Everybody loves stories that beautiful craft the character development. And nothing feels more refreshing than a negative character becoming good with the influence of their environment. It makes us believe that no one bad, it’s the situation that makes them that way. No matter what the theme or genre of the movie or series is, this transformation in a character sparks a hopeful light on the world. Various events slowly heightened the tiny rays of goodness in them and landed them on the good side of the battle. Find out the 10 times bad guys changed and joined the team of heroes.
Rebecca Michelson in The Vampire Diaries
Rebecca’s entrance in “The Vampire Diaries” as one of the Originals was rather chilly and scary. She was projected as a mean vampire who had no control over her temper. But as episodes passed, we came across the warm side of Rebecca. Watching Stefan, Elena and the rest of the gang fight for good brought back her humanity. By the end and in the reboot “The Originals”, Rebecca became one of the nicest supporting characters who wanted to become a human and relish the simplicities and little joys of a mortal’s life.
Prudence in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Nothing was hotter than watching the bad boy Nick fall in love with the brave and good-hearted Sabrina. But the biggest shock of the beloved Netflix series was when Prudence joined the team of heroes to stop her father Blackwood from wreaking havoc. Prudence was one of the prime villains in the first season of Sabrina. This witch was an equivalent of a mean girl, but only worse and more sinister. However, over time it was great to see the women unite against one common enemy. Prudence remained to be a badass but used that cunning mind for a good cause.
Captain Hook in Once Upon A Time
Captain Hook aka Killian Jones was drawn out of the Peter Pan character. He knew no boundaries to vengeance and hatred and inflicted pain on his enemies without flinching. He tortured Storybrooke and also killed Belle just to seek vengeance from Rumpelstilskin. He wouldn’t have changed had it not been for his feelings for Emma.
Cheryl Blossom in Riverdale
Cheryl used to be the ultimate Queen Bee of her high school. She is portrayed as the rich and gorgeous cheerleader head who feels entitled to belittle everyone merely with her aura. But the closer she got to solving her brother’s murder mystery, the more she changed. Several events in the first season transformed the manipulative and shrewd teen into a better person. Even though it was hard for her to change entirely, at least she teamed up with the Southside Serpents.
Petra Solano in Jane the Virgin
Petra was one of the cruelest characters in the history of TV series. This villain of “Jane the Virgin” was capable of stooping to any level to stop Rafael from divorcing her and to ruin his relationship with Jane. She has committed unforgivable crimes like pushing Anezka off the balcony and accusing Rafael of domestic violence. No amount of goodness could change her soul except motherhood. The responsibility of kids and getting guidance from Jane bonded the two pretty well over the course of the seasons.
Michael in The Good Place
Michael fooled us by introducing himself as the manager and architect of a Good Place in the afterlife. But in reality, it was the Bad Place and Michael was the demonic leader of it. He enjoyed punishing and torturing the bad souls by convincing them to believe that they were in a Good Place. But with time (about several centuries and millenniums), he begins to understand humans and tries to change the way they are judged by the afterlife.
Steve Harrington in Stranger Things
Of all the reasons mentioned in this list, Steve Harrington’s change was the most refreshing. He started out as the typical bad boy of high school who was popular among the ladies. He tortured innocent kids like all the brats just for the sake of fun. But unlike other shows and movies where the bad guy remains to be cool, Steve ended up becoming a joke. However, his willingness to acknowledge his insecurities and to change makes you sympathize with the character. He isn’t the smart hero but his intentions and bravery make him an important and beloved character.
Cordelia Chase in Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Cordelia was the typical mean girl of high school who relished in bringing down Buffy at every turn. She was a popular and beautiful student who was obviously a cheerleader (a tradition in classic high school stories). However, it was brilliant how her character arc was formed as proceeded with the story. She was not a cruel person for no reason but had a strong backstory that made her interesting.
Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones
Jamie was a smug and selfish Kingsguard and the eldest son of Tywin Lannister. He was despised by almost everyone in the show and amongst the audience for slaying innocents and pushing Bran Stark from the tower to cover up his incestuous relationship with Cersei. But over the seasons, one of the biggest and best surprises of all was Jamie turning into a moral Lannister. His companionship with Brienne of Tarth who was a personification of honor and morality brought the good in him.
James ‘Sawyer’ Ford in Lost
James was introduced as a despicable character whose evilness was beyond our tolerance. He was a con artist who not only irritated the survivors with his cruel jokes but also accused and killed two innocent passengers. But falling in love with Kate sparked some goodness in him that he didn’t know existed. Even though the two didn’t end up together, Sawyer became one of the most reliable heroes.
