Top 10 Movie Sidekicks

High-pressure situations can make or break a friendship - for Maverick and Goose, it was definitely the former! Maverick’s as reckless as it’s possible to be behind the controls of a fighter plane, but Goose, as Radar Intercept Officer, ensures at least a little sanity remains within the cockpit! As their differing personalities complement each other, it’s clear that these two individuals are the perfect team! A devoted family man, Goose’s safety is in Maverick’s hands almost every day - and Maverick cares more for his friend’s life than for his own!

By our definition, a companion has to be useful in the event of a journey. A journey’s exactly what Shrek is undertaking as he seeks to reclaim his beloved swamp, and he’ll not be travelling alone! Donkey’s on the one hand talkative, troublesome and downright annoying, but on the other, he’s lovable, and learn-ed in life! Even in the land of make-believe, this pairing is an unexpected one - but it works! And that’s largely down to this magnificent mule, this awesome ass, the indispensable donkey!

Carl Fredricksen had eyes for only one companion in his life, but when he’s forced to find Paradise Falls without his beloved Ellie, he finds himself playing host to a variety of new, largely unwanted, friends. Russell, the Wilderness Explorer bounces with positivity, but Dug the Dog is just impossibly lovable! An outcast within his own kind, this canine is man’s best friend with extra lashings of loyalty! Carl isn’t always too impressed by him, but even an angry old man can’t say no to that face! Or that voice!

A good companion is one who’s committed to the collective cause... A great companion is one who’s committed to the collective cause, despite continual memory loss! Before their chance meeting, Dory knew nothing of Marlin or Nemo... Or clownfish in general! A modest and unassuming creature, she lived by her own simple slogan - ‘just keep swimming’. As unhelpful as an amnesiac might’ve been in an ocean-wide search, Dory is determined to reunite father and son. She’s a first-rate fish!

This guy is so unlikeable, he’s entirely likeable! A narrow-minded, condescending, misogynistic man, he’s always at the Dude’s side - except on Saturdays, he can’t do Saturdays! Sobchak’s a Vietnam War veteran, and don’t we all know it! For him, even the most trivial of instances relates back to Saigon, much to Jeff Bridges’ bewilderment! There’s a very strange method to this guy’s madness, though, and it’s that which makes him best friend material! An avalanche of advice, whilst most of it’s baloney, some of it’s brilliant!

As we are coming to realise, the companion character very rarely gets a lot of the limelight. Never is that more true than for Jude Law’s Dr. Watson! The friend and colleague of the famous Sherlock Holmes, he’s an essential part of the problem-solving pair, but an outrageously underappreciated one as well! Despite constant frustration and occasional foolhardiness, despite Holmes’ forgetting of his bachelor party and wedding, Watson never lets the detective down. As they say in London, he’s a real diamond geezer!

When you turn up at school as the most famous wizard in the world, with no real idea why, then making real friends can be difficult. Luckily for Harry Potter, he sifted through the glory-hunters and celebrity-stalkers to find Ron and Hermione. Ron’s brave, Hermione’s brainy - and they’re both incredibly loyal! Trouble follows Harry, but so do these two - picking up points for Gryffindor along the way! Forming one of the most famous friendships in all of film and literature, three’s not a crowd, it’s a comfort!

Flying into third position, we have a companion who can’t speak English, and can’t control his body hair! It matters not on the Millennium Falcon though, as Han Solo has in Chewbacca the very best of co-pilots. The world-famous Wookie is never too far away from Harrison Ford’s Solo, and has become arguably the most recognisable character within the entire “Star Wars” saga. In this case, actions and expressions definitely speak louder than words, as ‘Chewie’ proves the chum we all wish we had!

Frodo cannot be considered as especially fortunate, but when Sam was caught ‘dropping eaves’, and given the role as Mr. Baggins’ cohort... Well, that was a real stroke of luck! The Hobbit is as heroic as the ring-bearer, if not even more so! He’ll follow Frodo into the river when he knows he cannot swim, fight off the armies of Mordor, and physically carry his friend at their journey’s end. He made a promise - ‘Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee’ - and he doesn’t mean to... He doesn’t mean to!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Timon & Pumbaa
“The Lion King” (1994)
- Chuckie Sullivan
“Good Will Hunting” (1997)
- Pedro Sánchez
“Napoleon Dynamite” (2004)
- Manny Ray
“Scarface” (1983)
- Wilson
“Cast Away” (2000)

We finish things off with a rock ‘n’ roll wingman unlike any other! Being friends with Wayne Campbell is a full-time profession, and Garth is the perfect candidate for the job. While Wayne is an outgoing, unthinking extrovert, Garth is a little more conservative and a lot more perceptive than he’s given credit for. The amiable anchor around which “Wayne’s World” orbits, he’s unfalteringly loyal and unforgettably funny. Where Wayne would be without him is absolutely anybody’s guess! In truth, he’s the male version of a ‘Babe-raham Lincoln!’

Do you agree with our list? Which filmic friend did we forget? For more dependable Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.