(no subject)

[skygiants]

moonyazu9 asked me for my Top Five Sidekicks.

. . . which turned out to be harder than I thought. I mean - what exactly defines a sidekick? If you're talking about superheroes it's easy enough, but after that things get foggy. In a way, I think 'sidekick' is more of a headspace than anything else. If you have a character who thinks of themselves, their primary role, as follower/helper to another character, okay, they're a sidekick. But the stories I tend to have the most respect for are the ones where you can tell that everyone's a protagonist in their own head - you know, the way most people are.

So for this one I've tried to pick characters where their sidekick status is both pretty incontestable, and says something interesting about the trope.

1. Dieter, Monster



Tiny Adorable Dieter is pretty much the archetypal kid sidekick - an abused child rescued by saintly protagonist-on-the-lam Tenma, he proceeds to develop a giant case of hero-worship and follow Tenma around everywhere he goes, armed with his trusty soccer ball and shin-kicking ability.

Kids and teenagers are pretty easy to put in a sidekick role because they're almost by necessity more dependent and less skilled than adults - there are some things they just can't do. Because this is Urasawa, though, there's definitely a layer of complicated realism in Dieter's portrayal. Dieter is remarkably self-possessed, considering, but he's alsoa kid who's been through a lot of trauma, and a vengeance-driven dude on the run is really not in the best position to take care of him - and neither the narrative nor Tenma ever forget that. And one of my favorite chapters of the manga is the one where Dieter encounters and helps out another damaged kid, without Tenma around. He's got his own arc to work through, too.

2. Sawada Shin, Gokusen



Okay, we are going to talk about Shin as sidekick because I find it hilarious! it is an excellent example of a.) subversion and b.) someone deliberately choosing the role of sidekick and finding it kind of empowerin and c.) because Shin's constant Robin-esque damseling is a beautiful thing to behold. Shin is a super-cool delinquent kid, unquestioned leader of his class gang of teenaged hoodlums - and as protagonist Yankumi, his badass teacher, starts to gain his respect, he starts realizing that actually he has way more fun following her around and supporting her as she kicks ass, repeatedly saves the day, and spreads shining earnest yakuza-flavored teacherly idealism throughout the world! Occasionally this means he gets held hostage by the bad guys, and this is embarrassing, but he will live with it.

Shin could be the protagonist of his own story, and that story has been written a million times. But honestly he doesn't really want to, and the dynamic between him and Yankumi makes for a much more interesting story.

3. Wendy Watson, The Middleman



OH WENDY WATSON. <333 Wendy is an example of a story that I think is starting to become more popular, though honestly I couldn't name another example off the top of my head - the sidekick who is the protagonist. Wendy's boss is The Middleman, basically a superhero whose job is to save the world from various and sundry dangers. Wendy is currently his officially-appointed sidekick and Middleman-in-training. (And fully aware of the possible pitfalls of the role; Wendy's genre-savvy could fill a library.) The A-plots are obviously always about Wendy and the Middleman saving the world from (for example) zombie fish; the B-plots are generally about Wendy's family and friends and her struggle to find the balance between superhero work and real life.

In a way I guess actually sidekick-as-protagonist is another story to come out of superhero comics first (THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY OLSEN, SUPERMAN'S BEST FRIEND, anyone?) This show does it awesomely, though. The Middleman is the officially-appointed hero, but this universe clearly does not revolve around him.

4. Danny Hislop, The Lymond Chronicles

And, for contrast, I wanted to put an example here from a universe that totally does revolve around the protagonist. I mean, I have talked about the Lymond Chronicles before, you guys know I love them in all their ridiculousness, but man is this a world at which Francis Lymond is the absolute and unquestioned center OF EVERYTHING. I am not sure there is a character in the thing whose agenda is not either about loving Lymond and wanting to help him, hating Lymond and wanting to beat him up, or being in a hugely conflicted love/hate relationship with Lymond and wanting to make out with him. OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.

. . . except Danny Hislop! Which is why he's my unquestioned favorite. Danny's one of Lymond's Full Military Troupe of Jaunty and/or Angsty Sidekicks (acquired somewhere in the third book) and, while his attention is still firmly on Lymond, he sticks around for the reason all the readers stick around: for the entertainment factor! Danny is an example of what I guess I'll call the Observer Sidekick - the person who follows the hero around because it's totally hilarious and allows them a more interesting life, and someday they'll probably write a book about their experiences. Like Boswell, I guess, but without the hero-worship. (Shin also probably starts out in this category, but shifts to a more directly involved sidekick midway through.) I love this kind of sidekick unabashedly because they're such a reader-avatar. They wouldn't be here if the hero's adventures didn't entertain them, and neither would we.

5. Rose, Martha, and Donna, Doctor Who



I'm listing all three of these here because I refuse to get involved in picking one Companion over another; I love all of them! And honestly during the Tennant years, the Companions were totally my reason for watching, because Ten always kind of irritated me. (SORRY, TENNANT FANS.) That being said, I don't think it's Ten's fault so much as the writing during the Davies years that always put the Doctor front and center - hero, saviour, on notable occasions basically Jesus. (I'm sorry, Martha, you were awesome, but the end of that season is always just going to make me laugh.)

