History Main / TheDevilIsALoser

* The song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band portrays Satan as "way behind" on his quota for souls. In desperation, he makes a bet with Johnny, a local Georgia fiddle player, to a fiddling contest. Though Satan is portrayed as a pretty badass dude, he's no match for a good ole Georgia boy and gets beaten handily. Johnny freely gloats and insults the devil throughout the song and ultimately snags his shiny golden fiddle. It's speculated that the Devil's true goal was making Johnny fall to the sin of pride, and indeed Johnny acknowledges that he knows what he's doing is a sin, so whether he was truly prideful or just confident in his abilities is up for debate.

* Lucifer Morningstar in ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' is the King of Hell and the Sin of Pride, ''the'' most powerful and feared person in Hell. But he had once been a WideEyedIdealist and his banishment to Hell, where all he could see is the cruelty and wickedness his gift of free will to humanity caused, left him broken, jaded, and depressed. He's separated from his wife Lilith, estranged from his daughter Charlie, and spends most of his time cooped up in his room making rubber duck toys. It's rather telling that Lucifer feels insecure and jealous towards the significantly powerful demon Alastor, especially as the compete for Charlie's approval.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCupheadShow'': For all his impressive theatrics and all the souls he's managing to funnel into the Underworld, the Devil is a complete IneffectualSympatheticVillain when it comes to Cuphead and Mugman. He's a [[SissyVillain complete fop]] who throws tantrums when he's outwitted and at one point is conned into painting Elder Kettle's fence for them. It comes to a head in Season 2 when he loses the rights to Cuphead's soul and has a trashy article written about him claiming his best days are behind him, which leads to him going outto spread misery to blow off some steam... which results in him ''losing his pitchfork to Cuphead''. [[spoiler:Just then he [[SubvertedTrope shows how genuinely effective and evil he can be]] by [[DraggedOffToHell dragging Mugman off to Hell in retaliation]] -- cue DownerEnding / CliffHanger for Season 2!]]

* There's a ''Series/TheWhitestKidsUKnow'' routine in which the Devil [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed is depicted as an]] [[Creator/ChrisCrocker effeminate Southern guy]] who spends [[OverlyLongGag two minutes of screentime]] going on what Wikipedia calls "unprecedented rants against people who make assumptions of what the Devil is".

* Lucifer Morningstar in ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' is the King of Hell and the Sin of Pride, ''the'' most powerful and feared person in Hell. But he had once been a WideEyedIdealist and his banishment to Hell, where all he could see is the cruelty and wickedness his gift of free will to humanity caused, left him broken, jaded, and depressed. He's separated from his wife Lilith, estranged from his daughter Charlie, and spends most of his time cooped up in his room making rubber duck toys.

* Lucifer Morningstar in ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'' is the King of Hell and the Sin of Pride, ''the'' most powerful and feared person in Hell. But he had once been a WideEyedIdealist and his banishment to Hell where all he could see is the cruelty and wickedness his gift of free will to humanity caused left him broken, jaded, and depressed. He's separated from his wife Lilith, estranged from his daughter Charlie, and spends most of his time cooped up in his room making rubber duckie toys.

* More a case of "The Devil is an idiot", but, in [[Literature/TheFourGospels Matthew 4:8]] there is a famous scene where he offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he will submit to him. The problem? If [[GodInHumanForm Jesus is God (or even the Son Of God)]], the ''entire universe'', of which Earth is only a minuscule part, already belongs to him. It's like if a con artist promised to give someone a penny they already owned as a bribe.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'': Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's song "Let The Sun Shine In" (from the episode "No Biz Like Show Biz").

It's been said (eg. by Karen Armstrong) that when Ayatollah Khomeini called America the "Great Satan", in an Islamic context that referred more to this trope than the idea of a supreme evil, with the Islamic "Satan" being a materialistic dumbass with no spiritual values.

