Editing Sidekick

{{Short description|Subordinate but significant character}}
{{Other uses}}
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[[File:1916-04-22, La Esfera, Aquel caballero que allí ves, Luis de Ocharan (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Sancho Panza]], a [[squire]], can be regarded as a sidekick to ''[[Don Quixote]]'' in [[Miguel de Cervantes|Cervantes]]' famed fictional work.]]
A '''sidekick''' is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany.

==Origins==
The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidekick|title=Sidekick definition & meaning|website=Merriam-Webster|date=September 8, 2023 }}</ref> It is believed to have originated in [[pickpocket]] slang of the late 19th century. The "kick" was the front pocket of a pair of trousers, believed to be the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick" was a person's closest companion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Adams|first=Cecil|url=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_297a.html|title=What's the origin of 'side kick'?|website=The Straight Dope|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050528080035/https://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_297a.html|archive-date=2005-05-28|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Morris, Evan. [http://www.word-detective.com/122099.html Word Detective] (December 20, 1999).</ref>

One of the earliest recorded examples of a sidekick may be [[Enkidu]], who played a sidekick role to [[Gilgamesh]] after they became allies in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]''. Other early examples are [[Achilles]] and [[Patroclus]] in the ''[[Iliad]]'' and [[Moses]] and [[Aaron]] in the [[Old Testament]].<ref name="Hay">Hay, Noelle. [http://www.sffworld.com/authors/h/hay_noelle/articles/evolutionofsidekick1.html "Evolution of a sidekick,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220053120/http://www.sffworld.com/authors/h/hay_noelle/articles/evolutionofsidekick1.html |date=February 20, 2010 }} SFFWorld.com (2002). </ref>

==In fiction==
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Sidekicks can fulfill one or multiple functions in fiction, such as a counterpoint to the hero,<ref name="LATimes">McNamera, Mary. [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-sidekicks5-2008may05,0,4406026.story "Critic's Notebook: Sidekicks are second bananas no more,"] ''Los Angeles Times'' (May 5, 2008).</ref> an alternate point of view, or knowledge, skills, or anything else the hero does not have. They often function as [[comic relief]],<ref name="LATimes" /> and/or the [[double act|straight man]] to the hero's comedic actions. A sidekick can also be a [[Character (arts)|character]] to whom the audience can more easily relate than the hero, or whom the audience can imagine themselves as being (such as teen sidekicks).<ref name="Hay" /> And by asking questions of the hero, or giving the hero someone to talk to, the sidekick provides an opportunity for the author to provide [[Exposition (narrative)|exposition]], thereby filling the same role as a [[Greek chorus]].

Sidekicks frequently serve as an emotional connection, especially when the hero is depicted as detached and distant, traits which might make it difficult to like the hero.<ref name="Hay" /> The sidekick is often the confidant who knows the main character better than anyone else, and gives a convincing reason to like the hero. Although [[Sherlock Holmes]] was portrayed as a difficult man to know, his friendship with [[Dr. Watson]] convinces the reader that Holmes is a good person. The [[Left Hand (Vampire Hunter D)|Left Hand]] of [[Vampire Hunter D]], being mentally linked to the reticent protagonist, often reveals thoughts, feelings, and the physical condition of his host, as well as background elements of the story.

The apparent stupidity of some comedy sidekicks is often used to make a non-intellectual hero look intelligent. Similarly, a flamboyant or effeminate sidekick may make an otherwise unimposing hero look more masculine. And a strong, silent and modest hero may have his fighting qualities revealed to the other characters and the audience by a talkative sidekick.

While many sidekicks are used for comic relief, there are other sidekicks who are less outrageous than the heroes they pledge themselves to, and comedy derived from the hero can often be amplified by the presence or reaction of the sidekick. Examples include [[Porky Pig]], who is more sensible and calmer than [[Daffy Duck]] in later short films; similarly, [[Sancho Panza]] is more rational than [[Don Quixote]].

