7 Superhero Sidekicks That Started Out Terrible (And Are Now Fan Favorites)

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As a longtime movie and comic book fan, I’ve always been fascinated by sidekicks. They’ve been a staple of Marvel and DC since the very beginning – practically since superheroes started punching bad guys on the page! The first one showed up way back in 1940, and we’ve seen all sorts of variations ever since. What’s really interesting is how the role of the sidekick has changed over the last 86 years. Some have grown into major heroes, becoming incredibly popular and important figures in their universes. But let’s be honest, not all of them started out strong. In fact, a lot of my favorite characters today began as pretty underwhelming sidekicks!

Many popular sidekicks didn’t start out as strong characters. Sometimes this was due to the storytelling standards of the time, and other times it was simply a lack of depth in their original creation. Despite these rough beginnings, they’ve since become beloved by fans.

7) Power Girl

Power Girl is essentially a version of Supergirl from another universe – specifically, the original Earth-Two, where she’s known as Kara Zor-L. She debuted in the 1970s, and although many fans love her now, her initial portrayal was a bit flawed. She was created as a strong, feminist character for the time, known for being outspoken, assertive, and often angry. While those early appearances laid the groundwork for the character she is today, she lacked the depth and complexity she now possesses. Her early, overly aggressive personality didn’t quite work, but she’s since become a beloved character for many readers.

6) Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown, who has held the mantle of Robin and Batgirl, has had a complicated history with DC Comics. While many fans feel she was unfairly treated, her early years as a superhero weren’t strong. She often fell into the trope of the typical teenage girlfriend character, especially during her time as a sidekick to Tim Drake and Batman. A lot of this stemmed from the writing of Chuck Dixon, who tended to create fairly simple superhero stories and, many feel, didn’t portray Stephanie well. Even after her return from being written out of the DC Universe, her initial portrayal continued to be negative. It’s only recently that Stephanie has become a genuinely well-regarded and beloved character, but for a long time, she wasn’t considered particularly strong.

5) Rick Jones

In the early days of Marvel comics, Rick Jones was a typical teenage sidekick, often seen around superheroes. He was best known for his connections to the Hulk and Captain America—he even played a key role in forming the original Avengers team. Later, he formed a unique link with both the first and third Captain Marvels, with each of them existing in different dimensions. Over time, Rick evolved beyond the standard sidekick trope, becoming a more complex and well-developed character, especially thanks to writer Peter David. While he hasn’t been a major focus in recent years, Rick Jones remains a fan favorite, with a dedicated following who hope he’ll get another chance to shine. He’s come a long way since his beginnings as a simple teen sidekick and is considered a surprisingly great character by those who know him.

4) Dick Grayson

Dick Grayson, originally known as Robin, is a beloved and iconic DC character. While he’s always been popular with fans, his portrayal wasn’t always strong. Early comics, aimed at children, tended to create simpler characters, and Dick was often limited to being either a cheerful sidekick or someone envious of those close to Batman. Those older stories didn’t give him much depth. Fortunately, over time, Dick Grayson has evolved into a much more complex and compelling hero, earning his place as a top figure in the superhero world, even becoming Batman himself at one point.

3) Bucky

I have to say, Bucky Barnes’ journey is one of the coolest in the MCU! It’s amazing how they took Captain America’s old sidekick – who, honestly, was kind of a flat character back in the ’40s – and completely reinvented him as the Winter Soldier. For years, Bucky was just… gone. People didn’t even want him back – he was considered one of those characters who’d stay dead forever, like a few others. He really was just a copy of Robin, if I’m being honest. But turning him into the Winter Soldier? That saved the character, and now he’s one of my favorites! I don’t think anyone would be talking about Bucky if not for that huge change.

2) Wally West

While Wally West is now considered by many to be the definitive Flash and a truly exceptional character, his early days as Kid Flash weren’t as strong. Looking back, those stories feel very typical for a sidekick, and he wasn’t always a compelling character. In fact, he was even briefly removed from the New Teen Titans team. When he was reintroduced as the Flash, his success wasn’t guaranteed. It wasn’t until writer Mark Waid began exploring new facets of his personality that Wally truly resonated with fans. He’s since become a comic book icon, proving that even seemingly weak characters can be developed into something special.

1) Jason Todd

For a long time, Jason Todd wasn’t a well-liked Robin, and it’s easy to see why when you look back at his early appearances. He first appeared as a very similar character to Dick Grayson – an acrobat’s son whose parents died during a show before the Crisis event. He then became known as the rebellious, outspoken “bad boy” of the 1980s. In fact, fans disliked him so much they actually voted for his death (and it cost money to vote!). Later, he was brought back to life as the villain Red Hood, and surprisingly, became more popular than ever, ultimately becoming one of the most discussed characters in the Batman universe.

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2026-01-21 01:17