For every hero, there’s a sidekick…
Where would most Disney protagonists be without
the little companions… or big companions…
who stuck with them throughout their whole
adventure?
In many cases…
Probably dead.
Now, the truth is, there isn’t a tremendous
amount of moral complexity to the usual Disney
Sidekick…
We’re dealing with reflections of the hero…
Characters who are overall good, to say the
least…
So when we started ranking them on the Good
scale…
It got pretty tough.
Long story short, we’ll be splitting some
hairs on this one…
Very thinly…
I’m Brad with WickedBinge and this is Disney
Sidekicks: Good to Most Good.
Now, today we’ll be starting from the least
good and working our way up to the most good.
Again, even the least good Disney Hero Sidekick
is still good.
So this will be a pretty darn positive list.
The criteria will include any heroic actions
sidekicks perform.
How much they help the hero along their journey
and what they risk putting themselves on the
line.
As well as some basic morality assessments.
It’s also worth noting that we did include
a couple characters who are probably above
the title of sidekick, but because they’re
often thought of as sidekicks, we had to place
them in our ranking.
Now let’s get started!
Starting out with the least good, we have...
Thumper from Bambi.
Now, it isn’t that Thumper was a liability
to any adventure or that he was malicious…
It’s just that…
He also didn’t provide any aid.
He’s seen as a sidekick by Disney, but he
was more of a friend to the protagonist than
any genuine help.
He taught Bambi how to move on the ice...
But how much credit does that really earn
him?
It was just a cute scene.
Next we have Hey-Hey.
He doesn’t give words of wisdom.
He doesn’t have magical powers.
He just screams when he finds himself out
in the ocean.
Which is relatable.
He does help to give Moana some companionship
and manages to be useful, saving the heart
of Tafiti from falling overboard…
Which was good.
Archimedes from The Sword in the Stone is
next.
He’s rough around the edges.
Cynical and quick to judge, he usually provides
commentary on how dreary a situation looks.
We’re granting him some hero points for
jumping in to help Arthur from being devoured
when he was a fish.
Though the owl denied being of help and claimed
he was trying to eat Arthur himself…
So, this is a pretty fair ranking for him.
Ah, Mushu.
The charismatic dragon that won the hearts
of Disney’s audience takes the next place
on our list, and for a valid reason.
Mushu is one of the most memorable Disney
sidekicks of all time, and as much as he’s
charismatic and lovable, he’s also careless
and selfish.
He was once a guardian spirit of the Fa family,
but he had been demoted shortly after he failed
to protect Fa Deng, a family member who ended
up being decapitated thanks to his mistakes.
We experience Mushu’s selfishness and arrogance
as soon as we're introduced to his character;
In contrast to Mulan, who’s humble and brave,
he’s overconfident, cowardly at times and
impulsive.
We see his selfish and arrogant behavior the
best when he introduces the audience to his
main goal: To become the family guardian again
by turning Mulan into a war hero, not initially
caring about Mulan’s or anyone else's say
in the matter.
Of course, he managed to see the error in
his ways and fix the mess he made…
His selfishness and personality are hard to
overlook.
But given the fact that Mulan is loaded with
overall good characters, we’ll just chalk
it up to Mushu taking some time to grow.
Now, for a horse, Pegasus is surprisingly
personified and is capable of a wide range
of emotions, not least of all jealousy and
spite.
Yes, he’s fiercely protective of Hercules
and can quickly become vengeful with those
he deems to harbour ill will towards him . He’s
also envious of Meg- his issue appears to
stem not from the fact that Meg poses a threat
to Hercules, being an accomplice of Hades,
but just because he’s jealous of the lovestruck
attention Hercules is giving her.
He shoots her some really angry glares throughout
the story.
When in Thebes, he takes advantage of her
fear of heights by flying at a purposely high
speed so as to frighten her.
That’s actually pretty terrifying.
But, as god’s best friend, Pegasus has a
heart of gold too, showing deep friendship
for Hercules from the crib to the battlefield,
even after years apart.
Aladdin’s pet monkey, Abu is next.
The furry little kleptomaniac is Aladdin’s
loyal partner-in-crime.
He’s a tricky little monkey who loves fruits
and shiny objects…
Truthfully, Abu can be a little greedy and
disobedient, and sometimes even manages to
aggravate a situation to put everyone in trouble.
However, he is caring, good-hearted, and you
can count on him when things get ugly.
Abu is willing to risk his life for Aladdin
and his friends, and that’s something…
But, he’s shown to be intelligent enough
to know right from wrong, but still chooses
to steal… which almost got Aladdin killed
in the Cave of Wonders.
