It would be unconventional if a movie didn't have a hero at the center of the story; fans always love having someone to root for. However, what fans seem to love more than anything is a redemption story.
It is always exciting to see a character who fits into the role of the protagonist when in the beginning it seems impossible. This villain to hero role is popular in lots of movies, whether it's a small change of heart with an act of service or a drastic change that surprises everyone. Seeing the outcome of the villain to a hero is a unique take, and some movies have nailed this tactic.
10 Despicable Me - Gru
Gru is the definition of a villain in the beginning of Despicable Me. From wanting to steal the moon, from his evil ways of treating others, to his haunting looking home, Gru is labeled as the villain and he's content with it. It's not until Gru takes in 3 girls to help him steal the moon that has a has a change of heart.
He learns how to be selfless, sensitive, and learns what it means to be the good guy. By the end, Gru and his motives completely change, and viewers enjoy his change of character while still enjoying Gru's funny personality.
9 Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi - Darth Vader
Many people will agree that Darth Vader is one of the most popular villains of all time. However, he does try to right his wrongs at his last moments. He ends up saving Luke Skywalker from the Emperor after Luke refuses to join the Galactic Empire. However, saving Luke came with a cost, and while Darth Vader has his last moments, Luke takes off his helmet and they look at one another in the eye.
Darth Vader tells him to leave him, but Luke tells him that he wants to save him. Darth Vader tells his son that he already has. It is a quick jump from villain to hero, but it is a heroic act nonetheless.
8 A Christmas Carol - Ebenezer Scrooge
A Christmas Carol is a classic film and play that has been remade numerous times, but the premise stays the same. Scrooge is a grumpy old man who only cares for himself, and his actions hurt others. It's not until he is met with 3 different ghosts that show him a different side to all the things he has done and how it's affected others.
After seeing how he has acted in the past and present, and what the future holds, Scrooge has a change of heart and wants to make things right. For an elderly man who was so set on his ways, this change is memorable to viewers, and it remains a popular Christmas movie to this day.
7 The Grinch
There have been many great versions of The Grinch, but they all hold the same premise. The Grinch has painted himself as a villain as he sets out on a journey to ruin everyone's Christmas. He does all he can to be the villain by stealing the Christmas presents, trees, and fun, but deep down, the Grinch just needs love and people to support him.
The Grinch has a change of heart after he sees everyone still coming together to celebrate despite the circumstances, and he realizes he needs to make things right. While his heroic act of saving Christmas was initially his evil plan, he fixes his wrongdoings and becomes a beloved hero in the end.
6 X-Men: Days of Future Past - Mystique
In the original X-Men trilogy, Mystique was as villainous as the comic books, but that all changed when the prequels came along. She was once someone who was set on killing Dr. Bolivar Trask, however, it is Mystique who prevents this from happening by stopping Magneto from killing Trask.
She became a completely different character even though she still holds some villainous ways, but she ends up becoming an actual X-Men member and an overall good person. Mystique is a complex character but has experienced a major change from villain to hero.
5 Megamind
Megamind begins as a villain, and he's proud to hold that title. He craves being a villain so bad that once he supposedly kills the main hero of the town, Megamind begins to train another person to become the town's new hero. This way, Megamind can keep being a villain and bring some action back into his life.
However, things change when the hero he chose, Hal, takes on the villainous role and begins to cause havoc to the town. Feeling responsible, Megamind needs to stop Hal before he does any damage, and by doing so, he becomes the unintentional hero who saves the city. It turns out that Megamind isn't meant to be the villain after all.
4 Spider-Man 2 - Dr. Otto Octavius
Doctor Octopus is the main villain in the second Spider-Man movie. He has done many bad things, including killing a medical crew, kidnapping several women, and attacking Peter Parker. However, deep inside, there is Dr. Otto Octavuis, the good-hearted scientist that fans first met at the beginning of the movie.
It is this deep consciousness that he pushes back his evil surface and changes for the good. He musters the courage to drown himself and everything inside of him to the fusion reactor, which he once fought so hard for. While he is fighting against himself, he says that he will not die a monster, and he eventually succeeds by saving New York from death.
3 Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows - Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a known villain throughout the series, from his dark intense behavior to his rancor against young Harry Potter, Snape is not portrayed as a caring person. He works with Harry's enemy and even kills Dumbledore, Harry's friend, but in the end, there is nobility and a reveal of his protection and love for Lily Evans and his allegiance to the Order of Phoenix.
It's said that he was working with Dumbledore and he only killed him to save Draco Malfroy. So while Snape was pictured as an evil person, he was actually a doubt agent who was a hero behind the scenes.
2 Thor: Ragnarok - Loki
Out of all the villains in the MCU, Loki is the most popular and deeply loved by fans. Loki is known mainly as the younger brother and the villain of the Thor movies, constantly trying to one-up his family in his quest for power. However, he finally turns around and fights alongside the good guys, and even sacrifices his life while facing Thanos.
He mostly begins to change in Thor: Ragnarok when Loki helps his brother fight against Jane, their sister. He continues to serve as a heroic figure from then on, even though he does have his evil roots.
1 Terminator 2: Judgement Day - T-800
The T-800 has perhaps made one of the drastic shifts from the first to second movie. This Terminator was once a murderer, targeting and killing Sarah Connor, and going for her future son, John, in order to prevent the future victory of the human resistance.
However, in the second movie, the cyborg is sent to go back in time as a protector to John. It is a complete 180 to his character, and even though the Terminator is programmed and a different model, it is a classic shift from villain to hero, and one that many people remember.
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July 17, 2021 at 12:00AM
