History Main / HandyHelper

* One episode of ''Series/MacGyver'' has [=MacGyver=] and his boss, Peter, working together. Peter has been temporarily blinded and [=MacGyver=] can't use his hands. Together... they can operate a golf cart!

* In the kung-fu film ''Film/TheCrippledMasters'', the title characters (one armless, one legless) are {{Handicapped Badass}}es individually, but also serve as {{Handy Helper}}s to one another when they work together as BashBrothers.

Compare TheCaretaker. Not to be confused with HelpingHands (although it's entirely possible for HelpingHands to be a HandyHelper).

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Chopper, the medic, is unable to move very much after [[spoiler:after using Monster Point]] so Robin helps him with medical duties, by moving him around.

* In a chapter of ''Manga/BlackJack,'' an aspiring sushi chef is accidentally hit by a truck driver and loses his arms. To make amends, the driver offers to help the chef by serving as his hands. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the truck driver is himself killed in a traffic accident. Black Jack ends up grafting his arms onto the sushi chef.

[[folder: Fanfic ]]

[[folder: Films -- Animated ]]

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]

* In ''Film/SantaSangre'', protagonist Fenix quite literally is his mother Concha's arms and hands, as he stands behind her and uses his hands as her own, to the point that they almost move without his conscious thought. [[spoiler:Which is actually true, since when Concha commands her to kill The Virgin, Fenix literally cannot stop his hands from doing so.]]
* In ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'', Master is an intelligent-yet-physically-weak midget. The strong-yet-dim Blaster (he has Down Syndrome) serves as Master's arms and legs.
* In ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'', [[spoiler: Agent Sands]] is blinded and has to rely on a street kid he met earlier to guide him around.
* In ''Film/TheBoneCollector'' [[spoiler:Amelia takes over the job of of Rhymes and kills Thompson]].
* In ''Film/TheIncredibleMrLimpet'', the title character loses his glasses, so his crab friend Crusty becomes his eyes.
* In ''Film/{{Blindness}}'' a woman who is immune to the virus causing blindness helps guide seven blind people.
* Alana is arguably a little bit like this for Bethany in ''Film/SoulSurfer'' in some ways. On her Facebook site Bethany as much as called her that in RealLife.
** Arguably a subversion. Bethany manages to get along reasonably well. What she does get from friends and family is encouragement.
* A mutual example in ''Film/SeeNoEvilHearNoEvil'': Dave is deaf, Wally is blind. Dave acts as Wally's eyes, Wally conveys information to Dave through lipreading.
* In ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'', [[spoiler: the recently wingless fairy]] Maleficent invokes this when the raven Diaval, in exchange for her saving his life, offers her his service:
--> "I need you to be my wings"

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Theatre ]]

[[folder: Toys ]]

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Urban Legend ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In the kung-fu film ''The Crippled Masters'', the title characters (one armless, one legless) are {{Handicapped Badass}}es individually, but also serve as {{Handy Helper}}s to one another when they work together as BashBrothers.

* Sue Thomas' dog in ''Series/SueThomasFBEYE''.

* In ''Literature/{{Maleficent}}'', [[spoiler: the recently wingless fairy]] Maleficent invokes this when the raven Diaval, in exchange for her saving his life, offers her his service:

[[folder: Film ]]

* In ''Film/SantaSangre'', protagonist Fenix quite literally is his mother Concha's arms and hands, as he stands behind her and uses his hands as her own, to the point that they almost move without his conscious thought. [[spoiler:Which is actually true, since when Concha commands her to kill The Virgin, Fenix literally cannot stop his hands from doing so.]]
* In ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'', Master is an intelligent-yet-physically-weak midget. The strong-yet-dim Blaster (he has Down Syndrome) serves as Master's arms and legs.
* In ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'', [[spoiler: Agent Sands]] is blinded and has to rely on a street kid he met earlier to guide him around.
* In ''Film/TheBoneCollector'' [[spoiler:Amelia takes over the job of of Rhymes and kills Thompson]].
* In ''Film/TheIncredibleMrLimpet'', the title character loses his glasses, so his crab friend Crusty becomes his eyes.

* In ''Film/{{Blindness}}'' a woman who is immune to the virus causing blindness helps guide seven blind people.
* Alana is arguably a little bit like this for Bethany in ''Film/SoulSurfer'' in some ways. On her Facebook site Bethany as much as called her that in RealLife.
** Arguably a subversion. Bethany manages to get along reasonably well. What she does get from friends and family is encouragement.
* A mutual example in ''Film/SeeNoEvilHearNoEvil'': Dave is deaf, Wally is blind. Dave acts as Wally's eyes, Wally conveys information to Dave through lipreading.
* In ''Literature/{{Maleficent}}'', [[spoiler: the recently wingless fairy]] Maleficent invokes this when the raven Diaval, in exchange for her saving his life, offers her his service:
--> "I need you to be my wings"
* In the kung-fu film ''The Crippled Masters'', the title characters (one armless, one legless) are {{Handicapped Badass}}es individually, but also serve as {{Handy Helper}}s to one another when they work together as BashBrothers.

