Top 10 Times Animated Villains Died AFTER Redemption

“Justice League” (2001)

During a heated battle, Superman accidentally gets blasted forward through time into a post-apocalyptic future. He soon discovers that the only human being left alive on the planet is the immortal supervillain Vandal Savage. The big bad is quick to confess that he was the one who caused the Earth to be destroyed in the first place. After Superman and Savage strategize, the duo works together to complete a time machine that can undo all the destruction. Since the device can only send Clark back, he becomes curious about Savage’s fate. The villain initially implies that he’ll be fine. But in a memorable scene, it’s revealed that changing the past and saving the world caused the new Savage to be removed from existence.

“Hazbin Hotel” (2024-)

When this slithery antagonist first appeared, he threatened the protagonists in hell with an intimidating zeppelin. After being soundly defeated, Sir Prentious returned to Hazbin hotel and insisted that he wanted to redeem himself. But it turned out the slippery snake was lying through his fangs. Although Sir Pentious intended to betray the hotel residents, he was given a second chance to turn over a new leaf. Not only did he commit to a path of redemption, but he volunteered to use his blimp against an enemy during a climactic battle. This act of courage sadly got Sir Pentious killed. While it was sad to see him go after making so much progress, seeing him ascend to heaven made it easier to accept his loss.

“DreamWorks Dragons” (2012-18)

We’d be here all day if we tried to list all of this big bad’s crimes. Viggo stole from everyone, mistreated dragons, and stabbed Hiccup in the back too many times to count. The villain was committed to his life of cruelty right up to the moment where he was betrayed by an antagonist. Desperate for revenge, Viggo allied with Hiccup to stop the bigger threat. During their mission, the big bad was grievously wounded. Recognizing that there were too many enemies for them to handle, Viggo insisted on laying down his life so Hiccup could escape. His noble sacrifice caught everyone off guard. Who could’ve expected a devoted dragon enemy could do something so good?

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” (2018-20)

Originally, this sorceress seemed like she would be a standard power-hungry villain. But after getting captured by the heroes, we saw an entirely new side of her. Shadow Weaver even began helping the princesses deal with dangerous enemies. This arrangement worked well until she came face to face with the powerful Guardian of the Ancients. Knowing that her allies couldn’t waste time facing the beast, Shadow Weaver volunteered to face the creature alone. She even erected a barrier to ensure no one could help her. Since Shadow Weaver’s sacrifice allowed the heroes to win the day, she was able to embrace her final moments with a smile.

“Batman Beyond” (1999-2001)

An elderly Bruce Wayne was skeptical when he heard Mr. Freeze was being allowed to return to civilian life in a futuristic Gotham. The original dark knight fully believed the cold man would become a villain again. Although Mr. Freeze tried to stay out of trouble, a betrayal from a new ally pushed him back into a life of crime. The icy antagonist initially tried to put the new Batman on ice. But when he and the futuristic dark knight end up in a collapsing building, Freeze trapped himself so the hero wouldn’t try to save him. The former villain’s actions ensured that Batman escaped with his life. Mr. Freeze’s final choice also got Bruce to look at his old foe in a new light.

“Beast Wars: Transformers” (1996-99)

This velociraptor themed Transformer was kicked out of the sinister Predacon group for challenging its leader. Left with nowhere else to turn, Dinobot tried to take control of the heroic Maximal group. Instead of kicking him to the curb, the protagonists offered him a spot on their team. Dinobot was such a ruthless ally that his friends constantly questioned whether he was good or evil. In the end, their doubts were erased with one act. When Megatron threatened to alter time to prevent humans from existing, Dinobot sacrificed everything to save the planet. His friends arrived just in time to see what a hero he truly was. Dinobot died as the former villain who saved humanity.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” (2017-20)

It seemed like Doc Ock could never decide which side he was on. There were some episodes where Otto was determined to eliminate Spider-man’s body or mind. However, there were also stories where Doc Ock’s heroic side came out and he helped the webhead achieve victory. Otto continued to alternate between committing evil acts and doing good deeds until one fateful day. When Adrian Toomes threatened to execute innocent people if Spider-Man didn’t surrender his life, Doc Ock intervened. Otto pushed his body past its limits to stop the antagonist once and for all. When Spider-Man asked why Doc Ock made the ultimate sacrifice, Octavius gave an answer that solidified that he was always a hero.

“The Legend of Korra”

After Hiroshi Sato’s wife was killed by a vicious bender, he vowed to get back at anyone who could manipulate elements. His obsession with revenge nearly led him to kill his daughter Asami. But after Sato was stopped and captured, he was brought back three seasons later to help the heroes take down giant mech. He and his daughter were tasked with creating a hole in the machine that their allies could enter. When it became clear that this task would get them killed, Sato got his daughter to safety and gave up his life to finish the mission. The only silver lining is that Asami got to see her dad as a hero one last time.

“Justice League” (2001-04)

Decades after a gangster named Cyrus Gold was killed, he came back to life as a soulless zombie. When other supervillains found out how formidable he was, they hired him to fight heroes. Grundy continued to work a mindless grunt until the heroes asked him to join a mission to defeat Cthulhu. During the mission, he was grievously injured by the old beast and died in Hawkgirl’s arms. Tragically, Solomon’s story didn’t end there. He was later revived incorrectly by a group of misguided people. Since Grundy was brought back without memories but with a heart full of rage, he relentlessly attacked them. This led to a heartbreaking scene where Hawkgirl had to put the redeemed villain down.

“Samurai Jack” (2012-18)

The assassin known as Ashi was literally born to kill Jack. From a young age, she was forced to undergo cruel training just to slay her father Aku’s biggest enemy. But after the hero saved her life, she decided to work with him to stop her heinous father. The duo eventually found a way to go back to the distant past and finally slay the Aku once and for all. After the great battle, the heroes decided to get married. Unfortunately, the act of killing Aku in the past prevented Ashi’s birth in the future. The assassin’s heel turn saved the Earth from being ruled by her father. It’s tragic that Ashi didn’t get to leave peacefully in the bright world she helped create.



Which redeemed villain's death brought a tear to your eye? Honor them in the comments below!