Mooks. A slang term for the hordes of standard-issue, disposable bad guys whom “The Hero” mows down with utter impunity and complete disregard. Deadly, competent, loyal, abundant… You can pick any two. Also called “baddies”, “goons”, “scrubs”, “drones”, “small fry”, “flunkies”, “pawns”, “toadies”, “grunts”, “minions”, “lackeys”, “underlings”, “swarmers”, “henchpersons”, “popcorn enemies”, “foot soldiers”, and “Cannon Fodder”… It’s a thankless job, to be sure, but somebody’s gotta do it. Enter the humble mook. Mooks play an important role, as without someone to fight on a constant basis, an action movie/show/game would have a lot less action. If every single minion your hero ever runs into has a personality, then the pacing of the show would slow to a crawl and “Quirky Miniboss Squad”, “The Dragon”, and the “Big Bad” would not feel as unique in comparison… In addition to accentuating the real villains, mooks also help establish the heroes, especially their combat skills, as their lack of an identity allows them to be beaten, mauled, shot or otherwise disposed of in creative ways without guilt… ~ Mooks – TV Tropes
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