Ten Characters Who Redeemed Themselves

Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share ten characters who redeemed themselves this week (Topic suggested by Deanna at A Novel Glimpse). I am an absolute sucker for a good redemption story but I may find this to be a difficult topic because my memory for book details is not that great. Let’s see what I come up with! Links go to my reviews if I’ve written one or to Bookshop.org if I haven’t.

Sydney Carton–A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens–I had to read this for school, which meant that I hated it because I hated everything my teachers made me read. But I remember Carton’s redemption arc so well that I have a copy of this book in storage somewhere so that I can re-read it now that I’m older and can probably appreciate it more.

Mr. Darcy–Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen–I’m more of a Captain Wentworth fan but Mr. Darcy did transform himself from insufferable snob to romantic hero by the end of this book.

Achilles–The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller–This entry is limited to this specific book. I have always loathed Achilles. He’s a whiny, murderous, insufferable slave holder at best, rapist at worst. But Madeline Miller worked her magic on his character in this book. She wondered what would happen if maybe we didn’t know the entire story of Achilles and Agamemnon and gave us a little peek behind the scenes of her world. And suddenly I found myself liking and maybe even respecting Achilles. A lot. It was like magic.

Edmund Pevensie–The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis–Edmund is my least favorite of the Pevensie siblings because he’s such a traitor. I am a world-class grudge holder. But I have to admit that he has his own redemption story throughout the book.

Shizuka Satomi–Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki–Ms. Satomi seems irredeemable. She’s claimed six souls for the devil. But as she’s working on closing out her contract and securing a seventh, something surprising happens.

Vance Reigns–Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston–Honestly, I love the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale so much, you could substitute just about any of the innumerable retellings here. This one is fun because it’s set in the modern world.

Jamie–The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna–Jamie is downright rude and churlish when heroine Mika Moon enters his sphere but as we learn his background and he learns to trust Mika, he becomes much more sympathetic.

Wallace–Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune–Wallace is unbearable at first. He’s truly a terrible a person. But after his death, which happens in the first chapter, he meets other characters who help him grow and change his ways.

Kate and Dan Holland–Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks–Kate and Dan are like a lot of us (and I include myself in this). They’re a little too absorbed in themselves and their first-world problems. They aren’t terrible people but they’re annoying and unaware of how good they have it compared to probably 95% of the world. But they really step up when an eruption cuts them off from the rest of civilization and their small community is literally fighting for survival.

The Hound–A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin–Don’t get me wrong–The Hound is pretty despicable all the way through this series but Martin gives us glimpses into his early years that made me feel some empathy for him. He also shows mercy and actively helps a few characters. I wouldn’t say he’s completely redeemed but he’s on his way. I’m pretty sure this is true in the book and the TV show.

That’s my list! Have you read any of these? Which characters did/would you choose? Link up every Tuesday at That Artsy Reader Girl!

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