I don’t know how many of you are simultaneously into superheroes and Bushido. I guess only a few, but that doesn’t matter anyway. If you know about Batman you already know enough to read this story.

I’ve only read a few Batman comics, so I am no expert on the subject, but this article was also based on the Alfred traits that are portrayed on the television, specially on Christopher Nolan movies and the TV series, “Gotham”.

Now, keep reading at your own risk, since there will be spoilers ahead.

If you kept reading, let me begin by telling you the story behind this article.

Little Bruce Wayne — Batman (1989)

The moment I started to know more about Samurai, it was the moment I started to become fascinated about their culture, and I wanted to learn more about the subject.

As I started to deepen my knowledge, I became a sort of an enthusiastic, specially on the strict values that they were able to create and incorporate to create a new social class.

Being a Samurai is following Bushido, “Way of the Warrior”.

Warrior, has always meant following a code of honor, but Samurai had a way of honor that went beyond everything that was ever seen. Many of those values can still be seen on today’s Japan.

This code itself can be characterized as an “exaggeration” of devotion for the code, and a very strict one.

Bushido came from both Zen, having a influence on the warrior spirituality, responsible for a notable discipline and ego free mind, and a Confucianism influence marking the warriors relationship with their lords.

Hagakure is a great book to understand a lot about this values, and fascinated as I am by this culture, it became one of my favorite books.

One day I was reading Hagakure for the second time, and I stumbled across one of my favorite passages that repeated on my brain for the rest of the day.

And it was later that day, when I was watching Gotham, that this idea popped in my mind and the title came exactly like this: “Alfred Pennyworth: The Modern Samurai”.

I knew what I had to do…

About Alfred

Alfred Pennyworth — https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/ephkrmbkmzipbukuxeth.jpg

To easily understand the values behind the code of Bushido that a true Samurai must follow, 7 virtues were identified, known as “The Seven Virtues of Bushido”.

At first, if you were to characterize Alfred in two shakes, what would you say?

I would say Loyal, and that is also the first trait you can point in a Samurai, making one of the virtues.

1. Loyalty and Devotion to Duty

For the simple fact that Alfred fulfills his promise of looking for Bruce after his parents' death, no matter what the circumstances, is more than enough to show how Alfred characterizes as loyal, just as a true Samurai would show loyalty to his lord.

Samurai warriors also had a strong willingness to die for their lords for reasons that reach the point of triviality and are easily misjudged in our culture.

“It can be said that for a Samurai, the biggest honor is to die in service, and death is the biggest principle of Bushido.” — Hagakure

I am sure that Alfred has many moments portrayed on that same willingness to sacrifice his life for Bruce.

On Gotham Series Alfred says:

“You really scared me Master Bruce, if you had died… Who employs Butlers anymore?”

Here he doesn’t express directly that Bruce his the only reason for him to live, but he does.

By asking “Who employs Butlers anymore?”, he shows that the only thing that he intends to live up for is being a butler.

He lives to serve Bruce Wayne.

All this adds up to a total devotion to his master.

“If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, it’s basis lies first in seriously devoting one’s body and soul to it’s master.” — Hagakure

2. Heroic Courage

Now, Samurai were also known by their braveness and there were many moments throughout history were they would have to stick up with the decision to walk up towards the “abyss” and keep moving heroically without caring for the consequences.

One notable demonstration of this heroic courage can be seen when Alfred grabs Bane arm trying to stop him, and he ends up with a broken back.

He was perfectly aware that he had no chance against Bane, but still decided to move forward.

Ironically, in comics, there is also this passage where Batman gets his back broken by Superman, Alfred sees it and needlessly it is to say, he almost kills Superman.

In Hagakure you can read:

“ Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.” — Hagakure

3. Honor

Honor is also a very important trait on a Samurai.

Warriors would do anything to preserve their honor, but specially to preserve the honor of the family name, or the honor associated with their master.

Sometimes this honor would go as far as “death on service”.

“You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.” — The Book of Five Rings

This honor can easily be seen in Alfred and most of the times it can be clearly seen that he acts in honor of the trust that Bruce’s father put on him. Honor that ends up associating with the family name.

One time he says to Bruce:

“Your father took responsibility for his actions. He fought very hard for what he believed in. And I will not stop you from doing the same thing.” — Alfred Pennyworth

4. Respect

Alfred Pennyworth can also be seen as the true gentleman in the way he acts around others.

Alfred has manners, he is courteous and respectful, even to his enemies.

Samurai would know that true respect comes from the way they treat others, and not always from the display of their strength and martial value.

“One should always be careful to behave properly at social gatherings. (…) Act appropriately in public.” — Hagakure

5. Honesty and Sincerity

A Samurai should be as sincere as possible, specially when dealing with his master.

It was expected that he would talk honestly with his master even if there was discordance in any affair.

For you to understand the importance of sincerity:

“Sincerity does not only complete the self; it is the means by which all things are completed. As the self is completed, there is human-heartedness; as things are completed, there is wisdom. This is the virtue of one’s character, and the Way of joining the internal and external. Thus, when we use this, everything is correct.” — Hagakure

This can exactly be seen in Alfred’s character, starting with the way that he treats Bruce.

And even though he devotes his life to serve his master, sometimes he disagrees with his decisions, and he still finds the best way of showing that with sincerity, no matter what.

6. Integrity and Justice

Related to the honesty that makes his principles shine through him, Alfred has always shown that he can keep pure to his values, and always stick to his moral beliefs.

That is pure integrity.

He also believes in the value of Justice has an higher ideal and that’s the strongest reason for him to agree with Bruce’s adventures as Batman.

“When you told me your grand plan for saving Gotham, the only thing that stopped me from calling the men in white coats was when you said that it wasn’t about thrill-seeking” — Alfred Pennyworth

7. Compassion

Other virtue of a true Samurai and a great retainer is compassion.

Compassion is a precursor to empathy, and it can be defined as the allowance to be motivated by the suffering of others and doing something good with that.

Compassion ends up being associated with true wisdom, like the one you find in Alfred.

I have showed you before many of Alfred traits that relate directly with his compassion.

But compassion is also the root to Alfred’s righteousness.