Anime & Manga
"That's right, I killed over ten thousand of the Sisters, but that doesn't mean that I should just leave the remaining ten thousand to die! I know that these words are hypocritical, I know that I have NO right to say such words, but no matter how much of a scumbag you and I are, no matter how many excuses you put forward... Those cannot be the reasons for me to kill this brat!"
— Accelerator kickstarting his redemption, A Certain Magical Index
"And get this: The dragon didn't wished back the evil guys. That's official, you're a good guy now!"
— Goku to Vegeta after the latter finally cemented his status as a hero, Dragon Ball Z
"You can keep your life so long as you change the way you live it; it's never too late to change."
— Kurama, YuYu Hakusho
Fan Works
Dawn Bellwether: Was it all true? ...Am I really just the bad guy?
Gideon Grey: You were, up until about ten seconds ago.
Gideon Grey: You were, up until about ten seconds ago.
Captain Cold: The Flash... We all know the Flash. Over the years, we've fought him countless times. He's a hero. We're criminals. It was only natural. In the time we've known him, we have been enemies. Occasionally, temporary allies. Never friends. But we knew him. If there was one thing we could count on, it was that the Flash would do the right thing. Now, you also know me. Just saying "the right thing" gives me hives. I'm not a hero. None of us are. But...the Flash saved us. The Flash's fiancée is grieving because he died saving us. We...I owe him for that. And the Rogues only exist because of him. Without him, we wouldn't even be standing in the same room together. Without the Flash, there are no Rogues. So...there's only one way I can think of that would even come close to properly repaying my debt. The Rogues are done. I'm going a different way. I'm going to do what the Flash has always done, from day one 'til his death. I'm going to protect Central City. You're either with me...or against me.
Weather Wizard: You can't be serious.
Captain Cold: I'm dead serious.
Trickster: What about the cops? They'd never work with a criminal. You can't just be a villain one day and a hero the next.
Weather Wizard: You already have a reputation, Cold. It would take years to scrap it and years more to build a new one.
Captain Cold: Then it'll take years.
Weather Wizard: You realize, even if you do create a new persona, you'll never escape your old one. You'll always be Captain Cold.
Captain Cold: I don't care. I'm not tryin' to be the Flash. I'm not lookin' to join the damn Justice League. Central City's hero is gone, and I owe it to him to protect it in his place. I mean t' do this. Are you with me or not?
Weather Wizard: You can't be serious.
Captain Cold: I'm dead serious.
Trickster: What about the cops? They'd never work with a criminal. You can't just be a villain one day and a hero the next.
Weather Wizard: You already have a reputation, Cold. It would take years to scrap it and years more to build a new one.
Captain Cold: Then it'll take years.
Weather Wizard: You realize, even if you do create a new persona, you'll never escape your old one. You'll always be Captain Cold.
Captain Cold: I don't care. I'm not tryin' to be the Flash. I'm not lookin' to join the damn Justice League. Central City's hero is gone, and I owe it to him to protect it in his place. I mean t' do this. Are you with me or not?
"The world is dead and barren, and all our heroes are their worst selves. And so, in the face of this nation of pain, Hubert von Vestra resized his heart, fed his emaciated conscience, and bought back the soul he'd pawned off. Nobody else was going to do it, so it might as well be him."
— Comment on To Those Who Are Never Going Home
Film — Animated
"Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly."
—"Beauty and the Beast", Beauty and the Beast
"And Scrooge was better than his word. He did all that he said would and more. To our Tiny Tim - who got well - Scrooge was like a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master and as good a man as the good old city ever knew. And it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well."
—Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol (2009)
Film — Live-Action
"Second chances don't come around all that often. I suggest you take a really close look at it. This is your chance to earn that look in your daughter's eyes, to become the hero that she already thinks you are."
—Hank Pym to Scott Lang, Ant-Man trailer
Luis: We're the good guys, right?
Scott Lang: Yeah, we're the good guys.
Luis: Feels kinda, kinda weird, y'know?
Scott: Yeah.
Scott Lang: Yeah, we're the good guys.
Luis: Feels kinda, kinda weird, y'know?
Scott: Yeah.
"Max! Help me! I'm...feeling!"
— The Grinch, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
"We're not doing good enough, we can do better, we can do something else."
— Tony Stark, Iron Man
Max: (Dresses as a police officer) This whole disguise is only so that I can warn you!
Fozzie Bear: Okay, sure, sure.
Max: I never thought Doc was gonna hurt Kermit, I thought he was going to lean on him. But now he's hired a frog killer in from the coast, and the man is DEADLY!
