Animals are humans’ best friends. Animals in films are incredibly popular because audiences love seeing them, and giving the animals a substantial part is even better. It only made sense that a hero’s best friend should be a cute animal that audiences could fawn over. While this cute addition to filmmaking is wonderful, many films have used animals as a sidekick to the protagonist.
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Some of the best sidekicks in movie history are animals. They are the cute and adorable friends that help the protagonists become the best they can be. These animal sidekicks show the unbreakable bond between humans and animals, one that can mirror relationships viewers have with their own pets. From dogs and lizards to cats to aliens that look like cats, there have been plenty of great animal sidekicks. These are the best of the best.
Update January 17, 2024: This article has been updated by Soniya Hinduja with even more great animal sidekicks and where you can stream each of these movies.
12 Sandy – Annie (1982)
The musical Annie has won the audience’s hearts since its premiere on Broadway in 1977. The musical was so popular and loved that it made for multiple movie adaptations in 1982, 1999, and 2014. At the center of each story is the plucky little Annie, whose charm and undying optimism is enough to soften the hardest and coldest of hearts. Each version always includes the audience’s favorite “dumb dog”, Sandy.
This is the stray dog who remains by Annie’s side throughout her adventures and follows the little singing orphan everywhere. The companionship between Annie and Sandy is closer than best friends. After Annie saves Sandy from being harassed by children, Sandy refuses to leave her side. Annie even brings the dog back to the orphanage where the other girls fall in love with her. Sandy became a fiercely loyal and great furry sidekick, ultimately helping cement the movie as a timeless classic.Rent on Apple TV
11 Milo – The Mask (1994)
The 1994 film The Mask is a movie that had elements for all audiences to go on a memorable madcap adventure. There is a fantasy element as Stanley Ipkiss, played by Jim Carrey, becomes a green-faced playboy thanks to the Norse God Loki’s mask. The mask’s character gets Stanley the attention of the local nightclub singer, showing audiences the romantic storyline. It also is an action/crime film as the local mob boss and nightclub owner gets involved with Stanley’s alter ego. It was a fun movie that had a mix of everything, and it also had Milo.
The adorable little dog sees everything Stanley is up to, bearing witness to the chaos and the antics that the mask causes. Despite the insanity around him, he stays calm and collected, which is exactly what Stanley needs. The best moment is in the film’s final moments as not only does Milo break Stanley out of jail, but he also puts on the mask himself, becoming a cartoon version of himself and both a chaotic nightmarish creature and a loyal good boy. This is certainly a better cartoon dog than what would happen in the ill-advised sequel, The Son of the Mask. Rent on Apple TV
10 Iago – Aladdin (1992)
Disney’s beloved musical comedy takes you to the bustling streets of Agrabah, where a petty criminal named Aladdin often gets into trouble making mischief with his pet monkey, Abu. After an encounter with Princess Jasmine, he’s immediately smitten and thrust into royal intrigue and power play. Meanwhile, the powerful sorcerer Jafar seeks the magic lamp that contains a wish-granting genie.
While Aladdin has Abu, Jafar’s companion in all his nefarious plots is his parrot, Iago. From convincing him to marry Jasmine to stealing the magic lamp for his master, he’s certainly loyal to Jafar. What gives him the spot over Abu or Jasmine’s pet Raja is the fact that Iago, voiced by the late-great Gilbert Gottfried, provides a great comedic foil to the straight-laced villain Jafar. His one-liners poke fun at Jafar’s shortcomings and often bring levity to tense scenes in Aladdin, particularly for scenes before The Genie shows up. Iago also adds personality as the untrustworthy buddy who’s always looking out for himself. Stream on Disney+
9 Pascal – Tangled (2010)
Another animated wonder, Tangled, tells the story of the beautiful Rapunzel who has spent her entire life living in a tall secluded tower with her mother Gothel, who abducted her as a child. All Rapunzel has ever wanted is to see the floating lights rise up in the sky from the palace every year. Her fate changes on her 18th birthday when a wandering thief named Flynn Rider appears at the tower and encourages Rapunzel to escape on the adventure of her dreams. Pascal is Rapunzel’s pet chameleon who brings out the best in his character through various contortions and expressions.
