r/Defenders 3d ago

what your Ranking of all 4 of Kingpin’s right hand men from Best to worst

338 Upvotes

74 comments sorted by

266

u/Key_Put_44 3d ago
  1. Wesley. You can't out-do the doer

  2. His lawyer. Idk his name. That guy is really funny to me though, and I respect his idgaf attitude so much. I loved in 3x05 when Fisk is like "yeah I'm gonna be a while listening to this Pointdexter information" and he just went "it's okay, I brought an audiobook."

  3. Um. Red Lion guy? He's nothing special but he has some strong moments. I also quite like the scene where Matt gives him a free bungee jump experience over New York.

  4. New guy. I he was pretty good in episode 7, I'll give him that.

134

u/totaltvaddict2 3d ago

Yeah I like the new guy, but he’s clearly Wesley-lite.

But you’ve sold me on the lawyer as #2. The audiobook was hilarious.

19

u/Lothar0295 3d ago

He's Wesley lite in a world where Fisk feels abandoned and without loyalty. He saved his own ass with honesty by owning his mistake, professing it with the severity that it deserved, and then earnestly glazing the crap out of Fisk because he was the one who messed up.

When Fisk said he would become a better man with time, I genuinely think that line was with Wesley in mind. He's not mentioned directly but the comparison is clear as day to me. That guy could grow into the same competencies as Wesley.

You know, sans the leaving a loaded gun on a table for your captive to grab.

30

u/sonichighwaist 3d ago

I don't recall Fisk speaking to Buck that way. You might be thinking of Daniel Blake. Daniel is not in this list.

15

u/Lothar0295 3d ago

Oh yeah I was talking about Daniel, not Buck. Daniel should be on the list if the lawyer for hire and Felix Manning are on it.

25

u/strum-money 3d ago

Wesley's impact just can't be matched, he was beloved without even lasting a whole season

9

u/Tinmanred 3d ago

Felix manning red lion guy is 4 for me. But I do like all of them still. Felix has quite a few intimidating scenes and is different because he’s not loyal to Fisk the same as the lawyer and Wesley are. He is just doing his job as a ‘fixer’. I think buck is a mix between Wesley and him.

2

u/TimelyBlacksmith92 3d ago

Felix v. Karen was awesome.

5

u/Grand_Toast_Dad 3d ago

The fact that you only remember Wesley's name lol, shows how much of a presence he had in his short time on the show overall.

71

u/thewinterzodiac 3d ago

Is Donovan really considered a right hand man though? The rest definitely. Donovan was only there cause he was being paid well.

The other 3 100% followed him out of loyalty and would have jumped in front of a bullet for him.

39

u/AwayEfficiency3889 Iron Fist 3d ago

Oh yeah Donovan switches sides so quick in Luke Cage s2

12

u/Infinity0044 2d ago

Donovan is in LC s2? What’s his role in the show?

26

u/EndOfSouls 2d ago

He's literally every big New York criminal's lawyer.

10

u/fredleo2 2d ago

TIL he's Big Ben Donovan. Never made that connection before.

11

u/EndOfSouls 2d ago

It's stated in Luke Cage S2. Mariah grabs him by the balls to threaten him, then comments, "I thought they call you Big Ben."

22

u/miggly 3d ago

Felix Manning would not have done anything for Fisk compared to the others. I'm pretty confident he was in it for the money/fit for his skills. He even sold out Fisk to Matt at the end of S3. He was hardly a right hand man. He was just a fixer.

10

u/AdventurousAd5807 3d ago edited 2d ago

Tbf to Felix, he was acting in the role of his right hand man ie organizing all of Fisk’s criminal activities behind the scenes while Donavon kinda just was his lawyer who also knew about the criminal stuff. Felix handled Vanessa’s travel and protection while she was overseas and handled liaising with Dex and such.

41

u/GibsonMC 3d ago
  1. James Wesley
  2. Buck Cashman
  3. Big Ben Donovan
  4. Felix Manning

There’s no doubt that Wesley is the best. Big Ben had potential but they didn’t do much with him and I don’t think they’ll ever bring him back, so I put him below Buck who has potential that might actually be realized. I have even more hope for Buck after the most recent episode. Felix Manning is good, but not as good as Wesley.

