Henchman 800 all share a like appearance, their abilities and resilience varies by their colouration. The only exception is the Zombie variation, which features a similar appearance, but is rustic and run-down, befitting its name. The ranks of Henchmen 800 are determined by colour, though they overlap in the original and Dreamcast versions of Rayman 2. Notably, some of them are exclusive to the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 versions. The Game Boy Advance and mobile phone versions of Rayman 3 also introduce their own further variations, with further modifications to their weapon capabilities.

Most varieties of Henchman will attack from a distance, firing some form of projectile, the typing of which varies by model. Should Rayman stray too close to them, they will swing their hooks at him. Some Henchman models may opt to chase after Rayman, and will only fire at him momentarily after they take damage. Other Henchman may attempt to flank Rayman by using drills to move underground, or merely jumping around after a barrage of fire, to land in another area to continue firing. Should a drilling Robo-Pirate reemerge where Rayman is standing, he will lose all his health, giving a Game Over. Finally, Robo-Pirates can also ambush Rayman by dropping into the area via parachute, only one parachuting pirate is seen in the original version of Rayman 2, in the Tomb of the Ancients. However, more appear in the Revolution remake.

Robo-Pirates serve mostly as foot soldiers, as such, not much is known about their personalities. They appear to be capable at humour, as seen in the cutscene where one trips up the Spyglass Pirate. Some also can appear to be lazy, as shown by various encounters with them sleeping on the job. Their individual intelligence is also unknown, though one is fooled by Rayman at the end of the Canopy, where he slips by one by hiding in a bush.