It’s Wednesday once again and you know what that means! Time for another Top Five Wednesday List! What is a hero without their best friend and side kick? They’re clearly doomed is what. This week we’re talking about some of our favourite second bananas.
These are the characters you would want to have your back during an epic quest or even just a day at high school.
Since it was almost impossible for us to pick our favourite characters, this list is in no particular order.
GingerReadsLainey is the founder of the Top Five Wednesday Tag. Join the goodreads group to get each week’s topic and participate yourselves!
5. SAMWISE GAMGEE FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN
Sam is the most awesome second banana in all of fantasy fiction. You could argue that he is the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. He stays with Frodo when Frodo abandons the rest of the fellowship, then follows Frodo when he tries to leave him behind. When Frodo can’t carry the Ring anymore, Sam doesn’t just pick up the Ring, he picks up Frodo as well. Does he complain? No.
#FRIENDSHIPGOALS
4. ROSWELL FROM THE REPLACEMENTS BY BRENNA YOVANOFF
My heart goes out to this character, because his best friend Mackie (the main character of the novel) is a whiny brat. Mackie spends the book lamenting about how he shouldn’t exist and no one loves him. Roswell is nothing but a fountain of support for his best friend. He’s willing to drop his own life at a moment’s notice to go and help his friend if he’s ever needed. No questions asked, no judgement. Seriously, even when he has a chance with the girl of his dreams he chooses his best friend.
The Replacement was one of the first reviews we ever filmed. You can watch it here.
3. RON WEASLEY & HERMIONE GRANGER FROM HARRY POTTER BY J.K. ROWLING
Without Ron and Hermione, Harry would never have made it as far as he did. These two characters both round him out and ground him. Hermione is the brightest witch of her age, with her cool logic and endless love of knowledge and research she has saved her two friends on countless occasions. Ron on the other hand is Harry’s other half, they’re soul mates doomed to be together till the end of time. He offers emotional support and is the heart of the group.
Yes, the three of them have their fights but they always manage to find their way back to one another. I have mad respect for these two because they managed to stick by Harry even when he went through his angsty angry phase.
2. NEAL FROM THE PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL BY TAMORA PIERCE
Neal is very sarcastic. He’s a strange addition to the other characters in this series because he’s older. He’s decided that he is going to become a knight even though it’s not his passion in life. He feels and obligation to become a knight and help people. This gives him an interesting outlook that’s different from all the other characters. What’s important is he’s always backing Kell up.
Kell and Neal never have a romance, instead they stay good friends through the series. Which is nice.
Check out our review of Protector of the Small here.
1. MAGNUS BANE FROM THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS & THE INFERNAL DEVICES BY CASSANDRA CLARE.
If there is anyone who gets pressed into being a side kick it’s Magnus Bane. No matter what happens he gets dragged into the goings on of the main characters. It happens to him more than once, in multiple generations. The poor bastard.
The majority of these books wouldn’t have had the happy endings that they did if these second bananas didn’t exist. Who are your favourite sidekicks in books? Tell us about them in the comments below.
Until next Wednesday and our next list, happy reading!
