The buddy. The best friend. Aide, assistant, colleague and companion. A coadjutor, if you will. There are a lot of adjectives these characters have but none more common as DEAD. Did you ever notice that the sidekick dies almost all of the time? A few jokes and a quick scene with his loving family and BANG! Dead. This plot device is so overused and so played out, it ruins entire movies for me. Movies that were otherwise really good, get ruined because a lazy director/scriptwriter needs conflict.
So, here’s to you, fellow traveler!!! The funny one. The reliable one. The reasonable one. The one who does the dirty work and never gets the praise. Here’s to the true hero – the Sidekick!
10. Ellis “Red” Redding (Shawshank Redemption)
I have watched this movie way, way too many times. But from the first time I watched this movie, I really thought he was the hero. Andy is generally regarded as the protagonist, while his best-mate, Red, is regulated to my favorite role, that of deuteragonist. Here’s why Red is the real hero: Andy never had to go to hell and back to fight and save soul. He is a man who was wrongly accused of murder and then ended up in jail in a case of mistaken guilt. He knew he was wronged the whole time and he was righteous in declaring his innocence. He never had to really look deep within to save his soul. That’s why he was able to convey “a quiet way about him, a walk and a talk that just wasn’t normal around here. He strolled like a man in a park without a care or worry.” He was above it all and was never in any real struggle within himself throughout the movie.
Red, on the other-hand, was actually guilty of a crime and had been in prison for years before Andy shows up. In fact, as he said, “the only guilty man in Shawshank.” He had to fight not only his guilt and remorse for the crime he committed, he also had to fight the process of becoming institutionalized. His character was forced to deal with his crime and then repent, perfectly culminating in the last parole interview. Andy was never in real danger of becoming institutionalized, even after he was in The Hole for 2 months.
9. Dory (Finding Nemo)
The first animated entry on the list, I can’t understand how anyone can say Dory was not the real hero. The only heroic thing Marlin did was save Dory from the jellyfish and that was only after being a complete dick to Dory the entire trip. In fact, if he had listened to Dory, they wouldn’t have even gone through the bed of jellyfish. So even that wasn’t too heroic of him.
Dory was the one that Bruce related to and spoke with most. Dory was the one who could read the address. Dory was the one who got the school of tuna to help. Dory was the one who got the whale to take them in to Sydney. And lastly, Dory was the one who was in the thick of it in the fish net at the climax getting all the fish to swim downward with her singing. Dory was the hero and that’s why she get the sequel.
Really what the hell did Marlin even do, besides whine the entire time?
8. Goose (Top Gun)
Ahh Goose…talk to me, Goose. This poor son of bitch is the epitome of what I am talking about in the opening paragraph. Best friend? Check. Good person, with a great family? Check. Dead? Check. Again, the only reason he dies is for there to be conflict for the protagonist. Totally bogus.
But Goose was the sane one in the cockpit, not the buzzing control towers and not being a douche to other pilots and to a certain admiral’s daughter. He was the one who took a picture to prove the inverted flight above the bogey. He was also the one who reigned in TomCat’s dumbass when they went below the flight line. Plus it was his “spirit” that inspired TomCat to get back in the fight in the final battle. No Goose, no Maverick heroics at the end. Plus, I got to include in my article a “Talk to me, Goose” reference – and that’s what this is all about isn’t it, referencing old 80’s movies?
7. Donkey (Shrek series)
Forced in to a relationship with a dragon, this guy takes all the crap and turns it in to fun. Donkey keeps the dragon busy while Shrek frees Fiona. He also is the one who first discovers Fiona’s secret and after an initial shock reaction, he is the first to accept her for who she is. Not Shrek, not her parents who deserted her in a tower and certainly not Farquaad.
Let’s not forget it was Donkey who rode the dragon bare-back into the church to stop the marriage and kill off Farquaad, paving the way for Shrek and Fiona to get together. Top it off with a nice little ditty at the end of each movie, what more would you want from a hero?
6. Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter series)
Really I can either put Ron or Neville here, since harry is one of the lamest heroes in recent memory. The Harry Potter books were enjoyable in spite of the hero and it’s mainly due to the superb secondary characters. Ron was the best friend, but Neville is probably more of a hero, so I will go with him. Shy and humble, but capable of greatness under the worst circumstances, Neville was almost fully responsible for the fall of Voldemort. Sure, Harry delivered the final blow, but it was Neville that made it possible. Neville broke the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, he reforms Dumbledore’s Army and actually leads it for a while and without Neville, the Order would’ve never been able to get into the castle because he kept the secret passage open with Aberforth. But most importantly, he is the only one to defy and stand up to Voldemort when Harry is apparently dead. Then a few moments later, he destroys the final Horcrux. Without Neville, Harry loses.
5. Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride)
By now everyone knows the line, so I won’t repeat it. But you know it, we all know it. Inigo lacks the douchey-ness of the main story’s hero, Wesley. Even the name evokes a mental picture of feminine hygiene products. Inigo is a master swordsman, a poet (along with his pal Fezik), and a professional drunk. It is because of him that Wesley is found and revived after partially dying in the Pit of Despair. Wesley would be dead as a doornail if it weren’t for my boy Inigo.
4. Walter Sobchak (The Big Lebowski)
In my opinion, one of the greatest character ever, sidekick or not. Period. The Donnie remarks are golden, as is his plight with Vietnam recovery. The Dude is going to be a father thanks to Walter. It is Walter who suggests going to the other Lebowski to recover his rug. This leads to him meeting Maude, which leads to the doctor visit, which leads to Dude and Maude hooking up. He also saves Dude and Donnie from a Nihilistic beat down at the end of the movie. Yes, Donnie dies, but he saves The Dude.
3. Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
HE IS THE ONE WHO SOLVES ALL THE CRIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. R2D2 (Star Wars saga)
Seriously, R2 may have been able taken the whole Empire down himself. Capable of moving in and out or Imperial complexes and full access to their systems, he could have done some serious damage. He carries the Death Star’s schematics, including the key on how to destroy it. He saves everyone from getting crushed in Episode IV, saves Padame in Episode II, saves Leia by breaking her chains when she was held captive by Jabba. He pretty much saves everyone at one point or another and doesn’t ask for any recognition. That is a great Hero.
1. Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings trilogy)
And then there is Samwise. Frodo can suck it like Trebek, it’s Samwise all the friggin way. All the time on the trek he is looking out for his best friend. He feeds him, he helps him remember the Shire at the darkest of times and his constant mistrust of Gollum saves Frodo several times. But even after all that, it is not what makes him the hero. He mortally wounds his friend’s apparent killer, Shelob, he becomes a Ring bearer, he carries his friend up a damn mountain and then cares for him until the eagles arrive. And in the end, to erase any doubt about who the real hero is, he marries Rosie and the hero always gets the girl in the end.
Honorable Mentions:
- Wilson (Cast Away)
- Spock (Star Trek)
- Sloth (The Goonies)
- Gort (The Day the Earth Stood Still)
- Emmett Brown, a.k.a. Doc. (Back to the Future series)