Alfred Pennyworth has become synonymous with Batman. Just like with every new portrayal of Batman, there is always something fresh with a new portrayal of Alfred. Andy Serkis most recently had a brilliant take on the beloved character in The Batman.
Most of the time, Alfred is the wiser out of the duo and therefore, always has some of the best lines in the movies. Over the years, there is no shortage of memorable and long-lasting dialogues delivered by different Alfred but sifting through them and coming up with 10 was a difficult task.
Michael Caine was an iconic Alfred. Along with his wise advice sprinkled over the trilogy, his witty comebacks and comedic timing also stood out.
When Batman was dealing with the aftermath of The Dark Knight and he was just introduced to Selina Kyle, Alfred could be seen trying to get Bruce Wayne to go out more, even if it means setting him up with a jewel thief. But it is these witty comebacks that stick with the audience and make Alfred more relatable.
This line was also in relation to Batman’s physical and mental state after The Dark Knight and when he tries to fix his badly injured leg. He was doing this in preparation of the things to come because of Bane. Alfred recognizes that this version of Batman wouldn’t be the same as he was, no matter how hard he tries.
Batman needed to evolve and become something more. This dialogue also highlights that Alfred, for the first time, thinks that Batman might be out of his depth and ill-prepared to deal with Bane, which to a large extent turned out to be true.
This line might be one of the most iconic pieces of dialogue in the history of cinema. This was not only a brilliant piece of writing but also summarised the intention of the Joker perfectly. Batman was trying to figure out the motive of Joker and why he was doing the things he was doing.
He was trying to analyze him as a regular criminal. But Alfred, through his years of experience, sensed that Joker was something different, with no clear motive such as money or power. He simply wanted chaos.
Jeremy Irons, although even with a short stint as Alfred left fans with a lot of memorable moments, he was definitely one of the most influential characters in the movie. This piece of dialogue, although simple, has quite a lot of layers beneath it.
Not only does it show the long and special relationship both Alfred and Batman share, but it also shows how classy the character is. Mentioning Mozart and Harpsichord is something only Alfred would do while telling Batman that he cannot lie to him.
A lot of the younger audience member probably doesn’t remember Michael Gough’s brilliant performance as Alfred. This line conveys the years of experience Alfred has had both under Bruce Wayne and Thomas Wayne.
It also shows the pain the character went through when he did not only lose his employer, but also his friend. He does not want to go through the pain again by losing Bruce Wayne as well. While Batman has always portrayed himself to be a loner, he has always had one friend in Alfred.
Although this version of Batman did not have an origin story, this line conveys quite a lot of information within one sentence. While Batman is arguing that stopping Superman might be the only meaningful thing he has done, Alfred questions what the past 20 years of fighting crime have been all about.
This line does not only raise a deep philosophical question about the existence of Batman but also points out how long Batman has been working in this version of the story. This was also one of those moments when the DECU tried to tackle deeper issues, even if it was only for a moment.
While this dialogue doesn’t seem as hard-hitting as some of the others on the list, it has a different significance to it. For the longest time, Alfred was the guy behind the scenes, either giving advice to Batman or helping out with the investigative process.
But here fans got to see Alfred controlling an entire battleship and taking on a more active role with Batman. Not only is he planning the attack process, but he also actively partakes in the action. This Alfred definitely deserved more screen time in the final cut.
Andy Serkis did a brilliant performance in The Batman. While Alfred did not have much screen time or lines in this installment, this dialogue has a lot of emotional significance. This was a reply to Bruce Wayne telling him that he is not his father.
Just through the emotions on Andy Serkis’s face and the short reply, viewers could see how hurt he was. It was also set up that Alfred trained Bruce in different fighting styles and helped him be the Batman that he was, which makes the effect of this line even more chilling.
This line had to be included as not only is this a beautiful rendition of one of the most popular sayings of the era, but it was also delivered during the perfect moment as well.
Alfred said this to Batman when the Wayne Manor had completely burnt to the ground and he was contemplating whether he was a failure. How could he protect a city when he couldn’t even protect his home? Alfred understood that his friend needed him during the moment of despair and was ready with the perfect words of comfort.
This is yet another one of Michael Caine’s witty comebacks. He said this when Bruce Wayne was deciding which car to take during the daylight when using the Batmobile would have garnered a lot of attention.
This line also shows the wealth at which Bruce Wayne operates when, even with some sarcasm, using a Lamborghini would be considered subtle for him.
