History Main / TheMinionMaster

** [[spoiler: When [[DeadlyUpgrade she gets her shard jailbroken]] to become [[EleventhHourSuperpower Khepri]] she trades in her range, sanity, ability to communicate and even comprehend language for the ability to control people as well. This lets her fight a strong AI and the source of all powers on roughly even terms.]]

* Sorcerers in {{Exalted}} can do this with Demons and Elementals. The game has a sidebar that notes, since a dedicated Sorcerer could quickly amass a huge number of these demons it is better to treat them as a single large group of enemies under the games "battlegroup" rules. It should be noted that, even by [[UpToEleven Exalted Standards]], a single blood ape minion is ''terrifyingly'' powerful.

* A character literally named "Minion Master" appears in ''SluggyFreelance''. When introduced his only minions are Torg and crew (about four people), who are using him as a cover to fight Hereti-Corp. Later Torg recruits him a bunch of Digbots, pleasing Minion Master to no end.

*** ''Wii U/3DS'' reduces the ammount of Pikmin to 3, but the core of the character remains the same, except for his recovery now being ''worse'' the more Pikmin he has. (In''Brawl'', his Pikmin formed a ChainOfPeople; more Pikmin equaled a longer chain, which equaled a higher chance of recovery. In ''Wii U/3DS'', Olimar summons flying Pikmin to carry him to safety; the more Pikmin he has with him, the slower and heavier he is, and the slower the flying Pikmin can fly, sometimes not even making it back to the stage easily.)

* You play as a Minion Master in the ''{{VideoGame/Pikmin}}'' series, controling up to 100 of the aforementioned Pikmin, who help carrying objects, opening paths, and mobbing enemies [[ZergRush en masse]].

* Predictably, the Summoner class from DungeonFighterOnline. Any PC might have ways to summon help - there's rare equipment for that and an entire crafting discipline. A regular female mage may also have readied a single contracted summon, and technically briefly manifests elementals to cast many spells. A Witch makes long-term contracts with elemental familiars (in questlines absent from the game's current version) and thus might also have several present at once doing things. A Summoner makes numerous summoning contracts and takes quantity over quality with elementals to raise small armies. Clever use of ElementalBaggage can raise ''multiple'' minions from a single spell, and as unimpressive as basic minions are, a Summoner is constantly raising more and using their presence to call stronger species.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, and the heroic inversion of MookMaker and EnemySummoner (and occasionally EvilOverlord). Whereas [[TheBeastmaster Beastmasters]] focus on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} one at a time]]), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. The Minion Master tends to, of course, to be the keystone in his KeystoneArmy that is [[StraightForTheCommander the prime target to finish first]].

ZergRush often describes the most common combat method of TheMinionMaster. Because of their tactics, they often fall under AntiHero and DarkIsNotEvil characterization. Can occasionally be {{Game Breaker}}s, occasionally {{Crutch Character}}s. If the minions are copies of the master, it's a DopplegangerAttack. See also DroneDeployer. Compare MookCommander, a mook with the ability to strengthen other mooks just by their presence; TheMinionMaster may also have such ability for his own minions. Compare with TheTurretMaster, who instead of minions uses technology. Supertrope to PestController.

* The Shifter class in ''{{Rifts}}'' is a magic user that focuses on dimensional teleportation and SummonMagic. They can contact and attempt to control supernatural beings via a battle of wills (and if this fails, they can attempt to overpower the creature by more conventional means). Unlike D&D summon spells, there is no time limit, though the book suggests forming short term contracts, as forcing a demonic being to remain under a {{Puny Earthling}}'s control for an extended period is likely to hazardous to said mortal's health.

* In early editions of ''Warhammer40K'', some units could use robots, with the amount increasing with the unit's affinity for machinery. Said robots were extremely stupid and could only follow limited instructions.

ZergRush often describes the most common combat method of TheMinionMaster. Because of their tactics, they often fall under AntiHero and DarkIsNotEvil characterization. Can occasionally be {{Game Breaker}}s, occasionally {{Crutch Character}}s. If the minions are copies of the master, it's a DopplegangerAttack. See also DroneDeployer. Compare with TheTurretMaster, who instead of minions uses technology. Supertrope to PestController.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, and the heroic inversion of MookMaker and EnemySummoner (and occasionally EvilOverlord). Whereas [[TheBeastmaster Beastmasters]] focus on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} one at a time]]), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. The Minion Master tends to, of course, to be the keystone in his KeystoneArmy.

