10 anime villains who had a better redemption than Shigaraki Tomura

There are a lot of anime villains who had a better redemption than Shigaraki Tomura, considering how the My Hero Academia character's redemption didn't make him join the heroes' side. His last words were filled with despair, even though his character received redemption.

Tomura Shigaraki was one of the main protagonists of My Hero Academia whose fate was manipulated by the main antagonist, All for One. After the villain died, he returned as a vestige, showing that there was no way for the heroes to escape his evil. But with the help of Deku, every other hero, and the One for All vestiges, the heroes triumphed and defeated All for One for good.

Shigaraki, who joined Deku in the defeating blow toward All for One, crumbled to dust afterward. In this article, we will compile 10 anime villains who received a better redemption than the My Hero Academia, such that after their redemption, their lives were changed.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen manga series.

Vegeta, Greed, and 8 other anime villains who had a better redemption than Shigaraki Tomura

1) Choso (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Choso as seen in the anime (Image via MAPPA)

One of the minor antagonists of the series, Choso is a death womb painting who was introduced during the Shibuya arc. His involvement in the plot was to take revenge against Itadori who killed his brothers Kechizu and Eso. After exchanging fists with Itadori, Choso got the same feeling when his brother died, indicating that he could have some relationship with the protagonist.

It was later revealed that Choso and Itadori had a parent who Kenjaku possessed, thus making them related. Choso joined the side of the protagonist and had a major involvement during the Culling Game arc and Shinjuku Showdown arc.

2) Vegeta (Dragon Ball)

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

One of the starting antagonists of Dragon Ball, Vegeta was one of the anime villains whose redemption made him part of the protagonist's team. He first arrived on Earth to eradicate the planet but was utterly defeated by Goku and the Z fighters.

However, Goku left him alive so that they could fight another day. Vegeta later returned and joined the Z fighters in their fight to protect Earth from alien species, which was unexpected given Vegeta's first goal was to destroy Earth.

3) Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Greed as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Greed was one of the major antagonists of the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood who could manipulate the carbon inside his body to create a perfect shield. His first vessel was one of the pawns of Father. After the death of this pawn, he transferred vessels to Lings, one of the minor protagonists.

Inside Ling, Greed thought about his life principles. During the last chapter, Greed willingly transferred himself to Father, saving the life of Ling. This also made Father's body brittle, thus helping the protagonists triumph. Greed was similar to Shigaraki in his last moments but didn't die in despair.

4) Meruem (Hunter x Hunter)

Mereum as seen in the anime (Image via Madhouse)

One of the smartest anime villains in the media, Mereum is the main antagonist of the Chimera arc of Hunter x Hunter. He ate his own mother after she gave birth to him, and was later known as the King by his chimera ant army.

While mastering every game in the world, Mereum crossed paths with Komugi, a blind girl who was a master at the game Gungi. Spending time with her, he developed positive feelings for her, which was never expected from a Chimera ant. After his fight with Netero, he was poisoned, and instead of fighting back, he decided to die alongside Komugi.

5) Tamiya Reiko (Parasyte: The Maxim)

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

One of the best redemptions in anime, Tamiya Reiko was the name of the human a parasite took over in Parasyte: The Maxim. Just like every parasite, Reiko also saw humans as mere food. She planned on having a child just to experiment on it and devour it.

But when she gave birth, her maternal instincts kicked in, causing her parasite instinct to shut down. She protected her child from bullets and handed it over to Shinichi, which made the protagonist question the true nature of a parasite. She died protecting the opposing side, just like Shigaraki, but she died a human, instead of a parasite.

6) Kayaba Akihiko (Sword Art Online)

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

The main antagonist of the first arc of Sword Art Online, Aincrad Arc, Kayaba Akihiko is one of the anime villains who received redemption after his death. He trapped approximately 10 thousand players inside a game named Sword Art Online, with no escape other than to clear the game.

Kirito, the protagonist, eventually reached the final stage where he fought Heathcliff, Akihiko's avatar in the game. Akihiko died alongside the demise of Sword Art Online as he tried to transfer his consciousness inside the game. Before his consciousness faded into the game, he gave the password of his account to Kirito, thinking he would be the best person to have it.

7) Magma (Dr Stone)

Magma as seen in the anime (Image via TMS Entertainment)

One of the starting antagonists of Dr Stone, Magma is a resident of the Ishigami Village. He wanted to take over the village by marrying Ruri and later killing her to take everything for himself.

After Senku's arrival to the village, things started to change. Magma's personality became less feral, and he started offering his help to the Science Team whenever needed.

8) Franky (One Piece)

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

The boss of the Franky family and one of the minor antagonists of the Water 7 arc of One Piece, Franky is one of the anime villains whose redemption made him part of the crew of the protagonist. The Franky family stole money from the Straw Hats which resulted in a hardcore battle.

Later, with the abduction of Nico Robin, Franky also offered his hand to the Straw Hat Pirates to recover her. He joined the Straw Hats after this arc as their shipwright, which is hard to believe considering he started as an antagonist.

9) Obito Uchiha (Naruto Shippuden)

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

The man behind the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito Uchiha is one of the anime villains whose redemption was crucial to ending the war he started. After Rin's death, Obito aimed to show the world what pain is by manipulating the Akatsuki and starting the Fourth Great Ninja War.

But Naruto's Talk No Jutsu overwhelmed him, and he decided to join the side of the protagonist. Unfortunately, it was too late as Madara revived himself and activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi. But he saved the life of the protagonists by sacrificing himself, dying with a smile on his face.

10) Teruki Hanazawa (Mob Psycho 100)

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

Teruki was one of the starting antagonists of Mob Psycho 100 and one of the anime villains whose redemption led to him becoming one of the closest companions of Shigeo, the protagonist.

Unlike the protagonist, Teruki perceived his esper powers as something superior, because of which he used them to bully others. After an ugly defeat against Shigeo, he changed his lifestyle and only used his esper powers to help others, instead of bullying them.

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Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay