All too often, the “sidekick” in a story is simply there as set dressing, or as a sounding board for the main character, or worst still, as mere victims and plot devices. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to have a character that enriches the story they are in ways that make them essential. We’re talking about those “secondary” characters that actually bring something awesome to the table. Below are all the love interests, mentors, team mates, and supporting characters that make some of our favorite stories great!
Here’s our criteria:
1. Be a supporting character in a story.
2. Bring something amazing to the table, both in the fiction and in our real world.
ROUND ONE
Here’s our first round of challenges…
Game 1
Chewbacca from Star Wars
VS.
Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight
Chewy is everyone’s favorite big furry co-pilot that showed kids that “bug-eyed aliens” could still be characters we care about, while Harvey Dent proved Two-Face can be more than just a villain with a colorful backstory – he can be the heart of a city in need of a hero.
Game 2
Dick Grayson (aka Robin) from Batman
VS.
Ellie from The Last of Us
Oh man, the battle of the kid-sidekick gets off to an early start! Robin is an icon and more than a match for evildoers once he takes on the cape and cowl, while Ellie is our legacy when we’ve come down to the last of us.
Game 3
Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy
VS.
Asami from Legend of Korra
Without uttering a word (okay, maybe a few words) Groot became the heart-and-soul of a summer blockbuster, while Asami has grown with the audience of her hit animated television show.
Game 4
Alfred Pennyworth from Batman
VS.
Erkel from Family Matters
Erkel took over the show when he went from guest character to star, and Alfred is the father-figure to one of the world’s most tortured orphans.
Game 5
Penny from Inspector Gadget
VS.
Carol Cleveland from Monty Python
Let’s face it, Uncle Gadget would be a pile of scrap metal if it weren’t for Penny’s quick thinking, but as the only recurring female cast member, Carol Cleveland was basically the Seventh Python in one of the most influential comedy troupes of all time!
Game 6
Hermoine Granger from The Harry Potter Series
VS.
Bishop from Aliens
Hermoine is back from last year’s win for our “Women In Fiction” March Madness, and she’s fighting the one of the precious few good androids in literature.
Game 7
Pinky from Pinky and the Brain
VS.
Lois Lane from Superman
Pinky might actually just be a sidekick in name only, as the second banana in a classic comedy duo, while Lois is the quintessential “superhero love interest” that proves time and again that she’s so much more.
Game 8
Dr. John Watson from Sherlock Holmes
VS.
Rick Jones from The Hulk
Elementary, Dr. Watson would advise a cold shower and iodine tablets for young Rick Jones, all the better to deal with accidentally wandering into a Gamma Ray bomb range. Both these contestants are quite adept at supporting heroes that can have somewhat severe temperaments.
Game 9
Harley Quinn from Batman
VS.
Jubilee from X-Men
Harley went from “Joker’s Girlfriend” to one of the most popular modern comic characters, while Asian-American mallrat Jubilee was the first point of view character many of us had when it came to the 90s X-Men cartoon.
Game 10
Barf from Space Balls
VS.
River Song from Doctor Who
River is the Doctor’s love, companion, and foil, and has shown that love has no age/generation. Barf’s tail wagged in an amusing way.
Game 11
Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings
VS.
Fonzie from Happy Days
Fonzie went from secondary character to focal point, effectively carrying his television series, but Samwise proved that no one has to carry it alone…
Game 12
Kato from The Green Hornet
VS.
Wembley from Fraggle Rock
I would pay actual damn money to see this fight.
Game 13
Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who
VS.
Goslin Malard from Darkwing Duck
Jack Harkness was a dashing companion to the good Doctor for a time, but eventually learned to be his own (sort of) hero, while Goslin gave her adopted father Darkwing a reason to be a hero in more ways that one.
Game 14
Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess
VS.
Peggy Carter from Captain America
Gabrielle was the moral center to Xena, and helped the warrior princess fight what was worthy of fighting for. Peggy was fighting the good fight before Steve took up the role of hero, and was still fighting while he was out of the game.
Game 15
Short Round from Indiana Jones
VS.
Samwell Tarley from Game of Thrones
Short Round took painful stereotypes and turned them on their head, as he is clearly the hero of Temple of Doom, while Samwell might just be the only good man left in Westeros, coward or not.
