The most iconic pop culture sidekicks

Sherlock Holmes is the defining detective in pop culture. In turn, Watson may be the definitive sidekick. The good doctor is there by the side of Sherlock in TV shows and movies, comedies and dramas, you name it. There have even been twists on the character. Usually Dr. John Watson, on CBS’ “Elementary,” Lucy Liu played Joan Watson, for example. Though Sherlock is the brains of the operation, Watson is no slouch.

Superheroes are famed for their sidekicks, and that mostly goes back to Robin. Batman’s ward, the “Boy Wonder,” is not always to be found. Many Batman movies and TV shows have eschewed the Caped Crusader’s sidekick. Not the delightful ‘60s TV show, though, and not the film “Batman Forever.” Truly, nobody kicks sides quite like Robin.

There’s an entire fellowship of the ring to be found in “Lord of the Rings,” but the group does not stay together. Sam, though, is always there to support Frodo. He’s right by the side of his fellow hobbit for most of the adventure. Played memorably by Sean Astin in the film trilogy, Samwise is a fine sidekick, but a better friend.

Even before Han Solo got mixed up with the resistance and met Luke Skywalker, he did have one compatriot he would trust. That would be Chewy. While the origin story of their meeting in “Solo” was a little sweaty, that doesn’t diminish the duo across the span of the “Star Wars” movies. Han Solo may be a maverick and a willing outsider, but his Wookiee buddy is the exception to that.

The “Shrek” franchise is more than just a series of memes. It all began with a successful film franchise about an ogre. Shrek is even more of a loner than Han Solo at first, but in “Shrek” he picks up a fast-talking motormouth of a sidekick in Donkey. Voiced by Eddie Murphy, he provides a fine foil to the ornery ogre.

Many sitcoms are ensembles. You can find George Costanza bandied about as Jerry’s sidekick on “Seinfeld,” but personally we don’t see their dynamic that way. Ethel, though, definitely feels like Lucy Ricardo’s sidekick. Lucy’s best friend, Ethel gets herself mixed up in many a harebrained scheme thanks to her relationship with the quirky redhead. Well, beats hanging out with her husband Fred.

Be it the comics, early radio shows and serials, a ‘60s TV series, or that Seth Rogen movie you probably forgot about, The Green Hornet relies on Kato by his side. While Kato is presented as the chauffeur for Britt Reid, and also for The Green Hornet. In reality, though, Kato serves as an enforcer and bodyguard for the vigilante who presents himself as a criminal. Most notably, in the TV show Kato was played by none other than Bruce Lee.

Just as Lucy had Ethel, Ralph Kramden had Ed Norton. Norton, like Ethel, was one of the first examples of a sitcom sidekick that really stuck in people’s minds. The go-along-to-get-along sewer worker lived with his wife Trixie above the Kramdens, but also served as Ralph’s best friend. “The Flintstones” was a thinly-veiled riff on “The Honeymooners” when it debuted, with Barney serving the Norton role. Thus, the two make sense to lump together.

Most are exasperated by SpongeBob SquarePants, at least much of the time, but not his good buddy Patrick. The carefree, not-so-bright starfish is SpongeBob’s best friend and part of many adventures under the sea. “SpongeBob” has become the definitive Nickelodeon cartoon, and through that Patrick has become perhaps the most-famous, most-recognized animated sidekick.

In some ways, Spock feels on the same level as James T. Kirk. The only thing standing in the way there is that Kirk is Captain Kirk, and thus at the helm of the Enterprise. Given that, even as his second-in-command, Spock can’t quite be on the same level. While Kirk has others under his employ, it’s definitely the Vulcan who rises above the fray to serve as his sidekick. Plus, his cold logic pairs well with the capricious nature of Captain Kirk.

Krusty has Sideshow Mel, and Mr. Burns has Waylon Smithers, but those are secondary “Simpsons” characters. One of the members of the Simpson family has a sidekick as well. That would be Bart, often joined by his best friend Milhouse. While Milhouse is almost a tragicomic figure, he makes a delightful foil for Bart, even if he likes Vaseline on toast.

