History Main / LoveRedeems

** [[AmnesiacHero Seven]] performed his pre-amnesia [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn to protect a still unamed girl.]] She repaid his kindness by [[BackStab stabbing him in the back.]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': Thus trope gets ZigZagged by the Joker in season 2 when he suffers AmnesiacDissonance and gets a girlfriend who has two kids he adores. When he gets turned back into the Joker again he initially is disgusted by the boring and wholesome person he became and dumps her, but then he gets nostalgic for the time he spent with her and realizes that he still loves her in a far more genuine way than the abusive relationship he had with Harley and gets back together with her, but then confirms that he still is unrepentantly evil. So he only gone from an unlikable mass murder and abusive misogynist to a slightly likable mass murderer with a family and a healthy romance.

It's worth mentioning that this is what the LoveMartyr wants to happen, as does the MonsterFangirl and many {{shipp|ing}}ers who put DracoInLeatherPants. In RealLife, this attitude often leads people to ''Series/TheJerrySpringerShow''; "But he really loves me! These bruises will heal!" On the other hand, it may very well be [[TheLoveSlapOfEpiphany the hero who bruises the baddie]], channeling the power of love through violence and thus bringing redemption.

It's worth mentioning that this is what the LoveMartyr wants to happen, as does the MonsterFangirl and many {{shipp|ing}}ers who put DracoInLeatherPants. In RealLife, this attitude often leads people to ''Series/TheJerrySpringerShow''; "But he really loves me! Those bruises will heal!" On the other hand, it may very well be [[TheLoveSlapOfEpiphany the hero who bruises the baddie]], channeling the power of love through violence and thus bringing redemption.

* Quick Man's VillainousCrush on Roller Brawl evolves into this in ''Fanfic/RollerBrawlTheMegaCyborg'', [[spoiler: as he betrays Dr. Wily for her to help her get a reprogrammed Mega Man back, warning her of the Mecha Dragon and giving advice on how to destroy it. It's also shown that his HeelFaceTurn is a genuine one, telling Blues that he owes Dr. Light for giving him a second chance]].

* In ending 1 of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13543910/1/The-Real-Poor-Unfortunate-Soul The Real Poor Unfortunate Soul]]'' and it's continuation chapter, Ursula fell in love with Ariel to such a degree that she couldn't bear to cause her any suffering, resulting in her not only freeing Ariel from their deal, but all the merfolk she turned into polyps as well.

* In a RealLife example from ''Survivor'', Jonny Fairplay was recently invited back onto the show for its latest season, ''Fans vs. Favorites''. Fans who remember Fairplay from the season he previously appeared on, ''Pearl Islands'', remember him as a deplorable [[MagnificentBastard bastard]] who went so far as to lie about his grandmother's death to win an immunity challenge. During Fans vs. Favorites, however, he was noticeably subdued, mentioning his girlfriend and his unborn child several times, and then getting himself voted off the island so that he could return and be with them.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'': Mr. Wolf, along with his gang, are trying to [[FalselyReformedVillain feign reformation]] so they can get another chance of stealing a trophy. But when he starts bonding with Governor Diane Foxington, Wolf starts questioning if he really should stay as a feared criminal. [[spoiler:Diane's compassion, empathy and trust in him ultimately win him over, as he can't bring himself to betray her.]]

* To a lesser extent, Kevin Levin from ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce''. According to his character profile on Creator/CartoonNetwork's new MMO, ''Fusionfall'', his fondness for [[TheChick Gwen]] is keeping him in check.

See also ICanChangeMyBeloved, where someone tries to invoke this trope but fails.

* This ''almost'' happened to ''ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'' when he fell in love with [[HotScientist Suli]]. His [[EvilMatriarch mother Heggra]] had Desaad poison her to put an end to that. Darkseid would later [[SelfMadeOrphan return the favor]] with Desaad's aid. The only remnant of this past love is Darkseid's ''relative'' leniency with his and Suli's son Kalibak. Yeah, Darkseid will brutalize and vaporize Kalibak just like any other minion, but he'll also always bring him back to give him another chance -- eventually.

