Line #135 Main/KidSidekick


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9	[[quoteright:349:[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_and_robin.png]]]]
10
11	->''"I don't know how the public accepted all these heroes' infant sidekicks. Besides the Catholic church, no other organization hires 10 year old assistants. Being a superhero is a lot like being a cop, and if we were watching Series/{{COPS\|1989}} and one of the policemen was chasing a car thief with a kid dressed up as a little cop sitting next to him, we would think that was crazy."''
12	-->-- '''Creator/{{Seanbaby}}'''
13
14	A character, often an adult or sometimes teenager, has a considerably younger {{Sidekick}}. Traditionally the kid will often act as TheWatson for the main character, and/or as [[KidAppealCharacter someone for younger audiences to identify with]].
15
16	Sometimes the kid acts as a MoralityPet or as a WishFulfillment personification, which goes some way to explaining the [[FridgeLogic implausibility]] of a responsible adult putting a young child in dangerous situations. Sometimes the sidekick will be a TeenGenius or ChildProdigy in an attempt to justify their presence, or even a CuteBruiser.
17
18	Other times, they're TheLoad and a DamselInDistress. May overlap with JuniorCounterpart. Usually the result of MustHaveLotsOfFreeTime.
19
20	Compare TagalongKid, KidAppealCharacter, BrattyHalfPint, and BakerStreetRegular. Contrast OlderSidekick.
21	----
22	!!Examples:
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* Jim Hawking in ''Manga/OutlawStar'' is this to Gene Starwind being the ChildProdigy who is ironically the voice of maturity and reason compared to the impulsive and swashbuckling Gene.
26	* Isidro from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' in spite of the how dark the series is, plays this straight to Guts being very much the lighthearted Robin to his dark and brooding Batman. He’s the only character Guts has personally taught but the Black Swordsman still has to painfully explain to the kid (who’s desperate to be as badass as his idol) that it’ll take years for Isidro to become anywhere as formidable as he is in combat — something that stings Isidro but he keeps at it. Schierke can also be seen as this though to a less obvious extent.
27	* PlayfulHacker Radical Edward aka Ed of ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' can be seen as this to Bebop crew especially to Faye whom she teams up with the most, though she aids Spike and Jet as well occasionally. Ed is unique example as she’s actually more competent than Spike, Jet and Faye combined being pretty much an unstoppable InvincibleHero as seen in “Mushroom Samba”.
28	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
29	** Gohan did much of the series was this for Piccolo his mentor (to point of them wearing matching outfits), though he’s also played this straight with his own father Goku on occasion.
30	** On the flip side Trunks from the BadFuture is the kid sidekick to Gohan himself in the ''Anime/DragonBallZTheHistoryOfTrunks'' special while in the present Goten is this for his older brother Gohan early in the Buu Saga and in ''Broly the Second Coming''.
31	** Dende was this for Nail in the Namek Saga with their bond being reminiscent of Gohan and Piccolo’s.
32	** In the [[Manga/DragonBall original series]] technically Goku himself was this to Bulma being 11 while she was 16 although of course unlike other examples he was [[PintSizedPowerHouse vastly more competent than her]] and soon set on his own adventure.
33	* Sailor Chibi Moon of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' can be seen as this to the Senshi in general as TheBabyOfTheBunch but is really this to Usagi in particular.
34	* Doc ''Manga/BlackJack'''s sidekick, nurse, and surrogate daughter Pinoko.
35	* ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'' is the epitome of this trope. Ogami Ittou's sidekick is ''three years young''.
36	* Lirio from ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja'' is a loli sidekick to BadassNormal Ricardo.
37	* Hayate's partner, Reinforce Zwei in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers''. Her non-FunSize form looks around ten, [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots with her actual age]] [[YoungerThanTheyLook being younger]].
38	* Lin and Bat in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' are this to Kenshiro (especially the latter who’s a GuileHero) and they are also strongly implied to be ones who kept him going after he lost Yuria. One of the most heartwarming moments in the series is after the TimeSkip Ken embraces the grown up and more competent Lin and Bat and giving them a SoProudOfYou speech.
39	* Wendy Garret of ''Anime/GunXSword'' is a teenage example of this. She very rarely helps out in battle, but she's better at thinking than Van is. She functions as a manager, handling the money and making travel arrangements.
40	* Eve of ''Manga/BlackCat'' is one, but she hardly has trouble keeping up.
41	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
42	** Ninjin, Piiman and Tamanegi from Syrup Village were this for Usopp (their TricksterMentor) and were willingly to give their lives on his orders to protect Kaya.
43	** Luffy often has a knack for finding these: Coby in the first two arcs (before he TookALevelInBadass), Aisa in Skypeia, Chimney in Enies Lobby, Mommonosuke in Punk Hazard and Wano and Tama as well. That’s not even counting the various anime, movie TV special-only kids he teams up with like Apis or Mobambi.
44	** Similarly Zoro and Sanji both in the anime and manga often find themselves with kid partners they have look after or in the case of Sanji and aspiring chef Tajio, mentor. More consistently the young Chopper plays this straight with them, especially with Zoro.
45	** Shanks was once the KidSidekick to Gold. D Roger the Pirate King himself, he obviously TookALevelInBadass since then.
46	** Toko from Wano is this for Hiyori aka Komurasaki serving as the kamuro to her courtesan. Hiyori even slaps Orochi to protect her.
47	** Inuarashi, Nekomamushi and Kawamatsu as well Kiku and Izou were all once the kiddie allies of Oden before taking many levels in badassery thanks to a TimeSkip.
48	* Subverted in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' with Chrono and Rosette. Chrono looks like (and sometimes acts like) a twelve-year-old, but it's soon revealed that he's [[OlderThanTheyLook really a demon that's probably at least a century old]], making him actually Rosette's OlderSidekick. Also played somewhat straight with Azmaria, a 12-year-old apprentice in the Order who is assigned to work with Chrono and Rosette.
49	* In 1989 OVA two-parter ''Explorer Woman Ray'', twin girls Mai and Mami are (according to some reviewers) to the titular heroine what Short Round was to Indiana Jones (see below).
50	* Nina is this for Dr. Theo and later on Nicolas in ''Manga/{{Gangsta}}'', threatening or hurting her is the quickest way to set both of them off.
51	%%* Yukine in ''Manga/{{Noragami}}''
52	%%* Pogo in ''Anime/GenmaWars'' to the [[NobleFugitive exiled]] WarriorPrince Loof.
53	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' actually has a rather creative use of this. Sidekicks are actually interns for heroes who run organizations such as Best Jeanist or Nighteye. It's both used as training for upcoming superheroes as well as providing employment for some of them as well.
54	* ''Manga/RoosterFighter'': Impressed by Keiji's justice, a little chick decides to follow him, who is initially not happy for dragging a kid along, but changes his mind and gives her a name Piyoko without thinking ([[GiverOfLameNames meaning Chick]]).
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Comic Books]]
58	* ComicBook/{{Robin}}, sidekick of ComicBook/{{Batman}}, is the UrExample, and is retained in almost every incarnation of Batman, no matter how DarkerAndEdgier, simply because [[GrandfatherClause of tradition]]. These days the concept is subject to ReimaginingTheArtifact, justifying Robin's presence by saying that either the kid is so psychologically damaged that he'd become self-destructive (or just plain destructive) without Batman supervising his crimefighting (probably the case with Jason and definitely for Damian), or that ''Batman'' is the damaged one and needs a surrogate son to keep him grounded (all but said was the case for [[ComicBook/Robin1993 Tim]]).
59	** In ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', when the new police commissioner tangles with Batman and spots the young Carrie Kelly as Robin with him, she adds Child Endangerment on the warrant for him.
60	** Other kid sidekicks to Batman: Spoiler (sometimes), some Batgirls more than others. The original Bat-Girl (Betty Kane) was originally the kid sidekick of ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} (Kathy Kane), until Kathy was retconned away and Betty became Bette Kane, a Robin fangirl who called herself Flamebird. Then in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' Kathy was reintroduced, and so was Bette's time as Bat-Girl. She was last seen as the sidekick to her cousin, the Kate Kane Batwoman, as Hawkfire.
61	* Okay, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen is more of a Teen Sidekick for most of his appearances, but he's still much younger than his [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} hero]].
62	** In the Silver Age, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} played it straight at the beginning, but she eventually subverted it. She was Franchise/{{Superman}}'s sidekick and emergency secret weapon while he was training her, but when he revealed her existence to the world, he made clear that she was his partner. Before that, in ''Action Comics #288'', Kara becomes invulnerable to Kryptonite for a while, and Superman seriously regards her as superior to him, and wonders if he should become ''her'' sidekick. During the Silver and Bronze Ages both cousins interacted as equals, but in the Post-Crisis universe, teen Kara became his sidekick again. In ''ComicBook/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInThe8thGrade'', she dislikes being called Superman’s sidekick because she is supposed to be his partner.
63	* The success of Messrs. Grayson and Olson have led DC to exaggerate this, if not Up To {{Cliche}}:
64	** The two users of the Speedy identity (Roy Harper and Mia Dearden) and Red Arrow (Emiko Queen) to ComicBook/GreenArrow.
65	** ''ComicBook/BlackCanary'': Roy and Mia have acted as this to her as much as they did to Oliver. Later Dinah took in Sin, though she wasn't really a sidekick so much as a girl Dinah planned to raise as her daughter.