Luckily for Barney Fife, and for Andy Taylor, Mayberry is not a tough town to patrol for law enforcement. Otherwise, Andy might be in trouble for having his lifelong friend serve as his deputy. Played iconically by Don Knotts on “The Andy Griffith Show,” Barney is not exactly brave, shrewd, or, well, competent. And yet, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The power of a catchphrase. Flo is not the titular character from the sitcom “Alice,” and yet she’s the one we remember. Alice’s coworker at Mel’s Diner emerged as a sidekick and a breakout character thanks to three simple words. It is Flo who would remark “Kiss my grits!” a popular catchphrase that likely played a key role in “Alice” getting nine seasons and 200 episodes.

Garth kind of lives to be a sidekick. As seen on occasion, he doesn’t really know what to do when the center of attention. No, Garth works best with Wayne Campbell by his side. Wayne’s the one who is socially comfortable, and also the one able to steer his TV show “Wayne’s World.” Of course, that allows Garth to be the funniest character, though Dana Carvey’s portrayal certainly helps with that.

We didn’t include any real-life talk show sidekicks, but we can certainly include the most-famous fictional talk show sidekick. Also, in our opinion, one of the funniest sitcom characters in history. Hank sits by the side of Larry Sanders on HBO’s beloved “The Larry Sanders Show.” Played indelibly by Jeffrey Tambor, Hank is a fine foil to Larry on the show, but in real life he’s an exasperating presence for, well, everybody. He’s rude, crass, conniving, and in constant need of reassurance. Playing second fiddle to Larry certainly doesn’t help him on that front.

The ensemble of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” features many great characters, but most of them are Mary’s coworkers, or in the case of Phyllis, something of a frenemy. Rhoda is a different story. She’s Mary’s neighbor and best friend. While Rhoda is a brash New Yorker who doesn’t stand in anybody’s shadow, she still serves the sidekick role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” That is, until she got her own sitcom.

Sure, he’s Nick Bradshaw, but we all know he’s Goose. Goose is much more than Maverick’s radar officer. No, he’s Maverick’s best friend. That is until, well, one of the most-famous film deaths in history. “Top Gun” has a lot going for it, but the dynamic between Maverick and Goose may be the most important.

Look, Luigi is not Mario’s sidekick. He’s Mario’s brother, and though he may not be on the same level as the red-clad plumber, he’s by no means a sidekick. After all, you can play as either of them in “Super Mario Bros.” and Luigi has gotten his own games. Toad, though, has much more of a sidekick vibe. Though he’s playable in “Super Mario Bros. 2,” in most games he serves a sidekick-style role, and he also is a proper sidekick in 2023’s hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Frasier Crane is a great character, but he also needs good foils. Niles, for example, is more Frasier than Frasier. On the other hand, Roz serves as a producer, friend, and largely as a sidekick. She appears on Frasier’s show, after all, but certainly in a secondary role. Roz is able to get away with cutting barbs directed toward her boss and friend, but she still remains in the sidekick role.

Agent 99 falls into a category of sidekick wherein the sidekick is more capable and competent than their counterpart. Therein lies the humor, more often or not. “Get Smart” is focused on Agent 96, aka Maxwell Smart, but Smart would be in trouble without 99. She’s a shrewd, capable agent for CONTROL, and also devoted to her coworker and love interest.

Some characters are able to graduate from the realm of sidekick. Jesse is a fine example of that. When “Breaking Bad” starts, he’s fully the second banana to Walter White. Walt’s former student, Jesse is a ne’er-do-well who ends up making meth with his former teacher. Hell, for a long time he still calls Walt “Mr. White.” In time, Jesse would strike out on his own, and even become a nemesis to the middle-aged drug kingpin. Aaron Paul would also become an Emmy winner for the role.