His charm comes from reacting to crazy dialogue by raising his comical eyebrows and showing heart by being protective of Rapunzel and suspicious of Flynn’s true nature. While Maximus the horse might get funnier moments, Pascal has become a popular character among Disney fans. Pascal is a testament to the fact that animal sidekicks don’t need dialogue to become favorites. Stream on Disney+
8 Toto – The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
High caliber in terms of technical treatment as well as amusement factor, The Wizard of Oz earns a spot on the list, making the art of filmmaking and moviegoing worthwhile. The premise centers around Dorothy Gale and her little dog Toto, who are whisked away to the magical land of Oz when a tornado rips through Kansas. The goal is to walk down the yellow brick road all the way to Emerald City and meet the all-powerful Wizard.
Although the main companions in Dorothy’s mission are Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, it is Toto who remains by her side from start to end. He shines through pure puppy antics like playfulness and loyalty. Apart from stealing laughs and hearts just by being the adorable dog he is, Toto is also a central character because he pulls the curtain to reveal the Wizard’s orchestrated chaos. Toto, as a name for an animal companion, is so infused into the pop culture landscape that the line “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” is now one of cinema’s most iconic lines. Stream on Max.
7 Binx – Hocus Pocus(1993)
The 1993 cult classic film Hocus Pocus had a great cast for an amazing set of characters. Following the story of Max, as he accidentally brings three witchy Sanderson sisters back from the dead. Max, his sister, and his friend must keep the children of the town safe, or else the witches will steal their youth to become immortal. It is only with the help of a black cat, Binx, that they know how to keep the witches at bay.
Binx’s story is the most tragic in the film. His name was Thackery Binx when he was human in the 17th century. When he tries to rescue his sister from the sisters’ spell, Winifred (Bette Midler) turns him into an immortal black cat. Since his family saw black cats as a sign of evil, he was never able to be with his family again after his sister died. Tortured by his failure to save his sister, he dedicated his immortality to keeping the Sanderson sisters in the grave. When Max frees them, Binx helps the group and becomes attached to Max’s little sister, Dani. He is a strong and fiercely loyal companion and helps each of the group grow into themselves. Stream on Disney+
6 Goose – Captain Marvel (2019) / The Marvels (2023)
Captain Marvelwas $1 billion hit when it was released in 2019. It introduced a lot of great elements into the MCU including Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, the Skrulls, and expanding on the history of the franchise. Yet the best part of the film was without a doubt, Goose. Goose was the pet of Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Benning), the civilian name for the Kree scientist, Mar-Vell. Goose may look like a cat but is in fact a dangerous alien being known as a Flerken, a creature with massive tentacles that can swallow a person whole. Her certainly stole the show and was given a bigger role in the sequel.
The Marvelsfeatured Goose exploring the galaxy with Captain Marvel (the film reveals that Maria Rambeau was taking care of Goose until her death of cancer in 2021 which is when Carol Danvers took Goose in), but also revealed that Goose was,, in fact, a female and was laying eggs all over the S.A.B.E.R. base. Goose’s Flerken kittens make for one of the best scenes in The Marvels and one of the best needle drops in the MCU. Whatever the future holds for Captain Marvel in the MCU, fans are certainly hoping Goose makes a return. Captain Marvel is streaming on Disney+ and The Marvels is available for purchase on Prime Video and AppleTV
5 Hedwig – Harry Potter (2001)
More than just a massive commercial success and comfort fantasy series, Harry Potter is one of Hollywood’s greatest franchise achievements of all time. The titular character is just an 11-year-old boy living in the closet under the stairs when it all begins. He receives an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and after many misunderstandings, Harry journeys to the magical world.
While Harry Potter has plenty of great magical creatures, Harry’s snowy white owl, Hedwig, remains the most famous animal in the franchise. After all, she was Harry’s first real birthday present. Hedwig was more than a pet, she was a symbol of Harry’s freedom that the magical world provided. She acted as Harry’s way of communication with people outside of Hogwarts while also being his most loyal friend from the beginning. Hedwig clearly loved Harry deeply, as in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, she gives her life to protect Harry. Not only does she come to his aid to attack a Death Eater, but she flies in the way of a killing curse aimed at Harry, sacrificing herself to save him and showing she was with him until the very end. Hedwig is so important to the franchise, the iconic music that most people associate with the Harry Potter franchise is titled “Hedgwig’s theme.” Stream all 8 Harry Potter films on Max and Peacock Premium
4 Jiji – Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of the best animated Studio Ghibli films. It is a timeless coming-of-age masterpiece that follows the story of a young witch who must spend a year alone to complete her witch training, away from home, only ever indulging in practices that help hone her magical skills. She and her best friend Jiji, a talking black cat, start a courier service in a small seaside town. She must learn to overcome her young mind’s self-doubt, or else she could lose her powers and her friend forever.
