epigone

epigoni A follower or disciple.
{{quote-magazine|title=What a waste
An undistinguished or inferior imitator of a well known artist or their style.
1992, w:Stephen Jay Gould|Stephen Jay Gould Bully for Brontosaurus

While Shaler remained subordinate, he followed Agassiz’s intellectual lead, often with the epigone’s habit of exaggerating his master’s voice.

In another twist to the myth, his Head of Department, the ageless and loathsome Vermishank, was not a plodding epigone but an exceptional bio-thaumaturge.