History Main / Enigmaticminion

** Garland becomes this, while somehow simultaneously being a LargeHam. He's surprisingly sympathetic, knows more about the nature of the universe than the gods themselves, and serves an even higher power. In fact, he has to [[spoiler:''personally'' explain the plot to the BigBad]]. The one difference is that he never passes up a chance to fight the heroes. His job is to fight, and [[BloodKnight he enjoys doing it]].

%%* Isako from ''Anime/DennouCoil''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}!'' has a particularly good example of this trope in [[NobleDemon Argent]]. He's working for [[LaughablyEvil Khrima]], one of the story's [[BigBadDuumvirate main villains]], but he doesn't care about the heroes; his real motivation is gradually revealed through the story - [[spoiler: he has a personal vendetta against the other main villain, [[KnightOfCerebus Eternion]], and is just using Khrima for resources; when Eternion is defeated, he bows out of the story.]].
* Nioi in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. She [[spoiler:searches for a way to backstab gen. Shade Tail (SubordinateExcuse vs. PoisonousFriend court intrigue)]] when not on her proper job [[spoiler:(artifacts research)]] or fixing minor problems like Kaoli's abnormal status.

* Torg, protagonist of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', was doing this professionally for a while in an attempt to get back at another evil organization. He recently gave up after his "boss" turned out to have unintentionally betrayed him.
* Gamzee Makara of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' definitely fits the wild card aspect of this. He's clearly an antagonist, but his relationships with some of the protagonists add ambiguity. [[spoiler: In addition, its now uncertain how much of what he did was mindcontrol and how much was his own initiative.]]

* The Masked Men from ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets''. About all we can say for sure is that they have some connection to The Operator. Season 2 drops hints that they may not be entirely malevolent, culminating in the season finale, in which [[spoiler:one of the masked men saves Jay and Jessica from Alex, who was holding them at gunpoint]]. Totheark, a Website/YouTube account full of cryptic messages which might be run by one or more of the Masked Men, is similarly inscrutable.

* [[EvilTwin Justice Lord Batman]] from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. Although the one responsible for allowing the Justice Lords to interact with the Justice League, he seems reluctant at best to follow the lead of the other Justice Lords and his true motivations for doing so in the first place is never revealed.

* Solomon from ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'' -- he's mysterious, badass, tends to pop in and out of things, and is overall the least malevolent of the three main villains (himself, [[GeneralRipper General Steel]], and [[GalacticConqueror General Modula]]). He ends up [[spoiler: becoming an ally of the heroes after they save his life against an EldritchAbomination during an EnemyMine]] and is [[spoiler: solidified as a minion rather than a mastermind in his own right when the episode "Fortress of Decepion" revealed he had a boss, who's plenty enigmatic himself]].
* Vater Orlaag from ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}''. It's not clear exactly what his deal is, aside from seeming very loyal to [[BigBad Mr. Salacia]].

** Iroh is introduced as Zuko's AffablyEvil uncle and mentor who halfheartedly tags along on his nephew's quest to capture the Avatar. Over time, we find out details about his past, like the death of his son Lu Ten, and his experience as a war hero and a mystic. It's only later that we find out that he's [[spoiler:a leader in the Order of the White Lotus and an active opponent of the Fire Nation's campaign of conquest]].
** Mai is a decent example as well, in contrast to Azula's volatile nature. Mai keeps to herself and rarely does anything out of boredom, however get between her and Zuko and you'll see [[TheDogBitesBack who's more careless then.]]
** [[TheSpook Combustion Man]] might count too, in that he's Zuko's hired minion with an ''extremely'' enigmatic backstory, but his agenda is pretty clear from the start: ''[[ProfessionalKiller kill the Avatar, get money]]''.

** Subverted later when we learn that [[spoiler:White Pearl's personality is merely an extension of White Diamond's will and not her true self. She used to be a regular, pink colored pearl belonging to Pink Diamond before White Diamond took control of her.]]

** [[NoNameGiven The Spaniard]] in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'' is this to the King of Spain; he's the first of the three main factions to set out after the Fountain of Youth, but we see him by far the least and its never quite clear exactly what he wants with it. [[spoiler: Turns out, he's been sent by the King to destroy the Fountain, which the Spanish see as blasphemous]].

* The "Mystery Man" from ''Film/LostHighWay'' has no clear goals or motivation, looks somewhat strange, and only shows obvious threatening behavior towards the end of the movie. His role in the movie is, along with everything else in it, open to interpretation... It ''is'' a David Lynch film, after all.
* Dr. Elsa Schneider in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' serves this role. While she's revealed as an ally of Donovan and the Nazis, her ultimate ambition is to get the grail. She constantly battles her personal views with her professional obligations. At the grail temple, she deceives her employer by giving him a fake holy grail, which makes the audience think she's done a HeelFaceTurn. However, she gets GoldFever when the real grail is in her hands and in the process falls to her death while trying to reach 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 I 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]].

** Zetsu also fits this trope pretty well. He seems to be part spy, part... [[ManEatingPlant trash disposal]] for the Akatsuki. The only clue we've been given about his motives is Pain saying his reason for fighting is "land". [[spoiler:Ultimately he is revealed to contain the will of Madara, allowing him to direct Tobi after his death. And even ''that'' is a lie. Chapter 681 reveals that he's been playing ''everyone'' for fools. His true master is not Madara -- it's ''Princess Kaguya''.]]

* Nico Robin from ''Manga/OnePiece'' was all over this trope [[spoiler:before her HeelFaceTurn]]. She makes her premier blowing up Igaram's ship in a direct blow to Vivi's scheme to expose Crocodile, but immediately after that hands over an eternal pose to get the Straw Hats to Alabasta. In Alabasta she personally brings Vivi to Crocodile, badly injuring Pell in the process, then saves Luffy after Crocodile leaves him for dead.

* The Woman of Dark Visage (played by Creator/AnjelicaHuston) in ''Film/{{Swashbuckler}}. She appears to be a part of AntagonisticGovernor Lord Durant's entourage, and is seen sitting in on all of his planning sessions. However, [[TheVoiceless she never says a word]], and Durant often looks to her before proceeding with a course of action, as if seeking her permission. Indeed, he actually seems afraid of her at some points. She is last seen vanishing into the night with Durant's body after the heroes have killed him. Exactly who she is and what her motivations are remain a RiddleForTheAges.

* [[spoiler:Naomi]] in the ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' series shows almost no signs of being anything but another member of Snake's large support team, but begins to act somewhat strangely over the course of the first game. Even after several turns of the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor you still have not the slightest idea whom the character is actually working for or is always coming back to your side, but does not seem to be trying to harm you.

[[caption-width-right:225:Trust the Enigmatic Minion to have the last laugh...]]

* 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.

[[quoteright:225:Film/LiveAndLetDie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baron_samedi_3.jpg]]]]

%%* Baron Samedi in the Film/JamesBond movie ''Film/LiveAndLetDie''.

** Gin Ichimaru was a [[CoDragons Co-Dragon]] for [[TheHeavy Aizen]], but was distrusted by his putative allies both before and after defecting from Soul Society. Aizen himself acted like he mistrusted Gin, and Gin often engaged in odd behavior that brought his motives into question. [[spoiler: Turns out that Gin only sided with Aizen in order to betray him… Aizen was aware of this and kept Gin around just for the amusement of seeing how he intended to go about it.]]

** Gin Ichimaru was a [[CoDragons Co-Dragon]] for Aizen, but was distrusted by his putative allies both before and after defecting from Soul Society. Aizen himself acted like he mistrusted Gin, and Gin often engaged in odd behavior that brought his motives into question. [[spoiler: Turns out that Gin only sided with Aizen in order to betray him… Aizen was aware of this and kept Gin around just for the amusement of seeing how he intended to go about it.]]
** Haschwalth is Dragon to [[TheEmperor Yhwach]], but his true loyalties are a mystery. He's ambivalent about killing low-ranking Shinigami. He shows concern over how Yhwach handles Ichigo… for ''Ichigo's'' sake. His soldiers think he's Yhwach's rightful heir but whether Haschwalth even cares about the succession is unclear. [[spoiler: Most enigmatic of all is his acceptance of Uryuu Ishida as Yhwach's UnexpectedSuccessor. It's implied that he may sympathise with Uryuu's KickedUpstairs status because of his own ambivalence towards Yhwach.]]

* ''Series/TwentyFour'': Mandy, who has the designation of being the very first terrorist to appear in the entire series as well as the only recurring villain to survive it all. In the first few episodes of season one she works for DiskOneFinalBoss Ira Gaines before disappearing without a trace. Then she returns in the finale of season two working for the GreaterScopeVillain Max, making her allegiances much more confusing as Ira and Max don’t seem to have any connection at all. She was last seen working for the BigBad of season four, Habib Marwan (who has no connection to either of the previous two villains), but got away as a KarmaHoudini by negotiating her way into a pardon for all of her crimes and then never returned. She is clearly a mercenary of some sort, but how she ended up in the employ of three of the series’ major villains is unknown. As for her personal life, she seemed to [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes genuinely be in love with her girlfriend from season one, Bridgette, breaking down when Bridgette dies]], but then kills her boyfriend in season four without any hesitation when he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]]. Was Bridgette the one person she actually cared about, leading to her sociopathy with everyone else afterwards? Or did she have other true loved ones that we never saw? Did she have any cause she truly believed in? Seeing how easily she sold out Marwan’s plan for immunity in season four, she clearly wasn’t a strong believer in that cause. And where did she go and what did she do after she got that immunity? We never get those answers.

* The Captain of the Guard in ''Disney/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.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[TheDragon Dabi]] is this to the League Of Villains. He has no clear motivation for joining the Leauge, 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]].

** Xigbar. As early as his first appearance in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' he's making vague comments that imply he knows more than he lets on, and then in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBithBySleep'' we learn he's been by the BigBad Xehanort's side since the start of his evil plan and has made some sort of deal with him. Come ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' Xigbar talks about being busy with his own plans. This all comes to a head in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' where we learn [[spoiler:he never actually cared about Xehanort's goals. His deal was to be given Xehanort's Keyblade when everything was said and done - because it was originally ''his'' Keyblade, and Xigbar is actually an [[WhoWantsToLiveForever ancient Keyblade Master]] who serves the ''first'' Keyblade Master.]]

** Subverted later when we learn that [[spoiler: White Pearl is merely an extension of White Diamonds will ]].

%%* Kariya from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Neopolitan appears to serven 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's so loyal to Roman is unknown. Why she's willing to work better with the other villains than Roman despite her loyalty to Roman, is unknown. And whether or not she's capable of speech is also unknown.

* The Captain of the Guard in ''Disney/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 evil or a PunchClockVillain is never made clear.

** Agent Mercer of the East India Company has some qualities of an Enigmatic Minion, especially in the way he pops in and out of the story. Though unlike a lot of other examples, Mercer ''is'' truly evil, to the extent that death by tentacle felt like karma.