Next we’re placing Meeko and Flit together.
They had their own ideas for how Pocahontas
should run her life.
Meeko took quickly to John Smith and supported
her rebellion.
Flit was the number one fanboy of the Kocoum
fanclub.
So their different views led to them clashing
and trying to help the princess in their own
way.
They both clearly cared about her and wanted
her to live a happy life...
But they couldn’t agree on what that meant.
From Tangled, we now have Maximus.
Incredibly intelligent, Maximus can understand
human speech.
And although he’s very tough and stubborn,
he has a good heart.Even becoming friends
with his former arch nemesis, Flynn, in order
to reunite Repunzel with her family.
Moving onto Little John from Robin Hood.
He was a trickster much like his best friend.
He was a little more level headed than Robin
was, actually able to take the danger they
were in seriously.
He always pushed Robin to tell Marian he loved
her and he went along with the plans to help
with the jailbreak.
He helped to stand up for the rights of the
townspeople and was a great support.
Next up is the self-proclaimed expert on humans
and the most eccentric seagull you’ve ever
seen: Scuttle.
Like Ariel, Scuttle also likes to collect
human objects and serves her as a consultant
on the surface world.
However, his identifications consist of pure
nonsense, such as naming a fork a “dinglehopper”
or a smoking pipe a “snarfblatt.”
Scuttle is hilarious and well-intended, no
doubt about that…
But he seems to really enjoy listening to
himself talk about things he knows nothing
about.
But you should never underestimate him.
This eccentric seagull is actually quite brave,
as it was shown when he discovered that Vanessa
was actually Ursula, he immediately told Ariel
and helped stall the wedding.
A feathery goofball, no doubt.
But a good ally.
Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas is
next.
Now before there’s a war in the comments,
we aren’t saying Zero wasn’t a comfort
to Jack...
He was always there when Jack was upset and
stayed by the man when he isolated himself
from the town.
He even helped to lead them through the fog,
helping his owner live his dream.
He’s caring and sweet, which is slightly
surprising given the fact that everyone in
Halloween Town is so mischievous.
Although Zero isn’t at the top of this list,
he did get The Gold Medal for Good in our
Nightmare Before Christmas Good to Evil…
But everyone in Halloween Town has some problems,
so it wasn’t all that tough.
That said, Zero is a little dog-slash-ghost-slash-angel
who brings joy to Halloweentown.
Sven is next.
Best friend to Kristoff, he was the first
to catch on that the ice-cutter might have
feelings for the princess.
He helped to rush Anna to safety when her
heart was frozen and literally threw Kristoff
towards her in a snow storm, even at the risk
of his own life.
Another very good boy, we have Doug.
He went against the pack that degraded him
to be with an owner that showed him love and
affection.
Doug wanted to be treated as more than a tool,
and that isn't a bad thing.
Once with Carl, he helped save Russel and
Kevin, using his given intelligence to help
them all escape.
Next is Dante from Coco.
Clearly there’s a trend of dogs being awesome
sidekicks and we are okay with that.
Being a spirit guide, he knew what Miguel
needed and fought to get the boy towards his
family.
He happily brought Hector and Miguel together
and when they were thrown in the pit, Dante
went to seek out Mama Emelda.
Evinrude from The Rescuers is up next.
He went above and beyond the call of duty
to help our heroes, risking his life to not
only get Bernard and Bianca to Penny, but
also going to rally the other creatures of
the swamp to save the little girl.
He was running on empty for a good portion
of his time on screen and still tried to keep
going, knowing he was helping a worthy cause.
We’re placing Guss-Guss from Cinderella
next.
He was fairly clueless most of the time, but
his heart was in the right place.
After being freed of the trap by Cinderella,
he was determined to pay back her kindness
by helping to make her dress and bring up
the key to free her.
We’re docking some points because he could
be annoying and a liability, but hey.
He tried.
Pascal is next.
He was a friend to Rapunzel when she didn’t
have anyone else she could confide in.
He encouraged her to leave the tower even
before Flynn showed up and he tried his best
to keep Rapunzel from being imprisoned again,
even though all it got him was kicked into
a wall.
When he was given the opportunity to be sure
Gothel was no longer a threat, he took it,
leading to tripping up the witch and having
her fall to her death.
Moving on, Cri-Kee is next.
Although Cri-kee can definitely be fussy with
Mushu, nobody can deny that he is one of the
most loyal Disney sidekicks ever.
