History Main / HalfheartedHenchman

->'''Jack Slater:''' Sir, are you a henchman?
->'''Benedict:''' No, I only go as far as lackey.

* ''Little Gloomy'': Boris, Simon von Simon's [[TheIgor hunchbacked lab assistant]]. Boris has literally no interest in Simon's plans, it's just that MadScientist lab assistant is the only job he can get.

* ''Film/IronMan3'': After utilizing pieces of his suit to break free, Tony begins taking out the henchmen charged with keeping an eye on him until he draws his weapon on the last one, who immediately surrenders and informs him, "Honestly, I hate working here. They are so weird."

* Late in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', one Support Reaper is found in the streets who was too lazy to go to the emergency meeting and skipped work that day. [[spoiler:As they were handing out one-way tickets to the AssimilationPlot that day, it's all the better for him.]]
* Razorbeard's henchman in ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape''.
* Biggs and Wedge from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' sit between this and BumblingHenchmenDuo. They're actually decently motivated, and really DO try - well, at least Biggs does - but they always get beaten up and demoted, and then moan about it. At the end, when they've been assigned to guard the door to the boss lair, they see you coming - and then just up and quit, walking off to find a better career.
* Demyx from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''... [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass until he actually decides to fight you]]. Ironically, he technically isn't even ''half''-hearted -- as a [[TheSoulless Nobody]], he has no heart at all. [[BerserkButton Don't tell him that, though.]]
* Johnny Sasaki of ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', the poor ButtMonkey.

* In ''VideoGame/IttleDew'', The first Jenny Frogs that are encountered guard the castle by each patrolling a small area which Ittle can't even reach due to spikes being in the way. The rest of them don't seem very passionate about their jobs, either.
* This existed as a game mechanic in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManLegends The Misadventures Of Tron Bonne]]''. Going too long without using a specific [[MascotMook Servbot]] would build his laziness up, and if it filled out he would become this. He would be "goofing off somewhere" and unavailable for missions until you punished him via a MiniGame.

[[folder: Visual Novels]]
* The fake sea captain from ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', who's spent most of the voyage making false appeals to “International Sea Law” to justify not returning to port for supplies, surrenders immediately when the protagonist and Morgan physically threaten him.
-->'''Captain:''' I don’t get paid enough for physical violence.

[[folder: Web Animation]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]
* In ''Henchmen for Hire'' this trope is played straight by two of the main characters; they don't think badly of the superhero community, and even refuse to fight superheroes if they can help it. It's subverted by the third member of their trio, who appears half-hearted [[TheMole but actually alerted a hero]] when the villain they signed up with went too far too fast.

* "The Masked Henchman" usually ends up as this, even becoming friends with various heroes.

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': Basically every Monarch henchman, every time they talk. When the Flying Cocoon's engines failed mid-flight, none of them were willing to go into the engine room to fix it because "that place is ''spooky'', man." 21 and 24 are kind of borderline. 21, at least, is completely clueless to his costume's features (like functioning wings and night vision).

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': {{Emotionless Girl}} Mai fills this role. An example of this is during the Season Two Finale when confronted by Toph and Sokka, she decided not to put up a fight at all.\\
\\
Another example earlier in Season 2 episode "The Drill", Mai [[spoiler: refuses to chase after the heroes after they jump into a pipe containing slurry, the mixture of water and rock created as a byproduct by the drill.]]
* Thundercracker in ''The Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' has doubts about the Decepticon cause, which sometimes impede his effectiveness.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'': Bebop and Rocksteady are very much this trope. At the orders of their boss Shredder, they fight the Turtles and seem to have fun doing this; Shredder also gives them other, more laborious duties that they don't enjoy as much; but to all appearances, what they really want to be doing is just playing around, like children. They are actually reflective enough to realize that their relationship with Shredder is that of a lazy slave to his master; but while they may feel a little uneasy with the lifestyle of a PunchClockVillain, [[HappinessInSlavery they rarely seem to have any kind of wish that they could quit and do something else with their lives.]]

* The fake sea captain from ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', who spent the voyage so far making false appeals to “International Sea Law” to justify not returning to port for supplies, surrenders immediately when the protagonist and Morgan physically threaten him.

