Line #30 Main/OlderSidekick


1	[[quoteright:300:[[ComicStrip/DanDare https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dan-Dare-and-Digby_6528.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:To the right: Dan Dare. To the left: ''not'' [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 TV's Frank.]]]]
3
4	->'''The Doctor:''' Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well, I say not bad... Anyway, lead on! Allons-y. But not too fast, her ankle's going.\
5	'''Jackie:''' ''[sotto]'' I'll ''show you'' where my ankle's going!
6	-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho'', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E12ArmyOfGhosts Army of Ghosts]]"
7
8	Because we expect an older character to have more experience, a {{sidekick}} older than the main hero is a rare thing. Outside traditional SuperHero comics, there are several reasons to use them.
9
10	One is that the older character won't fall out of the CompetenceZone because they're under the direction of the younger hero, and thus doesn't undermine their maturity. If the relationship is close, the sidekick's more adult qualities actually fulfill some kind of parental role, which the hero might lack from having [[ParentalAbandonment no family]], without being intrusive. On the other hand, the Older Sidekick can be a non-threatening (yet incredibly appealing) fantasy object for the audience, who identifies with the main hero. A variant of this is when the younger character leads due to rank or status but requires the more experienced sidekick for [[TheSmartGuy advice]]. A typical example of this would be CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough.
11
12	Another is that the main character may be too young or small to possess much physical power. Their expertise lies elsewhere, thus the Older Sidekick also is the BattleButler who goes ''everywhere'' the main character does, instead of merely staying home and
13	minding the house. Often, in these cases, there only [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld appears to be an age difference, or the age difference is the opposite of what it appears]] so it's not as hard to [[MustHaveLotsOfFreeTime justify them hanging around each other]].
14
15	A related dynamic is when the two characters have an (increasingly) equal partnership, but there's just enough of an age difference to inspire protective feelings in the older one. Usually both characters are designed to [[FanService appeal to different segments of the fandom]], and the story will end up using many designs that appeal to shippers (compare {{Seme}} and {{Uke}}). Think of it as a more intimate version of the [[BuddyCopShow Buddy Cop]] dynamic.
16
17	In fact, the Older Sidekick is very handy for lessening the perceived {{squick}} of shipping the characters, as the audience seem much more willing to rationalize that the characters are on equal grounds.
18
19	Compare MoreSeniorSubordinate, where an experienced character takes a supporting role within an organization, allowing a less experienced (but perhaps more capable) one to assume leadership.
20
21	----
22	!!Examples:
23
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27	* Tuxedo Mask, ''Anime/SailorMoon'''s college-age boyfriend. He starts out as the MysteriousProtector, but quickly falls into sidekickdom by the end of the first season. Note that he's college-aged in TheNineties ''[[AgeLift anime]]'', whereas in the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] he still was attending HighSchool.
28	* ''Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu'''s minion Larva was eventually revealed to be an incredibly attractive man beneath the mask, and due to [[{{Squee}} fan pressure]], we saw it much more frequently.
29	* Renamon and Ruki in ''Anime/DigimonTamers''. Their relationship is more of being actual contemporaries rather than a pet or babysitter dynamic, although this is probably more conducive to Ruki's original cold professionalism.
30	** ''A Message In The Packet'' takes it even further: Ruki calls Renamon her big sister ''several times'' in her message.
31	** ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' actually has a number of these, since the series takes place (mostly) in the real world rather than the digital one. In the latter parts of the series, the kids are backed up by the middle-aged Monster Makers, as well as [[spoiler:man in black Yamaki and his Hypnos organization]]. In fact, their ultimate triumph can be attributed fairly equally to the efforts of both children and adults.
32	* Villain example: Nappa is the older henchman to Prince Vegeta in the Saiyans arc of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. However, Vegeta was ''much'' more powerful than him, and quickly killed him when he was unable to fight anymore.
33	* ''Creator/BeeTrain'' became famous for its "[[SmallGirlBigGun Girls With Guns]]" dynamic, usually featuring a [[CoolBigSis hot, confident older woman]] [[HoYay partnered with]] a [[{{Moe}} younger]], [[OneHeadTaller shorter]], but still quite capable girl.
34	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', TheCaptain Luffy is tied (with Usopp) as the second-''youngest'' crew member, with only Chopper being younger than them. The other seven Straw Hats are older: Zoro, Nami, and Sanji only a year or two more so, but the four latest members--Robin, Franky, Brook, and Jinbei--so much so that they fall into IntergenerationalFriendship with the others.
