Manhwa where villains deserve a second chance

Summary

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

• Some villains, like 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 dire need of redemption.

In certain manhwa where the scoundrel is a loathsome character who pursues selfish goals, readers will 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 thread highlights manhwa where villains deserve a second chance. Whether their evil plan hides altruistic motives or because they have some of the coolest 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

• Gender: Psychological, Thriller, Drama, Mystery, Fantasy, Action, Shounen
• Author & Artist: SIU

Tower of God it's one of the manhwas with more mysteries left unsolved, but that doesn't make it any less awesome than it already is. From its humble origins to becoming one of the vanguard of transcending Korea's borders into the Western market, TOG he is also known for his special treatise on human morals and motivations.

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

2

Ember Knight

Nagyun betrayed everyone for the sake of revenge and became a villain

• Gender: Action, Martial Arts, Drama, Adventure, Light Fantasy, Revenge
• Author and artist: Hwan Daeng

Another great manhwa where the thin line that separates villains from heroes is blurred and blurry. In this unlikely tale of chivalry, Nagyun plays a pivotal role as he is the main character, hero, villain and anti-hero all at the same time. Quite capable, this Knight Apprentice acts as a triple agent for the sake of revenge, being part of the three organizations fighting for control of the Central Continent.

He even goes so far as to create his own fake “Dragon Descendants” cell (rebel revenge-seeking assassins) to instill terror and thwart the plans of the radical knight faction, the true Dragon Descendants, and the eastern invaders trying to take over control. the world. For the sake of avenging his brother, he is capable of incredibly evil plans, but is he an irredeemable villain? It remains to be seen, but many fans agree that he deserves a second chance after whatever he has to do to get justice.

3

Second Life Ranker

Yeonwoo was right all along

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

If regression manhwa proves anything, it's that no matter how different the circumstances, people with selfish motivations always take the easy way out. Yeon-woo's evolution into a ruthless villain is natural, as the people who betrayed and killed his brother are some of the worst villains ever chosen to have powers.

This story also plays with redemption/or death mastery, making readers gnash their teeth in agony as they see Yeon-woo “doing God's work” as one of the most powerful Awakened Rankers. As his journey progresses, we see another side of Yeon-woo hiding in plain sight: his endless pain and broken heart. Twins are said to have a special bond from the time they form in their mother's womb, and in that sense, those who killed their brother also killed their human side. But then is he beyond redemption? That's up to the readers to figure out.

4

The warrior returns

They rewarded his courage with cruelty and rejection

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

After waging an almost endless war against the demons of another world and bravely saving it from destruction, the hero Misu Kim is given the chance to return to his homeland: Korea. But upon his arrival, several years after he mysteriously disappeared into the night, he discovers his dead parents. Grief and a chain of misfortunes fell upon them after he disappeared, and to add insult to injury, his uncle and the remaining members of the family beat him and threw him into the street as they overtook them cruelly the inheritance and mocked him because he was poor.

Heartbroken and sleeping in a park, Misu Kim finally broke when some thugs mistreated him, turning him from a selfless hero into a vicious and vengeful villain. If any villain in this story deserves a second chance, it's Misu Kim. The poor boy deserved better.

5

Over equipped

Some ghosts of the past are better mentors than villains

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

When Braham was introduced as an important NPC in Over equippedall highlighted as a simple Quest Giver to guide the Legendary Blacksmith in his character progression quests. But as the Arcs passed, Grid discovered that Braham was a manipulative and vicious ghost trying to overtake his body. While struggling to compete against Grid's awkward and out-of-the-box tactics, Braham eventually proposed a truce and was soon able to possess Grid's body to some extent.

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

6

Lady and the Beast

Give it a chance! She does not deserve this tragedy

• Genres: Political drama, comedy, action, romance, tragedy, reincarnation
• Author and Artist: The Maginot Line

Lady and the Beast features one of the best redemption arcs of a villainous woman, shunned by the entire kingdom she swore to protect while killing the man she loved because he had turned into a vicious tyrant. The curse that befell his beloved haunted her to her second life, once again playing the misunderstood villain as Archduchess Astina Lette Von Atalanta. Even though everyone sees a vicious and scheming politician, the truth is that Astina wants only one thing: to be happy. Unfortunately, when she finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Theriod, her husband, discovered that she had lingering feelings for someone.

So he came clean and revealed that she is the reincarnation of the ugly Empress Martina. To her dismay, Theriod began rejecting and rejecting her, jealous of her relationship with his ancestor Theodore. At this point, it is certain that Theriod is indeed Theodore's reincarnation, except that he does not remember his past life. And this causes a lot of friction, eventually driving the couple to the brink of separation. Poor Astina wants nothing but redemption and love and gets a terrible stream of bad luck instead.

7

The point of view of the omniscient reader

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 nearly two thousand regressions, Yoo Joonghyuk slowly becomes prone to cruelty and malice, a trait that his character in the novel should not have taken on under normal circumstances. But as it turns out, the cycle of reincarnation and regression took its toll on him, destroying his humanity and noble demeanor.

All his cruel and calculated actions never deviated from the straight path of the greater good. His unyielding determination and eternal struggle to overcome evil ends is what defines him as a character. To some, he's a villain looking for redemption, to others, a misunderstood hero who's willing to get his hands dirty.