abstract
| - It's all come down to this. The quest is almost over. One by one, the people on the quest have dropped out, died, or been magically transformed into trees. The final battle is approaching. The Hero turns to see the who is left at his side, only to find... Bob, the Mostly Incompetent Comic Relief Sidekick? Yes, somehow, the rookie, the Plucky Comic Relief, the Butt Monkey, The Load, the Mauve Shirt, the... well, you get the idea... is the only person who still has the hero's back. This happens most frequently in a Dwindling Party situation. Expect the hero to say "I never thought you'd be the one to have my back". Alternately, the Hero wangsts that he has been left all alone, so that Bob can remind him that he's still there. Frequently include Crowning Moments of Heartwarming. A common variant on this comes when members of a police squad, any type of procedural, military band, or True Companions have been replaced for one reason or another over the course of an entire series. Towards the end, especially in the finale, the hero and the last remaining member of the original band reminisce about how things have changed. In particularly grim versions, everyone else is dead, and the Hero wonders how Bob is the only other survivor. Sometimes its the first step on Bob's road to being a Badass. May also result in the side character getting dangerous. Examples of Loser Has Your Back include:
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