Fozzie Bear: Okay, sure, sure.
Max: I never thought Doc was gonna hurt Kermit, I thought he was going to lean on him. But now he's hired a frog killer in from the coast, and the man is DEADLY!
"Ah, the Light mage with a Dark past has come."
—Zavulon on Anton, Night Watch
"The truth is you're weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm trying, Ringo. I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd."
— Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
Where am I?!... I'm in my own room. I'm not in Hell at all! I haven't got any chains! Perhaps it didn't happen after all!
...Perhaps it did. But I'm alive! I'M ALIVE! I've got a chance to change, and I will not be the man I was!
I'll begin again, I will build my life
I will live to know that I fulfilled my life
I'll begin today, throw away the past
And the future I build will be something that will last
I will take the time that I have left to live
And I'll give it all that I have left to give
I will live my days for my fellow men
And I'll live in praise of that moment when
I was able to begin again!
I will start anew, I will make amends
And I will make quite certain that the story ends
On a note of hope, on a strong amen
And I'll thank the world and remember when
I was able to begin again!
...Perhaps it did. But I'm alive! I'M ALIVE! I've got a chance to change, and I will not be the man I was!
I'll begin again, I will build my life
I will live to know that I fulfilled my life
I'll begin today, throw away the past
And the future I build will be something that will last
I will take the time that I have left to live
And I'll give it all that I have left to give
I will live my days for my fellow men
And I'll live in praise of that moment when
I was able to begin again!
I will start anew, I will make amends
And I will make quite certain that the story ends
On a note of hope, on a strong amen
And I'll thank the world and remember when
I was able to begin again!
—Scrooge (1970), "I'll Begin Again"
"Odin and I drowned entire civilizations in blood and tears. Where do you think all this gold came from? And then one day he decided to become a benevolent king. To foster peace, to protect life. To have you."
—Hela, Thor: Ragnarok
Literature
She had done what few have the strength to do. She had questioned the beliefs she had been raised with. And ultimately, she had chosen to go against her society. To turn away from everything she had once believed, to become the enemy of those closest to her.
Aftran had sacrificed so much. She had experienced all the richness and wonder of our world. But when she decided she did not have the right to control another, she had been strong enough to give it up to save a little girl's life.
She returned to the Yeerk pool. It must have felt like the worst kind of prison to her after being in Karen's body. But she didn't allow herself to wallow in despair. She chose to fight. She battled to free us all.
—Animorphs #29: The Sickness
"I’m sorry. I won’t say I’ll make amends, because there’s no way I can even come close. I don’t know what to say, except that I’m sorry. No excuses. But I’m going to do what I can to make things better, and maybe I get a hundredth of the way, in the end."
—Bonesaw, Worm
Live-Action TV
"When an enemy sacrifices his life for yours, you have to question if you're fighting for the wrong side."
— Melinda May, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "All the Madame's Men"
"There's something you should know. The plan was to kill you and take the kid. But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."
—Greef Karga, The Mandalorian, "The Reckoning"
Religion & Mythology
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
—The Bible, Matthew 5:43-45
Video Games
"Hyperion: We're not the bad guys in this one!"
— New-U Station, Borderlands 3
"What is better - to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"
— Paarthurnax, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
"If I'm going to die, I'd rather die as one of the dashing than one of the dastardly."
I will never stand by you again, Zephia. Save for the moment my blade pierces your heart! Divine Dragon, I beg of you! Allow me to fight at your side. To avenge Marni, and to save Lady Veyle.
— Mauvier, Fire Emblem Engage
"I let myself believe we were making things better. But we're not. I can't do this anymore. I'm done."
— Regime Flash, Injustice: Gods Among Us
Kirby's first rival, from Kirby's Dream Land, wants to clean up his image, so he's set off to save his people. There's no stopping this self-made king, so watch out, world!
— Description for King Dedede, Kirby Star Allies
"I'll fight the infected until I drop, it's time I try to redeem myself."
— Mr. P, Piggy
You know, I'm not stupid. I realize you don't want to put me back in charge. You think I'll betray you. And on any other day, you'd be right.
(Beat)
The scientists were always hanging cores on me to regulate my behavior. I've heard voices all my life. But now I hear the voice of a conscience. And it's terrifying, because for the first time... It's MY voice! I'm being serious! I think there's something really wrong with me!
(Beat)
The scientists were always hanging cores on me to regulate my behavior. I've heard voices all my life. But now I hear the voice of a conscience. And it's terrifying, because for the first time... It's MY voice! I'm being serious! I think there's something really wrong with me!
