Have You Ever Wondered about Minions and their Purpose in Fantasy Novels?

Today, I want to discuss the role of minions in Action Adventure Fantasy stories. Many people love the little yellow creatures known as Minions in the Despicable Me movies. They are sassy, funny, and a source of help and failure to our protagonist. But not all stories have minions that are loveable. 

One of my favorite fantasy books is The Eye of the World, part of the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan. It's a wonderful epic fantasy story that has intrigue, suspense, double agents, magic, arrogance, and boy to hero. In this story, the minions are trollocs, ugly troll-like creatures created by the dark one to do his bidding and used as foot soldiers in the war against good. 

So how did a creature as feared as trollocs transition into a loveable one-eye and two-eyed characters that succeed by failing?

Originally created by the supervillain Gru, the minions in "Despicable Me" are mischievous and loyal servants who assist Gru in his various schemes, though their loyalty can sometimes waver. Minions are small, yellow creatures with cylindrical bodies, stubby limbs, and goggles, resembling pill-shaped beings with expressive eyes and varying numbers of fingers, kind of like a badly drawn AI image.

Trollocs are described as large, brutish humanoid creatures with animalistic features, such as horns, snouts, and fur, combining traits of humans and various animals like wolves and boars. Trollocs are aggressive and ruthless, driven by a primal instinct to hunt and kill. They depict them as fearsome warriors who inspire terror in their enemies and exhibit little mercy in battle.

The minions are the exact opposite of the trollocs. We can describe them as playful, chaotic, and often bumbling in their antics. While they can be mischievous and occasionally cause trouble, their actions are more lighthearted and comedic than malicious. 

Role in the Story Narrative

Trollocs play a significant role in the conflicts of "The Wheel of Time" series, serving as formidable adversaries to the protagonists and contributing to the overall sense of danger and peril in the story. Where the minions serve primarily as comic relief in the "Despicable Me" films, providing humorous moments and assisting Gru in his comedic schemes, but they are not central to the main conflict or plot. Though we would probably all agree the story wouldn't have its success without the little creatures. 

While Trollocs can engage in basic communication and coordination, they are depicted as relatively simple-minded creatures driven by instinct rather than intellect. Though they have a hierarchy of some kind and they seemed to have some community as they wore clothing from their social group. 

Minions possess their own language, Minionese, and demonstrate a level of intelligence and problem-solving ability, albeit in a whimsical and childlike manner. They are able to communicate in a way to follow commands and develop plans to help their master.

Despite their cultural differences, both of these character types have played a major role in their stories. Trollocs have become iconic figures within the fantasy genre, representing the monstrous minions of darkness in epic tales of good versus evil. While minions have achieved widespread popularity and recognition, becoming cultural icons in their own right, with merchandise, spin-off films, and a dedicated fanbase.

Tone and Atmosphere

The presence of Trollocs in "The Wheel of Time" series contributes to the dark and ominous atmosphere of the narrative, emphasizing the high stakes of the protagonists' struggle against the forces of evil. The antics of the minions in "Despicable Me" inject a sense of lightness and humor into the films, balancing out the more serious themes with their comedic escapades.

Minions, you can love them or hate them, but all the evil masterminds like the Dark One and Gru must have them to insure their world domination in their fantasy action-adventure stories. 

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The image is accredited to Mahdi Bafande on Unsplash