Some stories portray the devil as a weak and ineffectual (if unrelentingly evil) guy. He may be more worried about getting his Wood Elf character to level 70 or catching the latest episode of ''JustForFun/AvatarAndTheAirbendingFellowshipOfVampireSlayers'' than punishing the damned or tempting mortals, or perhaps he's unattractive and [[BasementDweller lives in God's basement]]. Perhaps he gets outsmarted every time he tries to [[DealWithTheDevil make a deal with a mortal]]. Maybe he's plagued by ParentalIssues (being the original rebel and all).

** A sequel balled: "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" also made by the Charlie Daniels band [[HereWeGoAgain tells of how ten years after the Fiddle Duel, the Devil challenges Fiddle Player Johnny, now a family man and father, to a rematch.]] Seething from his defeat years before, the Devil tells Johnny that his pride will be his downfall and takes the Golden Fiddle away as Johnny is tuning it, though the Fiddle player still has his old fiddle in his woodshed. After getting warmed up on his old fiddle due to having not been playing since the birth of his son, Johnny and the Devil duel once again. Its' not clear at the end, but from the sounds of things, Johnny kicked the Devil's ass... again.
** The Boston-area roots-rock band Adam Ezra Group did an AffectionateParody of the original, "The Devil Came up to Boston", which plays this trope up to eleven (not to mention practically every urban HollywoodNewEngland trope). Instead of offering the local fiddle player a golden fiddle, the Devil offers to trade the fiddler's soul for a lottery card and a pack of cigarettes. The Devil ends up every bit as humiliated as in the original, "chuggin' vodka to soften up the loss".
* Then there is the TropeNamer itself, which is Music/{{Lordi}}'s song ''The Devil Is A Loser''. The song ridicules someone for making a DealWithTheDevil... because they were stupid enough to make a deal with someone that pathetic.

* The song "War is my Destiny" by rapper Ill Bill describes the fallen angels who served Satan during the rebellion as promptly dethroning him after they were cast from Heaven for his failure to deliver on his promises. A new Devil is crowned in his place. Satan later manages to somewhat redeem himself in their eyes after the Biblical Flood by coming up with a plan to corrupt mankind by manipulating them through the word of God.
* Stryper's (Christian glam metal band) To Hell With the Devil dismisses the Devil from a Christian perspective.

* In the Caulfields' "Devil's Diary," the narrating Prince of Darkness is a lovelorn slacker who hates heavy metal (even though their groupies are the only ones interested in him), and wishes he could confide in God ... but He's just so judgmental.

* While "[[Music/BeggarsBanquet Sympathy For The Devil]]" is mostly about how HumansAreTheRealMonsters, the fact that the title character is outright pleading for sympathy from humanity despite having no redeeming features of his own and trying to portray himself as 'a man of wealth and taste' doesn't exactly make him look good either.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Lucifer is a suave, sophisticated, and exceptionally dangerous being. He created the demons personally, can destroy the planet when at full power, and is one of five creatures that the Colt can't kill. But ultimately, none of that changes the fact that he's just a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because his daddy wasn't paying enough attention to him.

Naturally, he's no match at all for the forces of heaven. [[KungFuJesus Jesus doesn't need to know kung fu to humiliate him]] and is in any case [[JesusWasWayCool much cooler than him.]] His former fellows among the angels can give him wedgies at will. A GoodShepherd can [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talk him into submission]]. Heck, even a mortal guy with a cross could drive him back.

** Pictured above is the Devil. While he IS a pretty badass dude, more than a few strips in the initial period of the comic feature him collecting mockery of God, taunts of Ezekiel and Ariel "the Wascally Angels", [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-12-19 pity of Buddha]] and made aware that he's LonelyAtTheTop. The closest thing he had to a friend was his [[spoiler: son]] LoonyFan L'il Evil, a HarmlessVillain whose faith might as well have been HoYay. Then the comic shifted from a gag strip to an AuthorTract, and the subsequent periods have made him into a much more serious villain who's ultimately behind whatever is bothering Tats at the moment.

