Top 3 Redeemable Villains (Lizzie)

I love a good redemption story, whether it’s a major change arc for the hero or heroine or the redemption of a villain. Today, I’ve decided to talk about some of my favorite redeemable villains. It’s not necessary for them to be redeemed, but I hope they will be.

Top 3 Redeemable Villains

1) Thomas and Guy Fawkes from Nadine Brandes's Fawkes

The story's main character, Thomas, is Guy Fawkes's son. Both are involved in the infamous Gunpowder Plot to kill King James and destroy parliament. This book is a wonderful fantasy retelling of that. We know what happens to Guy Fawkes, of course, from history. But, in the book, I wanted to know "Will he reconcile with Thomas? Will he give Thomas a mask and show him his face? Will he surrender to White Light?" These were big questions for me. I can't tell you how it ended, but I will say I cried at the end, bittersweet tears. I expected Thomas to be redeemed during the big and enjoyed reading about the process. Both times I read the the book. :)

2) Maleficent in Disney’s movie of the same name. 

This is a great fall and redemption story. The kind fairy queen is betrayed, turns cold and vengeful, then returns to a loving, kind queen. It’s always fun too to see the muttering, complaining character doing kind things despite their seemingly selfish convictions.

3) The fae king from C.J. Brightley's The Lord of Dreams

The human Claire is visited by a villainous fairy king on multiple occasions, all terrifying, and eventually called upon to rescue the now mad king. It's a great story, and Claire herself undergoes quite the change from scared and self-focused to brave and selfless, a change she wished for--before she knew to be careful what you wish for.

Honorable mentions

Some honorable mentions are Gollum from LOTR. He’s unique, pitiable, untrustworthy, sometimes helpful, and has a cool speech. Frodo’s and Sam’s conflicting attitude toward him challenge me. Would I be shrewd and cold like Sam or hopeful and compassionate like Frodo because I see my own temptations and possible future in him? Loki from the Marvel Universe is another. Like Thor, I want him to behave and be a trustworthy brother and friend.

Do you have any favorite redeemed or redeemable (who may or may not be redeemed in the end) villains?

Top 3 Redemption Stories in Honor of Easter (Erin)

In honor of Easter Sunday, I wanted to mention my favorite redemption stories in Fantasy Literature. Redemption is such a powerful theme. We all fall short of the glory of God, but Jesus volunteered to take our place and die on the cross. We see this same theme in several fantasy books and movies.

WARNING: All 3 listings contain plot spoilers, so don't read the details if you haven't seen or read these stories!


3. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkein: In the third book of The Lord of the Rings series, we see Sam and Frodo struggling across barren wasteland, in order to destroy the One Ring in the lava of Mount Doom. However, the One Ring exudes a tremendous amount of power for evil and Frodo is starting to be influenced by it. Often, Sam has had to carry the ring for him. As Frodo slips the ring on his finer and claims it as his own, Gollum bites his finger off, and falls, with the ring, into the fire. This story is such a good reminder that we can't resist the power of Satan on our own. We need companions on our journey, to help bear the load, and sometimes, even our enemies have a part to play in God's plan.

2. The Shack by William P. Young: Caveat: This is only nominally fantasy, and I haven't seen the movie, because I am afraid I would cry too much. After a tragic crisis in his family, Mac encounters all three faces of the Trinity in a very personal way, in a shack, that Young describes as "a metaphor for the places you get stuck, you get hurt, you get damaged...the thing where shame or hurt is centered." Being able to see and experience God in all of the areas of his hurt and need is deeply healing for Mac and for readers, as well.





1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis:  Edmund betrays his brother and sisters for some Turkish Delight (candy, not turkey stew, as I thought when I was little). In order to save him, Aslan volunteers to die in his place. This is the saddest scene in the movie. Lucy and Susan hide and watch as the White Witch and her evil army put the majestic lion to death. When my children were young, we always had to skip this scene, and it still makes me cry every time. I find such comfort in the fact that Aslan would choose to give his life as ransom for Edmund, even when Edmund clearly didn't deserve mercy.

Attributions: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shack#cite_note-6
https://www.amazon.com/Shack-Where-Tragedy-Confronts-Eternity/dp/0964729237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492143105&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shack
https://www.google.com/search?q=mount+doom+frodo+and+sam+images&tbm=isch&imgil=hUK3Z4AuQ37wdM%253A%253BEyrITca6DIwQUM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Finews.co.uk%25252Fessentials%25252Fnews%25252Fworld%25252Fkeep-away-mount-doom-new-zealand-warns-adventurous-trekkers%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=hUK3Z4AuQ37wdM%253A%252CEyrITca6DIwQUM%252C_&usg=__eLyIrY8GTykcVMexa5We_sVj1O0%3D&biw=1300&bih=641&ved=0ahUKEwi78ZXOiqPTAhVl2IMKHQY0BLQQyjcIPA&ei=ZkzwWLumGOWwjwSG6JCgCw#imgrc=hUK3Z4AuQ37wdM: 
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+lion+the+witch+the+wardrobe+aslan+death+scene+images&tbm=isch&imgil=QA_2LEFNVsOgrM%253A%253Bz4o61iCl1FoAoM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pinterest.com%25252Fpin%25252F314970567659724222%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=QA_2LEFNVsOgrM%253A%252Cz4o61iCl1FoAoM%252C_&usg=__bJBXbc-ZpkgYy74Ac1unohL59IU%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiEie6gi6PTAhVD44MKHXnSBncQyjcIPg&ei=E03wWMSzMcPGjwT5pJu4Bw&biw=1300&bih=641#imgrc=QA_2LEFNVsOgrM: