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* One of the most famous quotes of Enzo Ferrari is that "The second one is just the first among the last".
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* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': [[AbusiveParents Mrs. Reid]] holds this against Shania when the latter ranks 8th out of a 100 people for the Ouroburos test. She dismisses Shania's happiness towards the success by saying it's no better being dead last, [[KickTheDog then rubs it in]] that every Reid before her made the main team and that Titania could have done so easily if she were alive.
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* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' takes this trope to [[{{Deconstruction}} the logical extreme]]. Initially, when Shinji first surpasses Asuka's synch ratio, she's just pissed at him. Later, after being [[CantCatchUp curbstomped three times in a row with Shinji always scoring the kill instead of her]], she becomes extremely distraught, due to her past: she always prided herself on being the best so that she [[IWorkAlone won't need any kind of help from anyone]]. By not being the best anymore and her rival consistently having a stellar performance, she's afraid of being put to the sidelines and as a result, her synch ratio is plummeting; seeing this, she also becomes afraid that if she drops low enough, she will be relieved of her duties which to her would be equal to being publicly humiliated in the worst way possible for a human. And the best part in all of this? '''She knows what's wrong but her pride doesn't let her admit it to herself.''' Oh, it gets even ''better''. Right after her third defeat (technically second since she couldn't attack Leliel, much less harm it), she's sent into battle again, knowing that this is the last chance the NERV leadership is giving for her: if she screws up this time, it's game over. Not only she doesn't get a single shot off at Arael, '''she undergoes the {{Trope Namer|s}} for MindRape instead'''. And she gets saved by the person she hates the most. Next time she's sent up against Armisael, she can't even get her Eva to move anymore and is withdrawn; as an indirect result, Rei-II is killed by the Angel despite Shinji's intervention ("you didn't send him out for me... am I really that worthless?"). What do NERV does in this situation? Do they try to solve Asuka's psychological problems and cheer her up? [[ThereAreNoTherapists Noooo]], [[WeHaveReserves they send her into early retirement and fetch a replacement instead]] - ''[[AntiVillain who just so happens to be the final Angel]]''.

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* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' takes this trope to [[{{Deconstruction}} the logical extreme]]. Initially, when Shinji first surpasses Asuka's synch ratio, she's just pissed at him. Later, after being [[CantCatchUp curbstomped three times in a row with Shinji always scoring the kill instead of her]], she becomes extremely distraught, due to her past: she always prided herself on being the best so that she [[IWorkAlone won't need any kind of help from anyone]]. By not being the best anymore and her rival consistently having a stellar performance, she's afraid of being put to the sidelines and as a result, her synch ratio is plummeting; seeing this, she also becomes afraid that if she drops low enough, she will be relieved of her duties which to her would be equal to being publicly humiliated in the worst way possible for a human. And the best part in all of this? '''She knows what's wrong but her pride doesn't let her admit it to herself.''' Oh, it gets even ''better''. Right after her third defeat (technically second since she couldn't attack Leliel, much less harm it), she's sent into battle again, knowing that this is the last chance the NERV leadership is giving for her: if she screws up this time, it's game over. Not only does she doesn't not get a single shot off at Arael, '''she undergoes the {{Trope Namer|s}} for MindRape instead'''. And she gets saved by the person she hates the most. Next time she's sent up against Armisael, she can't even get her Eva to move anymore and is withdrawn; as an indirect result, Rei-II is killed by the Angel despite Shinji's intervention ("you didn't send him out for me... am I really that worthless?"). What do NERV does in this situation? Do they try to solve Asuka's psychological problems and cheer her up? [[ThereAreNoTherapists Noooo]], [[WeHaveReserves they send her into early retirement and fetch a replacement instead]] - ''[[AntiVillain who just so happens to be the final Angel]]''.



* A personal example in ''Fanfic/{{Brokenhearted}}''. Kagami dumps Adrien after seeing that he in love with Marinette. She refuses to be his “silver medal”.

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* A personal example in ''Fanfic/{{Brokenhearted}}''. Kagami dumps Adrien after seeing that he is still in love with Marinette. She refuses to be his “silver medal”.
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* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': PlayedForLaughs when [[spoiler:Vera Miligan]] loses the election for StudentCouncilPresident in a surprise upset. She ''really'' wanted to be Kimberly's [[spoiler:first pro-InhumanableAlienRights]] StudentCouncilPresident, and is first shocked into silence, then [[INeedAFreakingDrink drinks herself unconscious]]. [[spoiler:Tim Linton appoints her as one of his councilors and even has the council take on most of the debts she ran up during the campaign, but she ''really'' wanted the top job.]] She's gotten over it by the start of the next school year, though.

