Stock Character: Contender

Rocky Balboa is a Contender
stock: He loses the fight in
the end, but that was okay.

Contender

Stock Type: Hero

Hero Subtype: Reluctant Hero

The contender is the type of character that is a complete and total underdog who is expected to go up in competition of any sort against someone who shows much greater prowess than he. This can be anything, from boxing to baseball to swordplay. The contender usually has a kind of coach or mentor character watching over him and training him how to get better. While he may occasionally win, it is tradition that the stock character loses this major competition, but then he learns something from his failure and can sometimes try again. Some notable examples include Rocky Balboa, Daniel LaRusso, The Bad News Bears, Ryu, Ted "Wildcat" Grant, The Charlestown Chiefs, and Terry Bogard.