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Top 10 Disney Sidekicks

By Cassie

Disney sidekicks have warmed their way into our hearts through their comic relief and their rock-solid loyalty to the main character. These characters are often the unlikely heroโ€™s of the story. There are so many great sidekicks in the Disney movies and that makes it difficult to choose just 10.

10. Piglet (Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, all the Pooh movies after that)-Piglet was written into life from the pen of A.A. Milne in his Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Piglet is a small pink pig and is Poohโ€™s best friend. Ironically he does not fit the typical brave side-side kick. Piglet is fearful of most anything but especially dislikes dark forests and big gusts of wind, probably because he gets blown away. In this first film Piglet is sweeping his lawn and is quickly blown away by a big gust. Pooh grabs a hold of a piece of Pigletโ€™s scarf and saves him. Owl loses his home to the flood that came through during the storm and Eeyore forgets that a house they come across is Pigletโ€™s and tells Owl it is his new home. Christopher Robin has a hero party for Piglet because he did not speak up and say it was his, and for Pooh for rescuing Piglet. Piglet goes home to live with Pooh for awhile. So Pooh is a hero, and his side-kick because of his timidity is recognized as a hero for giving up his home for a friend. Piglet, along with Pooh, is seen helping their friends through the adventures that follow this first film. They are a good team. Piglet discovers a bravery he did not know he had.

9. Dory (Finding Nemo) This good-natured, but very forgetful, friend of Marlin is none-the-less determined to help him find his son Nemo. Dory suffers from short-term memory loss and introduces herself to Marlin several times as if they had just met. She is friendly and fails to understand cues of danger that make her character humorous, but frustrating to Marlin. She is easily distracted but nothing makes her want to leave Marlinโ€™s side. She even begs Marlin at one point not to leave her because no one has been with her as long as he has. It is through Dory that Marlin discovers what the human writing meant, how to speak โ€œwhaleโ€, and that he needed to let go of Nemo a bit more as he is growing up and needs some space. While Dory is with Marlin her memory starts to improve. When Marlin gives up thinking Nemo is dead, he swims away. Dory runs into Nemo, not remembering his story at first, then something triggers her brain and she remembers and gets Nemo to his Dad, making her an unlikely hero, but still a hero.

8. Rajah (Aladdin) this is the pet tiger of Jasmineโ€™s who is extremely loyal and protective of her. He has been her only friend locked behind the palace walls and he was not fond of Princeโ€™s who tried to win her affection. Aladdin was not someone he liked, at first. Rajah helped Jasmine escape to see what life was like outside the palace even though that meant he could not go with her. He comforts her when she returns to the palace thinking Aladdin was put to death. They battle Jafar who turns Rajah back into a tiger cub but when Aladdin defeats Jafar Rajah is returned to his full size and returns to his position of protecting Jasmine. Aladdin has won Rajahโ€™s friendship.

7. Pumbaa (The Lion King) He is a warthog who has a childlike humor, smart, loyal, witty and a talented singer. Pumbaa protects his friends and mostly hung out with Timon before Simba came along. He loves to eat bugs which often cause him to have offensive gas leaks. When Simba runs away he passes out and is threatened by buzzards over head, but Timon and Pumbaa find him and chase away the buzzards. Pumbaa wants to add him to their group, but Timon says no because the lion cub is a predator. They decide to make it a threesome when Timon sees the advantage they could have with a lion as a buddy. They sing Hakuna Matata to Simba explaining their worry-free lifestyle. Simba is grateful and they become friends. Later, when they find out that Simba has returned to Pride Rock to fight Scar the duo rush to help him. Pumbaa helps Simba to defeat the hyenas under Scarโ€™s control. Pumbaa also bravely rescues Timon and Zazu. Pumbaa helps Simba regain his title of King and Simbaโ€™s new friends move to Pride Rock so the trio stays together.

6. Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast) Lumiere is an enchanted candlestick in a French castle during the majority of the film. His name means โ€œlightโ€ and he is often the character that brings light to the situation. He is the Beastโ€™s kind-hearted sidekick and as such he is relied upon for instruction, conversation, romantic guidance, cleverness, but he also has a slightly rebellious side. (He is found behind the curtains with the enchanted feather duster who is a maid in her real form. He has the same goal as his Master, to find the human girl who will fall in love with the Beast to break the curse and make them all human again. He tries to train the Beast is being more loving toward and appealing to Belle, before it is too late. They are in a race against time. Lumiere welcomes Belle to the castle and tries to make her feel at home. The candlestick is the first to warn the Beast that time is running out and he must make himself loveable to this girl. Lumiere organizes the castle staff to protect the castle against the humans coming determined to kill the Beast. Gaston manages to get by them and goes to find the Beast. Lumiere breaks free to go and protect his master, but arrives just as Gaston stabs the Beast. After Belle tells Beast she loves him and the spell is broken Lumiere and the other staff members return to their human bodies.

