Having a sidekick can be extremely helpful in video games. They are there for you in battles, for emotional support, and to help guide you through the world. Some of the best video games feature a protagonist alongside their best bud, lovable animal companion, or slightly irritating but helpful fairy.
Having a sidekick in games can elevate gameplay, introduce new mechanics, or be essential in forging the game’s story. In many games, sidekicks are human, but that isn’t always the case. Some of gaming’s most memorable sidekicks are robots, monkeys, two-tailed foxes, or cats - and in one case, there is even a well-known sidekick that is an inanimate object. Here are some of the most memorable non-human sidekicks.
8 Tails - Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic is definitely the star of the Sonic series, but you can’t refute the star power of everyone's favorite two-tailed fox, Tails. While he has gotten a number of his own spin-off games, comics, and cartoons, he is still Sonic’s trusty sidekick.
Before meeting Sonic, he was often picked on for his tails. Once they become friends, Sonic helped show him how talented and special he was. Tails learn to fly using his twin tails and has mental prowess that rivals that of Dr. Eggman.
7 Diddy Kong - Donkey Kong
Some sidekicks are playable just as much as the main character. Diddy Kong is first introduced in Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo. He is Donkey Kong’s nephew and a speedy, smaller contrast to Donkey Kong.
He runs faster, too. In the first game, he is playable whenever you want, but still very much the sidekick as it is Donkey Kong’s game. He’d go on to get his own game in the sequel Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest where he’d get his own sidekick in Dixie Kong.
6 Companion Cube - Portal And Portal 2
The cake is not a lie and neither is the irrefutable friendship between Chell and the Companion Cube in Portal. Well, almost. The Companion Cube is a seemingly non-sentient object, that might actually end up having something going on inside.
Chell uses the Cube to progress through Test Chamber 17, but at the end of the level, GLaDOS makes you euthanize it. The game does a good job of making you care about this giant cube. That makes it sting even more when it’s burned in the incinerator and GlaDOS taunts you about it later.
5 Clank - Ratchet & Clank
Everyone needs a best friend, and lucky for Ratchet, he has the one in the supremely intelligent Clank. Clank is a robot created by Orvus, and despite being a robot, his personality is anything but mechanical. He is warm, compassionate, and sees the good in others.
He is a great contrast to Ratchet who tends to be a little more brash. Ratchet addresses situations with a more measured approach. Clank can also be equipped with various attachments like the Heli-Pack, so Ratchet can get to various places.
4 Donald And Goofy - Kingdom Hearts
In RPGs, it is important to have a balanced party. Thankfully the Kingdom Hearts games follow through with the inclusion of Donald and Goofy. Donald acts as a healer and mage while Goofy acts as a defensive tank who can do some damage with his shield.
Kingdom Hearts pulls from a number of Disney films, but Donald and Goofy were the two best choices to be Sora’s permanent sidekicks throughout the mainline game. They balance one another well with Donald’s seriousness and Goofy’s, well, goofiness.
3 Morgana - Persona 5
Morgana in Persona 5 is with you every step of the way through your adventure. He is a cat who hates being called a cat. When in the real world, he’s definitively a cat – and a very cute one! In the Metaverse, Morgana still looks like a cat, albeit an animated and exaggerated version of one.
He provides a lot of humor throughout the game and his obsession with Lady Ann is kind of weird but also a little funny. Morgana would be even better if he didn’t persist in making Joker go to bed so early in the opening hours of the game. There are adventures to go on in Persona 5 Strikers where you learn even more about Morgana.
2 Navi - The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
For all the love The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time gets, Navi the fairy is often criticized for being annoying. Yes, Navi is introduced to players by waking a peacefully sleeping Link up with her incessant "HEY LISTEN", but she sticks with Link through the entire game.
By the end of it, she’s just a part of the game as Link is. She helps him figure things out in the world and gives tips on defeating enemies. She is very much a game mechanic device, but Navi is invaluable.
1 Yoshi - Super Mario
Yoshi is the quintessential video game sidekick. He’s an adorable green dinosaur with his signature long tongue, and is a vital part of Super Mario. He’s appeared alongside Mario in many games, but he’s had a few spinoffs of his own as well.
He helps Mario out by letting him ride on his back, eating enemies, and, if he eats a certain enemy, he sprouts wings and flies. It’s hard not to love Mario’s favorite buddy, but he also is a strong enough character to exist on his own. He doesn’t need Mario all the time.