* In ''Henchmen for Hire'' this trope is played in an unusual way
** The main characters, who are a trio of henchmen, don't really think badly of the superhero community, and even refuse to fight superheroes if they can help it, but one of them actually contacted a hero because the villain they signed up with was going too far too fast in his book, and she was a little AxCrazy.

Compare BumblingHenchmenDuo and MauveShirt, who are part of the main cast rather than one-off characters and who tend to be more dangerous and sometimes more dedicated. Compare PunchClockVillain, who is motivated by the paycheck and doesn't generally put in any effort above and beyond the job requirements.

[[folder:Film]]

* One short of ''WebAnimation/RWBYChibi'' introduces Mike and Marty, a pair of Beowulf [[TheHeartless Creatures of Grimm]]. From their perspective, we see them as AffiablyEvil who really aren't that enthused to be pulled into yet another of Cinder Fall's schemes, lamenting for some time off.

Compare BumblingHenchmenDuo and MauveShirt, who are part of the main cast rather than one-off characters and who tend to be more dangerous and sometimes more dedicated. Compare PunchClockVillain, who is motivated my the paycheck and doesn't generally put in any effort above and beyond the job requirements.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Shego, despite being TheDragon. She'd much rather lounge around painting her nails or reading magazines while [[DeadpanSnarker snarking]] at [[MadScientist Dr. Drakken]], though when she ''does'' get motivated (usually by [[WorthyOpponent Kim]]'s arrival), she can be quite the dangerous [[DarkActionGirl villain]].

Compare ThoseTwoBadGuys and MauveShirt, who are part of the main cast rather than one-off characters and who tend to be more dangerous and sometimes more dedicated. Compare PunchClockVillain, who is motivated my the paycheck and doesn't generally put in any effort above and beyond the job requirements.

* Biggs and Wedge from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' sit between this and ThoseTwoBadGuys. They're actually decently motivated, and really DO try - well, at least Biggs does - but they always get beaten up and demoted, and then moan about it. At the end, when they've been assigned to guard the door to the boss lair, they see you coming - and then just up and quit, walking off to find a better career.

* Razorbeard's henchman in ''VideoGame/{{Rayman 2}}: The Great Escape''.

Compare ThoseTwoBadGuys and MauveShirt, who are part of the main cast rather than one-off characters and who tend to be more dangerous and sometimes more dedicated. Compare PunchClockVillain, who is motivated by the paycheck and puts in just enough effort to keep it coming.

Compare ThoseTwoBadGuys and MauveShirt, who are part of the main cast rather than one-off characters and who tend to be more dangerous and sometimes more dedicated.

* Thundercracker in ''The Franchise/{{Transformers}}.''

* Johnny Sasaki of ''Franchise/MetalGear'', the poor ButtMonkey.

* ''[[TMNT1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'': Bebop and Rocksteady are very much this trope. At the orders of their boss Shredder, they fight the Turtles and seem to have fun doing this; Shredder also gives them other, more laborious duties that they don't enjoy as much; but to all appearances, what they really want to be doing is just playing around, like children. They are actually reflective enough to realize that their relationship with Shredder is that of a lazy slave to his master; but while they may feel a little uneasy with the lifestyle of a PunchClockVillain, [[HappinessInSlavery they rarely seem to have any kind of wish that they could quit and do something else with their lives.]]

* ''BreathOfFire 3'': Most of the guards in [=McNeil's=] mansion. Depending on the guard, they can let you pass either after you bribe them, find their missing wallet or go beat up the guard dog so that it gets the blame instead of them.

** The main characters, who are a trio of henchmen, don't really think badly of the superhero community, and even refuse to fight superheroes if they can help it, but one of them actually contacted a hero because the villain they signed up with was going to far to fast in his book, and she was a little AxCray

* Demyx from ''KingdomHearts II''... [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass until he actually decides to fight you]]. Ironically, he technically isn't even ''half''-hearted -- as a [[TheSoulless Nobody]], he has no heart at all. [[BerserkButton Don't tell him that, though.]]

* Jenn from ''Webcomic/SturgeonsLaw'' is this trope [[http://sturgeonslaw.net/comic/technical-knowledge/ in a nutshell]] (except on a team of [[VillainProtagonist Villain Protagonists]]).

[[folder: Western Animation ]]