History Main / VillainHoldsTheLeash

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The Whisperers from ''ComicBook/TheWalkingDead'' are not exactly harmless, but in a fight they're mostly reliant on sneakiness and guile; their [[GenuineHumanHide zombie disguises]] allow them to [[PretendWereDead blend in with a crowd of zombies]] and then catch opponents by surprise. Without this tactic, most members have the fighting ability of an average human armed with a kitchen knife. What makes them truly dangerous is [[FluffyTamer the half-trained herd of thousands of zombies]] that they can steer towards their enemies.

* Through out the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime, quite predictably due to the {{Mons}} premise, most bad guys' threat level depends on the power and skill of the Pokemon they have. Most main arc villains' schemes involve them taking control of a powerful Pokemon as muscle for their plans. Team Rocket, due to having Pokemon as bungling as they are, are generally the show's {{Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain}}s, though anytime they can direct them competently or temporarily get hold of a more dangerous Pokemon, they often become NotSoHarmless.

* In the ComicBook/GodzillaIDWPublishing comics, there are multiple cases of this, as per the franchise's tradition.

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* In ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'', the Yotsuba clan were already a significant threat, but not at planet-killing level until they made a deal/ritual/project to empower one of their unborn children with PhysicalGod-like magic. Most of the clan wanted to abort the baby once they realized how powerful it would be, but everyone else's greed and paranoia won out, so now they have an AntiAntichrist hanging around...[[SwordOfDamocles waiting for an opportunity to slip the leash]]. They haven't slept well since.

* In ''Film/BeverlyHillsChihuahua'', Vazquez is the one in charge of the dogfighting operation, but it's only thanks to his pet rottweiler El Diablo that he's able to be of remotely any threat to the good guys. And while Vazquez does manage to be the main antagonist on the human side of the story, he still has a rather meagre amount of screen time compared to El Diablo, who is able to frequently interact on a direct basis with the story's heroes that are also dogs and has a [[ItsPersonal personal history]] with the German shepherd Delgado due to El Diablo having previously killed Delgado's owner and (in a roundabout way) gotten Delgado himself removed from the police force. And ultimately, Vazquez is swiftly defeated the instant El Diablo is put out of commission.

* Marcel and Nigel from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'' are a downplayed case. While Marcel still drives the plot to some degree, Nigel is the main asset of the bird-smuggling operation and is far more effective than his master's human lackeys; in particular, he is the lynchpin of the break-in at the that allows the smugglers to capture Blu and Jewel.

** Mechagodzilla is almost always used by this kind of villain, starting out as the main weapon of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens in ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla'' and ''Film/TerrorOfMechagodzilla''. In the latter, he is joined by Titanosaurus. In ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII'' and the Kiryu dulogy, he serves as the main weapon of the [[HeroAntagonist JSDF]].

Villainous pets come in different flavours. When the villain's pet is mostly sedentary and largely does not play an active role in the plot, you have a RightHandCat. When the villain's pet is an active fighter/guard against the heroes, you have a RightHandAttackDog.

[[folder:Films - Animation]]

[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/AliceInWonderland2010 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jabberwocky_3.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Meet the ''real'' power behind the throne...]]

When the villain's pet is the key reason why he is a threat in the first place, you have a case of Villain Holds The Leash. Whilst the pet is only obeying its master's orders, its presence greatly increases the villain's threat level. Maybe the pet has some sort of ability that is crucial to the EvilPlan. Maybe the villain needs its presence to keep his human minions in line. Or maybe their master is simply a NonActionBigBad who needs the beast as [[TheBrute muscle]]. In a nutshell, whilst the human villain is the one giving the commands, the pet is [[TheHeavy the main antagonistic force in the plot]].

* In the Godzilla IDW comics, there are multiple cases of this, as per the franchise's tradition.

* A bizarre example (where the "pets" in question are fully sapient) occurs in ''Dinosaur King: Retold''. Throughout Season One, the Alpha Gang's dinosaurs repeatedly demonstrate that they are far more intelligent, competent and dangerous than their human partners - and it's made clear that they are only [[DragonWithAnAgenda working with Dr. Z because it better suits their own agenda]].

