Hi Reader,

Give your Big Bad a staff meeting worth attending!

Supervillains, spies, and wizards rarely work alone. Even the most dramatic Big Bad needs a support system: henchmen, minions, and evil sidekicks.

A great henchman is built from three ingredients:

1. Distinct identity: We recognize them instantly.
2. Real motivation: They’re not just evil furniture.
3. Clear function: They have a job in the villain ecosystem.

Let’s build your evil team.

Make Them Pop: The No Numbers Rule

Henchmen should never feel like a generic face in the crowd.

Swap Numbers for Adjectives.

Instead of Thief #1, try:

• Fussy Thief who uses hand sanitizer before he puts on gloves.
• Hipster Thief who has a man bun.
• Paranoid Thief who spouts conspiracy theories.

Adjectives give the reader’s brain a hook to hang the character on.

Weapons for Weirdos: Let Gear Do Character Work

One of the fastest ways to differentiate henchmen is to give each one a distinct weapon or tool that reflects who they are.

Matching Weapons to Personality

Think of Oddjob’s razor-edged hat in Goldfinger. It’s a calling card.

Ask:

• What tool would this guy choose?
• What tool fits their values?

Weapon Condition = Character

The state of the weapon tells us who’s holding it:

• Rusty and nicked: careless, broke, desperate, reckless.
• Perfectly clean: obsessive, disciplined, clinical.
• Customized and decorated: vain, expressive, theatrical.
• Cheap but effective: practical, experienced, workhorse.

Different weapons create different fighting styles, which make your action scenes inventive.

A Gear-handling Signature

Beyond the weapon, give them a ritual:

• A Knife dancing across knuckles.
• A pistol spin they never mess up.
• Reloading with a wink.

These techniques are the henchman equivalent of a logo.

Henchman Archetypes

Not all underlings are built to do the same job. Here are a few powerhouse roles:

The Dragon: The villain’s right hand. Closest confidant. Often the most dangerous subordinate. The Dragon doesn’t just execute the plan, they enforce the Big Bad’s will.

The Heavy: The main physical obstacle, often the antagonist we see the most. While the Big Bad stays in the shadows, the Heavy becomes the face of opposition.

The Threshold Guardian: The “troll on the bridge.” Their job is to test the hero’s worthiness and determination. Beating them proves the hero can advance.

The Tracker: Obsessed and relentless, hekeeps the hero from ever truly getting away.

The Temptation Engine: They offer what the hero desires, trying to pull him off his mission.

Another way to distinguish henchmen is their work style.

Competence Tiers

• More Trouble Than They’re Worth: Incompetent lackeys who accidentally help the hero or sabotage the plan.
• Punch-Clock Villains: They’re there for the paycheck, not the ideology.
• Full-Fledged Antagonists: Scary enough to be the villain in a different story.

Motivation and Personal Stakes: Why Do They Stay?

Give them goals beyond serving the boss.

A compelling henchman wants something specific:

• revenge
• money
• status
• a secret plan to overthrow their employer

On the flip side, why would the leave? What's their breaking point? What would make they betray, bolt, or burn it all down?

Moral Codes

How do they justify themselves?

• The Punch-Clock Villain - a job is a job.
• The Overzealous Underling - true believer.
• The Sycophantic Servant - craves approval like oxygen.
• The Cold Professional – competent and unflinching.
• Heroes of Their own Job: Sometimes henchmen are more dangerous because the stakes are personal. In a heist hierarchy like Die Hard, the underlings have a direct stake in stealing the money.
• Vengeful and Lethal: A revenge-motivated henchman becomes a relentless hunter. They don’t quit because the plan changed. They don’t quit because they’re injured. They don’t quit because the boss says stand down. Their goal is emotional, not logistical.

When Henchmen Get More Screen Time: Keeping the Big Bad Scary

If your story spends a lot of time with the villain’s staff, the Big Bad can still feel like the main event. Here’s how:

The Power of Mystery: Sometimes the Big Bad is scariest off-screen. Their underlings become proof of their reputation.

Reflected Power: If the Heavy is terrifying… and the Heavy answers to someone… congratulations, your Big Bad just got scarier without lifting a finger.

The Villain is the Hero of Their own Story: Even if the Big Bad is absent for long stretches, their plan should drive everything. They have a rational motivation. They believe they’re right. And they see themselves as the protagonist of this world.

Make it Personal: Let the henchmen provide the physical roadblocks. Let the Big Bad target the hero’s core values, identity, or loved ones. That’s what makes the final confrontation emotionally charged.

A Quick Recipe for Multiple Minions

A tasty, non-repetitive villain team usually includes:

• 1 Bruiser - physical threat
• 1 Brain - strategy, traps, intel
• 1 Face - charm, social manipulation
• 1 Wildcard - unpredictable, creates chaos for both sides.

More About 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

​How to Write a Villain​

​Writing Strong Villains Using the Villain's Journey​

​What's Your Number?​

Check it Out!

Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? ​Watch ​me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!

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Cheers,

Lindsey

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