Some in earnest and some in jest, but mostly both, here's a sampling of supporting roles as evidence that there's more than one way to be important.
1. Watson, of Sherlock Holmes
Despite not sharing in his partner’s caliber of brilliance, Watson proves time and again to be insightful as a detective and endlessly patient as a man. He understands crime and, perhaps more importantly, he understands Holmes, which makes him a genius, in kind. His half of the partnership is exactly that -- fifty percent.
2. Robin, of Batman
The Boy Wonder is Batman's iconic partner in (fighting) crime and a true master of exclamation, to boot, which is really the best anyone could hope for in a sidekick. He saves many a day, no doubt.
3. Alfred Pennyworth, of Batman
Okay, so, Batman is made of sidekicks. Where would he be without the guidance of his gristled-with-wisdom butler/father figure/therapist? Alfred is the man behind the curtain, the voice in Batman’s head, and his encouraging advice is always well-placed.
4. Perry the Platypus, of Phineas and Ferb
Sure, Perry can't verbally communicate. But he's a legendary secret agent who regularly saves the world -- and a trusty pet, too. It's thankless work, but someone has to do it.
5. Samwise Gamgee, of Lord of the Rings
As Frodo’s traveling companion and, arguably, conscience, Sam is more or less the only Ring-bearer with his wits about him, making him the voice of reason. He's got a heart of gold and is a truer friend almost than is humanly reasonable, which makes him the real MVP of the whole quest.
6. R2-D2, of Star Wars
R2 is one of the most memorable and beloved minor characters to grace cinema. Plus, he and his information storage capabilities, as well as his battle-hardened combat skills, are central to the plot of Star Wars.
7. Wilson, of House, M.D.
I realize House is at his most basic level an incarnation of Sherlock Holmes, which makes Wilson a version of Watson. But it’s my list and I’ll do what I want to. By all my counts, the bizarre, brutally endearing, never-say-die dynamic between House and Wilson makes him a deeply exemplary sidekick.
8. Dory, of Finding Nemo
Despite being the driving force behind the success of the title rescue mission and a good part of the movie's character development, Dory is consistently underestimated. But without her help and optimism, the whole effort would have been a failure.
9. Olaf, of Frozen
He's selfless; he's loyal to a fault; he's a naive, anthropomorphic snowman -- and we wouldn't have it any other way. Because action heroes don't have a monopoly on being inspirational, which is good because not all of us are geniuses or Skywalkers or caped crusaders. But everyone, as they are, has something to offer, whether in the form of traditionally idealized leadership or a more unconventional skill set. Let's not forget that the people you tend to overlook as secondary to your own narrative may well be holding it together. Give them some credit; they deserve it.
