History Main / QuirkyMinibossSquad

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The Forsaken. They are only rarely played for laughs, but then, very little in this series is. There are [[NumerologicalMotif 13 of them]], and each served the [[BigBad Dark One]] for their own reasons[[note]]The thirteen Forsaken are, in rough descending order of power and threat level, [[TheDragon Ishamael]], [[LoveMakesYouEvil Lanfear]], [[AlwaysSecondBest Demandred]], [[TheHedonist Graendal]], [[BigBadWannabe Sammael]], [[TortureTechnician Semirhage]], [[MadScientist Aginor]], [[HandsomeLech Rahvin]], [[MasterSwordsman Be'lal]], [[BoringButPractical Mesaana]], [[UnskilledButStrong Balthamel]], [[DirtyCoward Moghedien]], and [[QuirkyBard Asmodean]]; in the last book, they get a new member, Mazrim Taim, who receives the Forsaken name M'Hael[[/note]]. Ishamael was probably the only one who believes in the Dark One's agenda of destroying the world for all time; as for the rest, Asmodean did it because he wanted to be immortal, and some others joined because they were criminals, or in revenge for slights real or imagined by the [[ChosenOne Dragon]] (not to be confused with TheDragon). When the series began they were believed to be the most powerful channelers of all time, but after a few books we learn that some modern characters are on par with them or even stronger. In fact, they were just those of the Dark One's servants who happened to be with him when the [[ChosenOne Dragon]] [[SealedEvilInACan sealed him away]], and by now most of them have been killed. (And some have been brought back.) A lot of them were killed with surprise attacks, or by using an ArtifactOfDoom and the higher-level Forsaken (Ishamael, Lanfear, Demandred, and to a lesser extent Sammael, Semirhage, and Graendal) are far, far stronger than anyone else (and most of the others are less dangerous not because they're ''weak'' but because they suffer from CripplingOverspecialization, EvilCannotComprehendGood, and ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, which the heroes quickly learn to exploit). For example, Ishamael/Moridin can sense both Saidin and Saidar, while no-one else can sense his channeling.

** There's also The Troika. Though not members of any larger dominant unit, they form their own squad, who's sole purpose is to enslave Buffy and force her into a life of servitude. However, their 'devilish' schemes are constantly thwarted, ending more often than not in pain and humiliation. Being [[GenreSavvy geeks]], they are probably consciously emulating this trope.

* Napoleon had his twenty-six Marshals who were the most powerful military and political figures in his empire and varied widely in competence from guys like [[MagnificentBastard Massena]] and [[TheDeterminator D'avout]] who probably could have taken over the world themselves if they weren't sharing time with Napoleon down to borderline incompetents like Victor and Grouchy. There was also his main diplomat, [[TheStarscream Talleyrand]]. Subverted, though, in that the marshalate was infamous even among contemporaries for being a veritable snakepool. The primary reason Wellington was so successful in Spain, beside superior intelligence, was that the up to five French marshals Napoleon had left to lead his armies in the Peninsula hated each others' guts and refused to cooperate until 1814.

* Top Dollar's gang from ''Film/TheCrow'' are all pretty quirky. Oddly enough, they were the ones responsible for the rape and murder or Eric's girlfriend as well as his own murder, making them his actual targets. We soon find out that [[spoiler: Top Dollar was ultimately responsible for their actions]] leading to a climatic battle with the real BigBad.

If the heroes defeat their [[TheDragon Dragon]] and their BigBad, some or all of them may survive. They usually don't stick around in-show after that, but if they do, they may become the TerribleTrio or a bunch of {{Sixth Ranger}}s. Assuming none have undergone the process beforehand, this is also a common point for the group to have a collective FaceHeelTurn, setting the stage for future [[ADayInTheLimelight days in the limelight]].

* The Beagle Boys in the [=Scrooge McDuck=] comics and ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987''.
* The Angel Gang from ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' are a clan of murderous rednecks, each completely psychotic, yet also gimmicky and weird. Pa Angel is the most normal, but is still a vicious killer who treats his boys with love and devotion, yet also raised them to be brutal criminals. Junior is a gunslinging, grenade-chucking SerialKiller who is constantly begging for permission to kill people. Link is a hulking brute who dresses like a stereotypical biker and had to be kept chained up as a kid. Mean Machine is a homicidal cyborg who headbutts people to death. The weirdest by far is The Fink, a ghoulish mutant who lives in a hole in the ground and whose only friend is a rat wearing a bowler hat.
* Despite supposedly being an elite squad of assassins from the League of Shadows the Seven Men of Death are incredibly quirky with weird ineffective primary weapons. In ''ComicBook/RedRobin'' Tim notes this, pointing out that Whip's whip and Maduvu's claw-like fingernails do not pose much of a threat against people with significant martial arts training and body armor. He also quickly decides Detonator is incredibly annoying and dangerous since the man ''uses hand grenades in close combat''.
* The League of Evil Exes from ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim''.
* Manute in ''ComicBook/SinCity'' had a QMBS with him in ''Big Fat Kill'' which consisted of a midget, a wise-cracking Neo-Nazi, and an old guy who can make people feel pain just by touching them. The Irish mercs from the same story might also count.
* In the ''ComicBook/{{Sonic The Hedgehog|ArchieComics}}'' comics, there's the Destructix -- composed of Lightning Lynx, Sergeant Simian, Predator Hawk, Flying Frog, Drago Wolf, and Sleuth Dawg -- a group of incompetents who have worked for various {{Big Bad}}s over the years, usually getting their butts kicked in the process. Recently, Drago left to work for Dr. Eggman and Sleuth retired, handing control over to [[DarkActionGirl Fiona Fox]], who apparently has big plans in the works (which so far consist of breaking her [[UnholyMatrimony boyfriend]] [[EvilTwin Scourge]] out of prison so that he can take charge of the gang).

