You know what's interesting about anime and manga that detail diabolical plans for world domination and what not? Lovable henchmen, that's what. Show me a story that has an evil genius hellbent on taking over the world and, more often than not, he will have a charismatic minion who distracts most of us from the rest of the story. Or worse, have us rooting for him throughout the tale. Of course, creating likable henchman is not an easy task; many have epic fails when overtaking such a venture. Well, let's check out those that make it to this list.

Cifer Ulquiorra

Remember him from Bleach? He is Aizen's trusted henchman who does his bidding. Alright, so it's his heartless demeanor that really wins folks over. And let's not forget his fancy footwork in battle. Unlike Aizen's other minions who would bicker and sometimes disobey him for their own needs, Ulquiorra would remain loyal to the end. Incidentally, I have not seen the last few episodes so it would be funny if Ulquiorra decided to stab his boss in the back. Not entirely unexpected; with his smarts, Ulquiorra should be a boss with minions, not a pleb!

Grell Sutcliff

Talk about a minion with personality! Grell was a blink-and-you-miss sort of character at first. She was Madam Red's butler in Kuroshitsuji who was clumsy and exceptionally useless. Until you find out that Grell is certifiably creepy and is the type to peer through a window and watch you sleeping. Well, watch Sebastian sleep, take a bath and maybe have his children one day. The best bit? When Grell brandishes that chainsaw and starts wreaking havoc all over the place.

Ryuk

Come on, who wouldn't want a fantastic looking minion like this? Alright, so no one really wants a creature with such creepy powers. But let's say henchmen simply looked like Ryuk (L's shinigami friend from Death Note). Surely mafia bosses would have it easy if all their subordinates looked this menacing and had his jagged smile? What is most lovable about Ryuk is his distinct personality. He is more calculating than you expect. Plus, he is also curious about humans and the way they behavior which makes his interesting, in a freaky 'mad scientist who is an observer' way.

Legato Bluesummers

If you want something done right, give it to Ryuk. If you want something done in style, preferably whilst causing a lot of pain, give it to Grell. However, if you simply want revenge and thus, really wanted a cold-hearted minion who conjured up his own methods of achieving a goal, then Legato's your man. In case you are wondering, Legato is a character from Trigun. He is in fact the cruel left-hand man (that's a bit of inside joke given that he has someone else's arm) of the main bad guy, Knives. Legato's main purpose is to drive the main protagonist over the edge and force him to break his promises to others. How evil and underhanded is that?

Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer

This was a tough one. Does he really count as a henchman? Well, given that he does answer to Cain, he wasn't exactly his own boss, was he? Isaak, the ingenious inventor from Trinity Blood, is the brains behind a lot of schemes. Admittedly, fans mostly love his various battle tactics (shield, bolt blasts, summoning capabilities, the list goes on!). But it is his conniving mind that makes him really stand out. If you think about it, he must be super sneaky, especially with a horrid boss like Cain.