I need minions. I don't need minions to help me take over the world. No, I need minions to help me with the million things I don't want to do (cleaning, laundry...). And I'd like it if my minions were like these cheeky little dudes:
(Image of Minions found here)
Why am I talking about minions? After watching Despicable Me, I got to thinking about the minions and their part in the plot. This led me to thinking about minions on TV and, of course, in literature.
Minions serve a variety of purposes:
Minions serve a variety of purposes:
1) They carry out the tasks we don't have time for.
2) They are often expendable. Think about the poor, unidentified crew member who beams down to the unexplored planet with the main cast in various Star Trek episodes. They wear red. They have no name. They usually bite it first.
3) They provide diversions before the hero/heroine gets to the main antagonist. My favourite example of this is found in James Bond. If it isn't a guy with steel jaws or a woman with a knife in her shoe trying to kill him, Bond has to fight a guy with a bowler hat that can take his head off!
Here are some minions in books that came to mind:
1) In Harry Potter, Voldemort has his minions and co-baddies.
2) In The Twilight Saga, Victoria has minion vamps to carry out her plans. The Volturi have their followers and hench-vampires with powers.
3) Dracula has Renfield and his vampire brides. Even Lucy has a bit of a victim/minion complex. Van Helsing has to get past them before he can get to the Count.
Some minions can even appear to serve the villain, but don't. Some see the error of their ways and turn to the side of good. Some are just there for comic relief, but they all serve a purpose. And, like them or not, the story wouldn't be the same without them.
What about you? Met any book minions recently? Do you have any in your WIPs?
I always loved the henchmen in the old Batman TV series, who always had names that were related to whatever caper the villain was trying to pull off. And yeah, my WiP does indeed have henchmen, now that I think about it!
ReplyDeleteI loved the minions in Despicable Me. I would love a set of adorable minions like these. I love Terry Pratchett's use of the Igors in his Discworld books. As for my own, I don't have any in my WiP. But in the next WiP, I'll give the matter some serious thought. In my current WiP my MC has companions on her journey. But they wouldn't think of themselves as minions. The antagonist doesn't really have minions. She works alone.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any minions in my WIP (love yours, btw), but I have two college sons at home that are GREAT minions for doing things I don't want to!
ReplyDeleteMy latest, Crow's Rest, has crow minions, as well as a dog. It's fun to have them turn up places and make the reader wonder "are these crows or not-crows"?
ReplyDeleteWho can forget the Munchkins in the land of Oz and the ever-ready Oompa-Loompas who work in the chocolate factory!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI sorta have minions in my first book. I hadn't really thought of them in that light but that is pretty much what they are. I wish I had some "home" minions!
ReplyDeleteI could use some minions around my house for sure. I haven't read a book with them in a while, though.
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