35	** Also Killer to Eustass Kid, likely Silvers Rayleigh to Gol D. Roger, and possibly Ben Beckman to Shanks.
36	* Lumeire and Eclair from ''Anime/KiddyGrade'' are also an ''[[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld apparently]]'' older/younger girl duo. Many of the partner couples of the GOTT are like this in the series.
37	* Alyssa and Miyu from ''Anime/MyHime''. (Well, at least so it seems. Since [[spoiler:Miyu was an android built specifically to protect Alyssa, the latter was ''technically'' slightly older]].)
38	* Evangeline and Chachamaru in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', though only in appearance (hundred-year-old vampire and two-year-old Robot). [[KidHero Negi]] and [[OlderThanTheyLook Asuna]] (and his [[UnwantedHarem other partners]]) along with [[MentorMascot Chamo]] are definitely played straighter.
39	* ''Manga/MythicalDetectiveLokiRagnarok'' has Yamino Ryuusuke, who looks ten or fifteen years the title character's senior, and is Loki's frequent sidekick, butler, housekeeper, voice of reason... [[spoiler:oh, and [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld son]]]].
40	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': The Akatsuki usually pairs their members like this.
41	** Itachi (23) and Kisame (32)
42	** Deidara (19) and Tobi (possibly early-30's) [[spoiler:Though it turns out that Tobi [[ObfuscatingStupidity is only pretending to be the sidekick]].]]
43	** Hidan (22) and Kakazu (91)
44	* In ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', Rosette tends to introduce Chrono as her assistant. In his usual form he looks to be a young teenager a few years younger than her, so this doesn't seem too odd at first, but in reality he's a demon who [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld is actually closer to 90 years old]]. In his demon form, he looks closer to a man in his twenties and is much taller than her. And yes, he's very protective of her, and yes, they're the series' OfficialCouple.
45	* Arf of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' for Fate, though considering how she's a wolf familiar that Fate bonded with, she may be [[YoungerThanTheyLook Younger Than She Looks]] (well, when she's not using her FunSize mode).
46	** Arf, despite having been created two years before the original series, is "officially" 16 in the original series, having been a familiar long enough to attain an adult form, and tends to consider those in Fate's age group younger than she is.
47	** A straighter example is the Wolkenritter of Hayate, most of whom are not only older than Hayate in appearance, but they're all ''[[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld a lot]]'' older than her in age.
48	* Pop from ''Manga/DragonQuestTheAdventureOfDai'' is a few years older than the protagonist Dai.
49	* Kamina and Simon of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' are BashBrothers who are true equals, both excelling in the areas the other lacks in. However, Simon later outgrows Kamina, making the latter seem like an older sidekick in retrospect. The ironic part is that at first glance, Simon looks like Kamina's sidekick and the former was content at staying in his shadow, but Kamina being the CoolBigBro that he is wasn't having any of that, and constantly pushed Simon to reach his full potential and surpass him.
50	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Fu, one of Ling's bodyguards. Fu looks 60 or 70, and Ling [[YoungerThanTheyLook is only 15]]. Justified in that Ling is a prince, and Fu's entire family serves the royal line.
51	* Sven Volfied of ''Manga/BlackCat'' is both Train's Older Sidekick and the TeamDad. His primary role (aside from kicking ass when necessary) is to be the voice of reason, maturity, and emotional stability, as Train's mental age is about 12 and [[EmotionlessGirl Eve]] is discovering what emotions are.
52	* Rangiku Matsumoto serves as Toshiro Hitsugaya's lieutenant in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', despite her being older and having been a Soul Reaper longer than he has.
53	* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' has Wild Tiger (Kotetsu), a super hero in his late thirties that is losing popularity due to his age. To boost ratings for Hero TV, Tiger's sponsors assign him to be the sidekick of the 23 year old hero Barnaby. The age difference between them is often emphasized, with Barnaby insultingly referring to Tiger as "Old Man" for almost the entire first half of the season. By the end of the show, Wild Tiger regains respect and is acknowledged as having an equal partnership with Barnaby.
54	* In ''Anime/GenmaWars'', Nuu is both this trope as well as ParentalSubstitute, helping to raise the [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demonic child]] Gin along with his human mother Non and became his loyal sidekick [=/=] mentor following her death.
55	* ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'':
56	** John H. Watson is 26 to Sherlock's 24.