* An episode of ''TheSmurfs'' had Brainy lose his glasses, so he is forced to rely on Clumsy, whom he had earlier derided as being useless.

* At the end of ''Anime/ElHazardTheMagnificentWorld'', the hero and the chick cooperate like this � he wields the sword while she helps him with her ability to see through illusions of the BigBad.

* Invoked in an episode of ''Series/TheMentalist'' where Jane gets a millionaire to let him drive his car while blindfolded � Jane steers by having the person's hand on his shoulder, responding to his tension as Jane drives.

* Subverted in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' � The naga are a race of snake-headed humans and most of them cope just fine, either through dextrous mouths or magic. However, they do notice the trope and consider it a proof that they are a superior race � after all, they are best suited for thinking, while lesser creatures serve as their limbs � so this must be the intended natural order.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

* At the end of ''Anime/ElHazardTheMagnificentWorld'', the hero and the chick cooperate like this — he wields the sword while she helps him with her ability to see through illusions of the BigBad.

[[AC:Fanfic]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/TheSharingKnife'' series, Dag is one-handed. Normally this isn't a problem for him, but when he breaks his other arm, his then-fiancée Fawn ends up acting as his hands.

[[AC:Live Action TV]]

* Invoked in an episode of ''Series/TheMentalist'' where Jane gets a millionaire to let him drive his car while blindfolded — Jane steers by having the person's hand on his shoulder, responding to his tension as Jane drives.

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]
* Subverted in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' — The naga are a race of snake-headed humans and most of them cope just fine, either through dextrous mouths or magic. However, they do notice the trope and consider it a proof that they are a superior race — after all, they are best suited for thinking, while lesser creatures serve as their limbs — so this must be the intended natural order.

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC:{{Toys}}]]

[[AC:Visual Novels]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

[[AC:Urban Legend]]

[[AC:Real Life]]

* There's a famous pair of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' players, one of whom is a veteran who lost his sight in Iraq. His clanmate acts as his eyes using macros and sound cues. Blizzard found the duo so inspiring that they put out two in-game items named after their characters.

* ''Franchise/{{BIONICLE}}'': In the ''Mata Nui Online Game'', Takua becomes Pohatu's eyes when the latter was blinded by a [[ScaryScorpion Nui-Jaga]].

* {{Downplayed}}, since the impairments aren't permanent, in an episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' ("Lend a Hand"): Hawkeye and a visiting surgeon (played by Creator/AlanAlda's real-life father Robert) get into an accident leaving one with a sprained wrist and another with a broken arm. They work side-by-side, each as the other's missing hand, to save the life of a soldier.

* In ''Literature/{{Maleficent}}'', [[spoiler: the recently wingless fairy]] Maleficent invokes this when Diaval, in exchange for her saving his life, offers her his service:

* Service dogs; depending on what type they are they act as their handler's eyes, ears or even hands (well, in a manner of speaking).

Compare TheCaretaker. Not to be confused with HelpingHands (although its entirely possible for HelpingHands to be a HandyHelper).

* In ''OnePiece'', Chopper, the medic, is unable to move very much after [[spoiler:after using Monster Point]] so Robin helps him with medical duties, by moving him around.
* Used and brought to a mentally scarring twist ending in ''FrankenFran''.

* At the end of ''Anime/ElHazardTheMagnificentWorld'', the hero and the chick cooperate like this - he wields the sword while she helps him with her ability to see through illusions of the BigBad.

* In ''SantaSangre'', protagonist Fenix quite literally is his mother Concha's arms and hands, as he stands behind her and uses his hands as her own, to the point that they almost move without his conscious thought. [[spoiler:Which is actually true, since when Concha commands her to kill The Virgin, Fenix literally cannot stop his hands from doing so.]]

* In ''OnceUponATimeInMexico'', [[spoiler: Agent Sands]] is blinded and has to rely on a street kid he met earlier to guide him around.
* In ''The Bone Collector'' [[spoiler:Amelia takes over the job of of Rhymes and kills Thompson]]
* In ''TheIncredibleMrLimpet'', the title character loses his glasses, so his crab friend Crusty becomes his eyes.

* Alana is arguably a little bit like this for Bethany in ''SoulSurfer'' in some ways. On her facebook site Bethany as much as called her that in RealLife.

* In ''TheSharingKnife'' series, Dag is one-handed. Normally this isn't a problem for him, but when he breaks his other arm, his then-fiancée Fawn ends up acting as his hands.
* In the ''LittleHouseOnThePrairie'' series, Mary is stricken blind and her sister Laura becomes her eyes by describing everything she sees for Mary's benefit whenever she asks.
* ''Gathering Blue'' provides a proposed mutual example. [[spoiler:Kira's father turns out to be alive despite his being LeftForDead before Kira was born and now lives in a village where people with disabilities all live this way.]] He is blind and offers Kira the chance of coming with him to his village, with Kira as his eyes and him as her legs (Kira has a deformed leg).

* Magpie and Dog in ''Fox'' by Margaret Wild. Magpie's wing was injured in a forest fire, and Dog has only one eye, so Magpie rides around on Dog's back being his binocular vision, and when he runs it's ''almost'' as good as flying.

* ''FreakTheMighty'' (and of course the movie adaptation, ''The Mighty'') is a mutual example of this. Freak is brilliant and outspoken but frail, while Max is big and strong but none too bright; together they can face down just about anybody.
* At the end of the ''[[HeraldsOfValdemar Mage Storms]]'' trilogy, Karal's eyesight is burned out. He can only see through his mind link with Altra. When Natoli writes to ask him to return to Valdemar, she says "I can be your eyes too" (not literally, as she doesn't have any PsychicPowers).

* Invoked in an episode of ''TheMentalist'' where Jane gets a millionaire to let him drive his car while blindfolded - Jane steers by having the person's hand on his shoulder, responding to his tension as Jane drives.
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' Riva a diplomat is deaf from a hereditary genetic deficiency, but has his "chorus", an entourage of three people in telepathic communication with Riva and able to enunciate his thoughts. This trope is repeated in the same episode when [[spoiler:Riva's "chorus" is killed and Data must read his sign language and translate for him]] This happens in another episode of ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Gen]]'' where [[spoiler:[=LaForge=] and a Romulan lose the use of some of their senses due to interference from the planet Galorndon Core, and compensate for each other's lost senses]]

* In ''{{Firefly}}'' Simon Tam is River's Amygdala built for two.
* Sue Thomas' dog in SueThomasFBEYE

* Subverted in TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons - The naga are a race of snake-headed humans and most of them cope just fine, either through dextrous mouths or magic. However, they do notice the trope and consider it a proof that they are a superior race - after all, they are best suited for thinking, while lesser creatures serve as their limbs - so this must be the intended natural order.

* ''{{BIONICLE}}'': in the ''Mata Nui Online Game'', Takua becomes Pohatu's eyes when the latter was blinded by a [[ScaryScorpion Nui-Jaga]].

* One of the ''TheLandBeforeTime'' sequels had villains Dil and Ichy, a near-blind crocodile and a bird, respectively. Ichy would act as Dil's eyes.
* The ClassicDisneyShort ''Morris the Midget Moose'' is about a tiny moose with normal-sized anlters. He meets up with a normal-sized moose with tiny antlers, and the two combined themselves to make one complete moose.

This is trope is a character compensating for another character's disability or deformity by basically becoming the appendage the other person is lacking. This altruistic attitude is usually attributed to, at least, a bond of friendship, and often is borne out of genuine love, be it brotherly, parent-child or romantic.

* In the ''The Bone Collector'' [[spoiler:Amelia takes over the job of of Rhymes and kills Thompson]]

* Subverted in D&D - The naga are a race of snake-headed humans and most of them cope just fine, either through dextrous mouths or magic. However, they do notice the trope and consider it a proof that they are a superior race - after all, they are best suited for thinking, while lesser creatures serve as their limbs - so this must be the intended natural order.

* [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Rin]] from ''KatawaShoujo'' has no arms, and [[GenkiGirl Emi]] helps her with things she cannot do (although Rin is quite able on her own). Another character who does this, [[LargeHam Misha]] serves as a TranslatorBuddy to deaf-mute [[SpiritedCompetitor Shizune]].

Compare TheCaretaker

* In ''[[Film/MadMax Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'', Master is an intelligent-yet-physically-weak midget. The strong-yet-dim Blaster (he has Down Syndrome) serves as Master's arms and legs.

* At the end of ''ElHazard'', the hero and the chick cooperate like this - he wields the sword while she helps him with her ability to see through illusions of the BigBad.

* In ''{{Ratatouille}}'', Linguini is a bad cook bordering on [[LethalChef lethal]]. Remy is a good one, but he also happens to be a [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman rat]]. They discover that if Remy hides in Linguini's hat, Remy can smell the ingredients and direct Linguini to choose the right ones by pulling his hair.

* In the Creator/RichardPryor[=/=]Creator/GeneWilder flick ''See No Evil hear No Evil'', they play friends who are blind and deaf, respectively, who compensate for each other's handicaps.

* In ''[[MadMax Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'', Master is an intelligent-yet-physically-weak midget. The strong-yet-dim Blaster (he has Down Syndrome) serves as Master's arms and legs.
* In the RichardPryor[=/=]GeneWilder flick ''See No Evil hear No Evil'', they play friends who are blind and deaf, respectively, who compensate for each other's handicaps.