Line #56 Main/RudeHeroNiceSidekick


1	%%
2	%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread:https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1642221975021069100
3	%% Previous thread did not produce a new pic: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1600891318001346800
4	%% Please don't add a new image without starting a new thread.
5	%%
6	Where the hero is {{anti hero}}ic, their {{sidekick}} or {{lancer}} is nicer.
7
8	The AntiHero can be anywhere in the spectrum, from a SociopathicHero to a [[GoodIsNotNice really virtuous but mean one]]. The sidekick, by contrast, openly cares about other people and tries to respect their feelings. The sidekick commonly tries to balance out the hero's mean disposition and/or to be their voice of reason. If the hero is rude because [[CloudCuckoolander they just think oddly]], the sidekick may be a CloudcuckoolandersMinder.
9
10	Depending on whether [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism the story is idealistic or cynical]], a plot involving the two can either be:
11
12	# '''The idealistic side''': The nice sidekick trying to turn the anti-hero into a nicer one and succeeds in the end.
13	# '''The cynical side''': The anti-hero shows the sidekick that being nice won't do them any good. The sidekick being nice is portrayed as misguided.
14	# '''The neither side''': Either nothing changes between the two, or the hero becomes slightly nicer and the sidekick becomes slightly meaner.
15
16	The niceness of the sidekick and the rudeness of the hero are relative: a mean sidekick to a ''meaner'' hero will still count as this.
17
18	Subtrope of {{Foil}}. May overlap with BroodingBoyGentleGirl if the hero is a guy and their sidekick is a girl, or CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough, when it's done with an OfficerAndAGentleman and a coarse SergeantRock. Compare NobleTopEnforcer (the EvilCounterpart for the nice sidekick), MoralityChain (someone that keeps the borderline-good guy from turning bad), MoralityPet (someone who exists to humanize a bad guy/make them more relatable), and TheLancer. Often results in a {{Good Cop Bad Cop}} situation. HypocriticalHeartwarming may also apply if the hero is harsh on their sidekick but even harsher on anyone else who doesn't treat them well.
19
20	Contrast the SarcasticDevotee (who is generally ruder than their leader) and PsychoSidekick (who's defined by being less moral than the hero). Certain variants can overlap with DefrostingIceQueen. SubTrope to AloofLeaderAffableSubordinate.
21
22	----
23	!!Examples
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
27	* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': At least initially, Armin is more gentle and compassionate compared to the fairly hotheaded Eren's hate-fueled kill-everything mentality. As time goes on, it's shown that Armin has a bit of a manipulative streak when it comes to dealing with his enemies, showing that he's not quite as nice as he seems.
28	* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Guts is a NominalHero, and initially a NinetiesAntiHero, who is deliberately callous and mean to anyone who tries to make friends with him, partly for their own good. Puck, his FairyCompanion, is a cheerful soul with a strong moral compass, often criticizing Guts for antagonizing people and acting as his MoralityChain whether he likes it or not.
29	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': An example of being TheLancer than the sidekick, Alphonse Elric is very much the more approachable and affable of the Elric Brothers, despite often being confused for Edward Elric (and he being a soul sealed in a suit of armor). Ed meanwhile is a cynical individual due to the trauma he and his brother endured, the responsibilities of fixing what he has done, and just his mercurial personality. He does undergo CharacterDevelopment that has him soften up a bit and open up to people.
30	* Shiki from ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' is a [[SociopathicHero borderline psychotic sociopath]] who, nonetheless, is one of the "good guys" because most of the people she fights are even worse. Her sidekick and love interest Mikiya, on the other hand, is a [[AllLovingHero compassionate and morally upstanding individual with whom everyone wants to be friends]]--including some of the villains Shiki has to fight later.
31	* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Ryuko is HotBlooded, belligerent, and prone to swearing, while Mako is incredibly supportive and nearly incapable of hating anyone. The two become best friends because of Mako's kindhearted personality, and Ryuko herself [[TookALevelInKindness becomes a nicer person]] thanks to [[MoralityPet Mako's influence]].
32	* In ''Literature/BlazbluePhaseShift'', the nice and caring Celica plays the nice sidekick to the sardonic and rude hero Bloodedge.
33	* ''Manga/MuhyoAndRoji'' fit this, as the former is a BrilliantButLazy InsufferableGenius who is also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, while the latter is a somewhat inept NiceGuy who has good people skills.