* Before he lent his name to a [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen summer blockbuster]], The Fallen created one in the second volume of ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}: The War Within.'' Decepticon mystics Bludgeon, Mindwipe, and Bugly were given vague mystical power upgrades and charged with gathering a team of (seemingly arbitrary) Transformers so that The Fallen could attempt to summon Unicron.

* The ComicBook/XMen books gave us this trope right out the gates in the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who were pretty silly until character development set in. Later the nineties gave us the Dark Riders, a team of mutant mercenaries who follow the strong while [[StarterVillain ironically not being very strong themselves]]. They attached themselves to Apocalypse, ditched him for Stryfe and then joined up with Stryfe's maybe-son Genesis, but one thing they never picked up over the years was a shred of respect. Most of them were killed off unceremoniously by Wolverine, though a few survived to make sporadic D-list appearances over the years.

* The goblins in ''Film/{{Legend|1985}}''.
* In ''Film/GhostRider'', Blackheart has three elemental minions (Gressil, Abigor, and Wallow), all of whom Ghost Rider defeats with very little effort.

* In ''Film/MysteryMen:'' Casanova Frankenstein's allied gangs, each sharing their own quirky theme.

Sometimes overlaps with PsychoRangers, if the squad members are also each the EvilCounterpart of the main characters. See also TerribleTrio (incompetent Quirky Miniboss Squad, although they may be made a threat with TeamRocketWins), EliteFour (generally more competent squad commonly seen in Japanese media), GoldfishPoopGang (a sillier recurring enemy that doesn't pose much of a threat), CarnivalOfKillers, StandardEvilOrganizationSquad (a larger and more serious version) and PraetorianGuard (if the BigBad happens to be some form of royalty or official authority and they're explicitly bodyguards, albeit quirky). Contrast CoDragons for a situation where multiple characters split the Dragon role, but don't necessarily work together the way a QuirkyMinibossSquad would and are usually treated more seriously.

* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Literature/TheLastHero'' briefly features a QuirkyMinibossSquad as the henchmen of Evil Harry Dread. As a traditional EvilOverlord, Harry has deliberately chosen the squad for stupidity, and they kill ''themselves'' in battle immediately.

** There's also The Troika. Though not members of any larger dominant unit, they form their own QuirkyMinibossSquad, who's sole purpose is to enslave Buffy and force her into a life of servitude. However, their 'devilish' schemes are constantly thwarted, ending more often than not in pain and humiliation. Being [[GenreSavvy geeks]], they are probably consciously emulating this trope.

* ''Series/TomicaHeroRescueForce'' has Maare, Saan and Shiika who work solo for the first few episodes but later start working as the QuirkyMinibossSquad for [[BigBad Daen]] and later his daughter [[ElegantGothicLolita Maen]]. ''[[Series/TomicaHeroRescueFire Rescue Fire]]'' has a similar setup with Chukaen, Sakaen and Ukaen who work as the QuirkyMiniBossSquad of Don Kaen.

* In Wrestling/{{WWE}}, the Spirit Squad acted as a QuirkyMinibossSquad in the Shawn Michaels vs. Vince [=McMahon=] feud, and D-generation X vs. [=McMahon=] Family feud.

*** After [[SendInTheClones building a small army of clones]], Starscream of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is his own QuirkyMiniBossSquad.

* Each member of the Crime Syndicate in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'' has their ''own'' Quirky Miniboss Squad -- the "Made Men". Owlman has the Evil [[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Outsiders]], Superwoman has the Evil [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Marvel Family]], J'edd J'arkus has the Evil Detroit League, and so on.

** The four mercenaries, like the desktop icons, are a group of stick figures each of them having their own style of animation and abilities who oppose The Chosen One. All of them are under the leadership of a victim, the first stick figure created by Alan, who runs an organization in a world beyond the boundaries of the internet.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' AnAssKickingChristmas special, the Delightful Children From Down the Lane have the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Faculty Four]], who represent Substitute Teacher's Day to help their plot to Steal Christmas. Their members are Thesaurus Rex, a dinosaur made up of books, the Unintelligible Tutor, who's babbling incapacitates people, The Human Text, a flying humanoid made up of stacks of paper, and Mr. Fantastically Fit, a stretchy muscle man, led by Ms. Edna Ucation.

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