So, Kayti had this idea for a blog post series knocking around her head, she mentioned it the other day to us other members of Sisters Three, and now we’ve branched out into a nice series thing. We had you guys submit the things you would most like to know about writing sidekicks, heroes, and villains, but before we dive into that we’re going to present you with our favorite types of sidekicks, heroes, and villains! And I’m kicking us off with the sidekicks!
So let’s jump right in!
My three favorite kinds of sidekicks!
Ah, sidekicks! I love sidekicks, often I like them more than the Main Character (MC). There are so many good sidekicks out there in both movies and books and I am so excited to share my three favorite kinds of sidekicks with you! So, let’s go!
The Loyal Sidekick
Ah, that little guy that’s never going to leave the hero’s side, or maybe he’s not that little…maybe he’s a big guy. But the point is he’s never going to leave the hero all alone, even when the hero says cruel things to him the loyal sidekick is always going to come back. Some would say that means they’re weak, but to me, it is the greatest kind of strength.
Examples Much (Yes, that is his real name) from BBC’s Robin Hood…I’d never seen this take on Robin Hood before, always Little John was the right-hand man, and he still is in the series, but Much is Hood’s manservant. Because Hood was a lord beforehand it makes sense for the story. Much is as loyal as they come, a little selfish at times but he would do anything to help, protect, or even console Hood. It’s really very touching!
Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, dragged into a journey he wanted no part in, Sam is just…he is so endearing. He never leaves Frodo. Sticks with Master Frodo through thick and thin, willing to do anything to help his Master achieve his mission and return home, together. Sam has beautiful words of wisdom for Frodo along the way and overall, there is just no way you cannot love this guy!
Loyal sidekicks add so much to the story, just knowing that there is someone who will never leave the hero that has his back no matter what is…beautiful! We all need a loyal sidekick, I think.
The Smart Sidekick
I always fall for these guys. The one with all the answers, or all the tech skills, or just all the skills…or maybe he’s just smart…he’s just a smart guy who is always there to help. To put the hero in his place…maybe take him down a notch when need be. I love these guys! Often, they are sarcastic, and as a sarcastic induvial, they win my heart every time!
Riley from National Treasure…Ah, Riley! Now Riley is a tech genius and also good with history, unlucky him he’s stuck with Ben Gates who is a history genius, so he’s often outdone by Gates, but the sarcastic humor Riley adds to every situation is amazing! I love this guy! He is so funny, so relatable…so smart that it’s just great!
Emmet from Explorer Academy. Ahhh, talking about a technological genius! I love this guy! His ideas are usually so out of the box that it’s crazy! He’s smart, humble, and not afraid to call the MC, Cruz, out when he thinks he’s doing something foolish. Emmet is great!
Smart Sidekicks have to be done carefully, you make them smart off too much and they become annoying. You make them more likable than the MC and they take over, you don’t give them enough room to shine and they fall to the background, and nobody remembers them. It has to be an even balance. And may I add, you have to really watch the sarcastic ones and make sure they don’t get too carried away.
The Funny Sidekick
Ah, the comic relief guy. He doesn’t have to be dumb, no, in fact, it’s better if he’s not. But he is supposed to say funny things or have well-timed jokes.
Sir Tode from Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes (Which sounds like a book for little kids but is not! I promise!) is a very funny sidekick. Not only because he’s a man, cat, horse, that is only about knee high but also because of the way he acts and what he says. Sir Tode has his profound moments, but overall, he makes for great comic relief when otherwise the story might not be that intriguing.
Sandon (or Sanddon can’t remember how to spell it, but I think it’s the other way) from Kingdom’s Quest is so funny! Hilarious! He’s an exaggerator and it just makes for very funny scenes…when he’s around you can be sure you are going to laugh. He is not dumb, quite smart in fact, but the way he exaggerates a situation or gives a well-placed comment makes him lovable and comical.
Comic relief sidekicks are great! Those guys that there for a good laugh but also have more to their character. If you create a comic relief character for just that, it’s not going to work. You have to give him a backstory and other traits for people to relate with, otherwise, he’s just the funny guy who has a flat arc and nobody will like him.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, these are my favorite sidekicks! But that doesn’t mean that a sidekick cannot be both smart and comical, in fact, they can be both! Or maybe they are loyal and comical, like Sam. Or Smart and Loyal like Riley…a sidekick can be more than one thing, but you choose one to focus on. Much is both loyal and funny, but we praise his loyalty because he’s funny without meaning to be. Riley is smart and loyal, but we praise his smarts because it helps the mission and though he’s loyal when he tries to help it just ends up making things a bit worse.
A sidekick needs to have an arc just like the hero or else…he’s just a stick person and no one will care, so make them relatable!
So, do you agree? What’s your favorite kind of sidekick? What’s the name of your favorite sidekick (careful of spoilers, I didn’t name some of my examples because they’d spoil books)? What’s your favorite kind of sidekick on this list? Do you even like sidekicks? Let me know in the comments!
Till next time!
Jaidie – The Dragon Nerd
Sisters Three 
Ya know, when you said smart sidekicks I thought of Dex from KOTLC, he is also funny. IDK if he count’s as Sophie’s sidekick since he is basically her cousin but I think he fits the Funny/Smart sidekick well.
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I’ve never read KOTLC but I get that, those kinds of characters are great😁
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Okay, so I started the Robin Hood series, as I promised…
…I’m five episodes in…
…I like Much as much as Much likes cheese, I think. X)
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Oh, awesome!!! It’s a fantastic series!!! First two seasons are the best!!!! Third one gets a little weird…lol…
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AAAAH!!