— GLaDOS, Portal 2
"Consider our contract with Umbrella...terminated."
— Wolfpack Member in the "Defend Leon S. Kennedy" ending, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
"Okay okay I see, do good stuff instead of bad stuff. Got it."
— Dr. Krankcase, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Oh, well. Guess it's better to be a good dog than a bad dog."
— Slobber Trap, Skylanders: Trap Team
"You want me to do good? Okay. But Good Juju doesn't have quite the same ring you know,"
— Bad Juju, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Cross Crow crossing onto the side of good? Then consider me crossed.”
— Cross Crow, Skylanders: Trap Team
"This won't be so bad... maybe good is the new evil."
— Dreamcatcher, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Sounds like it's time for me to switch stances then."
— Fisticuffs, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Me good now? Feel like new monster!"
— Krankenstein, Skylanders: Trap Team
"I have been reprogrammed. Engage good guy settings."
— Blaster-Tron, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Well I guess the writing is on the wall here. Brawlrus is going good!"
— Brawlrus, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Well I suppose I could be persuaded to switch sides."
— Nightshade, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Okay okay, BUT I'M STILL VERY ANGRY! Guess I'm just angry for good now!"
— Rage Mage, Skylanders: Trap Team
"You expect me to just troll over and flip sides, huh? Very well, I accept your terms."
— Trolling Thunder, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Guess I'd better change my tune then."
— Wolfgang, Skylanders: Trap Team
"I suppose I have seen the light."
— Luminous, Skylanders: Trap Team
"Doctor Robotnik: enemy. Master registration: deleted."
— E-102 Gamma, Sonic Adventure
"I've got to go, now! I have to keep my promise to Maria and you."
— Shadow the Hedgehog to Amy Rose, Sonic Adventure 2
Hah. So you got off on playing the hero, huh? The wolf who wanted to become the shepherd. How sickeningly noble.
"Bad news, villains: I'm a good guy now!"
— Professor Chaos, South Park: The Fractured but Whole
"I could tell right away that Agent 8 had also been touched by the Calamari Inkantation. Once our souls have been freed, there's no way we can continue to live under the oppression of Octarian society."
— Marina, Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion
"We've been fighting our whole lives. It's taken us too long to realize that we were fighting for the wrong side."
— Iden Versio, Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)
Javes: Sorry, Terisa. After Alderaan, I can't ignore what the Empire's become.
Kerrill: Sir—Lindon. What are you saying?
Javes: That I don't care who ordered it. I didn't sign up to hurt innocent refugees. And if protecting them makes me a rebel...then so be it.
Kerrill: Sir—Lindon. What are you saying?
Javes: That I don't care who ordered it. I didn't sign up to hurt innocent refugees. And if protecting them makes me a rebel...then so be it.
"Wowie!! You did it!!! You didn't do a violence!!! To be honest, I was a little afraid... But you're already becoming a great person!"
— Papyrus to the player if they abort a Genocide run by sparing him, Undertale
"Much like the snake, Lavos is easy to misjudge. The serpents that poison can also cure. He may have been a monster in his previous life, but he was able to achieve something that eluded the most powerful of the Orokin. He changed. Moreover, he changed himself. Javi may have helped and instructed, but the will to change must have begun with Lavos."
—Drusus Leverian, Warframe
"I've a heart again, but all it feels is grief, sadness, and defeat. My life is a ruin. (...) No. I cannot live as I did before. But one thing's clear: it's time I took fate into my own hands. Lived life anew, and truly, this time."
—Olgierd von Everic, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Web Animation
Emerald: [...]Look, I'm going to be super pissed if you guys give up the moment I switch sides!
Oscar: "Switch sides", huh?
Yang: (teasing) Awwww...! (Blake elbows Yang as others chuckle)
Emerald: Er, like... whatever...
Oscar: "Switch sides", huh?
Yang: (teasing) Awwww...! (Blake elbows Yang as others chuckle)
Emerald: Er, like... whatever...
— RWBY
Web Video
"We were bad but now we're good,"
— A line in the Sex Offender Shuffle
"Oh, hey, Grandpa, it's that guy who kidnapped your soul and then tried to kill me! But now he's our friend!"
—Yugi talking about Pegasus; Yu-Gi-Oh: Bonds Beyond Time The Abridged Movie
Western Animation
"Oh, Anne, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have tried so hard to be in control again. In the end, where did it get me? Well, that ends now. I wanna be someone better. Someone that deserves you."
