It's common to see characters in games transition from bad to good, from good to bad, or sometimes even both and back again. Some of these characters have an event that redeems them to either themselves or the hero for their past sins. The redemption is often a sure sign that they have seen the error of their ways and are ready to move forward with a newfound path in life.
Typically, that change comes as a result of character development, the reformed person either maturing or learning something new about themselves that opens up a new perspective. Sometimes, it can simply come in the case of a character portrayal evolving over a game series. Here are the most memorable redemption arcs when it comes to games.
Updated on May 4, 2023, by Sam Hallahan: Games are one of the best ways to tell a story, and one of the few that can pull you in to such an extent. As such, there are so many tales out there to discover, including those of characters who were perhaps not as good as they are now. We've added even more characters who earn redemption, one way or another.
Warning: There Will Be Spoilers For The Games Mentioned
12 Nabooru
Nabooru was the right-hand woman of the main villain Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. However, she never agreed with his ways and was secretly rebelling against him for a long time, helping out Link. Eventually, her plans were discovered by Ganon's twin foster mothers, who caught and brainwashed her.
As a result, she erred on the not-so-good side of things for a while, even featured as a mini-boss, but was freed when Link defeats the twins. She awakened as one of the sages who would seal Ganon, earning redemption for what she'd done earlier while possessed.
11 Beelzebul
The ruler of Inazuma, Beelzebul was a terrifying character in Genshin Impact who had the power to take away the visions and dreams of others. She isolated her country from the world and kept as much control as she could over it. The tragedies she suffered in life turned her into a dark and tyrannical person.
This left her with a vulnerability to be easily manipulated by others. However, the Traveler is able to show her that what she is doing is wrong and she is able to change her ways, becoming a friend of the Traveler.
10 Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong used to actually be a villain in the Nintendo titles of the 1980s before he became the hero of his own games years later. In the original Donkey Kong arcade game, he kidnaps the main character's girlfriend and runs up a building with her King Kong style.
Ironically, it was Donkey Kong who saved Nintendo of America and his creator from bankruptcy, as the game managed to make enough money as an arcade unit to repair their financial problems. Today, Donkey Kong has blossomed from being a game villain NPC to being a signature character of Nintendo, appearing in games like Smash Brothers and Mario Party.
9 Mr. Resetti
Not all tales of redemption come from some grand adventure, some great deed, or from changing a villainous heart. Sometimes, all it takes is a little refreshed outlook. For Mr. Resetti in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, that's exactly what it is - a personal redemption, after years of being stuck in the same mindset.
With New Horizons' 2.0 update, Resetti could be encountered in The Roost. Compared to his old self, shouting at you for not saving your game properly, using the reset button, and even threatening you and humiliating you where he could, he is now a little calmer about things. In fact, he even admits that - now that they're gone - reset buttons might have been good after all.
8 Riku
Sora's close friend in Kingdom Hearts begins in the games as a person who would do anything to defend his friends and dreams of exploring the world outside of Destiny Islands. However, once things kick off, he is consumed by the darkness and becomes an enemy, jealous of Sora's new friends and his status as a keyblade master.
Riku is able to overcome his inner demons by realizing that darkness doesn't necessarily equal evil. He develops into a more mature person that retains some of the traits he did before he changed and is ready and willing to defend his friends now at all costs.
7 Revan
This character featured in Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic was originally a Jedi hero who ended up on the Dark Side, but ends up being retrained as a Jedi later. While the Sith Lord Darth Revan, he and his apprentice created his own army that battled against the Jedi and the Republic.
As a reformed Jedi, he redeems himself by helping to defeat the very army that he created. His story from light to dark to light again is legendary, and one that still resonates with Star Wars fans today.
6 Bobby
Bobombs are normally Mario's enemies, but in Paper Mario: The Origami King one was able to prove that not all of them are mindless monsters. On their quest to save the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and his new friend Olivia meet a Babomb with memory loss, who they nickname Bobby when he joins their group.
Bobby is looking for a purpose in life since normally bobombs have one purpose and don't really know anything else. He finds that reason in his friendship with Mario and Olivia, who he will go to any length to help.
5 Hisako
Hisako begins Killer Instinct as a terrifying vengeful spirit from Japan who died saving her village from attacks. Her backstory is that when her family was killed by soldiers, she took her father's sword and destroyed the culprits. This act of bravery inspired the people of her village to rise up and fight as well.
When her grave is disturbed, she becomes furious and violent, but later gains a more calm personality when she gets her family artifacts back and in the process becomes a huge support character. She goes from an unpredictable monster to a samurai hero.
4 Jeanne
Jeanne has been able to redeem herself more than once over the course of the Bayonetta series. At the beginning of their history, Bayonetta's now best friend Jeanne was not a fan of her, enviously seeing her as a threat to her power status.
Despite that, she gets over it and befriends her when nobody else will. She later then becomes her enemy for a while after she's brainwashed but is able to break free and becomes her best friend and one of her greatest allies.
3 Knuckles The Echidna
Knuckles might be second to Tails in Sonics friend circle, but it wasn't always that way. In Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Knuckles guards the Master Emerald and works together with Doctor Robotnik, having been manipulated into believing it's Sonic who wants to steal it.
For a good part of the game, Knuckles is a jerk who goes after Sonic multiple times. Eventually, he comes to his senses in Sonic and Knuckles when Robotnik betrays him and thus helps Sonic defeat the wicked scientist. From there on out, he permanently holds a place as one of Sonic's companions in the franchise.
2 Trish
Many of you probably know Trish as Dante's buddy from Devil May Cry 4 and 5. Once upon a time, she wasn't so friendly. In the very first Devil May Cry, she works for the Demon Lord Mundus and leads Dante to a castle on the premise of a hunting job. In actuality, it is a trap and she betrays him later.
Trish later has a change of heart and jumps in the way of an attack on him, which in turn triggers the awakening of Dante's first devil form, allowing him to defeat Mundus. Trish has come a long way in character development since those days, her role as a good guy now more obvious than ever.
1 Arthur Morgan
Once an outlaw, still an outlaw - but a better one. In Red Dead Redemption 2, a change of heart is the name of the game for Arthur Morgan. Early on in the game, we see him going about things carelessly, beating people for money and robbing those he deems rich.
However, whether it be the illness that claims him, or if he just softened with age as he watched everything fall apart, Arthur ends up doing everything he can to help those he cares about. He sets his sights on getting John and his family out of the life safely, and can even try to make amends with those he wronged so badly he could never take it back. Perhaps not a glorious end or a heroic tale, but it is redemption.