Sam and Emmett are some of the best!!
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Yes! And another person who has read Explorer Academy, sweet as! 😉😁💖
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agh i love samwise from LOTR and riley from national treasure!
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Eeek! Me too!!!😁😁😁💖💖💖
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Sidekicks are pretty great! One of my favorites is Grumio from The Taming of the Shrew. He’s super funny (…as are all the major characters… lol) and very loyal to Petruchio. The pair are just perfection together, and they’re great when Katherina joins them, too. I also love Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Flambeau in the Father Brown stories! (you can’t have a great detective without a sidekick, right?!)
…And if I can add the “sidekick” in my WIP… Jürgen the stable boy is pretty great. He’s not quite as “blatantly” a sidekick as some mentioned here, but he’s a great help to my MCs, and I love it when he shows up on the scene out of seemingly nowhere. Hopefully I can make his role a bit bigger in edits. 😀
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Yep, they are! Awesome, sidekicks are sooo much fun! (Right! Imo anyway…lol…)😁
Of course you can! I love my side character Julie, sadly she *ahem* got crowded out so I’m having to edit and add her in more…lol….I hope you can! 😁
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I love Emmet too! He’s probably my favorite character, honestly. I just love the brainy characters. It could be because I have a friend who literally acts one.
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Wait, you’ve read Explorer Academy? We need to talk girl! On our GR pm….ek! Me too!💖💖 Aww, that’s cool…honestly not sure why I like them…lol…maybe it’s cause they make me feel smart too…haha…🤣🤣
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Yes, I love sidekicks!
I also love when people break things down like you did just now, so thank you! 😀
I’m wondering…have you ever watched Mission Impossible, and if so, would you say that Benjie is a funny sidekick?? And my favorite sidekick that you mentioned was Samwise Gamgee. He is so incredibly loyal that sometimes it hurts to watch!
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Me too!😁
Aww, thank you!💖
No, me has not…sorry I can’t answer your question. 😕
Yes! He is so very loyal! Painfully so but it’s so beautiful!🥰
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Great points, Jaidie!
AND RILEY IS JUST THE BEST!!! I love it when he finally knows a piece of history Ben doesn’t know. It was hilarious!
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Thank you, Lily!💖💖💖
Yes! Riley is great! Ack, I love that part! 😂😂😂 So good!
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Oh my goodness! I love those loyal sidekicks that seem to stick around when everyone else leaves. Example: Raviel from The Starlore Legacy (by far, my favorite series by Chuck Black), is one of my absolute favs when it comes to sidekicks. Faithful, honest, God-fearing, a bit of sass, and overall a very strong built character with a lot of background. And maybe, just maybe (not to bring spoilers or anything), there is a touch of a romantic side to her as well. Raviel is side by side, through thick and thin. All the way.
I also enjoy a well thought out sidekick that dies. Lol, I’m not joking. As much as I find it sad and heartbreaking when people die in books, I also find the depth and truth of life in that. A good example of this is The Series of Unfortunate Events, in which as the title suggests, is a spin of tragic and very unfortunate events for three orphans. Spoiler, if you haven’t already read it (in which you should), a lot of people die. A lot of side characters die. Even some of the most loyal characters you could ever portray.
It’s an awful lot the same way with Orphan Island, when your favorite sidekick just disappears off the whole island all because of a drifting boat. Sad. Ach, such is the way with life though.
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Yes! They are so enduring! Ack! I so want to read that series and now I hear a loyal sidekick! Eeek! I must read sooner rather than later…lol…
Yes, I get that….sometimes it adds depth to the plot even though it rips your heart out in the moment…😥
Okay, now I must go add these books to my want to read…lol…😉📚
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I know!!! It’s sad but it makes the book/books more relatable. Not everyone will make it in real life.
Also yes. Series of Unfortunate Events has to be one of the saddest series out there!
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Yes, it’s sad. But usually makes the story soo beautiful💖😥
Got ya, yeah I’ve only seen the movie, haven’t read the books yet.😁💖
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Oh you should! Book are always better than movies.
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It’s on my REALLY long to be read list😜💖📚📚📚 True!
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Haha, haven’t we all got those?
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Hahahah…yes😂📚📚📚
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SAM IS THE BEST!!!!! Didn’t recognize any other examples, but this was a great article! Well done!
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Yes! Lol…that is okay, I get that a lot😂…apprentently I both read and watch things off the beaten path😜…lol… Thank you so much!😁💖
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Jaidie!!!!! I love this post!! (Warning: there will be a lot of exclamation marks ahead 😉 lol) Awww YES SAMWISE!! He’s probably my favorite sidekick ever!!! ❤ 😀 *immediately remembers 100 other ones I love* Well, one of my favorites anyway. So loyal and selfless!!! I also always fall for the smart sidekicks… and I love it when they add some comic relief too! (I remember Riley being smart but also pretty funny, like you said, with the sarcastic humor, so that was a perfect combination. XD)
Also, you gave some amazing advice, girl! You're so right, flat characters that are just there for their brains or humor are so unrelatable and become very… un-memorable. So yes, give them all backstories and character arcs! 😀
Thank you for the awesome post!!
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Awww, thank you so much! 😁 💖 (lol) Yes! I love Sam and the smart ones…and well, all the ones I mentioned on this list…hahaha…(agreed! Riley is dah best!)
Yay! I’m so glad you agree!!!😁😉💖
Aw! Thank you for the awesomer-awesomer comment!😁💖🥰🥰
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