It is typical for the character and sidekick to be of the same gender — otherwise the term "sidekick" is replaced with "partner" or "companion". Whenever there is a team of more than two characters, the term sidekick is generally reserved for another team member of the same sex. It is rare for the relationship between a character and an opposite-sex sidekick to lack romantic or sexual overtones of any kind — though there are examples, like [[Modesty Blaise]] and [[Willie Garvin]], The original ''[[Doctor Who]]'' series intentionally avoided any explicit onscreen indications of romantic or sexual attraction between [[Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor]] and his female companions. ([[#Comic books|See the discussion of comic books' teenage sidekicks below]].)

While unusual, it is not unheard of for a sidekick to be more [[physical attractiveness|attractive]], charismatic, or physically capable than the supposed hero. This is most typically encountered when the hero's appeal is more intellectual rather than sexual. Such heroes (usually fictional sleuths and scientists) are often middle-aged or older and tend towards eccentricity. Such protagonists may, due to either age or physical unsuitability, be limited to cerebral conflicts, while leaving the physical action to a younger or more physically capable sidekick. This type of sidekick is rarely encountered in fiction, because the hero runs the risk of being upstaged by them. However, examples of successful such pairings include Detective Monk and his sidekick Sharona, [[Inspector Morse]] and his sidekick [[Detective]] Sergeant [[Robbie Lewis]], [[Nero Wolfe]] and his sidekick [[Archie Goodwin (fictional detective)|Archie Goodwin]], [[Hiro Nakamura]] and his sidekick [[Ando Masahashi]], and [[Miles Vorkosigan]] and his sidekick cousin Ivan Vorpatril. In other media, [[The Green Hornet]]'s sidekick, [[Kato (Green Hornet)|Kato]], has (especially since the 1960s television series with [[Bruce Lee]]) been depicted as a capable man of action, for instance in [[martial arts]]. The earliest [[Doctor Who]] serials, particularly during the [[First Doctor]] era, had young male companions who were capable of the physical action that the elderly [[William Hartnell]] was not. This became more important as Hartnell's health declined during his tenure as The Doctor. This was not an issue with the following Doctors as they were cast with significantly younger actors.

It is also not unusual, especially in more recent TV programs such as ''[[Bones (TV series)|Bones]]'' and ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'', for there to be a ''team'' of sidekicks. In ''Bones'', for example, FBI Special Agent [[Seeley Booth]] often fulfills one of the traditional roles of a sidekick by providing translations for the brilliant but socially incapable Dr. [[Temperance "Bones" Brennan|Temperance Brennan]]. Both Brennan and Booth, however, are heroes in their own right. The sidekicks in this case are the team of "squints" back in the Jeffersonian Institution's Medico-Legal Lab, each with their own scientific specialty, all of whom are usually needed to break the case.

In certain cases, a sidekick can grow out of their role of second fiddle to the hero and become a hero in their own right. [[Dick Grayson]] is one such example, having outgrown the mantle of Robin when he was under [[Batman]] and taken up the new identity of [[Nightwing]]. Grayson for awhile succeeded his mentor and took on the costumed identity of Batman himself. Another example is the popular comic-strip soldier of fortune [[Captain Easy]], who started as the two-fisted sidekick of the scrawny eponymous hero of the strip [[Wash Tubbs]].

===Use===
[[Frodo Baggins]]'s [[Samwise Gamgee]], and [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]]'s [[Ron Weasley]], as well as the afore-mentioned Sancho Panza and Doctor Watson, are notable sidekicks from fiction.

In fiction, the term "sidekick" commonly refers to assistants to crime-fighting heroes. However, sidekicks do not necessarily accompany a crime-fighter, such as Leporello, [[Don Giovanni]]'s servant in the 1787 opera. Villains can also have sidekicks, who are usually portrayed as less brilliant or lacking cunning. The sidekick has the literary function of playing against the hero, often contrasting in skill, or performing functions not suited to the hero.

The sidekick was a regular presence in [[Western movie|western]]s, where [[Fuzzy Knight]], [[Al St. John|Al "Fuzzy" St. John]], [[Smiley Burnette]], and [[Andy Devine]] had longer careers than some of the heroic singing cowboys for whom they took pratfalls.

