Manhwa Where Villains Deserve A Second Chance

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

This topic spotlights manhwa where villains deserve a second chance. Be it because their evil plan hid altruistic reasons or because they have some of the coolest redemption arcs, these villains are somehow capable of making 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 & Artist: SIU

Tower of God is one of the manhwa with more mysteries left unsolved, but that doesn’t make it any less great than what it already is. From its humble origins to becoming one of the vanguard in terms of transcending the frontiers of Korea into the occidental market, TOG is also known for its particular treatise on human morals and motivations.

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

2

The Ember Knight

Nagyun Betrayed Everyone For The Sake Of Revenge And Became A Villain

• Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Drama, Adventure, Mild Fantasy, Revenge
• Author & Artist: Hwan Daeng

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

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He even goes as far as to create his own fake “Dragon’s Descendants” (rebellious assassins seeking revenge) cell to instill terror and thwart the plans of the radical Knight Faction, the true Dragon Descendants, and the Eastern Invaders who are trying to take over the world. For the sake of avenging his brother, he is capable of incredibly evil schemes, but is he an irredeemable villain? That remains to be seen, but many fans agree that he deserves a second chance after whatever he must do to get justice.

3

Second Life Ranker

Yeonwoo Was Right All Along

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

If manhwa about regression proves anything, it is that, no matter how different the circumstances are, people with selfish motivations always take the easy route. Yeon-woo’s devolving into a ruthless villain is only natural since the people who betrayed and killed his brother are some of the worst scum chosen by who knows what reason to have powers.

This story also plays with the redemption/or death trope masterfully, making readers grind their teeth in anguish as they see Yeon-woo “doing God’s work” as one of the strongest awakened rankers. As his journey progresses, we see another aspect of Yeon-woo that lies hidden in plain sight: his endless grief and broken heart. They say twins share a special bond ever since they form 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 is up to the 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 a near-endless war against the demons in another world and bravely saving it from destruction, the hero Misu Kim is granted the chance to return to his homeland: Korea. But upon his arrival a few years after mysteriously disappearing in the night, he finds his parents are dead. Grief and a chain of misfortune fell upon them after he vanished, and to add insult to injury, his uncle and remaining family members beat him and threw him in the streets as they viciously overtook his inheritance and mocked him for being destitute.

Heartbroken, and sleeping in a park, Misu Kim finally snapped when some bullies mistreated him, turning him from a selfless hero into a vicious and vengeful villain. If any of the evildoers in this story deserves a second chance, that is Misu Kim. Poor lad deserved better.

5

Overgeared

Some Ghosts Of The Past Are Better Mentors Than Villains

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

When Braham was presented as an important NPC in Overgeared, it all pointed out as a simple Quest Giver to guide the Legendary Blacksmith in his character progression missions. But, as the Arcs went by, Grid discovered Braham was a manipulative and vicious ghost trying to overtake his body. As he struggled to compete against Grid’s awkward and out-of-the-box tactics, Braham finally proposed a truce and soon was able to possess Grid’s body to some extent.

This was the start of an endearing friendship/mentor-student relationship, proving that even the worst and most dangerous villains can let go past grudges when they find the right person to share their low moments with. But most fans are not convinced that Braham has given up his past ways, and are expecting a decisive twist/betrayal. Time will tell if he deserved 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 & Artist: The Maginot Line

The Lady And The Beast showcases one of the best redemption arcs of a female villainess, shunned by the whole kingdom she swore to protect, as she killed the man she loved because he had turned into a vicious tyrant. The curse that befell his beloved chased her down to her second life, again playing the role of misunderstood villainess as Archduchess Astina Lette Von Atalanta. Even though everyone sees her as a vicious and scheming politician, the truth is that Astina only wants one thing: to be happy. Sadly, as she began finally to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Theriod, her husband, discovered she had lingering feelings for someone.

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So she came clean and revealed that she was the reincarnation of the hated Empress Martina. Much to her dismay, Theriod started to reject her and push her away, jealous of her relationship with his ancestor Theodore. At this point, it is certain that Theriod is truly the reincarnation of Theodore, only that he doesn’t remember his past life. And this causes a lot of friction, ultimately driving the couple to the edge of breaking up. Poor Astina only wishes for redemption and love, and she gets a terrible stream of bad luck in return.

7

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Walking The Blurry Line Between Tragic Hero And Villain Seeking Redemption

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

Throughout nearly two thousand regressions Yoo Joonghyuk slowly becomes prone to cruelty and viciousness, a characteristic his persona in the novel shouldn’t have taken under normal circumstances. But as it turns out the reincarnation and regression cycle did have a toll on him, chipping away his humanity and noble demeanor.

All of his cruel and calculated actions have never deviated from the righteous path of the greater good. His unyielding determination and eternal struggle to overcome the bad endings is what defines him as the character. For some, he is a villain seeking redemption, to others, a misunderstood hero who is willing to get his hands dirty.

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