34	* In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', Katyusha, commander of the Pravda team, is a TinyTyrannicalGirl who enjoys looking down on her opponents, both figuratively and literally. Her vice-captain Nonna is a quiet, levelheaded, and relatively polite individual.
35	* Inverted with [[IdiotHero Usagi]] and [[KidFromTheFuture Chibiusa]] from ''Anime/SailorMoon''. Usagi is a compassionate AllLovingHero, while her sidekick Chibiusa a rude BrattyHalfPint who loves to belittle Usagi. Chibiusa does [[CharacterDevelopment get better]] after Episode 73 by becoming far less rude to Usagi and [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther having a much better relationship with her]], though she still has her habit of messing with Usagi every once in a while.
36	* ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' has [[SugarAndIcePersonality Yusaku]] and [[NiceGuy Kusanagi]]. While the [[GoodIsNotNice protagonist]], Yusaku starts out as a {{Jerkass}} AntiHero who has no problem speaking his mind and giving unsolicited criticism, and avoids practically all human interaction besides [[SecretKeeper Kusanagi]]. In contrast, Kusanagi is his genuinely friendly support hacker as well as older brother figure, though Yusaku does [[TookALevelInKindness become somewhat nicer]] and more willing to build bridges as the series progresses.
37	* Inverted with Mametchi & Memetchi from ''Anime/{{Tamagotchi}}'', Mametchi is the nice and compassionate hero of the series while Memetchi can be bossy and stubborn, she is also one of the two sidekicks of the series alongside Kuchipatchi.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comic Books]]
41
42	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
43	** ComicBook/{{Robin}} ([[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick]], [[Characters/BatmanJasonTodd Jason]], [[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim]], [[Characters/{{Batgirl}} Steph]], ''not'' [[Characters/RobinDamianWayne Damian]]) is nicer than the stoic, straight-laced Characters/{{Batman\|TheCharacter}}. This is even part of what made up Tim's argument that Batman needs a Robin, since having one to act helpful and kind balanced him out and helped smooth things over with law enforcement.
44	*** Flipped when Dick became Batman and was paired up with a deadly-serious Robin in Damian.
45	** When Bruce works with [[Characters/{{Batgirl}} Cassandra Cain]], his harsh, TerrorHero demeanor is often contrasted with her AllLovingHero status, especially in how they treat criminals.
46	** When ComicBook/{{Huntress}} is teamed with another of the ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'', the person with her is almost always the nicer one.
47	** In ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'', Stephanie is much more kind and upbeat than Barbara who tends to be rather strict, bordering on harsh.
48	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'': Sonic and Tails. Unlike the [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog games continuity]] where he is laid-back and nice (though cocky), Sonic is terribly rude, self-centered, and immature while Tails is the nice one who would always be on the receiving end of Sonic's bullying.
49	* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
50	** When the mean and rude [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]] has a sidekick, they're usually the nicer one.
51	** [[Characters/MarvelComicsNightcrawler Nightcrawler]] is most often used as comic relief.
52	** [[Characters/MarvelComicsKittyPryde Kitty Pryde]], before Wolvie had her taught ninja skills, was the innocent.
53	** [[Characters/MarvelComicsJubilee Jubilee]] was also innocent before she had to face the Reavers to protect Wolverine.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Fan Works]]
57	* ''Fanfic/AgreementAndDisputation'': While Watson can become ferocious when in a temper, he generally pays more attention to people's feelings and to social niceties than Holmes, who believes anyone who truly needs his genius will have to put up with his blunt manner. The doctor tells him more than once that his lack of politeness and tolerance will frighten off all potential clients, especially refined ones.
58	* In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', the cynical, short-fused human lawyer Estermann and his Equestrian liaison Lyra Heartstrings, who is a lot nicer and bubblier than him, are becoming this.
59	* Otacon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' plays this role in ''Fanfic/{{Stray\|Dahne}}'', but as a foil to Adamska instead of Snake.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder: Film -- Animation]]
63	* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'': Gru may have retired as a villain, but he's still a jerk to anyone who isn't part of his family. His partner Lucy, on the other hand, is a bubbly NiceGirl who's friendly to everyone.
