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If I had to point out the most important thing I’ve learned ever since I started writing, it’d be the power of the underdog. And I’m not just talking about the famous superhero dog – I’m talking about underdog characters within movies.
You know them, and you love them. Some of the most famous characters in all of film history are underdogs. Luke Skywalker in Star Wars is just a simple farmer boy, how can he compete against a mighty Empire? And the less said about that small-time boxer Rocky, the better. Who does he think he is, going against the great Apollo Creed?
Underdogs v Losers
Underdogs work for a reason. And that’s why you should always try to have an underdog element to your story. Now don’t be mistaken: being an underdog doesn’t mean your character has to be a complete loser.
In Back to the Future, we see Marty McFly is genuinely great at guitar, but that doesn’t mean his future career is guaranteed. In the recent Birds of Prey movie, Harley Quinn is a very capable villain, but that doesn’t mean she’s not gonna sweat as she tries to survive Gotham’s criminal underworld. Heck, John McClane is one of the most famous action heroes of all time, but in the first Die Hard, he’s a genuine underdog until the end!
Underdog stories are powerful because we instantly connect to them. We cheer on the underdogs as they fight to reach their objectives, we burst into tears as failure hits them in the face, and we celebrate when they finally accomplish their dreams. But underdogs must be genuine. It may seem easy, but any audience can sniff out a fake underdog from a mile away. Have their obstacles be real, but have their gumption be twice as real.
An underdog might be just what your story needs to get to the top.