Editing Sidekick (section)

===Use===
[[Frodo Baggins]]'s [[Samwise Gamgee]], and [[Harry Potter (character)|Harry Potter]]'s [[Ron Weasley]], as well as the afore-mentioned Sancho Panza and Doctor Watson, are notable sidekicks from fiction.

In fiction, the term "sidekick" commonly refers to assistants to crime-fighting heroes. However, sidekicks do not necessarily accompany a crime-fighter, such as Leporello, [[Don Giovanni]]'s servant in the 1787 opera. Villains can also have sidekicks, who are usually portrayed as less brilliant or lacking cunning. The sidekick has the literary function of playing against the hero, often contrasting in skill, or performing functions not suited to the hero.

The sidekick was a regular presence in [[Western movie|western]]s, where [[Fuzzy Knight]], [[Al St. John|Al "Fuzzy" St. John]], [[Smiley Burnette]], and [[Andy Devine]] had longer careers than some of the heroic singing cowboys for whom they took pratfalls.

In science fiction the sub-type of the [[alien sidekick]] has been established. Examples of alien sidekicks are [[Mr. Spock]] (sidekick of [[Captain James T. Kirk]]) on ''[[Star Trek]]'' and [[Chewbacca]] (sidekick of [[Han Solo]]) in the original ''[[Star Wars]]'' trilogy. One of the roles of the alien sidekick is to act as a mouthpiece for social commentary on the human condition from an outsider's point of view.

Heroic sidekicks such as [[Streaky the Supercat]] of ''[[Krypto the Superdog]]'', Festus Haggen of ''[[Gunsmoke]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Marshal Matt Dillon|Matt Dillon]], or [[Gabrielle (Xena)|Gabrielle]] of ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' not only provide comic relief, but can occasionally be brave and/or resourceful and rescue the hero from a dire fate.
[[Kalimán]], a heroic character depicted on movies, radio theatre and comic books, mentors a young lad named Solín.