Game 16
Donna Noble from Doctor Who
VS.
John Diggle from Arrow
Donna Noble wasn’t the Doctor’s love interest, she was his damn partner, and Diggle is the Arrow’s right-hand man, bodyguard, and friend.
Game 17
Hit Girl from Kick Ass
VS.
Mickey from Rocky
Less a sidekick and more the actual hero, Hit Girl knows what it takes to survive in the real world. Mickey is Rocky’s mentor, guide, and perhaps one of the only people that has faith in him and what he can do.
Game 18
Fezzik from The Princess Bride
VS.
Kitty Pride from X-Men
Fezzik wasn’t just amusing muscle, he was a real man with real feelings and honor – while Kitty went from X-Men kid to a leader and hero in her own right.
Game 19
Gandalf from The Hobbit
VS.
Amy Pond from Doctor Who
Gandalf is no mere sidekick… except he totally is! He helps the hobbits who are the real heroes of the story. Meanwhile, Amy is the essential companion to the Eleventh Doctor, helping shape him and all the generations to come…
Game 20
Ahchoo from Men in Tights
VS.
Bullock from Gotham
Bullock has had a shady past in the Batman line of comics, but we get a window into who he really is in the new television show, Gotham! Robin Hood’s Merry Men were the original sidekick team, and among them clearly Ahchoo is the best – right?
Game 21
Luigi from Nintendo Games
VS.
Kate Bishop from Hawkeye
Luigi went from second-banana to his own star, while Kate Bishop would like everyone to know that she’s isn’t Kid Hawkeye or Lady Hawkeye or Hawkeyegirl – she’s HAWKEYE, damn it. Clint is probably better suited as her sidekick.
Game 22
Willow from Buffy
VS.
Paul Heyman from WWE
Cute, magical, and possessing a devilish side… all these attributes probably describes Paul Heyman. This legendary WWE manager is up against Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
Game 23
Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars
VS.
Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
Doctor Who became a whole new show when it was relaunched in 2005, and the first and most important character was Rose. Obi-Wan was a mentor to two generations of Skywalkers, and showed us all the true power of the Force.
Game 24
Felcity Smoak from Arrow
VS.
Batou from Ghost in the Shell
Felcity Smoak breaks all the stereotypes with her brainy and talented hero on Arrow, while Batou fights for humanity from deep within the Machine.
Game 25
War Machine from Iron Man
VS.
Speedy from Green Arrow
Don’t tell Rhodey he’s a sidekick, but he does support Tony Stark in his insane attempt at redemption and learns to become a hero in his own right. Speedy has showed us that it’s the struggles that make a character who he is.
Game 26
Jane from Firefly
VS.
Jimmy Olsen from Superman
Jane isn’t a good guy, but he helps when it helps himself. Jimmy is the superest super-hero’s best friend.
Game 27
Tonto from The Lone Ranger
VS.
Dobby from The Harry Potter Series
Tonto is a complicated character with a complicated past, and he’s up against a Harry Potter character in the first round. Yikes.
Game 28
Sancho Panza from Don Quixote
VS.
Bucky Barnes from Captain America
Sancho Panza is the last sane man in an insane world, and Bucky went from laughable to horrible once he lost his mind.
Game 29
Arthur from The Tick
VS.
Bronn from Game of Thrones
Sidekick is a job description on a CPA could strive for, and while Bronn’s support is bought with hard-earned gold, it’s invaluable to stay alive in Westeros.
Game 30
Garth Algar from Wayne’s World
VS.
Gonzo from The Muppets
In any other context, Garth would be a deranged tertiary character and one-line joke, whereas Gonzo went from sideline muppet to one of the stars of the show!
Game 31
Tails from Sonic
VS.
Mona Lisa Vito from My Cousin Vinny
Tails is the best friend and on-screen sidekick to one of the most popular video game characters of all time, while Mona Lisa shows that it is okay for even the best of us to ask for help.
Game 32
Phil Coulson from MCU
VS.
Wedge Antilles from Star Wars
Coulson went from a walk on gag role to a starring place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, uniting the Avengers when little else could, while Wedge Antilles was allowed to go to the Academy to fight the Empire and we don’t see why Luke has to stay behind to work the damn moisture vaporators.