10 Gaming Sidekicks That Made Us Want One This Year

Reuben – Minecraft: Story Mode

Reuben is Jessie’s trusty pet and friend in Minecraft: Story Mode, and he’s also the real star of the show. This adorable little guy sticks with Jessie through thick and thin, and helps guide the party at more than one point. Somehow with only squeaks and squeals, Reuben manages to be the most expressive character in Story Mode.

Jessie constantly counts on Reuben when he’s looking for the solution to a puzzle, or trying to decide what he should do next. No other sidekick can be as cute, funny, and helpful as this wonderful little pig.

D-Dog – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Not only is D-Dog rugged and cute at the same time, he also makes things much easier for you while you’re out on a mission. D-Dog is able to spot and mark enemies for Big Boss, making your intrusion into a base much easier. This trusty sidekick can even distract enemies and take them down to help the Boss in battle.

His loyalty to Big Boss is unquestionable, as he was rescued as a pup by the man himself. D-Dog is always happy to be by your side and keep you safe, even when you accidentally drop an ammo crate on his head. Sorry D-Dog, that won’t ever happen again.

The Joker – Batman: Arkham Knight

This one’s an unlikely sidekick to be sure, and although his ultimate goal is to takeover Batman, he serves as a sort of sidekick for most of Arkham Knight. Early on in the game, players discover that Batman has remnants of the Joker have taken root in his brain.

Shortly after this discovery, the Joker spends the majority of the game bombarding Batman with snarky comments and strangely encouraging him along the way at points.

When you grapple to the top of a building, and the Joker jumps over the edge trying to scare you, is certainly unnerving but somehow charming as well. As he uses his murderous humor to mock and chastise Batman, it’s somehow endearing. You’re always excited to see what this deranged villain is going to say next.

The Investigation Team – Persona 4: Dancing All Night

The bond of friendship is a powerful thing, and no friends are closer than the Investigation Team of Persona 4. After already solving the murder mystery of the original game, and surviving another world ending onslaught in Arena, the group is back together for one purpose. Being backup dancers for their friend Rise as she reenters the idol world. If that doesn’t say trusty sidekicks, I don’t know what does.

The team is  always there for each other and especially for the main character Yu. From the way Yosuke affectionately refers to Yu as his “partner,” to the way the underclassmen Kanji, Rise and Naoto all look up to him. Yu can lead his friends into any situation, and through each others strength they can overcome anything. Friendship is one heck of a thing in video games, isn’t it?

Ghost – Destiny: The Taken King

Your guide and your best source of information, that’s what the Ghost is all about. This small handheld AI, is your perfect tour guide through the galaxy as you battle enemy forces. He can warn you of incoming danger, point out useful items and quest objectives, and is always happy to add his two cents.

You’ll always want to make sure to have one of these guys at your side when battling the darkness. Of course being voiced by the one and only Nolan North helps a lot. Sorry Peter Dinklage.

Nick Valentine – Fallout 4

Nick Valentine is a bit of an outlier in Diamond City. This crafty detective has one more thing separating him from others, he’s also a synth. Despite this fact he’s still well respected in Diamond City, for his skills at uncovering mysteries and finding missing people.

After you help Valentine get out from being in over his head, he can join you on your journey through the wasteland.  The detective ends up being one of the most useful and fascinating characters in the game. Valentine has a long history, being a synth that’s been alive for a very long time.

You can uncover pieces of his memory and story that add additional layers to who he is. However, he’s also quite useful in both close and long range combat.  Of course is doesn’t hurt that Valentine is also a master hacker, which is nice because who really wants to spend any amount of time unlocking those stupid terminals?

Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris – Halo 5

What’s better than one powerful Spartan killing machine? Well four of them of course. Halo 5 marked a new chapter for the series, and for the first time you weren’t facing down the covenant hordes by yourself, but with three friends at your side.

Whether your playing Spartan Locke or Master Chief, they each have a team to cover their backs. Fireteam Osiris may be a touch uncoordinated as they’re a fairly new team, but they each bring their own strong talents to the table and are able to make it through many harrowing situations on their hunt for the Chief.

Blue Team on the other hand know each other in and out, seeing each other more as family than comrades in arms. They survived the Fall of Reach together, and have completed countless ops.

Blue Team needs no explanation from the Chief on where they’re going, they trust him explicitly and know that Chief will always find the right way. Two very different teams, all sidekicks you’d want watching your back in a giant galactic war.

Loader Bot – Tales from the Borderlands

Does there seem to be a trend with robots here? Rhys and Vaughn in Tales from the Borderlands aren’t exactly the most adept warriors, as such they find themselves under the gun of Psychos, gangs, and Hyperion executives. The big lumbering Loader Bot is always there to help, while adding a note in about the importance of friendship.

Unfortunately, Loader Bot receives a brutal amount of punishment throughout Tales from the Borderlands, but somehow always scrapes himself off the ground to be there for his friend.

He even brings the whole cast together at the end of the series with a plan, so they can all save someone dear to them. Loader Bot is always trusting of his comrades, even when things suggest he shouldn’t be. There’s no one more reliable to pull you out of the fire, and also no one who loves his friends more with his robotic core.

Chum Bucket – Mad Max

Sometimes the unlikeliest of characters ends up being your right hand man. Never has that been more true than with Chum Bucket. This character spends far more time talking than the overly stoic Mad Max. Chum is your companion while blazing over the wasteland. He helps you in combat and, more importantly, will repair the Magnum Opus for Max.

Somehow Chum Bucket has managed to survive in this decrepit world, and his odd sense of humor shines through moment to moment in the game.  Anyone who helps you trick out your crazy death car is definitely someone worth keeping around. Max would never have been able to survive this harsh environment without the help of his Chum.

Literally Everyone – Until Dawn

Horror movies are always rife with supporting characters, most of which die by the end of the experience. Until Dawn puts you into a virtual horror movie, and has you switching from character to character. Each of these young adults have their own traits and way that they act.

At some point in the game, literally every main character is playing a supporting role. Really, Until Dawn is about a bunch of sidekicks teaming up to try and not die. Your choices can mold and effect who lives and dies, and any of the playable characters in the game can live or die.

No one is really the main hero of the game, although some get more screen time than others. Even through all of the craziness, the group in Until Dawn can still come through for each other in the hardest situations. It shows an important aspect of who you choose as a sidekick too, make sure you trust those around you.

When the group trusts each other and works together they survive, but if discord sows their ranks then who knows what can happen?