64	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'': Basil, a GoodIsNotNice detective, has a tendency to be brusque and unconcerned with others (he has NoSocialSkills), while Dr. Dawson is a sensitive guy who gets involved in the adventure to begin with because he can't stand to see a little girl cry. Given that this is a ''Sherlock Holmes'' story with mice, the dynamic between Basil and Dawson mirrors the one between Holmes and Watson. This being Disney, he (and [[TheCutie Olivia]]) wind up [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting Basil.]]
65	* ''WesternAnimation/SherlockGnomes'': Sherlock gets wrapped up in himself quite a bit and even treats Watson poorly. The considerably friendlier Watson sticks with him and tries to clean up the messes resulting from his harshness. [[spoiler: It ends up deconstructed. Eventually even Watson has enough and temporarily collaborates with Moriarty due to Sherlock's poor behavior.]]
66	* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'': Shrek is rather grumpy and crude, whereas his sidekick Donkey, as irritating as he may be, is [[DumbIsGood much more well-meaning and out-going.]]
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder: Film -- Live Action]]
70	* ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'': Chip is quite cynical and uptight, while Dale is more easygoing and mild-mannered.
71	* Film/{{Maleficent}}: Maleficent is the AntiHero who curses an infant to fall into an eternal coma on her sixteenth birthday, while Diaval serves Maleficent because he owes his life to her, and is actually very fond of the infant Maleficent cursed. [[spoiler: Maleficent eventually comes to like the kid, too, and tries to remove the curse.]]
72	* ''Film/SkyHigh2005'': All the "hero" kids were obnoxious stuck up {{Jerk Jock}}s. All the kids relegated to "{{sidekick}}" were fairly decent (until Will got some AcquiredSituationalNarcissism upon becoming a hero).
73	* ''Film/Deadpool2016'': The eponymous Deadpool is a foul-mouthed, perverse anti-hero, in contrast to the genuine NiceGuy and GentleGiant, Colossus of the X-Men.
74	* ''Film/{{Superbad}}'': Seth (Creator/JonahHill) is a foul-mouthed, misogynistic pervert who's incredibly rude to everyone, especially Fogell. Evan (Creator/MichaelCera), meanwhile, is friendly, considerate, and open towards others; unlike Seth, [[AboveTheInfluence he openly objects to making out with Becca while she was intoxicated]].
75	* ''Film/FunnyPeople'': [[Creator/AdamSandler George]] is a self-absorbed, cynical actor, while his sidekick [[Creator/SethRogen Ira]] is generally well-meaning, though is constantly exploited by George. {{Deconstructed\|Trope}} when Ira eventually gets fed up with George's nonsense and tells him off, which makes the latter have a JerkassRealization.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Literature]]
79	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': Greg is the rude and jerky protagonist, while his best friend/sidekick Rowley is more cheerful and innocent (and constantly taken advantage of by Greg).
80	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Cynical, grizzled, HatesEveryoneEqually Commander Sir Samuel Vimes, and honest, upright, and unfailingly polite Captain Carrot. Over the course of the books, Vimes softens a bit, and Carrot gets plenty of opportunities to show that being the only idealist in the city doesn't make him [[GoodIsNotSoft soft]] or [[GoodIsNotDumb dumb]], but neither changes their basic nature.
81	* Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in ''Literature/DonQuixote''. While well-intentioned, Don Quixote's delusions of grandeur make him insufferable to those who meet him, while the [[NiceGuy good-natured, friendly]] Sancho Panza has a much better grounding in reality and sometimes does what he can to defuse dangerous or embarrassing situations.
82	* In the ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'' series, the protagonist, Locke Lamora, is a fairly amoral character who is characterized as being somewhat obnoxious and [[TooCleverByHalf letting his cleverness and tongue get ahead of him]]. His best friend and "sidekick", Jean Tannen, is a GeniusBruiser who is generally polite and friendly unless roused, and while still a con artist, is overall more moral.
83	* ''Literature/InDeath'': Eve Dallas's partner Delia Peabody is much nicer and more feminine than Dallas is. Dallas makes use of this, having Peabody comfort shaken witnesses and relatives of murder victims, and [[GoodCopBadCop letting Peabody play good cop to Dallas's bad cop]].
84	* Many incarnations of Dr. John Watson in the Literature/SherlockHolmes stories. It's particularly notable in ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' and ''Literature/TheSevenPercentSolution'', which play up Holmes' personal dysfunction.
