Good Bad Guys in literature
October 17, 2018 7:39 PM Subscribe
I've been in the mood for the "bad guy who becomes good," trope today, and wondered if AskMe might have some nice recommendations along those lines. I've been re-reading some Star Wars favorites from childhood which feature the trope pretty heavily, and would love more examples. Specific details below :)
I've been reading the Star Wars X-Wing series, which feature in the latter half a character named Lara Notsil. She's an agent of the Empire who gradually comes to realize that it isn't worthy of her. The actual resolution of the story arc is a lot more complicated, but I enjoy watching the inner transformation and, to some extent, the angst she goes through.
ON a similar note, Red Rabbit, by Tom Clancy, is basically all about a "bad," guy who is motivated to switch sides by the realization that communist Russia is going to do something which is inherently evil.
I'd love any recommendations along these lines. Stand-alone books or series are fine, though I'd prefer a reasonably happy ending for the "good," guy, if possible. Thanks, AskMe! :)
I've been reading the Star Wars X-Wing series, which feature in the latter half a character named Lara Notsil. She's an agent of the Empire who gradually comes to realize that it isn't worthy of her. The actual resolution of the story arc is a lot more complicated, but I enjoy watching the inner transformation and, to some extent, the angst she goes through.
ON a similar note, Red Rabbit, by Tom Clancy, is basically all about a "bad," guy who is motivated to switch sides by the realization that communist Russia is going to do something which is inherently evil.
I'd love any recommendations along these lines. Stand-alone books or series are fine, though I'd prefer a reasonably happy ending for the "good," guy, if possible. Thanks, AskMe! :)
Avatar: The Last Airbender is the first thing that popped to my mind :)
posted by The otter lady at 7:53 PM on October 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 7:53 PM on October 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
Groundhog Day!
posted by jbenben at 7:54 PM on October 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by jbenben at 7:54 PM on October 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
Saitou Hajime in the Rurouni Kenshin manga/anime is the first one that popped into my mind. (Though in truth he doesn't change sides; it's more that the situation shifts in such a way that he and the protagonists wind up joining forces.)
Sorry about giving another manga example when you want literature.
posted by heatherlogan at 8:03 PM on October 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Sorry about giving another manga example when you want literature.
posted by heatherlogan at 8:03 PM on October 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/HeelFaceTurn/Literature
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:09 PM on October 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:09 PM on October 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu is at first an adversary of Gilgamesh but later becomes his bosom buddy.
posted by XMLicious at 9:44 PM on October 17, 2018
posted by XMLicious at 9:44 PM on October 17, 2018
Very different genre, but the Reformed Rake is a common trope in Victorian/regency romance.
posted by meijusa at 10:51 PM on October 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by meijusa at 10:51 PM on October 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
I’m going to make the argument for currently in theaters, Paul Feig’s, A SIMPLE FAVOR.
Emily’s character (the super sauve villian) is a commentary on violence against women, and in truth, so is the character Stephanie. A++, highly recommend.
posted by jbenben at 11:43 PM on October 17, 2018
Emily’s character (the super sauve villian) is a commentary on violence against women, and in truth, so is the character Stephanie. A++, highly recommend.
posted by jbenben at 11:43 PM on October 17, 2018
Severus Snape
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 5:37 AM on October 18, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 5:37 AM on October 18, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm currently reading the Fear Saga, and there are big elements of this. I am only half way through the second book, so I can't say how it ends up or if there is a happy ending, but it absolutely ticks your "good bad guy" thing. Plus, it is just a super good read.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 5:44 AM on October 18, 2018
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 5:44 AM on October 18, 2018
Christmas Carol is a good suggestion. Dickens is full of this. Without giving too much away, Our Mutual Friend arguably features at least three of these arcs (maybe even more that I'm forgetting).
posted by saladin at 6:21 AM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by saladin at 6:21 AM on October 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Possibly Jaime Lannister and the Hound from GOT, though I think more broadly GOT is more like "most people are both good and evil depending on the context", but both of them are presented first as More Evil and then become more sympathetic.
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:40 AM on October 18, 2018
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:40 AM on October 18, 2018
I thought Schaffa Guardian Warrant from The Broken Earth trilogy was really cool. Though he doesn't go from Evil to Good so much as switch flavors of "It's Complicated."
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 1:11 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Phobos the Space Potato at 1:11 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
The Happy Hypocrite by Max Beerbohm is a favorite of mine.
posted by agatha_magatha at 3:27 PM on October 18, 2018
posted by agatha_magatha at 3:27 PM on October 18, 2018
The manga Fullmetal Alchemist has several characters like this, some of whom change over the course of the story, and others who make the transition in flashback.
posted by bettafish at 8:56 PM on October 18, 2018
posted by bettafish at 8:56 PM on October 18, 2018
Pride and Prejudice!
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 9:05 PM on October 18, 2018
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 9:05 PM on October 18, 2018
It may not precisely fit the trope, but I'm going to recommend Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, anyway, because it's wonderful, and because one of the main characters is a demon who comes to realize, along with with an angel left on Earth to watch over humanity, that they 1) have gone native and therefore b) have interests more in common with each other than the sides they also ostensibly serve.
Another main character is the Antichrist Himself, who due to a comic series of misadventures winds up getting raised as a normal English lad, so while he's mischievous he never is actually bad.
posted by Gelatin at 10:44 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
Another main character is the Antichrist Himself, who due to a comic series of misadventures winds up getting raised as a normal English lad, so while he's mischievous he never is actually bad.
posted by Gelatin at 10:44 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Melismata at 7:50 PM on October 17, 2018