# Movies where the villain executes one of his henchmen **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084 "2005-07-11T23:52:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/21 "2005-07-12T12:37:45Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > Was it also used in one of the Robocop movies? Clarence has one of his men thrown onto Murphy’s patrol car windscreen during the chase near the start of the film with a send off line like “can you fly?” > [@Evil Captor](#): > > In You Only Live Twice, Blofeld feeds one of his henchmen to the piranhas Hench_woman_ wasn’t it? And later he shoots another higher up henchman as “the price of failure Mr. Bond” ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/22 "2005-07-12T12:40:58Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > However, the Romans were meant to be the bad guys in the movie, so it counts. They even did that sort of thing in real life too. From what I remember off the UK History channel, a Roman commander pursuing Spartacus was so infuriated by the inability of his Legions to defeat Spartacus that he ordered the decimation to spur on his men before more able military commanders did the job for him (IIRC he was a politician looking for some kudos and not a military man proper) Other soldiers were supposed to go along the ranks and kill every tenth man. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/23 "2005-07-12T12:44:58Z")
Yeah, it’s quite common in Bond movies. Some that immediately come to mind is that Franz Sanchez kills both Milton Krest and his (Sanchez’s, not Krest’s) main accountant in _License To Kill_. Renard kills a Russian nuclear scientist whose name I also forget in _The World is Not Enough_, and, while it’s not quite the same category, Elektra King’s master plan calls for Renard to die implementing it. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/24 "2005-07-12T12:51:10Z")
Well, the Bond movies got it from the Bond books – Ian Fleming did it to dramatic purpose in THUNDERBALL (the book), I think 1959 publication date. The plot there, however, was that the henchman had raped the gang’s kidnap victim, so after the father paid the ransom, she was not returned “unharmed.” It wasn’t just a gratuitous slaying of the henchman. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/25 "2005-07-12T13:03:23Z")
How else is a evil genius best able to demonstrate his evil if he’s not allowed to kill a minion or two? Henchmen are the most expendable of all characters, far more even than good guy red-shirts. Plus he’s allowed to kill them without first explaining the entire plot to them _and_ inventing a pointlessly complicated way of doing it. A busy Evil Genius simply doesn’t have the time these days to be doing that all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/26 "2005-07-12T13:06:22Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Doctor Evil tried it, but didn’t succeed. At least, not when it was Will Farrell’s character. Sure, he did. It just took a while. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/27 "2005-07-12T14:21:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Doctor Evil tried it, but didn’t succeed. At least, not when it was Will Farrell’s character. Either I was \*whooshed \* or you mean Seth Green? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/28 "2005-07-12T15:04:09Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > :dubious: > > Well, he got better in Supperman II! 🙂 Oh, I remember that one! “Supperman II: Return of the Prime Rib.” A truly delicious movie. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/29 "2005-07-12T15:20:06Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > From what I remember off the UK History channel, a Roman commander pursuing Spartacus was so infuriated by the inability of his Legions to defeat Spartacus that he ordered the decimation to spur on his men before more able military commanders did the job for him (IIRC he was a politician looking for some kudos and not a military man proper) Crassus had dispatched two green legions with Mummius to shadow Sparticus’s forces and report on their movements, while he kept the rest of his legions in the area he expected Sparticus to move to. Mummius, though, disobeyed him and attacked. His troops were routed, and so Crassus ordered decimation of the first 500 men who fled, decimation being an accepted punishment in the Legions for cowardace by a unit. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/30 "2005-07-12T16:07:12Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Either I was \*whooshed \* or you mean Seth Green? Nup, Mustafa, the henchman with the fez. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/31 "2005-07-12T18:36:58Z")
There was a movie starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow that was set on a snow covered mountain. John Lithgow played a ruthless crime boss who shot a female cohort just to show Stallone’s companions he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I can’t remember the title of the movie, however. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/32 "2005-07-12T18:45:45Z")
In _Conan the Barbarian_, James Earl Jones’ character has one of his followers kill herself just to impress Conan with how loyal they are. And there was a scene in _Pirates of the Caribbean_ where Geoffrey Rush’s character shoots one of his own crewmen in the heart to test whether or not the curse is lifted. The crewman lives but only because the curse is still in effect. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/33 "2005-07-12T18:52:55Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Nup, Mustafa, the henchman with the fez. Thanks for catching that; I hadn’t been back to this thread yet. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/34 "2005-07-12T19:09:30Z")
_Kill Bill Vol. 1_: O-Ren Ishii decapatates a Yakusa boss who had brought up her ethnic heritage and then gives a lovely speech laying out her management style for her new comrades-in-arms. ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/35 "2005-07-12T19:28:48Z")
In _Bad Girls_, Kid Jarrett shoots one of his henchman who runs away from the girls’ ambush. In _Undercover Brother_, White She-Devil kills two of her own henchmen because of her love for U.B. I’m not sure if that counts, though, since the then became one of the good guys. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/36 "2005-07-12T19:46:12Z")
In _The Mask of Zorro_, the lead villain shoots the soldier who has accidentally killed Don Diego’s wife. I’ve read a story (sorry, no cite) that the pirate Blackbeard would invite various members of his crew to dine with him, and then “randomly” shoot one of them under the table. Just to keep them on their toes, it would seem. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/37 "2005-07-12T20:20:46Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In _Superman: The Movie_ Lex Luthor kills his henchman Otis. Nope, though he does leave him behind during the prison break in the second film. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/38 "2005-07-12T20:36:37Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > There was a movie starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow that was set on a snow covered mountain. John Lithgow played a ruthless crime boss who shot a female cohort just to show Stallone’s companions he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I can’t remember the title of the movie, however. _Cliffhanger_. Janine Turner was Stallone’s co-star. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/39 "2005-07-12T20:41:29Z")
Desperado - Bucho shoots one of his henchmen to demonstrate how easy it is to kill someone (because no one can seem to kill El Mariachi) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084/40 "2005-07-13T01:46:07Z")
Perhaps the most recent example? Travolta kills a henchman in _The Punisher_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-villain-executes-one-of-his-henchmen/312084.md?page=3)