85	* In ''Literature/TheWitling'', Yoninne and Ajão have this dynamic. At first, young and hotheaded Yoninne, who swears like a sailor, has to make heroic efforts just to be cordial to the natives of Giri, almost all of whom are medieval {{psychic\|Powers}} supremacists capable of killing her on a whim. It's down to sheer luck that she doesn't end up getting casually murdered, while her partner, the old and frail Ajão, relies more on diplomacy and intelligence to avoid an untimely death.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
89	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has used this trope throughout its run, though it is slightly less prevalent in the revived series. Because the Doctor's companions often play the part of AudienceSurrogate, they also tend to be more sympathetic to the humans who have no idea what is going on, while the Doctor is rude, impatient, and brusque. Some of the more prominent examples:
90	** The First Doctor is strongly characterized as a crotchety old man, while ''all'' of his companions are wholesome, friendly folks; Susan is a precocious young girl, while Ian and Barbra are responsible adults who try to keep things from getting too dangerous or out-of-hand. Companions that join later in the First Doctor's run mix up the formula a little, but not much.
91	** Mildly inverted with the relationship between the Second Doctor and Jamie; the Doctor often acts like a clown, while Jamie is the muscle, and because he lacks subtlety, he is often impatient with the people they encounter.
92	** Played quite straight with the Third Doctor and Jo Grant; the Doctor has very little patience with humans blithely claiming that [[FlatEarthAtheist whatever is going on is flat-out impossible]], and rarely even tries to explain, so it's up to Jo to bridge the gap and smooth over his rudeness. On the other hand, when the Doctor encounters someone who is willing to suspend their disbelief long enough to actually understand the situation, he's a perfect gentleman.
93	** The Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald fit this trope to a T, to the point where Clara makes efforts to help her Doctor be more empathetic and nice to people, and the Doctor refers to her as his carer because "she cares, so I don't have to". As the series goes on, however, it becomes clear that the two of them aren't so different, with Clara revealing a ruthless streak of her own.
94	* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'': Drake is the self-centered, narcissistic ladies' man versus his more reasonable, outgoing, and considerate step-brother Josh, [[ButtMonkey who gets exploited by Drake constantly]]. {{Deconstructed\|Trope}} in "Josh Is Done", when Josh becomes fed up with Drake's attitude and decides to quit his friendship with him for good.
95	* ''Series/{{Galavant}}'': At the start of the series, Galavant is arrogant, standoffish, and heartbroken. His squire, Sid, is much more affable and approachable despite being a ServileSnarker.
96	* ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'':
97	** Pembleton and Bayliss are partners, and complete opposites in terms of personality. Pembleton is an abrasive InsufferableGenius with a HairTriggerTemper, while Bayliss is affable, empathetic, and soft-spoken.
98	** Inverted with Howard and Felton. Howard generally takes the lead and is rather affable if gruff, while Felton is a loutish jerk prone to bullying his colleagues.
99	** In Season 4, affable soccer mom Russert is partnered with the cynical and abrasive Munch.
100	* In ''Series/HouseMD'', Dr. Wilson and Dr. House have this dynamic; House is a {{Jerkass}} who very rarely shows anything other than total disdain for others' feelings and is only interested in the puzzles presented by their medical cases, while Wilson is an oncologist (a doctor specializing in cancer) who makes a habit of caring ''too much'' for his patients and his friends. They rarely work together but are best friends, and House often uses Wilson to bounce ideas off of when he's stumped on a case. Appropriately, the characters of House and Wilson are based on [[Literature/SherlockHolmes Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson]], who are also an example -- note the similarity in their names (House/Holmes, Wilson/Watson).
101	* PlayedWith in ''Series/{{Monk}}''. Monk's first assistant, Sharona, is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who nonetheless knows how to deal with people better than Monk, who has NoSocialSkills. Natalie is generally nicer and friendlier than Monk, although prone to BewareTheNiceOnes moments.
102	* ''Series/SamAndCat'': Sam is generally pushy, rude, and aggressive, while Cat is generally friendly, sweet, and childlike.
103	* Inverted with ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. Captain Kirk is a charming OfficerAndAGentleman. By contrast, his first officer Spock is more tactless and ruthlessly pragmatic. The fact that he's also TheStoic when he does these things probably doesn't do his image any favors.
104	* ''Series/TheFollowing'': Ryan Hardy and Mike Weston's dynamic is this at the very start. [[spoiler:Ryan's influence, having to kill others, being tortured nearly to death, and having a fellow Federal agent dying brutally in front of him add a cruelness and sadism that only increases way more in Seasons 2 & 3.]]
