Who were the Best Sidekicks in Seasons 1, 2, and 3?

We’ve introduced a handful of new role-based categories for the WiCnet Awards, which I think will do a better job of covering the whole show and letting the actors in competition be judged against their peers. I hope you’ve already seen (and voted on) our ridiculously close contest for Best Sidekick in Season 4.

There is one minor problem with these changes, though: if these votes didn’t take place in the first three seasons, who should we consider the previous winners? It might be a little much to run four polls every week, but we can at least open the discussion.

So here are my personal picks for the Best Performance As A Sidekick, and the first runner-up, for the three previous seasons:

Season 1: This isn’t just the toughest decision to make in this category, it’s probably one of the toughest of all 20 categories (Sidekick/Warrior/Villain/Politician/Child, times four seasons). It’s tough enough that charming John Bradley, who single-handedly injected warmth and momentum into the Wall storyline, it’s a fairly distant third. No, it’s a two-man race: Bronn versus Jorah.

Jerome Flynn as Bronn has been one of the biggest surprises of the series. His easy chemistry with Peter Dinklage makes him a superb sidekick, for one thing. He’s also involved in one of the best action scenes of the season, his duel during Tyrion’s trial, as well as one of the best character-building scenes, when he gets drunk with Shae and the Imp. And yet he’s my runner-up.

Because, well, let’s put it this way: if there is a single sound that defined Game Of Thrones’ first season, it’s Iain Glen’s intonation of the word “Khaleesi.” It’s a good thing, too, because Iain Glen had to use his voice quite a bit, both in characterizing Ser Jorah Mormont normally, and serving to introduce his hero and the audience to the Dothraki culture. Any success would have been impressive, but they surpassed that: he and Emilia Clarke were the breakout fan favorites of the first season.

Season 2: Dany’s story in the second book is fairly slight, and the show’s best efforts to make it more robust didn’t work terribly well, preventing Iain Glen and Ser Jorah from repeating. Meanwhile, not only did Jerome Flynn maintain his superb presence as Bronn, but he actually improved it, thanks to one of the showrunners’ better decisions—merging his role with that of Tyrion’s new captain of the guard. Not only did this mean more Bronn, but it also allowed him to interact with other characters than just Tyrion, most notably The Hound at the start of “Blackwater.”

Runner-up is less simple, thanks in large part to a proliferation of new sidekicks. Liam Cunningham brought his gruff charm to Davos Seaworth; Arya Stark had three candidates with Joe Dempsie (Gendry), Francis Magee (Yoren), and Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen). Rose Leslie is wonderful as Ygritte, but I really dislike how Jon’s story was re-written around her. Then there’s the always-wonderful Gwendoline Christie as Brienne, who I think I’m going to skip only because she’s a better fit for the Warrior category. Instead, I’m going to pick Natalia Tena as the runner-up. Her Osha granted a much-needed humanity and depth to the gutted Northern storyline.

Season 3: This is an oddly-structured season, consisting of only half a book, with tension built largely around a massive twist that’s only quietly built toward. Only Dany’s story really follows a conventional model, but that also includes a sudden influx of sidekicks: Barristan, Missandei, Grey Worm, and Daario, with none particularly jumping out. Bronn, too, fades into the background alongside Tyrion’s fall from grace in this season.

So I think I’m going to change course a little and pick a character who’s involved with the main plot, but maybe isn’t entirely perceived as a sidekick. That’s Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark, who probably fit the politician role in the previous seasons. Yet with her release of Jaime Lannister, her character sacrificed her political agency and instead became an occasionally awkward advisor to her son Robb in a way that fits the sidekick definition well enough for me. And what a season it was for Michelle Fairley. For a twist to work, it needs to feel both shocking in the moment, yet inevitable in retrospect. Fairley, more than anyone else was tasked with building a sense of ambiguous dread. In scenes like the one in which she confesses to Talisa that she thinks her family is cursed because of her failure to love Jon Snow, she succeeds.

Runner-up is a tough choice as well, for similar reasons. Although I am always tempted by Hot Pie, I think it’s another “touched by fire” character who works best: Rose Leslie as Ygritte. With her attachment to Jon’s bumbling idiocy of Season 2 in the past, Leslie is able to work through love, fear, strength, and cruelty. All of those are in evidence in one of the best moments of the season, the look on her face as she tries to bring Jon back, and instead puts multiple arrows into his back.

So who are your choices for the Best Sidekick from previous years?

• Published on 09/22/2014 at 1:00 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:40 PM CDT