10 Best Underdog Protagonists From the 21st Century, Ranked

Audiences can’t help but root for an underdog. When there is a character who people believe has little chance of winning or achieving their goals, whether that be due to gender, race, status, skill or other circumstances, all the viewer wants is for that person to succeed and prove everybody wrong.

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing an underdog come out on top, and cinema has given us a number of memorable contenders. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) from Rocky and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) from The Karate Kid were some classic examples, but the twenty-first century has also seen its own share of inspiring underdog protagonists for a whole new generation.

10 Erin Brockovich – ‘Erin Brokovich’ (2000)

Portrayed by Julia Roberts

Based on a true story, Erin Brokovich sees Julia Roberts play the titular underdog, with a performance that won her an Oscar for Best Actress in 2001. Erin Brokovich is an unemployed single mother who becomes a legal assistant. When she discovers that a California power company is polluting the city’s water supply, she sets out to seek justice and almost single-handedly brings them down.

Erin, who originally came from nothing, manages to successfully take a million-dollar company head on, and will not accept anything less than victory. Unswayed by legal settlements and powerful people, Erin only cares about the health of the clients she is representing. She makes for a wonderful heroine who is completely real and determined to do the right thing.

Erin Brockovic is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix

9 Jamal Malik – ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ (2008)

Portrayed by Dev Patel

Winner of Best Picture at the 2009 Academy Awards, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire is a triumphant story about an individual who defies all odds and makes it to the top, despite where he came from. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) grows up in the slums of India and works for criminals to survive. Years later, he appears on the Indian equivalent of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, where he is accused of cheating when he performs exceptionally.

Despite having no formal education, Jamal draws on his traumatic childhood experiences to give him the answers. He doesn’t go on the show for money, but rather to reconnect with his lost love Latika (Freida Pinto). Jamal’s strength and determination is admirable, and his story proves that you can gain something positive from difficult life experiences.

Slumdog Millionaire is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu

8 Eddie Edwards – ‘Eddie the Eagle’ (2016)

Portrayed by Taron Egerton

The best sports movies usually tell the story of an underdog who defies all expectations and succeeds in their respective area of expertise. One of the most feel-good sports movies is Eddie the Eagle, which tells the tale of Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), a ski-jumper who went on to represent Britain at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Eddie works hard and has the skills to reach Olympic level, but is constantly rejected for being uncouth and not fitting the ‘traditional’ athlete archetype. However, he trains with coach Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) and proves everybody wrong by making it to the Olympics. Eddie doesn’t have a big victory in the end, but he still wins thanks to his resolve and inspiring spirit. In the end, Eddie soars just like an eagle.

Eddie the Eagle is available to rent on AppleTV+ in the U.S.

Rent on AppleTV+

7 Katherine G. Johnson – ‘Hidden Figures’ (2016)

Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson

Every major achievement in history comes to fruition thanks to its unsung heroes, and those are the women of color at NASA in Hidden Figures. The film tells the true story of three African-American mathematicians who played a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn’s (Glen Powell) launch into orbit, and the U.S. space race as a whole.

Unfortunately, they must deal with prejudice, both racial and gender-based, as they fight to have the same opportunities as everybody else. The heart of the film lies with Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji. P Henson). Despite relentless discrimination, Katherine works her way to the top at NASA and gets into high-level meetings, calculating the trajectory for Glenn’s mission, as well as getting him home safely. Johnson is a real-life hero and American trailblazer.

Hidden Figures is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+

6 Elle Woods – ‘Legally Blonde’ (2001)

Portrayed by Reece Witherspoon

“What, like it’s hard?” Reece Witherspoon’s most beloved character is certainly Elle Woods, the fashionable and feisty law student in Legally Blonde. When sorority queen Elle is dumped by her boyfriend, she follows him to law school with the intent of winning him back. However, she discovers she has the smarts and skills to match her looks, and begins to take her studies seriously while taking on a court case.

