Manhwa where villains deserve a second chance

summary

• Not all villains in manhwa are irredeemable – some deserve a second chance due to complex motivations and cool redemption arcs.

• Some villains, such as “The Ember Knight,” “Second Life Ranker,” and “The Warrior Returns,” warrant forgiveness and redemption.

• Exercises of moral ambiguity, such as in “Overguard” and “Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint,” blur the line between tragic hero and villain in dire need of redemption.

In certain cases Where the villain A despicable character who pursues selfish goals, readers will have a hard time relating to them. But in a select few cases, the villain's actions make sense when the plot reveals their background. What happens when an evil character deserves redemption?

This issue spotlights manhwa where villains deserve a second chance. Whether it's because their evil plans hide philanthropic causes or they have some great redemption arcs, these villains are somehow able to make readers forgive them.

Warning! Spoilers ahead!

1

Tower of God

Rachel's betrayal was surprising but understandable

• Genre: Psychological, Thriller, Drama, Mystery, Fantasy, Action, Shounen
• Writer and artist: SIU

Tower of God Manhwa is one of those with many unsolved mysteries, but that doesn't make it any less great than it already is. From its humble origins to crossing the borders of Korea to the Western market, TOG Also known for its special treatise on human ethics and motivation.

For example, Rachel is seen as one of the most divisive characters, as some believe she is an irredeemable villain for betraying Bam, but considering all her motivations, her desperation to manifest her dreams, and her inferiority complex push her. Edge as much as he did with his friend. This makes him one of the villains that probably deserved better in the first place.

2

Amber Knight

For the sake of revenge, Nagyun betrayed everyone and became a villain

• Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Drama, Adventure, Light Fantasy, Revenge
• Author and Artist: Hwan Deng

Another great manwa where the thin line separating villains from heroes is blurred and unclear. In this unlikely heroic tale, Nagyun plays a fundamental role, as he is the protagonist, hero, villain and anti-hero at the same time. More than anything else, this Night Apprentice is acting as a triple agent for the sake of revenge, being part of three organizations fighting for control of the Central Continent.

He even goes on to create his own fake “Dragon's Descendants” (revenge-seeking rebel assassins) cell to spread terror and thwart the plans of the radical Knight Faction, the True Dragon Descendants, and the Eastern Invaders to take over. the world To avenge his brother, he is capable of incredibly evil plans, but is he an irredeemable villain? That remains to be seen, but many fans agree that he deserves a second chance after whatever he does to get justice.

3

Second Life Ranker

Yeonwoo was right all along

• Genres: Action, Fantasy, Revenge
• the author: Nong Nong
• the artist: Sa Doyon

If Manhwa proves anything about regression, it's that, no matter how different the circumstances, people with selfish motivations always take the easy way out. It's only natural that Yeon-woo turns into a ruthless villain as the people who betray and kill his brother are the worst mistakes chosen for what reason to have powers.

The story also deftly plays with the redemption/or death trope, making readers gnash their teeth in agony as they see Yeon-woo “doing God's work” as one of the strongest Awakened Rankers. As his journey progresses, we see another side of Yeon-woo that has been hidden in plain sight: his eternal grief and broken heart. They say that twins share a special bond from the moment they form in their mother's womb, and in that sense, those who killed her brother also killed her human side. But is he beyond salvation? It is up to the reader to understand that.

4

The warrior returns

They rewarded his bravery with cruelty and rejection

• Genres: Dark Fantasy, Drama, Isekai, Action, Adventure, Reverse Isekai, Psychological
• the author: NARACK
• the artist: FUNGBACK

After fighting an almost endless battle against monsters in another world and bravely saving it from destruction, protagonist Misu Kim is given the chance to return to his homeland: Korea. But upon his arrival a few years after mysteriously disappearing into the night, he finds his parents dead. A series of griefs and misfortunes befell them after he disappeared, and to add insult to injury, his uncle and the rest of the family beat him and threw him on the street as they taunted him as penniless by misappropriating his ancestral property.

Heartbroken, and sleeping in a park, Misu Kim finally turns when some bullies abuse him, turning him from a selfless hero into an evil and vengeful villain. If any of the villains in this story deserves a second chance, it's Misu Kim. The poor guy deserved better.

5

Overloaded

Some ghosts from the past are better mentors than villains

• Genres: VR-Gaming, Shonen, Action, Comedy
• the author: Park Senal
• the artist: monohumbug

When Brahma was introduced as an important NPC OverloadedAll of this points to the legendary blacksmith as a simple quest giver to guide his character progression missions. But, as the arc progresses, Grid discovers that Brahma was a manipulative and evil demon trying to overtake his body. While he struggled to compete against Grid's awkward and out-of-the-box tactics, Braham eventually proposed a truce and was soon able to capture some of Grid's body.

It was the beginning of a sweet friendship/mentor-student relationship, proving that even the worst and most dangerous villains can let go of past grievances when they find the right person to share their low moments with. But most fans aren't convinced that Brahms has abandoned his past ways, and are anticipating a decisive twist/betrayal. Time will tell if he deserved this second chance.

6

The Lady and the Beast

Give him a chance! He does not deserve this tragedy

• Genres: Political Drama, Comedy, Action, Romance, Tragedy, Rebirth
• Author and Artist: The Maginot Line

The Lady and the Beast Arcs showcases the best redemption of a female villain, shunned by the entire kingdom she swore to protect, as she kills the man she loves as he turns into a brutal tyrant. The curse on his beloved follows him into his second life, once again playing the misunderstood villain as Archduchess Astina late von Atalanta. Although everyone sees him as an evil and scheming politician, the truth is that Astina only wants one thing: to be happy. Sadly, just as she begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel, her husband Theriod discovers that she has lingering feelings for someone.

So she came clean and revealed that she was the reincarnation of the abominable Queen Martina. To her dismay, Theriod began to reject her and push her away, jealous of her relationship with his ancestor Theodore. At this point, it is certain that Theriod is indeed the reincarnation of Theodore, only that he does not remember his past life. And this causes a lot of friction, eventually leading the couple to the brink of a breakup. Poor Astina longs only for redemption and love, and she receives a terrible stream of misfortune in return.

7

The omniscient reader's perspective

Walking the blurred line between tragic hero and villain seeking redemption

• Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Psychological
• the author: Sing Shong
• the artist: Nidra-C

Over the course of nearly two thousand regressions, Yoo Jonghyuk slowly begins to fall into the grip of cruelty and evil, his personality in the novel should not have been taken under normal circumstances. But it turns out that the cycle of reincarnation and regression took its toll on him, eroding his humanity and noble demeanor.

All his cruel and calculated actions have never deviated from the righteous path of the greater good. His unwavering determination and endless struggle to overcome evil ends is what defines him as a character. For some, he's a villain seeking redemption, for others, a misunderstood hero willing to get his hands dirty.