Top 10 Henchmen in Video Games

#10: Captain Vincente De Santa
“Red Dead Redemption” (2010)

A cruel and viciously driven individual serving under Colonel Agustin Allende in the Mexican Army, he will ferociously defend what he believes is the traditional Mexican way of life. This open-world Western is full of vile characters but he is a particularly repulsive subordinate. Always at ease burning down civilian’s homes, he is willing to sacrifice other men’s lives for personal gain. For a military man, his moral code is noticeably absent making for a suitably sadistic Rockstar antagonist.

#9: Ramon Salazar
“Resident Evil 4” (2005)

He may be aerially challenged but what he lacks in height he more than makes up for in his devotion to the Los Illuminados. His isolation has made him susceptible to the teachings of Osmund Saddler whose ultimate plan is world domination through the mind-controlling Plaga parasite. Salazar intends to infect the US president’s daughter with the parasite to influence the oval office and to also make right the mistakes he believes his ancestors made when sealing away the Plaga. His tale is in many ways a sad one but it’s hard to feel sorry for this little terror.

#8: Klungo
“Banjo-Kazooie” series (1998-)

It’s unclear what he actually is but if one claimed he was an ogre you wouldn’t be far away. Heavily inspired by the archetypal villain’s assistant Igor, he is one of Gruntilda’s most faithful minions. He uses his technical nouse to create a number of machines to help with Grunty’s evil schemes while also regularly appearing as a boss throughout Banjo-Tooie. Whenever he inevitably fails his missssstress (That’s how he says it) he feels so ashamed that he allows her to beat him up. He may be completely submissive but he’s one of the cuter henchmen on this list.

#7: Kamek
“Super Mario” series (1985-)

Appearing in numerous games that cross several genres he is the Magikoopa that appears to be chief adviser to Bowser, therefore holding an incredibly high rank within the Koopa Troop. Despite having magical powers such as teleportation, foresight and telekinesis it is still said that Mario is somehow more powerful. We don’t quite buy that given that Mario is a lowly plumber and Kamek is the incredibly wise father figure to one of the greatest gaming villains ever. But hey, that’s game logic for you.

#6: Dr. Wallace Breen
“Half-Life 2” (2004)

Is he just a selfish puppet for the Combine? Or is he a genius scientist who took action to save the human race when no one else could? He’s perhaps a little of all those things but even with the title ruler of Earth he has very little power. While it seems that he has humanity’s best interest at heart, to individual humans he is condescending and manipulative. Many questions remain unanswered surrounding his relationships with Freeman and the G-Man but we’ll have to wait until Half-Life 3 for that. Might be a long wait.

#5: Bloody Mary
“The Wolf Among Us” (2013)

Telltale are the masters of story-driven titles and Beskha from their Game of Thrones game could easily have featured on this list. Mary however is based on the European folk legend of the same name and is a ruthless and calculating thug for the Crooked Man with a unique set of powers. Mirroring her abilities in folklore she can teleport between reflective surfaces: a clear reference to the myth of saying her name in front of a mirror to make her materialize. The whole game is full of clever interpretations of fairy tale characters but hers may well be the darkest reimagining.

#4: Harley Quinn
“Batman: Arkham City” (2011)

A staple sidekick to the Joker in all forms of Batman media her character remains largely the same in the 2nd installment of the popular series of beat ‘em up games. Hopelessly in love with the Clown Prince of Crime she takes on many of the Joker’s responsibilities when he is incapacitated by illness. As a former psychiatrist she has a razor sharp intellect and wit to go with her penchant for violence that makes her the perfect assistant to the greatest criminal in the DC universe.

#3: Goro
“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

After being the Mortal Kombat tournament champion for over 500 years he has a fairly legitimate claim to lead people on his own yet he still opts to initially aid Shang Tsung in his quest to conquer Earth Realm. Arguably the greatest fighter in the series he had unrivalled brutality and agility which made him a famously difficult character to beat. So tricky in fact that his strength had to be toned down in later games to give players a chance. Let’s face it: he’s a half dragon with four arms, he’s going to be tough.

#2: Vaas Montenegro
“Far Cry 3” (2012)

You would be forgiven for thinking that this bad guy sporting a Mohican may be the main villain of the game given how he appears on the front of the box and all. He is instead the right hand man to crime lord Hoyt Volker who has turned Montenegro from drug addiction to being a sadistic pirate lord. It would appear he is clinically insane as he finds humour in inventively killing anyone who looks at him the wrong way. Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is?

Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honourable mentions.

Lawrence
“Ratchet and Clank” series (2002-)

Harry Flynn
“Uncharted 2” (2009)

Dingodile
“Crash Bandicoot” series (1996-)

Professor Von Kripplespac
“Conker’s Bad Fur Day” (2001)

#1: Revolver Ocelot
“Metal Gear” series (1987-)

It is impossible to know where his true allegiances lie as he has spent so much of his life deceiving and betraying those who he had previously been faithful to. It’s entirely possible even he does not know given how long he has spent concealing his true identity. Despite his dubious affiliations he has advised and assisted both Liquid and Solidus Snake as well as many others. A highly skilled soldier and notorious interrogator he has influenced so many facets of this complex stealth series. In one way or another he is connected to any and every character you can think of - heck, he’s even YOUR henchman in MGS5.

Do you agree with our list? Which right-hand-man from gaming do you love to go up against? With so many video games having rich backstories and lore we are bound to have missed one or two. For more in-depth gaming top 10s be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.