Why you love sidekicks

[swampfaye]

I'm doing a bit of research for a writing assignment about sidekicks - can you tell me why you are a side kick fan - or why you think people get more attached to the side kick than the hero? What is the oldest form of a "side kick" you can think of (mythology, etc.)

Thanks for the help (in advance)

 

[fluffy bunny]

I think the fact is that the main hero is very experienced at what we does. He possesses skills that we do not have, and is harder to asscociate with.

The sidekick/apprentice doesn't possess such skills, and so is closer to us to start with. We all want to be the hero, but don't know how to be- same as the apprentice. The apprentice is more fallible, and likely to make more mistakes in the same way we would.

It's like the facination we have with training scenes in movies. What would it take for us to become the main hero? We go through this process by watching the sidekick - keeping a distance, whilst the sidekick makes the mistakes for us. In a way, we become the apprentice in spirit and are on the way to becoming the master we always wanted to be.

 

[milamber_reborn]

I prefer heroes, but sidekicks offer up double the entertainment adn a welcome distraction. Typically they are young and full of exuberence, with different skills that compliment the heroes.

 

[saintjon]

Would Enkidu be a sidekick to Gilgamesh, when they fought that bull-thingy?

*suspects he has gotten something wrong here*

 

[Valada]

The side-kick is often a source of lightness and humour within a more serious quest. My favourites tend to be the cartoon-based ones.

Best side-kick ever: the monkey in Aladdin
Second best side-kick: the horse in Toystory 2 (it's like a dog!)

Speaking seriously again (although I do seriously believe both the above claims), the side-kick is also a commentator. He/she can provide us with insights into or comments upon the actions of the main character. In other words, they are someone close to the "hero" who knows the hero's failings and can enlighten the readers/viewers as to these things - something that would be unrealistic for the hero him/herself to comment upon.

 

[swampfaye]

Here are what I think are the main functions of sidekicks (and I was thinking about the Gilgamesh story too, but I think that was more a God/servant kinda relationship - like Moses and Aaron thing)

Moral support - some sidekicks, like Sam Gamgee, Ron Weasley, are there for moral support - a kinda surrogate brother/ advisor/ best friend rolled into one

Grunt work - some sidekicks, like Robin (Batman), Sam Gamgee do a lot of footwork, gathering information because they can blend in better than their counterpart (even in street clothes Bruce Wayne turns heads) - they do the servants work, cooking, cleaning up - think of the practical needs of the mission.

Brainwork - other sidekicks ARE the brains of the group - like Arthur from the Tick, Scully from X Files - they have to make sure the hero thinks things through at more than an emotional level

Comic relief - It might be too ignoble to have the hero fall on his ass and say the things that WE are thinking as readers, so we have people like Ron Weasley (in HP ) who do it for us. Comedy is vital, and even for the hero it provides an emotional support.


Can you think of other functions I may have left out?

Another observation I have while researching this paper is that people who can relate more to sidekicks (that is people who see themselves more as a Gabrielle than a Xena) absolutely detest the sidekick. Why do you think that is?