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 
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