10 Anime Villains with a Stronger Redemption Arc than Shigaraki Tomura

Despite Shigaraki Tomura’s redemption, many anime villains have had more successful journeys towards redemption. In contrast to his character’s eventual despair, the My Hero Academia antagonist did not ultimately join the side of the heroes.

Despite being one of the main antagonists of My Hero Academia, Tomura Shigaraki’s destiny was ultimately controlled by the primary antagonist, All for One. Following All for One’s demise, Tomura resurfaced as a vestige, proving that the heroes could not avoid his malevolent influence. However, with the assistance of Deku, the other heroes, and the vestiges of One for All, the heroes ultimately emerged victorious and permanently defeated All for One.

After Shigaraki joined Deku in delivering the final blow to defeat All for One, he crumbled to dust. In this article, we will list 10 anime villains who experienced a more impactful redemption than the characters in My Hero Academia. These villains had their lives completely transformed after their redemption.

Please be aware that this article may contain spoilers from the My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen manga series.

Anime Villains with Redemption Arcs Better than Shigaraki Tomura

1) Character Profile: Choso from Jujutsu Kaisen

Choso as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

Choso, a death womb painting, was a minor antagonist in the series and was first introduced during the Shibuya arc. His role in the story revolved around seeking revenge against Itadori for killing his brothers, Kechizu and Eso. During a physical altercation with Itadori, Choso experienced the same intense emotions he felt when his brother died, hinting at a possible connection between him and the protagonist.

It was later discovered that Choso and Itadori shared a parent who had been possessed by Kenjaku, establishing a familial connection between them. Choso then aligned himself with the protagonist and played a significant role in both the Culling Game arc and the Shinjuku Showdown arc.

2) Vegeta (Dragon Ball)

Vegeta as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being one of the initial antagonists in Dragon Ball, Vegeta eventually redeemed himself and joined the protagonist’s team. Initially arriving on Earth with the intention of destroying the planet, he was ultimately defeated by Goku and the Z fighters.

Despite Goku’s initial decision to spare his life, Vegeta eventually returned and joined the Z fighters in defending Earth against extraterrestrial threats. This was unexpected, considering his initial goal had been to destroy the planet.

Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Greed as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

One of the primary antagonists in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood was Greed, who possessed the ability to manipulate the carbon in his body to form an impenetrable shield. Initially, he inhabited one of Father’s pawns as his vessel. However, after the pawn’s demise, he transferred to a new vessel – Ling, one of the supporting protagonists.

Inside Ling, Greed contemplated his personal beliefs and values. In the previous chapter, Greed selflessly offered himself to Father, ultimately rescuing Ling’s life. This act also weakened Father’s physical form, ultimately leading to the success of the protagonists. While Greed shared similarities with Shigaraki in his final moments, he did not meet his demise in a state of hopelessness.

Meruem’s Character Development in Hunter x Hunter

Mereum as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

Mereum, the main antagonist of the Chimera arc in Hunter x Hunter, is widely regarded as one of the most intelligent villains in anime. He infamously consumed his own mother upon birth and rose to power as the King of his chimera ant army.

Despite being a master at every game in the world, Mereum unexpectedly developed strong feelings for Komugi, a blind girl who excelled at the game Gungi. Despite being a Chimera ant, he spent time with her and was deeply affected by her. After being poisoned during his fight with Netero, he made the decision to die alongside Komugi instead of fighting back.

Tamiya Reiko from Parasyte: The Maxim

Tamiya Reiko as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

Tamiya Reiko, a character in Parasyte: The Maxim, undergoes one of the most powerful redemptions in anime. As a human who was taken over by a parasite, Reiko viewed humans as nothing more than food. She even went so far as to plan on having a child solely for the purpose of experimenting on it and consuming it.

Despite her parasitic nature, when she gave birth, her maternal instincts overrode her parasite instinct. She bravely shielded her child from bullets and entrusted it to Shinichi, leading the protagonist to question the true nature of parasites. In the end, she sacrificed herself for the opposing side, much like Shigaraki, but she died as a human, not a parasite.

Kayaba Akihiko – Creator of Sword Art Online

Kayaba Akihiko as seen in the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

In the Aincrad Arc of Sword Art Online, the primary antagonist was Kayaba Akihiko, who ultimately redeemed himself after his demise. He had imprisoned around 10 thousand players in the game, also called Sword Art Online, with the only way to escape being to complete the game.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Kirito, the main character, successfully made it to the ultimate level where he engaged in a fierce battle against Heathcliff, the avatar of Akihiko, the creator of the game. When Akihiko’s life came to an end with the closure of Sword Art Online, he attempted to transfer his consciousness into the game. However, before his consciousness vanished, he entrusted Kirito with the password to his account, believing him to be the most deserving recipient.

Magma

As one of the initial antagonists in Dr Stone, Magma resides in the Ishigami Village with the goal of taking control. He plans to achieve this by marrying Ruri and then eliminating her to claim everything for himself.

Since Senku’s arrival at the village, there has been a noticeable shift. Magma’s wild behavior has decreased and he has begun to offer his assistance to the Science Team whenever necessary.

8) Character: Franky from One Piece

Franky as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being the boss of the Franky family and a minor antagonist in the Water 7 arc of One Piece, Franky ultimately redeemed himself and joined the protagonist’s crew. The Franky family’s theft of the Straw Hats’ money led to a fierce battle between the two sides.

After the abduction of Nico Robin, Franky extended his hand to the Straw Hat Pirates in order to aid in her rescue. Despite starting as an antagonist, he eventually joined the crew as their shipwright following this arc, a fact that may be surprising to some.

9) Character Profile: Uchiha Obito (Naruto Shippuden)

Obito as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Despite being the mastermind behind the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito Uchiha’s redemption played a crucial role in bringing an end to the conflict he had initiated. Following the tragic death of Rin, Obito embarked on a path of inflicting pain on the world by manipulating the Akatsuki and inciting the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Despite being overwhelmed by Naruto’s Talk No Jutsu, he ultimately made the decision to join the side of the protagonist. However, his decision came too late as Madara had already revived himself and activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Nevertheless, he sacrificed himself with a smile on his face in order to save the lives of the protagonists.

Teruki Hanazawa: A Character Study of Mob Psycho 100

Teruki Hanazawa as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Teruki initially served as an antagonist in Mob Psycho 100 and was among the anime villains who ultimately redeemed themselves, earning him a place as one of Shigeo’s closest companions, the protagonist.

Despite the protagonist’s view, Teruki saw his esper powers as superior and used them to bully others. However, a humiliating defeat at the hands of Shigeo caused him to rethink his behavior and he began using his powers to assist others rather than harm them.