17 Disney Sidekicks More Charismatic Than The Main Characters

When viewers watch Tangled, they’re getting a lot more than a magical princess locked away in a tower - they get a righteous horse who believes he’s always right. Due to his past as a former palace horse who served the Corona Guard, Maximus’ hatred of the crook Flynn Rider adds a lot of comedy to the movie, such as when he kicks Flynn in the stomach. 

Though many people often think of Pascal the chameleon and Maximus as a package deal, Maximus’ reluctant acceptance to be a sidekick makes him stand out more. The horse’s soft heart for Rapunzel leads to a truce with Flynn that helps him save the day!

Though Sven isn’t actually a talking reindeer, he does dance along to the fun song “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People” in Frozen. He’s also Kristoff’s only companion, sticking by the young boy until adulthood, when he meets the princess of Arendelle.

Though he comes off as aloof, Sven’s very brave. He helps Anna save her sister and the kingdom of Arendelle from both an eternal winter and the evil, scheming Hans. He definitely deserves all the carrots, as long as they aren’t Olaf’s nose…

Early on in Big Hero 6, orphaned robotics prodigy Hiro is happy to find Baymax, a robot his older brother Tadashi had built before his gut-wrenching end. The big marshmallow is meant to revolutionize healthcare around the world, something evident by how it helps Hiro work through his grief. 

Baymax quickly becomes Hiro’s friend and savior when Hiro discovers his microbots were swiped. With some upgrades, Baymax sacrifices himself to help Hiro and his friends save the world. Luckily, Hiro can save Baymax by rebooting the original program Tadashi created. The two are like brothers by the end of the movie.

Despite the expectation that a woman should marry, Mulan sneaks off with her father’s armor to join the army and protect him. What she doesn’t expect is to find a sidekick in a dragon with ulterior motives. 

Mushu’s goal to become a guardian again fuels his impulsive decisions in the movie. His unhelpful advice on how to be a man and slimy actions lead to some funny moments. However, as Mulan progresses, Mushu begins to care for Mulan and ultimately helps her save China. On the plus side, his actions allow him to be recognized as a guardian again.

Aladdin and his cheeky monkey pal Abu get up to a lot of mischief before the orphaned street rat becomes enamored with the princess of Agrabah in the 1992 classic. Abu’s somewhat greedy, like when he can’t resist touching the gem in the Cave of Wonders or when he tries to nab Jasmine’s bracelet, and his actions often get Aladdin into trouble.

What many don’t realize is that Abu has a soft side. He gives up the bread to the orphans at the beginning of the film after he sees Aladdin do it first. Most importantly, Abu is very loyal to Aladdin and eventually Jasmine - despite the monkey’s initial fear she’d swipe Aladdin away - by the movie's end. He remains by their side when Aladdin and Jasmine get married.

Timon and Pumba may be the obvious choices for the sidekick title, but many forget about our favorite birdie, Zazu. Zazu is often high-strung and somewhat pompous as the king's royal advisor. Since many don’t take him seriously, Zazu’s a master at gathering information. 

Zazu is also the only reason Simba lives despite the tragic demise of his father, Mufasa. Due to his sacrifice, the evil Scar imprisons Zazu. After being forced to sing for Scar and nearly becoming food for his hyenas, Zazu is saved when Simba returns. With Simba becoming the rightful king, Zazu gets his old job back.