10

u/aletheiatic 2d ago

Wait, Fisk’s lawyer is the same character as the gang leader from Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? Wild.

8

u/GibsonMC 2d ago

Yeah, he’s a minor Daredevil and Luke Cage villain who has been a lawyer and a gang leader in the comics.

13

u/ChrisUAP 3d ago

Second choice is actually his lawyer, don't know if I'd consider that a right hand man. (He was Mariah stokes' family lawyer in Luke Cage). But my choice is absolutely Wesley.

12

u/PoorLifeChoices811 3d ago

Wesley, then Buck.

I didn’t like buck at first, but the most recent episode made me love him, that final scene at the end. Idk why that scene did it for me but it did. He’s no Wesley, but he’s getting close.

Still, Wesley is #1

18

u/WOKLACE134 3d ago

Ngl Buck growing on me fr plus he's hot..... 🤭

16

u/Defiant_Atmosphere71 3d ago
  1. Wesley
  2. Buck
  3. The Fixer
  4. Lawyer

15

u/redcathal 3d ago

I'm going to go against the grain here and say Buck, a lot of recency bias to this, but in the last ep he did more directly than Wesley ever managed by taking out Luka. After all what did Wesley do but fail to kill Karen by threatening a prison guard with Rance and then when he tried to take matters into his own hands he completely shit the bed. That said Wesley definitely a better friend and at least kept the season 1 cabal in line for a few episodes of we don't say his name etc whereas Buck seems more of a yes man.

23

u/SolidPyramid 3d ago

Wesley is definitely #1 but you guys are sleeping on Buck. Dude actually seems pretty loyal unlike the other 2 who were more in it for the money....

"I don't work for the Mayor, I work for the man!"

7

u/Big-Sheepherder-9492 3d ago

He doesn’t have the presence of the others and does feel like discount Wesley

1

u/RingtailVT 3d ago

He doesn't have Wesley's presence, but he's still better than the other two IMO

0

u/Big-Sheepherder-9492 3d ago

Nah the Lawyer and British dude had AURA… Buck is just part of the Shows attempt to replicate The Netflix show

1

u/RingtailVT 3d ago

Agree to disagree. I'm not looking at the show as an attempt to replicate the original, from the very beginning it became clear this wasn't trying to be more of the old, this was meant to be a new page in the Daredevil saga, so I am taking it as such.

1

u/Kingpin1232 2d ago

Sure he’s underdeveloped but he’s way more capable than the other 3 considering he took a gang member out with one shot. We need to see more of him in season two but if he ends up becoming Bullet, then I don’t see how he wouldn’t win the aura contest then. He’d definitely win the capability one by a landslide.

11

u/someoneelseperhaps 3d ago

Wesley is the GOAT.

Buck is diet Wesley, but is his own thing.

The other two also exist.

5

u/ShaH33R2K 3d ago
  1. Wesley
  2. Wesley
  3. Wesley
  4. Wesley

6

u/NubOnReddit Wilson Fisk 3d ago
  1. Wesley my beloved
  2. Buck :)
  3. Manning
  4. Donovan >:(

3

u/anonymous_meatbag 3d ago edited 2d ago

Gonna be honest, don’t even remember #3, but I haven’t seen season 3 in a minute so that’s probably my fault. That being said, Wesley’s obviously the goat, Donavon had his moments (loved his appearance in Luke Cage), and Buck really shined in the latest episodes.

3

u/ZeroQuick Matt Murdock 3d ago

I didn't realize Buck is Bullet from the comics. I'm more excited about what he's going to do now.

2

u/Kingpin1232 2d ago edited 2d ago

I feel like the new creative team will take him in that direction. The old one didn’t seem to want to do much with him outside of making him Wesley 2.0. That last episode definitely seemed like a hint at him becoming Bullet at some point. Fisk even alluded to a past life he brought him out of, so we’ll see what more they’ll do with Buck in the next 2 episodes and in season 2.

2

u/strum-money 3d ago

No one will ever beat Wesley, the GOAT

2

u/Fartmaster69420Yolo 3d ago

Wesley is the best.

