I struggled a bit with this topic from Long and Short Reviews, because I don't tend to think about redeeming villains. I suppose there was Draco Malfoy of the "Harry Potter" series, but from what I read he was mostly redeemed already by the end of the story.
So the only one I could think of initially was Heathcliff. I love "Wuthering Heights" and Heathcliff's doomed love for Cathy drives the story even as he ruins the lives of everyone else around him. I've read the Clandestine Classic version which shows him living an eternal life in Cathy's arms and definitely found that to be a great ending.
I did, however, come up with one of my own - Reed James.
In my shorts "I Heard Your Voice" and "Tamar Rising" Reed is very much the antagonist - I've had readers tell me they want to slap him. A celebrity medium who secretly uses the sensitives around him to leech their psychic powers, he is an arrogant jerk and I very much enjoyed making him suffer. So I thought when writing the third part of the trilogy, "Spiritwalker", I would try to redeem him.
Sadly for anyone who will read this later this year, I failed. Reed is basically irredeemable.
I did, however, manage to make him suffer a bit more.
So which villain would you like to redeem?
Very good answers, Tanith.
ReplyDeleteI had so many mixed feelings about Heathcliffe. It would have been interesting to see him become a better person.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-a-villain-that-i-wish-could-be-redeemed-and-why/
I'm not sure why I liked him. I suppose a lot of people like the idea of redeeming a dark character, even if it would never work.
DeleteHey, if you can make them suffer a little, then it's worth it--especially if he can't be redeemed. :-) Kudos for trying.
ReplyDeleteIt was worth a shot!
DeleteGood answer... I loved Heathcliffe and believe that he and Cathy did finally find peace together. If he'd been treated better when he came to live with them, I believe he would have been a better man...but then where would the story have been without his bitterness? My post is here: https://jhthomas.blogspot.com/2020/05/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge.html
ReplyDeleteTrue, it did drive the story. I like to think they were together in the end.
DeleteHeathcliff... hmm. I mean yeah, I can see it, but I still think he would have benefitted most from being shoved off a cliff. ::sigh:: But that's probably just me; I really wasn't at my best when I read Wuthering Heights.
ReplyDeleteMy answer is here.
True, he's not the most likeable character.
DeleteFair answer. Heathcliffe, I'm not as familiar as most with this book, but from what I've heard he should be redeemable. I too picked one of my own villains and she was redeemed. LOL Thanks for sharing. here's mine. https://www.tenastetler.com/lsr-wednesday-weekly-blog-challenge-a-villain-that-i-wish-could-be-redeemed-why/
ReplyDeleteIf he could have been redeemed it would have been via Cathy, I think - although frankly she needed some redemption as well.
Deleteops, forgot to list mine. Here it is. https://www.tenastetler.com/lsr-wednesday-weekly-blog-challenge-a-villain-that-i-wish-could-be-redeemed-why/
ReplyDeleteOh lord, I've never been a fan of Heathcliff! Maybe I would have been if he'd been if he'd been appropriately redeemed. When I read it, I always hoped he would be, because people seemed so prejudiced against him from the beginning. But by the end, my empathy had dried up.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on Draco! :)
Draco was always my favourite!
DeleteI've always wondered at the fascination with Heathcliff because he was such a miserable person. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/05/wc-041320.html
ReplyDeleteI think people just like the idea of redeeming dark characters, hopeless as it may be.
DeleteI found this topic difficult too. I like the idea of redeeming Heathcliff though. I love that story and wish I'd thought of him.
ReplyDeleteHe's the only one I could think of. I tend to let bad guys stay that way.
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