History Main / SuperLoser

This trope can apply to characters of any kind, from protagonist to minion (though not usually antagonist, unless [[HarmlessVillain they're]] a [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain minor one]]). A Hero who starts off as a Super Loser does usually [[ActionSurvivor manage to get the hang of it]] eventually, either [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]] or becoming competent in the use of their powers while being, personality wise, the same loser they were pre-change. Interestingly, this kind of Super Loser can be very endearing. Minor antagonists and minions are usually {{Smug Super}}s with an [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk overinflated ego]], frequently due to a bad case of TranshumanTreachery. Expect the ComicRelief to take them down most satisfyingly, and force them to help talk about the BigBad's plan.

* Vilbert von Vampire from ''EightBitTheatre,'' a (surprise surprise) vampire who still lives with his parents and who dabbles in {{LARP}}ing.

* Vilbert von Vampire from ''8BitTheatre,'' a (surprise surprise) vampire who still lives with his parents and who dabbles in {{LARP}}ing.

* One of the few vampires in the MarvelUniverse to keep his old personality after the transformation was a nerdy producer named Harold H. Harold. He was occasionally a serious problem, but that's because he mostly appeared in ''HowardTheDuck''.

* George from ''BeingHuman'' is probably the nerdiest werewolf ever. Plus he's BlessedWithSuck, so it didn't make his life any easier, either. In contrast, Tully who is also a werewolf actually manages to carry it off pretty well, managing a raw animal magnetism at times and being very genial. Of course, the show [[YankTheDogsChain doesn't really like dogs]], and [[spoiler: he's actually very emotionally scarred over his situation, having lost his family. He's overjoyed to find George, and becomes suicidal over his rejection once George finds out he was the werewolf who turned him.]]

* ''WhiteWolf'' has this as the default for starting PC's in just about every gameline. The default for ''[[VampireTheMasquerade Vampire]]'' is for player characters to be this. Yes, you'll get special powers, and are vastly superior to even the greatest of {{muggles}}, but you're now caught up in a massive political system were everyone else is much more experienced than you, and every move you make is at the beck and call of beings whose power you could never reach by experience.

* In ''{{Hellsing}}'', the titular organization often has to deal with "lesser" VillainOfTheWeek vampires who see themselves as cool, but are rarely more than a SmugSuper who makes short work of some hapless RedShirtArmy only to be quickly cut down by one of the main characters. Ironically, Seras, who plays the ComicRelief role, is the only vampire character who comes across as legitimately tormented; Alucard is a PsychoForHire AntiHero, and Integra is TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask. Alucard basically calls several VillainOfTheWeek vampires wimps to their face before killing them. Of course, he's nearly a CosmicHorror himself.

** Interestingly, AlternateUniverse Willow and Xander, as vampires, are ''utterly terrifying''. Harmony? [-[=*snerk*=]-] Despite them being shy (Willow) and goofy (Xander) in life, the change made them grade A [[TheDragon Dragon]] material. The demon that inhabits vampires had a lot of untapped potential to work with in both. Harmony... well, even demons can't make monsters out of brain dead mice.

Part of the appeal of fiction is the conceit that gaining super powers, becoming a vampire, or generally just making contact with the {{Masquerade}} changes ordinary characters into cool, debonair, threatening or just generally ''BadAss'' versions of themselves. No matter how [[{{Muggle}} mundane]] they were in life, the supernatural is the great cosmic equalizer and gratuitous WishFulfillment for the audience.

Part of the appeal of fiction is the conceit that gaining super powers, becoming a vampire, or generally just ''changing'' somehow upon contact with the {{Masquerade}} makes [[strike:[[WishFulfillment you]]]] characters into cool, debonair, threatening or just generally ''BadAss'', no matter how [[{{Muggle}} mundane]] they were in life. Kind of like some great supernatural equalizer.

