10 Side Characters in Gaming Who Stole the Spotlight

Creating a character isn’t easy! They have to be interesting, relatable, lovable, have to make the players, readers or viewers suffer, cheer on, cry and vibrate with them. People have to like your protagonist in order for your work, whether it’s a game, movie or book, to be successful. And to do that, you have to create characters around them that are as cool and interesting as the protagonist.

I mean, Batman is an amazing character and the Joker is a memorable villain, but can you imagine Batman without his loyal butler, Alfred?

Thinking about these secondary characters who often steal the show and become even cooler than the main character, we're going to talk about 10 secondary characters, sidekicks, and side characters who stole the show and became more popular than the protagonists of their games. If you have any questions or know of any other characters who stole the show, leave a comment.

Who even is Liu Kang after we see that yellow ninja taking off his mask and revealing that his face was a skull that breathed fire from its mouth and incinerated the enemy? And the other one? The blue one? He freezes the enemy!! He rips off their entire head and spine! I couldn't believe we were seeing this in Mortal Kombat!

In the midst of all this, who cares about that Bruce Lee wannabe who didn't even have a proper fatality? Those who lived the arcade era and played Mortal Kombat only played as Scorpion and Sub-Zero because freezing the enemy or incapacitating them for a few seconds with the harpoon (“Get Over Here!!”) was pretty much the difference between winning or losing your token. Nowadays, ninjas continue to be very important figures in the franchise and appear on most of the covers and official products! And Liu Kang… he's still in the game, I'm 99% sure.

Pikachu is a little yellow electric-type mouse who has become synonymous with Pokémon (Yes, go ask your mom what the character's name is and she'll probably answer "Pikachu"). This adorable ball of fur is the face of the series, which even got him his own movie. I’m sorry for Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander, who’re the starters from the first game and the franchise's first mascots, but Pikachu stole the show.

Pikachu is a childhood favorite of everyone who grew up playing and watching Pokémon. Despite his voice lines being limited to "pika", his personality is huge. He's curious, intelligent, loyal to his friends, both humans and other Pokémon, and determined. Refusing to evolve, Pikachu taught us from an early age that we should try our best to become stronger just the way we are.

This may seem a bit odd, since Ellie is one of the main characters in The Last Of Us. However, since you predominantly play as Joel in the first game with Ellie assisting you, this technically puts her in the role of a sidekick. The 14-year-old is one of the most realistic portrayals of a teenager in gaming. Her rash behavior, jokes and sass are fun to watch, while also accurately portraying the temperament of a child at that age.

Even though Ellie may seem older than she actually is, maturing as the series progresses, she’s still a child. Her vulnerability and fear of being left alone, revealed in a heart-to-heart conversation with Joel, reminds us that she’s still just a kid. She’s resourceful and not someone who needs a babysitter, and she makes that clear. Ellie’s depth, personality, and back-and-forth with Joel is what makes her stand out, despite the fact that Joel is a very hard character to overshadow.

Fast like Sonic, able to glide, the strongest of the team and, worst of all, as full of himself as Sonic. Knuckles makes everyone happy with his somewhat rough and cocky manner. A highlight is his reinterpretation in the Sonic Boom series, where his “somewhat slow” manner stands out, being one of the best things about this sub-series of the hedgehog.

Browse the internet and you’ll see memes of Knuckles approving or disapproving of something with a stamp, or him explaining feminism to Amy Rose. Edris Elba's performance as Knuckles in the Sonic movies also earned the echidna his own series. He’s a loyal and devoted friend to Sonic, but his personality is what makes him more than just a sidekick.

Usually, AI sidekicks come across as very monotonous and robotic, but Cortana in Halo was anything but. As the advisor and assistant to Master Chief John 117, Cortana is a talkative contrast to the quieter protagonist. Cortana is the best example of how AI-based characters can become beloved by fans due to the depth and humanity written into their story.

Cortana has a witty and playful personality mixed with a bit of sarcasm. She’s neither arrogant nor humble, possessing a kind of objective perspective that humans cannot achieve. Her witty commentary brightens up the gameplay when you need it.

Booker DeWitt’s companion in this FPS game, Elizabeth is the sidekick who became the shining star of the BioShock series. Despite being held captive since she was a child in the flying city of Columbia, Elizabeth’s spirit remained strong. Even with the ability to manipulate rifts in the fabric of time, this isn’t the only reason Elizabeth stands out.

Her personality is fun, as she contrasts Booker by contributing sarcastic and biting commentary. She starts out as quite childish and free-spirited but goes through character development, maturing as the story progresses. This depth is what brings Elizabeth to life and makes her shine.

In typical BioWare style, Dragon Age 2 is full of companion characters who can help Hawke and his doings in Kirkwall, each with varying skill sets to ensure a balanced party and distinct personalities so that each of their interactions is totally unique. One of the most popular companions is Varric Tethras, whose popularity has lasted through Inquisition and Veilguard, and anyone who knows this dwarf bard knows very well why.

Varric is charming and witty, delivering some brilliant one-liners that are guaranteed to get a laugh out of players, but that doesn't mean he's just the comic relief. Varric also shows a strong sense of morality and a desire to do right by others, as explored through his relationship with Hawke and affection for other companions, such as Merrill. In some aspects, Varric is a main character in his own right and definitely overshadows Hawke on several occasions.

Kingdom Hearts is definitely one of the most ambitious game series of all time, mixing together the hugely popular and successful characters from Walt Disney and Final Fantasy into a JRPG series, creating a beloved game franchise that has captured the hearts of many gamers.

Even with some great and already established characters populating the game, the developers took a risk and developed an entirely new one, Sora. And while Sora was a fantastic character in his own right, his Disney sidekicks such as Donald Duck definitely overshadowed him due to their already existing notoriety.

Not that overshadowing the protagonist isn’t just another day for Donald Duck, but seeing one of Disney’s fan-favorite characters cast impressive spells to save allies and damage enemies definitely puts the grumpy duck in the spotlight.

The ultimate video game companion, Luigi, spent years in Mario’s shadow before finally getting his own game: Mario is Missing! But we’d rather forget about that one, so let’s talk about the other one that’s better and more well-known: Luigi’s Mansion! The game reimagined the plumber as a cowardly ghost hunter, using his Poltergust vacuum cleaner to capture spooky spirits.

Unlike Mario’s fast-paced platformers, Luigi’s Mansion offered a more immersive and atmospheric experience that quickly became a fan favorite. With several sequels, including Luigi’s Mansion 3, Luigi has firmly established himself as a protagonist and, as he always says, “number one!”

Even though Ada isn't a sidekick by any conventional means, she certainly appears enough throughout Leon's storyline to be seen as his helpful sidekick, remaining mysterious and indifferent to what he does despite Leon's efforts to get answers regarding her motives and why she's in Raccoon City in the first place.

And, honestly, who cares about Leon once Ada shows up on screen? While she's a playable character in later installments such as Resident Evil 6, she stays relegated to secondary character status in RE2 and 4. Despite this, she often overshadows Leon in RE2 due to how badass she is, saving Leon here and there.

Her femme fatale demeanor catapulted her to fame, making sure that she became a favorite among players despite not having as many appearances as a playable character as other legacy characters such as Chris and Leon. Leave a comment if you want an Ada Wong game ASAP!