Yes, he laughs at the expense of Mushu, even
calling him a loser at one point, but he never
abandons Mulan’s side.
Cri-kee is pretty selfless, and is actually
the one to keep his companion on the right,
more-moral path.
He also finds himself in danger throughout
the film, but finds a way to fight through
what is thrown at him, despite his itty-bitty
size.
Carl from Meet the Robinsons is next.
He was the one Wilbur confided in after losing
the time machine and was also the one to step
in and help save Luis before everything hit
the fan.
His only request was to be modeled a little
bit cooler once Luis returned to his own time.
Next up is Rhino.
A Bolt fanboy, he was a rodent full of energy.
His ambition was to be a hero while looking
up to the tv star.
He was almost as delusional as Bolt himself,
having to be scolded by Mittens now and then.
But he gave Mittens confidence and rushed
to help Bolt even when the canine denied needing
them, claiming that was when Bolt would need
them most.
We definitely can’t forget Tinkerbell.
Now she certainly wasn’t the best towards
Wendy and the boys.
But there’s no doubt that she cares a lot
for Peter.
She did try to kill Wendy and was tricked
by Hook to give away the hiding place, but
she busted out of confinement when she heard
Hook's plan.
She risked being blown up just to save Peter
and while injured, pleaded with him to save
Wendy and the boys.
Next is Jaq, another mousey helping hand to
Cinderella.
He was a sort of leader among the mice, teaching
them how to navigate the home and encouraging
them to help Cinderella.
He was the one to lead Guss-Guss to get the
key, taking on Lucifer when Guss-Guss was
trapped.
The fact that this little mouse took on the
cat that thrived to hunt him got him major
hero points.
Next is Louis.
A lover of jazz, he offers to help Tiana and
Naveen in the hopes that maybe he could also
be human and play jazz without being shot
at.
He lets his fear sway him, but ultimately
overcame it when he saw Ray being chased by
the Shadowman’s friends.
He gave Raymond comfort before his passing,
carrying him to say goodby to their newly
found friends and helped to get Tiana her
restaurant.
Dr Dawson from the Great Mouse Detective is
next.
Modeled after the character John Watson from
the Sherlock Holmes series, he was the one
to come across Olivia and help her find someone
to track down her father.
He warmed up to Basil, giving the other confidence
when Basil was ready to accept his fate.
He went along to face Ratagan and save the
Queen as well as Olivia and her father.
Roquefort from the Aristocats may not have
been an official sidekick, but he was loyal
to Dutchess and her kittens.
After finding out they were missing, he immediately
went out to go looking for them.
When he found out the butler wanted them dead,
he tried warning them to stay away.
When they were trapped again, he had run for
help, following Tom's advice to get the alley
cats.
Next is Zazu.
Now, full disclosure…
We discussed a theory about how Zazu is a
traitor who worked for Scar in our Lion King
Dark Theories Video… and we applied that
theory to Zazu’s ranking in our Lion King:
Good to Evil…
But, because it’s really just speculation
and innocent until proven guilty and all that…
We’re giving the bird a break this time.
The king’s advisor, he put up with a lot.
He not only had a young, egotistical cub bent
on adventure, but he also had to deal with
a lion plotting to destroy the king.
He endured being imprisoned and tried to go
get help when Mufasa was in trouble.
He accepted Simba's return without judgement,
merely granting the former prince respect.
He had a sort of protective uncle vibe when
interacting with Nala and Simba and if we
ignore the speculative theory, his worst flaw
was how he handled stress.
Turk and Tantur from Tarzan are another dynamite
team.
They didn't quite agree with Tarzan's choice
to become close to humans.
In fact they wanted him to do the opposite.
But they still made an effort to see him off
and when they heard he was in trouble they
rushed in to help.
Having their friend return with them to the
jungle, they rallied to stop the poachers
and accepted Tarzan as the new leader.
Our second Little Mermaid character is the
Jamaican-accented crab, who serves as King
Triton’s advisor, Sebastian.
He’s caring and dedicated, and even talented
when it comes to singing.
Sebastian’s actions may be strict, which
kind of makes him seem like a stick in the
mud in some situations.
However, he’s well-intended and acts this
way for Ariel’s protection.
Sebastian’s loyalty and kindness are undeniable:
The best example is when Ariel is transformed
into a human.
Rather than telling the king, Sebastian chose
to support Ariel.
Despite Sebastian’s anxiety issues, he risks
his life for those he cares about and has
a real sense of honor and duty.
On the screen he may seem strict and sometimes
mean, but it is purely out of love.
