10GreatestSecond-BananasIn

Gaming
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Inatimewheresuperheroesaremorepopularthantheyhaveeverbeen,wefeltitwastimeto
take a look at the unsung heroes that lurk in the shadows. These underappreciated characters
usuallyplayasupportingroleinthestorybeingtoldandtheonethingtheyallhaveincommonis
thattheytakeabackseattosomeoneelse.Someofthemareclassy,someofthemareannoying
but all of them are memorable. Without these reliable secondbananas, most of gamings most
legendaryheroeswouldnthaveinferiorfoilstomakethemlookbetter,andletsbetotallyhonest;
would Batman look anywhere near as awesome if he didnt have an idiot number two in green
boyshortsfollowinghimaroundtoopendoorsforhim?(Heprobablystillwould.)Thecriteriais
simple. With one exception, all the entries on this list are NPCs, or nonplayable characters.
Secondly, none of the entries selected outshine their heroes, because thats not how a good
sidekick does business. Finally, to be fair to all entries listed, we only chose one character per
franchise.Sopulloutacoldoneandjoinusintoastinggamingsgreatestsecondbananas.
10.TailsSonicTheHedgehog
WhatelsecanbesaidaboutTailsthathasntbeensaidalready?HesSonictheHedgehogsfaithful
sidekick,foreverdoomedtodie.Anddie.Anddie.Inallseriousness,MilesTailsProwerisoneof
the most iconic sidekicks in video game history. Like Mario and Luigi, the sight of Sonic the
HedgehogandhisbuddyTailstogetherisjustgamingbreadandbutter.Youdonttypicallyseeone
withouttheother.PerhapsthemostmemorablethingaboutTailsisthathefaithfullyfollowsSonic,
withcompletedisregardforanythingthathappenstohim.Tailsfrequentlygetsleftbehind,fallsto
hisdeath,candrown,canbeblownskyhighandcanevenbeexploitedtodealextradamageto
theboss.Unfortunately,asidefromcopyingSonicsjumpattackandoccasionallyairliftinghimto
anunreachableplatform,Tailsreallydoesntbringanythingelsetothetable,whichisbothwhy
hesonthelistandwhyhesnotanyhigher.Asremarkableashisdedicationtohisherois,thenext
ninecharactersalltakeitastepfurther.
9.BarbasTheElderScrollsV:Skyrim
Most people who have played Skyrim can agree on one thing; the game is awesome. Until the
recentreleaseofTheElderScrollsOnline,theopenworldenvironmentofSkyrimwasbyfarthe
most impressive in Bethesdas fantasy epic franchise. Of course, with a world as expansive as
Skyrims,therearealotofdangers.Banditslurkingaroundeverycorner,civilwarconflictstoget
draggedintoandscoresofdragonsreadytoswoopdownandattackanytimeyoureinthemiddle
ofdialoguewithanimportantNPC.Assuch,SkyrimcontinuedtheElderScrollstraditionofbeing
able to recruit followers to your service. These loyal minions will carry equipment for you, do
meniallabor,fightenemiesandgenerallyfollowyoureverycommandwithoutquestion.Still,there
arefewthingsquiteasannoyingasloadingupLydiawithawesomegear,marryingher,andthen
havinghergetoffedbythedragonshewastryingtokillwithherbarehands.Whileafollowers
deathcouldbeeasilyrectifiedbyloadingyourmostrecentautosavefile,itdidntsolvetheroot
problem of having to worry about them dying in the first place. Thats when players discovered
Barbas.ThisquirkyandtelepathicIrishWolfhoundisactuallythecompanionofDaedricPrinceof
Power Clavicus Vile. Upon encountering him for the first time, a quest will begin that sees the
playerattempttoreuniteBarbaswithhiswaywardmaster.Aslongasthequestisactive,Barbas
will follow the player anywhere and attack any hostile enemy on sight. The best part? As an
essential NPC and a part of a major side quest, Barbas cannot die. While his barking may get
annoying, an immortal dog that follows players around and kills all who oppose them definitely
deservesaspotonthislist.
8.SlippyToadStarFox64
ItshardtohaveanysortofdiscussionaboutthegreatnessofStarFox64withoutprefacingitwith
Slippyisapain.Thechatterytoadwiththeeffeminatevoicesharesthecommonissue,alongside
Peppy Hare and FalcoLombardi, of being absolutely useless in a firefight. Slippy spends mostof
the game flying around Fox and chasing enemies that he cant hit, which hell frequently regret
meresecondslaterwhenhebeginsscreamingattheplayertosavehim.WhileSlippysvoiceand
constantpenchantforgettingshotbyenemieswillgrateyournervesthroughoutthecourseofthe
game,theresonethingthatsetshimapartfromtherestoftheStarFoxteam.Slippyisincharge
ofdisplayingthebosscharactershealthmeters.Yes,thatmeansifyouallowhimtogetshotdown
(orifyoureoneofthemanywhoshothimdownonpurpose),youhavetofightthebossblind.
