History Main / HenchmenRace

AsYouKnow, {{Villains}} have henchmen, but some aren't content with recruiting from the existing races and decide to make their own. The result is this trope, a race or species of beings that were created for the sole purpose of acting as troops for their creator, who for some reason is generally the bad guy, although there might be [[VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} a non-evil example]] out there [[MinionMaster somewhere]]. The degree to which the Henchmen Race is "purpose built" can vary somewhat, ranging from the "customization" of an existing race to making one from scratch.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''':

** ''Literature/{{Stormslayer}}'' have Fulgurites, a group of goblin-like critters piloting the ''[[CoolPlane Eye of the Storm]]''. They're born and bred by the vessel's lord, the Weathermage Balthazar Sturm, and exists solely to serve Sturm and commandeer his ship.

* ''Franchise/DespicableMe'': The Minions were apparently created by Gru, though as of [[WesternAnimation/{{Minions}} their very own movie]] they were retconned into a race that has existed since prehistoric times serving any bad guy they find.

As everyone knows, {{Villains}} have henchmen, but some aren't content with recruiting from the existing races and decide to make their own. The result is this trope, a race or species of beings that were created for the sole purpose of acting as troops for their creator, who for some reason is generally the bad guy, although there might be [[VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} a non-evil example]] out there [[MinionMaster somewhere]]. The degree to which the Henchmen Race is "purpose built" can vary somewhat, ranging from the "customization" of an existing race to making one from scratch.

* ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars'': Originally, the Abh were this. They are now at war with descendants of their creators.

* The Mole Man from ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' has a race of MoleMen to do his bidding. They usually just hop around and serve as cannon fodder until the Mole Man uses his much-more formidable [[{{Kaiju}} giant monsters]].
* ''ComicBook/TheInhumans''. They are a race of super-beings created several centuries ago by the Kree in order to have an army of {{super soldier}}s. Things didn't work out as planned since the colony decided to have nothing to do with them, initially. In fact, the Inhuman royal family is now lording over the entire Kree Empire, making this an inversion, if nothing else.
** The Alpha Primitives are a slave race created by the Inhumans, first appearing in ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #47. Because of the Inhumans' low population, they created a labor force of hominids bred to be strong, but of limited intelligence. They were also rendered unable to breed, being produced only by cloning.
* In the ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'', Skrulls are often used by non-Skrulls as mooks. Then again, even when the Skrulls attack on their own, the entire race seem to be nothing but a lot of mooks to be kicked around by the heroes. [[TokenHeroicOrc Unless they're good guys]] [[ComicBook/{{Runaways}} themselves.]]
* ''ComicBook/NewGods'': ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s Parademons in Creator/DCComics. Whether they're created as they are or modified from "normal" citizens of Apokolips (or some of each), they're superstrong, tough, nearly feral, and obey Darkseid's orders without question. Only two or three have exhibited an individual identity or the ability to speak.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': The Drakh were this to [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the]] [[BigBad Shadows]], making their home on the same planet [[spoiler:until it was blown up]]. [[TheGreys The Streib]] were also Shadow lackeys -- [[PlanetOfHats they were the ones we saw doing the creepy]] [[PlayingWithSyringes surgical work]] to prepare captive sentients for things like [[spoiler: becoming [[LivingShip battlecrab]] [=CPU=]s]], or taking on Keepers. The relationship between these races and the Shadows, and their roles, is further detailed in [[ExpandedUniverse the Technomage Trilogy novels and their prequel ''The Shadow Within'']].

** The Ogrons have been mooks of both the Daleks and the Master. Even the Daleks, though not completely original, were created by Davros by heavily mutating and converting an existing race, the Kaleds, in order to fight under him. The Daleks are further seen with another race of pig slaves under their command in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E4DaleksInManhattan Daleks in Manhattan]]".
** The Tivoli are an unusual example in that they naturally evolved that way: they are a race of rat people who have the dubious honor of living on the most easily conquerable alien planet ever. "Ruled by alien warlord" has been the default form of government for most of their history, and they eventually decided to just go along with it.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': The [[spoiler: Sebaceans]] are a strange example. The Eidelons created them by genetically modifying [[spoiler: primitive humans]] and used them to assist with negotiations and peacekeeping, not violence. Given what they turned into after the Eidelons vanished, though, they could certainly be considered a more traditional henchmen race as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'': The Minions were apparently created by Gru, though as of [[WesternAnimation/{{Minions}} their very own movie]] they were retconned into a race that has existed since prehistoric times serving any bad guy they find.

