​9 Most Annoying Movie Sidekicks of All Time

Anthony Faccenda

Being a sidekick isn’t always an enviable position. As the name implies, sidekicks are subordinates who play second fiddle to the, typically more important, person he or she accompanies. 

With the release the release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens less than two months away, we're reminded of one of the most annoying sidekicks of ever: Jar Jar Binks. Jar Jar may be one of the most hated characters ever to grace the Star Wars universe, but how does he stack up against the worst sidekicks in movie history?

From the useless to the downright stupid , these nine cohorts are unforgettable—in a bad way. Here are the most annoying sidekicks in cinema history.

9. Bubba Blue
Forrest Gump

Yes, he's a character in arguably one of the best film of the 1990s, and yes his onscreen death is heartbreaking, but Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue from Forrest Gump is annoying nonetheless.

Played by Mykelti Williamson, Bubba warrants inclusion on this list simply for the movie’s “shrimp” in which Bubba talks endlessly about the different varieties or shrimp and how to prepare them.

8. Gina Garrett
Another Stakeout

The first Stakeout film was a decent enough addition to the buddy-cop genre, but its sequel is a different story. Although filmmakers had a formula that worked with the first installment, they decided to add an annoying third wheel the second time around: Rosie O’Donnell.

The unnecessary addition of O’Donnell as Gina Garrett drew ire from critics, with Entertainment Weekly calling her performance “monotonously over-emphatic.” Thankfully there was not a third movie.

7. Hannibal King
Blade: Trinity

Although Ryan Reynolds has diversified his resume lately with roles in Woman in Gold and The Captive, the bulk of his early performances involved his playing wisecracking frat guys.

Case in point, Reynolds’ portrayal of Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity. Essentially a buffed out version of his character in Van Wilder, Hannibal is intended to be a comical badass vampire hunter, but in the end, his jokes fall flat 90 percent of time. The 2004 film also begs the question, were audiences really yearning for a funny Blade film?

6. Dick Grayson/Robin
Batman & Robin

In a movie as terrible as Batman & Robin, it’s difficult to say who’s the most annoying. That said, Robin (Chris O’Donnell) narrowly edges out Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone). Although Silverstone’s turn as Batgirl is flat and forgettable, she isn’t as aggravating as O’Donnell.

In fact, when the movie's over you're left hating O’Donnell’s Robin more than the villains themselves. It’s no surprise that plans for a standalone Robin film were scrapped shortly after this turkey was released in 1997. O’Donnell also appeared in a smaller capacity in 1995’s Batman Forever, but his performance was slightly more bearable. 

5. Rachel Ferrier
War of the Worlds

And what would a list of annoying sidekicks be without a kid on it? There have been countless annoying kids in movies, but none more so than Rachel (Dakota Fanning) in War of the Worlds.

Okay, we get, aliens are trying to exterminate the entire human race, but does she have to scream the entire movie?

hether it’s short screams, long screams, talking/screaming unintelligibly, Fanning’s shrill shrieks are excessive and annoying. Click here to watch a supercut of every time Fanning screamed throughout the film.

4. Willie Scott
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Some Indiana Jones fans may argue that Short Round (Jonathan Huy Quan from The Goonies) is the annoying sidekick from Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but he pales in comparison to the loud-mouthed Willie Scott.

Portrayed by Spielberg’s future wife Kate Capshaw, Scott is obnoxious, ditzy, and useless. And what’s more, this damsel-in-distress repeatedly complains about breaking her nails and is afraid of bugs. It’s no wonder Mola Ram attempted to sacrifice her.

3. Fergie
Judge Dredd

Rob Schneider has delivered his fair share of annoying performances throughout his career, but his role as Fergie undoubtedly takes the cake. Despite the dark satirical tone of the comic it was based upon, 1995’s film adaptation of Judge Dredd opted for camp. Who could ever forget a nervous Fergie peeing on Dredd while the two are riding a flying bike? Hilarious right?

In his defense, Schneider doesn’t have the greatest dialogue to work with and the studio was obviously okay with Rob Schneider playing Rob Schneider.

Interestingly, Joe Pesci, who played the endearingly annoying sidekick in the Lethal Weapon movies, turned down the role of Fergie. 

2. Ruby Rhod
The Fifth Element

Being high-pitched, annoying, and loud made Chris Tucker a star in films like Friday and the Rush Hour series, but his character in 1997’s The Fifth Element is simply unbearable.

From his phallic blond pompadour hairstyle to his outlandish wardrobe, Tucker’s Ruby Rhod is supposed to supply the film with comic relief, but he ultimately falls flat. Not only that, he detracts from what is otherwise one of the best science fiction movies from the 1990s.

1. Jar Jar Binks
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace

Who else could it be? More than just the single worst thing that George Lucas ever created, Jar Jar Binks is the most annoying character ever to (dis)grace the silver screen. An obnoxious ploy to appeal to a younger audience (as if the Star Wars brand wasn't already universally appealing), Lucas created this CGI mess of a character when he re-launched the Star Wars franchise in 1999.

Derided for his odd sayings and strange pseudo-Jamaican accent, Jar Jar Binks was meant to be the movie's comic relief, but has become a punching bag for fans and critics alike since the film's release. 

Jar Jar has been lampooned on shows like South Park, The Simpsons and Robot Chicken. In 2013, Star Wars fan Mike J. Nichols released The Phantom Edit, which was an edited version of the film that omitted several of Jar Jar's scenes.