Every hero story has a similar structure.
Before the final victory, the hero is always defeated.
The bad guys band together and win the battle, swiping aside our hero at the last minute with a nefarious trick — or a through cruel manipulation of the hero’s Achilles’ heel.
Our hero is dejected, but they have shaken the villain. The hero was stronger than they expected and the victory closer than they would have liked.
The villain believes the hero is vanquished, but we can sense the tide is turning.
As long as our hero finds the strength to pick themselves up, learn their lesson, and try again, we can be sure of one thing:
Next time, defeat is not an option.