A long time ago, in an Instagram far, far away I decided to talk about some of my favorite underrated side characters. You know, the ones that don't get talked about enough, if any. There are side characters that get talked about to death (looking at you, Samwise Gamgee) because, you know, they deserve it, but that just makes the others get overlooked.
So, I'm here to settle the score, to make sure my favorites get the spotlight for once in their lives.
The first side character comes from The Binding of the Blade series by L.B. Graham, represented by this book here:
I read this book when I was a very young teen. It made a decision that at first made me hate it. I literally threw it against the wall and told myself I'd never read it again, but once I simmered down, I came to respect the actions the author took and now it's one of my favorite series.
My favorite underrated side character from these books is Aljeron Balinor. Besides having a tiger named Koshti as a battle brother (Yes. A TIGER. How cool is that?!), Aljeron is brave, kind and fiercely loyal. His appearance makes him look like you would never want to mess with him. He carries a long sword, has a scarred face and is fairly tall, but he's kind and has a very easy manner which allows him to quickly make friends with the main character.
The next side character comes from The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight and is represented by this book:
First off, let me tell you that the entire Ilyon Chronicles is full of delightful characters, side characters and otherwise. I've been following this series for absolute years. Every time another book comes out, I reread the series. Heck. I reread it almost every other year. It's just that good.
However, we are not here to talk about my undying love for the Ilyon Chronicles, but an underrated side character: Kaden Altair.
Some of the things I adore about Kaden are:
-that he loves food. Seriously.
-He's a fierce, loyal friend.
-He's a kind, good brother.
-He's mischievous and energetic, and yes, it gets him in trouble more often than not.
-Kaden will stick up for what he believes.
One thing that I noticed in writing all this about Kaden, is that his relationship with his sister, Kyrin, reminds me a lot of my relationship with my own brother, Jesse. Jesse has always been there for me, a friend as well as a counselor, and I see this a lot in Kaden.
Behold! One of my favorite books in existence. To date, I've read it a total of three times since its release in 2020. I would just continue to reread it if it weren't for all the other books that are screaming at me from my TBR list.
Like the Ilyon Chronicles, this book is chock full of amazing characters. Like seriously, AMAZING characters. Excuse me while I adopt almost all of them. There's a few that need to be shoved off a cliff, but Jek Annor isn't one of them.
Jek is loyal, brave and sometimes way too stubborn for his own good, but I love him for it. He's the seventh born in a brotherhood of eight. (Seriously, why doesn't fantasy have more large families? I ADORE them!) He also has pretty cool plant magic. (Why isn't plant magic more of a thing??)
Need someone to defend good? Jek is your guy. He's precious in everyway, and I can't get enough of him.
(For real. Like, if the author decided to write a book with Jek as the main character, I would read the heck out of it. Probably highlight the entire book too because when Jek speaks, my highlighter goes crazy.)
CRISPIN!! Ahh! My sweet, cinnamon-roll-of-a-child! What can I say about this adorable, loveable character?
Crispin is energetic (like: Crispin, slow down. WAY down. You're like a golden retriever puppy: very cute with way too much energy.), loves animals, is a sweet and precious boy and a pretty supportive brother and amazing friend. He deserves the world, and I will fight anyone that says otherwise.
It's a shame the cover of this book doesn't feature Kieran, but I suppose that is what he gets for being a side character. *sighs dramatically*
First off: how in the world did Kieran get me on his side?? He started out this series as a complete jerk, stubborn and bitter as all get out, but his arc... *chef's kiss* It's everything a reader could ask for. In short, he wormed his way into my heart and hasn't left since. I will never stop loving him. Just try to stop me.
Again... This side character isn't the one featured on the cover. Taegis needs some character art. And maybe a movie poster. (Yes, I know this series isn't a movie, but the characters need their own movie poster-sized art. I will fight for this.)
Taegis is technically the mentor character of this book, but mentor characters can be side characters and Taegis underrated. Seriously, if you knew what an awesome character he is... *weeps* Okay. Pull yourself together, Julia.
In case you were wondering, I have a MAJOR soft spot for mentor characters done well. The more role they have in the story, the better they are. And Taegis isn't the standard mentor character. He is a true friend, loyal to the core.
Dar is represented by Dragonspell, the first book in Donita K. Paul's The Dragonkeeper Chronicles.
Dar is the friend of my childhood. I came across these books when I was very young. They were probably my first introduction to books with dragons besides The Chronicles of Narnia. (I didn't read Eragon or the Lord of the Rings/ Hobbit until I was thirteen.)
This furry character is a bit grumpy, loyal, wise and just a love. I pretty much fell in love with him the moment he came on screen.
I may be slightly cheating on this. Elodie is almost a main character. Several of the chapters of the above book are devoted to her, but I consider the book to be mainly about the other character: Martin.
Sweet, precious Elodie is the definition of a loyal friend. It's not even her fault that she ends up in the scary woods, but she goes in to find her friend. She's kind, but fierce in her own way, a bit of a spitfire. I love how she is there for her friends, no matter the danger to herself.
One of my favorite things about Mary O'Connor from What Is and Could Be, is her no-nonsense attitude. She gets right to the heart of things in a gentle, sometimes bumbling manner. She's the kind of person who is a ray of sunshine in a dark world. Mary is a dear, sweet girl with a curiosity that can easily get her into trouble and a caring, sensitive heart.
Okay, so Rupert Greeves is another mentor/side character, but this list wouldn't be complete without him. He's flawed, and I don't 100% agree with all of his choices, but I love him. He's one of those characters who is noble and stands up for what is right, no matter the personal cost. Also, he has some of the best, ever speeches.
Rupert is one of the few characters who I would follow into battle, even though I would be terrified.
So, I'm realizing I really love those characters who have a touch of whimsy. Like Dickon. Can we take a moment to appreciate this precious, magical boy?
Dickon doesn't let the wildness of animals (or humans) stop him from making friends. He's patient, kind, knows about plants and is one of those people who honestly might be part fae. He's just too awesome to be part of the real world, yet here he is.
Last but not least, is Puddleglum (another mentor/side character) from C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair.
Puddleglum's pessimism-optimism isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I love and admire his steady presence, his unwavering faith and his bravery. He's another character who I would be proud to follow anywhere.
So that wraps it up! Thank you for coming to "listen" to my ramblings of adoration for these underrated side characters. I hope I've at least piqued your interest and that maybe you'll want to read their stories. If you do, please come and fangirl with me. That would be awesome.
Until next time...
-Julia Garcia / Arysta Henry
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