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General clarification on works content


* In the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' and ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' series, winning a contest gets you high praise and affection from the other villagers. Don't win, even finishing in second, and everyone (even your spouse, if present) reacts in the same "You lost? You suck!" manner, whether it was second place or dead last.
* Related to this: ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'' has [[SpiritedCompetitor Royal Second Cousin Miki]], who always tries to at least make the top three but tends to end up around sixth place.

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* In the ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' (''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'') and ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' series, winning a contest gets you high praise and affection from the other villagers. Don't win, even finishing in second, and everyone (even your spouse, if present) reacts in with the same "You lost? You suck!" manner, whether it was second place or dead last.
last, and lament your poor showing.
* Related to this: ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'' has ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'':
**
[[SpiritedCompetitor Royal Second Cousin Miki]], who Miki]] is stated to always tries try to at least make the top three but tends to end up around sixth place.
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Misplaced, moving to the correct tab (wrong trope, moving)


* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons2014'': You don't win any awards for anything less than first place at the festivals and contests. You get 500 relationship points with everyone, but you get that giving them something they like. For someone trying to get all the recipes and blueprints that are contest only, second place might as well be last.
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* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons2014'': You don't win any awards for anything less than first place at the festivals and contests. You get 500 relationship points with everyone, but you get that giving them something they like. For someone trying to get all the recipes and blueprints that are contest only, second place might as well be last.
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In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy,'' Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.

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In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy,'' ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978'', Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.
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correction: Kaiba did not blow the island up to kill Yugi and his friends (neither hinten in the anime nor the manga)


* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': This is Seto Kaiba's outlook on life. He lost his ''Duel Monsters'' Champion title to Yugi and he didn't manage to defeat Yugi in a ''fair'' duel in the Duelist Kingdom. He creates the Battle City tournament to gather all Egyptian God Cards and to defeat Yugi in his tournament. However, Kaiba loses to Yugi in the semi-finals, so after the end of the Battle City, Kaiba blows up Alcatraz and the whole island to ''kill'' Yugi with his friends, but they escape. After Battle City, Kaiba loses his goal of becoming number one in favor of focusing on his Kaiba Land project, but defeating Yugi still remains a symbolic goal in his eye, proven by the way he blows his top in the DOMA Arc (anime only) when he finds out his rival has lost to Rafael.

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* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': This is Seto Kaiba's outlook on life. He lost his ''Duel Monsters'' Champion title to Yugi and he didn't manage to defeat Yugi in a ''fair'' duel in the Duelist Kingdom. He creates the Battle City tournament to gather all Egyptian God Cards and to defeat Yugi in his tournament. However, Kaiba loses to Yugi in the semi-finals, so after the end of the Battle City, Kaiba blows up Alcatraz and the whole island to ''kill'' Yugi with his friends, but they escape.to. After Battle City, Kaiba loses his goal of becoming number one in favor of focusing on his Kaiba Land project, but defeating Yugi still remains a symbolic goal in his eye, proven by the way he blows his top in the DOMA Arc (anime only) when he finds out his rival has lost to Rafael.

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trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup


* ''Anime/{{Kaginado}}'': This is parodied with ''Key's'' secondary heroines (the heroines that are usually billed directly under the main heroines), which are comprised of [[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Nayuki]], [[VisualNovel/{{Clannad}} Kyou]], [[VisualNovel/LittleBusters Komari]], [[VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}} Kotori]] and [[Anime/AngelBeats Yurippe]]. This is juxtaposed with the main heroines ([[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Ayu]], [[VisualNovel/{{Clannad}} Nagisa]], ''[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Riki]]'', [[VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}} Kagari]] and [[Anime/AngelBeats Tenshi]]), as both groups hold a slumber party next to each other's rooms. The main heroines wear pajamas and are barefoot (except for Kagari because of her LimitedWardrobe), eat bakery sweets and drink juice, have (mostly) fun conversations and sit in a well-lit room. The secondary heroines wear tracksuits and socks, eat junk food and drink soft drinks, they cynically complain the entire time and sit in a dark room. The secondary heroines even form the "Loser Heroine Gang".

