Villains We Rooting For: 10 Baddies Who Deserved a redemption arc (But Didn't Get One!)
The Agony of Unredeemed Evil: When Villains Deserved a Second Chance
Some movie and TV villains are just pure evil. Think Heath Ledger's Joker or Hans Landa. No redemption possible! But the best villains? They’re complex. They've got layers. They make you feel something, even if that feeling is intense hatred. And those are the ones who deserve a redemption arc; creating a level of surprise that viewers often would never expect to see. These kinds of narratives are often the most emotionally compelling, as those characters could shift and become incredibly valuable and powerful members of that entire narrative if only allowed; this unexpected development alone generates huge opportunities. Unfortunately, these villains get shafted and many reasons come into play for not receiving that kind of attention in their narrative. Many never get to atone; often those kinds of conclusions bring about that gut-wrenching realization for those audience members truly invested.
This list showcases ten instances where those villains truly deserved something far better and deserved a second chance, whether because of plot limitations, or untimely deaths! This often leaves audience members intensely impacted, resulting in that feeling that a more balanced resolution was truly deserved and easily attainable, highlighting the creative flaws that impacted those narratives; an opportunity which has ultimately been squandered.
Top 10 Villains Screwed Out of Redemption: From Superheroes to Westerns
10. Harry Osborn/New Goblin (Spider-Man 3): A Friend Lost to Revenge
Harry Osborn (James Franco) starts as Peter Parker's best friend. In Spider-Man 3, after learning Peter is Spider-Man, he becomes the New Goblin, fueled by grief over his father's death (Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin). Harry, is deeply conflicted. He eventually realizes that Spider-Man didn't kill his dad, a moment full of intense potential which suggests this deeply tragic character had potential to reform, yet that potential tragically remains unrealized.
That final sacrifice to save Peter? Too little, too late. A far longer redemption arc would have totally made him relatable to audiences everywhere; adding much-needed depth and enriching his entire storyline arc, showing a more complex reality rather than simply ending this in an almost sudden, ambiguous conclusion. This demonstrates the impact on a fanbase where that longer redemption would have worked amazingly well.
9. Tuco "The Ugly" Ramírez (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly): A Bandit with a Heart of (Almost) Gold
Tuco (Eli Wallach) in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is this wildly unforgettable character in a now-iconic western. He’s clearly more anti-hero than straight-up villain! While his ruthless nature, coupled with his tendency to torture the protagonist Blondie (Clint Eastwood), would normally cement this as the classic bad guy; the underlying character dynamics ultimately betray that simplicity. His entire character has significant development; leaving some space open for his moral ambiguities to show in more compelling ways.
The movie's end, with Blondie abandoning Tuco? This was a lost chance at redemption! A final moment where the character could truly grow through actions taken within the context of that storyline. Audiences often could've rooted for Tuco's change. Imagine what it might be if he completely changed because of his realizations during this critical narrative moment.
8. The Shark (Jaws): A Killer With a (Sort Of) Sad Story
Jaws's shark is an unstoppable killing machine; a true monster from nature, as terrifying as Michael Myers! You can feel bad for it; though. It’s a creature! Not even human; yet there’s some inherent vulnerability present. It doesn't feel completely irredeemable in a certain way!
That end where Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) kills it? This satisfies but really fails to create that level of tension, which was easily achievable with another type of resolution and those creative, well-crafted choices easily incorporated by better ending storytelling that ultimately leaves lingering disappointment after the initial feelings of resolution from viewing this title.
7. Adar (The Rings of Power): A Tragic Elf-Orc Leader
Adar (Joseph Mawle/Sam Hazeldine) in The Rings of Power is incredible – a complex, tragic villain. This elf-turned-orc leader shows genuine care, yet meets his end betraying this very profound nuance shown through those previously consistent plot arcs.
That attempted alliance with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) before his brutal betrayal and death? Such a heartbreaking loss of a deeply well-crafted chance that created another compelling narrative. It makes for such a shame, and something frustrating about that ending; that those very creative character decisions made prior would end without those expected resolutions, ultimately failing to completely engage that same level of creative nuance for the remainder of that character's very short, surprising finale. There's still profound ambiguity about what happened there.
6. Killmonger (Black Panther): A Villain Driven by Pain and Anger
Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) from Black Panther is awesome – a deeply sympathetic villain. His anger and violent actions ultimately stem from systematic oppression and injustice that had affected so many in his time and continues to resonate throughout the generations; highlighting the inherent racism and suffering of many Black people which ultimately shaped this incredibly popular, yet immensely painful storyline.
