Summary
Character development is what anime narratives thrive on.Long-running showsare most interesting when a weak character gets stronger, a loner character begins to let people in, or when a villain sees the error of their ways. This is especially true of characters in the midst of redemption: their self-reflection, eagerness to prove their newfound goodness, and changing dynamics with other characters keep the anime from getting stale.
There’s nothing quite like a redemption arc to make a once-hated character loveable. These characters tend to be powerful to begin with, so they’re valuable to the hero’s party. Here are some of our favourites.
8Scar
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Scar tried to walk the line between justice and revenge, and fell off. Haunted by the persecution his people faced, Scar seems irredeemable when it’s revealed he killed Winry’s parents. It could be argued thathis hatred of State Alchemists is justified; his disregard for civilian life, however, is not.
While Scar decides to make amends, there is no heroic sacrifice. He doesn’t get to go out in a blaze of glory; he is not absolved of his sins. All he can do is live, rebuild, and strive to be a better person than before.
7Viral
Gurren Lagann
An early villain forone of the best space animeever made, Viral is the yin to Kamina’s yang. Just like the protagonist’s big brother, he nurtures a dream for his people to live free, but he’s a Beastman and has no qualms killing humans to achieve that.
After learning that Beastmen are artificially manufactured cannon fodder, Viral’s dream is crushed and he faces defeat. Years later, he reappears protecting humans, having grown to respect them. Viral joins Simon in the final battle, claiming the seat of his martyred rival Kamina.
6Endeavor
My Hero Academia
Most fathers in shounen anime are loving, long-dead figures of inspiration. Endeavor is the exact opposite of that. He’s cold despite his flame quirk, and he’s bitter from being constantly outshone by All Might and his better quirk. These feelings manifest as a living hell for his family: his wife is in a borderline arranged marriage, and his only goal is to produce the perfect child with a quirk to surpass everyone else’s. Even when he gets his wish, he doesn’t show his children any warmth. His son Shoto, the ‘perfect child’ he wanted, hates him so much he refuses to use his flame quirk.
When Endeavor takes over from All Might as the number one hero, he doesn’t command the love and respect his predecessor had. He finally proves himself to be an aspirational hero during the series' second-best battle. As for repairing relations with his family, that’ll take time, but at least he’s trying.
5Kei Tsukishima
Haikyuu
Haikyuu is one of the most thrilling, realistic andmemorable sports animesever made. One of the anime’s dark horses is Kei Tsukishima, a naturally gifted athlete who lacks the drive and passion of his teammates. Tsukishima’s apathy towards volleyball comes from a childhood experience, when he discovered that his older brother was lying about being a star volleyball player.
Crushed by his hero turning out to be a fraud, Tsukishima refuses to take volleyball seriously. But during a crucial match with Shiratorizawa, he finally rises to the occasion, blocking a spike by the seemingly unbeatable Ushijima. Cherry on top, he lets out a roar of passion after that, showing that volleyball has finally got to him. Maybe if he’d watched Haikyuu like we did, he’d have learned to love the sport sooner.
4Margery Daw
Shakugan no Shana
Just like Shakugan no Shana itself, the anime’s best redemption arc is woefully underappreciated. Margery Daw is one of many Flame Hazes in the show, killing otherworldly denizens to keep the balance between worlds. Margery is cold, standoff-ish and known for her ruthlessness even by Flame Haze standards.
Initially a rival driven by vengeance, Margery eventually warms up to the protagonists and becomes one of their best allies. Her constant drinking habit also lessens once she falls in love with a human. When Shana and the other Flame Hazes depart from Earth, she chooses to stay behind.
3Piccolo
Dragon Ball Z
Many of us started watching anime with Dragon Ball Z, but it’s hard to appreciate how well-realized Piccolo’s redemption arc is unless youwatch the original Dragon Ball, where he is despicable beyond belief. Piccolo is eventually defeated and humbled by Goku in a losing effort at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Still nurturing his dreams of world domination, he trains in the wasteland for five years, which is where we find him in Dragon Ball Z.
Something changed in those five years. Though Piccolo could never bring himself to express it, he has come to see Goku as less of a mortal enemy and more of an aspirational rival. During the fight with Raditz, his cooperation is begrudging at best. But after Goku’s death, he becomes a surrogate father to his rival’s son Gohan. He trains him, takes care of him in secret, and even sacrifices himself to save him - after everything, Piccolo did have a heart.
2Shoya Ishida
A Silent Voice
Animated films don’t often explore bullying and its aftereffects to the extent that A Silent Voice does. The entire movie centers on redemption: once the classroom bully and ringleader, Ishida becomes isolated and depressed after his group turns on him. In high school, he decides to make amends with Nishimiya, the deaf girl he bullied.
A Silent Voice is heartrending and beautifully crafted. Ishida can make things right, but he can’t keep them as they were, even if it means having his old clique drift apart. The film’s most beautiful moments come in its understated scenes, like the one where Nishimiya tries to speak and Ishida stops her. Since she can’t articulate clearly, he’s willing to use sign language to make it easier for her. Who would have thought a bully would grow to that point?
1Thorfinn
Vinland Saga
In the first season of Vinland Saga, Thorfinn was a shounen protagonist with a chip on his shoulder. If you hadn’t read the manga, you probably thought the anime would end with him getting his revenge on Askeladd, his mentor and the man who killed his father. The only question was how he’d get there.
That goal is shattered when Askeladd is abruptly killed at the end of the first season, and not by Thorfinn’s hand. Robbed of his revenge, Thorfinn is left empty and becomes a farmhand. This sets him off on the path to pacifism, refusing to be a killer once more. This doesn’t mean Thorfinn is no longer a warrior; his is a different kind of war.
