What Makes a Sidekick?

The word sidekick is different in cartoons than it is in comics. Sidekicks in comics tend to be characters who act as younger versions of the main character, like Robin to Batman or Speedy to Green Arrow. They have some of the same capabilities as their mentor but lack the skill to use them. In cartoons, specifically in the 80s, sidekicks could be practically anything, as long as they provide some comic relief or encouragement to the main characters. Slimer in the Real Ghostbusters hardly does more than pester Peter or get in the way, and while he could be considered more of a mascot for the team, many people call him a sidekick since he does help on occasion. Orko causes as many problems for He-Man as he assists in resolving, even if he’s one of the few that knows Prince Adam’s secret.

So what makes a cartoon sidekick? Someone of a different species than the main characters? Someone of a different age, like a child? Is it someone that doesn’t have any abilities or powers? In MASK, is T-Bob the lone sidekick, or is Scott one as well? Are Spike and Sparkplug both sidekicks in Transformers even though they fill different roles? Is Bravestarr’s Thirty-Thirty a sidekick even though he’s as capable as the Marshall is? Is there a difference between a sidekick and a pet, like Uni in Dungeons & Dragons? Did the insect mounts in Sectaurs count as sidekicks if everyone had their own?

The only thing nearly universal across 80s cartoons is that almost every show had a sidekick. I’ve made lists before about the best and worst sidekick (Sparkplug from Transformers and Oona from Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors respectively), but there’s more to be said about sidekicks than which ones are useful and which ones are annoying. There are other aspects of a sidekick besides the comic relief they supply or the trouble they get into.

One of the main things sidekicks could be expected to do is provide context for the heroes and act as an audience surrogate. In cartoons like Transformers, GoBots, and Dinosaucers, where the main characters are aliens from a different world, the human sidekicks can explain things to the newcomers and experience the same awe that we would in that situation. While these examples could be considered sidekicks, they can be the most capable and necessary, helping more often with their skills and knowledge. Slimer in the Real Ghostbusters could also fill this function from time to time, acting as a bridge to the world of ghosts either through interacting with them or by being the subject of Egon and Ray’s experiments. Bravestarr’s Deputy Fuzz, possibly the show’s true sidekick, gives the Marshall access to the planet’s main population of Prairie People.

Other sidekicks could prove useful to their main characters by using the abilities that differ from their main characters. Returning to Slimer, he can often reach places the Ghostbusters can’t, either in the physical world or by going into their containment system. Orko’s magic may not be the most powerful on Eternia or the best controlled, but he can help He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in ways no one else could save the Sorceress. Even Uni, the young unicorn, has shown herself capable of using Presto’s magic hat when no one else could.

Another purpose of a sidekick is to challenge the heroes. This can be in the form of getting themselves captured by the bad guys, sure, but there are other ways. Twice in the first season of Transformers, Spike and Chip rally the despondent Autobot forces when the, ahem, chips are down. Sparkplug has also encouraged quicker repairs on the Autobots by challenging Ratchet’s mechanical skills, which is one trait that earned him the top spot on my list of best sidekicks. Inspector Gadget’s Brain is another example, often acting as a target to lead the detective to the real threat, whether or not it’s intentional. Snarf falls under this as well, trying to protect Lion-o from threats while also guiding him towards less dangerous solutions.

But of course, the main reason a sidekick exists in a cartoon is the comic relief and kid appeal. Often, the sidekick can become the most popular character on the show to some of the audience, and none exemplifies that as much as Slimer, having gotten his own spin-off segments from the Real Ghostbusters show. T-Bob’s function in MASK seems to provide one-liners when not trying to keep Scott safe, though it could be said he’s pretty terrible in both regards. The Mighty Orbots’s Ohno had a propensity to nag on all the other characters, acting as a mother hen while looking like a child. While not being particularly funny, in my opinion, sidekicks can also show the amount of danger in a show through sheer panic, with Oona, Snarf, and She-Ra’s Cowl.

Interestingly, some sidekicks, when in a show with a larger cast, are assigned a partner, sometimes bringing that other character to the forefront. Bumblebee in Transformers was Spike’s best buddy (after an attempt to make Hound fill that role), and Peter was the most frequent subject of Slimer’s attention. Each of the humans on Gobots was matched up with a specific Guardian in most of their adventures. While Uni was a pet to the whole group in Dungeons & Dragons, she remained closest to Bobby.

Of course, not every show needs its own sidekick. Inhumanoids, Starcom, Visionaries, Jem – they didn’t have established sidekicks. Perhaps Snake-eye’s, Mutt’s, and Spirit’s pets all counted, but they barely ever showed up, and one characteristic of sidekicks is their almost constant presence. Did these shows have too big of casts to include sidekicks or was their setting and story not conducive to children, aliens, or robots? The shows didn’t suffer from the lack of sidekicks, though I would say some of them had a bit more serious quality without the usual source of comic relief, depending on one of the main characters to just be a little goofier than the others, with Auger being an example of that in Inhumanoids.

Whatever the reason for their inclusion, sidekicks seem to be a permanent addition to cartoons set in the 80s and afterward. What kind of sidekicks do you prefer – the funny ones goofing off, the ones getting themselves in trouble, or ones keeping their hero motivated? Who are your favorite sidekicks? Which ones irritate you the most?

If you love cartoons as much as I do, check out my books Old School Evil and Old School Evil: The Rejects on Amazon, or go to my site www.oldschoolevil.com.