Sometimes, the best character in a movie isn’t even the hero. Sometimes, it’s the loveable sidekick. The sidekick is often there to assist the protagonist in some way, but is at times just the plucky comic relief. There have been a number of movie sidekicks who have completely stolen the spotlight from the main characters. Here are just some of them.

Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)

Frodo may have been the one to carry the One Ring to Mordor, but it Sam who carried him, literally. The Ring would not have been destroyed and Middle-earth would not have been saved if it weren’t for Sam. He defeated a giant spider and horde of orcs to rescue Frodo, never fell for any of Gollum’s tricks, and never lost his humility despite the trauma he and his friends have experienced. Tolkien has even said himself that Sam is the true hero of The Lord of the Rings, and he’s absolutely right. 

The Minions (Despicable Me)

Despicable Me follows the life and adventures of a former supervillain named Gru who reforms thanks to his bond with his adopted daughters. The Minions are just his little yellow henchmen who seem to only really exist for wacky slapstick. Young audiences were obsessed with them, and Minions merchandise seemed to be on every store shelf. It almost seemed like the franchise was about them rather than Gru. They’ve since starred in a couple of their very own movies, allowing them to grow from side comic relief to actual protagonists.

Mini-Me (Austin Powers)

Dr. Evil is an always-entertaining and delightfully diabolical villain. However, he became more fun to watch when his tiny clone, Mini-Me, was introduced in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Fans loved the character so much that much of the third film, Austin Powers In Goldmember, was heavily about him and his arc of overcoming his partnership with Dr. Evil to become his own person. Audiences found themselves rooting for him over many of the other characters. Mini-Me was created as a one-note sidekick to the bad guy, but he quickly became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.

Puss In Boots (Shrek)

Not only was Puss In Boots a sidekick, but he was Shrek’s second sidekick. The swashbuckling feline was so funny, adorable, and well-acted by Antonio Banderas that fans could not stop talking about the character when Shrek 2 released. Shrek’s dialogue and character arc are terrific in the film, and yet the attention was still on Puss in Boots. He’s now become a staple of any Shrek movie, TV special, or video game, and has starred in his own TV series and two movies. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish even almost won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (but sadly lost to Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio).

Dory (Finding Nemo)

Finding Nemo follows the journey of a clownfish named Marlin as he searches for his son, Nemo, who was captured by scuba divers. It’s a fantastic blend of comedy and emotion that had audiences rooting for the father and son to be reunited. However, the character that everyone remembers the most from the movie is a blue tang named Dory. Dory assists Marlin on his quest and completely won fans over due to her short-term memory loss leading to a lot of humor and emotion. So much so that the film’s sequel, Finding Dory, is all about her.

The Genie (Aladdin)

Aladdin is filled with lovable and memorable characters like Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Iago, and more. However, the Genie is probably what comes to mind when most people think about the movie. The iconic Robin Williams puts his all into the role, making the character shine above the rest. Plus, the plot can only really happen because of the Genie’s magic powers. Before Disney’s live action remake of Aladdin, they were considering a Genie-centered prequel instead. It’s safe to say that the Genie is one of the most fan-favorite characters Disney has created.

Sloth (The Goonies)

“Hey you guyyyyys!” The Goonies is a phenomenal coming of age treasure hunting movie about a group of friends who risk it all to find a lost pirate treasure so they can save their home from foreclosure. The kids all have fun and unique personalities that allows audiences to relate to at least one of them, and yet it’s Sloth, the deformed and incredibly strong member of the Fratelli family, who has become a bit of a mascot from the movie. He gets very little screen time compared to the other characters, but he steals the show every time he’s seen. Whether it’s during a lighthearted scene or when he’s saving the day, he leaves a massive impact on the audience.

Bumblebee (Transformers)

The Transformers movies focus on the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons with some human characters, like Sam Witwicky. Sam is the original movie’s protagonist and Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, but it’s Sam’s Transformer companion, Bumblebee, who becomes much of the focus. Bumblebee has a quirk in which he cannot talk and communicates only by using his car radio, making him really unique and a bit of a comic relief. Despite characters like Optimus Prime serving a bigger role in the franchise, it was Bumblebee to be the first Transformer to get his own standalone movie (which was simply titled Bumblebee.