Punch Clock Villain



Punch Clock Villain is a term used to describe most henchmen and villains by proxy who, instead of being actually evil, are doing evil merely because it is their job. More often than not, they are shown as being regular people, who have normal social lives outside of their job, being totally sympathetic in comparison to their totally evil bosses.

The term is a obvious reference to a punch clock, a clock device used on industry to control the employee's workday.

Literature

 * After Voldemort's Death Eaters take over the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this led the Ministry workers(whom actually not evil nor antagonistic) become this. They publish anti-Muggle propaganda and persecute Muggle-born wizards, even if they don't believe in it themselves.

Film

 * Stormtroopers from Star Wars franchise may antagonistic in executing Order 66, but they did so only due to Palpatine's order (which means the blame mostly put of Palpatine himself instead of them). Other reason to consider as Punch Clock villains are due to them are clones that also created through brainwashed war slaves only doing what they were literally programmed to do: follow orders without question. Some of the known stormtrooper even expresses their reluctance when he and his fellow stormtrooper shots their own Jedi Commander. Few others even goes too far by refrain themselves from kill their Jedi friends and even warned them about the Order 66.

Cartoon

 * Tom: Among known antagonistic portrayal of the said cat, some of them depict him to be tasked for protecting something by his owners(i.e. a refrigerator of food), with protagonistic Jerry, with various reasons, sometimes desperate ones, tries steal the food inside.

Anime & Manga

 * Zarbon: Zarbon is a symphatetic case as a Punch Clock Villain. In fact, he just seems to follow the orders of Freeza because he says that will kill him if he does not.
 * In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, in spite of being viewed by many have sinister side, Kyubey turns out to be one of the example of Punch Clock Villains, and is willing to go to some pretty serious lengths in order to meet his "quota" of magical girls.
 * To further elaborate the point, in the restructured universe after Madoka's wish removes the need for witches, he is much more open and cooperative, but simply states that is because it is the best way for them to work. He even says that, were things the way he'd been told they once were, he would totally behave the same way.

Live-Action TV

 * Finster, one of Rieta Repulsa's minions, seems not as evil as his boss and allies do, as in fact, he seemed willing to do whatever anyone told him, Rita, Zedd, Master Vile, and even Goldar (he did draw the line at listening to Rito, however). He even once quipped, "Sometimes it's no fun being a bad guy..."