The best sidekicks in comics: the tier list

The sidekick is a founding figure of comics: he embodies the reader, allows transmission and offers the most beautiful succession trajectories. This tier list ranks sidekicks according to their narrative importance and their evolution: many have become heroes in their own right. Criterion: the weight and trajectory of the character.

Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each character refers to its file when it exists.

Tier S: legendary sidekicks

Dick Grayson, the first Robin (1940), is the archetypal sidekick, who became Nightwing and hero in his own right: the most beautiful trajectory of the genre. Bucky experienced a spectacular resurrection in Winter Soldier. Kid Flash (Wally West) became the Flash, and Tim Drake is often considered the best Robin in terms of writing.

Tier A: the notable replacements

Jason Todd (Robin became Red Hood after his death), Harley Quinn (first sidekick of the Joker), Speedy (Roy Harper) and Rick Jones (companion of Hulk and Captain Marvel) offer strong trajectories.

Tier B: the endearing sidekicks

Damian Wayne (Robin son of Batman), Jubilee (X-Men), Kid Devil and Toro (companion of the original Torch) enrich the gallery.

Tier C: supporting roles

Wonder Girl , Aqualad , Snapper Carr and the duo Wiccan & Speed complete the selection of notable acolytes.

Tier D: the curiosities

Bucky (Fred Davis) , Sandy the Golden Boy and Dubbilex close this tier list: more obscure but very real acolytes.

To remember

• The best sidekicks become heroes (Nightwing, Winter Soldier, Flash).
• DC dominates the concept via the Robin Dynasty.
• Detective Comics #38 (Robin's 1st) is a major key number.
• Each character refers to its file when it exists.

Three sidekick trajectories to follow in a collection

The tier list ranks sidekicks; it leaves aside a collector's question: how do you follow a character whose identity changes? The best sidekicks almost all follow one of three trajectories, and each is collected differently.

The handover. The sidekick becomes a hero in his own right. Dick Grayson, the first Robin (Detective Comics #38, 1940), takes on the identity of Nightwing, notably in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (1984). Wally West, who appeared as Kid Flash in Flash #110 (1959), becomes the Flash after Barry Allen's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, then launches his own series with Flash vol. 2 #1 (1987). For these cases, three markers are enough: the first appearance as a sidekick, the transition issue and the first issue under the new identity.

Death and return. Jason Todd is killed at the end of "A Death in the Family" (Batman #426 to #429, 1988), then returns years later as the Red Hood. This path creates two markets: that of the original sidekick and that of the returned antihero. Bucky follows a similar pattern: gone for decades, he returns as the Winter Soldier under Ed Brubaker's pen, in the Captain America series.

The reinvention. Some characters leave the sidekick role to become protagonists. Harley Quinn, born in 1992 on screen as the Joker's accomplice, ended up carrying her own series. For these characters, collecting value shifts from the first appearance to the first issues of their solo series.

How to go about it. Pick one character and note its three markers: first appearance, turning point, first series or first issue under the new identity. First appearances of Golden Age sidekicks remain the most coveted, with Detective Comics #38 leading; turning-point issues, by contrast, are often more affordable because they draw less attention. Always check condition and grading before buying.

Frequently asked questions