Love Redeems / Literature

• Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Endo and Kobayashi know that Liese resisting possession is possible so long as her feelings of love and, more importantly, confidence in that love remains high. It doesn't actually matter who she's in love with, but they ship Sieg/Liese and go for that rather than the safer bet of the harem ending, which makes them uncomfortable and considering it an Esoteric Happy Ending. Liese's constant intense feelings of love also reawaken the Witch of Yore's true nature, causing her to revert to her true form as a goddess.
• Harry Potter
  • It's revealed in Deathly Hallows that Snape did his Heel–Face Turn out of love for Lily. Although he never stopped being a Jerkass.
  • A milder but still very impressive example in the same book occurs when Narcissa Malfoy lies to Voldemort about Harry's death, thus protecting him, as her only remaining motivation is her love for Draco. It eventually leads to the Malfoy family being pardoned for their crimes.
  • While Grindelwald's true feelings for Dumbledore are left open to interpretation (either genuine affection or respect is a completely valid interpretation), his allowing Voldemort to kill him so his tomb wouldn't be desecrated can be taken to be this.
  • This is the defining trope of Harry Potter. If a character truly loves another, then they become at least somewhat sympathetic. Inversely, all of the characters who don't love are pure evil. There are very few exceptions to this rule in the series, but the most glaring one is Bellatrix Lestrange, who has a very powerful obsessive love for her master, Lord Voldemort, but is still quite evil, without a single sympathetic moment to her name.
• In Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series, the evil Tania falls in love with the protagonist Bane and has a Heel–Face Turn (and a serious personality change), though she ends marrying someone else as Bane is already married.
• This trope is a biggie in the 18th-century novel Pamela by Samuel Richardson, a book that intended to be about proper conduct. A young waiting-maid's mistress dies, and so the household is given over to her son, Mr. B, who quickly sets his sights on Pamela's "virtue." She manages to refuse his advances despite his hostile behavior and attempts to full-out rape her, and eventually decides to quit and return home. Only the carriage meant to take her home kidnaps her to one of Mr. B's other estates, where she is held prisoner with her virtue as the ransom. She endures more of his advances, until finally Mr. B reads the letters she's been writing detailing her imprisonment and just then realizes what a terrible human being he's been. He lets her go, but Pamela realizes she's in love and accepts his marriage proposal. And suddenly Mr. B has been supporting an illegitimate child all this time, so he's really a good guy, honest!
• In Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, Rebellious Princess Miriamele attempts to invoke this trope to bring her father, Unwitting Pawn Elias, back from the brink of releasing the Sealed Evil in a Can Storm King. It doesn't work, but after the summoning is interrupted by Simon and Camaris, he regains enough sanity to beg her to kill him. She does, saving the world.
  • Miriamele also uses this on Shell-Shocked Veteran Cadrach earlier in the story. It doesn't prevent The End of the World as We Know It, but does set Cadrach up for a Heroic Sacrifice in the Collapsing Lair.
• In the Dragonlance Legends trilogy, priestess Crysania believes that she can pull this off for dark wizard Raistlin. The actual redemption comes at the last second, in the form of Raistlin's estranged twin brother.
• This is heavily implied in the case of Richard and Alec's departure in The Privilege of the Sword.
• In White Fang, without actually redeeming himself as he retains his wolf instincs, White Fang becomes much less wild and violent after being adopted by Scott, the only master he grows to love.
• In the Sword of Truth series, both Denna and Nicci are redeemed by their love for Richard Rahl. Neither of them actually gets to be with him, as he was already with Kahlan, but Denna died shortly afterwards and Nicci clearly stated that I Want My Beloved to Be Happy.
• Many fans of Tales of the Frog Princess by E. D. Baker theorize that this happened to Garrid. When you think about it, it actually makes sense. Pre-Li'l: Cold, cunning, a liar, and something of a Jerkass. Post-Li'l: Funny, relaxed, Friendly Neighborhood Vampire, very helpful ally to have around. Depending on your view, he could also have qualified as a Jerk with a Heart of Gold all along— it just took Garrid falling for Li'l for it to show.
• In Death: Eve and Roarke certainly experience this from their relationship.
