History Main / EnigmaticMinion

* The various Scriers that appeared during ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'', under the service of various {{Hidden Agenda Villain}}s such as Judas Traveller, and established to have an agenda of their(his?) own. Their enigmatic status [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools would work to their disadvantage]], however, since the Clone Saga had a KudzuPlot of such proportions that [[TheChrisCarterEffect no one really cared about uncovering their mistery]].

* In about the last three books or so of the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, Snape comes to occupy this role to the extent that pretty much every fan site had lists of equally strong arguments why he was good or evil.
* Phalse in ''[[Literature/ForgottenRealms Azure Bonds]]'' novel. Until the Final Showdown he was the least transparent of villains, representing unknown force with unknown motivation and did not anything serious save recruiting TheMole. Gradually proved to be both smartest and creepiest participant of the conspiracy, despite hard competition (in either quality) with his partners [[spoiler: that is, hysterically vicious VainSorceress, [[DemBones lich]], band of vengeful killers-thieves and ancient evil god.]]
** Also subverted in that he is poses as a minion serving an unknown force, but is in fact the actual creature.
* Sol from ''Literature/WarriorCats''. Although he isn't a minion and also a HiddenAgendaVillain, he has many Enigmatic Minion tendencies, such as randomly coming and going whenever the plot requires.

* She's not exactly a minion, but Diana from ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' could qualify. She's very open about the fact that she's working on her own side. She's never really done anything evil, although she has often stood aside and let others do terrible things. She helps both sides when it suits her. She won't commit to anything. And yet she's probably [[LoveMakesYouCrazy the only person Caine trusts]], and the heroes have offered to let her join them, [[spoiler: and, [[ManipulativeBitch when she realize she's losing control over Caine]], [[HeelFaceTurn she takes them up on it.]]]]

* While initially an independent villain, the ''Comicbook/XMen'' villain Mister Sinister served this function in a number of arcs after the eventual reveal that he was a 19th century British scientist who had been empowered by perennial X-Men BigBad ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}. This transferred over to the [[WesternAnimation/XMen animated series]] as well, with Sinister first introduced in the second season as an independent villain and later functioning as one of Apocalypse's lackeys (though the reason for his service to Apocalypse was undermined with an origin story episode in the final season that changed his origins).

* Mystogan from ''Manga/FairyTail'' one of his biggest mysteries, is if he's really using his true strength against his opponents. But [[WordOfGod if you really want to find out, we suggest you better be either really powerful, or have a decent escape plan.]] It should be noted that Mystogan is most definitely not a villain, nor was he ever hinted as such. He's basically an Enigmatic Minion for the BigGood, Makarov, that the main characters know next to nothing about [[spoiler:at first]].

* Axel from ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''. In his first appearance, ''Chain of Memories,'' he betrays (and is at least partially responsible for the [[spoiler: deaths of]]) pretty much everyone in Castle Oblivion. Within his Organization his role appears to be a mix of assassin and secret police, and he's on no-one's side but his own. Even his team-mates remark that they don't have a clue about what goes on in his head. [[spoiler: Eventually some light is shed on his motives--namely, helping his old friend Saix rise to power and [[PoisonousFriend keeping Roxas and Xion by his side.]]]]

* Paul von Oberstein in ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes''. Nobody is ever entirely sure what his motivations are and whose side he is truly on, and [[spoiler: even his death from a bomb during the last episode leaves people wondering if it was a miscalculation or a planned event.]]

* The Captain of the Guard in ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'' certainly looks evil and serves the BigBad. Despite this, he never shows any personal motivation in any of the bad things he does. He aids Prince John in capturing the outlaw Robin Hood and attempts to prevent a jail break, during which he does his one [[KickTheDog stand-out in evil]] when he tries to strike the old owls with an ''axe''. But otherwise we don't even learn his fate which adds to the enigma that he is. Prince John, Sir Hiss and the Sheriff are imprisoned for abusing their authorities, while Trigger and Nutsy are guarding over them, being PunchClockVillains instead (even though each to a different extent). All in all, whether the crocodile is individually evil or a mere PunchClockVillain is never made clear.

** The 90s ''X-Men'' story arc ''ComicBook/FatalAttractionsMarvelComics'' introduced one of these for ComicBook/{{Magneto}} in the form of [[Characters/XMenAcolytes Exodus]], a mysterious mutant who appeared out of nowhere to be Magneto's MouthOfSauron recruiter. He would later be given depth (and eventually a backstory establishing him as a time-displaced KnightTemplar), but in the first appearance he was very much this.

** The 90s ''X-Men'' story arc ''ComicBook/FatalAttractions'' introduced one of these for ComicBook/{{Magneto}} in the form of [[Characters/XMenAcolytes Exodus]], a mysterious mutant who appeared out of nowhere to be Magneto's MouthOfSauron recruiter. He would later be given depth (and eventually a backstory establishing him as a time-displaced KnightTemplar), but in the first appearance he was very much this.

