10 Best Redeemed TV Villains Like Stranger Things’ Steve Harrington

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for all the shows in this article.Steve Harrison’s redemption arc in Stranger Things was one of the best things about the Netflix hit, but he is not the only character to go through a major change from villain to someone viewers can sympathize with. Some of the very best TV shows of all time have one thing in common; they have characters who are well-written, and have a very engaging arc over the time they’re on the show. Also, it doesn’t matter if it’s an epic fantasy show or a gritty drama, the characters we either root for as the protagonists or despise as the antagonists, make or break the series overall.

If even Game of Thrones villains can get redemption arcs, plenty of other antagonists deserve a second chance. However, pulling this off is never easy. This is why what Stranger Things did with Steve Harrison was so impressive, to the point it is now surprising to remember that he was one of the show’s primary antagonists in the first couple of episodes. Of course, Steve’s redemption was not the first time a major TV show reinvented an antagonist.

10 Lionel Luthor

Smallville

Lionel Luther, played by John Glover, was one of Smallville’s best characters. The smooth-voiced father of Lex Luther becomes increasingly villainous throughout the Superman prequel. He attempts to kill Chloe and even tries to swap bodies with his own son when he becomes terminally ill.

However, as the show went on, he started to become an almost heroic character. He had guidance from Kryptonian Al Jor-El to help keep Clark’s true identity a secret and even set up a secret society to protect Clark. Luther commits some truly heinous crimes, such as having his own parents killed to fund LutherCorp. Glover’s performance is so good, though, that you root for him to do the right thing as the series progresses.

9 Alexis Rose

Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek was one of the funniest, heartwarming, and ultimately redemptive series to hit screens, and has gained a huge cult following. The Rose family all begin as stuffy, insufferable, and uptight people in every conceivable way. It’s fascinating to watch them go from being incredibly wealthy to all bunking up together in a small motel room. The most uptight was Annie Murphy’s Alexis Rose.

Schitt’s Creek has some wonderful episodes, in which every member of the Rose family has a well-written arc. However, it’s Alexis’ transformation from a wealthy, pampered princess, to a caring, lovable, and charming individual which is great. She has to go through the pain of heartbreak to get there, but once she’s made amends with Ted, and his family, it’s truly heartwarming to see her stand up on her own two feet and make a life for herself on her own initiative.

8 Michael

The Good Place

The Good Place is one of the most humorous and wildly inventive TV shows. It has an eclectic cast who do a great job of bringing the weird and wonderful series to life. One of the best characters is Michael, played by Cheers veteran, Ted Danson, who stars as the main antagonist, and has a great redemptive arc.

When we first meet Michael, he introduces himself as the architect of the Good Place; a neighborhood in the afterlife where people who’ve lived a decent life go. However, The Good Place has one of the greatest plot twists in television when it’s revealed that Michael is actually a demon, and the characters are living in the Bad Place. Despite torturing the show’s heroes, he eventually realizes there’s something wrong with how the afterlife judges people, and completely switches his beliefs.

7 Valencia Perez

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

There are great songs in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but it’s the relationships that really make the show. When Valencia, played by Gabriella Ruiz, is first introduced in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, she’s the main competition for the series’ protagonist, Rebecca. She starts dating the guy Rebecca has a crush on, Josh, and is generally shown to be vindictive, shallow, and unintelligent. Audiences questioned why Josh would be with someone like her.

It’s not long, however, before it’s revealed that Josh is somewhat of a loser, and Valencia breaks up with him for not proposing after 15 years. This is the catalyst for Valencia’s redemption, as she starts to bond with Rebecca, and the pair eventually become firm friends. It’s a great arc for a character who appears to be so self-centered, and she joins Rebecca, and Heather, as the series’ most important characters.

6 Eric Northman

True Blood

True Blood is one of the greatest shows about vampires ever made, which is largely thanks to the variety of awesome villains it has in its roster. It’s also funny, sexy as hell, and spills more claret than audiences were expecting in 2008. One of its best characters is Eric Northman, played by Alexander Skarsgård, who begins as a ruthless vampire but is not the villain he’s first introduced to be.