Usually getting StockSuperpowers or being CursedWithAwesome makes you, well, ''awesome.'' However, some characters are just so snot-nosedly uncool no amount of [[TheUndead undeath]], [[ViralTransformation lycanthropy]], [[ArtificialLimbs cyborg implants]], or SuperSerum can change that. It takes a certain ''[[GratuitousFrench Je ne sais quoi]]'' that this character lacks. Maybe it's because they're too much of a JerkAss, [[ExtremeDoormat aren't assertive at all]] or maybe are hopelessly {{geek}}y/{{nerd}}y/[[TheDitz ditzy]] etc. Rather than become a fearsome vampire, they won't even inspire fear in old ladies... who [[ApronMatron will kick]] [[BadassBystander their ass]]. Rather than a {{Superman}} {{Expy}}, the guy who just became a FlyingBrick is still a dork, just with heat vision. Kind of like a [[LawsAndFormulas Law of Conservation]] of ButtMonkey status. If lucky, but only then, and not likely then, they'll escape the PretenderDiss.

* Best {{Discworld}} example is probably Arthur Winkins. He's middle aged and not particularly slim, which carries over into his bat form, leading to one scene in which he was thrown around in that shape, iirc by the ears. His wife is very much into the whole style thing, despite not being a vampire herself. However, she doesn't let him bite young women's necks. He complains a lot about having to wear evening dress all the time, and the difficulty of trying to build a dungeon when you live in a row house.
** That's ''[[InsistentTerminology Count]]'' [[InsistentTerminology Notfarotou]], as Doreen will insist. His main issue is that, unlike most vampires, he wasn't turned when he was young and biting Doreen would have held that sort of appeal for either of them; he inherited it along with the title after some uncle or other died, and the lawyer, conveniently, happened to suck blood literally as well.

This trope is easily explained when the transformation is BlessedWithSuck, so only characters who were extremely cool beforehand can keep a measure of that afterwards. See also/compare YourVampiresSuck. See also OurVampiresAreDifferent.

Usually getting StockSuperpowers or being CursedWithAwesome makes you, well, ''awesome.'' However, some characters are just so snot-nosedly uncool no amount of [[TheUndead undeath]], [[ViralTransformation lycanthropy]], [[ArtificialLimbs cyborg implants]], SuperSerum can change that. It takes a certain ''[[GratuitousFrench Je ne sais quoi]]'' that this character lacks. Maybe it's because they're too much of a JerkAss, [[ExtremeDoormat aren't assertive at all]] or maybe are hopelessly {{geek}}y/{{nerd}}y/[[TheDitz ditzy]] etc. Rather than become a fearsome vampire, they won't even inspire fear in old ladies... who [[ApronMatron will kick]] [[BadassBystander their ass]]. Rather than a {{Superman}} {{Expy}}, the guy who just became a FlyingBrick is still a dork, just with heat vision. Kind of like a [[LawsAndFormulas Law of Conservation]] of ButtMonkey status. If lucky, but only then, and not likely then, they'll escape the PretenderDiss.

* Dan Hibiki from the ''StreetFighter'' series.

->"And you're sure this isn't a fanboy thing? 'Cause I've fought more than a couple pimply overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat."

"And you're sure this isn't a fanboy thing? 'Cause I've fought more than a couple pimply overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat."
--'''Buffy Summers''', ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''

->'''Buffy:''' [[TheDitz Harmony]] has ''[[EvilMinions minions?]]''\\
'''Xander:''' And Ruffles have ridges. Uh, Buffy, there's actually a more serious side to all this.\\
-- ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer''

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* In ''{{Hellsing}}'', the titular organization often has to deal with "lesser" VillainOfTheWeek vampires who see themselves as cool, but are rarely more than a SmugSuper who makes short work of some hapless RedShirtArmy only to be quickly cut down by one of the main characters. Ironically, Seras, who plays the ComicRelief role, is the only vampire character who comes across as legitimately tormented; Alucard is a PsychoForHire AntiHero, and Integra is TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask. Alucard basically calls several VillainOfTheWeek vampires wimps to their face before killing them. Of course, he's nearly a CosmicHorror himself, SoYeah.

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** Any inhabitant of the "Dimension of Lame" converted into a demon count. Transformed into vicious hell-spawn or not, PokeThePoodle level evil is still an order of magnitude more vile than anything they can come up with. As one of the actual demons note: "You turn wussy mortals into demons, you end up with wussy demons."