In science fiction the sub-type of the [[alien sidekick]] has been established. Examples of alien sidekicks are [[Mr. Spock]] (sidekick of [[Captain James T. Kirk]]) on ''[[Star Trek]]'' and [[Chewbacca]] (sidekick of [[Han Solo]]) in the original ''[[Star Wars]]'' trilogy. One of the roles of the alien sidekick is to act as a mouthpiece for social commentary on the human condition from an outsider's point of view.

Heroic sidekicks such as [[Streaky the Supercat]] of ''[[Krypto the Superdog]]'', Festus Haggen of ''[[Gunsmoke]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Marshal Matt Dillon|Matt Dillon]], or [[Gabrielle (Xena)|Gabrielle]] of ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' not only provide comic relief, but can occasionally be brave and/or resourceful and rescue the hero from a dire fate.
[[Kalimán]], a heroic character depicted on movies, radio theatre and comic books, mentors a young lad named Solín.

===Comparisons===
A [[villain]]'s supporters are normally called [[Henchman|henchmen]], minions, or [[Lackey (manservant)|lackey]]s, not sidekicks. While this is partially a convention in terminology, it also reflects that few villains are capable of bonds of friendship and loyalty, which are normal in the relationship between a hero and sidekick. This may also be due to the different roles in fiction of the [[protagonist]] and the [[antagonist]]: whereas a sidekick is a relatively important character due to his or her proximity to the protagonist, and so will likely be a developed character, the role of a henchman is to act as [[cannon-fodder]] for the hero and ''his'' sidekick. As a result, henchmen tend to be anonymous, disposable characters, existing for the sole purpose of illustrating the protagonists' prowess as they defeat them.

Nevertheless, some villains do have sidekicks, including [[Lex Luthor]]'s [[Mercy Graves]], the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]]'s [[Harley Quinn]], [[Jigsaw Killer|Jigsaw]]'s [[Amanda Young|Amanda]], [[Shao Kahn]]'s [[Shang Tsung]], [[Shinnok]]'s [[Quan Chi]], Ben Wade's Charlie Prince (from ''[[Three-Ten to Yuma]]''), [[Light Yagami]]'s [[Misa Amane]] and [[Ryuk (Death Note)|Ryuk]], [[Wario]]'s [[Waluigi]], [[Dr. Eggman]]'s Orbot and Cubot, and [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]]'s [[Mystique (comics)|Mystique]] (albeit only in the ''[[X-Men (film series)|X-Men]]'' live action films).

===Examples===
<!-- NOTE THIS SECTION SAYS '''some''' AND ''well-known''. ADDITIONS OF QUESTIONABLES SUCH AS HARRY POTTER AND NON-NOTABLES SUCH AS FANBOY WILL BE REMOVED. -->
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are [[Don Quixote]]'s [[Sancho Panza]], [[Sherlock Holmes]]' [[Doctor Watson]], [[The Lone Ranger]]'s [[Tonto]], [[The Green Hornet]]'s [[Kato (The Green Hornet)|Kato]], [[Shrek (character)|Shrek]]'s [[Donkey (Shrek character)|Donkey]] and [[Puss in Boots (Shrek)|Puss in Boots]], [[Aquaman]]'s [[Aqualad]], [[Mickey Mouse]]'s [[Donald Duck]] and [[Goofy]], [[Mario]]'s [[Luigi]] and [[Yoshi]], [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]'s [[Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog)|Tails]] and [[Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles]], [[Donkey Kong]]'s [[Diddy Kong]], [[Bugs Bunny]]'s [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Porky Pig]], [[Captain America]]'s [[Bucky (comics)|Bucky]], [[Batman]]'s [[Robin (comics)|Robin]], and [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob SquarePants]]'s [[Patrick Star]].