• The Dresden Files:
  • Played With on an ongoing basis in - true love can save a White Court Vampire before their first feeding. If the would-be White Court vampire feeds on someone who truly loves the vampire and the vampire loves in return, that love destroys the fledgling demon inside of the White Court vampire. If they mature by having sex with another person, their demon will take root and love is merely dangerous to those who feed on lust.
  • Harry tries to invoke this for Molly Carpenter, his apprentics as a justification to go straight. He tries to avert the romantic aspect of that as much as possible (for obvious, squicky reasons), but seems to have failed as of Ghost Story.
  • Before meeting her husband Charity Carpenter was part of a cult of magic users who were pushing the laws of magic a little. After the cult leader betrayed the group and nearly killed her, she is saved by her future husband. His kindness and love helped her move beyond her dablings with dark magic and magic itself.
  • Susan Rodriguez nearly became damned after she killed and drank the blood of the man who told the Red Court the location of her daughter Maggie. However, her love for her daughter helped her retain enough of her humanity as she transformed into a full Red Court vampire that she allowed Harry to kill her on an alter which would unleash a powerful bloodline curse on all "older" members of that bloodline. As she became one of the "youngest" Reds, the bloodline curse killed all full Red Court vampires older than her and removed the vampire part of those who were part Red Court, returning them to their true age.
  • The Knights of the Cross exist to fulfill this trope, turning the hosts of the Denarians against their Fallen Angel. This is because the mortal host is lost among the lies of the Fallen and the Knight is meant to have love enough to help them find the truth and walk away from the Fallen. Those who reject this offering and fight back, however, are fair game to be struck down.
  • It is strongly implied that Margaret LeFay only got together with Malcolm Dresden to give birth to a Starborn but that his genuine love for her is what ultimately redeemed her and saved her soul from damnation.
  • The Shadow of Lasciel had one job in its whole existence: corrupt Harry Dresden to the dark side by whatever means it could use without actually killing Harry. Instead, Harry endures the Shadow in his head for years out of sheer willpower, where most succumb to a Fallen's Shadow in days or weeks at most. After existing in the malleable mind of Harry for so long, Harry notes that the Shadow isn't the same being it once was and nicknamed her "Lash." This simple act gifted the Shadow a portion of Harry's soul and transformed her slowly over the course of the book. It culminates in Lash recognizing herself as a separate entity from her Fallen progenitor and choosing to take the brunt of a psychic attack hitting Harry, resulting in her death. She does so because of the love she had developed for Harry.
• Trapped on Draconica: Two examples:
  • Ben's Character Development away from Dirty Coward is jumpstarted by a desire to 'look macho' in front of Erowin, his crush.
  • Kalak's development away from Jerkass Warrior Prince to wise warrior prince is his love for Daniar and her love in return.
  • Two more examples in the sequel, Legacy of the Dragokin:
  • Zarracka becomes reluctantly heroic after meeting her nephew Benji.
    • The man that became Kthonia's husband was a Death Seeker and therefore Too Kinky to Torture. Eventually she fell for him and mellowed out.
• Crime and Punishment: Raskolnikov is on his way to redemption at the end of the novel, thanks to his relationship with Sofia.
• One of the most prominent themes in The Bible, with the Great Commandment in the New Testament being as love for God and love for your neighbor meaning ultimate redemption.
• In The Phantom of Manhattan (a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera), Erik, the titular Phantom, realizes that his love for his son Pierre is a greater one than what he has for Christine, and when it is reciprocated he makes a full Heel Face Turn.
• This is a common theme in Francine Rivers’ novels, especially The Mark of the Lion trilogy and — as you’d expect — Redeeming Love.
• In Simon R. Green's book Hex In The City, a man called Sinner (who has been rejected by both Heaven and Hell, and as such must walk the earth eternally) and his succubus soulmate Pretty Poison are being attacked, and Sinner shields her with his body. As his body is being chipped away, piece by piece, by the constant attacks, Pretty Poison comprehends the notions of self-sacrifice and love, and instead moves to shield him with her own body. Cue a pillar of light that transforms her to her pre-Fall angelic state, and both are forgiven and raised to Heaven. "Come with me, to Paradise," said the angel to the man called Sinner. "For you have been found worthy, as have I."