The main antagonist in True Blood is Russel Edgington, who wants to wipe out all of humanity, but it’s Eric’s transformation from a manipulative, blood-sucking vampire, into a more heroic figure that’s the most compelling character arc. He starts a passionate affair with Sookie, and when the show’s ‘good’ vampire, Bill, starts to get consumed by his curse, it’s Eric who attempts to save him from true death.

5 Theon Greyjoy

Game Of Thrones

The truly wonderful fantasy series, Game of Thrones may have had a controversial ending, but overall, it’s one of the greatest shows ever made. This is in part thanks to the characters George R.R. Martin wrote in his books, including the villains who turned into good guys. Theon Greyjoy is a superb example of a beleaguered character finding good in himself and others, especially in the HBO adaptation as the show eventually caught up with the books.

He’s introduced as an arrogant teenager, but his subsequent torture and hardship make his redemption even more compelling. He murdered innocent boys and betrayed those closest to him, but after he’s mutilated, and humiliated later in the show, he eventually finds the strength to fight back. Theon’s redemption arc is one of the most compelling in a show with more than just one redeemed villain, and he became a firm favorite with many fans.

4 Cheryl Blossom

Riverdale

Riverdale is another show that does a great job of making you hate certain characters for the relentless abuse they pile on other people. The writing is also strong enough that when redemption comes for characters like Cheryl Blossom, it feels earned. Despite Cheryl’s troubling behavior, the show gives her some sympathy early on, with the main plot focusing on who killed her brother, Jason.

Cheryl has some great quotes in Riverdale, but her body shaming of Betty, plus when she convinces her family that they’ve eaten the remains of Uncle Bedford, are just two examples of why her redemption comes as a surprise. However, when more is revealed about Jason’s death that leads to her suicide attempt, she is shown to be vulnerable and not as shallow as she first appeared. Cheryl is eventually accepted by her peers in season 2 when she becomes one of the Southside Serpents.

3 Al Swearengen

Deadwood

Al Swearengen is one of the most iconic, and memorable, villains from the early 2000s. Deadwood has some great Al Swearengen quotes, and he’s played to perfection by Ian McShane. The very first episode of the series depicted him as one of the most malicious, cruel, and feared leaders of the community. He steps on the neck of a prostitute in the first episode and goes on to show similar bursts of violence as the series progresses.

The saving grace for Swearengen is that he truly loves the town of Deadwood, and when Seth Bullock becomes Sheriff, he makes sure the new guy in charge is an ally. However, it’s when another character, George Hearst, arrives and establishes himself as the new villain in seasons 2 and 3 that Swearengen becomes more of a hero in the show. This is also further established in 2019’s Deadwood: The Movie.

2 Negan

The Walking Dead

From the very first moment Negan is introduced in The Walking Dead, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the series’ most loathsome, and best villains. He makes the Governor look like a good guy and in one of the most shocking moments of violence on TV, viciously kills Glenn with his trusted weapon, Lucille. This is just one moment, among many, that proves Negan is one of TV’s most memorable villains.

However, when Rick eventually manages to capture Negan in season 10, it acts as the start of his redemptive arc. He’s imprisoned in a jail cell in Alexandria, where he’s able to reflect on his actions, and as well as offering advice to people, he also ends up befriending Rick’s daughter. It’s a hugely unlikely redemption, but Negan does manage to become one of the show’s unlikely heroes. Going from a bat-wielding maniac to somebody offering help to others is a huge change for the character.

1 Jaime Lannister

Game Of Thrones

The best example of a character who possibly can’t be redeemed, because his actions are so repulsive, is another character from Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister. He’s quickly introduced in the show as an arrogant, brash member of the Lannisters who is willing to kill a kid to hide his incestuous relationship with his sister. He almost became king in George R.R. Martin’s original plan, and although his eventual redemption is well-earned, it comes at a great cost.

When Jaime is captured by the Starks and ends up on a journey with Brienne of Tarth, he realizes he may not be quite as evil as he thought. However, The Kingslayer loses much of his dignity, and a hand, on his journey towards redemption. It’s largely thanks to his relationship with Brienne that he’s able to see that Cersei is a tyrant, and he shows his truly noble side by joining forces with Jon Snow and Winterfell against his sister’s orders ahead of the Long Night.