==In television==
TV sidekicks usually play a supporting pivotal role to the star. Examples include [[Ethel Mertz]] to [[Lucy Ricardo]] (''[[I Love Lucy]]''), [[Ed Norton (Honeymooners)|Ed Norton]] to [[Ralph Kramden]] (''[[The Honeymooners]]''), [[Screech Powers]] to [[Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell)|Zack Morris]] (''[[Saved by the Bell]]''), [[Roger Healey|Major Roger Healey]] to [[I Dream of Jeannie|Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson]] (''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]''), or even a group of people such as the [[Sweathogs]] to [[Gabe Kotter|Mr. Kotter]] (''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]''). Duos of equal importance on TV such as [[Kate McArdle]] and [[Allie Lowell]] (''[[Kate & Allie]]''), [[Oscar Madison]] and [[Felix Unger]] (''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]''), [[Bret Maverick]] and [[List of Maverick episodes|Bart Maverick]] (''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]''), or [[Laverne De Fazio]] and [[Shirley Feeney]] (''[[Laverne & Shirley]]''), are sometimes both called sidekicks to each other, although the usual sense of the term denotes inequality.

Many television talk shows make use of a sidekick as a co-host who anchors a show with the main star. [[Ed McMahon]] played this role famously to [[Johnny Carson]] on the ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|Tonight Show]]'', as did [[Andy Richter]] to [[Conan O'Brien]] on the ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien|Tonight Show]]'', and ''[[Conan (talk show)|Conan]]''. ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]'' employed a mechanical robot sidekick named [[Geoff Peterson]] (voiced by [[Josh Robert Thompson]]).

[[Clarence Gilyard]] informed viewers on a television commercial for ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'' that he was ''not'' [[Chuck Norris]]'s sidekick, instead humorously saying "''This'' is Chuck Norris's sidekick" over footage of Norris kicking a villain.

===Animation===

In [[animated cartoons|animation]], some popular examples are [[Boo-Boo Bear]] being [[Yogi Bear]]'s sidekick, [[Barney Rubble]] being [[Fred Flintstone]]'s sidekick, [[Waylon Smithers]] being the sidekick of [[Mr. Burns]] on ''[[The Simpsons]]'', [[Baba Looey]] being the sidekick of [[Quick Draw McGraw]], and [[Stimpy]] being the sidekick of [[Ren Höek]] on ''[[The Ren and Stimpy Show]]''.

In the seventh episode of the 1994 animated series ''[[The Tick (1994 TV series)|The Tick]]'', the heroes take a night to relax at a local superhero nightclub. When they arrive, however, Arthur is promptly escorted to the Sidekick Lounge, a small shack behind the club, where he meets several other sidekicks who spend the night lamenting their second-fiddle lot in life.

==In video games==
Some video games have sidekicks who provide assistance to players during their adventures. An early example was Floyd in ''[[Planetfall]]'', whom ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' in April 1984 described as "unique".<ref name = "CGW">{{Cite magazine | date = April 1984 | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1984&pub=2&id=15 | last = McPherson | first = James | magazine = [[Computer Gaming World]] | title = Micro-Reviews: Planetfall  | pages = 43–44 }}</ref> A potential example of this is found in the case of the Mario Bros., with [[Luigi]] serving in a supporting role to his brother [[Mario]]. [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] is often accompanied by his sidekick [[Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog)|Tails]], and his would-be girlfriend Amy Rose also has a hero-sidekick relationship with Cream the Rabbit. Diddy Kong is often seen as the sidekick to [[Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong]], while [[Mega Man (character)|Mega Man]] is aided by his robotic dog Rush.

==In comic books==
Comic book sidekicks have a long and popular history, dating back to the beginnings of the form. Examples include the [[Crimson Avenger]]'s sidekick [[Wing (DC Comics)|Wing]], and [[Mister America (Tex Thompson)|Mister America]]'s sidekick [[Tex Thompson|Fatman]], both of whom debuted in the late 1930s. Other notable comics sidekicks include [[Ebony White]],{{efn|Ebony White, sidekick to [[Denny Colt]] (a.k.a. The Spirit), is considered to be comics' first [[Black people|Black]] sidekick;<ref>[[Mike W. Barr|Barr, Mike W.]] "The Spirit's Dead Letters," ''The Spirit'' #6 ([[Warren Publishing]], Feb. 1975).</ref> a distinction somewhat overshadowed by the character's racially [[stereotyped]] appearance/characterization as portrayed by creator [[Will Eisner]].}} [[Jughead Jones|Jughead]], [[Etta Candy]], [[Captain Haddock]], and [[Obelix]].