66	** Aqualad (Garth of Shayeris, Jackson Hyde), Aquagirl (Tula Marinus and Lorena Marquez) and Aqualass (Andy Curry) to ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}.
67	** Kid Flash and Impulse (Wally West, Bart Allen, Wallace West, Irey West) to ComicBook/TheFlash.
68	** ComicBook/WonderGirl only ended up being an example of this through retcon. She was originally introduced in the ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]] comic as Diana herself as a teenager, in flashback stories set during her youth. Because of her popularity, there were then a few "[[{{Elseworld}} Impossible Stories]]" written in which both versions of Diana teamed up. When the ''Teen Titans'' comic was created as a team book featuring the Kid Sidekicks of the main Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica members, the original writers assumed that Wonder Girl was an ordinary kid sidekick to Diana, and treated her as such. The attempts to sort this out and give Wonder Girl a separate identity and backstory as "Donna Troy" ended up creating one of the most notorious {{Continuity Snarl}}s in superhero comics history. Other than that, Cassie Sandsmark, the second Wonder Girl, has had the most tenure of being a sidekick to Diana.
69	** Wing to the Crimson Avenger.
70	** Stuff, the Chinatown Kid to the original ComicBook/{{Vigilante}}.
71	** Atlee (the third? ComicBook/{{Terra}}) to ComicBook/PowerGirl.
72	** They even tried to give ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} a sidekick named Catgirl. [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome It didn't take.]]
73	** The original ComicBook/RedTornado, Ma Hunkel, was accompanied by the Cyclone Kids, her own daughter and the neighbor's kid brother.
74	** Darkly parodied with Kid Devil, whose adult counterpart and idol ComicBook/BlueDevil was barely aware of his existence, despite having made a DealWithTheDevil to be a {{superhero}} with him.
75	** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] teen hero the Star-Spangled Kid, and his adult sidekick Stripesy.
76	* Of course, Marvel has its share as well:
77	** ComicBook/BuckyBarnes was this to ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, following Robin's debut less than a year earlier. He served with Cap in ComicBook/{{The Invaders\|MarvelComics}} as well; the latter also introduced the first ComicBook/{{Human Torch\|1939}} sidekick Toro, with near identical powers. The character, as depicted in that era, has become TheArtifact for Cap as essentially a ChildSoldier in modern eyes, which requires some convoluted justifications from the writers.
78	** Step forward, Rick Jones. For decades Rick has been Creator/MarvelComics' stock sidekick. He has been partners with [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk The Hulk]], ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, two ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel\|MarvelComics}}'s, and ComicBook/ROMSpaceKnight. Must be some kind of record.
79	** The Hulk also had Jim Wilson, the nephew of ComicBook/TheFalcon.
80	** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s various sidekicks, usually of the young girl type (ComicBook/KittyPryde, ComicBook/{{Rogue}}, ComicBook/{{Jubilee\|MarvelComics}}).
81	** Oddly enough, ComicBook/MoonKnight had an adult sidekick (or at least young adult) who was [[DeathIsCheap temporarily killed off]] and [[WeCanRebuildHim rebuilt]] as an [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul evil cyborg]] named Midnight.
82	** ComicBook/SpiderMan started as a deliberate subversion of this trope. Creator/StanLee had grown sick of teen sidekicks, so he decided to create a series that featured a teenager as the main star, rather than as support to an adult hero. Everyone thought that ItWillNeverCatchOn... but it did. Marvel eventually gave him his own teen sidekick, "Alpha", for a MilestoneCelebration storyline. It didn't last, as the [[SmugSuper powers went to the kid's head]] and Spidey had to depower him before he became a threat.
83	** On the other hand, [[ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan Miles Morales]] serves as [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter's]] in ''ComicBook/SpiderMen'', though this consists mostly of Peter watching his back and saving his life and Miles occasionally doing something awesome to make up for it.
84	** ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}: Played with in ''ComicBook/Hawkeye2012'', as [[Characters/MarvelComicsClintBarton Clint Barton]]'s teen sidekick [[Characters/MarvelComicsKateBishop Kate Bishop]] is also [[LegacyCharacter Hawkeye]]. Aside from sharing the same superhero monicker, Kate is actually the better Hawkeye of the two.
85	** Also played with in ComicBook/{{Morbius}}' Marvel NOW! series with the teenager Becky, who keeps saying she's his sidekick but Morbius insists she's not.
86	* The Clock, a very first [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] hero (last seen in 1944) and his kid sidekick Butch (a girl). Butch, incidentally, originally wanted to be the Clock's "moll", much to the hero's mortification. She eventually got over it.