Buck seems capable, but we haven't really got to know him yet. 😭 Episodes are so short.

2

u/MarvTheBandit 3d ago

New Guy seems like, they want Wesley back but obviously can’t he’s a very similar character.

Only difference was that Wesley was the GOAT of kingpins assistants.

2

u/PJKetelaar3 3d ago

"Thank you, Buck."

4

u/ThePatchedVest 3d ago

Where's Dex? After all, he's "the new James Wesley".

1

u/CaptRogersNbrhood 3d ago edited 3d ago
  1. Wesley. The GOAT right hand man. Shouldn’t have killed him off so early. 

  2. Donovan and Buck. They’re kind of your typical henchman types. Though I thought Buck was given a bit more personality this past episode so maybe he’ll get better. 

  3. Manning. He’s just kinda there. 

1

u/TallResearcher3142 3d ago

Wesley was the best, you can’t top him.

1

u/skill_issue05 3d ago

netflix wesley is the goat

1

u/horc00 3d ago

Wesley

Buck

The rest...

But there's a lot more mystique to Buck than Wesley.

1

u/Wooden_Passage_2612 3d ago
  1. Wesley
  2. Donovan
  3. Buck

1

u/deadlynytshade 3d ago

Wesley hands down

1

u/Key_Plant5444 3d ago

1 wesley 2 hes Law 3 red lion guy 4 New guy

1

u/bestjeanist03 3d ago

Wesley was gas

1

u/chrisg915 3d ago

Wesley, end of list. Other guys are forgettable.

1

u/FranticGolf 3d ago

The only 2 that really matter have been Wesley and Buck. It seems that Buck is a really good replacement for Wesley.

1

u/NomanHLiti 3d ago

I think literally just the order you gave. I have hope we’ll see more of Buck though

1

u/Rua-Yuki 3d ago

The lack of Wesley is why the Kingpin keeps losing.

1

u/IvanTheTerrible69 3d ago

If Buck doesn’t die in the most careless way, he’ll probably top Wesley

1

u/Jack-mclaughlin89 2d ago

Dex: am I a joke to you?

1

u/fairytypestartergirl 2d ago

wesley was literally gay for him

1

u/MickBeast 2d ago
  1. Wesley
  2. Buck

And then the rest...

1

u/WallyOShay 2d ago

The new guy looks like AI combined John hamm and Tobey McGuire.

1

u/schwasound 2d ago

I don't remember what Wesley did but I remember that I was actively wanting him to be killed off. He was great antagonist in that way.

1

u/HausmanPrime 2d ago

Wesley at #1 and who the fuck cares for everyone else

1

u/Krimreaper1 Daredevil 2d ago

I wrongly assumed 1&4 were the same guy.

1

u/AbracaDarryl 2d ago

Shit, I’d vote kingpin and Wesley as president and vice president, way better than trump and jd. The others clearly are cabinet level guys. And at least you’d know a threat when it’s said

1

u/kay-pii 2d ago

What season is Felix in? I don't remember him for some reason

1

u/KronosTaranto 2d ago

I miss Wesley... still shocked he got got

1

u/vinidluca 2d ago

I wish Wesley was still alive. This new guy is totally a Wesley remake lol.

1

u/vinidluca 2d ago

I wish Wesley was still alive. This new guy is totally a Wesley remake lol.

1

u/Deku-Kun96 2d ago
  1. You Cant Beat The OG -- Westley
  2. The Lawyer -- Purely For That Audiobook Line
  3. The British Dude - Cause He's British & Cool
  4. New Guy -- Haven't Seen Enough Of Him Yet

1

u/bleakasthedayislong 1d ago

wesley is the #1. i’d say felix is 2 based off his overall effectiveness other than the end. i need more time to warm up to buck. and donovan doesn’t really fit the other 3; his role is slightly different as being fisk’s lawyer

1

u/TheLivingTribunal666 1d ago

Wesley's always gonna be first for me. He exuded a certain charm that's just not easy to beat.

1

u/Son_of_Jeddah 1d ago

Wesley. The best right hand man a mob boss can ever have

1

u/phantom_avenger 1d ago

Wesley is GOAT, so it goes without saying he is the best on this list