20 Movie And TV Sidekicks That Literally Carried The Protagonist To The Resolution

If you take out these sidekicks, the hero 100% fails their mission.

Look, I'm not trying to hate on all protagonists. But there are just SO MANY EXAMPLES where the "sidekick" or best friend character is so much more capable!

MTV

I just wonder how these stories might be different if the sidekick was in charge.

1. Let's start with the most obvious: Frodo would be absolutely nowhere without Sam.

New Line Cinema

The only reason Frodo even makes it up Mount Doom is because Sam carries him. Sam also metaphorically carries him the whole series, acting both as a reminder of home and someone who constantly encourages and supports Frodo. In the end, he saves Frodo's life by convincing him not to let go. He’s incredibly brave and honestly the real hero of the story, whereas Frodo is just sort of annoying.

2. And Harry would've died without Hermione.

Warner Bros. Pictures

She figures out the mystery of Nicolas Flamel AND the basilisk before age 13, then uses a TIME TURNER to attend DOUBLE the required amount of classes. Without her, Harry would do horribly at Hogwarts. That's not even mentioning the number of times she saves their butts as things get more serious. She also has the good sense to actually think think ahead, which means she’s prepared for life-threatening scenarios that Harry gets them into.

3. I don't even know where Oliver would be without John Diggle in Arrow.

The CW

Oliver has this whole lone wolf, tortured hero, self-sacrificial attitude, but then Diggle steps in and is like, "Nope, I'm not going to let you be an idiot." He has no reason to help Oliver, yet he does from the start – not only as a bodyguard-turned-vigilante, but also as a friend. He urges Oliver to let people in and be happy and isn't afraid to be hard on him when he needs it. He humanizes Oliver and also saves his life a bunch of times.

4. Ryan is half the reason for Sharpay's success in the High School Musical films.

Disney Channel

Sharpay is talented, but let's give credit where credit's due. Ryan is JUST as talented as Sharpay, if not more (everyone does love a jazz square!!). Sharpay doesn't realize how lucky she is that he sticks by her, and constantly throws him aside for people like Troy, who didn't even like her. She would absolutely not be the musical theater star she becomes without Ryan as her partner.

5. Walter treats Jesse horribly in Breaking Bad, even though he'd be nowhere without him.

AMC

I hate when people worship Walt just because he's a badass. Jesse helps Walt get his start, and then Walt thanks him by being really manipulative, letting his girlfriend die, and overall ruining his life. It's so clear from the start that Jesse has a good heart despite his bad decisions. He's so resilient and funny, and WAY more redeemable than Walt.

6. There wouldn't even be a movie without the Genie from Aladdin!

Disney

It's not just that he makes Aladdin a prince – he's also a great friend. He rescues a drowning Aladdin even though Aladdin is unconscious and can't make a wish. He also urges Aladdin to tell Jasmine the truth because he knows it's the right thing to do. He's also hilarious!! Aladdin might be a "diamond in the rough," but he can be a bit selfish. The Genie is the true hero!

7. Thank god R2D2 never listens to C3PO in Star Wars.

Lucasfilm

C3PO is always in the corner complaining and telling R2 to stop whatever he's doing (which is almost always something that saves our heroes). You would think after all those times of R2 being right, C3PO would stop ragging on him, but no. Now that I think about it, C3PO is kind of annoying.

8. Bonnie Bennett is SO much more capable than Elena on The Vampire Diaries.

The CW

Bonnie constantly sacrifices herself for Elena. She's an incredibly good friend, almost always supportive but also willing to say when she isn't happy with what Elena is doing. She's the true hero of the show, which we definitely see once Elena leaves the series.

9. Sherlock might be a genius, but Watson is much more level-headed and organized in Sherlock Holmes.

Warner Bros. Pictures

As much as I love Sherlock Holmes, he absolutely needs a sidekick to balance out his eccentric personality and drug addiction. Jude Law's Watson is the perfect straight man, reluctantly pulled into Sherlock's schemes only to prove himself extremely capable every time.

10. Forget Shrek or Fiona, Donkey is the most important part of Shrek.

Dreamworks

Shrek is grumpy and mean, and honestly no fun to watch without Donkey. Donkey breaks through to Shrek, helping him decide to go after Fiona in the end. Donkey also gets a literal dragon on their side. He might be just a donkey, but he's a noble steed to me.