57	** Albert James Moriarty, William's ''older'' brother is 27 to Professor Moriarty's 24, and he specifically sought William out to sidekick him.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Comic Books]]
61	* ''Franchise/TheDCU'': The [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] {{Franchise/DCU}} had the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy, his adult sidekick. This was brought back in MediaNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks in ''ComicBook/StarsAndSTRIPE'' and also in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', although the potential squick is reduced because her sidekick (the original Stripesy) is her stepfather, tagging along to keep her out of trouble.
62	* Jon Sable's old fencing coach Sonny Pratt appointed himself to this role in ''ComicBook/JonSableFreelance''.
63	* Back in MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, a lot of superheroes had older PluckyComicRelief sidekicks. The best remembered today is probably Doiby Dickles, the cab-driving associate of the original ComicBook/GreenLantern.
64	* ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}'': The entire Marvel Family is older than main hero Billy Batson.
65	* In the 1989-93 NOW Comics comic book adaptation of ''ComicBook/TheGreenHornet'', Hayashi Kato (sidekick of the second Green Hornet, based on the Bruce Lee role in the 1966 TV adaptation) becomes Older Sidekick to Alan and Paul Reid (the third and fourth Hornets, respectively).
66	* Rayek in ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' has Ekuar, who can kick ass with a twinkle in his eye despite years of slavery, torture and mutilation at the hands of the trolls.
67	* Rip Hunter and ComicBook/BoosterGold are an interesting case. Since Rip Hunter is the leader of the Time Masters, Booster could be considered his sidekick -- [[spoiler:[[TimeyWimeyBall except he's actually Rip's father later in the timeline]]. Rip, in turn, is advised by the ''older'' Booster from time to time]].
68	* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'':
69	** Subverted with most of Supergirls after her reappearance in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004''. Kara is fifteen years older than her cousin ComicBook/{{Superman}}, but she was put in suspended animation for thirty years, so she looks younger than him.
70	** In "ComicBook/TheSuperSteedOfSteel", Comet the Super-Horse, a many millennia old centaur turned into a horse, becomes a sidekick to Supergirl, who is not yet eighteen.
71	* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': Captain Haddock is the titular character's older sidekick.
72	* Héctor Germán Oesterheld was a sidekick of ''ComicBook/ElEternauta'' at the second volume. In this case, El Eternauta is the main character, and Oesterheld is simply an AuthorAvatar of the real Oesterheld.
73	* ''ComicBook/BigBangComics'':
74	** Subverted by the team of Venus and Cupid. They're both immortal gods, but Venus looks like she's under 30 and Cupid looks like he's pushing 60. However, Venus is actually the older of the two, and is in fact Cupid's ''stepmother''.
75	** Though he didn't appear in any actual stories, the "History of Big Bang" issues note that the Golden Age Beacon had an older sidekick, Aloysius "Oily" Boid, in the fashion of the Green Lantern and Doiby Dickles.
76	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Bane's henchmen Bird, Trogg, and Zombie were already adults when he was a child in prison serving his father's sentence, they took him in after his mother died and taught him how to read, fight, and survive harsh conditions.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
80	* ''ComicStrip/DanDare'': Digby is Dan's PluckyComicRelief sidekick.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Fan Works]]
84	* In ''Fanfic/WhatIfTomWasNeverAController'', Tom mainly helps out the Animorphs by being a chaperone after he's WelcomedToTheMasquerade, despite them all being his little brother's age. [[spoiler:After he gets the morphing power during the world leaders' summit, he becomes their leader, but steps down to be support once again after seeing Jake shine on the Iskoort planet.]]
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
88	* ''Film/BladeTrilogy'': Vampire-hunter Blade had Whistler, who started out as an older mentor, but fell into the sidekick once Blade surpassed him.
89	* ''Film/TheGrandSeduction'': Simon is about twenty years older than Murray, but acts as his confidant and main assistant throughout Murray’s ZanyScheme to save the town.
90	* Sid Waterman (Creator/WoodyAllen) to Sondra Pransky (Creator/ScarlettJohansson) in ''Scoop''.
91	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
92	** Han Solo to Luke Skywalker, where the older, more worldly ([[TheSnarkKnight and cynical]]) Han serves as a foil to the [[WideEyedIdealist younger and more idealistic]] Luke. Later they develop a [[BigBrotherMentor older/younger brother]] kind of relationship.
93	** Han Solo's sidekick, Chewbacca, is also older than he is, being around 200 years old at the time of ''Film/ANewHope''. [[spoiler:After Han's death in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', he becomes this to Rey.]]
