Fortnite Sidekicks Guide: How Pets Work, Customisation and Peels

Fortnite finally has pets. Sidekicks, introduced in late 2025 around the Chapter 7 launch era, are cosmetic companion animals that trot along beside your character in Battle Royale and other modes — reacting to what happens, joining in when you emote, and doing absolutely nothing to help you win. That last part is the point: sidekicks are pure personality, visible to everyone in the match, customisable in appearance, and earned or bought through passes and the Item Shop. One warning before anything else, though: some appearance choices lock in permanently, so customise carefully.

What exactly is a sidekick?

A sidekick is a companion pet that follows your character around the island. It is not a piece of gear and it is not a separate mini-game — it is a little character of its own that moves with you, reacts to the match unfolding around it, and plays emotes alongside you when you trigger one. Because other players can see it, a sidekick is partly a flex: a rare or well-styled companion says something about its owner before a single shot has been fired. In a game built on outfits as identity, that was always going to land.

Do sidekicks give you any advantage?

None whatsoever, and they have been kept firmly on the cosmetic side of the line. A sidekick does not sniff out loot, warn you about nearby enemies, carry your supplies or block a single point of damage. It reveals nothing about your position beyond simply being visible, like the rest of your outfit. That purity matters more than it might sound: it keeps sidekicks fair in a competitive game, and it means buying one is purely about liking the little creature — which is exactly how a cosmetic purchase should work.

How do you get a sidekick?

Sidekicks arrive through the same channels as other cosmetics: season passes and the Item Shop. The first widely-owned sidekick, Peels — a banana-dog, because this is Fortnite — arrived via a season pass, which put a companion into most regular players' lockers at once and set the template for how the feature would spread. Passes and the shop have been the routes to more ever since. If you are deciding where to spend, a pass that includes a sidekick is usually the cheapest way to start a collection.

How does sidekick customisation work?

Each sidekick has appearance customisation: body, colour and accessories can be adjusted to make the companion yours rather than identical to everyone else's. Here is the part players need to hear before they start clicking. Appearance choices are set when you customise, and some of them cannot be undone afterwards. Treat the customisation screen like a tattoo parlour rather than a dressing room: preview everything, think about which colours you will still like in three months, and only confirm when you are genuinely sure. The players who rushed it own the evidence permanently.

Where do sidekicks appear?

Sidekicks show up across Battle Royale and other modes rather than living inside one playlist, so the companion you choose genuinely becomes part of your character wherever the feature is supported. They emote with you, travel with you, and share your wins and your embarrassing early eliminations alike. Pick one whose energy matches how you actually play — the stone-faced try-hard with the adorable puppy in tow is a Fortnite tradition now, and it started here.

Should you buy a sidekick or wait for a pass?

For most players, patience wins. A season pass that includes a sidekick hands you one as part of a bundle of cosmetics you were probably buying anyway, and it teaches you whether you actually enjoy having a companion underfoot before you spend on more. The Item Shop route suits collectors and anyone who has fallen for one specific animal. Either way, choose with your locker in mind: a companion whose colours sit comfortably alongside several of your favourite outfits will get used daily, while the novelty pick tends to gather dust.

Sidekicks are the rare Fortnite addition that asks nothing of the meta: no stats, no strategy, no counterplay — just a small companion, a customisation screen to treat with respect, and a banana-dog called Peels leading the way. If that sounds like your kind of cosmetic, start with whatever the current pass offers, customise slowly, and enjoy the company.