Tagalong Kid: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:Tagalong 7467.jpg|link=Dragon Ball|frame|Except [[Beware the Nice Ones|he's not as much of a load as he seems]].]]

 

Typically the youngest member of a [[Five-Man Band]], the '''Tagalong Kid''' is usually the Hero's or the Chick's younger brother. He gets to save the day about [[Once a Season|once per season]], but in the worst case scenarios he'll end up being [[The Load]] or [[Designated Victim]] in every other episode.

* [[The Face]]—Younger and less mature but posessing [[Wise Beyond Their Years|certain]] [[From the Mouths of Babes|insight]] their older companions miss.

 

 

Not to be confused with a child who's just part of [[wikipedia:Tagalog people|an ethnolinguistic group of people of the]] [[Philippines]].

{{examples}}

* Isidro from ''[[Berserk]]''.

* Bat from ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', as well as Lin.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', [[Blood Knight|Zaraki Kenpachi]] has [[Cute Bruiser|Kusajishi Yachiru]], his vice-captain (and it's hinted that she may be deadlier than him).

** In later arcs, we also have Nel.

* [[Cute Bruiser|Goku]] of ''[[Saiyuki]]'' has the personality and relationships of a [[Bratty Half-Pint]] down pat—but he's the closest thing the series has to a genuine hero, and it's his relationship with Sanzo/Konzen that is the impetus of...pretty much everything that happens in the plot.

* Scar has May Chang in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]''

* Mamoru in ''[[GaoGaiGar]]'', although it's quite ''necessary'' that he tag along. And Mamoru proves his worth a few times outside his usual specialty, like during his [[Dynamic Entry]] / [[Big Damn Heroes]] / [[Throwing Down the Gauntlet]] moment in episode 40.

{{quote|'''Mamoru:''' [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Fight me, Primevals!]]}}

* Max from the ''Advance'' seasons of ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]''.

** Team Rocket got a Tagalong Kid in the Sinnoh Arc, in the form of James' Mime Jr.

* July in ''[[Darker than Black]]'', first to November 11 and April and, in the second season, to Hei. However, despite the [[Extreme Doormat]] attitude, he's actually an important member of the group; as a Doll, he can do reconnaissance without anyone having to actually get in the line of fire.

* Nieble from ''[[Rave Master]]'' is introduced as a child Sieg knows who instantly starts following him around. Once {{spoiler|Sieg passes away}} he ends up with Belnika at all times.

* Kosuke Kita from ''[[Combattler V]]'' and Hiyoshi Go from ''[[Voltes V]]''. Both are [[The Smart Guy]] and underaged.

* In ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', Takamichi is a [[Badass Teacher]] and [[Reasonable Authority Figure]] who acts as a mentor to Negi and outside help to his group the Ala Alba. But in flashbacks, it's revealed Takamichi used to be the Tagalong Kid for Negi's father's group, the Ala Rubra.

* ''[[Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' loves this trope. Part 1 has Poco, a kid who is rescued from vampires by the heroes. Part 2's is Smokey Brown, a kid who is rescued from a [[Dirty Cop]]. Part 3 features an unnamed girl who is rescued from an assassin sent by the [[Big Bad]] (seeing a pattern here?) Parts 4 and 5 finally break the trend with Koichi Hirose and Narancia Ghirga, respectively, who actually have some combat skill. Part 6 then returns to form WHILE subverting it with Emporio Alnino, a kid hiding out in the prison where the story is set. {{spoiler|His ability is arguably the weakest in the entire series, but due to circumstance he ends up being the one who finally defeats the arc's [[Big Bad]].}} Part 7 finally breaks the trend; the entire cast is composed of adults and no-one is anyone's tag-along.

* [[Cloudcuckoolander|Edward]] is this in ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'', as nobody actually intended for her to join the crew after she helped them out once. She also fills the role of [[The Smart Guy]].

* Shippo from ''[[Inuyasha]]''; after his father is killed, Kagome decides to let him come along with her and Inuyasha on their adventures.

* Yuli/Jun in [[Ronin Warriors]]/Yoroiden Samurai Troopers.

* Cattleya's son Rana in ''[[Queen's Blade]]'', who turns himself into a [[Morality Pet]] for Airi after {{spoiler|his mother is petrified}}.

 

* Woody in ''[[Sky Blue]]''. He suffers.

* Alice in ''[[The Illusionist (animation)|The Illusionist]]''.

* Skippy the rabbit in ''[[Robin Hood (Disney film)|Disney's Robin Hood]]''. He even has a sister called "Tagalong".

* Trish from ''[[Angels Revenge]]''.

* Short Round in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]''.

* Frankie Muniz's character in ''[[Stay Alive]]''.