The best Little Mermaid character is definitely
Flounder.
First things first, although his name would
imply otherwise, he’s not a flounder...
but a tropical fish.
Flounder regularly embarks on Ariel’s adventures,
which shows that he is pretty remarkably brave.
Part of his reasoning for joining her is to
watch out for her if things go wrong.
His bravery was showcased several times, especially
during the final confrontation with Ursula,
when he jumped into the battle to take on
Flotsam and Jetsam.
As Ariel’s best friend, Flounder is kind
of the "voice of reason," as he frequently
tries to talk Ariel out of her ideas of adventuring
for her own safety.
He’s also the only creature who gives Ariel
unconditional support with her fascination
with human things.
He’s loyal, caring, supportive and brave.
Trusty and Jaq from The Lady and the Tramp
are next.
Neighbours to Lady, they were a support through
the whole film.
Not only did they teach Lady about the world,
but they were always there to support her
when she was having trouble.
They offered her to live with them thinking
she was being neglected and they stepped in
to save Tramp when they heard he kept the
rat from reaching the baby.
Truly upstanding canines.
We’re placing Timothy Mouse next.
Dumbo was one of those films that was darker
than we remembered.
Thank goodness for this mouse or who knows
how Dumbo would have faired?
It was Timothy that helped Dumbo get food
and stay clean.
It was his thinking that got him to land a
key role in a performance.
He even made an effort to boost Dumbo's confidence,
calling his ears cute and eventually encouraging
the elephant to fly.
He even made sure Dumbo could visit his mother,
even if she couldn't hold her son they way
she wanted.
A truly great character that deserves more
praise.
Next is Mrs Potts, Lumerie and Cogsworth.
Since they were the ones closest to the Beast,
they were the ones to encourage the romance
between him and Belle.
They not only helped the scared girl feel
welcome, but they also proved that protecting
their master was crucial to them.
Fighting off an entire mob must have been
an intimidating task, but they stepped up
without question, unwilling to let the Beast
die just because he had been heart broken.
Next we have Timon.
You may be wondering why we’ve put Timon
further down on this list than Pumbaa and,
while it was a hard decision to make, we definitely
have our reasons.
Timon is also fundamentally a good character-
he too saves Simba from the vultures and helps
distract the hyenas with his rather hilarious
hula dance.
He and Pumbaa both represent the found family
that Simba needs away from Pride Rock, and
away from Scar’s manipulations and heaps
of expectations.
There are only a few minor reasons Timon ranks
lower than Pumbaa on this list.
One, he does have a tendency to be a little
self-centered- during “Can You Feel The
Love Tonight,” he’s more concerned with
Simba potentially leaving their gang than
his chance of newfound love and happiness.
He’s also known for stealing some of Pumbaa’s
plans and claiming them as his own, proving
he’s not quite as smart as he thinks he
is.
But ultimately, he’s still loyal to Simba
and Pumbaa, and has a good heart through it
all.
Next are Victor, Hugo and Laverne.
Aid to Quasimodo, they were parental figures
when he didn’t have one.
And no, we don’t count Frollo.
They pushed Quasimodo to live his life and
escape the Church at least for one day.
They tried to get him to find love and while
it didn't work out, they still helped to get
Quasimodo to break free of the chains Frollo
put him in and save Esmeralda.
Not to mention their help in keeping the guards
out was crucial to that final standoff.
We couldn’t forget about Baymax, everyone’s
favorite inflatable healthcare companion who
captivated us all with his marshmallow-like
appearance and hug ability.
His only goal is to help the sick and injured…
While retrieving Abigail Callaghan, he saves
hiro from a large piece of debri which nearly
crushed him but in turn damaging Baymax’s
thrusters.
In the last minutes of Baymax’s screen time
we see the ultimate act of sacrifice Baymax
carries out to save not only hiro but Abigail
as well… “are you satisfied with your
care?”
Yes, Baymax, we are…
The only reason we aren’t ranking him higher
is because he’s a machine… but he’s
a machine with a beautiful heart.
We can’t forget The Magic Carpet from Aladdin.
Throughout the series, it’s proven to possess
a human-like level of intelligence; it’s
a bit shy, but also heroic when needed; but
most importantly, you can always count on
it.
It doesn’t seem to have any negative characteristics,
such as cruelness or selfishness.
It’s got a pure heart… if, you know, carpets
had heart...
The carpet has a great connection with Aladdin.
In fact, it saved Aladdin’s life on several
occasions.
In the words of Aladdin, “you can trust
it with your life”.
