There are many important characters in a mystery story. The most important character is the detective (professional, amateur, or accidental) who solves the crime and brings justice to the villain. In many mystery and thriller genres, an even more important character is the antagonist, the villain, the evil mind that pits itself against the laws and mores of society. Then there are the suspects, those unfortunate individuals who while not evil like the villain, has just enough of his or her characteristics to be mistaken for the culprit. Nothing makes a good mystery as enjoyable as a slew of really murky suspects.
My favorite character is the sidekick. Perhaps this is due to my introvert nature. I always wanted to be noticed in life, but not be the center of everything. Perhaps that’s why I became a consultant and a teacher. Perhaps that’s why I became a writer. Because, deep down, I know that I’m destined to be the sidekick in someone else’s story.
In my three series, there is a different kind of sidekick in each one. Rufus is Mark MacFarland’s sidekick in the Hot Dog Detective series. Matt is Sally O’Brian’s sidekick in the Crystal Cove Cozy mystery series. And Liam the Cat is Ava Storm’s sidekick in the Ava Storm Supernatural Mystery series.
Each of these sidekicks performs the same critical role, but in a different way. Let’s examine how each of them works in the story.
Rufus Headley, a Vietnam War vet, an unlikely “tunnel rat” during the war, is homeless, jobless, spouseless, and childless. He seems to have nothing going for him, yet he still maintains a positive outlook on life and still fosters the values he learned during combat: take care of your fellow soldiers, never take anything for granted, and be on the lookout for the next attack. He finds MacFarland when Mark is at his lowest. Rufus does for MacFarland what he can’t do for himself: he helps him get sober and back on his feet. Rufus is there to take care of the hot dog cart when MacFarland has to do whatever it is that detectives do. Rufus never solves a case. That’s not the kind of person he is. But he makes it possible for the detective to do his thing. If MacFarland didn’t have Rufus, he wouldn’t be able to become the person he wants to be.
Rufus helps MacFarland to remain centered. And when MacFarland is centered, he is no longer out of control. He is able to focus on what is important in his life and go after that.
I think many of us are like Rufus. We don’t do the great things of life, but we make it possible for those who are capable of great things to pursue and accomplish their destiny. Without the Rufus type of sidekick, great things don’t happen. It’s important to keep in mind that we need the Rufus’ of the world, particularly in this current age where everyone wants to be the hero.
Matthew O’Brian, successful businessman and investor, used to be the hero of the story. His wife, Sally O’Brian, had been the sidekick. And then he died. Now their roles are reversed. She’s the heroine who has to solve the problems that plague the world, and he has to support her. But he doesn’t do it the same way Rufus does. Matt serves another important role for a sidekick. He is the reflector of Sally’s thoughts, ideas, fears, and feelings. He is the one who reminds her that what she is about to do is the “right” thing to do. He is the one who helps her see that 2 + 2 = 4 when all the evidence indicates that the laws of math have fallen into disrepair. Matt is the one who reminds Sally of who she is. Where Rufus helped keep MacFarland centered, Matt helps Sally become directed. He is the one who keeps encouraging her to be what she already is.
There are a lot of us sidekicks like Matt. We understand the hero or heroine in our lives in a way that no one else can. When he or she has doubts, we are there to show why those doubts are unnecessary. We help remove those doubts. We remind the hero of who he is. We make the hero possible, not by creating him, but by keeping him going on the path he has chosen.
Finally, there is Liam Wilcox, my third example of a sidekick. Liam is not a good man. While he is affable, fun to be with, a source of merriment and entertainment, his values are shallow, his goals in life are superficial. When he becomes transformed from a man into a cat, he is put in a role where he can no longer take advantage of others the way he used to, but must now do it in a way that induces care and concern.
Liam is not the sidekick that Ava Storm wants. In fact, she wants him out of her life. But in a strange way, his very nature is what causes her to pursue and achieve her own true nature. Liam is not the kind of sidekick who helps the heroine accomplish great things; he is not the sidekick who encourages the heroine to be all she can be. He is the type of sidekick who nags, insults, and deprecates. He is the kind of sidekick who forces the heroine to fight harder to prove that she is the person she wants to be.
Sometimes we have to be the Liam’s of the world. We prod on the hero by making him angry, angry at us, at himself, at the world, angry enough to fight harder, and in that fight, to succeed at being the here he was destined to be. Are there better ways to motivate people? Perhaps. Most definitely. Rewards, praise, recognition are all good motivators for some people some of the time. But there are many times when fear – fear of failure, fear of not living up to some standard one has set for themselves – becomes the catalyst for change and accomplishment. And sometimes it takes a nag to point this out.
So far, these are the three types of sidekicks I have incorporated in my stories. Each type goes a long way to helping define what kind of story arc my hero or heroine takes. But I am sure there are other types of sidekicks. So I have two questions for you:
First, what kind of a sidekick are you? A Rufus, a Matt, or a Liam? Or, if you’re not a sidekick, but actually the hero of the story, what kind of a sidekick do you have?
And second, what other kinds of sidekicks are there? Can you think of any from real life? Or how about from literature or television?
I would love to share your comments.