fingers; fingertips
Refers to the fingers or fingertips, often emphasizing dexterity or the tips themselves.
He ended up becoming a pawn of the criminal organization.
People with dexterous fingers are good at detailed work.
My fingertips got numb from the cold.
Used for a person who is manipulated by someone else, like a puppet or a subordinate carrying out orders without autonomy.
He's just acting as his boss's pawn.
He became a tool for the spy and leaked information.
Knitting requires moving your fingers with fine precision.
She was working as an agent of the enemy nation.
手下 is a plain, hierarchy-focused word for a subordinate or henchman, while 手先 stresses being used as someone else's tool without one's own will.
子分 names a loyal follower or gang subordinate, whereas 手先 emphasizes being manipulated like a puppet by a hidden controller.
手先 suggests a subordinate or pawn who is manipulated by someone else, whereas 手足 implies a trusted, indispensable helper.
手先 describes a person used as a tool or pawn by someone else, similar to the figurative sense of 傀儡, but 傀儡 more strongly implies political or institutional control.
Compound of 手 (hand) and 先 (tip, end). The literal meaning 'fingertips' extended metaphorically to a person who acts as the 'hands' of another, i.e., a tool or pawn.