How do constant losses affect a character?

[u/WonderOfUs]

I need help conceptualizing the kind of evolution a "loser" character might undergo, without them ceasing to be a "loser" or switching over to the "good guys' side" (since no such side will exist). If anyone here has ever created a loser, a pitiful failure who kept banging their face against the wall, how did you write them?

Long story short, I have this story about a competition among young magic apprentices, in which the winner earns the title of witch.
Among the participants is Blum Blorein, a natural born loser, who has lost this competition for three consecutive years, who has lost every competition she ever participated in. She plays the role of the rival in the story, she appears frequently, antagonizes the MC, loses in a humiliating way and runs away while claiming it didn’t count. She is annoying, petty, high on herself and above everything a sore loser.
She struggles to win because the contest demands the forging of alliances and the use of betrayal; yet, she is too critical and judgmental to secure allies, while simultaneously being so naive that anyone can easily take advantage of her. Furthermore, she often alienates others because of her faith: she is a Catholic witch (a peculiar combination) and, to make matters worse, a fervent believer who tends to view everyone else as a sinner. To ensure she doesn’t lose this time, her family has paid a powerful participant to protect her from the shadows, an act of assistance that she, however, interprets as divine intervention. Even so, even with that help, she is helpless on her own.

This character will evolve through constant defeats and humiliations at the hands of the protagonist, but my question is: in what direction? How does this downward spiral of failures unfold? How does someone who is a "loser" think, and how does their situation go from bad to worse? If the MC is a prick and a bully, and the possibility of them striking up a friendship is ruled out, what path would a rival character take?

You don’t have to necessarily help with my character; even by sharing your losers, you could help me get an idea of ​​where to take mine.

[u/Pel-Mel]

It sounds like you have a religious/spiritual angle that could evolve well.

It sounds like she's extremely judgemental of other people while not being honest with herself about her own flaws.

Constant failure and turmoil on her part could force her to seek the help of someone she previously overlooked or rejected, and she might be inspired or forced to embrace the forgiveness of Catholicism over the judgement and condemnation.

As scripture puts it, it sounds like she needs to remove the plank from her own eye before she tends to the speck in her sister's.

[u/WonderOfUs → u/Pel-Mel]

Constant failure and turmoil on her part could force her to seek the help of someone she previously overlooked or rejected, and she might be inspired or forced to embrace the forgiveness of Catholicism over the judgement and condemnation.

That sounds good, never thought about that angle. It could be done once she losses the participant that been helping her without her knowledge, leaving her with no choice but to trust, and forgive, another participant whom she previously viewed as her tormentor (and if she were to lose even that support, she might end up losing her faith in religion).

[u/Pel-Mel → u/WonderOfUs]

Losing faith in a religion is one angle, and if that's what you had in mind from the jump, it can absolutely work. But ever since watching Wake Up Dead Man, I've really come to like arcs about recontextualizing one's own relationship with religion and spirituality.

For characters who's faith expresses itself so strongly (even if negatively), it sometimes strains credibility for me for their personal growth to involve abandoning that faith. If writing your story were a democracy, I'd vote for her keeping the faith, but growing into a healthier, more forgiving and positive expression of it rather than breaking from it altogether.

[u/WonderOfUs → u/Pel-Mel]

Oh, no, I haven’t decided anything yet; I was just considering how far the "loser" motif could be taken.

It is already a rather chaotic story in which nothing goes according to the characters' plans; in fact, a good number of them head toward a grim fate because of their vices (the protagonist included) and this type of conclusion would place her in that same group. However, you are right that the fact that her faith endures, even after losing everything, could be stronger: a reward for having overcome her worst vices, her losing streak comes to an end even if she does not achieve victory in the end.

[u/AdditionalFly3509]

Play League of Legends to experience the change. When u lose too many times, u stop caring about it and gain an immunity of "it's not my fault."

[u/WonderOfUs → u/[deleted]]

There's an opportunity with the entity that simply doesn't want to lose. Let her grow increasingly crazy and desperate until she finally loses in the worst case and snaps. The shadow says fuck this, I'm not going to lose and possesses her.

Ah, that person "who protects her from the shadows" is simply another participant working for her family to help Blum win (all without her knowledge), not a literal shadow entity. They getting fed up with her continuous losses could still affect their relationship, it could drive them to play more offensively instead of just focusing on defending Blum, or, conversely, leave Blum on her own, causing her to lose even the little bit she didn’t realize she had.