Hi Reader,

Here’s a worksheet to create your henchmen.

1) Pick their story job/archetype.

☐ The Dragon: Big Bad’s right hand man / #2 / chief lieutenant.

☐ The Heavy: the most active threat the hero tangles with, even if they’re not the top villain.

☐ The Gatekeeper / Threshold Guardian: blocks access to a place, person, or clue.

☐ The Tracker: keeps the hero from ever truly getting away.

☐ The Temptation engine: tries to pull the hero off the path.

2) Define their rank + reach.

☐ What’s their title in the villain ecosystem? (captain, fixer, consigliere)

☐ What can they command? (people, money, magic, access)

☐ What can’t they do without permission? (jurisdiction limits = tension)

3) What’s their work style?

☐ Full-Fledged Antagonists (Scary on steroids.)

☐ Punch-Clock Villains (They’re there for the paycheck.)

☐ Incompetent lackeys (Accidentally sabotage the plan.)

4) Pick their weapon.

☐ Muscles

☐ Brains

☐ Guns

☐ Knives

☐ Bombs

5) Give them a signature.

☐ A distinct tactic (poison, intimidation, manipulation, charm)

☐ A distinct presence (stillness, speed, menace, humor,)

☐ A distinct tell (polishes a ring, wipes hands after a fight, hums)

☐ One humanizing detail (not to soften them, but to sharpen them)

6) Decide their cruelty style.

☐ Surgical (clean, efficient, minimal emotion)

☐ Performative (makes an example, sends messages)

☐ Personal (enjoys the intimacy of harm)

☐ “I’m doing this for your own good” (chilling)

7) Nail the loyalty glue (why they stay.)

☐ Fear (of the boss, of poverty, of exposure)

☐ Belief (ideology, religion, “the boss is right”)

☐ Love / devotion (twisted, obsessive)

☐ Debt (the boss saved them, owns them, blackmails them)

☐ Ambition (they want the crown, or at least a nicer chair)

☐ Addiction (power, status, violence)

8) Choose their end state

☐ Defeated (clean loss)

☐ Escapes (recurring nightmare)

☐ Flips (betrays the boss, temporarily aligns with hero)

☐ Promoted (becomes the new Big Bad)

☐ Redeemed (rare, earned, and usually costly)

More on Henchmen

​Scriptnotes Ep. 692: Crafting the Perfect Villain (John August)

​Scriptnotes Ep. 465: The Lackeys Know What They’re Doing (John August)

​How to Write a Henchman Archetype​

​TV Tropes: The Dragon​

​TV Tropes: The Heavy​

​TV Tropes: Evil Minions​

​Terrible Writing Advice: Evil Lackeys - video

In Case You Missed It

​The Villain's Team: How to Write Henchmen​

​Villain Builder​

​Writing Strong Villains Using the Villain's Journey​

Cheers,

Lindsey

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