%%* ''FanFic/Hottie3TheBestFanFicInTheWorld'': The Imperial Minions.

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': Thanos the Mad Titan has a couple of henchmen races under his employ that he lets his allies borrow. In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', he gives a [[KeystoneArmy Chitauri army]] to [[TheEvilPrince Loki]] so he can take over Earth, while [[TheFundamentalist Ronan the Accuser]] has [[InsectoidAliens Sakaarians]] working as mercenaries for him in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''. Thanos himself deploys his Outriders -- four-armed Xenomorph-looking monsters -- to invade Earth in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': The Orcs were enslaved first by Morgoth, and later by Sauron. The show delves in their origin and explore the ethical themes behind it. They were Elves once, possibly from Beleriand, and were used by Morgoth as his henchmen, and by Sauron as his lab rats. Adar, an Orc who retained most of his Elvish threats, got tired of seeing the Orcs used by evil overlords and decided to take matters into his own hands and give them the freedom and home they never had by temporary killing Sauron and turning the Southlands into Mordor, where they could thrive without serving other masters.

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* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': The Saibamen, who are spawned from seeds by the Saiyans to serve as disposable grunts.

* ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s Parademons in Creator/DCComics. Whether they're created as they are or modified from "normal" citizens of Apokolips (or some of each), they're superstrong, tough, nearly feral, and obey Darkseid's orders without question. Only two or three have exhibited an individual identity or the ability to speak.
* Creator/MarvelComics:
** Skrulls are often used by non-Skrulls as mooks. Then again, even when the Skrulls attack on their own, the entire race seem to be nothing but a lot of mooks to be kicked around by the heroes. [[TokenHeroicOrc Unless they're good guys]] [[ComicBook/{{Runaways}} themselves.]]
** The Mole Man from ComicBook/FantasticFour has a race of MoleMen to do his bidding. They usually just hop around and serve as cannon fodder until the Mole Man uses his much-more formidable [[{{Kaiju}} giant monsters]].
** ComicBook/TheInhumans. They are a race of super-beings created several centuries ago by the Kree in order to have an army of {{super soldier}}s. Things didn't work out as planned since the colony decided to have nothing to do with them, initially. In fact, the Inhuman royal family is now lording over the entire Kree Empire, making this an inversion, if nothing else.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Clone Troopers. They're obviously genetically members of an existing race, but they were specifically manufactured as soldiers, maturing at an accelerated rate and made genetically inclined to be docile and obey orders (probably including "ignore orders from the enemy").

* In ''Film/FrankensteinIsland'', Sheila Frankenstein has created a race of guard creatures by experimenting on shipwrecked sailors. They are programmed to be the perfects and have no blood, making them unstoppable by anything short of being cut in half by a machine gun. Some of them are prone to fits of unstoppable rage, however.

* ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'': The Piper creates the New Nithlings in order to be his servants and army.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** The Orcs were created by Morgoth from corrupted Elves. ([[FlipFlopOfGod Maybe.]]) Several thousand years and some changes in the nature of reality itself later, the wizard Saruman managed to make them stronger and properly resistant to sunlight ([[HalfHumanHybrid probably by crossbreeding them with Men]]). Saruman didn't pioneer this technique -- the forces of Mordor were the first to develop the ''Uruk-Hai'' -- but his specimens were arguably of un-rivaled quality.
** Trolls, too, were created by Morgoth in mockery of the Ents. In the Third Age Sauron took the use of them to new heights with the creation of the Olog-Hai, a superior breed of trolls which were trained to use armour and weaponry. They were employed to devastating effect in the Siege of Gondor.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''':
** In ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'' it is revealed that the [[EvilOverlord Evil Emperor]] of {{Uberwald}} did the same thing [[spoiler: except he just used humans -- although most people think he used goblins]]. It's also revealed [[spoiler: the orcs were driven into battle by men with whips -- which Glenda points out means you can't judge them as AlwaysChaoticEvil based on that]].
** {{The Igor}}s also count, though most of them don't work for outright villains anymore, and one is even employed by the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The various shadowspawn were created by [[MadScientist Aginor]] to serve [[BigBad the Dark One]] and [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Forsaken]]. Most, such as the Trollocs and Myrdraal, do so without problems-- others, like the Gholam, are much more dangerous and difficult to control.
* ''Literature/{{Uplift}}'': Young Uplifted species are this to their creators. Client races are indentured to their Patrons for 100,000 years or more. They can also be treated (badly) as traditional Henchmen, including being used as cannon fodder. Some semi-legal species are specially made as weapons. Non-evil examples from the "good" Patrons happen, but indentured servitude is generally insisted upon anyway [[GrandfatherClause because this has been the accepted practice since the dawn of sentience]]. Humans, being universally loathed anyway for having no creator race (or, as the other species see it, ''claiming'' to have no creator race), consider the tradition to be a major reason for the ModernStasis every other race is stuck in and subvert it meticulously with their own client races (neo-chimpanzees, dogs and dolphins), monitoring them as supervisors and counsellors but otherwise granting them as much independence as their competence allows.
* ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'': The Inchoroi are masters of OrganicTechnology and have created a number of "weapon races", ranging from the orc-like Sranc to the draconic Wracu, for the express purpose of wiping out humanity.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': The Jaffa are examples of the "take an existing race and modify it" variety.
* Hidrer Soldiers in ''Series/DengekiSentaiChangeman'' are impish blue aliens hatched from eggs to serve as grunts for the [[TheEmpire Gozma]].

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': The Jem'Hadar and ''maybe'' the Vorta are this to the Founders. WordOfGod says that the Jem'Hadar were an existing race whose DNA the Founders messed around with, though this is never made explicit on the series, and the Vorta are a bit complicated. The first Vorta we meet claims that they threw in their lot with [[TheEmpire the Dominion]] voluntarily at first and some of them are having second thoughts, but she turned out to be TheMole, meaning [[UnreliableExpositor this should be taken with a large grain of salt]] even if it doesn't fall under EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. A later Vorta tells a story that sounds much like an Aesop's Fable that points to their being a pre-existing but non-sentient species that was "uplifted" by the Founders. What ''is'' certain is that the Vorta are {{Middle Management Mook}}s and/or some sort of officer class with the Jem'Hadar being the [[WeHaveReserves disposable grunts]].
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': Rita, in the original series, had minions known as Putties that she had to create on her own. Later seasons gave us [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers the Tengas]], [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo the Piranhatrons]], [[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy the Sting Wingers]], [[Series/PowerRangersLightSpeedRescue Batlings]], [[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Putrids]], [[Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm Kelzacks]], [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Tyrannodrones]], [[Series/PowerRangersMysticForce Hidiacs/Styxoids]], [[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Lava Lizards/Chillers]], and [[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Moogers/Spitfangs]].
%%* ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'': The {{Golem}} soldiers.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': The Drakh were this to [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the]] [[BigBad Shadows]], making their home on the same planet [[spoiler:until it was blown up]]. [[TheGreys The Streib]] were also Shadow lackeys -- [[PlanetOfHats they were the ones we saw doing the creepy]] [[PlayingWithSyringes surgical work]] to prepare captive sentients for things like [[spoiler: becoming [[LivingShip battlecrab]] [=CPU=]s]], or taking on Keepers. The relationship between these races and the Shadows, and their roles, is further detailed in [[ExpandedUniverse the Technomage Trilogy novels and their prequel ''The Shadow Within'']].

* ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}'': Sligs. They're essentially the same as their bosses, the Glukkons, only less enterprising. Unlike some of the examples of this trope, they're completely unsympathetic, as they are shown to be totally sadistic, conniving jerks. They're also examples of the 'modification' variety, since they weren't created by the Glukkons, but they were outfitted with legs and guns by them.

* ''VideoGame/{{ORB}}'' has this as a major plot point. The two playable races were created by a {{Precursors}} race and they're at war because they believes the other destroyed their creators. The main enemy race is also an example, and it's never settled if the fourth race is or not.

* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', the [[HiredGuns Jackals]], [[CannonFodder Grunts]], [[TheWormThatWalks Hunters]], [[ProudWarriorRace Elites]], and [[KillerSpaceMonkey Brutes]] serve primarily as military muscle for the Covenant's Prophets, while the [[InsectoidAliens Drones]] all think of said Prophets as their "queens" and the Engineers work to maintain the Covenant's technology and infrastructure. However, the trope is played with in that the Elites also have substantial political power of their own within the Covenant (being the only other race with High Council representation), while the Jackals are at heart independent-minded pirates who spend as much time robbing their superiors as they do fighting for them. After [[spoiler:the Covenant falls apart post-''VideoGame/Halo3'']], its various races have largely tried to go their own ways (with varying degrees of success), with the Elites having the most to relearn about how to maintain their own society.

* ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' has a heroic example in the form of Pawns. They're basically [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculi]] who only exist to aid the [[TheChosenOne Arisen]] in defeating the dragon.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/FreeWilly'': The Amphonids.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'': The Grubs and the Brain Pods (scientists) serving under Emperor Zurg.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/StarStreetTheAdventuresOfTheStarKids'': Momo's Blub Blubs.
* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'', the Ogres as servants of Duke Igthorn and the Troggles (jackal-like creatures) to Lady Bane.

* ''WesternAnimation/AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'': The Tomatoes are the henchmen race of Dr. Gangreene, and are fully sapient.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Kage}}'', a ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''/''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' crossover, it's revealed that about a thousand years ago, Meridian didn't have any other [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]] than the bestial Mogriffs. By the time Prince Kronos usurped the throne, he had his sorcerers to study the Mogriffs' abilities and instill them into members of Meridian's sentient races. The first created shapeshifters helped Kronos to rule with an iron fist until his downfall. Those not imprisoned scattered amidst Meridian's population, with most of their descendants living as recluses these days. There are still [[FantasticRacism unfounded accusations]] of them all being vile and serving Prince Phobos, partly because of Cedric's status as TheDragon.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'', the first shapeshifters (or Changelings) were [[WasOnceAMan originally human]] criminals and other social outcasts taken from Earth (the early Roman empire, specifically) and transformed to serve as the EliteArmy of the royal family. It was not until one of the following queens attempted to exterminate them out of fear that they rebelled. The survivors and their descendants have lived as rejects of Meridian's society since then. After Phobos takes the throne, he reinstates them to their original purpose.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': This is SOP for many [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder Sparks]], particularly those well-disposed towards biology. Those more inclined towards metalworking may settle for an army of [[MechaMooks Clanks]] instead. The most notable example is, of course, the Jägerkin, created as fanatical, nigh-unstoppable and [[NeverBareheaded hat-]][[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking obsessed]] footsoldiers by the old Heterodynes... the fact that they're still around today, and prospering despite the absence of their masters, is testament to their impressive engineering.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears'', the Ogres as servants of Duke Igthron and the Troggles (jackal-like creatures) to Lady Bane.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': The Reapers have [[spoiler:the Keepers]] and [[spoiler:the Collectors]]. The former were kept as docile as possible to keep their ArtifactOfDoom InWorkingOrder without attracting attention, while the latter were highly genetically modified to serve as general muscle. Husks of assorted types are the "converted" types. Also, [[spoiler:the Keepers]] have since been sabotaged, so they no longer work completely as intended [[spoiler: because they don't respond to the Reaper signal to shut down the Citadel.]] A splinter faction of the Geth were actively trying to gain this status in the first game by helping them.
* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', the [[HiredGuns Jackals]], [[CannonFodder Grunts]], [[TheWormThatWalks Hunters]], [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Elites]], and [[KillerSpaceMonkey Brutes]] serve primarily as military muscle for the Covenant's Prophets, while the [[InsectoidAliens Drones]] all think of said Prophets as their "queens" and the Engineers work to maintain the Covenant's technology and infrastructure. However, the trope is played with in that the Elites also have substantial political power of their own within the Covenant (being the only other race with High Council representation), while the Jackals are at heart independent-minded pirates who spend as much time robbing their superiors as they do fighting for them. After [[spoiler:the Covenant falls apart post-''VideoGame/Halo3'']], its various races have largely tried to go their own ways (with varying degrees of success), with the Elites having the most to relearn about how to maintain their own society.