Manhwa Where villains deserve a second chance

Summary

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

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

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

In certain manhwas where the bad guy is an obnoxious character who pursues selfish goals, readers have a hard time trying to relate to them. But in a select few cases, the villains' actions make sense when the plot reveals their background. What happens when an evil character is worthy of redemption?

This theme highlights a manhwa where villains deserve a second chance. Whether it's because their diabolical plan hid altruistic reasons, or because they have some of the most amazing redemption arcs, these villains are somehow able to make readers forgive them.

Warning! Spoilers ahead!

1

Tower of God

Rachel's betrayal was shocking but understandable

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

Tower of God is one of the manhwas with more mysteries left unsolved, but that doesn't make it any less great than it already is. From its humble beginnings to becoming one of the vanguards when it comes to crossing Korean borders into the Western market, TOG he is also known for his special treatise on human morality and motivation.

For example, Rachel is seen as one of the most divisive characters as some believe her to be an incorrigible villain for betraying Bam, but putting all of her motivations into context, her desperation to make her dreams manifest, and her inferiority complex pushed her to the edge as she with your friend. This makes her one of the villains who probably deserved better in the first place.

2

Ember Knight

Nagyun betrayed everyone for revenge and became a villain

• Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Drama, Adventure, Mild Fantasy, Revenge
• Author and artist: Hwan Daeng

Another great manhwa where the thin line that separates the villains from the heroes is blurred and unclear. In this unlikely tale of chivalry, Nagyun plays a vital role as the main character, hero, villain and anti-hero all at once. This apprentice knight, who is quite above average, acts as a triple agent for revenge and is part of three organizations that fight for control of the central continent.

He even goes so far as to create his own fake cell of “Dragon's Descendants” (rebellious assassins bent on revenge) to cause terror and thwart the plans of the radical Knight faction, the true Dragon Descendants, and the Eastern invaders who are trying to take over. world. In order to avenge his brother, he is capable of incredibly evil schemes, but is he an irredeemable villain? It remains to be seen, but many fans agree that he deserves a second chance after what he has to do to get justice.

3

The second ranking of life

Yeonwoo was right all along

• Genres: Action, Fantasy, Revenge
• Author: Nong Nong
• Artist: Sa Doyeon

If the regression manhwa proves anything, it's that no matter how different the circumstances, people with selfish motivations will always take the easy way out. Yeon-woo's transformation into a ruthless villain is only natural, as the people who betrayed and killed his brother are some of the worst scumbags in the world with a reason to have power.

This story also masterfully plays with the redemption/or death trope, making readers grind their teeth with anxiety as they see Yeon-woo “doing God's work” as one of the strongest awakened wranglers. As his journey progresses, we see another aspect of Yeon-woo that is hidden in plain sight: his endless sadness and heartbreak. The twins are said to have shared a special bond since they formed in their mother's womb, and in that sense, those who killed his brother also killed his human side. But is he beyond redemption then? That's up to readers to figure out.

4

The warrior returns

They rewarded his bravery with cruelty and rejection

• Genres: Dark Fantasy, Drama, Isekai, Action, Adventure, Reverse Isekai, Psychological
• Author: NARACK
• Artist: FUNGBACK

After fighting an almost endless war against demons in another world and bravely saving it from destruction, hero Misu Kim gets a chance to return to his homeland: Korea. But upon his arrival several years after he mysteriously disappeared in the night, he discovers that his parents are dead. After he disappeared, grief and a chain of misfortunes befell them, and to add insult to injury, his uncle and remaining family members beat him and threw him out on the street as they cruelly chased after his inheritance and mocked him for being penniless.

Heartbroken and sleeping in a park, Misu Kim finally snaps when mistreated by some thugs, turning him from a selfless hero to a cruel and vengeful villain. If any of the criminals in this story deserve a second chance, it's Misu Kim. Poor kid deserved more.

5

Exaggeratedly

Some ghosts of the past make better mentors than villains

• Genres: VR-Gaming, Shonen, Action, Comedy
• Author: Saenal Park
• Artist: Monohumbug

When Braham was introduced as an important NPC in Exaggeratedlyall of which were highlighted as a simple Giver quest to guide the legendary blacksmith in his character progression missions. But as the Arcs passed, Grid discovered that Braham was a manipulative and evil spirit trying to control his body. Trying to compete with Grid's clumsy and unconventional tactics, Braham eventually proposed a truce and was soon able to gain some control over Grid's body.

This was the beginning of a sweet friendship/mentor-student relationship that proves that even the worst and most dangerous villains can let go of their grudges when they find the right person to share their bad moments with. But most fans aren't convinced that Braham has given up his past ways and expect a major twist/betrayal. Time will tell if he deserves this second chance or not.

6

The lady and the beast

Give her a chance! She doesn't deserve this tragedy

• Genres: Political drama, comedy, action, romance, tragedy, reincarnation
• Author and artist: Maginot line

The lady and the beast showcases one of the best redemption arcs of a female villain who shunned the entire kingdom she swore to protect when she killed the man she loved because he turned into a cruel tyrant. The curse that befell his beloved haunted her into her second life, where she once again played the role of misunderstood villainy as Archduchess Astina Lette Von Atalanta. Although everyone sees her as a malicious and scheming politician, the truth is that Astina only wants one thing: to be happy. Unfortunately, when she finally began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Theriod, her husband, discovered that she had lingering feelings for someone.

So she came clean and revealed that she was the reincarnation of the hated Empress Martina. To her dismay, Theriod began to reject 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, he just doesn't remember his past life. And this causes a lot of friction, which eventually drives the couple to break up. Poor Astina wants nothing but redemption and love and gets terrible bad luck in return.

7

The omniscient reader's point of view

Walking the blurred line between tragic hero and villain seeking redemption

• Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Psychological
• Author: Sing Shong
• Artist: Sleepy-C

Over the course of almost two thousand regressions, Yoo Joonghyuk slowly becomes prone to cruelty and malevolence that his personality in the novel should not normally have. But as it turned out, the cycle of reincarnation and regression took its toll on him, chipping away at his humanity and noble demeanor.

All his cruel and calculated actions never deviated from the righteous path of the higher good. His unyielding determination and eternal struggle to overcome bad ends defines him as a character. For some a villain looking for redemption, for others a misunderstood hero willing to get his hands dirty.