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5. Scuttle (The Little Mermaid)-Scuttle is a sea gull who is friend to the mermaid Ariel. He educates her on all that he knows about humans and tells her the name and usage for human items she finds in ship wrecks in the sea below. He is the character who tells her a fork is a โ€œdinglehopperโ€ and is used to comb your hair. He is not restricted to swimming in the sea as Arielโ€™s other friends, so he is also capable of being a hero. Scuttle tries to assist Ariel in determining if Prince Eric, who she just saved from a ship wreck and brought to shore, is still alive. Scuttle listens to Ericโ€™s foot to find out if his heart is beating. Later when Ursula, in the form of Vanessa, is attempting to wed Eric, Scuttle flies in and creates a distraction to interrupt the ceremony. He is successful in helping Ariel and Eric find each other and get married.

4. Mushu (Mulan) Mushu is a small, skinny, red and yellow dragon, self-confident, funny, determined to protect Mulan and very impulsive. He wants to move up on the family guardianโ€™s list and encourages Mulan to join the army and become a hero. He thinks this is what it will take to get him back on top. He later feels selfish and reveals the truth to Mulan, telling her they need to go back home. However, Mulan is determined and says she will go fight the Huns, and Mushu goes along with her to protect her. Mulanโ€™s secret, that she is a girl, is revealed and the other soldiers abandon her. Mulan sees Shan Yu and goes after him. Mushu helps by firing a rocket at Shan Yu that sends him into a tower holding fireworks and he is killed in this explosive blast. Mulan goes home, not in shame, but as Chinaโ€™s bravest warrior and her sidekick, Mushu, he gets his old job back so they are both very happy.

3. Mike Wazowski (Monsters, Inc.)This character goes on to be a main character in Monsters University. Mike is sure of himself, determined and pretty funny. He is sidekick to James P. Sullivan, or Sully. Mike is the personal trainer for Sulley and has him on a strict workout to get him to the top of the scaring Monsters. Mike also hopes in doing this that it would prove that he was also qualified to be a Scarer. Mike and Sulley are great friends and also room-mates. Mike has a romantic interest, Celia Mae, and is committed to her. Monsters have been taught that humans are poisonous and they should never have physical contact with them or their stuff. Mike is terrified when a little girl enters their world and Sulley is the first to care for her. Mike abandons Sulley for a short time but then realizes Boo, the girlโ€™s knick name, is innocent and they need to find her door and get her home. Mike off-handed comment about childrenโ€™s laughter led to Sulleyโ€™s discovery of childrenโ€™s laughter being stronger than their screams which shoots Sulley to the CEO position. Mike finds Booโ€™s door and helps her get home, after he hugs her good bye. Mike gets his wish to enter the human doors himself gathering childrenโ€™s laughter to end the energy crisis of Monstropolis.

2. Pascal (Tangled) Pascal is loyal to Rapunzel, as well as trustworthy, funny, protective of her and has a great sense of humor. He is actually a chameleon with big eyes. When Rapunzel is depressed about being in the tower all the time he tries to get her to leave the tower, although he doesnโ€™t know much about the world beyond either. He is Rapunzelโ€™s only companion while in the tower and her protector when they venture outside. He is able to change color, often due to his mood. He disliked Mother Gothel intensely and it takes a while for Flynn to prove himself trustworthy to Rapunzel and Pascal. Pascal is the character that leads to Mother Gothelโ€™s death as he trips her and she falls out the tower window to the ground below. Pascal even joins the royal family of Rapunzel and Flynn in the castle in Corona.

1. Olaf (Frozen) This character is a snowman and he likes โ€œwarm hugsโ€. He is created by Elsa when she and her sister were young and had snow fun in the castle. Later Elsa re-creates Olaf and he becomes a great side kick for Anna in this Frozen tale. He is very outgoing, musical, innocent, and he is capable of allowing his sections to come apart and come back together. He has some of the best lines of the movie. Sven, the reindeer sidekick to Kristoff, gives Olaf a carrot for his nose. He dreams of enjoying summer not understanding what would happen to him in that season. There is another snowman in the story, Marshmallow, who is a minion for Elsa when she creates her ice palace up on the mountain. They are very different from each other in personality and size. Marshmallow does protect Elsa and shows some humor at the short video piece shown at end of the credits where Marshmallow re-enters the ice palace and finds the crown that Elsa had slung off her head to the ground. Marshmallow puts it on his head with a satisfied look on his face. Olaf looks like a childโ€™s snowman, not quite what you expect proportionately which makes him more endearing. He is romantic and does not like Hans who is engaged to marry Anna. Olaf keeps Anna and Kristoff together and it is he that points out to Anna that Kristoff is in love with her. When Anna sacrifices herself for Elsa it is Olaf who realizes Annaโ€™s act of True Love is what saves the kingdom of Arendelle from the icy curse. Olaf is loyal to Anna and at one point tells her to run when they are introduced to โ€œrocksโ€ as Kristoffโ€™s family because he thinks that Anna is in danger from this delusional man.

 

 

 

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About Cassie

Cassie L. I am a lifelong Disney fan. I attended Walt Disney World in 1971, and was there during the opening week of EPCOT, and have visited the Disney Parks for than 30 times. I have had the privilege of visiting Disneyland as a child, and then again with my children. My family recently moved from the northeastern United States to the Walt Disney World area. I now have cast members in my family and enjoy hearing the magical stories at the end of a shift. I love visiting all of the parks and getting to try more Disney food and being able to share it with you to help you plan your own magical day at Disney.