The flaw many writers have today is that they create protagonists they’re too afraid to have anything bad happen to.
With that being said, a protagonist who is always losing is nothing but real life. Ask the question: Is it fun? Is it something you would pay money to see?
So, there are two concerns here that a writer must address.
For example, let’s look at David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
The main female protagonist gets raped, not once, but twice in gruesome ways.
So that’s where the writer might make the defense, “Well, this is a topic that is important to talk about. It’s something that needs to be discussed.”
Yeah, that’s all well and good…
But is it fun?
Is it what the audience wants to pay to see? Or do they just want a movie they can take their kids and spouse to for a couple of hours and then go home?
I’ll be honest, if I were on a first date, and took her to dinner and a movie, and picked a random movie that seemed interesting, such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, it would be extremely awkward having to sit through a scene like that.
I guess I could kiss that French kiss at the end of my date goodbye, am I right? 
So, this is the issue a writer faces when they expect too much from the audience and add too much pressure onto a protagonist, making them seem useless as a lead.
Let’s talk about the aforementioned issue: the one involving a plot that’s too afraid to get the protagonist dirty.
Every now and then, a writer will create a character they identify with on a personal level. This is where problems arise, because they may be too afraid to have anything bad happen to them.
That’s where you get the classic ‘Mary Sue plot,’ where a protagonist is just holier-than-thou, knows it all, does it all, can’t get hurt, and if they do, it’s only a scratch. This pretty much takes away every reason to watch the story.
Take Steven Seagal, for example. He’s an FBI agent, a kung-fu master, who takes on all these bad guys and never gets hurt.
It may seem like a good plot device, but it isn’t. It’s pathetic.
It shows a writer who is too squeamish about putting their main characters through the fire.
If I wouldn’t spare a son or daughter, then why should I spare a fictional character?
The plot thickens when the protagonist gets hurt.
However, a plot where the protagonist is the battered victim all the time doesn’t work either because it makes the audience second-guess the chain of command. Is this character really capable of carrying the story?
Therefore, there must be balance.
You need a plot that involves a character who gets tested and prevails.
You also need a plot that is unpredictable enough that the audience is unsure if they’ll make it or not.
Give protagonists cuts and bruises. Have them lose friends, have them face impossible odds.
My motto is that a character the author is too squeamish to have anything bad happen to shouldn’t be written into the story.
And a character who can’t stop losing all the time is just the author self-coping with a whipping boy.
Avoid these scenarios.
As a writer, I’ve had both female and male protagonists. I’ve had them lose family, friends, and loved ones. I’ve made strong leads, skilled and roguish leads, and unskilled protagonists.
I even had a plot where the main character loses their legs at the end of the novel in a war.
None of these diminished the authenticity of my protagonists; in fact, they helped the readers sympathize with the journey they had along the way. It’s what keeps readers invested in the story and helps them reflect on all that they’ve read.
You can’t be too harsh on your protagonist to the point that it alienates the reader and they rage-quit your novel, but you can’t have them be victimless either. Otherwise, they won’t seem authentic and will fail to leave a memorable impression on them as well.
Sincerely, everybody’s favorite uncle,
Gregory Thomas
Cascadia Legends and Poetry 