Sidekicks are usually young heroes who are partnered with an adult hero. They may also serve as the comedy relief in a story as well. Some notable sidekicks are Bucky Barnes, Robin,and Speedy. Many sidekicks created new identities when they grew up like Bucky (into Winter Soldier see Bucky Barnes) and the first robin (now Nightwing). The super hero Stripesy was very famous for being the adult super hero to the teenage Star-Spangled Kid. Sidekicks may not only take a new identity when leaving their mentor but may later replace their mentor and take his on his mantle. For example Bucky becoming Winter Soldier then later becoming Captain America.

Sidekicks are also a way for young readers to relate to stories and feel as if they are working with or for the main hero.

By tying young readers into relateable sidekicks they are then tied into the main hero which allows more readership. As a marketable tool sidekicks have done very well for comics mainly in the forties and fifties. Since then their deaths and resurrections have been very marketable.