Sidekicks

[pbray]

Next week I'll be giving my guest lecture at the 2009 Odyssey Workshop.. My topic is on characterization, specifically the hero/sidekick relationship in fantasy. I've been working on my talk for the past couple of weeks (so far I've resisted putting together Powerpoint slides, but given my corporate training I may inevitably succumb.)

I'll be starting the discussion with examples of sidekicks, and have come up with some of my favorites:

Gilgamesh / Enkidu (gotta love the classics)
Frodo / Sam
Holmes / Watson
Spenser / Hawk (Robert B. Parker series)
Batman / Robin (or Batman / Alfred, depending on which universe/version)
Dr. Who / Companion
Devlin / Stephen (as the author I know what I was trying to do with this one)

So, any suggestions? Favorite hero / sidekick pairings I should be sure not to overlook? Fantasy works best, but I'm open to all genres/mediums.

Comments

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

Don Quixote/Sancho Panza

Kirk/Spock

Steed/Mrs. Peel

Napoleon Solo/ Ilya Kuryakin

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Nero Wolfe/Archie.

[cypherindigo.livejournal.com]

From Andrew Greeley's "Irish" series. Nuala McGrail and Dermot Coyne.

My spelling could be off.

[scbutler.livejournal.com]

Prince Hal/Falstaff

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Vlad Taltos and his Jhereg, Loiosh, from Steven Brust's Taltos series.

[guinwhyte.livejournal.com]

There is a dearth of women in the list/suggestions, and yet the only one I can think of offhand to add is Harry Dresden/Karrin Murphy.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

How about Puddleglum as Jill and Eustace's sidekick in The Silver Chair?

The Tick and Arthur?

Do the sidekicks have to be, like, people? Because the fantasy genre is full of animal sidekicks (I'm thinking particularly of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books here...).

[emmycee.livejournal.com]

Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen. (Just to throw in a slightly lesser known set of examples there.)

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

PN Elrod's vampire detective series -- can't find the books right now to get the names, but the detective and the British guy who bankrolls him

in Tanya Huff's Victory Nelson books, would Henry/Mike count as sidekicks?

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

Include your romance novel, where the hero's sidekick thinks every problem can be solved by the application of the pointy end of a dagger. :-)

Or the difficulties of a sidekick in one novel becoming the hero of another novel (again, your romances).

[jemck.livejournal.com]

Aubrey and Maturin (Patrick O'Brien). Consider their different yet complementary skill-sets - and also, there's the romantic triangle angle in the early books.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Mulder/Scully? As long as we're allowing TV.

F'nor/Canth ;-p?

[larryhammer]

Stephen / Harry from Mythago Wood, which has an especially interesting scene where Harry leaves Stephen in order to stop being a sidekick and strike out as a hero of his own story.

---L.

[dynastic-queen.livejournal.com]

Dr. Who / Sarah Jane Smith is my favorite Who pairing-up to date.
Han Solo / Chewbacca
Hiro / Ando (Heroes)
Matt Dillon / Festus (Gunsmoke)
Daffy Duck (Duck Dodgers) / Porky Pig

And of course, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.

Just some I've enjoyed over the years...