The Best Henchmen in Evil Genius 2 (& How to Get Them)

Allowing players to act as a criminal masterminds, Evil Genius 2 is a satirical lair-builder where the setting is defined by its cartoonish approach to villainy. Players can create whacky traps, build a grand base of evil operations, and generally manage their own little enterprise of world-ending plans and morally reprehensible schemes.

But what good is an evil genius without help? It doesn’t matter how smart they are, every evil genius is going to need a crew of some sort to get their plans underway and provide some security. The game allows the player to recruit henchmen, which are high-value operatives players can command to do things like repel enemy attacks or support their cover operations. Seeing as these henchmen serve as the player’s primary means of facilitating their operation, it is important to know which ones are the best.

As players progress, they will be able to recruit more henchmen in Evil Genius 2. However, with time, recruiting some of the best henchmen gets harder, and players will be forced to choose their team wisely. Players will eventually find it difficult to pick the best henchman by completing four side quests. Here are the best henchmen players can recruit in Evil Genius 2.

The Best Henchmen To Recruit in Evil Genius 2

Players can have up to five henchmen at a time, but it should be noted that players will not be able to fill the roster completely at the beginning of the game. Players will instead be expected to complete a side story or a series of side stories, which will at some point allow the player to either recruit or execute a potential henchman.  Although in the case of the player’s first henchman, the side story will be changed and simplified for easier acquisition.

It is also highly recommended that players take extra care in selecting their first henchman, as players will be stuck with that henchman for a very long time before they are able to acquire a second one. The beginning section of the game is noted to rife with lair infiltrations and raids, so players are advised to select a henchman with an emphasis on combat.

Jubei (Muscle Henchman)

He was popular in the original Evil Genius game, and he remains popular in its sequel. Jubei is an extremely strong fighter and he can use his Flow ability to increase his damage for a short period of time if he needs more offensive power. But his greatest ability is Windwalk, which allows him to teleport at the cost of morale.

This makes Jubei ideal as a starting henchman. The teleport ability alone makes him desirable for dealing with situations quickly, but his superb combat skills make him remain viable for the entirety of the game. Jubei can be useful in countering super-agents like Agent X and Symmetry, both of which have a bad habit of bypassing the player’s security and teleporting into bases.

Side Stories for Acquisition: “Strike Like The Wind. An Angry, Homicidal Wind”, “Wind Wars: The Wind Strikes Back”, “There’s No School Like New School”

Magnolia Ming (Science Henchman)

She has two abilities: Contagion and Cure. Both are area of effect abilities, and both are capable of hitting enemies and allies alike. But the effects are noteworthy. Contagion releases a green gas that drains the vitality and skill of anyone caught inside, while Cure releases a gas that can heal a person’s vitality.

When used effectively, Ming can take out entire swathes of enemies that would otherwise be difficult to manage. But even when she isn’t offing people, her cure ability makes her useful as a supporting healer in Evil Genius 2. When paired with another offensive henchman like Jubei or I.R.I.S, the two can make an incredible fighting force. Chemical warfare for the win!

Side Stories for Acquisition: “Going Green“,  “Poisin’ Ivy”

I.R.I.S (Science Henchman)

Capable of calling for backup when necessary and the ability to regenerate her health when things get tough, I.R.I.S is an ideal first-responder of sorts when an enemy approaches the player’s cover operation. She is especially useful when enemies begin to approach an area of the base or cover operation that doesn’t have a lot of security. She can use her Security Network Link ability to allow her to function as a security camera, which will allow her to tag enemies and call for backup. Being able to point out targets to Evil Genius 2‘s minions is incredibly useful for anyone.

But it’s not like she’s a weak fighter either. Her ranged abilities deal a lot of damage on their own, and her Reroute ability allows her to rapidly heal any damage she may have taken while reducing incoming damage. This all but ensures she will remain in the fight long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Whether these reinforcements are meant to kill the enemy or capture them is up to the player’s discretion.

Side Stories for Acquisition: “Roboticist”, “I Spy with My Cybernetically Enhanced Eye”

Sir Daniel (Muscle Henchman)

A bit of a niche henchman, Sir Daniel is more of a guerilla-style fighter than anything else. He can use his Camouflage ability to cloak himself from enemy agents at the cost of morale while preparing his next attack to do extra damage. His Trap ability on the other hand is exactly what it sounds like: laying a trap. One that any unsuspecting agent can walk in. It does not do a lot of damage, but it does drain enemies of their skill level. When the player wants to weaken an enemy for capture or just get the drop on an enemy, Sir Daniel is the guy to call in. He may not finish the job, but he can definitely soften them up.

Side Stories for Acquisition: “Who Hunts the Hunter?”, “If You Hunt Him, He Will Come”

Carl Cafard 

Players can unlock Carl Cafard’s questline in Evil Genius 2 by completing the Declaration of Independence Loot side quest and also have Spin Doctors unlocked. Completing the prerequisites will unlock the subsequent two missions, Body Snatcher and Appraising Cafard. Completing these set of missions will result in Cafard being recruited. However, it is worth pointing out that if players recruit Carl Cafard, they will not be able to recruit Clara Jones. 

Full Metal Jackie 

Evil Genius 2 players will be able to recruit Full Metal Jackie later in the game once Quantum Chemists are unlocked. Players will have to complete the Heavy Metal Queen, Arms Race, and Eighteen With a Bullet mission to continue Jackie’s questline. Concluding her final mission Eli, Jubei, Sir Daniel, and Dr. Ming will result in Full Metal Jackie being recruited. 

Evil Genius 2 is available on PC through Steam

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