94	** Count Dooku was born in 102 BBY, while his Sith master [[EvilChancellor Chancellor Palpatine]] was born in 84 BBY.
95	** R2-D2, in terms of being a sidekick of C-3PO and Luke Skywalker. R2-D2 was completed and fully functional before C-3PO, and long before Luke Skywalker was even born.
96	* Dr. Henry Jones Sr. to Indiana in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''.
97	* Bucky Barnes gets [[AgeLift upgraded]] to this in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', though the difference is less than most examples (various [[FreezeFrameBonus freeze-frame bonuses]] and [[WalkingSpoiler spoiler moments]] in [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier the sequel]] have it that he's a year or two older). [[spoiler:By ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', he's back to being younger, at least in the sense that he's [[HumanPopsicle experienced less years of life]] than Cap has.]]
98	** In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', Sam Wilson. While Steve is of course chronologically older, in terms of lived years Sam is about mid-30s while Steve is about half a decade younger. They have the common experience of [[ShellShockedVeteran combat-related trauma]], with the difference that Sam has had time to process and accept it, leading Steve to seek him out for guidance. This evolves into Sam taking on a SupportingLeader role in the sequel, ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''.
99	* In the series ''Film/HoratioHornblower'' with Ioan Gruffudd, the older more experienced seaman Matthews helps Horatio all the way through the series (not so much in the books or the Gregory Peck movie).
100	* In ''Film/{{The War Lord\|1965}}'', 11th century Norman warlord Chrysagon de la Cruex (Creator/CharltonHeston) is always accompanied by his trusted companion Bors (Creator/RichardBoone), who saw him grow up and served his father before him.
101	* In ''Film/NoNameOnTheBullet'', Asa the blacksmith acts as Luke's sidekick, and gets added points for being his father.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Literature]]
105	* In ''Literature/OneHundredCupboards'' the adult faerie Fat Frank cheerfully serves as sidekick to twelve-year-old protagonist Henry. [[BadassFamily Henrietta]], [[BatterUp Zeke]] and [[TokenWizard Monmouth]] also each take on this role, although it's downplayed as all three have only a few years on Henry.
106	* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', Princess Ren's sidekick, Captain Raven Tern, is a bit older than she is. Her family apparently has served the royal family as bodyguards for quite some time.
107	* In Books 3 and 4 of ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'', the only female knight, Britomart, is accompanied by her old nanny, Glauce, disguised as her squire.
108	* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Ward has Oreg, who is Really700YearsOld, but looks younger. When he flees Castle Hurog, he is accompanied by Axiel (his late father's valet) who came to the castle as an adult when Ward was a toddler, Penrod, likewise an old employee of Ward's father, Bastilla, a woman in about her thirties, and Oreg. The only ones in the group who are younger than Ward are his siblings Ciarra and Tosten, but Ward is clearly the one in charge.
109	* In ''Literature/DragonRider'', Twigleg (who is stated in ''A Griffin's Feather'' to be over 400 - in ''Dragonrider'' Nettlebrand claims that he and Twigleg were created in the early 15th century, making them nearly 600 years old, but this is probably just his exaggeration) becomes this to Ben, who is 12 when we first meet him. Probably neither Twigleg nor Ben would describe it this way - from Twigleg's point of view, he has decided to switch alliances from being Nettlebrand's {{Minion}} to being Ben's, and from Ben's point of view they are simply friends. The age differential is downplayed, since, although Twigleg has had hundreds of years to read and study, he has rarely been outside the alchemist's castle, and therefore doesn't know much about the outside world. Also, Twigleg is so small and vulnerable that most people, especially Ben, feel protective towards him, the way they would towards a child.
110	* In ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', Dorothy is a child of about 9-12 years old. The ages of her companions tend to vary by adaptation or interpretation. Going by the book, though, Nick Chopper (the Tin Woodsman) was a full-grown man before the Witch's curse caused him to become a steampunk cyborg.
111	** Amped up in ''Series/TinMan'' where DG is explicitly stated to be 20 "annuals" old. Glitch and Cain are easily 15-20 years older, the former being [[spoiler:an obviously long-term adviser/old friend to her mother]], the latter [[spoiler:having a son roughly DG's age]].
112	* In the third and fourth ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' books, having won her shield, Alanna goes out to roam the world. Her only travelling companions are her cat Faithful and Coram, technically in her employ, but more or less a father figure.
