Male :
Amano Yukiteru (Mirrai Nikki)
Granted, he is the textbook definition of a damsel in distress. Always being saved by Yuno, Kurusu and Minene, can't do jack shit and always crying that his life and circumstance (the survival game) sucks.
From this point on this is a major spoiler from the manga... The anime hasn't caught up yet.
But after he escapes Sakurami with Yuno, he becomes confident, brave and fearless to the point that he successfully invaded the mayors (the 12th) stronghold while using his diary to the fullest of its ability practically alone while saving Minene's life in the process. A major life altering epiphany happened... Some may say Lazy writing, I say he redeems himself from being the most annoying character to a actual hero that you want to see win the survival game.
Female
Arturia "Saber" Pendragon (Fate/Zero & Fate/Stay Night)
I chose both rendition of Saber from the animes. Why? Because of her inner turmoil for the kingdom she failed to protect. Her motives for fighting are to save said kingdom. But her desire causes her to sacrifice everything to achieve her goal, even a second chance to life (Gotta love Iskandar's wish ^^). After she failed her on her first attempt on the grail because of the "betrayal" of Emiya Kiritsugu, her second attempt to capture the grail was more deadset.
From the beginning, she resented her new master, son of her former master, Emiya Shirou's ideals and often clashed on what her life means in this battle. But as the war progressed, she discovers a new joy for life and a life that she never got to live. But because Shirou insisted on her to be more human and not a weapon, she freaked out and told him off, only to come to terms of her past and enjoying the present with Shirou. In the end, she accepted her past and embraced a future where she could live freely while saying goodbye to the person she loves with a teary smile.