henchman
n.n. a loyal person who follows and helps a leader, especially a criminal leader. You usually see this word in stories about villains or in old movies.
n. a loyal follower or subordinate of a leader, particularly in a criminal or villainous context. Often used in literary or historical contexts to describe a subordinate in a hierarchical power structure.
The villain had a loyal henchman who carried his bags.
In many classic adventure stories, the hero must outsmart the villain and his henchman to save the day.
The historical novel explores the complex relationship between a ruthless warlord and his henchman, who eventually becomes his most dangerous rival.
From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English hengstmann, hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱanḱest-, *kankest- (“horse”)) + mann (“man”). Cognate with archaic German Hengstmann (“a groom”), Icelandic hestamaður (“horseman, groom”).