Top 10 Henchmen More Badass than the Actual Villain

“Batman” (1989)

The Joker couldn’t have done it without his… number one… guy. After his face is disfigured by a vat of chemicals, Jack Napier becomes the Joker. He leaves his old life behind, but his best pal, Bob the Goon, follows him into his newfound enterprise of wreaking total havoc on Gotham City. What sets Bob apart is his loyalty. That’s why the Joker shooting him for seemingly no reason bothers us to this day. Some say Heath Ledger was the first cold-blooded Joker, but it just isn’t so. Justice for Bob. He was a good goon, the best goon.

“Lethal Weapon” (1987)

General McAllister is the evil mastermind behind the heroin smuggling ring in the first “Lethal Weapon,” but Mr. Joshua is the muscle. Gary Busey was never scarier, and that’s saying something. He’s not just an experienced killer with little in the way of emotion or mercy. He’s seemingly immune to pain, a talent that McAllister is more than willing to have him demonstrate on troublesome criminal associates. After his boss has been vanquished by the dynamic duo Riggs and Murtaugh, Joshua hangs on until his inevitable death. It’s a shame. He could have made a great antagonist for the sequel.

“The Departed” (2006)

Usually, a crime boss needs an unhinged, relentless bodyguard to balance out their effortless cool. Martin Scorsese’s 2006 Boston-set crime drama reverses that formula. Jack Nicholson’s Frank Costello is the unhinged one. Even Mr. French, Costello’s most trusted enforcer, says he should probably get some therapy. French is a burly, plain speaking gangster with a sense of humor. A skilled killer, French catches his prey, and the audience is constantly caught off-guard by his idiosyncratic methods. He’s the kind of guy who says he’s not going to hurt someone as he’s literally raising his gun to shoot them.

“Goldeneye” (1995)

James Bond almost met his match in this fighter pilot who turned to international terrorism after the fall of the U.S.S.R. She’s working for the traitorous ex-MI6 agent Alec Trevelyan when Bond first glimpses her on the roads of Monaco. She shares his habits of smoking, gambling, car chases, and mixing business with pleasure. Her knack for suffocating men to death with her thighs put her on par with some of Bond’s deadliest enemies. As dangerous in a gown as she was in her military gear firing a machine gun, Xenia represented a new and deadly Bond villain for the 90s.

“Big Trouble in Little China” (1986)

The old world and the new collide in this tribute to rollicking kung fu action movies. Kurt Russell does his best John Wayne parody as Jack Burton, a wannabe tough guy truck driver who ends up facing off against a 2,000 year old sorcerer named Lo Pan. But even scarier than him are his trio of henchmen, the Three Storms. The Storms have somehow mastered the elements of rain, thunder, and lightning, and to say it comes in clutch during a fight would be a tremendous understatement. They don’t say much, but they really don’t need to. They’re terrifying.

“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)

Much of this fantasy series sees its main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, regaining his strength for a final confrontation. It’s often his devoted minions, the black-cloaked Death Eaters, who enact dark magic in his stead. Bellatrix Lestrange is the most ruthless of the entire lot. While her fellow Death Eaters, like Lucius Malfoy, are a bit more calculating, Bellatrix is a cold-blooded witch who can’t help but laugh as she enacts her cruelty. She can’t even spare herself the pleasure of toying with Neville Longbottom, whose parents she tortured past the brink of insanity. Helena Bonham Carter plays her with such delightful menace that the big boss sometimes seems like an afterthought.

“The Lord of the Rings” franchise (2001-03)

Also called the Ringwraiths, J.R.R. Tolkein’s black-cloaked riders hunt the young Frodo Baggins and his friends in pursuit of the One Ring. Their evil is apparent from the start. Though they are the loyal servants of the Dark Lord Sauron, we see the Nazgûl so much more, and their presence is all the more threatening. They announce their approach with an inhuman shriek, and their haggard appearances and snarling are instant nightmare fuel. It’s clear why Sauron doesn’t show up much in the series. He doesn’t need to. His henchmen are horrifying enough.

“Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003)

Elle Driver gave the Bride a run for her money, but Gogo Yubari nearly got the best of her. With her schoolgirl uniform and her high-pitched voice, she is the most unlikely assassin. And it’s exactly what makes her the perfect assassin. Even after the Bride has done away with several of Yakuza boss O-ren Ishii’s personal bodyguards, Gogo greets her with giggly excitement. Gogo is clearly looking forward to murdering her. Armed with acrobatics, a bladed ball and chain, and a smile, Gogo is an icon. Even if she doesn’t win the fight, she can take comfort in knowing that she is forever burned in our memories. Or at least she could if she were still alive.

“James Bond” franchise (1962-)

Oddjob may have set the standard for the Bond baddie, but even he didn’t get a comeback. This aptly-named, steel-toothed assassin from “The Spy Who Loved Me” wasn’t supposed to come back either. But when your henchman wins a fight against a shark, how can you not have him back for the next one? The character, played by 7 foot 2 inch Richard Kiel, was so beloved that the makers were actually compelled to make him Bond’s ally in the space-themed “Moonraker.” Even though the character lost his bite in his second appearance, he’s still one of the franchise’s most beloved bad guys. If these movies had been made now, he’d have at least two spin-offs and a TV series in the works.

“Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” (1999)

George Lucas created some of the best movie henchmen ever. Even Darth Vader started out as a second antagonist working for the evil Emperor. When the prequel trilogy landed in 1999, it had a lot to live up to. Darth Maul was its breakout villain. Right hand man to the mysterious Darth Sidious, Darth Maul was already an icon before he whipped out that double-sided lightsaber. Balancing out the unrelenting goofiness of Jar Jar Binks and some cringe dialogue, Maul added just the right amount of actual danger to the story. While “The Phantom Menace” didn’t please everyone, Maul won over even diehard fans who couldn’t deny the sheer badassery.