113	* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' is always accompanied by his BattleButler (known, self-descriptively, as Butler). The author justifies the name as the fact that one of Butler's ancestors may have been the person whose name became the title of the profession. This is an artistic liberty, since Butler comes from the Old French word for "wine bottle" by way of the Anglo-French word for cup-bearer.
114	* Modern-day paladin Michael Carpenter plays this role whenever he pairs up with Harry Dresden in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''
115	** Harry is often paired up with Thomas [[spoiler:His older brother]], who fits this role as well.
116	** Karrin Murphy, who is four years older than Harry, also fits this role.
117	* Sergeant Lewis to ''Literature/InspectorMorse'' in the original novels.
118	* In ''Literature/{{Harry Potter}}'', both Ron and Hermione are - albeit slightly - older than the title character.
119	** The ''Film/FantasticBeasts'' series also reveals that [[spoiler:Nagini]] is this, being an adult woman [[spoiler:with a curse that would eventually turn her permanently into the snake that she was during Harry's time]] at a time when [[spoiler:Tom Marvolo Riddle]] wasn't even a year old.
120	* Marc to Jame in Literature/ChroniclesOfTheKencyrath.
121	* In ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'', [[WanderingMinstrel Fflewddur Fflam]] is the Older Sidekick to [[FarmBoy Taran]] and [[RebelliousPrincess Eilonwy]], who are barely out of their teens. He subverts the expectation that he would be more mature and responsible than them, however, being something of a [[WideEyedIdealist romantic and a daydreamer]] ([[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass although he's still handy in a fight]]).
122	* In the ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad Belgariad]]'', [[MosesInTheBulrushes Garion]] has several older companions who're basically there to fight his battles, since he's still a child and has no real combat training for most of the series. By the time of the second quintology, several years have passed and he's more than capable f taking on enemies himself, so his former companions get a side story throughout the books instead of being part of Garion's party.
123	* In ''Literature/TheElenium'', middle-aged knight Sparhawk has an even older squire called Kurik. When asked by his childhood friend why he didn't just let Kurik retire, since every other knight in the order had learned to make do without a squire by this point, Sparhawk replied that Kurik had been placed in his service since he was a boy and he wouldn't even know where to begin in telling his oldest companion his services were no longer required.
124	* ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' has Flint, the 300 year old dwarf, playing the wise sidekick to the 100 year old hero, Tanis Half-Elf.
125	* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings: The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King'', the [[OlderThanTheyLook 87-year-old]] human Aragorn is accompanied by the 139-year-old dwarf Gimli and the nearly 3000-year-old elf Legolas. In ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', Aragorn himself is an older sidekick to the 50-year-old Frodo Baggins.
126	* ''The Ashtown Burials'' has Nolan, who's ReallySevenHundredYearsOld and born in ancient Persia, as sidekick to protagonists Cyrus and Antigone, siblings in their early teens. A variation as Nolan still ''looks'' about fifteen.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130	* Dominic Santini to Stringfellow Hawke in ''Series/{{Airwolf}}''.
131	* Mike to Gus in ''Series/BreakingBad''. Neither is particularly ''young'', but Mike is clearly older.
132	* Former spy Michael Westen of ''Series/{{Burn Notice}}'' frequently calls for assistance from his best friend, retired Cold Warrior Sam Axe, who generally enjoys the opportunity for adventure.
133	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Most of the Doctor's companions are in their twenties, maybe thirties, but there are a few that are older. However, almost no companions are as old as the ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Doctor.
134	** Captain Jack Harkness to the Doctor in the two-parter "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth The Stolen Earth]]"/"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd Journey's End]]". [[spoiler:After being trapped under Cardiff for 2000 years]] in his spin-off show ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'', he's now [[spoiler:twice as old as the Doctor, who claimed to be 903 around that time]].
135	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E12ArmyOfGhosts Army of Ghosts]]", the Doctor briefly pretends that Jackie Tyler, Rose's fortysomething mother, is in fact Rose, in order to fool the Torchwood Institute. Jackie was dragged along by accident.
136	** Though naturally much younger than the Doctor, Wilfred Mott in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]" certainly looks the part, being the Doctor's oldest human companion. The Doctor outright says he'd be proud to have Wilf as a dad.
137	** In series 5, [[spoiler:Rory Williams]] became this, [[spoiler:being an Auton replicant with Rory's memories, standing by the Pandorica for 2,000 years.]] Though by the end of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang The Big Bang]]", he's now [[spoiler:back in his twenties, with his millennia of memories locked away unless necessary.]]
