Fest's Character Corner: The Sidekick

Sidekicks are a character type everyone should be familiar with, they're a very present component in many stories and video games are no exception. Many video game characters come fully fit with sidekicks ranging from useful to just downright strange. Several games come to mind when I think of sidekicks as these games go as far to feature them in the title of the game itself. First, we have one of my all time favorite series while I was growing up, Banjo-Kazooie.

I loved Banjo-Kazooie for many reasons, ranging from it's quirky story to it's enjoyable platforming, but most of all I loved the characters. Banjo the bear and his rather loud partner Kazooie hold a very special place in my heart but they also just work well together. A bit of a strange pair in nature but you're playing a game where you run around as a bear with a bird in your backpack, only so much can be expected. Despite the noted lack of vocal interaction this pair works extremely well together as Banjo's jumping ability is augmented by Kazooie's ability to glide, yielding a solid puzzle solving duo.

Moving on, we have the Jak and Daxter series. This was more of an action franchise featuring the quiet and noble hearted Jak and his partner, Daxter, who has been turned into a talking weasel. The player primarily controls Jak and assumes periodic control of Daxter to fit into small places or when Jak isn't available for whatever reason. This relationship exemplifies what I see a sidekick as, a supporting character that can do something that the "main" character cannot.

For example, Jak is featured as a silent character but he is paired with what may just be the loudest and most obnoxious weasel in existence. Daxter often serves as a mouthpiece for Jak in the early parts of the franchise when Jak doesn't talk at all but still carries that role as Jak begins to talk more in the later games.

Sidekicks are an essential role in many of today's stories as they provide sometimes differing opinions, guidance for the main character, or fill a role of their own that can't be accomplished by the central character. Gotta love sidekicks.