![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/FriendsResize-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n Now, a sidekick character, like the other supporting characters we\u2019ve talked about, can cover multiple roles in the story. They can act as anything from a mentor to a comic relief character to a contagonist to a love interest, or anything in between. However, at their heart, they will<\/em> be the sidekick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, let\u2019s take a look at some things that you should think about when you write a sidekick character:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your sidekick is going to believe one of two things\u2014the Truth or the Lie. Just because you intend them to be \u201cfunny\u201d doesn\u2019t mean they should be objective to the internal conflict. And determining their moral compass will help define so many things, including their behavior towards the MC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not sure if your sidekick should believe the Truth or the Lie, take a look at your MC. A lot of times, the sidekick\u2019s belief will be the opposite of the protagonist\u2019s. So if your MC believes the Truth, the sidekick might believe the Lie, and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your sidekick\u2019s belief might also determine their relationship with the MC. If they believe the Lie, they could be more of a contagonist. If they believe the Truth, they might act as somewhat of a mentor at times. However, that doesn\u2019t always have to be the case, so make sure to look at what your story needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, we see an example of the Truth in Baruch, sidekick to Jeremiah. While virtually no one else listened to Jeremiah\u2019s prophesies of the coming destruction, it appears that Baruch, Jeremiah\u2019s scribe, was paying attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another character who believed the Truth is Dory from \u201cFinding Nemo.\u201d Marlin, the main character, is quite uptight and anxious much of the time. But as he crosses the ocean with Dory, who is as happy-go-lucky as she is forgetful, he learns to lighten up and take risks once in a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An example of the Lie would be John Mark, who was Barnabas\u2019 sidekick in the Bible. At first, John Mark seems very untrustworthy, as he deserted Barnabas and Paul when they needed him. However, he is definitely a Positive Change Arc, as he eventually becomes a reliable man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the movie \u201cThe BFG,\u201d the giant is an example of the Lie. Trapped by his own fear after a traumatic event in the past, he acts on that fear for much of the movie. It takes a spunky girl named Sophie to show him how to be brave and stand up for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every sidekick is going to get along perfectly with the MC. Now, sometimes, they will\u2014sometimes, they\u2019ll be best friends. But, other times, there will be conflict between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on how much conflict there is, your sidekick might be more of a contagonist. However, there\u2019s a fine line between the roles of many of these supporting characters, so choose whichever one fits your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether your MC and sidekick have a little argument or a full-blown fistfight, make sure to include the proper level of conflict between them. Remember, even friends have their disagreements once in a while. A story is built off of conflict, and the MC and the sidekick are no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, Paul was a sidekick to Barnabas for the first part of his ministry. During that time, it appears that they had a pretty good relationship. However, they ended up parting ways because of a disagreement over John Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the book \u201cThe Golden Dagger,\u201d twins Dathan and Lanna help a young nobleman named Sterling escape from his enemies, and end up on the run from an entire army. But just because they\u2019re running together doesn\u2019t mean they always get along. There are several times when the twins and Sterling argue about various things, making their journey even more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, depending on your sidekick\u2019s relationship with the MC, their loyalty to him will vary. But, generally, he will have some level of loyalty toward the MC\u2014after all, they wouldn\u2019t be the sidekick if they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sidekick might even try to hide this loyalty, but it will always end up coming out. Try putting your MC in a tight spot\u2026 your sidekick will most likely be right there to help him get out of it. Despite their disagreements\u2014even on matters as detrimental as the Truth and Lie\u2014there should be an undeniable bond between the sidekick and the protagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, we see Jonathan as a great example of this in David\u2019s story. If there ever was a motive to be disloyal, Jonathan would have had it. After all, God had promised David the kingdom\u2014which rightfully should have been Jonathan\u2019s. And, on top of that, Jonathan\u2019s father, Saul, was out to kill David. But Jonathan never wavers in his loyalty to David, even helping him escape death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edmund in the book \u201cThe Boy Colonel\u201d is another great example of loyalty. There were many times in the book when others had forsaken Colonel Nobody, but Edmund stayed. Even when death stared them in the face, Edmund volunteered to join Colonel Nobody in charging it head-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether your sidekick believes the Truth when the MC believes the Lie, or they have some kind of skill the MC doesn\u2019t, or they just look at things from a different angle than the MC, their advice will often be imperative to the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your protagonist is struggling to make a decision or doesn\u2019t know what