* ''VideoGame/PathOfExile'' allows for summoner builds which resemble the "Zoomancer" build from the ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' example above. The intelligence-based Witch class is offered the appropriately intelligence-based "Raise Zombie", "Summon Skeleton" and "Raise Specter" skills as possible quest rewards. Other classes may be built up to summoners as well, although with more of a dedicated effort. Passive skills allow to increase number, life and damage output of the summons. A keystone skill allows to endow summons with the properties of the summoner's equipped shield (think "reflect X melee damage" or "regenerate X per second").
** Skeletons are particularly useful in dark or highly labyrinthine areas, as their cheap summon doesn't need a corpse, and their AI locates and attacks enemies outside of the summoner's range of light / range of vision.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', the protagonist, Skitter, takes the large-number-low-individual-power aspect of this trope to an extreme: she controls any or all insects, worms, spiders, or the like within her range.
** She's also incredibly creative in her use of them, forming swarm clones, making spider silk thread traps, concealing her movements, using them to track enemy movements, threatening suffocation or allergic reaction, [[MundaneUtility making her costume and assisting with filing and her morning routine.]]
** [[spoiler: When [[DeadlyUpgrade she gets her shard jailbroken]] to become [[EleventhHourSuperpower Khepri]] she trades in her range, sanity, ability to communicate and even comprehend language for the ability to control people as well. This lets her fight a strong AI and the source of all powers on roughly even terms.]]
[[/folder]]

* [[ExactlyWhatITSaysOnTheTin Minion Master]] {{Necromancer}} [[AnAdventurerIsYou character builds]] [[AllBlueEntry in]] ''GuildWars''

** The Leadership feat causes a group of people to gather around you and mostly do your bidding.

** Also from ''One Piece'' is [[TheDon Capone "Gang" Bege]], a mob boss who carries his entire syndicate within his body: He ate the Castle-Castle Fruit, which allows him to shrink objects and people and store them inside of himself, with his body's interiors resembling that of a castle. He engages in absolutely no fighting of his own--rather, he deploys out whatever men he has that's best suited for the situation and overwhelms enemies through sheer numbers and firepower.

* Similarly, ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend''.

** The Witch Doctor in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' is a similar concept but somewhat toned down, as he typically has a handful of zombie dogs and a gargantuan zombie at his heel, plus fights by summoning various animals or undead that attack enemies before disappearing quickly back into the ether. Specialized high-tier equipment can increase the size of the Witch Doctor's horde, from slightly increasing the number of zombie dogs to making the Fetish Army (a mass of knife-wielding, baby-sized skeletons) last forever instead of just a few seconds. Similarly, the right equipment can make the Demon Hunter, normally TheTurretMaster, into a veritable zookeeper by giving them up to ten animal companions of various species instead of just one.

** The Witch Doctor in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' is a similar concept but somewhat toned down, as he typically has a handful of zombie dogs and a gargantuan zombie at his heel, plus fights by summoning various animals or undead that attack enemies before disappearing quickly back into the ether.

* Marona from ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'' and Zetta from ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'' are this.

* The Necromancer unit from the Undead faction in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} 3''. A couple of these guys could summon hordes of skeletons using corpses (obtained from a graveyard, meat wagon, dead unit, or even a dead critter) and {{mana}}. The skeletons were individually weak and short-lived, but the explosive ZergRush of that the Necromancers could create, summoning 2 skellies every 8 seconds, could turn a straight battle between initially equal forces into a rout, or at least force the enemy to run away. Thankfully, as of ''Frozen Throne'', mass dispelling abilities were available to all factions, so all it took to clear a skeleton horde was the correct unit (Priest/Wisp/Destroyer/Spirit Walker) and a bit of micro.

*** ''Wii U/3DS'' reduces the ammount of Pikmin to 3, but the core of the character remains the same, except for his recovery now being ''worse'' the more Pikmin he has.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, a common variety of AnAdventurerIsYou, and the heroic inversion of the MookMaker and EnemySummoner (and occasionally the EvilOverlord). Whereas TheBeastmaster focuses on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} one at a time]]), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. They tend, of course, to be the keystone of their KeystoneArmy.

ZergRush often describes the most common combat method of TheMinionMaster. Because of their tactics, they often fall under AntiHero categorization, and often have to convince the player that DarkIsNotEvil. Can occasionally be {{Game Breaker}}s, occasionally {{Crutch Character}}s. If the minions are copies of the master, it's a DopplegangerAttack. See also DroneDeployer. Compare with TheTurretMaster, who instead of minions uses technology. Supertrope to PestController.

* Summon-focused Necromancers in ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} 2'', nicknamed "Zoo-mancers", can end up with one golem, around twenty skeletons, and 20+ revived monsters (actual numbers depend on Skill-level and Equipment). Additionally, you can also hire a mercenary (and should, an act 2 nightmare merc can have Might and increase every minions damage.)

* ''VideoGame/PathOfExile'' allows for summoner builds which resemble the "Zoomancer" build from the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} 2'' example above. The intelligence-based Witch class is offered the appropriately intelligence-based "Raise Zombie", "Summon Skeleton" and "Raise Specter" skills as possible quest rewards. Other classes may be built up to summoners as well, although with more of a dedicated effort. Passive skills allow to increase number, life and damage output of the summons. A keystone skill allows to endow summons with the properties of the summoner's equipped shield (think "reflect X melee damage" or "regenerate X per second").

* The BFT Carrier from ''BubbleTanks 2'' can summon 6 attack drones that shoot its unlucky victims and burst them in a matter of seconds. It's also [[MightyGlacier rather large and slow]].