105	* ''Series/TheTick2001'': [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] with Fiery Blaze and his sidekick Friendly Fire. Blaze insults and belittles Fire in private and public, makes him do all cleaning, mailing and other such cores, and over does it on fight practice. After Arthur (Tick's sidekick) points out these problems to him, Fire quits and moves in with Arthur and The Tick. Fire only rejoins Blaze when he sees what a drunken slopy mess Blaze is without him under the condition that Blaze treats him with more respect. During the whole process, Arthur beings questioning his partnership with The Tick after he starts to act slightly more like Blaze, but after meeting with a support group for sidekicks, Arthur realizes that The Tick is a legitimately good friend and by the time Arthur gets back to him, The Tick has already come to his senses.
106	* ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'': Alex is the sly, snarky, and rebellious protagonist while her best friend Harper is TheIngenue. It also works if the sidekick is her brother [[OnlySaneMan Justin]] who has a better behavior than Alex.
107	* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'': The titular Xena and Gabrielle fit the mold. The former is the hardened fighter trying her hand at redemption while the latter is the plucky bard seeking adventure.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
111	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has its usual twisted take on this: AxCrazy BloodKnight Kharn the Betrayer serves as his Primarch's cooler-headed sidekick in canon. The guy who kills his own men if he misses against the enemy, who believes " "Attack!" is the only order worth remembering", who gained his title after slaughtering both his men and the enemy for not fighting hard enough... Used to be the one with the better temper. And depending on said Primarch, ''he might still be''.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Video Games]]
115	* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'' is on the fence between inverting this and playing it straight. The player controls Arno, an Assassin who is in love with Elise, a Templar (the long-standing villains of the series), and they team up for many missions. One would call this an [[InvertedTrope Inversion]] in that Arno has a relatively mild personality with a strong moral compass, while Elise is hotheaded, violent, and ruthless. But much of the plot revolves around Arno helping Elise track down her father's murderer, and the ''player'' is often treated like a sidekick, which would make it a straight example, with ''Elise'' as the "hero".
116	* In ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', your character is a suicidally depressed DefectiveDetective with substance abuse problems who regularly says and does outrageous, offensive things, while your partner Kim is quiet, professional, and tolerant. In a slight twist on the trope, though, this niceness is mostly down to how nice the two characters are to ''the player character himself'' - he hates himself and tries to drown it in unhealthy coping mechanisms, while Kim is always open about his positive feelings towards him while calling him out for his worst actions. With other characters - [[OneOfTheKids especially with children]] - it's your player character who is the nice one, expressing genuine, open curiosity about other people where Kim's stoic presentation won't allow him to do so.
117	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'':
118	** ''Every'' party member in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' is this to Squall. Squall is so rude and blocked-off that the story always makes sure he's partnered up with someone able to handle the social situations that he only ever wants to wriggle out of (and complain about them in his InnerMonologue). They might be hyperactive like Zell and Selphie, more nurturing like Irvine and Quistis, or more blunt like Rinoa, but they are all far more interested in people than he is.
119	** When Sazh and Lightning travel together at the beginning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', he serves as a PluckyComicRelief to her stoic grimness.
120	* ''Videogame/HelpTheHero'':
121	** The Hero (Count Thrashwood): A bit egotistical, but also a bit dim. He thinks he can do no wrong and that everyone else was put on this earth to admire or worship him. Add in a lot of narcissism about his good looks, and you've got, well... picture Prince Charming from Shrek, but give him some combat skills.
122	** The Sidekick (Percival): Aside from a few snarky retorts, he's the everyman we're supposed to identify with. He does the grunt work but also does the strategic thinking during the preparation for battle (what are the monsters' weaknesses that Thrashwood can exploit?).
123	* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''. The cheerful Kula and the mature, soft-spoken Maxima play nice sidekicks to the AntiHero K'.
124	* Inverted in ''VideoGame/MegaManX''. X is nice and pacifistic to a fault, while Zero, his partner, is ruder and has no compunctions of killing his enemies when it's needed.
125	* Otacon in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', a sweet, shy, and nerdy individual who tends to see a good side to everyone, even when those people are sexy terrorist assassins or giant nuclear death tanks, to Snake, who is cold, hardened, damaged, and struggles to be interested in other people (and [[DefrostingIceQueen although he chills out somewhat later on]], he holds onto a sarcastic sense of humour and an overall aloofness). In-universe, Otacon does all the talking with their then-unknown sponsors in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''.