The chatty and sarcastic Jiji remains both a physical and moral support to Kiki and helps Kiki through quite a lot. He helps her in her deliveries and helps her through her growth as a witch. He also understood that at some point, Kiki had to learn self-confidence on her own. During their time at the seaside town, Jiji falls in love with a white cat named Lily and has kittens of his own. Jiji’s devotion towards Kiki is one of the reasons why Miyazaki’s films resonate so deeply with the audience. Overall, it demonstrated how the duo were able to mature and grow as individuals and together as best friends.Stream on Max.
3 Pikachu – Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)
While Pokémon is primarily considered an anime or a video game, for kids in the late 90s and early 2000, the films were some of the biggest event movies. with Pokémon: The First Movie is a much-hyped event picture. The movie saw Ash Ketchum and his trusty companion Pikachu, along with other Pokémon trainers, gathered by a new powerful Pokémon named Mewtwo who looked to gather the best Pokémon from around the world to create a new clone race while humanity is wiped out in a storm.
Ash and Pikachu’s relationship was always the heart of the series, and for the first cinematic outing, they certainly gave it an epic center. Not only does Ash do everything in his power to protect Pikachu, but in the film climax, when it appears Ash has died, it is Pikachu’s love for his friend that stops everyone from fighting. The collective tears not only bring Ash back to life but inspire Mewtwo to give up his villainous ways and see that humans and Pokémon can co-exist. Pikachu is the face of the Pokemon franchise, with the character getting his own spotlight in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, but it was in the first movie that audiences truly got to see what made him great on the big screen. Stream on Hoopla.
2 Donkey – Shrek (2001)
Apart from this 2001 DreamWorks film becoming an immediate success at the box office, Shrek also introduced one of the most famous and beloved sidekicks in movie history: Donkey. Played by Eddie Murphy, Donkey is an incredibly annoying and musical runaway. After the evil lord of the land declares an upheaval for all fairytale creatures, Donkey was being chased down by the knights when he ran into Shrek, played by Michael Myers. Wanting to hide under Shrek’s reputation as a scary ogre, Donkey becomes Shrek’s self-proclaimed best friend.
Along their journey to protect Shrek’s swamp, Donkey and Shrek form a bond that is full of fun, especially with his wisecracking humor, endlessly chatty personality. From battling giants to dragons, their adventures lead them to develop a deep-rooted connection, and they learn to support each other by becoming true friends. Against all threats, they stayed together and helped each other through it all. They even remained best friends as they both got married and had children. It really was one of the best companionships anyone could ask for. Plus, with Donkey by his side, Shrek went from a grumpy character to one of cinema’s most cherished ones. Stream on Peacock Premium
1 Dug – Up (2009)
In 2009, audiences were moved by the heartfelt story of Up. From the opening sequence itself, the movie establishes a beautiful tone by introducing us to Carl Fredricksen as a young boy eager to join great adventures. He meets Ellie and the two build a life together. 70 years later, when widower Carl, played by Edward Asner, is court-ordered into a retirement home, he must put all his hope into a last-ditch effort. He hooks up a ridiculous amount of balloons to his home for an impromptu relocation to the place he and his wife dreamed of. It was a story that audiences fell in love with and wanted to see more of. When he gets there, with young wilderness explorer Russell (Jordan Nagai), the accidental stowaway, they meet Dug.
Dug, played by Bob Peterson, is an overeager talking dog that doesn’t fit in with the rest of his pack. He is kind and loyal, even when his pack does not treat him well. There are certain moments where we see his head tilt and child-like delight taking over the frame, and it is impossible not to grow a liking toward him. The same magic is spun on Carl and Russell, who like this goofball instantly. The trio quickly become a family. Dug works because he truly feels like what a real dog would be like if given a voice, prone to distractions but also simple views of the world. It is hard not to feel heartbroken when Carl calls Dug a “bad dog,” but it is also impossible not to cheer when Carl finally accepts Dug.
Dug is so popular he was given his own series of shorts on Disney+ titled Dug Days, and a short film titled Carls Date focused on Dug that played before Elemental and acted as the final part of the Up series after Ed Asner’s passing. There is no denying that Dug is a good boy, and the best movie pet. Stream on Disney+
