Fortnite Sidekicks Explained: How to Get and Customise Your Own Pet

Fortnite has had pets before as back bling, but Sidekicks are something new: proper companions that walk beside you on the ground, react to the match and feel like part of your character. First introduced on 1 November 2025 with Peels in that month's mini-season pass, the roster has grown quickly into one of the game's most collected cosmetic types. Here is how they work.

What Sidekicks Actually Do

Your Sidekick follows you around in Battle Royale and Zero Build matches, more like a loyal dog than an accessory. Three design decisions make them work in a competitive game. They are purely cosmetic, with no abilities, boosts or gameplay effects of any kind. They are immune to damage, so your companion is never in danger. And crucially, they are invisible to enemy players — only you and your teammates see your Sidekick, so it can never give away your position while you are hiding. Sidekicks also have their own quests you can complete during matches to unlock accessories like collars, bandanas and little outfits for them.

How to Get a Sidekick

• Item Shop: the main source. Most Sidekicks cost 1,200 to 1,800 V-Bucks — Leviathan Jr. has been among the cheapest at 1,000, while big names like SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star sit at the 1,800 top end. Krypto, Groot and Spyro the Dragon are typical 1,500 V-Buck releases.
• Passes: a handful arrive in Battle Passes, starting with Peels. Tails and Ice Prince have also come through passes.
• Challenges and freebies: a few, such as The Dane, are earned through challenges, and occasional Sidekicks are simply given away.
• Own the classic back bling? Owners of the original pet back bling from Chapter 1 passes were granted the matching Sidekick free — that covers Bonesy (Chapter 1 Season 6), Remus (Chapter 1 Season 7) and Kitsune (Chapter 1 Season X).

Customising Your Sidekick — Read This Before You Confirm

Select your Sidekick in the locker and you will find an Appearance menu. You can set its base colour, accent colour, eye colour and eye shape, or hit Randomize and see what the game dreams up. Then comes the part to think about: pressing on takes you to a Lock In screen, and that choice is permanent. Once locked, the appearance cannot be changed — unlike most Fortnite cosmetics, there are no second tries, so do not rush it at 1am.

After locking in, you name your Sidekick (up to 16 characters). The name is visible to other players who can see your companion, but unlike the appearance, the name can be changed later at any time. Accessories earned from Sidekick quests — clothes, collars and the like — can also be swapped freely, since they sit on top of the locked base appearance.

Are Sidekicks Worth the V-Bucks?

At up to 1,800 V-Bucks, a Sidekick costs as much as a full outfit while doing nothing mechanically — that is the honest trade. What you are buying is personality: a companion that is yours alone thanks to the permanent customisation, visible in every match you play. If you have a favourite character among the releases, or you were lucky enough to get one free from an old back bling, they are an easy yes. If V-Bucks are tight, wait for one you genuinely love rather than buying the first in the shop — the roster keeps growing, and shop Sidekicks rotate back around.