Summary
In most video games, players take on the role of heroes among free armies, squads, or legendary warriors, fighting the good fight against the hoards of darkness oropenly evil organizations. However, a special type of game puts players in control of minions, underlings that follow orders, no matter how difficult, evil, or mundane.
Whether the player uses them to survive, combat a greater threat, or become the greater threat, these games offer minions that are willing to appease their master in any way (assuming the game’s code allows for it).
As the game’s title might suggest,Overlordis a game in which players fill the shoes of an evil overlord. Of course, no overlord is complete without their army of minions to carry out their bidding. InOverlord, these minions come in different types. Browns are built with brute strength, Reds come with fire-based attacks, Greens use stealth and poison, and the aquatic Blues can heal.
These impish creatures, created from hives that the titular overlord reclaims throughout his journey, follow every command, from pillaging villages to waging war on enemies. Although the player is expected to perform nefarious acts throughout the game, they get tochoose the intensity of that evil, which depends on whether they set their minions to attack innocents, steal treasures, or pinch rations from starving villagers.
Minion master builds may not be as powerful as they once were inGuild Wars' heyday, but they are still a powerful optionfor necromancer players. This type of undead minion is unique in all video games, as they are directly raised from a fresh corpse (be it an enemy or ally). A maximum of 16 can be controlled at once, and driving around such an army will make any necromancer feel like a dark overlord of horror.
Being that they are animated from dark magic, these minions, which come in a horrifying variety of shapes, sizes, and utility types (ranged, melee, and a mix), slowly wither away without the constant blood replenishment of their master. However, if the minion master dies, those horrors will turn on the party, potentially leading to their defeat. As such, minion-mancy should not be taken lightly.
Despite being one ofNintendo’s less popular franchiseswhen compared toPokemonorMario,Pikminremains beloved among its fans for its wholesome take on the real-time strategy genre. InPikmin 4, much like its predecessors, players command small, plant-like creatures as they explore a hostile alien world filled with puzzles, resources, and dangerous creatures in order to survive and retrieve items for their mission.
While these cute nature-based critters can hardly be considered evil minions in the conventional sense due to their cute, friendly, and trusting demeanors, the player certainly could be called out for their evil ways. For example, players can sacrifice Pikmin to hazards like fire or water to complete objectives and explore more of the planet.
In line withShadow of Mordor’s grimdark, edgy take on Tolkien’s fantasy classicLord of the Ringsseries, the main character, Talion, is given the ability to dominate the minds of lesser creatures to turn them into loyal minions. Using the wraith Celebrimbor’s power, Talion can dominate Orcs to do his bidding in his war against Sauron.
This allows players to formtheir own armies of Orcs, customizing and commanding them to fight battles, conquer strongholds, and brutally slay their own kin. The Nemesis System makes each Orc unique, and the bonds players form or break with their minions add an extra layer of narrative depth to the campaign.
The necromancer class inGuild Wars 2is able to summon otherworldly creatures from the depths of the underworld to fight from their side. Unlike the original game, a dead body is not required to create them, and unless killed in battle, this mismatched group of skeletal scorpions and wrathful wraiths will stick around indefinitely.
Each minion has a unique ability, such as binding an enemy in place or stealing life energy to feed to their master. Of course, their main utility for a necromancer of whichever elite specialization is distracting enemies or taking their hits while their master continues their dark survival across Tyria.
InDragon’s Dogma 2, pawns are described as the Arisen’s companions, but it should be fairly clear by their names that pawns are hardly less than mindless minions with which to control. Pawns look like people but explicitly lack independent thought or emotions, making them the perfect soldiers.
Although they have no will of their own,pawns have odd behaviorsand unique inclinations, such as an aggressive fighting style or search for treasures (to return to the Arisen, of course). However, while adventuring, the Arisen player will need to ensure that pawns do not become infected with Dragonsplague, a disease that makes them turn on their allies.
Like theDungeon Keepergames that inspired it,War for the Overworldisa god-sim-likethat puts players in charge of their own dungeon. As an underlord, players gain access to a host of minions, creatures of various skills and functions. The first type of minions is used to dig out the dungeon from which the underlord will raise and train their army.
Minions are not purely fueled by a desire to perform evil acts (although they do relish it) but will need payment in the form of gold. As the underlord grows stronger, they will be able to keep stronger minions, such as magic casters, to help protect their dark domains and slay even the most powerful of heroes.