• The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey uses this trope when dealing with Evan Walker, who is a Silencer, who basically roams the countryside shooting people until he falls in love with Cassie.
• This happens to Dime Novel villain Zanoni the Woman Wizard. Arch-Enemy Dr Quartz once kidnapped Nick Carter and brainwashed him into thinking that he was an invalid married to Zanoni. Nick's kind treatment of Zanoni made her fall in love with him and reform.
• The Japanned Box, a non-Sherlock Holmes short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, recounts a tutor's discovery of his employer's dark secret. In his past, the lord was a drunk and a hellion, until his since-deceased wife inspired him to reform. The titular box contains a phonograph recording of her last words, begging him not to lapse into his old ways of drinking and hell-raising. Determined to hold himself to his promise and unable to abide being pitied, the man regularly locks himself away and listens to the recording. By the time of the story, his mania for secrecy leaves his servants speculating wildly about the mysterious woman's voice they keep hearing.
• In Allegiant, when given the choice between reclaiming her son Tobias's affection or holding on to power in the city, Evelyn chooses Tobias. And she's much happier for it.
• In The House of Night, Stark and Zoey's relationship is entirely built on this. Initially, after he becomes a Red Fledgling, he works for the Big Bad; but after he falls for Zoey, he believes her when she tells him he can choose to be good and pledges to be her warrior.
• Worm:
  • Assault used to be a villain named Madcap, until he met the superhero Battery. They fought several times, and he genuinely fell for her, eventually surrendering to the law in exchange for (partial) amnesty for his crimes and the opportunity to be on the same team as Battery. They got married a few years later.
  • In the case of Regent, dating Imp is what transforms him from the Undersiders' sociopathic Token Evil Teammate into an actually marginally sympathetic and likable person. So much so that he gives up his life to save Imp's during the battle with Behemoth in New Delhi.
  • Twisted all around in regards to Trickster's love for Noelle. Trickster is normally a narcissistic Jerkass, but he genuinely loves Noelle and wants to find a cure for her condition. Unfortunately, it's that same motivation that drove him to become a villain in the first place, and ultimately betray his teammates for Coil. In the end, Noelle is killed with Trickster unable to do a damn thing about it, in large part because his single-minded drive to save her blinded him from potential solutions that could have.
• In O. Henry's short story "A Retrieved Reformation", Jimmy Valentine gives up his thieving ways and becomes a respectable man after he falls in love with Annabel. The policeman who was planning to arrest him instead pretends not to know him after seeing that he's genuinely changed for the better.
• In Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, Evil Teacher Miss Nogard (who had been using her ability to hear people's thoughts to spread misery and enmity among her students) is preparing to cross the Moral Event Horizon by "accidentally" dropping Mrs. Jewls' new baby out the thirtieth story window, but in a moment of curiosity, decides to listen to the baby's thoughts, something she had never tried before. The pure, wordless innocence and love that she hears completely overwhelms her, and instantly wipes away all the bitterness and hatred that had built up in her heart.
• In In the Last Days, Jani's love for Lydia is what leads him to desert his position in The Antichrist's elite army. When Lydia is captured, he sees the torture she is put through and helps her escape, switching over to the Christians' side. Though she doesn't return his feelings and decides to remain a Celibate Heroine altogether as the world is nearing its end anyway, Jani faithfully guards the shelter she has organized, right until the Second Coming of Christ.
• How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Prince Julius Amidonia starts out trying to follow his father's example as a Warrior Prince. After Gaius died however, he got a brutal reality check when he tried to carry on his father's will, and his missteps combined with Souma and Roroa's machinations led to the annexation of Amidonia by Elfrieden and him being driven from the country. Wondering where he went wrong, he eventually drifted to the Kingdom of Lastania, where he was basically forced into an engagement with Princess Tia. From there on out he finally began to learn from his mistakes and consequently grew as both a ruler and a person, even growing to genuinely love Princess Tia, maturing a calmer yet fiercer young man who will do anything for his new family, including asking his old nemesis Souma for help.

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