History Fanfic / TotalDramaUnderdogs

* ForWantOfANail: Ezekiel surviving the first elimination has an immediate and profound effect on the canonical elimination order. In the second challenge, Ezekiel's actions lead to Eva avoiding her canonical early elimination, which is an even bigger "nail". Things just snowball from there.

The story is a ForWantOfANail fic set during the first season, beginning at the end of the first challenge, the moment when Ezekiel says his infamous sexist comment. However, instead of saying it out loud for everybody to hear, he does it while speaking with Harold, who quickly shows him how wrong his way of thinking is (though Harold doesn't dislike Zeke for this, and chalks it up to his reclusive upbringing). This has the effect of Courtney being eliminated instead, which causes the story to diverge from canon in many ways.

* HatedByAll: [[spoiler: Courtney]], even ''more so'' than in the canon timeline. In the episode where she returns alongside, [[spoiler: Eva]], everyone is quick to vote her off and they express zero delight when she returns. Even the few contestants she was on [somewhat] good terms in the canon timeline such as Bridgette, Duncan, and Gwen, never show any warm feelings to her at all. Whereas Chris and Chef made it clear they never cared for her to begin with.

** Duncan] gives a sincere handshake to [[spoiler: Harold]] during the latter's elimination, showing some respect to one of his enemies.

* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:Duncan]] apologizes to Eva in the finale for causing her to sprain her foot.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even at his worst, [[spoiler:Duncan]] draws the line at doing permanent harm to others. He feels quite guilty at the possibility of [[spoiler:Ezekiel]] getting lost or injured when one of his pranks [[GoneHorriblyWrong has unexpected consequences]].

A ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8003772/1/Total-Drama-Underdogs fanfic]] written by [=StayOuttaMyShed=]. The fic was completed in 2018 after [[ScheduleSlip a six-year process]].

* TheVamp: Heather successfully seduces Cody into forming an alliance with her. It doesn't work on Noah, who iss smarter and less hormonal than Cody.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: As in canon, Chris often adds twists to the challenges, making them even harder for the contestants. Shown best in the finals to avoid a CurbStompBattle, with [[spoiler:Eva needing to finish three challenges before starting the obstacle course from canon, evening the odds for the much physically-weaker Ezekiel]].

* ForWantOfANail: Ezekiel surviving the first elimination has an immediate and profound effect on the canonical elimination order. In the second challenge, Ezekiel's actions lead to Eva avoiding her canonical early elimination, which is even bigger “nail”. Things just snowball from there.

A ''WesterAnimation/TotalDrama'' [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8003772/1/Total-Drama-Underdogs fanfic]] written by [=StayOuttaMyShed=]. The fic was completed in 2018 after [[ScheduleSlip a six-year process]].

A [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8003772/1/Total-Drama-Underdogs fanfic]] written by [=StayOuttaMyShed=]. The fic was completed in 2018 after [[ScheduleSlip a six-year process]].

* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler:Duncan]] goes from a nuanced AntiHero who had some [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kind moments]] to an utter {{Jerkass}} who [[spoiler:goes on to become the BigBad of the story]].

* CharacterDevelopment: The story centers on the show's underdogs, all of them getting important development as the story progresses.

** It's acknowledged by pretty much everyone that none of the contestants stands a chance against Eva in a one-on-one physical competition, so Chris has to give [[spoiler: Ezekiel]] a MercyLead so she doesn't defeat him too easily.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: As in canon, Chris often adds twists to the challenges, making them even harder for the contestants. Shown best in the finals to avoid a CurbStompBattle, with [[spoiler:Eva]] needing to finish three challenges before starting the obstacle course from canon, evening the odds for the much physically-weaker [[spoiler:Ezekiel]].

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Ezekiel said in the last episode that "everybody loves and underdog story".

* MercyLead: At the finals, and, knowing that, otherwise, it would be a CurbStompBattle, Chris makes [[spoiler: Eva]] to finish three challenges before [[spoiler: she]] can actually start racing [[spoiler: Ezekiel]], to give him a decent chance at winning.

* TheBusCameBack: Two previously eliminated contestants return to the game when the teams are merged.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Duncan goes from a nuanced AntiHero who had some [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kind moments]] to an utter {{Jerkass}} who [[spoiler:goes on to become the BigBad of the story]].

* MultipleEndings: Like the cartoon, the final challenge features two endings in which one of the two finalists wins instead of the other.

** At the Camp Castaways chapter, [[spoiler: Ezekiel]] takes the place of [[spoiler: Owen]] as the contestant that temporarily GoMadFromTheIsolation., going almost feral, [[spoiler: a reference to how he changed in 'World Tour'.]]

* TookALevelInJerkAss: Duncan becomes a JerkAss to everyone over time, even to DJ and Geoff--two of his best friends in canon, who also try to befriend him in this story.

** Duncan's reaction upon finding out that [[spoiler: a certain enemy of his]] is one of the two returning contestants.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: As in canon, Chris often adds twists to the challenges, making them even harder for the contestants. Shown best in the finals to avoid a CurbStompBattle, with one of the finalists needing to finish three challenges before starting the obstacle course from canon, evening the odds for the other, much physically-weaker competitor.

* BackForTheDead: One of the [[TheBusCameBack returning contestants]] is eliminated in the same episode they return in.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Duncan goes from a nuanced AntiHero who had [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold kind moments]] to an utter {{Jerkass}} who [[spoiler:becomes the BigBad of the story]].

* AdaptationalWimp: While he managed to overcome his fear of Celine Dion music store standees in canon, Duncan is unable to overcome his fear of them in the fic.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Duncan can't overcome his fear of Celine Dion's standees, and comes to grief because of it.