Next was a tough call, but we’re giving
it to the Dwarves from Snow White.
At first they were happy to have someone cook
and clean, but it became clear as the movie
went on that they loved Snow White for her
charm and company.
They became fiercely protective of her, warning
her of danger and reluctant to return to work
if it meant leaving her alone.
I mean, we really have to give them some “ride
or die” points because when they found her
dead… or what they thought was dead- their
first reaction was to hunt down the queen
and take her out.
They really don’t mess around.
And given the queen was pure evil, we can’t
dock them any points for going to kill her.
Jiminy Cricket is up next.
He stuck by Pinnocio through being devoured
by a whale, through being stolen by a puppeteer,
through almost dying to save Gepetto…
He did everything he could to get Pinnocio
on the right path.
He was hardly ever thanked for his efforts
and put himself in harm's way more than expected
but still he stayed.
Onto Raymond.
A romantic and straightforward little bug,
he was quick to step in to aid Tiana and Naveen
without anything promised to him.
He stayed to help Tiana despite her lashing
out and he took on the shadows with only the
small amount of light he could produce.
Even when dying, he expressed concern for
Tiana and Naveen, noting they were still frogs.
When he learned of their love, he gave his
blessing.
It quickly became one of the saddest Disney
deaths and it was hard to lose such a great
character.
Now onto Timon’s partner...
Pumbaa.
Pumbaa, In Swahili, means “to be foolish,
silly, weak-minded, careless and negligent,”
though we assure you that Pumbaa is not any
of these traits in any negative manner.
He’s first introduced alongside Timon when
they save the lost Simba from a pack of vultures,
where they then take him under their wings.
Both are outcasts, Pumbaa notably due to a
foul odour he gives off that drives everyone
away from him- which really tugs at your heartstrings,
especially since he remains so caring and
optimistic.
His bravery goes above and beyond also, and
he proves himself by not only offering himself
up as a juicy warthog to the hyenas when Simba
is in need of a distraction-- but also when
he single-handedly drives away the hyenas,
Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, in the final battle.
So who could take first place over that?
Well, we’re giving it to Tibbs from 101
Dalmations.
This cat was the real MVP.
He risked his life saving those puppies.
First, he didn't have to save more than the
ones being sought out by their parents, but
he did.
He didn't have to get in between them and
a grown man with a crowbar, but he did.
He didn't have to provide a distraction so
the puppies could run from the house to the
old barn.
But he did.
He may have worked for the coronal, but his
priority was keeping those puppies from being
killed for coats.
Want to guess who The Silver Medal for Most
Good Disney Sidekick goes to?
He’s blue, 65,000 years old, and one of
the most lovable sidekicks throughout Disney
history - The Magic Genie of the Lamp.
He’s honestly above the title of sidekick,
but we have to include him.
There’s nothing this larger-than-life spirit
can’t do!
For starters, he’s an incredible entertainer,
always goofing around, cracking jokes or impersonations,
and spreading joy everywhere he goes.
He’s the most optimistic character ever,
even knowing that he’ll likely be doomed
to be imprisoned in the lamp for all of eternity.
Even in crisis, he‘s hilarious, and especially
eccentric.
Genie is also one of Aladdin’s most loyal
friends.
Besides his constant practical jokes, he’s
always helpful, caring and wise.
One thing is for sure: for a guy who was trapped
for thousands of years, he’s maintained
positivity.
Not to mention generosity seems to be his
middle name.
Remember when he was willing to give up his
freedom for Aladdin and Jasmine?
That’s because to him, the most valuable
thing in the world is a friend.
What a guy.
Our Gold Medal for Most Good Disney Sidekick
goes to...
Olaf.
We all know that line he gave Anna when pulling
her towards the fire: some people are worth
melting for.
He risked his existence to try and help this
girl any way he could.
He was a representation of how Elsa and Anna
still cared for one another even after years
of silence and gave Elsa peace knowing she
could create something that wasn't going to
hurt anyone.
In the original movie, when Anna is dying
from the ice blast she got to the heart, he
sets her up by the fire to keep her warm,
even when it causes him to melt.
The fact that the movie doesn’t acknowledge
this as the act of true love that Anna needs
to be saved is probably the biggest plot pitfall
Frozen has.
Really, we have to give him the gold if only
for the level of self sacrifice he was happy
to endure to help his beloved protagonist.
But what do you think?
Who would you pick as The Most Good Disney
Sidekick?
Let us know in the comment section below.
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and binge our Good-to-Evil playlist.
Where we break down the morality of the characters
from your favorite cartoons, shows and movies.
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