126	* Tails from the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series is known to be mild-mannered and humble than Sonic, who is a bit cocky, but is nonetheless a nice guy.
127	* This is the usual dynamic of the prosecutor/detective pairs in ''Franchise/AceAttorney''
128	** Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth (competent but sarcastic and impatient) and Detective Dick Gumshoe (bumbling but good-natured)
129	** Prosecutor Franziska von Karma (whip-wielding ice queen) and Gumshoe (still good-natured but completely intimidated by her)
130	** Subverted with Prosecutor Simon Blackquill (''very'' scary convicted murderer) and Bobby Fullbright (perpetually smiling idealist); neither man is as he seems. [[spoiler:Blackquill is only on DeathRow because he's TakingTheHeat for his mentor's daughter, who is ''also'' innocent. Fullbright (or rather, the person impersonating him) is a sociopathic international spy who's killed at least two people]].
131	** Prosecutor Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (aloof mystic who seems to find the very idea of defense attorneys blasphemous) and Ema Skye (a forensic scientist and happy to help the defence)
132	* The titular character in the ''Rance'' series is a hyper-violent NominalHero with a raging ego and little interest in anything outside of his most immediate impulses. His slave Sill Plain is a mild-mannered NiceGirl who just wants everyone to get along. Rance also forms similar dynamics with Rocky Bank, Sachiko Centers, and Russian Cullet in ''Rance VI'', ''Rance Quest'' and ''Rance IX'', respectively, with each serving as temporary sidekicks to him in Sill's absence.
133	* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' start off as this in the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 first game of their franchise]]. In it, Ratchet is a GlorySeeker, but when betrayed by Qwark, he develops a serious case of RevengeBeforeReason and abuses Clank, who spends the entire game a [[NiceGuy Nice Robot]] who wants to save the galaxy. After his HeelRealization, Ratchet would mellow out and become a DeadpanSnarker AllLovingHero.
134	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' has Nia and Dromarch. Nia is a HotBlooded and somewhat short-tempered DeadpanSnarker, while her [[BondCreatures Blade]] Dromarch is a polite and cool-headed guy who frequently goes out of his way to break up fights between his teammates.
135	* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'':
136	** Neku and Shiki. Neku is a fairly gruff and abrasive loner who doesn't think much of friendship and can say some fairly cruel things, although he [[TookALevelInKindness gets nicer]] as the game goes on. Shiki is a NiceGirl who, despite being jealous of her best friend and being willing to [[WhatTheHellHero call Neku out when he goes too far]], gets along with most people.
137	** Beat and Rhyme, the first pair of other Players Neku encounters. Beat is hotheaded, impulsive, and somewhat rude, while Rhyme is relatively friendly if a bit reserved, and follows Beat's lead. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is also a case of SiblingYinYang, as Beat is Rhyme's older brother]].
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Western Animation]]
141	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', Darwin is the (usually) nicer sidekick to the ruder Gumball. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshade hung]] on "The Sidekick" where Darwin, after finally standing up for being treated as a sidekick, impersonates Gumball by being a rude DeadpanSnarker. Gumball makes a comeback, impersonating Darwin as overly happy and optimistic.
142	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' uses this trope a lot:
143	** The Brain is a condescending InsufferableGenius, while Pinky is a MinionWithAnFInEvil who still likes and admires Brain, no matter how much abuse he gets from him. They are still this in their own show, ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain''.
144	** Slappy Squirrel is a cranky old lady. Her sidekick in all her segments is her nephew, the cheerful and adorable Skippy.
145	** Rita is an arrogant and sarcastic cat who is always accompanied by dimwitted BigFriendlyDog Runt.
146	* ''WesternAnimation/AtomicPuppet'': AP is extremely egocentric and tends to put down those he views as inferior or bothersome (which is ''a lot'' of people), while Joey is the more polite of the two and can act as the StraightMan to AP at times.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': Cricket is the rambunctious and troublemaking son of the Green family who hates being serious, while his sister Tilly is silly, cheerful, and more level-headed, and serves as the voice of reason for his mishaps.
148	* The title characters of ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken''. Chicken is the egotistical, cynical, and rude hero in contrast to his more kindhearted, playful, and easygoing sister Cow. Though inverted whenever Cow turns into her alter ego "Supercow".