87	* Johnny Bates, a.k.a. Kid Miracleman, from the comic ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}''. (Originally known in the UK as Kid Marvelman and ''Marvelman''.) Creator/AlanMoore's 1980s revival of the series not only aged the character to adulthood but gave him one of the most horrific {{Face Heel Turn}}s in comic book history. There was also the Teen Sidekick Young Marvelman.
88	* German detective ''ComicStrip/NickKnatterton'' had Toni Knatter, in one story. The MeaningfulName was {{lampshaded}} by our hero.
89	* ''ComicBook/TheShield'': In the 1940s, the Shield had a sidekick named Dusty. Joe adopted Dusty after his father was killed by foreign agents. Dusty later teamed up with the Wizard's sidekick, Roy, as the "Boy-Buddies".
90	* Viciously parodied in Rick Veitch's controversial miniseries ''Brat Pack'', a {{deconstruction}} of superheroes and their DysfunctionJunction of teenage sidekicks. This featured transparent [[CaptainErsatz Captains Ersatz]] of various Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica figures physically, mentally, and sexually abusing their sidekicks in various ways, including killing them off to get public sympathy. Of course, [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero the adult heroes are contractually obligated to have kid sidekicks or else their sponsors won't pay them royalties.]] When -- or, rather, [[DeadlyEuphemism if]] -- a sidekick turns eighteen, they get a share in the royalties.
91	* ''ComicBook/TheAdventuresOfAeroGirl'': Aero-Girl served this role for Battle Jack until his death.
92	** A visiting superhero in issue #4 had one of these as well.
93	* ''ComicBook/{{Stray\|2015}}'': In his youth, [[TheProtagonist Rodney Weller]] was the Rottweiler, kid sidekick to The Doberman, his father. Sadly, he gave it up when they had a falling out.
94	* In ''ComicBook/DrBlinkSuperheroShrink'', the Wonder Boys are this for [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Nocturne]]. He even has a rule for when they are replaced: "Once your voice breaks, so do you."
95	* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' has this fairly frequently, being a reconstruction of comic book tropes:
96	** The original Honor Guard member Leopardman had Kitkat.
97	** Altar Boy is this for the Confessor.
98	*** The second Confessor has the Choirboys, a small group of teens who do surveillance work.
99	** The All-American had Slugger.
100	** The Hispanic-themed El Hombre had his trusty partner Bravo.
101	** The unnamed MasterApprenticeChain of bird heroines adopt a new Kid Sidekick when the eldest retires. Known members have included Nightflyer, Sunshrike, Nightingale, and Sunbird.
102	** In TheFifties, the Gentleman often worked with the Young Gentleman.
103	** For a while Starfight had Quark, until [[RefusedByTheCall he proved unsuitable]] for the power.
104	** The Jayhawks were a team composed entirely of Kid Sidekicks -- Kid Corsair, Buster, Teen Genie, Beachboy, and Rally.
105	** Bugleboy and Majorette were male- and female-sidekicks to Music Man.
106	* ''ComicBook/KatieTheCatsitter'' has Katie, who babysits the cats of an eccentric woman who turns out to secretly be a superhero who fights crime with the help of her cats, and thinks this is so cool that Katie asks her to become her sidekick. She agrees.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	%%[[folder:Comic Strips]]
110	%%* Junior (possibly Henry Steele, Jr.) in ''ComicStrip/DickTracy''.
111	%%[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Fan Works]]
114	* Subverted in ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' story ''Fanfic/AForceOfFour''. Fury wants to fight crime alongside her mother, the Golden Age Franchise/WonderWoman, but Diana makes clear she's NOT taking a sidekick.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
118	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'', a little kid named Buddy really wants to be Mr. Incredible's sidekick. When Mr. Incredible declines the offer due to his lack of formal training and refusal to take "no" for answer and just listen, Buddy [[NotGoodWithRejection does not take it well]]. [[spoiler:In fact, he takes it ''so badly'' that he eventually becomes the {{Supervillain}} known as Syndrome just to try and become a FakeUltimateHero.]]
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
122	%%* Kenny from ''Film/{{Gamera}}''
123	%%* Short Round from ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''.
124	* ''Film/LastActionHero'' even has the Kid Sidekick refer to himself as the 'Comedy Sidekick', which should be a sub-trope of sidekick.
125	* The Jedi in ''Franchise/StarWars'' pair up young padawans with older Jedi to teach them the way of the force. The difference here is that they often remain padawans into their twenties, making them former Kid Sidekicks by that age. They are usually [[SidekickGraduationsStick Knighted]] after that, and soon begin the cycle again by choosing their own padawan. Generally padawans and their masters are sent on diplomatic missions, but with the way the Franchise/StarWars universe works, and with the advent of the Clone Wars, it's almost a given that the [[ChildSoldiers padawan will be forced to fight]].
