According to Goodreads, today is Dr. Watson’s birthday! In order to celebrate, they have posted a list of their 14 Favorite Sidekicks. While their list is totally awesome, they didn’t include a few that I might have picked, so I’m making my own list! 😀
Note: I’m leaving off Dr. Watson, since this is basically a tribute to him, so I’m considering it implied that he’s a great sidekick. 😉
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Look, I love Ron as much as the next person, but if I had to choose between them: Hermione all the way. She’s loyal, honest, and smart. She will tell you to your face when you’re being a jerk, but also have your back against anyone who you might have (accidentally on purpose) offended AND she will know just where to look to figure out how to save your butt when you do something stupid.
Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings)
I am not a huge LOTR fan when it comes to the books (partying for a month in a tree when you are supposed to be saving the world? really?), but you can NOT have a best sidekicks list without Sam. He is completely loyal to Frodo, to the point of being willing not only to die for him, but also carry the ultimate evil just to give Frodo a break. Sam is DEFINITELY the kind of sidekick you want to have with you during an adventure.
Pantalaimon (Golden Compass)
Who wouldn’t want a little friend who follows you everywhere and knows you better than anyone? I guess daemons are not really sidekicks, considering they are technically like your conscience in physical form, but Pan was basically another character, so I’m counting him. 😉 He was a good balance for Lyra, his cowardice causing her to at least think before she leapt; a fine trait for any good sidekick.
Robin – Tim Drake (Batman)
One of the original sidekicks in comic-dom, there has almost always been a Robin covering Batman’s back. And while each Robin brought something unique to the role, Tim Drake will always be my favorite. I’ve always felt that he was the one that most resembled Batman “The Detective”. He was smart, thought things through, didn’t jump in recklessly…but that caution didn’t stop him from leaping into danger when necessary. He took down some of the most powerful Batman foes all on his own…Joker, Lady Shiva, and more…and he never let it go to his head. That’s MY Robin. 🙂
Merlin (King Arthur legends)
Ok, this might be cheating a bit, since I dunno if you can really call Merlin a “sidekick”, but can you imagine having him as your best friend? Granted, he’s definitely not the most noble of characters (especially in the original legends), but he WILL fight fiercely to protect his friends. Also, he can basically do any magic imaginable AND see the future, so that’s pretty awesome. Now, my favorite version of Merlin has to be the one from BBC’s Merlin (2008-2012). He made mistakes, but he always really tried his best to do the right thing. It also helps that Colin Morgan is pretty adorable. 😉
I’m going to leave it at 5, though I could probably write all day on this topic. Feel free to add more in the comments! Who are YOUR favorite sidekicks? 🙂
The Life and Books of a GorJess Nerd 