* While Sympathy For The Devil is mostly about how HumansAreTheRealMonsters, the fact that the title character is outright pleading for sympathy from humanity despite having no redeeming features of his own and trying to portray himself as 'a man of wealth and taste' doesn't exactly make him look good either.

* In ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', Satan is a towering, three-headed imbecile, trapped chest-deep in ice and forever crying and beating his wings in a vain attempt to escape, which only [[SelfInflictedHell cools and hardens the tears into ice, trapping him]].

** Pictured above is the Devil. While he IS a pretty badass dude, more than a few strips in the initial period of the comic feature him collecting mockery of God, taunts of Ezekiel and Ariel "the Wascally Angels", [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-12-19 pity of Buddha]] and made aware that he's LonelyAtTheTop. The closest thing he had to a friend was his [[spoiler: son]] LoonyFan L'il Evil, a HarmlessVillain whose faith might as well have been HoYay. Then the comic shifted from a gag strip to [[AuthorOnBoard a serious ideological project]], and the subsequent periods have made him into a much more serious villain who's ultimately behind whatever is bothering Tats at the moment.

** Pictured above is the Devil. While he IS a pretty badass dude, more than a few strips feature him collecting mockery of God, taunts of Ezekiel and Ariel "the Wascally Angels", [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2009-12-19 pity of Buddha]] and made aware that he's LonelyAtTheTop. The closest thing he had to a friend was his [[spoiler: son]] LoonyFan L'il Evil, a HarmlessVillain whose faith might as well have been HoYay. CharacterizationMarchesOn however, and later story arcs have made him into a much more serious villain.

* The Robot Devil from ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. The guy is [[IdiotHero outsmarted by Fry]] and in one episode is seen in jail. [[ManChild He's also whiny]], ScreamsLikeALittleGirl [[ImprobableWeaponUser when you hit him with a fiddle]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and lives in New Jersey]]. His only positive trait is that he's a good musician.
** Played with in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings", which starts with the Robot Devil losing at his own game and being forced to give up his own hands to Fry, but then has him pull off an intricate ChainOfDeals that ends with him getting his hands back and Fry humiliated in front of a crowd. Say what you will about him, the guy is pretty competent at [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative bastardry]].

* In ''LightNovel/TheDevilIsAPartTimer'', the Demon King and TheDragon flee the hero Emilia Justina by jumping through a portal to Earth. Upon arrival, the lack of ambient magic makes them lose their powers. Guess who ends up working at [[WcDonalds Mg]][[BurgerFool Ronalds]]?

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' makes this a SubvertedTrope. [[SissyVillain Him]] may mince around [[CreepyCrossdresser in drag]] between launching invariably doomed {{Evil Plan}}s, but he is ''far'' from harmless. An [[CompleteImmortality immortal]] RealityWarper, Him only loses because his schemes hinge on exploiting some character flaw, a MonsterOfTheWeek, or poorly-chosen combat conditions. He comes far closer to success than other villains, and [[BadFuture one particular episode]] [[HellOnEarth demonstrated exactly what would happen]] [[EvilOnlyHasToWinOnce should the girls fail]]...

* In the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes" (actually a parody of ''Literature/NeedfulThings'') Summer gets a part-time job at the Needful Things thrift store, which seems to be a lot like it was in the book, until Rick [[GenreSavvy immediately figures out]] that Mr. Needful is actually the Devil, and that the golden microscope he sells is cursed. Rick is able to use his mad science to figure out how to detect, analyze, and counteract curses, and he opens up his own store across the street where he removes curses, leaving the items with just their beneficial magic. For instance, an aftershave that makes a man irresistible to women, but also leaves him impotent? Rick pairs it with a cure for impotence. Rick makes a ton of money, and Mr. Needful is so humiliated that Summer has to talk him out of suicide. Even after he tricks Summer into helping him back on top, which was more opportunistic than calculated, he still gets humiliated in the end when a bulked up Rick and Summer beat the crap out of him on a national stage, making him cower at their feet in front of everyone.
-->'''Mr. Needful, the Devil:''' "People like Rick are making me obsolete. I mean, seriously. I may be 'the devil', but your grandpa ''is'' [[EvenEvilHasStandards the devil]]."