126	* Lex and Tim Murphy from ''Film/JurassicPark'' for Dr. Alan Grant who initially found children insufferable but grows to deeply care for Lex and Tim.
127	* Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl from ''Film/KickAss''. Subverted by the fact that she is much more competent than the protagonist.
128	* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''. Short Round is Indiana Jones's partner, friend and nag. Indiana met him when he was a street orphan trying to pick Indy's pocket. His parents were killed during the Japanese bombing of Shanghai in 1932. He even gets to wear Indy’s hat.
129	* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, Spider-Man becomes Iron Man's sidekick, with him assisting the seasoned hero and being mentored by him on many occasions. [[spoiler:After Tony’s death, Spidey becomes independent though he has go through a TraumaCongaLine to get there.]]
130	* In the Disney pre-Marvel buy-out superhero film, ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', the students are divided abitrarily between trainee super-hero and trainee hero support (the preferred term for which "sidekick" is a derogatory nickname). As such, half the student body are technically child sidekicks, or at least student hero support. The villain's original motivation was actually anger at being assigned to hero support, despite her potent ability to spontaneously create and control super-powered gadgets.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Literature]]
134	%%* Patsy Murphy and Chick in John R. Coryell's ''Literature/NickCarter''.
135	* BarbarianHero Naoh is joined on the titular quest by two adolescent warriors Nam and Gaw in ''Literature/QuestForFire''.
136	* The Red Lama and Kim in Creator/RudyardKipling's ''Kim''. Interestingly Kim is TheSidekick to several different characters including the Red Lama, Mahbub Ali, and so on as well as being TheHero.
137	* ''Literature/DocWilde'', a ''Literature/DocSavage'' parody, has his two kids who he's been raising to be badasses like himself come up with him on his adventures.
138	* ''Literature/WearingTheCape'':
139	** Hope (18 years old) becomes Atlas' sidekick in order to learn the butt-kicking ways of [[FlyingBrick Atlas-type heroes]]. The whole mentor/sidekick angle is played up for the media (her costume is even color-coordinated to match his), but it's clearly understood to be a temporary arrangement, more like an apprenticeship.
140	** The Sentinels end up with a team of pre-eighteen heroes called the Young Sentinels (led by Astra), which delves into the concept more. In particular, it is illegal to intentionally send a minor into any combat situation, so they are exclusively used for disaster relief--though since supervillains sometimes decide to take advantage of disasters, they do have to fight more than a little. Astra also had problems with this law in early books, because she's a tiny little waif of a girl and a lot of people refused to believe that she was of legal age. The government knew her true identity and age of course, so she didn't ''actually'' get in trouble, but there was a media storm over it.
141	* Discussed extensively for laughs in the ''Literature/HowToBeASuperhero'' chapter "The Problem With Boy Wonders". Not that ''Girl'' Wonders aren't without their own problems...
142	* In ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'', Miss A is sidekick to the Original, who is probably her father. She's also a complete {{Jerkass}}, with the Original apparently being just as bad, and Penny's parents don't think most other heroes with sidekicks are much better. Not that there's something wrong with sidekicks, it's just that for some reason it attracts all the jackasses.
143	** In the prequel novel, ''Literature/IDidNotGiveThatSpiderSuperhumanIntelligence'', several younger sidekicks appear in the book, all of whom are fairly competent.
144	*** Psychopomp (who is immortal but has a ten-year-old body) and mortal teenagers Bluejay (although she only heals people and doesn't fight in the field) and Mish-Mosh assist Goodnight and Spider in their quest to protect the innocent.
145	*** CorporateSponsoredSuperhero Palooka Joe (an implied relative of the Original and Miss A)’s new sidekick is a teenager named Accessorizer who [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld mentions that she only does hero work on weekends or after school]] and shows some discomfort at Joe's EscalatingWar with Bismuth. She is presumably a senior in high school or a college freshman, though, as Goodnight is shocked when an unnamed magic-using hero who backs up Palooka Joe and Accessorizer in one fight is clearly younger than eighteen.
146	* In Jeramey Kraatz's ''Literature/TheCloakSociety'', Amp was Lone Star's sidekick when younger.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
150	* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Walter Denton usually drives Miss Brooks to school. He often sees her at lunch in the cafeteria, and will play a major part or even instigate the ZanyScheme of the week.
151	* Mark Hollander to the titular ''Series/AceLightning'' (albeit sometimes reluctantly).
152	* Rather bizarrely on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Sylar temporarily gained one of these in the form of Luke, a troubled teen with the inexplicable desire to go on a road trip with a super-powered serial killer. And keep annoying him. His survival is something of a miracle. The series implied that Luke could potentially be Sylar's brother, but this was never confirmed.