149	* ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'': Dan is a mean and short-tempered AntiHero, in contrast to his ExtremeDoormat sidekick Chris.
150	* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': The title character is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who has "an ego the size of a small planet" and is prone to being dismissive towards people, especially if he feels they're being stupid or stealing his spotlight. At worst, he's a WellIntentionedExtremist. His sidekick/HeterosexualLifePartner Launchpad [=McQuack=] treats people in a much friendlier, more understanding way. [[JustifiedTrope Launchpad and Gosalyn were meant to "ground" Darkwing and keep him in check.]] This figures majorly in "[[Recap/DarkwingDuckS2E6SomethingFishy Something Fishy]]", in which Launchpad's empathy undoes the damage caused by Darkwing butting heads with eco-warrior Neptunia.
151	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'': The title character is always abrasive and angry. His business partner Cornfed is a loyal and affable HypercompetentSidekick.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': Eddy is the arrogant, hot-tempered leader and his two sidekicks are: Ed, a KindheartedSimpleton, and Edd, a sensitive guy who tries to be the voice of reason.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'': Barney is the easygoing best friend/sidekick to the more aggressive protagonist Fred Flintstone.
154	* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with Mac and Bloo from ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''. Whereas [[TheHero Mac]] is kind, loving, mature, and has a sweet personality, [[TheLancer Bloo]] often comes off as a selfish bully who is willing to harass his friends on most occasions.
155	* While more of an AntiHero, space captain Zapp Brannigan from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' is a {{Jerkass}}, while his co-pilot, the alien Kif Kroker, is a sensitive guy.
156	* The principal antagonist to the ''Go Go Gophers'' of Gopher Gulch is Army Colonel Kit Coyote, an arrogant, obstinate GeneralRipper that refuses to listen to reason. Much of the reason comes from Sergeant Okie Homa, a beleaguered underling to the Colonel. The sergeant is so genial that he's often found BreakingTheFourthWall to invite the audience to "tune in next time."
157	* ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'': The hero, Max, is a good person but can be inconsiderate and selfish at times. His sidekick, PJ, is honest and kind to a fault.
158	* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Zim is a brash, foul-tempered UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist, while his ditzy MinionWithAnFInEvil GIR is much friendlier.
159	* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': Johnny is an AnnoyingYoungerSibling who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero breaks it]] OnceAnEpisode, though his more reasonable sidekick dog Dukey tries to get him to avoid doing so (and usually fails).
160	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': The titular hero Korra is the brash and HotBlooded AntiHero. Asami, who takes the sidekick role in Book 3, is the rational, polite NiceGirl, being the StraightMan in this case.
161	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': In the shorts where WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck plays an arrogant LordErrorProne, WesternAnimation/PorkyPig is his cheerful, mild-mannered HypercompetentSidekick. "WesternAnimation/DuckDodgersInTheTwentyFourthAndAHalfCentury" and its TV spin-off ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'' are the quintessential examples.
162	** "WesternAnimation/DeduceYouSay" exaggerates this relationship. While Daffy as [[SherlockHomage Dorlock Holmes]] rudely interrogates innocent civilians, Porky's Dr. Watkins gets the villain to give himself up just by asking him politely.
163	** Daffy and Porky also have this dynamic in ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow''. The same trope also applies to their younger counterparts Plucky and Hamton in ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''.
164	* Spike started off as this to Twilight Sparkle the grumpy antisocial pony in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' prior to the latter's CharacterDevelopment.
165	* ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'': Ren is a violent SociopathicHero while Stimpy is a BumblingSidekick and KindheartedSimpleton.
166	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Downplayed with Bart, a brash and mischievous prankster, and his friend Milhouse. Milhouse is not that nice (he can be pretty mean when he has a chance), but he's usually naive and submissive so it's easy for Bart to pick on him and take advantage of him.
167	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': The kind and innocent Butters has often taken on the role of sidekick to VillainProtagonist Cartman.
168	* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'': Inverted; Rapunzel largely maintains her sunny, kindhearted and excitable disposition from [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} her introductory film.]] Her handmaid/bodyguard/best friend Cassandra has a much darker and sterner personality[[spoiler: which ultimately becomes harsher in hindsight when she becomes a villain.]]
169	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RudeHeroNiceSidekick