Top Five Sidekicks

Suggested by: Stephen

The Rules:

• Sidekicks from all forms of media are open and eligible for consideration on this list!

Stephen’s Top Five

5.) Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China)
This is an unconventional choice, sure, but while Kurt Russell is the star of Big Trouble in Little China, his character, Jack Burton, is the bumbling, overconfident sidekick to Dennis Dun’s Wang Chi.  The trucker proves a worthy assistant, though, intimately delivering the killing blow to the Big Bad, but not before committing all manner of puffery and buffoonery.  Meanwhile, Wang has the skills and the competence… and even gets the girl in the end! Being played by an at-the-height-of-his-powers Kurt Russell, though, makes Jack Burton a sidekick with leading man ambitions.

4.) Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings series)
For myself, this diminutive hobbit is the most relatable character in the entirety of The Lord of the Rings.  Even amongst the other hobbits, he’s seemingly underrated, but he’s selfless, loyal to a fault, and willing to come to blows for the people he loves.  Plus, when his nearest and dearest are no longer able to complete their mission, he’ll carry then across the finish line on his own back! What a guy!

3.) Arthur Everest (“The Tick”)
I’ve been a fan of “The Tick” since it was a Saturday morning cartoon on FOX Kids back in the ’90s, but I’m specifically talking here about the latest iteration of the character, played by comedian Griffin Newman.  More so than either previous televised version of the character, this one has pathos, an everyman sensibility that makes him truly relatable. Newman imbues the character with trauma, anxiety, humor, and humanity, making him the audience surrogate and emotional core of this great series!

(And I know I’ve mentioned this before, but if you’ve not yet tweeted #SaveTheTick numerous times in support of this show, please do so another network can see there is enough fan support to make picking up this program worth it!)

2.) Robin (Batman franchise)
The originator of the “teen sidekick” trope and the most enduring sidekick in the history of comics, the Boy Wonder is a mantle that’s been taken up by several characters over the years (including some females!).  Having grown up with the Tim Drake iteration of the character, I’ve always been partial to him, but the franchise has featured a lot of great Robins. From the original (Dick Grayson) to the almost-universally reviled (Jason Todd), from the forgotten (Stephanie Brown) to the latest (Damien Wayne), there’s a Robin that anyone and everyone can call their own!

1.) George Costanza (“Seinfeld”)
Once upon a time, I made the assertion that I felt like, the older I got, the more I found George Constanza a compelling and relatable character.  He’s neurotic, paranoid, defensive, and as selfish as the day is long, but in spite of his myriad flaws, we still find him somewhat loveable and endearing.  He’s also a great foil for Jerry, which is an aspect of sidekicking that doesn’t get a lot of attention. Plus, thanks to the iconic portrayal by Jason Alexander and the expert writing of people like Larry David, Peter Mehlman, and Larry Charles, George is a fully-realized character with as much depth as a person as shallow as him can have!

Stephen’s Honorable Mentions and Also-Rans:

• Chewbacca (Star Wars franchise)
• Luigi (Super Mario Bros. franchise)
• Mike Waszowski (Monsters, Inc.; Monsters University)
• Pinky (“Animaniacs;” “Pinky and the Brain”)
• Walter Sobchak (The Big Lebowski)

Brett’s Top Five

5.) Willow Rosenberg (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
The entire Scooby Gang could be considered Buffy’s sidekicks, but Willow was always the standout for me. She was always written well and opened a lot of doors for LGBTQ representation in a show that was already making strides in strong female characters. I’m on record as saying I love a good revenge story, so the “Dark Willow” season was just *chef’s kiss* fantastic. The best villains are the ones with tragic backstories.

4.) Arthur Everest (“The Tick”)
Up until I watched the new Amazon Prime series, I don’t think I would have had Arthur on this list., but I have to give amazing props to Griffin Newman (of Blank Check podcast fame!) for really making me love Arthur as a character and a sidekick. He, along with the writing team (of course), added more nuance and layers to the character. It was a pleasant surprise.

3.) Rebecca Chambers (Resident Evil)
There could be some contention here as Rebecca was absolutely the driving force of her own game and retroactively made a strong leading lady alongside Billy Cohen in Resident Evil Zero. One can’t deny, though, that she is absolutely Chris Redfield’s sidekick in the original Resident Evil. She saves his ass on more than one occasion by playing the piano and mixing up some plant-killing chemicals to stop Plant-42. She’s the plucky young rookie and makes the perfect sidekick.

2.) Luigi (Super Mario Brothers)
One could argue that Luigi is the ultimate sidekick, always in Mario’s shadow and never really given a chance to shine on his own (minus some ghostbusting escapades, of course, which are great by the way). He’s saved Mario plenty of times and is always there for some fun mini games, but when you somehow manage to develop shadow magic from living in them for so long, I think it’s safe to say you’re a sidekick for life.

1.) Rose Tyler (“Doctor Who”)
Hot take time! There’s two types of NuWho Fans: ones who love Rose Tyler and ones who hate Rose Tyler. There is no in between. I fall into the former camp and I am proud of it! I will bawl like a baby watching “Doomsday” and I’m not afraid to admit it. While the 9th or 10th Doctors aren’t my favorites. they’re certainly up there and Rose plus her Doctors are an iconic duo that can’t be denied. She’s strong-willed, resourceful, and sometimes naive, but she’s saved whole civilizations and seen things no one else has seen. Rose is one of the best companions and an all-time great sidekick!

The Recap:

Stephen	Brett
5.) Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China)	5.) Willow (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
4.) Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings series)	4.) Arthur Everest (“The Tick”)
3.) Arthur Everest (“The Tick”)	3.) Rebecca Chambers (Resident Evil)
2.) Robin (Batman franchise)	2.) Luigi (Super Mario Brothers)
1.) George Costanza (“Seinfeld”)	1.) Rose Tyler (“Doctor Who”)

Who are YOUR favorite sidekicks? Let us know in the comments below!