A friend in need is a friend indeed or so the idiom goes and video games are a great example of how a trusted side kick can be the difference between life and death. The presence of sidekicks in games is among the oldest tropes and we felt these unsung companions needed some much warranted love. Here are six of the most memorable video game sidekicks.
Roach
What would Geralt of Rivia be without his trusty steed? For a horse that is generally treated pretty badly by its owner, (Geralt is too lazy to name his horses anything other than an abbreviation of cockroach) Roach is one hell of a resilient equestrian specimen. She also has an unnatural ability to carry ridiculous weights and gallivant through icy mountain passes and verdant meadows alike. In our eyes, Roach is one of the unsung heroes of The Witcher
The Narrator
We’ll fully admit we are stretching the concept a little far by including the narrator from The Stanley Parable, but then again he is present throughout the game. His assistance is arguably invaluable to progression, but he does quickly get stroppy if you don’t pay heed to his guidance. The game simply wouldn’t be the same without the deep set tones of his English accent and this weird office nightmare would be pretty unbearable without him for company.
Ellie
We are hard pressed to truly call Ellie a sidekick as she is so much more, but technically she fits the description. Her bond with Joel is crucial to making The Last of Us such a compelling game and having her by our side through thick and thin is both a responsibility and a boon. There’s also a degree of sympathy for this sweet young girl who weathers the horrors of a world befallen by zombies and belligerent humans alike with gusto and resilience.
The Fez From Fez
By himself, Gomes is a cute little white blob creature who can jump and stuff. But, add in his ruby red fez and he transforms into a dimension warping, astral plane shifting puzzling demigod. In addition, the ability to shift the playable area in any direction to four two dimensions is the core mechanic of a game, all endowed by that unassuming fez. Not technically a living entity, the fez is however so crucial to playing Fez that we strongly felt it merited a spot on our list. The game is named after the hat after all.
Luigi
Often hiding in the shadows of his brother Mario, Luigi is the iconic sidekick by definition. All things considered, Luigi has become as recognizable as Mario with his own spin off games and his ever presence in pretty much every Mario title since the 1980s. He’s charismatic, charming, and full of life, and the Mario world simply wouldn’t be the same without everyone’s favorite green attired Italian plumber.
Atreus
Though only released this year, God of War has jumped to the top of the list of best PlayStation 4 games in spectacular fashion and with good reason. Among the adventure title’s most endearing aspects was the father and son bond between Kratos and Atreus. Beyond being a nifty narrative mechanic sowing the seeds of the story arc, Atreus is a skilled archer who more than once has saves us from dicey situations throughout the game. To boot, Kratos barking ‘boy’ has become somewhat of a cult phrase in a very short time.
