Scrooge's beloved former butler, now deceased, and joins the cast as a benevolent ghost]]. |
| 229 | * One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' had Timmy getting a butler named Jensen. [[PlotHole There didn't seem to be a problem with him seeing Cosmo and Wanda]], but that might be because they magically made him. |
| 230 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Road to Rupert", Stewie has an English butler named Crone who serves him while he's in the middle of a ski race. |
| 231 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', Xanatos' secretary/butler/manservant/majordomo/whatever Owen Burnett (who chose this life over... Nah, that would be telling). |
| 232 | ** And Preston Vogel, whom Owen modeled his personality [[spoiler:and current form]] on. |
| 233 | * ''WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle'': Super Chicken's enemy [[EvilGenius the Noodle]] has a butler named Beastly, who, despite his name, is a pretty straight example of this trope. |
| 234 | * ''WesternAnimation/GetAce'': Hugo is a holographic assistant version, a British ServileSnarker who helps Ace and allows him to access the various functions of his high-tech braces. |
| 235 | * Butley from ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', whose debut episode sees him being used by Beezy for everything to the point of ''living out Beezy's life''. He's also the subject of a RunningGag where Jimmy and Beezy snicker whenever they hear his name. An unnamed one also appears as Lucius' butler, though he's replaced by Butley in later episodes. |
| 236 | * ''WesternAnimation/MonsterLovingManiacs'': Randall is Arthur Van Alten's butler. He's a lot more than just a stiff-lipped British gentleman though, often serving as MissionControl on his monster-hunting ventures while also dispensing advice for Arthur's grandkids and being something of an HonoraryUncle to them |
| 237 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Randolph, to [[AlphaBitch Diamond Tiara]]. Despite his apparent age, he is at least a skilled acrobat, capable of backflips, spins, juggling, and ball balancing, all of which his young employer was [[BlatantLies "too tired"]] to do. |
| 238 | * Charles from ''WesternAnimation/NeoYokio'' is in charge of Kaz's schedule as well as tasks like packing, getting articles of clothing repaired, taking calls, and transporting Kaz around the city with his rocket boots. He also reads to Kaz in the bath and accompanies him on missions. [[RobotMaid Oh, and he's also a robot.]] |
| 239 | * Daphne's butler Jenkins in ''WesternAnimation/APupNamedScoobyDoo''. Dawson, who responds to Daphne's call when Jenkins isn't available, also counts. |
| 240 | ** Jenkins' services seems to extend to Daphne's friends as well. He responded when Velma accidentally called him in one episode. |
| 241 | * Baileywick in ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' serves as the castle steward and is always at the royal family's beck and call, even during his day-off. |
| 242 | * James is this to Arktos in ''Franchise/{{Tabaluga}}''. He is a very elegant penguin with a monocle on his eye and he is much smarter than Arktos who always claims that all James's ideas were his ideas. However, James sometimes seems to be a bit too concerned about his master's welfare. |
| 243 | * ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' Montana Max has his butler Grovely. |
| 244 | * One of Gromit's many household roles in ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit''. Usually the cause of his misfortune. |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | ---- |
| 248 | Will that be all, sir? |
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