11. Stiles makes a way better hero than Scott in Teen Wolf.

MTV

Look, as much as I love Scott, we all know Stiles is the best character. He's funnier and more entertaining and very capable. From the beginning, he supports Scott as a friend and a wolf, doing a ton of research and investigative work to figure out how to protect his friends. He helps Scott through hard times, and even follows him into fights with nothing but a baseball bat. He's also super smart! He might not have powers, but he's strong in other ways!

12. Valkyrie is way more capable than Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, and she'll make a much better leader of New Asgard.

Marvel

Thor and Loki never could've escaped Sakaar and saved the Asgardians without Valkyrie. They work really well as a pair: Valkyrie helps knock Thor down a few pegs while also helping him in battle, and Thor helps Valkyrie remember who she is and what's important. But I would say Valkyrie is stronger because she's much better at stepping up and staying strong in times of crisis, whereas Thor is not able to do the same thing in Avengers: Endgame. Naming her the new leader is the best decision Thor's made in a while!

13. Sloth is so much more than the Fratelli's or Chunk's sidekick in The Goonies.

Warner Bros.

Sloth is low-key the best part of The Goonies. Once Chunk befriends him, he proves invaluable to the Goonies. He frees Chunk so that he can call the police, then goes with Chunk to save the other Goonies. Then he distracts the Fratellis and pushes them overboard before helping everyone escape the collapsing grotto. He has every reason to be cruel, but instead is just brave and kind.

14. Reggie is SO under appreciated by Veronica on Riverdale.

The CW

Reggie started to get a bigger role in Season 3, mostly as Veronica's errand boy and accomplice for the speakeasy. They began a relationship, but it was clear Veronica was not over Archie. I'm so glad she officially made him a business partner, because he's basically her lackey and always drops everything to help her.

15. Jorah is an ideal right hand man in Game of Thrones – but Daenerys is not an ideal queen.

HBO

Daenarys is definitely capable, but she couldn't have conquered Westeros without help from a lot of people, including Missandei, Greyworm, and Jon Snow. And, of course, Jorah. He believes in her from the start and is a large reason she does so well with the Dothraki, which leads to her coming into her own and starting to become a leader. He constantly fights for her and advises her and even kidnaps Tyrion for her. He's fiercely loyal and has a soft side that Daenarys loses as the series goes on.

16. T'challa's suit would be embarassing without Shuri's help in Black Panther.

Marvel

The tech Shuri makes for her brother in Black Panther is SO. FRIKKEN. COOL. By T'challa's reactions, we can tell this is stuff he never would've thought of on his own. Plus, we know Shuri can hold her own in a battle after Avengers: Infinity War. Honestly...she might make a better Black Panther than T'Challa.

17. Fogell from Superbad has way more guts than Seth and Evan combined.

Sony Pictures Releasing

This isn't exactly the same as a superhero movie, but Fogell really plays second fiddle to Seth and Evan in Superbad. Both of them (but especially Seth) doubt and give up on him, and neither get much alcohol on their own. Fogell has by far the best night out of the three of them and also succeeds in getting all the alcohol they need.

18. Dory, not Marlin, is the reason they find Nemo in Finding Nemo.

Pixar

Dory seems like she's going to drag Marlon down at first, but she actually proves much more capable that first glance. First of all, she remembers that Nemo is being taken to Sydney. Then she communicates with the whale that swallows them and gets him to take them to Sydney. She's also the one to actually find Nemo, overcoming her memory loss to remember who he is and taking him back to his father.

19. Janet is literally all-knowing, which makes her more powerful than Michael in The Good Place.

NBC

Janet is basically a God. She's all-knowing and can summon anything she wants. But she's also a really supportive friend and integral member of the Soul Squad. She provides Michael with nonjudgemental assistance and advice and is always there for him. She helps our heroes time and time again, and in the end, she supports them even as they choose to leave her.

20. And finally...Isabella and her friends do most of the work on Phineas and Ferb.

Disney Channel

Isabella provides some much needed structure, planning, and assistance for Phineas and Ferb's schemes. She has access to a labor force that Phineas and Ferb don't (the Fireside Girls) and often enlists them to help. Half of Phineas and Ferb's inventions would never get made without Isabella!