One of the best tropes in fiction is the villain who eventually corrects his mistakes and comes into his own power, revealing himself as a hero at the end of a story. And that trope brings reality to a work of art, whether that’s a villain who doesn’t really believe in the cause they’re serving, or they understand that their way is the wrong way — or sometimes it’s even for self-preservation. Either way, these characters usually gain a cult following and audiences fall in love with their determination to be better and even relate to the battle between good and bad.
Nothing is more exciting as an audience than watching the bad guys in movies realize they can do some good, and in that split second decide it’s worth risking their lives and turning their backs on what they knew before. . Sadly, this decision is sometimes followed by their downfall, but we have to believe it was worth it. This article lists bad guys in movies who became heroes through sacrifice or decision, and doesn’t include morally gray heroes, or those who always keep the line between hero and villain, like Harley Quinn, Mystique, or Thomas Shelby. From super villains to zombie killers to boxers, here are some of the biggest baddies in movies that have made their way to the good side.
8/8 Maleficent — Maleficent
From the Disney classic of the evil dragon woman seizing the sweet Aurora, the 2014 live-action movie rogue turn the story on its head. Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, wants to punish her old lover and curses his only daughter with a death spell that will take place on her 16th birthday. Seeking revenge, she definitely has the theatrical qualities of an evil villain. As Aurora gets older, Maleficent comes to love her and tries to warn her about the curse, eventually looking for a way to undo it. Ultimately, she is the one who breaks the curse on Aurora, and in Maleficent: Mistress of Evilshe sacrifices herself for her and turns out to be the ‘good guy’ whether she likes it or not.
7/8 Severus Snape – Harry Potter Franchise
This character is a very interesting character. Fans of the Harry Potter series either love him or hate him. Severus Snape, the evil professor, initially sided with Voldemort, but had his reasons why. Snape spent Harry Potter’s entire school career bullying the boy for hating James Potter, Harry’s father. However, at the end, Snape sacrifices himself for Harry and reveals that he was madly in love with Lily Potter, Harry’s mother. So, Snape saved Harry because he cared for him, as posed by screen frenzy, or just for his mother? Perhaps the Potterhead community will never know. That said, what we do know is that Snape was portrayed as the villain, but ultimately made the choice to become the hero and save Harry himself.
6/8 Kylo Ren – Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
One of the most interesting characters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren, aka Ben Solo, seeks to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, join the Dark Side and wreak havoc across the galaxy. Along with his anger issues, he destroys and kills, trying to prove himself to dark leader after leader. He tries to persuade Rey, the emerging Jedi adversary, to join him and conquer the galaxy, but she refuses. Time and again, Kylo Ren follows the villain checklist and molds to the dark side. But eventually, at a moment that ultimately costs him his life, he makes the decision to answer Rey’s cry for help and turn against his followers. -Power. Beautiful and tragic, and a wonderful tribute to the Star Wars way to redeem villains.
5/8 Loki — MCU Franchise
By the MCULoki went from trying to take over New York City with Chitari’s army, bringing the first Avengers-level threat, to unpacking his trauma, saving his brother countless times, getting his own TV show about time travel and falling in love with oneself, figuratively and literally. From the sniffling villain to one of the most heartbreaking (near) deaths, Loki follows the line of morally gray hero but ends up making the list of the best bad guys in movies that ended up getting good.
4/8 Nebula – Guardians of the Milky Way
One of the most misunderstood and overlooked characters in the MCU, worthy of so much more hype, Nebula is the abused, half-bionic adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos. She transforms from a vicious killing machine, molded into the perfect assassin, into the… Guardians of the Universe movies one of the most important parts of Avengers: Endgame. She follows in her sister’s footsteps and learns that she can be part of something so much better and not have to endure Thanos’s torture. In a hand-to-hand “talk” to Gamora, she vents her quarrels and unloads her trauma, but in the end she has the best character arc and learns to work with a team to save the rest of the world from her evil adoptive father .
3/8 Anton Ego – Ratatouille
The food critic whose entire purpose was to be the menacing force that led Remy and Linguini to be the chefs they were meant to be, in Ratatouille, made all of his viewers nostalgic for a meal they’d never had before. He starts out as the physical villain, the cause of the restaurant’s demise, but ends up being one of its main supporters and a seemingly overall happier man in the process. The third villain on this list just because you can never forget the sign of relief after he enjoys the dish and remembers his mom.
2/8 Apollo Creed — Rocky
In rockyApollo Creed begins as the menacing adversary of the beloved Rocky Balboa, who horribly defeats him. As a result, Rocky builds a grudge for the villain who carries an American flag and has a grand entrance. Once he discovers that Creed may be his only hope of getting back into the ring and fighting again, he naturally turns to Apollo for help, and an unlikely and strong bond is eventually formed.
1/8 Darth Vader – Star Wars Original Trilogy
Darth Vader, one of the most famous villains in movies of all time, turns from his years behind the Dark Side and takes orders from the evil Emperor Palpatine, killing him to save his son. It’s one of the most iconic villain redemption arcs in movie history, and the reason it’s at the top of our list.