We all have our favorite characters from popular franchises, and a lot of the time our favorites aren’t the main character.
While everyone is going to have their personal opinions and there isn’t exactly a right or a wrong here, there are many cases where side characters from popular movies and series are better than the protaginst.
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Here are 10+ side characters many fans love more than the main character.
Sam is a true hero in *The Lord of the Rings.*
Frodo is the main protagonist of the series as he’s the one responsible for destroying the One Ring. But, Sam is the one who is truly heroic and reliable.
Frodo himself admits that he wouldn’t have made it very far without Sam. It would have been great to see Sam get more of the spotlight and show that even gentle gardeners make great heroes.
MJ in the new *Spider-Man* movies.
A lot of people were surprisingly happy with the direction that the MCU took with MJ. She’s a tough, independent character who acts like a real high schooler.
Peter Parker is still great, but hopefully, we will get even more of MJ in future films.
Mystique has a really interesting story in *X-Men.*
There have been many different X-Men movies in the past few decades, and they’ve usually had either Wolverine or Professor X as the main character.
However, Mystique really deserves to be the focus for once. Her struggle to choose sides is an interesting one, and she has a lot of nuances that make her engaging.
Rhonda from *A Cinderella Story* stole the show.
Rhonda might be a side character, but she really held this movie together. She was the one to keep the diner going and to really provide loving support to Sam.
She was hardworking, smart, and kind, and she deserved more scenes than she got. The character was played by Regina King, so it’s no wonder she is so amazing.
Anna is just as important as Elsa.
It’s hard to pick between these two princesses as they are both very different with unique strengths. The balance of their personalities and the lessons they learn is a great combination, but Anna does deserve more love.
She’s super loyal and dedicated, and while she might not have magical ice powers, she’s really brave.
Marla in *Fight Club.*
Fight Club is a movie that many people misunderstand. It is a critique of modern masculinity which means that the main female character stands out even more.
Many fans feel that the character was really well cast and that she provided a lot of memorable moments.
Leia was just as heroic as Luke.
The original Star Wars trilogy did do a good job given the time period of giving fans a complex, well-written female lead. Later movies expanded on this to make General Leia even more of a badass.
However, it would have been great to see Leia train as a Jedi. Her personality is a lot more engaging than Luke’s, and she really brings a lot of energy and life to the films.
Janis was more interesting than Cady
Janis got the short end of the stick in Mean Girls after being bullied by ex-best friend Regina George and then treated poorly by her new best friend, Cady.
Some people feel Janis has an interesting backstory and that she’s one of the more complex characters instead of just being more of a stereotype.
Frozone and his family
Instead of focusing on Mr. Incredible and his family, the movie could have made Frozone the main character.
Truthfully, he’s overall more charismatic and likable than Mr. Incredible, and he made a big impact in the first movie even though he wasn’t featured that much.
Fat Amy should have been used more
Fat Amy is arguably one of the best and funniest parts of this film. She has the best one-liners, and she’s definitely more memorable than Anna Kendrick’s character.
The only downside is that she’s used so much as comic relief that she might be too one-note for a protagonist.
Bucky Barnes should have been given more of a storyline.
Bucky Barnes is a well-loved character amongst fans, but he didn’t actually get many lines in the films.
While he might not have been suited to be the main character of a Captain America film, his tragic backstory and journey to reclaim his personhood should have been more of a focus.
Dionne is the real fashion queen
When fans talk about side characters who deserved better, they often point out that there should be more diversity in the main characters.
Dionne was the real fashionista in this film, and many fans loved how focused on her career she was. Besides, she was just overall cooler than Cher.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a better character than Anakin.
The Star Wars prequels had to make a story that would connect to the originals, so, in that sense, focusing on Anakin was the obvious choice.
However, Obi-Wan is a much more nuanced, likable character. Fans love him and have always wanted more of him, and truthfully, Ewan McGregor just did a good job with the character.
Hermione Granger became an icon for women.
Harry Potter might be The Chosen One, and he has a lot of great qualities. However, it was Hermione who really kept the trio going.
She was the one who planned ahead, brewed advanced potions, and knew more than anyone else. Many fans have pointed out that she probably should have been the main character over Harry.
The Genie from Aladdin.
Sure, Aladdin might be the protagonist of the movie, but the Genie is definitely more memorable.
He’s got most of the best lines and one of the best songs, too. Being brought to life by Robin Williams’ voice acting definitely helped make this character charismatic.