* Kuze in ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' plays this part for most of the second season. [[spoiler:The confusion arises from the fact that he is an UnwittingPawn to the BigBad, [[{{Chessmaster}} who happens to lead the task force]] that is supposed to capture or kill Kuze.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': When first introduced, Neopolitan appears to serve Roman and is completely loyal to him. She's an extremely skilled fighter, superior to Roman, and usually ends up protecting him when his skill isn't enough. She [[SilentAntagonist never speaks]] and appears to get on with the villains that control Roman much better than Roman does, even though she's clearly serving him and not them. Why she is willing to work better with the other villains than Roman despite her loyalty to Roman is unknown. The reason why she is so loyal to Roman, and whether or not she's capable of speech remained unknown. Volume 6 eventually revealed that she is mute, and the creators released the supplementary novel ''Literature/RWBYRomanHoliday'' that finally gave her backstory: [[spoiler:she grew up isolated and abused and was eventually inducted into the Spider crime family and trained as a top-notch assassin, but chose to follow Roman instead because he was the only one to truly accept her.]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': When first introduced, Neopolitan appears to serve Roman and is completely loyal to him. She's an extremely skilled fighter, superior to Roman, and usually ends up protecting him when his skill isn't enough. She [[SilentAntagonist never speaks]] and appears to get on with the villains that control Roman much better than Roman does, even though she's clearly serving him and not them. Why she is willing to work better with the other villains than Roman despite her loyalty to Roman is unknown. The reason why she is so loyal to Roman, and whether or not she's capable of speech remained unknown ... until Volume 6, when it was revealed that [[spoiler:Roman took Neopolitan in when she was a orphan street urchin and named her]] and that [[spoiler:Neo is mute]].

* Miyabi Fujisaki from ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'' is one to [[EvilMatriarch Gyokuro Shuzen]]; he's very AmbiguouslyEvil, to the point that even the main characters don't seem to know what to make of him, but he and Gyokuro don't seem to trust each other. He is really [[spoiler:[[TheManBehindTheMan The Masked King]] and the [[EldritchAbomination Shinso Vampire Alucard]]]].

* In Music/{{Mothy}}'s songs, specifically the ones belonging to the Franchise/EvilliousChronicles, the Master of the Graveyard is a variation of this. Though she's [[ImAHumanitarian unambiguously evil]], her plans are never revealed, though Capriccio Farce and the end of Master of the Graveyard imply that they are definitely there, and probably irreconcilable with Ma's…whatever Ma's are.
-->While she outwardly obeys [[MagnificentBastard Ma]], she is a dark and deceiving woman.

** Dante in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''. While at first just doing his job to hunt you, he eventually realizes there's something fishy going on...

* And as quoted, Hawke in his appearance in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Dual Strike''. [[spoiler:He pulls a HeelFaceTurn when his boss tries to have him killed.]] Also, Hawke in the previous game (''VideoGame/AdvanceWars 2: Black Hole Rising'') as well. [[spoiler:After losing the battle for Green Earth, he leaves Sturm, only to come back at the end of the final mission and finish off sturm with his Super [=CO=] Power.]]

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[[quoteright:225:[[Film/LiveAndLetDie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baron_samedi_3.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:225:Trust the Enigmatic Minion to have the last laugh...[[note]]And how did he get on the front of the train? and wasn't he ''dead'' earlier??[[/note]]]]

%%* Nagi from ''Anime/MaiHime'' is like this throughout most of the show, even after TheReveal.

* Archer from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', especially in the Unlimited Blade Works route.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has a few, but most prominently Kumori from ''Dead Beat'': she helps the BigBad of the story, Cowl, in trying to achieve the Darkhollow, which will kill a large number of people in the city. However, she takes time out of her busy villain schedule to heal people back from the brink of death, and makes it clear that she and Cowl are not in it to become gods, but to get the power to do something else very important. We never find out what it is, as [[spoiler: Cowl appears to be killed when the Darkhollow fails, and Kumori hasn't been seen since.]]

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[TheDragon Dabi]] is this to the League Of Villains. He has no clear motivation for joining the League, aside from the fact that [[HeroKiller Stain]]'s ideals apparently resonated with him. [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep He refused to give his real name]] upon joining, and freely admits to [[BigBad Shigaraki]] that he has his own motivations for doing things, and has occasionally left to pursue his own agenda, such as [[spoiler:during the League's battle with Gigantomachia]]; while the rest of the League have developed a sense of camaraderie, even friendship, he treats them with complete ambivalence. All we ''really'' know is that he has a fire quirk, no criminal record before joining the League, and is implied in the Pro-Hero Arc to have some kind of grudge against [[AntiHero Endeavour]].

If a member of an evil organization, the EnigmaticMinion will usually hold a prominent position, be trusted by the BigBad, or has a job only they are capable of doing, which would explain why they're being kept around. This importance also keeps the minion safe from YouHaveFailedMe moments, at least for as long as the BigBad thinks they are still on the same side. {{Enigmatic Minion}}s usually don't 'fit' their assigned role, whether they're satisfied with it or not. And in the case of the latter, they certainly won't admit it.

* Mystogan from ''Manga/FairyTail'' one of his biggest mysteries, is if he's really using his true strength against his opponents. But [[WordOfGod if you really want to find out, we suggest you better be either really powerful, or have a decent escape plan.]] It should be noted that Mystogan is most definitely not a villain, nor was he ever hinted as such. He's basically an EnigmaticMinion for the BigGood, Makarov, that the main characters know next to nothing about [[spoiler:at first]].

* Sol from ''Literature/WarriorCats''. Although he isn't a minion and also a HiddenAgendaVillain, he has many EnigmaticMinion tendencies, such as randomly coming and going whenever the plot requires.