10 Movie Henchmen Who Stole Movies From Villains

Action movie lovers have been blessed with a host of memorable heroes and villains since the genre hit its peak in the 1980s, with duels between the likes of John McClane and Hans Gruber and Dutch Schaeffer and the Predator all forming iconic and essential parts of its scenery. But there's another archetype that is just as important to the hero-villain dynamic in these films, and that is the heavy.

While lean, suited and snivelly antagonists make a perfect foil for the gruff musculature of the genre's leading men (because it makes it that much sweeter to see them get their just desserts), there still needs to be an imposing physical threat to back them up. The main antagonist often has the brains, but rarely the brawn to execute their plans, which is where the heavy - the principal henchman or second-in-command - comes into play.

Often, these figures will match the protagonist on a physical or intellectual level, providing a prolonged outlet for the hero to plug their slugs into. And when they're done right, they can end up overshadowing the main villain altogether - not necessarily because that character isn't well written or performed, but just because they're so much more entertaining to watch.

Sometimes, even bit-part henchmen end up going above and beyond as well, appearing for just a brief scene, but leaving one heck of an impression in the process.

So, from scenery-chewing ex-military types to sadistic enforcers we couldn't wait to see meet their end, here are the action movie heavies that stole moments, scenes, and even entire films away from the villains they worked for.

Richard Donner and Shane Black's Lethal Weapon is every bit as much a yuletide Christmas classic as John McTiernan's Die Hard - an at times unrelenting autopsy on the traumas of Vietnam and a Capra-esque tale of love, friendship, and the resurrection of one man's soul. It's been outmanoeuvred on the holiday programming front by McTiernan's masterpiece, but for me, nothing quite manages to pull on the heartstrings as much as seeing Riggs show up to the Murtaugh family Christmas dinner right at the very end.

One area where Lethal Weapon is very much lacking when compared to his holiday rival, however, is its main antagonist. Die Hard had Alan Rickman and the most charismatic batch of German bank robbers ever. Lethal Weapon, conversely, had an acceptable if not forgettable Mitchel Ryan as a stock military villain without that much screentime.

Thankfully Donner's film had an ace up its sleeve to account for this imbalance: the always entertaining Gary Busey, who played Mr. Joshua, a former special forces operative who shares a history with Riggs from their days in Vietnam.

Busey carved out a cosy little home for himself in the action genre following Lethal Weapon, making memorable turns in the likes of Predator 2, Point Break, and Under Siege, but Joshua remains his most charismatic. Between his unforgettable introduction when he proves his loyalty to General McAllister and the utterly deranged fight he has with Riggs on the water-logged Murtaugh lawn, the main attraction for Lethal Weapon will always be its buddy duo, but Joshua was still a great adversary.