** He's certainly a loser in the [[HalloweenEpisode Treehouse of Horror]] segment "The Devil and Homer Simpson", where his own JuryOfTheDamned rules against him after he's outwitted by Marge.
** In one canon episode, where Springfield's single people tried to change the law to make the town less family-friendly, Marge decided to lead a campaign to stop them. A tobacco company representative offered her a cheque. Once she took it, the representative took off his hat, revealing a pair of horns, assumed a more devil-like appearance in general and claimed she belonged to them. She quickly pointed out she hadn't endorsed the cheque and the representative quickly resumed his human look and claimed the horns were "football injury".

* ZigZagged in ''WesternAnimation/SmilingFriends''. Satan is a colossal, intimidating, BigRedDevil but he acts like a PsychopathicManchild. He said ToHellWithThisInfernalJob and spent all his time in his bedroom playing video games, eating junk food, and smoking weed, causing Hell to [[CueTheFlyingPigs literally freeze over]] from his lack of management. [[spoiler: When Charlie meets him he's AffablyEvil in an apathetic way but when he suggests that his [[AWeightyAesop unhealthy]] [[AntiEscapismAesop lifestyle]] is making him unhappy in the long run, he does a full 180 and roars at him before having him tortured. He then returns to work after remembering how much he enjoys human suffering and tries to keep Charlie in Hell, requiring literal DivineIntervention to save him.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' episode "Hot, Bothered, and Bedeviled" has Yakko, Wakko, and Dot tormenting Satan, who comes across as a complete chump even amongst the show's villains. Eventually, Satan ''banishes them from Hell'' because he just couldn't stand them.

** Have some especially JustForFun/{{egregious}} example, where the devil in question is so stupid that he even flunked the course [[{{Incubus}} "Where do little devils come from?"]]. So, he tried to make some deals with the local farmer, getting smeared each time, and swears the next bargain is dealt in fisticuffs. The farmer agrees and tells the devil he should go to his wife and wait for him (some urgent farm work). The wife, well instructed, tells the devil her man went to the blacksmith to sharped his nails for the impending fight "and look how he mutilated me!" And she shows him her...eh...[[UnusualEuphemism wound.]] The devil screams "Oh God!" and is never seen again.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheCupheadShow'': For all his impressive theatrics and all the souls he's managing to funnel into the Underworld, the Devil is a complete IneffectualSympatheticVillain when it comes to Cuphead and Mugman. He's a [[SissyVillain complete fop]] who throws tantrums when he's outwitted and at one point is conned into painting Elder Kettle's fence for them. It comes to a head in Season 2 when he has a trashy article written about him claiming his best days are behind him ''and'' loses the rights to Cuphead's soul, which inspires him to go out spreading misery to blow off some steam... which results in him ''losing his pitchfork to Cuphead''. [[spoiler:Just then he [[SubvertedTrope shows how genuinely effective and evil he can be]] by [[DraggedOffToHell dragging Mugman off to Hell in retaliation]] -- cue DownerEnding / CliffHanger for Season 2!]]

It's most common in medieval and more traditional UsefulNotes/{{Christian|ity}} portrayals to show him as a thug, dangerous but also easy to fool and really only waiting for someone stupid enough to sin. If he's intelligent, it's only something he puts on when it's convenient and discards at the first possibility, since his hatred for {{God}} extends to hatred for the wisdom He provides. The InvertedTrope to this, where [[HotAsHell Satan is a stylish, seductive]] badass, is a modern invention largely derived from ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus''.

* In Randy Newman's musical/opera ''Randy Newman's Faust'', Lucifer sings a song called "Bleeding All Over the Place." He's not a totally loser, but he's a heck of a lot less threatening than the UltimateEvil usually is, possibly because he's voiced on the CD by Randy Newman.