It's actually pretty funny how often in stories the big bad thingie doesn't stay gone/defeated. At least, the success isn't complete, or permanent. Stories such as The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings, are somewhat unusual, because the evil is completely defeated at the end--no hope of it returning at all. My guess is that most authors leave the success as temporary because it allows for further development in the future, or because it's basically how the world works around us and we can understand that as an audience.
Perhaps this happens more in the darker genres (such as horror), but it is a common theme. As a writer myself, I love to play with themes like this because it sometimes spawns stories through the process. Mostly, I'm guessing that stories where the success is in doubt succeeds because people as a whole aren't all that sure that good really did win out. Life has few assurances, so there's a lot of resonance there, and it also feeds on the need we all have to know for sure.
At the same time, I personally love seeing whoever I'm rooting for succeed in what they are doing. If it's a dancer wanting to become a ballerina, I want to see them make it to the very top, or if it's a coal miner's kid wanting to build rockets, then by golly I want to see them do it! I'm an eternal optimist, and I do sincerely look for stories that are hopeful and don't get me down. In the end, though, all I really care about is a good story that captures my imagination and pulls me through the pages, or screen, into a world that is rich and full. May the best win!
- M
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