13 SciFi Sidekicks

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Supporting roles rarely get the spotlight. But sidekicks are often my favorite roles.
Here are 13 of My Favorite SciFi Sidekicks:

1. Chewbacca (from Star Wars) – Everyone’s favorite. He’s Han Solo’s furry sidekick that only speaks in growls.

Quote: Sorry.. I don’t speak wookie.

2. Guy Fleegman (from Galaxy Quest) – He only played Crewman Number 6, but his character stole the show. Plucky and hilarious, he eventually gained a role as Security Chief on the new Galaxy Quest show.

Quote: “I’m just a glorified extra, Fred. I’m a dead man anyway. If I’m gonna die, I’d rather go out a hero than a coward.”

3. Firestar and Iceman (from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends) – I have to pay homage to one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons as a kid.

Quote: Iceman: “Here I come, to help my chum, ’cause he is dumb!”

4. Chloe Sullivan (from Smallville) – As Clark’s only true confidante, Chloe seems to be filling Lois Lane’s reporter role for now.

Quote: “Clark has more issues than Rolling Stones.”

5. Grig (from The Last Starfighter) – Alex’s last friend left to help him fight the Ko-Dan. The reptilian Grig acts as the navigator, while Alex mans the gun, in this classic scifi flick.

Quote: “I’ve always wanted to fight a desperate battle against incredible odds.”

6. Zoe (from Firefly/Serenity) – Mal’s right-hand woman since the war. She’s strong and loyal, the perfect smarmy sidekick.

Quote: “Do you know what the definition of a hero is? Someone who gets other people killed. You can look it up later.”

7. Teal’c (from Stargate: SG-1) – He’s big, bald (or at least was), and a babe. This Jaffa is honorable, serene, and stoic. But he does have his lighter moments…

Quote: “In my culture, I would be well within my rights to dismember you.”

8. Shawn Farrell (from The 4400) – He was a protégé of millionaire Jordan Collier, who seemed to just use Shawn for his ability to heal people. But Shaw actually had to take over running the 4400 Center while Collier was presumed dead. He has good leadership potential, but still lacks confidence.

Quote: “Me and 4,399 of my closest friends popped out of a ball of light right about here.”

9. Bruce Lewis (from The Dead Zone) – Once Johnny Smith’s physical therapist after recovering from his long coma, Bruce has become Johnny’s best friend and counsel. Though his character hasn’t changed much over the seasons, his hair sure has.

Quote: “’A little off’. Do you understand what it means in the context of the rest of humanity for your brain to be ‘a little off’? That puts you in another galaxy far, far away.”

10. William Riker (from Star Trek: The Next Generation) Once Captain Picard’s “Number One,” he now has his own command. But for 15 years, he served as First Officer on the Enterprise. He may hold a record for sidekick status.

Quote: “Someone once said ‘Don’t try to be a great man. Just be a man, and let history make its own judgment.’”

11. Mystique (from X-Men (1-3) – Even bad guys have sidekicks. In the movies she’s completely loyal to Magneto, even giving up her mutant genes to keep him safe. Not her brightest moment.

Quote: “You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child.”

12. Abe Sapien (from Hellboy) – A kind of merman, Abe faithfully assists Hellboy in his missions for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.).

Quote: “If there’s trouble, all us freaks have is each other.”

13. Bob (from The Dresden Files) – Okay, I’m stretching this one since it’s really fantasy, but Bob is such a great character. So much personality fit into a ghost that lives in a skull!

Quote: “Careful! These equations are very precise and if you walk through them, I will start belting show tunes from the sixteenth century.”


35 thoughts on “13 SciFi Sidekicks”

  1. Another fantastic list. I would definitely put Chewie number one as well. I think I would have to put the entire cast of Firefly on my list. And Chiana from Farscape (Rigel too).