to do, the sidekick can often be a great source of advice. Even if your sidekick is unlikely to give wise advice, they might surprise you with what they know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, when Joshua and the Israelites had conquered much of Canaan, Joshua\u2019s sidekick, Caleb, came straight to him with a request for land. But instead of just asking for the land, he wisely outlined exactly why he should receive it\u2014and Joshua gave it to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another character with good advice is Dr. Watson. We all know Dr. Watson as Sherlock Holmes\u2019 sidekick, and many think of him as kind of dim-witted when compared to Holmes. However, there are times when Dr. Watson\u2019s more practical, down-to-earth approach proves invaluable to Holmes, who tends to get buried in his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every sidekick has to be funny, but, let\u2019s face it\u2026 a lot of them are. Often, the sidekick is the main source of humor in the story. He\u2019s the one to crack jokes\u2014perhaps even in the midst of danger\u2014providing the audience with some laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to note that this should not <\/em>be the sidekick\u2019s main purpose for being in the story. If he\u2019s only in there for comedic relief, that\u2019s not a very good reason. Also, he could end up without the ability to be serious, which probably isn\u2019t a great idea. If your sidekick is going to be funny, make sure that he\u2019s also serious when he needs to be. (This will actually make his humor and<\/em> seriousness more effective.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, we see that John the Baptist is a type of sidekick to Jesus. They aren\u2019t often seen together, but John does say of Jesus \u201cHe must increase, but I must decrease.\u201d Though he does preach repentance in a serious manner, John also appears to use some sarcasm during his preaching, especially when dealing with the Pharisees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike Wazowski in \u201cMonsters Inc.\u201d is another example of a sidekick with humor. Throughout the entire movie, he cracks jokes and sarcastic remarks\u2014even when they\u2019re in the middle of running for their lives. His witty humor keeps everyone laughing, but, at the same time, he\u2019s serious when he needs to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because your sidekick is a supporting character doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s inferior to the MC. However, they are two different characters, which means that each has his own set of skills. Yes, your MC might be better at one thing than the sidekick. But maybe your sidekick is better at something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure that neither the MC nor the sidekick are shown as stupid or incompetent. They might have very different skills, but they should<\/em> have skills. And, often, when the MC and his sidekick have different skills, they work better together and complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, we see that, while Moses was chosen by God to lead Israel out of Egypt, he wasn\u2019t exactly a great public speaker. So, Moses\u2019 sidekick (and brother), Aaron, steps in to do the talking for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the movie, \u201cBig Hero 6,\u201d Hiro has a lot of skills\u2014in fact, he\u2019s a pretty bright kid. Using those abilities, he\u2019s able to give his robot sidekick, Baymax, some skills of his own. However, there\u2019s something that Baymax has that Hiro didn\u2019t give him\u2026 compassion and forgiveness. Eventually, it\u2019s Baymax that teaches Hiro that revenge is not the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, your sidekick character doesn\u2019t always have to be the typical, funny, loyal best friend of the MC. There are plenty of times when this does<\/em> work, but I would encourage you to look at all of the options before creating your sidekick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like many of the other supporting characters, the sidekick can be pretty much anyone\u2026 a child, an old man, or an animal. Theirs and the MC\u2019s personalities can differ as much as you\u2019d like, making it an even more unlikely friendship. And, during the story, the sidekick can take on the role of anything from a mentor to a contagonist to a love interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, Barak is an unlikely sidekick to Deborah. After all, he\u2019s a leader in Israel\u2019s army who has a somewhat cowardly disposition, and she\u2019s a prophetess with a firm trust in God and a strong sense of bravery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the movie, \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon,\u201d Hiccup is the chief\u2019s son in a village of Vikings who regularly fight and kill dragons. And his sidekick? A Night Fury Dragon, one of the most dangerous dragons known to the Vikings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few more sidekick characters in the Bible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here are some sidekicks from fiction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comment below your favorite sidekick character!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today, we\u2019re talking about writing sidekick characters, using examples from both the Bible and fictional books and movies. Sidekicks are fun to write, but they aren\u2019t just there to crack jokes\u2026 they can actually go much deeper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,128],"tags":[31,26,29,134,133,135,27],"class_list":["post-664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-analyses","category-how-to-write-supporting-characters","tag-bible-analyses","tag-characters","tag-christian-writing","tag-friend","tag-sidekick","tag-supporting-character","tag-writing-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":667,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664\/revisions\/667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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