Henchmen in video games are the low-leveled antagonists of many heroes on their way to achieving their goals. Most of the time the best villains would dispatch these hapless cohorts across levels with the fool’s errand of trying to stop the heroes from progressing, usually ending with less-than-favorable results.
But even with the odds stacked against them, these expendable cannon fodder still march on, following their boss’ orders to give the heroes more obstacles to overcome and make the game more memorable. But which henchmen are the best?
8 Grunts (Halo)
The Covenant is a faction of mixed alien races in the Halo games whose goal is the complete subjugation of the Milky Way galaxy. One would think that with such a diverse collection of alien races, the Covenant would provide a formidable strike team, but what they send out to battle the human resistance to the front lines are the Grunts.
Scientifically called Unggoy, the Grunts in Halo are the quintessential definition of cannon fodder. While they are usually seen in groups, they are uncoordinated and would often scatter in terror once their commander falls in battle. Given that the Covenant does have seemingly indomitable military units that are encountered in key moments during battles, Grunts are always there as a welcome reprieve for Master Chief to trample and blast around.
7 Storm Troopers (Star Wars)
Nothing screams henchmen more than the Storm Troopers in the Star Wars franchise. These clones are bred for the sole purpose of serving the Empire and are often the unfortunate subjects on the working end of lightsabers and blasters.
They are notorious for having horrendous aims, and even if they manage to hit the heroes, they often just graze them with their blaster shots while they get lit up for their efforts. But what they lack in skill, they make up for by sheer number: squads upon squads are routinely sent out by Imperial commanders since they know they can amass more of them if they need more bodies for their cause.
6 Dr. Robotnik’s Badniks (Sonic the Hedgehog)
If there is one staple trope in video games that will stand the test of time, it would be that if a hero is against an evil doctor, that hero will contend with a lot of henchmen. This is doubly true when facing Doctor Robotnik and his Badniks.
Badniks are various robotic minions that serve Dr. Robotnik and his mission to conquer the world. As Sonic, the Blue Blur is constantly facing off against different types of Badniks: small ones, spiky ones, and humongous ones, and all of them are armed with various weapons to make life hard for the plucky Hedgehog. Unlucky for them, Badniks always have weaknesses that Sonic and their friends can exploit to handily destroy them without much trouble.
5 The Kremling Krew (Donkey Kong Country)
Those who played the Donkey Kong Country games are sure to recognize and despise the Kremlings. These toothy crocodilians are led by King K. Rool and are always in the way of Donkey Kong and his friends who are off-gathering bananas.
The Kremling Krew are notorious for antagonizing the Kongs in various games. These pirates often steal the Kong’s banana hoard and would guard them against the justifiably angry Donkey Kong. They come in many shapes and sizes and have specific roles when it comes to guard duty. But even their crocodilian hide is no match for a swift bump to the head courtesy of Donkey Kong jumping on them, rendering them unconscious.
4 The Heartless (Kingdom Hearts)
Kingdom Hearts’ story is full of twists and turns, and understanding it is a great undertaking even for experienced RPG players. Luckily, the games’ henchmen are as simple as they come: the Heartless. These shadowy entities are the physical manifestations of the darkness that lives within each person’s heart. They also come in many shapes and sizes, making them tricky to deal with in later stages of the game.
That said, the Heartless are still henchmen, so once Sora and the gang figure out what their weaknesses in their various forms are, they become quick work again for the heroes.
3 Doctor Wily’s Robots (Mega Man)
As far as robotic minions are concerned, count on mad scientists or evil geniuses to construct robotic armies to do their bidding. Take Doctor Wily; who has created an assortment of murderbots that guard his many laboratories and factories while he amasses more of them as he prepares for world domination.
All of Doctor Wily’s creations are armed with various weapons and are littered across key areas of his operations either to defend or attack an objective. It is up to Mega Man to infiltrate said areas and destroy whatever contraption Doctor Wily is housing there or secure data. But even with their tech, Doctor Wily’s robots often become scrap thanks to Mega Man’s Mega Buster and another superior arsenal.
2 Bokoblins (The Legend of Zelda)
The Legend of Zelda games give players the task to defeat Ganon and his many iterations to give peace to Hyrule. One of Ganon’s many forces Link has to contend with on his quest is the Bokoblins. Bokoblins are low-level grunts with short snouts and vile tempers that litter Hyrule.
They are often seen in groups and have camped at strategic points where they stand guard. Armed with primitive Boko weaponry, they often clash with Link and do their best to take him out. But even with their weapons, they are easy to defeat, which is why they resort to overwhelming Link with their numbers.
1 Goombas (Super Mario)
When it comes to Super Mario, fans can expect some brilliant stories as a plethora of minions that stand in the way of the mustachioed plumber. The most iconic of these henchmen are the Goombas. Originally aligned with the Mushroom Kingdom, they defected to the Koopa Troop which is led by the big baddie himself, King Bowser. That said, they are often sent first in the front lines and droves with the sole purpose to stop Mario at all costs.
Sporting a mushroom-like appearance, Goombas only have eyes, a mouth, and legs which they use to march towards areas they are tasked to go to or defend. This often leads them to go off ledges and cliffs since they seemingly have one-track minds, but most of the time, Goombas meet their demise via Mario’s weight-crushing them as he jumps on their easily-targetable heads.