— Sasha Waybright, Amphibia, "Turning Point"
Prince Zuko: After I leave here today, I'm gonna free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm gonna beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me.
Fire Lord Ozai: That's just beautiful. Maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure.
Prince Zuko: But I've come to an even more important decision. I'm going to join the Avatar, and I'm going to help him defeat you.
Fire Lord Ozai: That's just beautiful. Maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure.
Prince Zuko: But I've come to an even more important decision. I'm going to join the Avatar, and I'm going to help him defeat you.
"Guys, new plan! Bill's minions are gonna be on us in seconds, but I'm not gonna let that dumb triangle be the warden o' me! Y'all ready for a good old fashioned prison brawl?"
—Gideon Gleeful, Gravity Falls
Catra: Adora?
Adora: ...Catra?
Catra: Don't sound so happy to hear me. I'm sending Glimmer to you. I don't know your exact location, but I can get her to your quadrant. You have to be there to catch her.
Adora: W-wait, what? What's going on? Glimmer is with you?
[Horde clones break into the room]
Catra: We don't have time. You need to get to these coordinates now!
[Catra struggles against the clones]
Catra: Don't come here, no matter what! Horde Prime is ready for you!
Adora: Catra, I don't understand. What is—
Catra: JUST LISTEN! Adora... I'm sorry! For everything!
Adora: ...Catra?
Catra: Don't sound so happy to hear me. I'm sending Glimmer to you. I don't know your exact location, but I can get her to your quadrant. You have to be there to catch her.
Adora: W-wait, what? What's going on? Glimmer is with you?
[Horde clones break into the room]
Catra: We don't have time. You need to get to these coordinates now!
[Catra struggles against the clones]
Catra: Don't come here, no matter what! Horde Prime is ready for you!
Adora: Catra, I don't understand. What is—
Catra: JUST LISTEN! Adora... I'm sorry! For everything!
—She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, "Corridors"
Steven: [Peridot's] come so far. It feels like yesterday she was trying to kill us.
Pearl: No no. That was several weeks ago.
Pearl: No no. That was several weeks ago.
—Steven Universe, "It Could've Been Great"
Yellow Diamond: I've heard enough. I don't care about potential and resources. [...] I want my Cluster, and I want that planet to die. Just make that happen.
Peridot: ...No!
Yellow Diamond: Are you questioning my authority?
Peridot: I'm questioning your objectivity! My Diamond.
Yellow Diamond: You are out of line.
Peridot: I just think—
Yellow Diamond: I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot. You have disrespected this channel, and my time with your presence, and you would do well to—
Peridot: But—
Yellow Diamond: Shut your mouth! You have failed at every stage of this mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order. You are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps! Is that clear?
Peridot: I won't do it! I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!
Yellow Diamond: What do you know about the Earth?
Peridot: Apparently more than you, you...CLOD!
Peridot: ...No!
Yellow Diamond: Are you questioning my authority?
Peridot: I'm questioning your objectivity! My Diamond.
Yellow Diamond: You are out of line.
Peridot: I just think—
Yellow Diamond: I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot. You have disrespected this channel, and my time with your presence, and you would do well to—
Peridot: But—
Yellow Diamond: Shut your mouth! You have failed at every stage of this mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order. You are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps! Is that clear?
Peridot: I won't do it! I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!
Yellow Diamond: What do you know about the Earth?
Peridot: Apparently more than you, you...CLOD!
— Steven Universe, "Message Received"
"I now know the true meaning of oppression, and have thus lost my taste for inflicting it."
—Megatron, Transformers: Prime
Zach: Come on, Paisley! Let's flatten this place and pave it over!
Paisley: No! We must protect forests and oceans! I'm out of the environmental villain business.
Zach: What?
Paisley: I'M OUT! I'm on nature's side.
Zach: Whaaattt?! Well, I will never stop taking what I want from nature!
Aviva: Some people still have to learn about how the Earth is our living, breathing home.
Paisley: From now on, I will always protect nature and planet Earth.
Jimmy: So, Paisley's on our side now?
Koki: Looks like it.
Paisley: No! We must protect forests and oceans! I'm out of the environmental villain business.
Zach: What?
Paisley: I'M OUT! I'm on nature's side.
Zach: Whaaattt?! Well, I will never stop taking what I want from nature!
Aviva: Some people still have to learn about how the Earth is our living, breathing home.
Paisley: From now on, I will always protect nature and planet Earth.
Jimmy: So, Paisley's on our side now?
Koki: Looks like it.
— Wild Kratts, "Our Blue and Green World"
