Top 50 Sidekicks - The League of Extraordinary Second Bananas

[Adrenaline]

#44 (tie): Bender
"Bite my shiny metal ass!"
First Appearance: Futurama (1999)
Sidekick to: Philip J. Fry
2 votes, 42 points (Top voter: Falselogic)

Fry always wanted a robot for a best friend. He didn't know it would be a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking robot who on more than one occasion would steal his blood.

 

[Issun]

The fact that I was the only other vote for Bender makes me suspect that Octo did not submit a list.

 

[Falselogic]

Everything is coming up Flawgic!

 

[Kirin]

Oh hey, this means someone else voted for my #1 as well.

 

[Ixo]

I limited myself to one character per media, so my Futurama nomination went to someone else.

 

[Adrenaline]

#44 (tie): Issun
"Bug? I told you a thousand times not to call me that!"
First Appearance: Okami (2006)
Sidekick to: Amaterasu
2 votes, 42 points (Top voter: Kirin)

Amaterasu is a god, but because of her wolf body, she is unable to communicate with any of the people she's trying to help. Issun plays an essential role as an envoy between her and them, and proves a great help on her quest despite his small size.

 

[Kirin]

Issun kinda falls into the role of sidekick who's also mentor/motivator/guide to the main character (see also: every magical girl's cute animal companion), and he's a fun one!

 

[Bulgakov]

 

[Adrenaline]

#43: Rush
"..."
First Appearance: Mega Man 3 (1990)
Sidekick to: Mega Man
3 votes, 43 points (Top voter: Issun)

There were two votes for Rush, and another vote for Rush alongside Beat and Tango. Rush is Mega Man's helpful robo-buddy who has a few different abilities that help him get past difficult obstacles. He is a good boy.

 

[Falselogic]

Neither Rush or Issun even entered my head! Both excellent picks!

 

[Zef]

I've always been amused by how Rush's head and face are basically identical to Mega Man's, just with a snout.

Beat may be a winged helmet but only Rush has Rock's eyes! Which is probably why they're so attuned to each other--Rush will always spring into action when needed, he'll jet to Mega Man's side when he has to go the distance, and dive right into the thick of things. He got a bit clingy in MM6, but even then he could still adapt to Mega Man's power requirements, to the point that Bass and Treble straight up copied their relationship. The biggest irony is, although Rock met both of them in the same game, Rush is more of a brother to him than Blues ever was!

 

[Dracula]

Bender is a really good example of a sidekick-type character who often overshadows the main character, in this case being the single most recognizable character from Futurama (by my wager). I wonder how many characters like this will be on the list.

 

[Kirin]

Now I"m wondering whether or not Issun was the other vote for Issun.

 

[Issun]

Now I"m wondering whether or not Issun was the other vote for Issun.

Yes I was.

 

[Rascally Badger]

Issun and Rush are good one that I didn't think of. I expect this phrase to come up a lot, but I didn't really consider Bender a sidekick.

 

[Adrenaline]

#42: Willow Rosenberg
"I don't want to be our only hope. I crumble under pressure."
First Appearance: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Sidekick to: Buffy Summers
2 votes, 44 points (Top voter: Bulgakov)

As the series starts, Willow is Buffy's quirky friend who's good at researching the various demonic baddies she fights. Over time she develops her witchcraft skills and becomes one of the most powerful beings alive. She also becomes one of the first openly gay regular characters on mainstream TV.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Willow is one of the characters I included whose role begins as an assist role and evolves from there and gets out of the shadow of who she kicks for. The character gets stronger because of that and I have many characters like that but I didn't put her in because I feel like she skirted the sidekick role but I never quite viewed it as that (If Xander wasn't hanging around, who is in a similar place in Willow's orbit, wasn't around, I might have included her, though).

 

[Adrenaline]

#41: Launchpad McQuack
"Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash!"
First Appearance: DuckTales (1987)
Sidekick to: Scrooge McDuck
2 votes, 45 points (Top voter: Kirin)

Beta Metroid sez: A sidekick so great that he does it for two very different heroes. Sure, there’s lots of action and adventure involved with both, but it takes versatility to work for Scrooge and Darkwing. It also ensured that a whole lot of ‘90s kids would be familiar with Launchpad, so I feel pretty much obligated to include him.

 

[Bulgakov]

Willow is one of the characters I included whose role begins as an assist role and evolves from there and gets out of the shadow of who she kicks for.

The reason I put her on my list was that I decided, ultimately, that Willow wouldn't have been part of that world at all if Buffy hadn't initially dragged her into it. I agree she moved far beyond a sidekick role over the course of the series, though.

I also love that in the early seasons, the writers clearly try to style her as a hacker until they land on witch as a much more comfortable role for her. I wonder how those conversations went!

 

[Kirin]

I had Launchpad way up at number three on my list; he strikes me as a quintessential sidekick. Surprised he only got one other vote!

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I also love that in the early seasons, the writers clearly try to style her as a hacker until they land on witch as a much more comfortable role for her. I wonder how those conversations went!

I remember the commentary on the DVDs had the writers saying "We know the hacking makes no sense. We just needed an exposition device for our heroes to find out non-magical stuff."

Dang, I spaced on Launchpad. Good choice.

 

[Adrenaline]

The reason I put her on my list was that I decided, ultimately, that Willow wouldn't have been part of that world at all if Buffy hadn't initially dragged her into it. I agree she moved far beyond a sidekick role over the course of the series, though.

I also love that in the early seasons, the writers clearly try to style her as a hacker until they land on witch as a much more comfortable role for her. I wonder how those conversations went!

Witchcraft is using natural ingredients to hack reality

 

[Issun]

I thought about Launchpad but in the end it felt like I would be voting more for the shows than the character.

 

[Falselogic]

Willow was on my list. I spaced on Launchpad.

 

[Adrenaline]

#40: Fezzik
"It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise."
First Appearance: The Princess Bride (1973)
Sidekick to: Vizzini
2 votes, 46 points (Top voter: Kirin)

Fezzik and his compatriot Inigo Montoya (25 points) begin the story of The Princess Bride working for Vizzini, but are quickly won over to Westley's side and accompany him on the rest of his quest. He is immensely strong, has a sense of honor, and is surprisingly witty.

 

[Kirin]

I've been getting a whole lot of top voter marks down here in the low ranks! I bet a bunch of folks voted for a lot of comic book sidekicks, where my list has... uh, one of those, so I'm kitting more of the eclectic stuff.

Anyway, Fezzik is the best. I didn't vote for Inigo even though he's *also* the best, because he's driven by his own revenge arc (even if he does some side-kicking in service of that quest). Fezzik pretty much just wants to help everybody.

 

[Patrick]

Fezzik is very good!

 

[WildcatJF]

I also voted for Fezzik He IS the best

 

[Torzelbaum]

I also voted for Fezzik He IS the

Brute Squad!

 

[Adrenaline]

#39: Diddy Kong
"You lazy ape, you are getting too old for this!"
First Appearance: Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Sidekick to: Donkey Kong
2 votes, 48 points (Top voter: Beta Metroid)

Beta Metroid sez: The original DKC trilogy had this interesting succession of sidekicks taking up the starring role. Diddy is just better and more fun to play as than Donkey Kong in the first game, and he complements Dixie well in the second. Not much more to say about him, but I adore the games that he’s in, so that gives him a bump from me.