Elle is a character you can’t help but judge by looks – blonde, cute, draped in pink, which is not the vision of a typical lawyer. Because of this, everybody takes Elle as a joke when she enrolls at Harvard, thinking there’s no way she has the intelligence to pass law school. With her bubbly attitude and flair, Elle proves everybody wrong. She takes on the law head-first, and looks fabulous while doing so.

Legally Blonde is available to stream on Max in the U.S. Watch on Max

5 Chris Gardener – ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ (2001)

Portrayed by Will Smith

The Pursuit of Happyness tells the heartbreaking yet uplifting true story of Chris Gardener (Will Smith), who struggles with homelessness while trying to raise his young son (Jaden Smith). After working as a salesman for bone-density scanners and investing in the product, he loses his life’s savings, resulting in his wife leaving him and Chris taking custody of his son.

Despite losing everything he has, Chris soldiers on and tries to make a positive life for his son. His drive and spirit is utterly admirable, even though the world is against him. The audience wants nothing more than for Chris to catch a break, and every setback he has is deeply felt. Smith’s performance and chemistry alongside real-life son Jaden feels completely natural and palpable, making this a bonafide crowd-pleaser.

The Pursuit of Happyness is available to stream on Prime in the U.S.

Watch on Prime

4 Adonis Creed – ‘Creed’ (2018)

Portrayed by Michael B. Jordan

Rocky Balboa is the most iconic underdog character in cinema, becoming a boxing champion and defeating Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in the Rocky franchise, among other opponents. The decade-spanning series was brought back to life with legacy sequelCreed in 2015, which follows Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), son of Apollo.

He tries to follow in his father’s footsteps in the world of boxing, and takes on Apollo’s former rival and friend, Rocky, as his coach. Despite being the son of the former heavyweight champion, Adonis isn’t guaranteed success, and has to work almost just as hard as Rocky did to prove himself. Learning from the best underdog there is, Adonis navigates his father’s legacy and steps out of his shadow, while becoming a champion in his own right.

Creed is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S. Watch on Peacock

3 Peter Parker – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

Portrayed by Tobey Maguire

Peter Parker’s origin story is a comic book legend, and has been adapted for the screen on several different occasions. There is a reason Parker is one of the most popular Marvel superheroes, and a huge part of that is due to his relatability as a character. Parker was first brought to live in live-action form in 2002’s Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire.

When awkward and nerdy teen Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically modified spider, he gains life-changing superpowers that he uses to fight injustice. While Parker is a superhero, he’s also just a regular kid trying to figure out his life, which is what makes him so endearing and easy to sympathize with. Despite his young age, he proves he is worthy of the mask.

Spider-Man is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+

2 Katniss Everdeen – ‘The Hunger Games’ (2012)

Director: Gary Ross

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from The Hunger Games is the ultimate heroine of the modern generation, and one of the most powerful underdogs in modern film. In the war-torn districts of Panem, children are picked to fight to the death on live television, and Katniss volunteers to take her sister Prim’s (Willow Shields) place. Nobody would dare place a bet on Katniss winning, her being from one of the poorer districts.

Tributes from the other districts have trained for this event their whole lives, and are far more skilled in combat than Katniss. However, with her courage, strategic mind, resources and bow and arrow, Katniss comes out as a dark horse and ends up winning the games. She also starts a rebellion against the wealthy and greedy Capitol, and becomes a symbol of hope and liberation.

The Hunger Games is available to stream on FuboTV in the U.S.

Watch on FuboTV

1 Po – ‘Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Directors: Mark Osborne and John Stevenson

There is no modern underdog more lovable and charming than Po (Jack Black) from Kung Fu Panda. When Po, a kung fu enthusiast, is chosen as the Dragon Warrior, nobody can believe it – including him. Po is pudgy, clumsy, unserious and has a dumpling obsession, which are certainly not the qualities of a traditional warrior.

However, Po redefines what it means to be a warrior. With the purest of heart and the strongest of perseverance, Po learns from Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), and trains to fulfill his destiny. When he defeats Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and saves the Valley of Peace, Po proves that it’s not just physical skill that is needed to be a true warrior. It also takes mindfulness, focus, grit, resilience and character, which Po has in spades.

Kung Fu Panda is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.

Watch on Peacock

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