  2. These are great – i don’t know half of them but i like’d looking at the pretty pictures and quotes. “Teal’c” yum.

  3. Angela I love your lists because it doesn’t matter how long I haven’t seen a show or movie, your quotes bring me right back to that moment.

    Great TT! As always.

    I love Mystique – I can’t believe she gave up her powers- and for what?

  10. Teal’C is one of my favs. you never really think of him as a side kick. I guess b/c he lasted both capt’n changes and all other role sitches. He stayed most true to character.
    Going to miss SG-1 🙁

  11. Great List. I so remember Grig from Last Starfighter, haven’t seen that movie in so long.

    Here’s a response to a quote from Chewie:

    Han: “I don’t know … fly casual.”

    Happy TT!

  13. Nancy – Dead Zone is a favorite of mine as well. Anytime I can talk about it or The 4400, I will.

    Gabriella – I’ll be missing it too 🙁 At least I’ll have the seasons on DVD to reminisce.

  16. I’m gettin’ all misty-eyed. I can’t believe I wasn’ the only one who liked Galaxy Quest. Guy Fleegman was great.

    I love Teal’c, but in the last season or so, he’s had hair and I never got used to that.

  17. These are great! I love all these sidekicks!! (well, the ones I recognize. I’ve never seen the 4400 and the like.)

    I love Bob with the Dresden files, he’s one of my new favorites 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by my blog…

  18. Teal”c and Riker are my faves from your list. You are so right: no heroes without sidekicks!
    My TT shows a lot of pics of my two kittens growing up.

  19. Angela, you’re like the queen of lists!! This one was great! You got me all emotional on #4: Chloe Sullivan ::tear:: Smallville is my favorite show. 🙂

    p.s. Could you check out my article “The Teen Years” on Speculative Faith at http://specfaith.ritersbloc.com – I’d really appreciate your feedback (good or bad) and I’m curious as to what you’d have to say. Thanks.

  20. Great list as always – I didn’t like the Spider-man cartoons until he was joined by Iceman and Firestar! And Mystique is always a favourite!

  22. I love how you put the quotes in there–it adds such a great touch! Having not seen a good many of these shows, it sort of gives me a feel for the characters.

    Great list!
    Happy T13!

  24. Kate – I love that movie. I actually thought about using that one too, but neither was really a sidekick.. I’m going to have to buy that one just so I can see it again.

  25. All I can say is Yes!! I love the sidekicks in sci fi. They are usually noble and fill in the hole of the main characters. I haven’t thought about The Last Starfighter in years, but I watched that over and over as a kid. It was one of the movies that had a huge impact on me.

    I would have to add the Scooby gang from Buffy as great side kicks too. Giles rocked!

    And Bob is my favourite character on Dresden Files!

  26. Even though I don’t speak Wookie either, I do love Chewbacca. I do love Star Wars, period. I remember seeing the first one when I was in High School (1979?) and being completely amazed with the flight scenes. Now they look a bit comical, but then, they were mesmerizing. My son also loves Star Wars. I bought him all the little figurines when he was in first grade (1997) and I hear they’re somewhat valuable to collectors now. Who knew?

  27. I LOVE this list!! Sci-Fi is my new favorite genre!! OK….so I’m really new at it, but I’m loving it, all the same! Galaxy Quest is one of the funniest movies!! I took my son to see it, and laughed WAY harder than he did. My favorite line of Guy’s was, “Didn’t you guys ever WATCH your show??”

  29. Bellezza – Supposedly, my parents saved my old Star Wars figurines too (from early 80s). I’m hoping they come across them, so I can sell them on ebay!

  33. Oh, yeah. I love Guy Fleegman and Grig. And, I thought about Will Riker, one of my all-time favorite Star Trek characters (in all its incarnations) when I was thinking about naming my youngest child William. LOL Good list!

  35. My favourite sidekicks were Trans and Becca from Andromeda. Likely I will think of others once I’m busy with something else today. Funny how that happens. 🙂

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