History Main / MookLieutenant

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': [[spoiler: General Clemin is the one organizing the central troop's defense against the East and North armies in the FinalBattle.]]

* ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsAura'' has The Captain, leader of [[spoiler: [[DiscOneFinalBoss Chrysalis]]']] {{Mooks}}. He ''should'' be TheDragon, but he's beaten so quickly he's more along the lines of this trope.

** [[spoiler: Black Fang is the commander of the Changelings who switch loyalties to Vulcan.]]

*** The game has a rather odd version of this in the form of [[spoiler: The Collector General, who was at first thought to be the BigBad. Like Saren before him, it was shown that the General was actually being controlled by the Reaper Harbinger the whole time. However, the General didn't command the mooks personally; rather, he acted as a conduit and mouthpiece for Harbinger to do the commanding, including possessing Collector infantry and turning them into PeoplePuppets. True to the spirit of this trope, Harbinger ends up leaving the General to die in the exploding Collector Base after the General failed him.]]

** There are generic officer [=NPCs=] among the Enclave soldiers in VideoGame/Fallout3, as well as commanders dubbed "Masters" among the Vault 87 Super Mutants, though no interaction is possible with them other than combat. Ditto Legion Centurions in VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas.

[[folder: Web Animation]]

Compare MookCommander for the gameplay equivalent of this: Someone who gives benefits for the mooks in the battlefield while also participating on the field himself. See also MiddleManagementMook.

* in''WesternAnimation/{{Bionicle}} 3'': Roodaka convinces king Sidorak to make Vakama lieutenant of his horde of [[GiantSpiders Visorak]]. He has doubts, but when [[UnholyMatrimony she tells him to regard Vakama as her engagement gift to him]], he instantly agrees to her idea. Of course, [[TheStarscream Roodaka just wanted to put her own minion into a leadership role]], so when Sidorak's out of the picture, [[MookCarryover the horde would be hers]]. Prior to that, a Visorak named Kollorak served as the lieutenant.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheForceAwakens https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/phasma_stormtroopers.png]]]]

** The original trilogy has ''many'' lieutenants for Darth Vader, from Captain Needa and General Veers to Admiral Piett and Admiral Ozzel. Most are killed by Vader himself. Piett is the one guy that remains throughout, even into the GrandFinale, so he qualifies the most as Vader's lieutenant.

* Commander Peepers to Lord Hater in ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder,'' while also being TheDragon.

The Mook Lieutenant is the commanding officer of the evil army. He will be seen in the background to give orders, ask [[TheWatson boneheaded questions]] about the weather-controlling device and give the BigBad someone to talk to when TheDragon is a person of few words. Very rarely in ForTheEvulz, he's normally a career military man who views the heroes as [[YouRebelScum rabble]] and [[JustFollowingOrders does not question orders]]. Has a high mortality rate [[YouHaveFailedMe where failure is concerned]]. More often than not he will look exactly like any other Mook, except that whilst all the other Mooks are wearing masks, [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic the Mook lieutenant will usually opt not to wear one.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': Megabyte uses [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Hack and Slash]] to chase down Bob most of the time, and Herr Dockter for his evil creations. Lieutenant Chauncy is in command of his Army of infected Bionomes. He differs in looks from the other infected Biomes by the wearing of an Officer's cap.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has the Lieutenant of [[WesternTerrorist White Fang]], who can often be seen near their high ranking members and is once seen helping host a rally for the organization, despite being dressed in the standard White Fang uniform. He also doubles as a GiantMook and is one of the few members that can handle a named character on his own.

*** [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Let 'Volir]] commands the Sangheili forces, though he quickly gets a MookPromotion to [[TheDragon second-in-command]] after [[TheDragon Decimus]] gets himself killed.

** Major Gobler in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', to Colonel Dietrich. He carries out a variety of menial duties and later shows some hands-on initiative by driving the escort car during the truck chase himself, rather than being chauffeured like Dietrich and Belloq.

** ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. Kisch, who commands the army of {{mooks}} during the invasion of Fort Knox and performs minor minion roles before that.
** Morzeny in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' is in charge of training the SPECTRE mooks.

-->-- EvilOverlordList

"Lieutenant" here refers to the position of right hand man in general, rather than a specific rank.

** In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', there's Captain Phasma, notable for being six foot three and clad in chrome Stormtrooper armor. She's also the commander of the First Order Stormtrooper Corps.

* ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'':

** ''VideoGame/Halo4'' has Parg Vol in ''Spartan Ops''.
** ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'':
*** The Banished leader [[BigBad Atriox]] has quite a few of these.
*** [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Let 'Volir]] commands the Sangheili forces, though he quickly gets a MookPromotion to [[TheDragon Dragon]] after [[TheDragon Decimus]] gets himself killed.

* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': When Myotismon's enters the physical world and invades Tokyo, his forces include a large horde of Bakemon -- SheetGhost Digimon -- led by a single stronger Phantomon, a more visually complex specter and Bakemon's default evolution in the games.

* ''Fanfic/BadFutureCrusaders'' has Captain Crimson Sky and Lieutenant Twitch who serve as Lightning Dust's wingponies. The [[AxCrazy batshit insane]] Merrilay is soon [[MookPromotion promoted]] to this position [[spoiler:after Twitch is killed]].

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': In the anime, the Unova region's Team Plasma has Aldith, who all of the Plasma grunts defer to and who is the apparent [[TheDragon second-in-command]] to [[ForScience Colress]]. Her uniform is identical to that of a regular grunt, however she's different in that she's the only female grunt and it's clear that the others are taking orders from her.

* ''Fanfic/JewelOfDarkness'': After evolving sentience, [[RobotMe Ai]] ends up somewhere between this and TheDragon for [[VillainProtagonist Midnight]].
* ''Fanfic/TheImmortalGame'': [[NoNameGiven The Cadet]] is [[TheDragon General Esteem]]'s second in command and personal protege.

* ''Fanfic/BadFutureCrusaders'' has Captain Crimson Sky and Lieutenant Twitch who serve as Lightning Dust's wingponies. The [[AxCrazy batshit insane]] Merrilay is soon [[MookPromotion promoted]] to this position [[spoiler:after Twitch is killed]].
* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'':
** After Raythor is sent into the Abyss of Shadows and Lothar is promoted to take his place, he promotes Tynar to his old post as Lieutenant.
** Once Wong creates a squadron of new Shapeshifters, Miranda takes on leadership of it. But as he starts [[TheStarscream plotting against Phobos]], he phases her out in favor of Roberta, whom he believes is more personally loyal to him.

* Zygon has one of these in ''WesternAnimation/StarchaserTheLegendOfOrin'' who runs his control room. When the RobotWar begins going against them, he attempts to advise his leader that they should leave. Zygon responds by angrily ordering him to return to his post, whereupon he promptly [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere runs out]] when Zygon isn't looking.

* Bane from ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' has a lieutenant named Barsad.
* The otherwise totally anonymous soldier named Schwalberg in the ChildSoldier UsefulNotes/WorldWarII thriller ''Film/HornetsNest''. Often seen at his superior Captain von Hecht's side or leading squads of Nazi {{Mooks}}, he's one of the more effective examples of this trope.

** ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. Kisch, who commands the army of {{mooks}} during the invasion of Fort Knox and performs minor minion roles before that.

* In the film version of Creator/JulesVerne's ''Film/MasterOfTheWorld'', Creator/VincentPrice's [[WellIntentionedExtremist Robur]] has Turner. He's distinguishable from the rest of the Albatross' crew by his jacket (the other crewmen only wear shirts) and the fact he carries a [[{{Steampunk}} futuristic flintlock pistol]].

* Gunn in ''Film/TheReturnOfSwampThing'' fills this role, doing double time as TheBrute for Dr. Arcane. His assistant Ms. Poinsettia in turn leads the female mooks.

* Joachim is this for Khan in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', and Khan, in true villain fashion, continually ignores his pleas to just leave Kirk alone and head off with the ship they stole.

* Sergeant Simon in TheMovie of ''Film/SuperMarioBros''. First appears as just a booking officer at the police station, but later serves more proper Mook Lieutenant functions like being Koopa's flamethrower-toting bodyguard and reminding him that humans evolved from apes, not mice.
* ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|1973}}'': Jussac is an officer in the Cardinal's guard and attempts to arrest the musketeers at the convent.

* ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'': Jussac is an officer in the Cardinal's guard and attempts to arrest the musketeers at the convent.
* Principal Chapman from ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' is a StarterVillain and the first named Human-Controller encountered. Despite an ostensibly inglorious assignment as the assistant principal of a middle school, Chapman becomes a fairly recurring number two. This threatens the suspension of disbelief in ''The Deception'', when Chapman is being passed off as a ''Navy admiral''.
* Commander Strake and Field Marshall Akkad in ''[[Literature/ThePowerOfFive Oblivion]]''.
* Though he's the BigBad, Count Olaf is implied to hold this role for the bad side of VFD in ''Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''.
* Some Death Eaters are shown giving orders to others in ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' films, usually with cooperation.
%%* Cray from ''Literature/TheHungerGames''.

* The Rank Lieutenant from ''Series/NinjaTurtlesTheNextMutation''.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': James Wesley is the right-hand of Wilson Fisk and also is the one who gives orders to Fisk's underlings. He's always careful to remind them that he's not the one actually in charge of his organization.
* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': In season 2, Shades insists that Mariah view him as an equal business partner, yet a lot of the time she seems to think he's one of these.