WhilethatmaynotbeanissueforveteranStarFoxplayerswhocanbreezerightthroughthegame,
imagineplayingthroughthegameforthefirsttimeandgleefullylettingSlippygodown,onlyto
realise that you now had to fight the boss without seeing his health. Despite Slippys otherwise
general uselessness, his control over enemy health displays made him the one essential team
memberwhenfacingoffagainstthegamesnumerousbossesandforthat,wesalutehim.
7.PotatoGLaDOSPortal2
Admit it; you totally got the ending theme song of the first Portal game stuck in your head for
weeksonend.ThecatchyjinglewassungbythegamesmemorableantagonistGLaDOS(Genetic
Lifeform and Disk Operating System). While GLaDOS spends the entirety of the game trying to
intentionally lead you to your untimely demise, she ultimately proved to be a worthy adversary
withanirritatinglycleverwit.So,imaginethesurpriseandjoyofgamerseverywherewhenthey
loaded up Portal 2 and eventually found themselves packing around a potato containing the
consciousnessofthehomicidalCPU.Whilethefirsthalfofthegameseesplayerspallingaround
with an AI named Wheatley, he eventually becomes a homicidal CPU himself and overthrows
GLaDOSwho,tohergreatdispleasure,spendstherestofthegameimprisonedwithinapotatoat
theplayersmercy.DespiteherreluctanceGLaDOSisavaluablecompanion,begrudginglyoffering
advice,wittydialogueandrelentlessmockeryshouldtheplayerdietryingtocompletealevel.After
defeating Wheatley at the end of the game, players are rewarded by seeing Chell escape the
EnrichmentCenterwhileGLaDOSsingsaballadaboutfinallygettingridofher.Andyougotitstuck
inyourheadforweeksonend.
6.NaviTheLegendOfZelda:OcarinaOf
Time
Letsjustgetitoutofthewayrightnow.Yes,Naviisannoying.Despitebestbeingknownforher
incessantrepetitionofthewordshey,look,andlisten,Naviwasimportantinwaysgamers
still dont appreciate to this very day. The chatty fairy is Links faithful companion for the entire
gameanditisbecauseofNavithattheZtargetingsystemexistsinthefirstplace.Forthoseneeding
a memory jog, the Ztargeting system is what made the Zelda franchises leap to 3D so fluid,
allowing players to engage in dialogue easily with characters from any direction and, of course,
makingthegamescombatfunanduserfriendly.Still,theusefulnessofthisfeatureisnttrulyfelt
until right towards the end of the game. Upon finally reaching the top of Ganons Tower and
encounteringGanondorf,NaviisinitiallyweakenedbydarkmagicandunabletohelpLinkZtarget.
Thatmeansthatplayershavetotargethimmanually,usingtheN64snotoriouslyclunkyjoystick.
While Navi can easily make an appearance on anybodys list of most irritating video game
characters,theimportantrolesheplayedinwhatiswidelyregardedasthegreatestZeldagame
evercantbedenied.WithoutthesuccessofNaviandtheZtargetingsystem,gameslikeTwilight
Princess and Skyward Sword wouldnt even have been possible. With credentials like that, we
simplycantdenyNaviherprops.
5.RushMegaMan
Theseconddogtomakeanappearanceonthislist,Rushtherobodogwaskickingseriousenemy
taillongbeforeBarbaswasevenabliponthegamingradar.AsMegaMansfaithfulcompanion,
Rushfillswhateverroleisrequiredofhim.Hecouldbeamovingplatform,asubmarine,andeven
aspringcoiltoperformthoseotherwiseimpossiblejumps.WhileMegaMangetsallthegloryfor
dominatingDr.Wileysnefariousrobotmasters,Rushsitsfaithfullyinthebackground,waitingto
become whatever his buddy needs in order to achieve victory. As the franchise changed and
evolved, so did Rushs abilities. By the time Mega Man 8 rolled out, Rush could turn into a
motorcycle,hadhealingpowersandcouldsearchoutitemsfortheplayer.Still,Rushsbestfeature
cameinMegaMan7.UponcombiningtheRushPowerAdapterandtheRushJetAdapter,Rush
canusetheSuperAdaptertojoinwithhismastertobecomeSuperMegaMan,replacingthebuster
cannonwithaflyingfistattackandaddingadoublejumppoweredbybuiltinrockets.Anysidekick
that can add the prefix Super to a hero whose first name is Mega is definitely worthy of
inclusionamongtheeliteofvideogamesecondbananas.