138	** Graham O'Brien, one of the Thirteenth Doctor's companions, is played by Bradley Walsh, who was in his late fifties at the time.
139	** In ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', the Sixth Doctor is accompanied by Dr. Evelyn Smythe. At age fifty-five she is perhaps the third-oldest human companion, behind Wilf and Graham.
140	* Dorota to Blair Waldorf on ''Series/GossipGirl''.
141	* On an episode of ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'', it was revealed that Iolaus is actually older than Hercules by two years.
142	** Rather odd considering that in the myth, he's Heracles' NEPHEW.
143	* ''Series/{{Outlander}}'': As a final promise to the dying Ellen Fraser, Murtagh maintains UndyingLoyalty towards his godson Jamie, following him into multiple stints of exile that force Jamie from the safety of his home, into war, and repeatedly risks his own life to keep Jamie safe. Throughout the series, he is Jamie's second set of eyes and ears and his right-hand man. Until the Crown forcibly [[IndenturedServitude separated them]], if you saw Jamie, there was a pretty good bet that Murtagh was somewhere nearby.
144	* The actor who plays John Watson in BBC's ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' is five years older than the one who plays Sherlock. However, the age difference isn't obvious and so far hasn't come up on the show.
145	* In the 1950s ''Series/{{Zorro\|1957}}'' series, Gen Sheldon (Bernardo, Don Diego de la Vega's loyal manservant) was 16 years older than Creator/GuyWilliams (Diego de la Vega/Zorro). It was reversed in the [[Series/Zorro1990 1990s series]], where Felipe (the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for Bernardo) is younger than Diego.
146	* ''Series/{{Billions}}'': Wags is visibly older than Axe and his actor is four years older than Damien Lewis.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
150	* In Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheIliad'', Patroclus was traditionally an older sidekick to Achilles.
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
154	* Sapphire to Wrestling/DustyRhodes in the Wrestling/{{W\|orldWrestlingFederation}}WF and later, Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} in USWA. At 53, she was one of pro wrestling's oldest rookies and was selected from the crowd, as it was believed Dusty's manager should be a common woman since he was a "common man".
155	* One of Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling's bookers, long time {{tag team}} specialist, and general trouble maker Gedo, became the mouth piece of company ace and Chaos centerpiece Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada. He eventually betrayed him for the even younger [[Wrestling/BulletClub Jay White]], becoming a villainous version of this trope.
156	* [[WrestlingMonster The Vampire]] Lord Asteroth, who despite being around the business since the 1980s sought out [[Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick Paul London]] for more training.[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Video Games]]
159	%%* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock\|1}}'': "Hop hop, Mr. Bubbles!"
160	* K' from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' has Maxima, who has to keep his younger partner's temper in check at times.
161	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
162	** Cloud, the Hero, and Barret, the Lancer, from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. Barret is fourteen years older than Cloud. Interestingly, neither of them are particularly mature - Cloud spent his formative years in a [[PeopleJars People Jar]] and has the emotional maturity of a sixteen-year-old as a result, and Barret is emotionally driven to the point of completely neglecting to think his actions through. They seem to cancel each other out.
163	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': The viera Fran is at least in her 50s and is the 22-year-old Balthier's boon companion as a sky pirate.
164	** Sazh Kaztroy in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' is forty, while the rest of the party are in their teens or early twenties.
165	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' does the equal-partnership-with-paternity-and-fan-service thing, and (oddly for the series) it's played straight and isn't {{deconstruct\|orFleet}}ive. Raiden is the {{Bishonen}}, and the main character. Snake is a CoolOldGuy, the side character, and mentors Raiden. Both are [[MultipleDemographicAppeal very sexy]].
166	* Both of the sidekick {{NPC}}s from ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' are significantly older than the 21-year-old protagonist Jade. One of them is her middle-aged "uncle," the other is a soldier in his mid-30s.
167	* Pint-sized sixteen [[spoiler:or twenty-one]] year-old detective Johnny Garland has an older sidekick in the form of BattleButler Lenny in the game ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsFromTheNewWorld''. He's also the youngest member of the party. He's not alone, either: Shania has Natan as a bodyguard, and Hilda has [[spoiler:Roger Bacon]], although the two of them would disagree on which is the sidekick.
168	* ''VideoGame/{{Scaler}}'' has the KidHero Scaler assisted by Leon, a [[LanternJawOfJustice jowly]] lizard-man with a GiantFlyer. While they don't exactly [[TeethClenchedTeamwork get along well at first]], eventually they take a shine to each other. [[spoiler:Good thing, too, since Leon is Scaler's long-lost father]].