153	* In Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s U-Pick Live segment, they held a contest where the winner would be added to the show as Pick Boy's new sidekick. Something must have gone wrong backstage though, because no kid was ever brought in.
154	* On ''Series/DoctorWho'', Adric filled this role. Susan and Vickie were likewise younger and less mature than most. Of course, given the Doctor's full age, almost every companion is a kid to him, unless they're Timelords too. WordOfGod has it that they deliberately went out of their way to avoid straight examples of this trope because "children don't want to watch any child character who's younger than themselves", so companions are almost never any younger than their mid-teens and most often in their late 20s or early 30s.
155	* ''Series/WonderWoman'': Princess Drusilla, a.k.a. ComicBook/WonderGirl played by Debra Winger.
156	* The title character of ''Series/HenryDanger'' gets a job as the sidekick to the superhero Captain Man under the identity of Kid Danger.
157	* Deconstructed in ''Series/Titans2018'' where Bruce Wayne's training of his various Robins is suggested to be manipulative and abusive.
158
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:Radio]]
162	* In ''Radio/WelcomeToOurVillagePleaseInvadeCarefully'', TheResistance consists of 34-year-old Katrina and her 17-year-old sidekick Lucy (who turns 18 in the penultimate episode). At various times their relationship can be catgeorized as being either a (very small) RagtagBunchOfMisfits, [[BigBrotherMentor Big Sister Mentor]] and her mentee, or OddCouple.
163	[[/folder]]
164
165	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
166	* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'' has rules for a variety of minions/henchmen/sidekicks, and a popular supplement: "Hero High" gives you rules for playing a whole team of youngsters studying to transition from hero support into actual hero work. There are also a few in the Freedom City setting, most notably Arrow (Speedy to the Bowman's ComicBook/GreenArrow, in [[LegacyCharacter several incarnations]]).
167	[[/folder]]
168
169	[[folder:Theatre]]
170	* Some stagings of ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' depict Tobias Ragg as this to Pirelli and subsequently to Mrs. Lovett, though Toby can also be played as an intellectually disabled adult.
171	[[/folder]]
172
173	[[folder:Video Games]]
174	* ''VideoGame/HenryHatsworthInThePuzzlingAdventure'': Cole, for Henry Hatsworth. [[spoiler:He's later revealed to be a WellDoneSonGuy and in actuality the BigBad in disguise.]]
175	* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' has multiple of these. Most prominently there’s Sakura for Ryu followed by Sean for Ken, Li-Fen for Chun-Li, Ed for Balrog (before Ed leaves him) and Menat for Rose. Luke appears to have been this for Guile his Colonel before setting out on his own, though Luke still shows Guile a great amount of respect something everyone else doesn’t get from him.
176	* Maya Fey, the main assistant in the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightTrilogy'' may or may not count, as she starts 17 but becomes 19 by ''Trials and Tribulations'', although she tends to act like a little kid sometimes. Phoenix also had Ema Skye in one case when she was 16, and ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' has Trucy, who is 15.
177	** 8-years-old Pearl Fey may also count in the missions where she plays a sidekick to Phoenix.
178	** It's tradition for the protagonist of the ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' games to have a cute young girl for a sidekick. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Or Gumshoe]]. Even Edgeworth teams up with Kay Faraday... and then it gets sent up when he's helped by Franziska [[{{Jerkass}} von]] [[SiblingRivalry Karma]]. (who also briefly and hilariously becomes Phoenix's sidekick in the third game).
179	* Miles 'Tails' Prower, sidekick of ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', is of the GadgeteerGenius variety and has abilities that complement Sonic's. Later games introduced Cream the Rabbit (who has her own {{Sidekick}}, the [[{{Mon}} Chao]] named Cheese), who serves as more or less the [[DistaffCounterpart female counterpart]] to Tails (hence why they are often [[ToyShip shipped together]], despite almost never interacting). She started as a sidekick to Amy, but in ''Sonic Rush'' she acted in this capacity to Blaze. In ''Sonic Rush Adventure'', Blaze gets her own sidekick in [[LandDownUnder Marine the Raccoon]].
180	* In ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' Sunny in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' is this for both old Snake and Raiden, she’s joined by George in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance '' who is also a kid sidekick to Raiden. Not to mention Chico from ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]] '' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidV Phantom Pain]]'' who is Big Boss’s kid sidekick.
181	* VideoGame/ProfessorLayton has Luke his ward, surrogate son and self-proclaimed apprentice. Though a ActualPacifist Layton won’t tolerate Luke getting hurt. To a lesser extent there’s Flora who the localisation says is a “protégé and devoted follower", though this is a pragmatic change as in the original Japanese version she’s the self-proclaimed “bride candidate” of the older Layton.
