We are almost at the end of Women’s History Month. We hope you have enjoyed getting an insight into our favourite women of genre fiction, but this is our final instalment.
Some may say that sidekicks are less interesting than the protagonist or somehow have less worth in a story. We disagree. And there are some damn fine female sidekicks out there. Here are our top 3’s!
Charlotte
Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
It wasn’t just the Doctor who fell for her – we all did.
Newt from Aliens
For surviving where Marines couldn’t!
Nanny Ogg from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld
Lucy
You get the impression the main character Kellen is really her sidekick instead!
Kasia from Uprooted by Naomi Novik
She’s interesting because she thinks she’s going to be chosen (i.e. become the main character) but is relegated to the sidelines and must, therefore, find a new role for herself.
Asami from The Legend of Korra
Instead of moping that she has no bending powers, she demonstrates her skills in engineering and piloting. It’s refreshing to see that
Megan
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Nimona is a strange one as she is quite literally cast in the role of sidekick but the book is named after her… she is both sidekick *and* main protagonist.
Penny from Inspector Gadget (1983)
I remember watching a lot of this show after school when I was a kid. Penny was the one with talent and brains despite being a kid. I still kinda want to be her.
Lois Lane from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Supposedly this show was about Superman… but really, it’s Lois that is the interesting one. She is proactive and full of agency. Clark/Superman is entirely reactive.