The reason I haven't included the Ponds, or River Song here is because I think that the most excellent shift we've seen over the past season and a half is the move away from the Doctor as definite protagonist. The first season wasn't about the Doctor; it was about Amy. The Doctor isn't the most powerful or the most competent all the time - you have River challenging him on his own terms on a regular basis, you have Amy pointing out that just because he's a Timelord doesn't mean he actually knows what he's doing better than anyone else. You have the pirate episode, which was totally ridiculous, but also featured the Doctor screwing up in small, ordinary ways again and again.

It's not that I love the Ponds specifically more than I loved Rose, Martha and Donna, but I don't think you can call them sidekicks, and that's what I love.

So those are some of my thoughts on sidekicks! I would be extremely interested to hear any of your thoughts on the topic.

Comments

[katta]

Wendy is an example of a story that I think is starting to become more popular, though honestly I couldn't name another example off the top of my head - the sidekick who is the protagonist.

Hmm, I have the same feeling, but I can't think of any modern examples either! Only classic ones like Jim Hawkins or call-me-Ishmael or Eli in Bombi Bitt, and I'm not sure even they are sidekicks proper.

[skygiants]

Jim Hawkins, at least, I would say is definitely a proper protagonist - he's a classic Plucky Kid Swept Up In Adventure Whom (Shockingly To All!) The Plot Ends Up Revolving Around.

Maybe I am getting this story mixed up with the fact that sidekicks are more self-aware about sidekick status these days? You have more people getting upset about the fact that they're the Robin to someone else's Batman, or whichever comparison.

[katta]

I've only read the shortened version, which could affect things - Jim struck me as rather inefficient.

Though I suppose you could say the same about Frodo. :-)


Then there are the narrator sidekicks that aren't the protagonists per se, y'know, the Watsons. Or the Hastings. (Though, dear God, Hastings must be the most useless sidekick EVER.) So it is tricky to determine what's what.

You have more people getting upset about the fact that they're the Robin to someone else's Batman, or whichever comparison.

Yeah, like Willow going "I'm not your sidekick!" which, honey, since when?

[skygiants]

I, uh, am maybe drawing most of my knowledge from Muppet Treasure Island. >.> (BRILLIANT MOVIE, I WILL DEFEND IT FOREVER.) *cough*

ANYWAY though, isn't there a whole reveal that Jim has the secret to the treasure long-lost heritage join our cause etc. etc.? That is totally a protagonist thing in terms of plot setup, efficiency aside.

And yeah - when you have a super-genius super-brilliant protagonist whose schemes you want to keep secret to the audience, you tend to stick them with a narrative sidekick to balance it out, but the focus is still usually on the super-genius super-brilliant etc. (OH HASTINGS. *giggling* He does try!)

THAT WAS ONE I WAS THINKING OF. Poor Scoobies! They so didn't want to think of themselves as sidekicks, and yet . . .

[katta]

ANYWAY though, isn't there a whole reveal that Jim has the secret to the treasure long-lost heritage join our cause etc. etc.?

I think he had a map, maybe? Um. I may need to read the book again.

the focus is still usually on the super-genius super-brilliant etc.

Mm. Though mine rarely was, which I suppose is one reason I have a hard time sussing who's a protagonist or a sidekick or any of those things.

Not to mention, these days with shows like Heroes, it's even harder to tell who's supposed to be what.

(OH HASTINGS. *giggling* He does try!)

He is SO SO BAD AT IT. There are a couple of policemen in the Martin Beck novels who fail to make a vital arrest because they're busy interrogating a two-year-old who's been calling them names. When it comes to useless characters in detective novels, I think they're the only ones on par with Hastings.

[skygiants]

Well, likewise, about focus, and that's the thing - I honestly really prefer it when you can't necessarily tell who's supposed to be what! I love ensemble stories, and I often tend to get frustrated when the narrative obviously privileges one character way above all the rest. I mean, having one character who's the top-billing protagonist is fine, but that doesn't have to mean the rest of the cast need to be props for them.

I can't argue with you about Hastings, but I will always have a great fondness for him nonetheless, because of the totally hilarious fact that my mom vocally ships Poirot/Hastings.

[katta]

I mean, having one character who's the top-billing protagonist is fine, but that doesn't have to mean the rest of the cast need to be props for them.

I used to be very growly about "main-characteritis", where the writers assume we'll be interested in the main characters because they're the main characters, duh, and thus don't bother to make them interesting. These days, I'm either resigned to it or it's less pronounced than it used to be.

I will always have a great fondness for him nonetheless

Oh, I love Hastings too! Except when he hits my embarrassment squick. Which he does quite a bit.

Though when it comes to Christie queerness, I'm with the canon Hinchliffe/Murgatroyd all the way (despite the sad end).

[happydork]

Gokusen sounds large amounts of fun!

I refuse to get involved in picking one Companion over another; I love all of them!

<3! Truth.

[skygiants]

GOKUSEN IS SO WONDROUS, it is made of joy and delight and an earnest and idealistic lady judo-throwing villains across the room while various hulking gangsters and/or hulking students stare in awe. Occasionally problems are solved by the power of dudes dressing up in tiny loincloths.

<3 :D!