In 1940 [[DC Comics]] introduced comics' first teenage sidekick, [[Robin (character)|Robin]], created to soften the dark tone of the [[Batman]] comics and make the Dark Knight more attractive to younger readers.<ref name="Snuff">Jones, Geppetto. [http://jobseekersofamerica.com/2009/08/01/snuff-sidekicks-and-the-apocalypse-suite/ "Snuff, Sidekicks, and the Apocalypse Suite,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316094401/http://jobseekersofamerica.com/2009/08/01/snuff-sidekicks-and-the-apocalypse-suite/ |date=March 16, 2010 }} Job Seekers of America (August 1, 2009).</ref> Robin's instant popularity spawned a host of imitations, including such iconic characters as [[Bucky (Marvel Comics)|Bucky]], [[Toro (comics)|Toro]], [[Sandy Hawkins|Sandy the Golden Boy]], and [[Roy Harper (character)|Speedy]]. [[Pat Dugan|Stripesy]] was the exception to the rule: an adult sidekick to a teen hero, the [[Star-Spangled Kid]]. Another unusual sidekick pairing was the Blonde Bomber (Honey Blake), a newsreel camerawoman, chemist, and crime-fighter with a male sidekick named Jimmy Slapso.<ref name=cbldf>Williams, Maren. [http://cbldf.org/2016/03/she-changed-comics-pre-code-golden-age/ "She Changed Comics: Pre-Code & Golden Age: Barbara Hall,"] Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website (March 4, 2016).</ref>

The prevalence of adult superheroes and their teenage "wards" caused some observers to look askance at the trend. Psychologist [[Fredric Wertham]] decided that the phenomenon was a landmine of hidden [[Freudian]] issues, and that a sidekick's participation in violent encounters alongside his hero masked a sexual subtext.<ref name="Snuff" /> In 1954, Wertham's book ''[[Seduction of the Innocent]]'' coincided with [[United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency|congressional hearings]] on the negative influence of comic books, among other topics. For a time, superhero comics lost their popularity, and many teenage sidekicks faded into obscurity. [[Rick Veitch]]'s graphic novel ''[[Bratpack (comics)|Brat Pack]]'', and issues of [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[Top 10 (comics)|Top 10]]'', address the seamy, exploitative, and potentially [[pedophilia]]-related aspects of the adult hero-teen sidekick relationship.

In the early 1960s, at the advent of the [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]], a new round of superhero sidekicks made their debuts, including [[Rick Jones (character)|Rick Jones]], [[Garth (comics)|Aqualad]], [[Snapper Carr]], [[Wally West|Kid Flash]], and [[Donna Troy|Wonder Girl]]. [[Marvel Comics]] mostly got around the teen sidekick quandary by creating a selection of super-powered teenagers — heroes in their own right, such as [[Spider-Man]], the [[Human Torch]], and the [[X-Men]].<ref name="Snuff" />

Most of the [[Golden Age of comic books|Golden Age]] and Silver Age sidekicks have evolved into independent heroes or been killed off. Certain heroes seem to attract serial sidekicks, notably [[Batman]], [[Captain America]], and [[The Flash]]. There have been at least five iterations of Robin; while Captain America has had a diverse array of sidekick successors to Bucky, including the [[Falcon (comics)|Falcon]], [[Demolition Man (character)|Demolition Man]], Free Spirit, and [[Jack Flag]].

==See also==
* [[Aide-de-camp]]
* [[Confidant]]
* [[Foil (literature)]]
* [[Henchman]]
* [[List of comic book sidekicks]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary}}
*[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-sidekicks5-2008may05,0,4406026.story "Sidekicks are second bananas no more,"] ''Los Angeles Times''

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[[Category:Service occupations]]
[[Category:Stock characters]]