Evolution of a Sidekick

Some sidekicks have all of the characteristics mentioned rolled into one neat package.  In Lord of the Rings Frodo is the ward / nephew of an eccentric weathy uncle, not unlike Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne.  Frodo is well bred, well read and well educated.  His companion through the series was Samwise Gamgee  his gardener.   It was poignant for Tolkien to make his sidekick so down to earth that he actually worked in it.  Sam embodied all characteristics of a side kick; the loyalty, hardworking, dependability, occasionally called upon to be witty, often funny and many times called upon to be brawn.  Yet, the readers are always clear that Sam is not the hero of the story, his glory will never match that of his Master Frodo Baggins.  This is how many of us relate to the story, and indeed to the world around us.  We wish we could be a hero, but relating to the struggling sidekick, we realize that our function is no less important, while it may be considerably less glamorous.

However they have evolved, a side kick culture has appeared.  You can hardly name a popular series or novel that does not have one.  Even the stranded Castaway in the film by the same name invented a sidekick from a volleyball he called Wilson.  Even in the most basic of entertainment venues we find sidekicks.  We cant  imagine Katie Courick without Matt Lauer.

Websites, fan clubs and spin off series dedicated to minor characters and  b actors have almost as much a cult following as any headliner.  Has our society come to acknowledged the fact that same sex relationships are as vital to our psychological well being as opposite sex relationships are?  The prevalence of the sidekick culture, as evidenced by the plethora of sidekicks in our entertainment media tells us the answer is yes. 

The (1) Merriam Webster dictionary defines sidekick as:  NOUN:  a person closely associated with another as subordinate or partner.  A sidekick can be an equal - like Scully on X-Files to her partner Mulder  or a subordinate  like Robin to Batman in Bob Cranes famous DC Comic.

Batman could stand on his own and still fight crime in Gotham.  Harry Potter could probably carry the weight of his burdens without his friend Ron, though Frodo would have certainly perished without Sam.  Mulder would still be looking for the truth without Scully.  Sherlock Holmes would have solved each mystery without Watson.  But it is undeniably more interesting to witness our heros interaction with their sidekicks than without them. 

The reason we love the odd-man-out is the same reason we smile more in company than when alone.  Everything is more enjoyable with a friend and that is the key and the staying power of the sidekick culture.