It became an unwritten rule that every good hero needs a good sidekick. This is mostly a good thing, for audiences in particular, but it usually ends up backfiring in the case of the protagonist. Why would it backfire, you ask? In a lot of times, the sidekick is written as a comic relief as well.
In the good ole days, that’s all the purpose they served to the story, but the evolution of storytelling allowed for the creation of much more in-depth sidekicks. In other words, they often steal the hero’s thunder through their humor and nature that’s much closer to real human nature. Some of the best Disney sidekicks abide by these rules, as well. Who are they? Read ahead to find out.
#1 Timon & Pumbaa, “Lion King”
Image Courtesy of Disney
We’re right off the bat and there is already a little bit of cheating going on here. It’s impossible to separate Timon from Pumbaa and this is precisely why they’re totally worthy of topping this list. They had personality, they had humor, they contributed to Simba’s story, and they gave us a memorable song. Hakuna matata, everyone!
#2 Kronk, “The Emperor’s New Groove”
It’s clear by now that we’re going by the humor these Disney sidekicks bring to the table and Kronk might just be one of the funniest. He also manages to stand out through the fact that he is actually the sidekick of a villain instead.
#3 Linguini, “Ratatouille”
Image Courtesy of Disney
Linguini is a funny dude, yes, but the reason why he’s so high up on the list is because he’s the only sidekick here that’s actually a human – and a sidekick to a rat, nonetheless. This automatically gives him a certain level of depth that makes him three-dimensional and relatable.
#4 Tinkerbell, “Peter Pan”
We’d like to continue the “different” pattern and address the fact that Tinkerbell is truly a fantastic character. She doesn’t speak, she’s not that funny, but she breaks the stereotype by being humanly selfish, jealous, and bitter. There’s a lot of depth in that tiny body.
#5 Olaf, “Frozen”
Image Courtesy of Disney
Olaf is almost as marketed as Elsa and Ana and that says a lot. He didn’t necessarily have that much of an impact, but he was endearingly optimistic and his innocent aspiration to see what summer’s like made us all smile bitterly.
#6 Sebastian, “The Little Mermaid”
Traditionally, the sidekick is a little less bright and the hero. In turn, the hero is forced to clean up the messes caused by said sidekick. The roles are reversed when it comes to Ariel and Sebastian, who rather resembles a wise advisor trying to keep the red-haired mermaid out of trouble. Plus, Under the Sea makes the whole movie.
#7 Mushu, “Mulan”
Image Courtesy of Disney
A tiny dragon acting like a huge dragon with the voice of Edie Murphy? Sign us up! While Mulan’s personal journey was undeniably inspirational, it was Mushu who often kept us smiling through the various hardships that the warrior princess had to face. And if you think Mushu’s funny as it is, think about the fact that he was initially supposed to have two heads.
#8 Genie, “Aladdin”
The Genie is the definite trademark symbol of Aladdin and it’s understandably so. He’s hilarious, unique in design, and the fact that he’s voiced by the ever so talented legendary Robbie Williams is a fantastic bonus.
#9 Baloo, “The Jungle Book”
Image Courtesy of Disney
Baloo is, arguably, the best example of what we were talking about in the beginning – a sidekick much more popular than the story’s protagonist. Mowgli was an overall nice kid, but it was difficult to steal the spotlight from one of the best pun-based songs ever, Bare Necessities.
#10 Lumiere & Cogsworth, “Beauty and the Beast”
In perfect symmetry, we conclude this list with yet another inseparable duo. Perhaps these two work even better together, for the simple fact that their personalities are so different that they perfectly contrast each other. Who would’ve thought a talking candlestick and a clock would become so endearing?