169	* ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' has TalkingAnimal SpiritAdvisor Gouto-douji, who is over a thousand years older than the eponymous protagonist.
170	* ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' has two instances of these. First is Date Masamune's BattleButler Katakura Kojuro, who has a good ten years on his master and is implied to be somewhat stronger, and second is Sanada Yukimura's {{Ninja}} Sarutobi Sasuke. Both examples also play the part of the HypercompetentSidekick to their rather young and inexperienced leaders, serving as a calmer counterpart to the HotBlooded teenagers. Incidentally, both masters and sidekicks are [[TheRival rivals]] to one another.
171	* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and Goofy to Sora in the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' series. While they're {{Funny Animal}}s who don't really have a set age, they're still pretty much adults.
172	* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has Jaheira and Khalid, two sensible elves and old friends of your foster father. While you don't have to bring them along (or even meet them at all, if you so choose), they are canonical in the sequel, not to mention that you're given explicit instructions to seek them out.
173	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
174	** ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' has Cassidy. He's in his late 50's, and his fan-created talking head for the fan restoration patch served as a basis for his art in the New California tabletop, where he's so old his beard is completely grey. Marcus would also qualify; his Super Mutant status has made him stop aging, but her served in the Master's army during ''VideoGame/{{Fallout\|1}}''--eighty years previous.
175	** Since the player in ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' is ''19 years old'', every companion except Dogmeat (a dog) and Butch (someone your character grew up with) qualifies. RL-3 and Charon technically qualify (Charon is a nuclear mutant who could be as old as 240, while RL-3 is a model of robot that hasn't been in production for 200 years), but it is more obvious with Star Paladin Cross. Cross mentions to the player that she carried you once, when you were a baby. Jericho, a recruitable former raider, is nearing 65 years old, according to source material.
176	** As in previous examples, Raul and Lily from ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. While Raul and Lily have the same age-defying abilities as Charon and Marcus (respectively), they come across as much older because of Raul's constant referring to himself as a feeble old man (and his loyalty quest hinging on it), and Lily's mental instability leading her to mistake the [[PlayerCharacter Courier]] for her grandchild.
177	* [[CoolOldGuy Kraden]] fills this role to every ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' hero as a noncombatant [[GentlemanAndAScholar scholarly]] [[ExpositionFairy advisor]]. In ''The Lost Age'', Piers also fits the role, with Felix as the leader.
178	** In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', Matthew (sixteen) is helped along his quest by the aforementioned Kraden (who is now over one hundred), [[AscendedExtra Eoleo]] (a little over thirty), and [[WarriorPrince Amiti]] (twenty-ish). The latter two don't exactly look or act their ages, though.
179	* Kumatora and Duster to Lucas in ''VideoGame/Mother3.'' Duster is explicitly in his thirties. Kumatora's age is [[VagueAge more vague]], but she could be anywhere from an older teen to a young twentysomething.
180	* All of Oliver's party members in ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'' are older than he is. Esther is only a few years older, but Swaine is about thirty [[spoiler: and his little brother, Marcassin, is in his early twenties]]. ExpositionFairy Drippy, the most explicitly "sidekickish" of them, is old enough to have traveled with the Great Sage Alicia when she was younger, and acts a bit like a man in his forties.
181	* SidekickCreatureNuisance and borderline TeamPet Riki, from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. Although his cuteness makes his age difficult to ascertain and he talks like a small child, he's actually a forty-year-old father of ''[[MassiveNumberedSiblings nine]]''. [[spoiler: Technically speaking, Melia is older, but because she [[Really700YearsOld ages differently due to her race]], she's functionally the same age as the rest of the party.]]
182	* In ''VideoGame/TouhouFuumarokuTheStoryOfEasternWonderland'', there's Genji, a flying geezer turtle who serves as Reimu's [[SapientSteed mount and mentor]]. [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome He was never seen in again]], as subsequent games in the series would depict Reimu as simply flying by her own power, [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness rendering Genji's general existence redundant]].
183	* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has Crono himself as one of the younger party members, alongside Marle and Lucca. Robo's age is nigh impossible to determine, but Frog and Ayla are both definitely older, [[spoiler: as is Magus]].
