Anime has some of the best heroes out there. They're smart, powerful, funny, and do whatever it takes to save the day. The greatest heroes always have a faithful companion by their side, and anime heroes are no exception. They follow them to the ends of the earth, using their own strengths to help the hero on their journey.
While sidekicks can be of much-needed aid with their bravery, abilities, and charm, some are a bit lackluster. They may have unwavering loyalty to the protagonist and try their best, but many sidekicks turn out to be more of a nuisance than a help when the going gets tough.
10 Brock Is Too Busy Flirting To Be Of Much Help (Pokémon)
Brock is one of Ash's many companions in Pokémon and, despite his faults, is a nice guy. He is a good friend, and since he has grown up caring for so many siblings, he is very nurturing to his younger companions. He is also a former Gym Leader, proving he does have skill in battle. However, he spends most of his time chasing after Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, or any other cute girl he comes across. Despite his skills, he takes a back seat when it comes to any conflicts and is of little help. Though he is a supportive and loyal friend, his main contribution is comic relief.
9 Sakura Always Has To Be Protected By Her Teammates (Naruto)
When it comes to fighting, Sakura is always the weakest link on Team 7. Throughout Naruto, she spends most of the time crying and needing help from others. While it's clear that her character develops a lot after her genin days, Sakura never reaches the potential of her teammates. She is powerful in her own right, possessing more brute strength. Despite that, her skills still trail far behind them. In battle, she becomes a liability, her strength only proving so effective. While she is an essential member of the team, Naruto, Sasuke, and even Kakashi have to save her from danger when things get tough.
8 Misa Becomes Nothing More Than An Obsessed Fangirl (Death Note)
At first, Misa Amane seems like a great addition to the cast in Death Note, showing much potential as an ally to Light. She proves to be useful to his plans, but the more she stays by his side, the more she devolves into a stereotypical dumb blonde. Her obsession with Light takes center stage, and she goes from a capable ally to a pawn that is easy to manipulate.
Despite her initial value, she becomes a one-dimensional character who adds little to nothing to the series. Her assistance with the Kira killings lessens the more the series progresses, especially after losing her memory of the Death Note and her role as Light's accomplice. This leaves Light to fend for himself, ultimately leading to his death.
7 Jaken Is Loyal But Mostly Useless (Inuyasha)
Throughout Inuyasha, fans watch as Sesshomaru slowly changes from a coldhearted lone wolf to the leader of a small band of loyal companions. With every follower he takes on, the demon Lord opens up and begins to see the value in other lives. Jaken is the very first follower Sesshomaru gains and is likely the most loyal of them all. He has a great love for his master, vowing to dedicate his life to serving him. However, though his intentions are good, Jaken's service is more of an annoyance to Sessohmaru than anything. He is vastly weaker than Sesshomaru, proving to be of little use in battle, and often needs to be saved by his master.
6 Excalibur May Be Powerful But Is A Headache For Any Meister To Wield (Soul Eater)
Excalibur is the legendary sword and the most powerful weapon in the world of Soul Eater. Though his wavelength can match anyone, few meisters have ever partnered with him throughout history. This is because, despite his otherworldly power, no one can stand his personality long enough to obtain it. Excalibur is obnoxious, demanding, and downright annoying to anyone foolish enough to partner with him. Anyone who wields this sword is immediately handed Excalibur's list of 1,000 rules, along with a daily five-hour recitation on how great he is. Any poor meister attempting to take on Excalibur as their partner will immediately regret their decision, as no amount of power is worth what they have to put up with.
5 Aqua Is A Useless Goddess And Drags Her Team Down (KonoSuba)
Aqua is a water goddess with a reputation for being a pain in the series KonoSuba. She tags along with Kazuma Satou when he reincarnates into the hero destined to defeat the Demon King. Unfortunately for Kazuma, Aqua is of little to no use to him or their party as a whole.
She is spoiled and spends a good part of the time whining. Meanwhile, her cluelessness endangers everyone on multiple occasions. Being a goddess, she has an immense amount of power. Despite that, she brings little to the table on their demon-hunting quest and is more or less dead weight.
4 Chibiusa Is More Bratty Than She Is Helpful (Sailor Moon)
Chibiusa is the daughter of Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba and is also known as Princess Small Lady Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. She travels to the past from the future in the Black Moon arc of Sailor Moon to search for the Silver Crystal. She is a mainstay of the series and is seen as an annoyance and a brat by most fans. She is selfish and demanding, puts her needs and desires ahead of everyone else, and contributes little to the team. Even when she becomes a Junior Senshi, taking on the alias Sailor Chibi Moon, she is still learning the ropes and is not much help on her own.
3 Sunohara's Brand Of Humor Is A Hindrance On The Plot (Clannad)
While Youhei Sunohara is supposed to be the best friend of Tomoya Okazaki, his support as a friend tends to fall flat. Throughout Clannad, he is far more focused on goofing off and flirting with unsuspecting girls than to be there for his childhood friend. His role in the series is to provide comic relief, and while his gags can be pretty hilarious sometimes, they get old quickly and contribute little to the plot.
His personality barely changes or develops as the series continues, and while Tomoya, Nagisa, and the rest grow and learn from their experiences, Sunohara stays relatively the same. He is hardly ever serious, and most of the time, his humor derails the plot, slowing things down to a mind-numbing crawl.
2 Mineta Spends More Time Being Creepy Than Being A Hero (My Hero Academia)
My Hero Academia fans tend to all agree that Minoru Mineta is one of the worst characters of the series. He has more than earned the hatred he receives, as he is annoying, creepy, and most of the time, a useless member of the group. His Pop-Off quirk is both odd and relatively unhelpful. Though it has its moments where it comes in handy, he is usually not much help in a fight. Useful in battle or not, Mineta is most memorable for his awful personality and his perverted nature, which is usually played off as comic relief. Unfortunately, he is more off-putting than funny, with fans and characters alike disgusted by his behavior.
1 Raki Is A Weakling Who Hinders Clare From Achieving Her Goals (Claymore)
Raki is easily seen as one of the weakest and most useless characters of the series Claymore, and rightfully so. He tends to be incapable of virtually anything, having no skills other than his cooking. He is whiny and spineless, constantly holding Clare back from her goals and ambitions. Despite his devotion to her and his desire to be of use, he has the exact opposite effect every time and accomplishes nothing no matter what he tries. Rather than giving aid to Clare, he cowers in fear as she does all the work.