* Professor Ratigan, archnemesis of Basil of Baker Street in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', uses a bloated cat named Felicia as his primary enforcer, using her to threaten Mr. Flaversham into co-operating, attempting to kill the Mouse Queen, and to keep his minions in line - often feeding her underlings who disappoint him, such as unfortunate Bartholomew and, very nearly, Fidget.

* This trope is common in Franchise/{{Godzilla}} films. In many films, the villains have taken control of a giant monster in order to [[TakeOvertheWorld take over the world]], and the main objective of the heroes is often to help Godzilla defeat the monster, or to destroy the villains' control over the monster. Here are some examples:

* In ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', most of the fear that the Red Queen inspires is because she has control (or some agreement) over the [[DraconicAbomination Jabberwocky]]. After it is slain, her minions (including her [[TheDragon Dragon]]) desert and she is easily deposed.
* In ''Film/BrotherhoodOfTheWolf'', the titular society have this relationship with their Beast, [[spoiler:a lion they abusively trained]], which they use as their main weapon in their plan to undermine public confidence in the king and restore the old ways to France.

* ''Literature/GuardsGuards'': Lupine Wonse intends to be this kind of villain, secretly summoning a dragon to wreak havoc, finding a suitably heroic-looking schmuck to serve as his PuppetKing by unsummoning the dragon to "kill" it. Unfortunately, the dragon proves to be sapient, very angry at being used in this way, and forcing Lupine to serve it while it takes the throne as king (well, [[spoiler:queen]]) after un-unsummoning itself and eating the "hero".

* In ''Literature/TheBrothersLionheart'', the warlord Tengil is dangerous enough due to his regular troops, but he is made unstoppable by his control over the dragon Katla.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' half-episode "Roachie", the villain takes control of a horde of giant mutant roaches. The roaches themselves are benign when left to their own devices; in fact, Ron made friends with one of them.

This can vary from an EvilOverlord with a dragon, a MadScientist with a genetically engineered monster, a RichBitch with a MisterMuffykins to a street gang with a pit bull. The defining factor of a case of Villain Holds The Leash is that, without the pet, the master is much less of a threat. The pet is the main asset in the villains' operation - with its defeat, their powerbase decreases significantly and they are far easier to dispose of.

This can vary from an EvilOverlord with a dragon, a MadScientist with a genetically engineered monster to a street gang with a pit bull. The defining factor of a case of Villain Holds The Leash is that, without the pet, the master is much less of a threat. The pet is the main asset in the villains' operation - with its defeat, their powerbase decreases significantly and they are far easier to dispose of.

* Dragons served as the main guarantor of the Targaryens' power for most of their dynasty's in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', due to their FantasticNuke status. Rather sadly, this meant that they never built up any form of institutional bureaucracy which would give them power independent of the dragons. After the dragons died out, the Targaryen dynasty went through a downward spiral that culminated in its end.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' special "[[Recap/SpongebobSquarePantsS4E6DuncesAndDragons Dunces and Dragons]]", much of the fear the evil wizard Planktonamor inspires is due to the fact he has a gigantic dragon jellyfish under his control. When it turns on him at the end, after being shown kindness by SpongeBob, he is powerless to stop it.

* Professor Ratigan, archnemesis of Basil of Baker Street in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', uses a bloated cat named Felicia as his primary enforcer, using her to threaten Mr. Flaversham into co-operating and to keep his minions in line - often feeding her underlings who disappoint him, such as unfortunate Bartholomew and, very nearly, Fidget.

* Professor Ratigan, archnemesis of Basil of Baker Street in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', uses a bloated cat named Felicia as his primary enforcer, using her to dispose of the Mouse Queen, threaten Mr. Flaversham into co-operating and to keep his minions in line - often feeding her underlings who disappoint him, such as unfortunate Bartholomew and, very nearly, Fidget.

* ''Literature/GuardsGuards'': Lupine Wonse intends to be this kind of villain, secretly summoning a dragon to wreak havoc, finding a suitably heroic-looking schmuck to serve as his PuppetKing by unsummoning the dragon to "kill" it. Unfortunately, the dragon proves to be sapient, very angry at being used in this way, and forcing Lupine to serve it while it takes the throne as king (well, [[spoiler:queen]]) after eating the "hero".