Everyone loves an underdog, and for many of us who are down on our luck there’s nothing quite like watching your favorite unlikely hero rise against the odds. When they fail, we feel their pain; but when they succeed, we feel like reaching for the moon. Their best moments are the ones that we can remember most, so it’s high time we pay homage to their inspiring feats.
Here are the top underdogs of literature!
**Warning: Spoilers lie ahead. Read at your own risk.**
9. Meg Murry – A Wrinkle In Time, Madeleine L’Engle
Before her adventure through time and space, Meg Murry was just an ordinary student. Fueled by frustration and impatience, and struggling with her self-confidence, Meg was a heroine in the making; she just never realized it until she journeyed away from home to rescue her father.
With the enemy being the Universe’s greatest evil, and Meg being ill-equipped and unprepared, her victory in the end goes to show you that sometimes you just need to have faith in yourself.
8. Matilda Wormwood – Matilda, Roald Dahl
Image via Roald Dahl Wiki
Sweet and brilliant Matilda Wormwood is a genius elementary school student, with a special ability that’s sure to turn heads. All she wishes for is to learn and for her school to become a brighter and happier place. With all her special gifts, the only thing that’s in her way are the rotten adults trying to keep her down. What everyone loves about Matilda, is that she never lets the negativity keep her down, and holds on to her optimism until the very end.
7. Santiago – The Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo
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The shepherd who gives everything up for a dream, Santiago is the epitome of determination. Years go by before Santiago really begins his adventure, and there are moments where it seems like his quest is all for naught, but in the end, Santiago never gives up and finds his treasure, teaching all of us to keep chasing our dreams, no matter what is in our way.
6. Will Parry – His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
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While the main plot is centered around Lyra Belacqua, the hero of the story, Will is not without his moments of heroism as well. Dragged into Lyra’s adventure, Will is not as rebellious as Lyra is, but he is just as determined. With strength of his own, and maturity to help handle any situation, Will survives one ordeal after the other and even saves Lyra on occasion. Even side characters can take the stage like a hero.
5. Aladdin – Arabian Knights
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The famous so-called street-rat Aladdin went from rags to riches with the help of a magical lamp and a pure heart. Although the original tale of Aladdin is far different from the Disney adaptation, the two share very similar features that inspire hope for all us struggling in the world. What makes this character so unique, and why we cheer him on is his genuine personality, how he cares for the people around him, and how his intentions are pure. This story is a legend that has lasted for centuries, and it’s understandable why. We all have wishes we desire to be granted, no matter what streets we roam.
4. Naruto Uzumaki – Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto
Image via Narutopedia
In this world of cunning and deception, deadly assassins and mythical terrors, Naruto Uzumaki is in way over his head. Struggling to pass his classes in school and find a place for himself in his village, he is the definition of the underdog. In spite of all his faults, Naruto excels in confidence and persistence. Despite being at the bottom of the barrel in most cases, he works harder than anyone else to earn people’s acknowledgement, and as the series continues actually does it! His story teaches us to always believe in ourselves, even if the odds are completely against us.
3. Inigo Montoya – The Princess Bride, William Goldman
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At first appearing as one of the antagonists, Montoya’s true character is revealed when we learn the tragic murder of his father and his drive for revenge. Most characters seeking vengeance are stoic, cold, and unflappable. Inigo on the other hand is friendly, welcoming, and a bad-ass—when he’s not drinking of course. In a kingdom filled with corruption and deceit, Montoya’s skills and personality are what make him an underdog. With his charming and playful character, everyone was rooting for him no matter how many times he failed to succeed.
There’s also no character speech that has ever brought so many chills up one’s spine quite like Inigo Montoya’s.
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
2. Samwise Gamgee – The Lord of the rings, j. r. r. tolkien
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Every good journey should come with a best friend like Samwise Gamgee, nicknamed Sam for short, from The Lord of the Rings. While Frodo was the ring bearer and suffered the physical and mental hazards of the arduous trek, Sam was always there to protect him. In the beginning he is shy, quiet, earnest, but overtime he shows the courage and tenacity of a brave knight!
In all honesty, Sam is the real hero of the story. It’s like Frodo said, “Frodo wouldn’t have gotten far without Sam”.
1. Neville Longbottom – The Harry Potter Series, J. K. Rowling
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures/Entertainment Pictures via ZUMA Press
At first the butt of everyone’s jokes, Neville Longbottom comes a long way throughout the Harry Potter series. Neville never appeared to be the hero-type, always overshadowed by almost every other character. However, he didn’t go without his moments of being “on-top” every now and then. In Rowling’s first volume Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Neville, as awkward and clumsy as he is, stands up to his friends—a feat easy for no child. By the final volume, he’s helping to organize a revolution and even dealing the final blow to the evil Lord Voldemort, making him one of the most bad-ass characters of all time!
Featured Image via Pinterest.