182	* Sherry in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' manages to play this straight with Claire and Leon to a smaller degree, though she certainly becomes a badass ActionGirl in her own right by the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 sixth mainline game]]. There’s also little Natalie who aids Barry in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations''.
183	* The [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]]-inspired ''Freedom Force'' computer games give us ''Liberty Lad'', sidekick to ''[[CaptainPatriotic The Minuteman]].'' Young Nick Craft, founder and president of the Freedom Force Fan Club, tags along after the team as they try to bring down mobster-turned-supervillain Pinstripe. Naturally, he gets shot.
184	-->'''Pinstripe:''' Now youse gotsta choose, heroes. Come afta me, or save da brat! Mentor reports that he needs an immediate transfusion... ''or he'll die!'' Minuteman, feeling responsible for the plucky youngster, valiantly volunteers to give his own blood to the boy. Mentor warns him that they have no idea what will happen, because Minuteman's blood is infused with... ''Energy X''.
185	-->'''Minuteman:'' By the Constitution, Mentor, '''there's no time!''' The Energy X in Minuteman's blood gives Liberty Lad super strength and agililty and a penchant for red, white and blue tights. He's one of the more fun and effective characters in the game.
186	** And from the same game, we have ''Man-O-War'' and his preteen sidekick, ''The Sea Urchin''.
187	[[/folder]]
188
189	[[folder:Webcomics]]
190	* Gordito Delgado from ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja''. The Doctor even compares himself to Batman when he decides to take Gordito in. Of course, the Doctor compares himself to Batman regardless. Note that Gordito's origins -- a child of a family of circus performers who was orphaned mid-show -- is a tribute to Dick Grayson's.
191	* ''Webcomic/NipAndTuck'' has an arc that shows a ''Film/{{Serenity}}''-inspired [[ShowWithinAShow movie]] featuring a kid sidekick.
192	%%* Alamand to Soli of ''Webcomic/TheMeek''.
193	%%* Sunspot to Stardust in Webcomic/AttackOfTheSuperWizards.
194	* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfGynoStar'', Gyno-Star's sidekick is a teenager named Little Sappho.
195	* Tween superheroine Sparky of ''Webcomic/LadySpectraAndSparky''.
196	* The titular protagonist of ''Webcomic/MissMelee'' has a kid sidekick who happens to be her own kid.
197	* In ''Webcomic/PoisonIvyGulch'', ProfessionalGambler Lotta Doler has Ace, a child who is both her sidekick and good luck charm.
198	[[/folder]]
199
200	[[folder:Web Original]]
201	* In the {{backstory}} of the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', the pre-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII superhero Champion had two: Miss Champion and Champion Junior. In a ShoutOut to the way heroes age in ComicBooks, Miss Champion only aged (from then on) at about one-fourth normal, which really messed up her social life. Miss Champion is still around, and one of the important side characters of the universe. Subverted in the present, where kid sidekicks are specifically banned by a law that the former Miss Champion was instrumental in getting enacted.
202	** According to UnreliableNarrator Mephisto, many of the other early Kid Sidekicks during World War II were actually adult, but youthful-looking, OSS operatives wearing costumes designed to make them seem even younger. These 'sidekicks' were actually acting as handlers for these '[[CaptainPatriotic flag heroes]]', who were actually SuperSoldier candidates sent on home front missions to test their combat effectiveness.
203	** The laws against kid sidekicks after the mid-1950s don't stop some superheroes - or thugs calling themselves 'heroes', such as Jack Rabbit - from trying to have a Kid Sidekick anyway. Jack Rabbit in particular has this ugly habit picking up recently-manifested mutant teens and using his mind control powers (from a PowerGem he possesses) to brainwash them into what is essentially an audience for his 'heroism'. The fact that at least two of these have been killed due to this, and a third permanently crippled, only seems to feed Jack's psychotic delusions of grandeur.
204	* In the words of ''Blog/HowToHero'' "a child is the worst thing you can bring to a gun fight, even worse than a knife!" the guide in general is very against the concept of bringing children with you to fight supervillains.
205	** Despite that there's an entry on them [[https://howtohero.tumblr.com/post/166064047935/today-were-going-to-cover-a-subject-that-i here]].
206	* ''WebVideo/UnwantedHouseguest'': Melody fills the role for the Houseguest in the ComicBookAdaptation. She's eager to investigate the villains, but as a small child doesn't have the physical strength to overpower them and has to rely on the Houseguest.
207	[[/folder]]
208
209	[[folder:Western Animation]]
210	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', The Crimson Chin's sidekick, Cleft the Boy Chin Wonder, is a ten-year old. Makes sense, because his alter ego is actually none other than [[spoiler:Timmy Turner]] himself.
211	* Played with by Jade from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''. Jackie doesn't even want to go on adventures, much less let his young niece accompany him. But he can't keep himself ''or'' Jade out of trouble -- often times ''she's'' the one who drags them into it.