184	* The first ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' game family man Barry contrasts the survivor mentality that Jill is developing.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
188	* Phoenix's regular partner in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' saga is his young assistant Maya Fey, but when he needs extra assistance he calls Maya's older sister Mia Fey, who fits in this trope. Also, Mia's assistants were her mentors Marvin Grossberg and Diego Armando, both older than her. Then Apollo was assisted in his first case by his mentor Kristoph Gavin, and later Phoenix himself, and finally in the spin-off ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'', Edgeworth is helped by the older Detective Gumshoe. In ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'', Ryunosuke is often aided in investigation by the older famed detective Herlock Sholmes. It is later revealed that Sholmes had an older partner in the form of [[spoiler:Yujin Mikotoba]] before the events of the game.
189	* ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'':
190	** Ban and Rosé are both notably older and more experienced with the supernatural than high-schooler Akira, but because he's the one afflicted with Kakuya's curse they default to him as their leader, figuring that his decisions on how to handle his own curse are more important than what they think is right.
191	** Later in the story, police officer Ooe joins the crew. She mostly helps Akira from the background, working with her connections to allow him access to private areas.
192	[[/folder]]
193
194	[[folder:Web Animation]]
195	* ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool'': [[{{Womanchild}} Trisha 2]] is this to Mackenzie in the Cheer Squad thanks to being HeldBackInSchool, though she's no older than 20[[labelnote:note]]Models have to be under 21 years of age in order to qualify for the [=LIJMT=].[[/labelnote]] as of Season 5.
196	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Qrow serves as the adult companion to TheTeam starting in Volume 4. It's mainly comprised of teenagers going on 18, and they're later joined by [[spoiler:[[SealedGoodInACan Ozpin]] (in Oscar's body)]] in Volume 5 and [[CoolOldGuy Maria]] in Volume 6.
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:Webcomics]]
200	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
201	** Pompey to Nale in the Linear Guild. He's actually quite surprised to learn the man who keeps calling him "kid" is less than half his age. Although being a 43 year old half-elf makes him an adolescent, and he acts the part, so Nale has a point.
202	** Malack to Tarquin. He's [[spoiler:a 200-year-old vampire lizardman]], who's agreed to work for a human who must be a fraction of that age, since the arrangement won't last more than 40 years anyway.
203	[[/folder]]
204
205	[[folder:Western Animation]]
206	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Not only was Aang the youngest member of his trio in the first season ([[HumanPopsicle sort of]]), but the cheerful and experienced General Iroh is the foil to the bitter but complex teenage [[AntiVillain Prince Zuko]].
207	** Likewise, ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has Asami being slightly older than the titular heroine, especially when Asami is given the sidekick role in Season 3.
208	* In ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax'', the titular hero is a twelve year old boy, so his [[BattleButler Body Guard]] Norman does all the killing. Meanwhile Virgil, who is even older, serves partially as his boss (telling him what needs to be done) but also as a sidekick, helping him out and giving him details he'll need to know.
209	* Jake the Dog in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' for Finn the Human. Played with, as while they are both chronologically about the same age, Jake's dog biology means that he aged to adulthood before Finn even reached puberty.
210	* Hudson to Goliath in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''
211	** It used to be the other way around, but Hudson chose to step down from the leadership of the clan due to old age.
212	* The Optimus Prime of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is much younger than most of his incarnations, being the rough equivalent of a squad commander in his 20's/30's. Two members of his unit - [[CombatMedic Ratchet]] and [[TheLancer Prowl]] - are both older than him due to pre-dating the Great War.
213	* In ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', twelve-year-old Dipper is TheHero, and his twin Mabel is the {{Deuteragonist}}. Soos, who is in his twenties, actively describes himself as their sidekick in one episode, and behaves as one (especially toward Dipper) throughout.
214	* Captain Hook's first mate and personal assistant Mr. Smee from ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' is about a decade older than him.
215	[[/folder]]
216
217	[[folder:Real Life]]
218	* In American politics, a degree of value is placed on the youthfulness of the President. Vice Presidents are often older and more politically experienced. This is considered a good balance because the younger President attracts youth voters and is seen as dynamic, while the older VP contributes an air of stability that helps in other demographics.
219	** UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, Vice President to UsefulNotes/BarackObama. Before him, UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson, Vice President to UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy.
220	*** That said, both Johnson and Biden went on to be elected President after serving as VP, with Joe Biden being the oldest person to be elected POTUS ever.
221	** Then we have Dick Cheney's vice presidency to UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush.
222	* Until you get to the senior command levels, a military unit's top NCO is likely to be older and much more experienced than the official CO. Many militaries consider the training of young officers to be part of the duties of an experienced noncom.
223	[[/folder]]

Context Main / OlderSidekick