Let’s hear it for the unsung heroes – these are our favorite video game sidekicks

When it comes to video game heroism, it’s the main character that always gets the credit, as well as getting to be front and center on the cover of the box. But there’s no “i” in team, and many of our celebrated gaming champions could never have saved the world, princess, etc. without a little (or a lot of) help from their friends.

Some of them were playable, some just tagged along behind us lending a helping hand along the way, and some only appeared as voiceovers offering handy hints and often underappreciated pearls of wisdom. Some even ended up getting their own spin-off games where they replaced their partner in the driver seat.

We say it’s time these super supportive secondary characters were given their flowers, which is why this week we’ll be showing our appreciation for gaming’s greatest sidekicks. To quote the OTHER Super Mario Bro, “Let’s a-go!”

Contents:

1. Luigi (Super Mario Bros)
2. Daxter (Jak & Daxter)
3. Arbiter (Halo)
4. Clank (Ratchet & Clank)
5. Ellie (The Last of Us)
6. Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong)
7. Kazooie (Banjo Kazooie)
8. Dogmeat (Fallout 4)

Luigi 

He’s taller, greener, and just as skilled as his twin sibling in smashing boxes with his head, stomping on small mushroom-like creatures, and racing – his only mistake was to let the team name “Super Mario Brothers” take hold. Now, he is condemned to the eternal background as Mario takes all the glory in pretty much every outing.

Luigi has been given a few of his own adventures, however, most notably the widely acclaimed Luigi’s Mansion series, which sees the green crusader taking on ghosts to rescue Mario in a twist of fate.

Daxter

Initially appearing in human form with his buddy Jak, Daxter is transformed into an ottsel at the beginning of the first Jak & Daxter game after falling into a pool of dark eco, setting off the events of the whole series as you try to help him turn back into the wise-cracking young scamp he longs to be again.

Daxter perfectly offsets Jak’s total silence in the first game and taciturnity in the rest of the series by offering commentary, jokes, and complaints about everything you do on your adventures.  

Arbiter

This choice may ruffle a few feathers, as Cortana is generally thought to be the Master Chief’s sidekick, and while she’s certainly an incredible character, in our estimation it’s the Arbiter’s time to shine.

Voiced by the legendary Keith David, in a departure from his usual comedic roles, the Arbiter has it all: gravitas, a fascinating and tragic backstory, and a mouth that splits into four mandibles like Predator. He’s also an absolute beast with an energy sword, so what’s not to love?

Clank

Besides having one of the best names for a fictional robot in history, Clank is a phenomenal sidekick that any platforming adventurer would be lucky to have. Luckily for Ratchet, Clank serves as the rational anchor that tempers all of the reckless lombax’s most ridiculous ideas, he has a set of rotor blades in his head that let him fly, and he can transform into a giant version of himself to take on giant threats. Oh, and he also packs enough heat to roast 1,000 blarg soldiers.

Ellie

Ellie is the sidekick who’s so good she takes over from the main character. Ellie spends much of the first The Last of Us game as a kind of daughter figure for Joel, the main character who loses his own daughter at the start of the story.

However, after Joel’s untimely and upsetting demise in The Last of Us Part 2, you continue for the rest of the game as Ellie, and that’s definitely a good thing. She’s smart, wonderfully written, highly capable, and before he meets the wrong end of a golf club, she helps Joel learn the meaning of compassion.

Diddy Kong

Another instance of family ties in this list, Diddy Kong is the energetic, mischievous, and fun-loving nephew of gaming’s greatest gorilla – Donkey Kong. First appearing in 1994’s Diddy Kong Country, this loveable ball of simian goodness quickly established himself as a core character in Nintendo’s epic roster, and with that cute little baseball cap, his monkey business will never drive you bananas.

Kazooie

As we all know, birds and bears are natural companions in the wild, and Banjo the bear found his feathered friend in Kazooie – the squawking red bird who lives in his backpack. Kazooie is actually a “breegull” – not the first made-up animal name in this list (can you spot the others?) and helps her companion by flying, shooting eggs out of both ends, and even transform into the fearsome Dragon Kazooie in Banjo Tooie.

Dogmeat

To be honest, it’s odd that there aren’t more canine sidekicks in video games, what with them being our best friends and all, but Fallout 4’s Dogmeat certainly makes up for this.

Once he joins you as a companion, he can sniff out enemies and loot, he loves you regardless of your actions (no matter how atrocious), and he can even be decked out in a bandana or goggles. Now that’s what we call a good boy.