Anime’s Top 10 Redemption Arcs: Personal Growth and Evolution

Seeing the antagonists of an anime series turn become the heroes we root for is an incredibly enjoyable plot point.

On sometimes, I find myself caring about them more than the protagonist. This exemplifies the impact of a story with a redemptive arc.

The story benefits from the new viewpoint provided by the villains’ metamorphosis into allies.So, I thought I’d make a list of the top 10 redemption stories in anime.

When the redemption arc is handled effectively, it can be extremely satisfying to witness a character change and develop. It’s all worth it to see the protagonists own their mistakes and make amends.

10. Isabella’s Character Development in The Promised Neverland
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In reality, Isabella was operating a meat plant for demons, but at first glance she seemed like the ideal’mom’ to all the abandoned children.

However, there were gray areas as well. Isabella was once an orphan like the rest of us and had no choice but to take this profession. Not the best justification, but at least we could see where she was coming from.

In The Promised Neverland, Isabella was incredibly cunning and nearly thwarted the children’s escape attempts on many occasions. But in the end, she came to their aid and gave her life to protect Emma from the demon.

To say the least, the protagonist’s journey to atonement was surprising. The way things ended up beyond my expectations. It’s proof that even the most hopeless of people may surprise you in the end.

9. Chimera Ant Arc in Hunter x Hunter.

Meruem, commander of the Chimera Ants, was once represented as a large, wicked, and cruel man who would kill everyone who got in his way. A blind girl named Komugi, who happened to be an expert at the board game Gungi, changed his outlook.

Meruem had intended to toy with her merely for amusement, but his recent losses had gotten to him. He couldn’t believe a human being had defeated him.

During the Chimera Ant arc, Meruem’s appreciation for Komugi grew the more he played with her. He began to understand the worth of a human life and to suspect that his ant army was eating people for more than their nutritional value.

Just before he died away, Meruem held Komugi’s hand and told her how much she meant to him. He passed away having experienced love.

Humans aren’t worthless, and he can feel emotions, as Komugi showed him. It’s one of the best in the series, and I love it.

8. Endeavour Agency Arc in My Hero Academia..

Unfortunately, Endeavor wasn’t quite the model child. On the contrary, he was abusive and inattentive toward his family.

Despite being a complete jerk, he became the most popular Pro Hero after All Might’s retirement. This is where the plot thickened.

My Hero Academia’s Endeavor eventually came to terms with the damage he’d done to his family and made an effort to make atonement. Even though he knew it would be challenging, he was determined to improve himself and his performance as a hero.

To be completely honest, I had my doubts about his path of repentance at first. The efforts he made to help his son Shoto cope with his brother Dabi showed that he was attempting to be a better father and hero, despite his errors in the past. He has a ways to go, but he is making progress.

7. Reiner Braun’s Journey in Attack on Titan.

When Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie broke through Wall Maria, it set in motion everything that happened in Attack on Titan. However, after their mission was exposed, it left Reiner with a lot of unresolved feelings.

Reiner confronted his former 104th Scout Regiment teammates after Marley’s raid on Paradis failed to go as planned. After some heated debate, they settled on a plan to work together to end the Rumbling.

There’s more to him than meets the eye, as I discovered while I watched Attack on Titan. The Marley government interned everyone they didn’t like from the planet Eldia in the Liberia Internment Zone, where Reiner hailed from.

In order to provide for his mother, he enlisted with Bertholdt and Annie of the Marley Warriors and eventually became the Armored Titan.

6. Guts’ Development in The Conviction Arc of Berserk.

The story of redemption in Guts was unique. While his transformation was not quite from evil to good, it was nonetheless redemptive.

He had to find Casca and save her from the mad demons who resembled the Apostles.

In the Conviction Arc, Guts was exiled to a community ruled by a perverted religion, and it was there that he underwent a transformation. Previously a loner, he eventually bonded with his fellow travelers and even began to trust complete strangers.

Although Guts was a feared mercenary with a murky past, he possessed a good heart. And in the Conviction Arc, we saw it shine through when he fought his way through a town full of corrupt zealots while protecting Casca.

5. Greed’s Change of Heart in FMAB.

Before coming around, Greed had a nervous breakdown in FMAB and killed one of his old teammates. His perspective broadened once his spirit was transferred to Ling Yao’s body.

By the end of the conflict, he had helped everyone fight against Father and had even defeated Wrath. Father accidentally exposed himself when he absorbed Greed’s soul.

It was gratifying to see how greed distorted Father’s physique and made him fragile. Greed’s last thoughts, before his spirit passed on, were of his pals Ling and Edward.

The redemption arc of Greed was shocking, but it also demonstrated the potential for personal development. It was quite cool to see a villain turn into a hero.

4. Vegeta’s Transformation in DBZ Majin Buu Saga  .

Once upon a time, Vegeta was an outright bad guy. Together with Nappa, he served Frieza by destroying planets. Not to mention his reputed haughtiness, which included such traits as demanding special treatment from others and insisting on wearing white instead of pink shirts.

One of the most compelling aspects of Dragon Ball Z was Vegeta’s character development, which was highlighted by his redemption arc. After some time, he established himself as a reliable defender of Earth and a close comrade of Goku.

His gradual transformation began with the Cell Saga. After coming to terms with his mistake, he decided to use his newfound abilities to kill Buu.

3. Reiko’s Conversion in Parasyte

Reiko exemplified every negative characteristic of a psychopath. She was a parasite that had taken over a human body and cared not one whit about the harm she was causing. But then she had a baby, and everything shifted.

Although Parasyte’s Reiko Tamura first felt no attachment to her human child, she grew to love him deeply and was willing to give her life to keep him safe.

Although she didn’t enjoy being a mother at first, she eventually developed an unbreakable connection with her child. It was strange to see her transform from a heartless parasite to a doting mother.

2. Itachi Uchiha’s Redemption Arc in Naruto.

One cannot discuss redemption arcs in anime without addressing Naruto’s Itachi Uchiha. When I originally heard that he had slaughtered his entire family, I assumed the worst of him. Later, I learned that he actually had a valid cause for his actions.

He had to make a choice between his family and the wider fight, and that choice was to eliminate his family. This is one messed up scenario after another.

Sasuke finally found out the truth after Itachi Uchiha was resurrected from the dead. Fans were slow to accept Itachi’s redeemed status even then.

Some of the things he did to Sasuke were questionable, like subjecting him to the Sharingan torture, but he believed it was for the best. And although though he perished fighting Sasuke due to illness, he was able to make amends by aiding Sasuke in his mission to save the world.

1. Shoya’s Growth in A Silent Voice.

It broke my heart to witness how much agony Shoya Ishida caused a deaf child named Shoko when he first started bullying her. However, the story didn’t stop at the bullying; it also showed us Shoya’s inner problems.

Shoya’s growth as a person and his efforts to make reconciliation with Shoko were movingly depicted throughout A Silent Voice.

After losing his friends and having to work hard to pay back the cost of his hearing aids, Shoya finally realized the gravity of his actions.

It wasn’t easy to see how hard he worked to make up for his mistakes and rehabilitate himself, but the lesson he taught about personal accountability was invaluable.