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* ''Anime/{{Kaginado}}'': This is parodied with ''Key's'' secondary heroines (the heroines that are usually billed directly under the main heroines), which are comprised of [[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Nayuki]], [[VisualNovel/{{Clannad}} Kyou]], [[VisualNovel/LittleBusters Komari]], [[VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}} Kotori]] and [[Anime/AngelBeats Yurippe]]. This is juxtaposed with the main heroines ([[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Ayu]], [[VisualNovel/{{Clannad}} Nagisa]], ''[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Riki]]'', Riki, [[VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}} Kagari]] and [[Anime/AngelBeats Tenshi]]), as both groups hold a slumber party next to each other's rooms. The main heroines wear pajamas and are barefoot (except for Kagari because of her LimitedWardrobe), eat bakery sweets and drink juice, have (mostly) fun conversations and sit in a well-lit room. The secondary heroines wear tracksuits and socks, eat junk food and drink soft drinks, they cynically complain the entire time and sit in a dark room. The secondary heroines even form the "Loser Heroine Gang".
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Compare UnsportsmanlikeGloating, TheBGrade, LosingIsWorseThanDeath. If it happens all the time, it can become a case of AlwaysSecondBest.

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Compare UnsportsmanlikeGloating, TheBGrade, LosingIsWorseThanDeath. If it happens all the time, it can become a case of AlwaysSecondBest.
AlwaysSecondBest. See also RejectingTheConsolationPrize, which could be the end result.
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** Season 5 runner-up Alaska Thunderfuck had a very similar attitude about losing the crown to Jinkx Monsoon. When she went on to win ''All Stars 2'', it was considered by fans to be just as much of a consolation prize as ''All Stars 1'' was for Chad. Queens in later seasons have been much more gracious about their placement, for the most part (their ''fans'' on the other hand...)

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** Season 5 runner-up Alaska Thunderfuck had a very similar attitude about losing the crown to Jinkx Monsoon. When she went on to win ''All Stars 2'', it was considered by fans to be just as much of a consolation prize as ''All Stars 1'' was for Chad. Queens in later seasons have been much more gracious about their placement, for the most part (their ''fans'' on the other hand...)).
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** Season 5 runner-up Alaska Thunderfuck had a very similar attitude about losing the crown to Jinkx Monsoon. When she went on to win ''All Stars 2'', it was considered by fans to be just as much of a consolation prize as ''All Stars 1'' was for Chad. Queens in later seasons have been much more gracious about their placement, for the most part.

to:

** Season 5 runner-up Alaska Thunderfuck had a very similar attitude about losing the crown to Jinkx Monsoon. When she went on to win ''All Stars 2'', it was considered by fans to be just as much of a consolation prize as ''All Stars 1'' was for Chad. Queens in later seasons have been much more gracious about their placement, for the most part.part (their ''fans'' on the other hand...)
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In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy," Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.

to:

In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy," ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy,'' Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuidetoTheGalaxy'', Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.

to:

In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuidetoTheGalaxy'', ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy," Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.
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[[folder:Radio]]
In the primary series of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuidetoTheGalaxy'', Deep Thought was designed to be the greatest computer to have been created, but it defers to second best as it would divulge seven million years hence that the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything was "42". Deep Thought readily admitted it was not able to compute the actual question, but it could design the computer that could: the Earth.
[[/folder]]
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** The Buffalo Bills made it to the Super Bowl four straight years, only to lose all four times. Instead of being thought of as a team that dominated the AFC by winning it four straight times[[note]]Granted, this was during a period of time when most of the league's dominant teams were in the NFC (The Bills appearances being right dab in the middle of the NFC's ''13'' Super Bowl win streak).[[/note]], they're thought of as chokers, and spawned the initialism '''B'''oy, '''I''' '''L'''ove '''L'''osing '''S'''uper Bowls.

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** The Buffalo Bills made it to the Super Bowl four straight years, only to lose all four times. Instead of being thought of as a team that dominated the AFC by winning it four straight times[[note]]Granted, this was during a period of time when most of the league's dominant teams were in the NFC (The Bills appearances being right dab in the middle of the NFC's ''13'' Super Bowl win streak).[[/note]], they're thought of as chokers, and spawned the initialism '''B'''oy, '''I''' '''L'''ove '''L'''osing '''S'''uper Bowls. Their Super Bowl XXV loss against the New York Giants were perhaps the most heartbreaking, as kicker Scott Norwood missed what would have been a game-winning field goal in the last seconds of the game, and this would partly inspire the plot of ''Film/AceVenturaPetDetective''.

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