Tag: Sidekick

A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote’s Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes’ Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger’s Tonto, The Green Hornet’s Kato, and Batman’s Robin.
The origin of the term comes from pickpocket slang of the late 19th and early 20th century. The “kick” is the front side pocket of a pair of trousers, and was found to be the pocket safest from theft. Some unknown poet of the underworld must have made the connection between the front pocket – the hardest to pick – and an inseparable companion.
One of the earliest recorded sidekicks may be Enkidu, who adopted a sidekick role to Gilgamesh after they became allies in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Other early examples include Achilles and Patroclus from the Iliad, and Moses and Aaron from the Bible.
Sidekicks can provide one or multiple functions, such as a counterpoint to the hero, an alternate point of view, or knowledge, skills…