What is a loser? Can love bloom between losers on a battlefield? Why do we gravitate toward them, even though, by definition, they're constantly doing the very thing we root for them not to do? To answer these questions, the Polygon staff pulled together our favorite 25 losers in video games, a realm where winning is usually the whole deal. Each entry interprets the label a bit differently, prioritizing anything from lovability to the literal frequency of defeat — but they all betray a profound appreciation for the has-beens, afterthoughts, and wannabes of the interactive medium.
Oh and, to add even more salt to their wounds further celebrate their accolades, we ranked them.