Killmonger’s eventual death doesn't offer him the path toward resolution. While narratively sensible and ultimately setting the tone for what might follow for the main protagonist T’Challa; those kinds of unresolved stories make for intensely frustrating narratives that leave immense feelings of ambiguity surrounding these powerful character arcs; a missed opportunity which creates lingering questions about this character. Many audience members found this ending unsatisfying.
5. Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones): A Knight's Fall from Grace (and Back?)
Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in Game of Thrones is incredibly complex. This entire series develops his character with much needed depth; making it seem for much of the series that this morally complex villain would eventually find his resolution; he does have that incredible shift. He undergoes a transformation which shows he could be redeemable, especially those amazing storylines that surrounded Brienne.
That return to Cersei in the final season though? A massive blow. It undercuts years of character development which was intensely appreciated by many; this incredibly dramatic and questionable reversal becomes utterly frustrating! He totally abandons Brienne, his incredible change reversed; ultimately wasting all that progress and really disappointing fans everywhere, which leaves huge issues, primarily the frustration regarding all those amazing story opportunities, and unresolved storylines surrounding that very memorable, deeply compelling character!
4. Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter): The Slytherin Who Needed a Hug (and Redemption)
Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) starts as Harry Potter's arch-rival! That privileged upbringing, with his hateful parents—creating that typical bully-turned-villain—however there's plenty more, many fans actually see the deep conflict behind all those choices. Those key narrative details which actually highlighted that Malfoy is not entirely irredeemable are quite present in the overall storyline!
Those points surrounding Malfoy's hesitancy at killing; his profound and ever-present conflict ultimately show how the show itself suggests a future change was entirely possible; ultimately being unfulfilled because those kind of storylines, however memorable they might be, lacked a necessary conclusion which really did matter in the overall progression of that storyline; leading to this ambiguous finale, lacking those much needed cathartic elements. A deleted scene from The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (showing him handing Harry his wand!) makes it an even more frustrating missed opportunity. Many audience members were disappointed this opportunity was wasted!
3. Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (MCU): A Mother's Grief Turned to Darkness
(This might change in future Marvel projects!) The MCU’s Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)? An incredible journey. She went from villain in Age of Ultron to becoming one of the Avengers, before falling after the death of Vision (Paul Bettany)!
Imprisoning a whole town, using that dangerous Darkhold magic, and her possible death in Multiverse of Madness cuts off her own personal redemption arc; thus making the audiences incredibly impacted by the resulting unfulfilled story! All those horrible things she did are directly tied to the incredibly relatable feeling of immense loss and immense grief, especially being a mother in such immensely stressful circumstances; these details would highlight that her decisions and actions are largely driven by that immensely understandable loss; this powerful context would create immense possibilities to really show the possibility and need of creating this incredibly dramatic arc toward a much better outcome!
2. Shane Walsh (The Walking Dead): A Best Friend Lost to the Apocalypse
Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) in The Walking Dead was great – starting as an initially helpful figure but he went terribly bad because of the apocalyptic context which created an incredibly dynamic and conflicted character!
His attempt to kill Rick (and the resulting death)? This wasted many chances for great things, like making Shane into this pragmatic ally; a character capable of making better, and less chaotic decisions after learning an important lesson regarding maintaining his humanity even after a long-term disaster has occurred; highlighting that moral conflicts don't necessarily lead to worse outcomes, especially if shown with compassion. Those opportunities for compelling storytelling, a path never fully taken—remains tragically unrealized!
1. Gollum (Lord of the Rings): A Creature Corrupted by Power
Gollum (Andy Serkis)? That's legendary! An immensely complicated character and those compelling struggles between Sméagol and Gollum remain iconic! And what audiences experienced through his internal struggles: those conflicting traits, the constant shifts of his behavior remain truly gripping.
That brutal ending—biting off Frodo's finger? Totally heartbreaking! Those lingering questions regarding Gollum’s true nature leave that ambiguous sense of injustice. He really did need that opportunity for some redemption, never having agency and driven purely by those outside forces from the infamous One Ring; ultimately killing his ability for truly reaching his best potential! This lack of proper story conclusion creates such profound feelings of longing in audiences that some never even get to process until years later! That intense tragedy makes him tragically compelling.
Conclusion: The Unfulfilled Potential of Redemption
These ten examples really highlight how devastating it could be; some really great characters' potential went completely unfulfilled. These could've enriched these stories, even becoming the better parts, ultimately failing because of these unresolved endings! That inherent sadness remains for the audiences, generating that strong lingering feelings which could still resonate long after that movie is over. Even more impactful are the underlying themes emphasized; how these powerful narratives that don't resolve properly leave lingering disappointment which is exactly what many would not have initially predicted. These all underscore just why giving those deeply flawed but capable villains the chance at true redemption is worth more than a happy ending!
