DC has some of the greatest and most respected superheroes ever created who have made a massive impact on pop culture. Just as important, though, are the sidekicks. The most well-known sidekicks of all time have called the DC Universe home. Sidekicks like Dick Grayson and Wally West have graduated to becoming popular heroes themselves, and some of the most powerful sidekicks ever have come from DC.
Not every sidekick was a winner right away, though. Some of them took a very long time to get popular, eventually winning over fans and becoming bigger deals in the DC Universe.
10 Stargirl's First Comic Was Canceled
Stargirl is a multimedia star right now with her own TV show, but she wasn't always a big deal. When she was first introduced in her own solo title, Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E.S., she was technically the star of the book but still served as the sidekick of her stepfather, the former Stripsey now wearing the powerful S.T.R.I.P.E.S. armor he had created.
While she certainly had her charms, the book was canceled, and she would eventually join the roster of the Justice Society, one of DC's greatest teams. Gaining the Cosmic Rod from the retiring Jack Knight and taking on the name Stargirl, she would experience a meteoric rise in popularity.
9 Roy Harper Was A Wannabe Robin For Years
Green Arrow's history stretched back into the Golden Age when he was basically a Robin Hood-themed Batman, with an Arrowcave and everything. Robin's success would lead DC to introduce more sidekicks, and Roy Harper as Speedy was one of them. While he was sort of popular, Green Arrow and Speedy both would eventually disappear until the Silver Age.
Roy was given a heroin addiction storyline that brought him back to reader's minds, and he grew in stature over the years, joining the Teen Titans, Checkmate, the Outsiders, and eventually the Justice League. He'd change his name to Arsenal and Red Arrow, and while his life hasn't been the easiest, he's certainly more popular.
8 Mia Dearden Inherited The Curse Of Speedy
The mantle of Speedy is basically cursed, and that also applies to the second Speedy, Mia Dearden. Mia was a homeless prostitute taken in by Oliver Queen after his resurrection. Training her in archery, he would let her become the second Speedy, and the two would fight crime together. While she was an interesting character as one of the only HIV-positive superheroes, it took her a while to catch on.
Unlike sidekicks who weren't popular right away, Mia never got much love as Speedy. Her costume was great, and she was pretty cool, but for whatever reason, she slipped through the cracks until her appearance on Arrow brought her more fans than ever.
7 Cassie Sandsmark Was Saved By Joining Young Justice
Cassie Sandsmark has made a name for herself as Wonder Girl, but she's actually kind of lucky she got that chance. Created during John Byrne's mid-'90s Wonder Woman run, Cassie was an okay sidekick for Diana but got lost in the book's shuffle. When Byrne left, Cassie's role was diminished until a little book called Young Justice started.
Joining the team, Cassie would gain more exposure and popularity after leaving the shadow of Wonder Woman. Once Young Justice and Titans were combined in a new Teen Titans series, Cassie hit her stride and rivaled Donna Troy as the most popular Wonder Girl.
6 Wallace West's Time As Kid Flash Started Out On The Wrong Foot
When the New 52 reboot started, Wally West was nowhere to be found. Eventually, DC introduced a new version of the character, Wallace West, and he would take over as Kid Flash. Fans were not at all happy, and many didn't give the character even the slightest chance. Still, DC stuck to their guns, even after bringing the classic Wally West back in DC: Rebirth #1.
Wallace eventually made a name for himself as Kid Flash, and many of the fans who were mad about him at first came around. He's brought something new to the classic mantle and is a worthy successor of the Kid Flashes who came before him.
5 Sandy The Golden Boy Was So Unpopular That They Made Him Into A Statue For Years
Wesley Dodds was the Golden Age Sandman, and when he first debuted, he was the gas mask-wearing, trenchcoat-clad vigilante fans came to love. Eventually, he would trade that look for a more cliche spandex costume and a Robin-esque sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. The traditional costume and the sidekick didn't work for the character, though, so a few things were changed.
Sandy got transformed into a sand monster and then made into a statue, left in suspended animation until he was revived in the present day. He'd become known as Sands and join the Justice Society, now with geomancy powers. He'd then take on the name of his mentor, Sandman.
4 Jackson Hyde As Aqualad Didn't Catch On Immediately
Brightest Day was the last gasp of the pre-New 52 DC Universe, and it was better than it got credit for. The biweekly series was all about re-establishing a load of resurrected characters, so it didn't create too many new ones. However, it did create Jackson Hyde, who would become the new Aqualad. Unfortunately, the New 52 would hit before he could gain a fanbase.
The character would sit out the entirety of the New 52 before being reintroduced and has grown immensely in popularity. He'll soon be taking over as Aquaman in his own miniseries, which isn't bad for a character who's gotten lost in the multiverse shuffle.
3 Stephanie Brown Choked On The Big Stage
Stephanie Brown has had an interesting life in DC. Introduced as Spoiler, she was basically Tim Drake's sidekick and girlfriend, meaning she was the sidekick of a sidekick. She eventually got her chance to join the illustrious ranks of the Robins but was seemingly just made Robin for the sake of being killed off. She would stay dead for a few years until she was resurrected and became Batgirl.
She would hit her stride as Batgirl, but then the New 52 hit her. She disappeared for a few years but recently returned. Her absence has only made her fans love her more, and she's set to join with fellow ex-Batgirl Cassandra Cain in a new comic.
2 Garth Wouldn't Really Shine Until He Became Tempest
Garth was the first Aqualad. A founding member of the Teen Titans, Aqualad never had the popularity of his fellow sidekicks, which was something he had in common with his mentor. When the team was brought back as The New Teen Titans, Garth was one of two founders not part of the roster, although he would sometimes show up.
It was only when he became Tempest and gained new magic-based powers that he really started to shine. He joined the Titans, the team of the now-adult founding Titans, and made a better name for himself in more ways than one. One of his biggest upgrades was the name change, as Tempest is a way better name than Aqualad.
1 Fans Hated Jason Todd So Much That They Chose To Kill Him
Jason Todd was the second Robin and the most infamous. Fans did not like Jason, to put it nicely, and DC listened to them, setting up 1-900 numbers and letting them vote to see if he would live or die. The fans chose death, and Jason Todd was killed by the Joker. It says something that fans were willing to pay to kill him off.
Jason Todd would eventually return as Red Hood, first fighting Batman and then re-taking his place in the Bat-Family, even if he is more violent than his fellow heroes. More beloved than he ever was as Robin, Red Hood has become an integral part of Gotham's heroes and is one of the most popular Bat characters.