Kubernetes v1.28 introduces sidecar containers, which enable restartable init containers and overcome previous challenges by implementing key improvements to increase productivity in deploying and managing sidecars within a Kubernetes cluster. The concept of sidecar containers has been part of Kubernetes since 2015 but lacked native support until now. With the introduction of container lifecycle hooks, primary application pods are decoupled from sidecar containers, eliminating issues with startup and shutdowns of pods. Sidecar containers excel in scenarios that require shared resources like a shared file system, and their use cases include service mesh, ambassador container pattern, adapter container pattern, and log forwarding among others. Kubernetes 1.28 provides dedicated APIs and resources for the deployment and management of sidecar containers, simplifying the process and making them prioritized citizens in the Kubernetes ecosystem. The feature is currently available as an alpha release and requires updates to existing tooling and kubelet for efficient management.