Alfred Pennyworth | |
Appeared in | Batman Begins The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises |
Status | Alive |
Actor | Michael Caine |
- "You see only one end to your journey, leaving is all I have to make you understand. You're not the Batman anymore, you have to find another cave."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth [src]
Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's butler at Wayne Manor. He knows that Bruce is Batman and aids him.
Biography
Early life
He served in the British S.A.S when he was younger and caught a man in Burma who as he put it just wanted to see the world burn.
Batman Begins
- "Master Wayne, you've been gone a long time."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth [src]
During his service to the Wayne Family, Alfred became a valued member of the household, and Thomas and Martha trusted him with the guardianship of their son, Bruce, in the event of their deaths. When Bruce vanished for seven years, he was declared dead by Wayne Enterprise's CEO William Earle in order to claim his shares, but that plan was thwarted because Bruce had left everything to Alfred. During Bruce's absence, Alfred frequently visited a restaurant in Florence, Italy in the hope that he would see Bruce there and that he would have settled down with a wife. Despite keeping strict watch over Wayne Enterprises and Wayne Manor in the event that Bruce returned, Alfred secretly hoped that Bruce had found happiness elsewhere, and never came back realizing that nothing was waiting for him in Gotham but pain and suffering. After Bruce had returned from his training from the League of Shadows, he told Alfred that his goal was to become a symbol to frighten the mobsters and criminals of Gotham and reasoned that as a man, he could be defeated, but as a symbol, he would be incorruptible and eternal. Alfred helped Bruce arrange the order of the tools that were necessary for Bruce to become Batman that he could not acquire from Wayne Enterprises. One such item were the components of the cowl. Alfred suggested that such items needed to be ordered via a dummy corporation in rather large quantities. He had also encouraged Bruce to feign a social life to deflect attention from the idea that he could be Batman. When the League of Shadows attacked Wayne Manor, Alfred helped save Bruce when he was trapped under a beam and rallied him to resume his fight against the League in order to save Gotham. In the aftermath, Alfred offered some suggestions about the repairs that could be carried out on Wayne Manor.
Batman: Gotham Knight
To be added
The Dark Knight
- "Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth [src]
Alfred and Bruce moved to a downtown penthouse and the Batcave was relocated to the Gotham Docks as Wayne Manor was destroyed. Although he supported Bruce's decision as Batman, Alfred couldn't help but worry about him while he was on his nightly raids. Alfred eventually told Bruce to know his limits to which Bruce replied that Batman has no limits. Alfred was a source of wisdom to not only Bruce, but Rachel Dawes and on a more casual level, Harvey Dent. When Bruce traveled to Hong Kong to get a business man who was handling the mob's money, it was Alfred who came up with the alibi for Bruce.Rachel gave him the task of giving Bruce a letter "when the time is right." Alfred later read it and discovered that she was going to marry Dent.
Upon her death, Bruce was downtrodden and as Alfred was about to give him the letter he attempted to hide it saying, "It can wait." He later burned the letter.
The Dark Knight Rises
- "I won't bury you. I've buried enough members of the Wayne family."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth [src]
Eight years after the death of Harvey Dent, Alfred assists Bruce in finding out information about the mercenary, Bane. However, the two become distanced from one another when Alfred uses Rachel to demotivate him from becoming Batman once more. Alfred also explains that he burnt the letter Rachel addressed to Bruce that outlined she intended to marry Harvey and not Bruce. This leads to Alfred leaving Wayne Manor on Bruce's orders. Over Bruce's grave, Alfred breaks down in tears and apologizes to Bruce's parents having failed to protect their son. However, when Alfred returns to the Florentine restaurant, he looks across to see Bruce dining with Selina Kyle and they exchange smiles to one another and nod. At this point Alfred leaves happy and joyful that Bruce is alive and that he has finally found peace and starting a family.
Character traits
To be added
Relationships
- Bruce Wayne - Friend.
- Lucius Fox - Friend.
- Rachel Dawes - Friend; deceased.
Appearances/Actors
- Nolanverse (3 films)
- Batman Begins (First appearance) - Michael Caine
- The Dark Knight - Michael Caine
- The Dark Knight Rises - Michael Caine
- Nolanverse (1 animated film)
- Nolanverse (1 comic)
Trivia
- Michael Caine portrays Alfred in the movie Batman Begins and its sequel The Dark Knight. Despite Bruce Wayne's lifelong rebellion and frequent departure from home as shown in the film, Alfred never loses faith in his master. He also has a flair for both sarcasm and fatherly banter, a frequent source for comic relief in the film.