Redemption and When it Works
I enjoy a good redemption arc just as much as the next guy. However, not every arc is the same, and not every arc is good. I want to bring two examples of redemption arcs to the table, one that I like and one that I dislike, and then I want to compare them.The first arc, the good one, is from, you guessed it, Avatar The Last Airbender. Zuko’s redemption arc was great because of how thought out it was. Zuko was humanized from the very beginning of the show, which means that the audience always pitied him. Similarly, in order to keep Zuko pitied by the audience, he never crosses the line of no return. I think that line changes with different characters. However, when Zuko did problematic things, the action was explained with reflection and past trauma. Many people in the ATLA fandom wonder why Azula never got a redemption arc, and it’s because Azula crossed the line. While Zuko’s anger was framed as circumstantial and pitiful, Azula’s cruelty seemed to be an inherent trait.
The writers also proved that Zuko got better as a person. At first, he was the antagonist, but he wound up becoming one of the main characters who went through his own adventures. Due to this choice, we got to see Zuko change throughout the show. We get to see him live as an honest worker, encounter new situations, and try to be better. The last element I want to discuss right now is Zuko’s temporary fall from improvement. I think his fall allowed us to see Zuko struggle with his past and his current perspectives, a struggle he didn’t have before. It also wound up leading to my favorite episode of the series and my favorite line from the show ("I'm ANGRY AT MYSELF").
I guess what I am trying to say is that Zuko’s story is convincing. If redemption arcs aren’t convincing, they feel phony. This assertion leads me to the next arc, one that I have mentioned before, but not in the same context. I’m going to discuss Catra’s arc from She-Ra. I don’t like this arc because I don’t think the writers tried for long enough to write it. Catra was shown to be pitiful, and she did have trauma the audience felt bad for her for. I never really hated Catra, but I just didn’t like her. Her redemption arc was pretty much one episode, and it was from when Catra tried to sacrifice herself for Adora to when she said she loved her. After that, it took less than an episode for the entire group to accept her as different. This upset me because, before this, Catra was on a very long self-destructive streak. It started to seem more like a personal characteristic than an in-context behavior. I say that it started to become a part of her personality because she couldn’t change for her best friend at the time, Scorpia.
Anyways, long story short, the short redemption arc paired with the long period of cruelty and attempted murders gave me a sour taste in my mouth. When Adora and Catra started dating, I just wasn’t convinced. That situation wouldn't happen in real life. People don’t talk about Catra’s redemption as much as they talk about her relationship, which, to me, signifies that her relationship was the one saving grace for Catra. On the other hand, Zuko’s redemption arc is constantly praised for its brilliance and fullness.
I'll talk to you guys soon! I will most likely be talking about annoying characters and what makes them that way.