212	* Spoofed with Barnacle Boy, Mermaid Man's sidekick on ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', who is still treated as a child even though both of them are now old men. One episode has him doing a FaceHeelTurn because of it.
213	%%* Jan and Jace, from ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost''.
214	%%* Spinner (and his dog Paddlefoot) of ''WesternAnimation/ClutchCargo''.
215	%%* And the ComicBook/WonderTwins probably count, in ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}''.
216	* The Franchise/{{Transformers}} have a bad habit of dragging young humans into their battles -- young humans who tend to have no powers or skills that make letting them within a mile of Decepticons anything less than criminal negligence. Giving them a reason to be around ''at all'' is relatively new to the franchise.
217	* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' has the main characters being sidekicks to members of the Justice League (Robin to Franchise/{{Batman}}, Aqualad to ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, Kid Flash to ComicBook/TheFlash and Speedy/Red Arrow to ComicBook/GreenArrow). Other characters who aren't sidekicks in the comics canon are reimagined as such here, such as Miss Martian being Martian Manhunter's niece and Bumblebee being the Atom's student, while Beast Boy is linked to Miss Martian. The only character who doesn't have a mentor is Blue Beetle... because the previous Blue Beetle was killed.
218	* The Cadets in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronForce'' are a fairly good example. They bring considerable talents to the team - Vince's {{Technopathy}}, Larmina's martial arts talent and Daniel's piloting skills and agility (both physical and mental) complement, rather than overshadowing, the rest of the Voltron Force.
219	* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Sidekick}}'', the four main characters are all children attending a school for superhero sidekicks. Protagonist Eric is himself already the sidekick of the superhero, Maxum Man.
220	* Played with on ''WesternAnimation/AtomicPuppet''. Joey seems like one at first to AP, and is treated by the egotistical superhero-turned-HandPuppet as one, despite Joey being the key to unlocking AP's former superpowers. As the series progresses though, AP starts to treat Joey as more of a partner-in-crimefighting than a kid sidekick.
221	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'': Timothy Drake deconstructs the Kid Sidekick as a WellDoneSonGuy pathetically trying to please TheHero because [[IJustWantToBeYou He Just Want to Be Him]]. When that doesn't happen, there comes the FanDisillusionment:
222	-->''Me and the others gave everything, but it just wasn't enough for the old man. I used to think, if I went on long enough, someday he'd retire and I'd... ah, the heck with it. Capes, costumes, bad guys -- it was kid's stuff! Bruce probably did me a favor. By the end, I was so sick of it I never wanted to see that stupid Robin suit again!''
223	* Initially averted in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', which is only notable because Batman and Robin are, as noted above, the UrExample of this trope. The series implies that Robin ''was'' a Kid Sidekick for some time, but the series begins with him already college-aged and away at school for most of the week. Later played straight after the series was uncancelled, with Tim Drake brought in as a Kid Sidekick to shake things up and let them explore that aspect.
224	* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "Patriot Act" when Speedy shows up, Green Arrow refers to him as "my ex-sidekick" prompting Speedy to immediately retort, "Ex-''[[InsistentTerminology partner]].''"
225	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' has Barbara Gordon (a highschool girl in this continuity), and then later Dick Grayson. Joker gets his own in one episode, although this being Joker it doesn't take long before he's trying to throw said sidekick into a vat of acid.
226	* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' has Kit Cloudkicker, with whom Baloo often brings along on his missions, some of which are very dangerous.
227	* The ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' themselves are to some extent a deconstruction of this trope, Dean being intelligent and eager-to-please but timid, Hank energetic but rebellious and invincibly stupid. Their father, an ex-sidekick, blames his seemingly inexhaustible supply of character flaws on the experience. His participation in a support group for "ex-Boy-Adventurers" doesn't seem to have helped him much, but it ''has'' introduced us to the likes of an ex-Wonderboy (one of Captain Sunshine's multiple such dropped at eighteen years of age) who memorably claims that it left him unable to get an erection unless he were 'tied to a chair with a bomb strapped to [his] chest'.
228	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart Simpson frequently serves as this to his father Homer by helping him with his {{Get Rich Quick Scheme}}s.
229	* Morty is this to Rick in ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' although he's often there unwillingly.
230	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', Slappy Squirrel is often accompanied by her young nephew Skippy, who's not afraid to help with her usual mischief on occasion.
231	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''. Darkwing would rather his adopted daughter Gosalyn stay at home (mostly for her safety, but also because it ruins the "cool loner" shtick he's going for). But she always tags along and gets involved anyway, and has occasionally created her own superhero identity to complement his.
232	[[/folder]]

Context Main / KidSidekick