Guards (also called Henchmen) are AIs in Fortnite: Battle Royale. They are tasked by a certain organization/faction and can be found patrolling around the island or guarding certain locations on the map. They may protect a 
Boss if one is present in the POI.
Skills and Behavior[]
Most guards will attack players on sight, but some will only become hostile after their boss is attacked by a player. Alternatively, blocking or shooting neutral guard will cause them to act hostile against the player. Shooting them from afar will also cause a guard to move to its alert stage.
Guards typically have 100 HP and 50-150 shields. In the past when knocked down, you were able to initiate a Shakedown, which scans and locates nearby guards with an arrow marker, security devices with an eye marker, chests with a chest marker, and bosses with a crown marker. Bosses act like henchmen, but they have a location-specific mythic weapon and noticeably more shields/health. Guards and bosses can revive other henchmen and bosses that have been knocked down, this will take 10 seconds, just like a player reviving another player (revived henchmen have 30 HP and no shield).
During Chapter 2: Season 2, Chapter 2: Season 3, and Chapter 2: Season 4 in game, you were able to disguise yourself as a henchman in a Disguise Booth to avoid being detected, but if you bumped into a henchman or you dealt or received any damage, your disguise will dissipate. Being in a Disguise allowed you to open Scan Doors and open Faction Chests, and allowed you to safely cross in front of Sentinel cameras and turrets. Carrying a henchman to a Scan Door or Faction Chest would also allow you to open them.
Henchmen (In extension Bosses) were originally capable of being staggered when hit with powerful damage (Ex: Snipers, Shotguns or attacking them very fast). This causes them to stop shooting for a short period before regaining balance and attacking again. This trait had no cooldown so players could do it again and again until the target was knocked. However, in Chapter 2: Season 6 this was removed.
All Henchmen[]
Trivia[]
- Some guards are released as outfits in the Item Shop, these guards are:
- SHADOW Henchmen as SHADOW Enforcer
- GHOST Henchmen & Ghostly Ghost Henchmen as GHOST Enforcer
- Grotto Henchmen as Arctic Enforcer edit style for Sledge
- Shark Henchmen as Island edit style for Heist
- IO Guard as Order Remnant
- Trespasser as Trespasser Defector
- In Chapter 2: Season 4, A GHOST henchman and SHADOW henchman met each other at a Gas Station and had become friends.
- During Chapter 3: Season 3, the friendship expanded with a Trespasser and an IO Guard. See the Henchbros page for more details.
- Guards of one faction will usually attack Guards from another faction, particularly a rival organization. (Ex: GHOST Henchmen attack SHADOW Henchmen on sight, IO Guards will attack Seven Sentries)
- Guards will also attack Bosses of opposite factions.
- While originally named "Henchmen" during Chapter 2: Season 2, Chapter 2: Season 3 & Chapter 2: Season 4, they were later renamed to "Guards" in Creative mode.
- Despite this there were numerous occurrences where they were still referred to as "Henchmen" such as the Match Quests during Chapter 5: Season 1.