* It seems to be a "rule" of the ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' series that the main characters must always be accompanied by at least one kid. ''Jurassic Park'' kids tend to be [[The Load]] most of the time, but will nevertheless probably have a [[Chekhov's Skill]] which will prove useful about once in their film.

* Kid from Six-String Samurai. Yes, Kid is actually his name.

* Brandon from the ''[[Noah's Arc]]'' movie.

 

== Literature ==

* Ponyboy of ''[[The Outsiders]]''. He's only considered a "member" of the gang because of his older brothers.

* Allie in ''[[Bones of Faerie]]''.

* ''[[Doc Wilde]]'', a ''[[Doc Savage]]'' parody, brings his kids with him on his adventures. He's been raising them to be just like him.

* Gavroche in ''[[Les Misérables]]'' is this to the students at the barricade.

* Adam's younger brother James in [[Shatter Me]] who he and Juliette have no choice but to take on the run with them to stop Warner from harming him.

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* Alexis Castle on ''[[Castle]]''. She also doubles as [[The Smart Guy/Teen Genius|Teen Genius]] and provides lots and lots of helpful insight to her [[Man Child]] father. And when she shows up at the police station, everyone minds their language.

* Dustin in ''[[Zoey 101]]''

 

== Video Games ==

** Vaan is likely a subversion. Gameplay-wise (and keeping in mind that there's a large amount of [[Gameplay and Story Integration]]) Vaan is [[Lightning Bruiser|out and out the best character on the team]], assuming you use him at all. This would seem to imply that Vaan is a [[The Big Guy|monster killing machine]] the team just fortunately has lying around.

** Later games show Vaan has gone into business as a [[Impossible Thief|god-like thief]] and have him be a skilled enough fighter to hold off a [[Physical God]] for a long time. So, the FFXII team probably [[God Was My Co-Pilot|didn't know what they had on their hands]]. As incidental as Vaan's inclusion on the team maybe, and a child he may be, he's probably the single most powerful weapon at their disposal, if not instrumental to their success.

* Petey in ''[[Bully (video game)|Bully]]''.

* ''[[Fire Emblem]] : Seisen no Keifu'' : You've got two of them in the First Generation : Oifaye, who's the army's [[Teen Genius]] [[The Strategist|Strategist]], and Shannan who starts as a [[James Bondage]]. Both of them become [[badass]]es in the Second Generation.

* Aila to Geddoe's mercenary group in ''[[Suikoden III]]'', at least in the mercenaries' opinion. She [[Doomed Hometown|was]] a warrior in her home village, but still young and naive compared to the rest, and at the end of the game {{spoiler|Geddoe doesn't let her join the group officially, but he does let her stay around, making her an official Tagalong Kid}}.

* Ken Amada from ''[[Persona 3]]'' who fits the [[Cute Shotaro Boy]] trope to a T. He most idealistic of the group, and in battle serves as a [[Combat Medic]], with empathsis on the [[One Hit KO]] [[Light'Em Up|Hama]] skills. {{spoiler|However, this is post-[[Character Development]] after he gives up his vedetta against a party member who [[You Killed My Father|killed]] [[Accidental Murder|(accidentaly)]] [[You Killed My Father|his mother.]]}}

 

== Web Comics ==

* Gordito in ''[[The Adventures of Dr. McNinja]]''. A 12-year-old Mexican [[The Gunslinger|GunSlinger]]... with a full-grown mustache. At one point, the good Doctor highlights that Gordito does not merely "[[Badass|tag along]]".

{{quote|'''Dr McNinja:''' Do you think I run around with a ''twelve-year-old boy'' just because I like his inferior grasp of girls and higher level math? Do you think I left him with my psychotic parents because I wanted him to die? No, you undead pale ponce! Gordito is the effing ''badass kid''.}}

* Rico and Ellaine in ''[[Minion]]''.

* Meela in [[Strays]].

 

== Web Original ==

 

== Western Animation ==

* Dil of ''[[Rugrats]]''. One episode revolves around the older babies giving him an initiation into "the big babies".

* Hiroki and Johnny in the later seasons of ''[[Code Lyoko]]''.

* Ray Thompson, in the episode "Legends" from ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]]''. For the most part, he's simply a useless sidekick who cheers on the heroes featured in that episode, the Justice Guild. {{spoiler|The twist here is that the Guild and in fact the entire city are an illusion created by Ray, who in reality is a mutated psychic child living out his fantasies by warping the world to his whims.}}

* Tails on ''[[Sat AM Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', which provides for some [[Character Development]] as he trains under his [[Big Brother Mentor]] to become a more effectual Freedom Fighter.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Youngsters]]

[[Category:Five-Man Band]]