** In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26454565/chapters/64458286 What Are The Odds?]]'', where Makoto retains his memories, he easily recognizes the disguised "Junko" as Mukuro, and seeing herself backed into a corner, she admits the truth, with Makoto constantly asking her to leave, saying that Junko will eventually betray her. When Junko does, she tries to turn her sister's love for Makoto into LoveMakesYouEvil through ManipulativeEditing, making it look like Kyoko's trying to make a move on Makoto. This is eventually dispelled when Makoto plainly states that Mukuro is the one he's in love with, leading to the two becoming an OfficialCouple, having a BigDamnKiss and becoming each other's closest confidants. At the end, when [[spoiler:Makoto kills Junko with a hidden blade given to him by Mukuro, he is devastated, but Mukuro assures him that while she loved Junko, she loves him too. The last chapter is them having TheirFirstTime the two are plainly happy with one another with pure vanilla sex, and the story ends with them [[SleepCute snuggling together]]]].

** In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26454565/chapters/64458286 What Are The Odds?]]'', where Makoto retains his memories, he easily recognizes the disguised "Junko" as Mukuro, and seeing herself backed into a corner, she admits the truth, with Makoto constantly asking her to leave, saying that Junko will eventually betray her. When Junko does, she tries to turn her sister's love for Makoto into LoveMakesYouEvil through ManipulativeEditing, making it look like Kyoko's trying to make a move on Makoto. This is eventually dispelled when Makoto plainly states that Mukuro is the one he's in love with, leading to the two becoming an OfficialCouple, having a BigDamnKiss and becoming each other's closest confidants. At the end, when [[spoiler:Makoto kills Junko with a hidden blade given to him by Mukuro, he is devastated, but Mukuro assures him that while she loved Junko, she loves him too. The last chapter is them having TheirFirstTime, and GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex is clearly in effect, as the two are plainly happy with one another with pure vanilla sex, and the story ends with them [[SleepCute snuggling together]]]].

--> '''The Phantom:''' If I am the Phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved, it is because your love redeems me.\\

* ''VisualNovel/ExtraCaseMyGirlfriendsSecrets'': Downplayed with the SerialKiller. [[spoiler:"Seira"/Shadow agrees to spare Marty as long as he can give Sally the love and support she deserves, but will kill him if he fails. In the ninth ending, she emerges again when Sally falls into despair over becoming a pariah.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'': Clarabelle Cow was hired by [[BigBad Pete]] to dispose of Goofy, with whom she falls in love.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', Queen Elsa's familial love for her sister, Anna, [[spoiler: helps her make her HeelFaceTurn and end the EndlessWinter that she started.]]
* The basic moral of ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe''.

** Minos and [[HarpingOnAboutHarpies Fatima]], a pair of villains from Aladdin's past wind up being redeemed ''and'' cured of their {{Baleful Polymorph}}s through ThePowerOfLove..

* Although not "evil", Kimmy TheCheerleader in ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'' was at first an AlphaBitch and quite mean to Ilana. She was trying to persuade Newton to do her homework for her, but when he convinced her she's not as shallow or dumb as she thinks she is, she falls in love with him and ends up becoming his girlfriend. She starts to get along with Lance and Ilana after that as well.

Love is as ([[GoodFeelsGood or more!]]) addictive as TheDarkSide. These two forces interact very curiously, Love can just as easily lead a KnightInShiningArmor into the Dark Side, as it can drag the most [[CardCarryingVillain committed]], [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty]], [[KickTheDog puppy-kicking]] villain [[CuriosityCausesConversion kicking and screaming]] into being [[HeelFaceTurn redeemed]]. Whether they're a FallenHero who starts DatingCatwoman, a ProfessionalKiller who fell InLoveWithTheMark, or the NecessarilyEvil who gains a MoralityPet that gives them something to live for, love tends to corrode evil like lemon on popcorn (and it [[EvilTastesGood tastes so good]]!) even if it [[HopeIsScary frightens at first]]. By and large, Love tends to subvert rather than aid evil, UnholyMatrimony not withstanding. If it isn't HeroicResolve it's HeroicWillpower, making even the most soul corrupting evil as weak as a [[TastesLikeDiabetes sickeningly sweet]] kitten.

* * ''Fanfic/TemporalAnomaly'': WordOfGod states the reason the Intoners are actually able to pull a HeelFaceTurn is due to the fact that Sougo, unlike [[UnequalPairing the Disciples]] or the people they rule over, not only has a strong will of his own but also won't bow to them or expect anything less than what he wants from them, forcing them to improve simply through someone who actually has expectations for them and a willingness to help them change, allowing them to become better individuals as a result.