* The [[{{Mooks}} Brute squads]] from the 4th Edition ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' version of the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000KillTeam'' rules are led by a Boss, a sergeant-level character who replaces one of the rank-and-file Brutes. Bosses were intended to add to the narrative elements of a Kill-team game, becoming the target of assassination missions for instance, as well as adding to the difficulty of the game for the Kill-team player.

* Mal'Ganis from ''[[VideoGame/WarCraft WarCraft III]]''
** Morbent Fell and Rass for Balnazzar.
** The Blademasters for Magtheridon.
** Rage Winterchill for Archimonde.
** Captain Thornby for Admiral Proudmoore.
** The Naga sea witchs and royal guards for Illidan.
** The Captain for Arthas, and later necromancers when he becomes a death knight.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', you encountered the unnamed NPC "Krogan Commander" on Feros who is the the leader of [[BigBad Saren]]'s krogan and geth forces there.
** He can certainly be a BossInMooksClothing, too, especially on higher difficulties.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has a rather odd version of this in the form of [[spoiler: The Collector General, who was at first thought to be the BigBad. Like Saren before him, it was shown that the General was actually being controlled by the Reaper Harbinger the whole time. However, the General didn't command the mooks personally; rather, he acted as a conduit and mouthpiece for Harbinger to do the commanding, including possessing Collector infantry and turning them into PeoplePuppets. True to the spirit of this trope, Harbinger ends up leaving the General to die in the exploding Collector Base after the General failed him.]]
** It also had a more traditional use of this trope; most of the Blue Suns and Eclipse mercenary groups you encounter fight you in waves, and large waves will usually contain an officer (a [[EliteMook Legionnaire or Centurion]] for Blue Suns, usually an Engineer or Vanguard for Eclipse) who directs the other troopers and affects their tactics. Also used by the Blood Pack, in the form of [[LargeAndInCharge krogan]] leading teams of vorcha.
* ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'': unnamed but high-level Covenant commanders such as Elite Generals and Brute Chieftains can occasionally be encountered (and killed) directing their forces, distinguished by their [[BlingOfWar ornate armor.]]
** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' has Parg Vol in ''Spartan Ops''.
* ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'': The Banished leader [[BigBad Atriox]] has quite a few of these.
** [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Let 'Volir]] commands the Sangheili forces, though he quickly gets a MookPromotion to [[TheDragon Dragon]] after [[TheDragon Decimus]] gets himself killed.
** [[MadScientist Colony]] oversees the Lekgolo units.
** [[SiblingTeam Voridus and Pavium]] lead their own packs of specialized Brutes.
* Narhari Kahn, a recurring [[note]]provided you choose to spare him, of course[[/note]] field commander for the Belltower PMC in Hengsha in ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution''. [[spoiler:He personally executes Malik if you can't save her from the ambush]].
* Comically used in ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' with Admiral Alfonso's second in command always being blamed for his failure (yet never actually getting blamed by the BigBad) and Admiral De Loco's constantly being the OnlySaneMan and withdrawing after you defeat them in battle.
* A common occurrence in ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games, bosses are named even for smaller skirmishes and thus present plenty of lieutenants for the BigBad or TheDragon to explain his plan to, as well as for them to stand in as a minor component of that plan that the team of heroes can foil to turn the momentum around.

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'': President Kombayn Nikoladze never sends a single tactical order to his {{mooks}}. The entire military branch of his operation is commanded by [[TheDragon the mercenary Grinko]].

%%* Bruce Moriatos from ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure''.
%%* Crowbar leads the Felt in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''.

* Roodaka in ''WesternAnimation/{{Bionicle}} 3'' convinces king Sidorak to make Vakama lieutenant of his horde of [[GiantSpiders Visorak]]. He has doubts, but when [[UnholyMatrimony she tells him to regard Vakama as her engagement gift to him]], he instantly agrees to her idea. Of course, [[TheStarscream Roodaka just wanted to put her own minion into a leadership role]], so when Sidorak's out of the picture, [[MookCarryover the horde would be hers]]. Prior to that, a Visorak named Kollorak served as the lieutenant.

* General Traag, commander of Krang's Rock Soldiers from the 1987 ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}''.

* ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|1973}}'': Jussac is an officer in the Cardinal's guard and attempts to arrest the musketeers at the covenant.

* ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'': Jussac is an officer in the Cardinal's guard and attempts to arrest the musketeers at the covenant.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': For some good guy examples, Anakin has Captain Rex and Obi-Wan has Commander Cody. There are also other, less frequently seen clone officers assigned to other Jedi, such as Commander Wolffe for Plo Koon.