The Guys We Love The Most
Nintendo puts the hero's name on the box cover, but ask any longtime player who they actually remember best, and the answer is often the character standing just off to the side. The best Nintendo sidekicks were never satisfied with pointing at doors or explaining the controls. They fight, they scheme, they crack jokes, and every so often they get so popular that Nintendo hands them the spotlight outright. Here are 20 supporting characters who turned "sidekick" into a compliment.
1. Luigi
Luigi can out-jump his brother and match him move for move, yet he spends most crossovers looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. His nervous energy is exactly what makes him so easy to root for. When Nintendo finally let him carry his own series with Luigi's Mansion, his trembling hands and wide eyes were solidified as a part of his character.
2. Yoshi
Yoshi didn't just give Mario a ride over lava pits. His tongue, egg-throwing, and flutter jump mechanics reshaped how players thought about platforming entirely. Add in his bright, cheerful design, and it's no surprise he eventually outgrew the sidecar role.
3. Captain Toad
Here's a hero built entirely around a flaw: his backpack is so heavy he can't leave the ground. Instead of running and leaping through danger, Captain Toad has to think his way around it, one careful step at a time. His little headlamp and stubborn determination turn every stage into a miniature puzzle box, proving that limitation can be just as fun as power.
4. Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong doesn't have Donkey Kong's raw strength, so he compensates with speed, agility, and a Rocketbarrel Pack that sends him zipping across the screen. The contrast between the two is part of what made Donkey Kong Country 2 so memorable, and it's why Diddy eventually earned his own racing spinoff.
5. Dixie Kong
Dixie's signature move — spinning her ponytail mid-air for extra hang time — instantly set her apart from every other Kong in the family tree. By the time Donkey Kong Country 3 rolled around, she'd earned the right to lead her own rescue mission.
6. Midna
Midna doesn't explain herself. She rescues Wolf Link, tosses out sarcastic remarks, and clearly has an agenda she isn't sharing. That mystery is the engine of Twilight Princess. As her loyalties come into focus and her own stakes in the conflict are revealed, she easily becomes the emotional center of the entire game.
Kimberly Wills-Starin on Wikimedia
7. Navi
Yes, everyone remembers the "Hey! Listen!" but Navi's real job was helping a kid from the forest survive a three-dimensional Hyrule for the first time. She locks onto enemies, flags what matters, and never leaves Link's side. That is, until the ending, when her departure lands with more emotional weight than most players expect.
Alvaro Marques Hijazo on Wikimedia
8. Tatl
Tatl isn't in Termina by choice; she's separated from her brother Tael and forced to team up with Link out of necessity. Her sharper, more irritable personality fits the unsettling tone of Majora's Mask perfectly. But underneath the attitude is real worry for the people she's lost.
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
9. Ezlo
Perched on Link's head, Ezlo has opinions about everything and isn't shy about sharing them. What makes him more than comic relief is his backstory; a direct connection to the villain Vaati that turns The Minish Cap into something a little more personal.
10. The King Of Red Lions
He's not just transportation. The King of Red Lions steers Link across the Great Sea while doubling as mentor, historian, and guide to a young hero who has no idea how deep Hyrule's buried history really runs. Without him, the long sailing stretches of Wind Waker would feel empty.
11. Cappy
Few sidekicks change a hero's entire moveset the way Cappy does. Throwing him, riding him, using him to possess enemies and objects; Cappy is the reason Super Mario Odyssey feels so different from every Mario game before it.
12. F.L.U.D.D.
A talking water-pump strapped to Mario's back sounds like a strange pitch, but F.L.U.D.D.'s Hover, Rocket, and Turbo Nozzles completely changed how Super Mario Sunshine played, letting Mario glide, blast, and dash his way around Isle Delfino. Its dry, mechanical voice also supplies some of the game's best deadpan humor.
13. Bowser Jr.
Bowser's Fury pulls off something unexpected: turning Mario's usual troublemaker into a genuine ally. With his father transformed into the towering, out-of-control Fury Bowser, Bowser Jr. teams up with Mario out of desperation. His motivation is simple and surprisingly sympathetic: he just wants his dad back.
14. Olivia
Since Mario doesn't talk, someone has to carry the conversation in The Origami King, and Olivia does it with warmth, curiosity, and a steady stream of earnest humor. Her brother Olly is the one trying to refold the entire world, which means Olivia spends the whole adventure reckoning with the damage someone she loves is causing.
15. Goombella
Goombella's Tattle ability reveals enemy health and tactics on the spot, making her indispensable in battle. But her real value in The Thousand-Year Door is personality; sharp observations, running commentary, and the sense that she seems to understand what's happening, even when nobody else in the party does.
16. Bandana Waddle Dee
No copy abilities. No inhaling enemies. Just a spear and a lot of nerve. In Kirby and the Forgotten Land's co-op mode, Bandana Waddle Dee proves you don't need superpowers to be useful; you just need to show up and keep swinging.
17. Elfilin
Elfilin starts out as an adorable, harmless companion Kirby rescues early on. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear he's connected to something much bigger than anyone realized. By the end, he's the emotional and narrative center of the entire adventure.
18. Falco Lombardi
Falco flies like he's got something to prove, and he's not exactly quiet about his talent. His rivalry with Fox McCloud adds friction to the Star Fox team in the best way, keeping the squad from feeling too uniform. Fox may be the steady leader, but Falco is often the loudest personality in the cockpit.
19. Gooigi
Made of goo instead of flesh and bone, Gooigi can slip through gaps and walk across spikes that would stop Luigi cold. Whether you're switching between the two brothers solo or handing Gooigi to a friend for co-op, he turns Luigi's Mansion 3 into a genuine two-person puzzle box.
Next Level Games / Nintendo on Wikimedia
20. Poochy
Poochy charges into danger like it's nothing, sniffing out secrets and collectibles that would otherwise stay hidden. He's not burdened by caution the way Yoshi sometimes has to be, and that fearless enthusiasm makes every one of his appearances feel like a small celebration. Yoshi leads the adventure, but the moment Poochy shows up, he's the one everyone's watching.