4.CortanaHalo
Surprise surprise, Master Chiefs signature holobabe made it onto a list about supporting
characters! When youre an emotionally disconnected super soldier fighting a race of nigh
unstoppablealiensbentonthedominationandcompleteobliterationofthehumanrace,itshard
tomakefriends.WhiletheChiefcanalwaysrelyonhisteammatestohelphimgetthejobdone,it
was the companionship of his faithful AI partner Cortana that truly humanised him. When the
worldiscrashingdowninflamesaroundthefeetofMasterChief,Cortanaisalwaystheretoprovide
a useful tip or encouraging dialogue. While Cortanas sanity depleted with every game and her
personality became more erratic, her constant companionship is a boon to the gameplay,
emotionallyconnectingplayerstothestoryinwaysthatthebloodywarbetweenhumanityand
theCovenantsimplycant.InaseaofgamesfeaturingAIcompanionsandsidekicks,Cortanastands
thetestofthetimeasarguablythemostfamous,themostrespectedand,oddlyenough,themost
attractiveofthemall.
3.OtaconMetalGear Solid
HalEmmerich,knowntofansoftheMetalGearfranchiseasOtacon,comesveryclosetobeingthe
ultimatesidekick.UponmeetinghiminthefirstMetalGearSolidgame,oneofthefirstthingshe
doesispeehispants.Despitehislessthanmanlyintroductiontoplayers,Otaconwouldgoonto
becomeoneofMetalGearsmostenduringandbelovedcharactersasSnakesonlytruefriendand
faithfulsupport.AtanytimeduringtheMetalGearSolidgames,playersneedonlytuneintotheir
CodectocontactOtacon,whocanassistthemwithsavinggamefiles,reiteratecurrentobjectives
andoffergeneraladviceonthebestwaystousedifferentweaponsanditemsprocured.Inaddition
tohishelpfuldialogue,OtaconalsoprovidesSnakewithavarietyofusefulequipmentthroughout
thegames,includingtheMetalGearseriesnowsignatureStealthCamouflage.Whilehecanprove
tobeabitwhinyandirritatingattimes,hishelpfulnessfaroutweighshisoversensitivity.Foradded
fun,therearenumeroussecreteastereggconversationsplayerscantriggerwithOtacon,justfor
laughs.Still,asgoodastheeccentricdoctoris,therearetwowhoarebetter.
2.AlyxVanceHalf-Life2
Alyx Vance is to HalfLife 2, what Otacon is to Metal Gear Solid. She is the ultimate supporting
character.NotonlydoesAlyxprovideemotionalandmentalsupporttogameprotagonistGordon
Freeman,shealsofightsalongsideofhimandactsashisvoiceofreason.Whilemostsupporting
NPCs are functional and have decent dialogue, Alyx is intelligent and does far more than simply
repeatthesamefewlinesofdialogue.Asthegameprogresses,Alyxreactstosituationsuniquely,
evenshieldinghereyesiftheplayershinestheflashlightinherface.Inadditiontoherintelligence,
sheprovesequallyusefulincombat,comingtotheplayersaidrepeatedlythroughoutthecourse
ofthegame.ConsideringthefactthatHalfLife2sherodoesnotspeakoncethroughouttheentire
game,Alyxalsoactsashisvoice,puttingspokenwordsbehindDr.Freemansactionsashetakes
the fight to the Combine and their human puppets. While Alyx may prove to be the greatest AI
controlledsupportingcharacter,theresjustonenamethattrumpsalltherest.
1.TidusFinalFantasyX
Surprised?SowerefansoftheFinalFantasyserieswhenthisgamereleased.Whenthinkingback
on the legacy of Final Fantasy games, theres one protagonist who stands headandshoulders
abovetherest.ThemeasuringstickagainstwhichallfutureRPGheroeswouldbecompared;Cloud
Strife.So,ifthereisanyonecharacterthatdoesnotepitomisethebadasseryofCloud,itsTidus.
Asthegameprogressesandthestorylinedevelops,sodoesthegamesprotagonist.Initiallyawhiny
andoverlysensitiveyoungman,Tidusslowlygrowsalongsidetheothercharacters,andultimately
thegamersthemselves,intoastrongwilledandbravehero.Heck,theguysvoiceevenmaturesas
thegameprogresses.Still,theresanAeonsizedelephantintheroomthatneedstobeaddressed.
How can the poster boy/hero of Final Fantasy X end up on a list of secondbananas? Simple.
Becausehesnotthestarofthegame.Indeed,thebulkofthegamesamazingandlongrevered
storycentersaroundtheSummonerYunaandherpilgrimagetodefeatandvanquishSinfromthe
worldofSpira.AsTidusandtheotherguardiansprotectheronherjourney,theplayerisshownan
incrediblelovestorythatunfoldsbetweenTidusandYuna,ultimatelydiscoveringthatTidusisbut
adream,doomedtofadeawayonceSinisdefeatedonceandforall.DespitethefactthatTidusis
theprimaryprotagonist,doesallofthework,drivesallofthedialogueandevennarratesthegame,
hestilltakesabackseattoYunaandplaysadefiningsupportiverole.Andifthemaincharacterof
agamecanmanagetoliveinhisgirlfriendsshadowandgetnoneofthecreditforsavingtheworld,
hemustbetheultimatesecondbanana.
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