Summary
The manhwa industry is undeniably diverse — if there’s one absolute truth about it, it’s that. Yet, despite the range of genres it offers, it does stand out in one particular trope more than it does in others, and that’s veryuniquely put together redemption arcs.
In many manhwa, redemption arcs often take the form of transmigration or second chances. The main character starts as a deeply flawed individual in their first life, loses that life because of said personality, gets a second chance, and realizes how unhappy they were when they were generically evil. That sort of realization would make anyone want to be a better person the second time around.
2024
Writer
Studio Inus, Hungry Panda
There isn’t much to be said about the inherent goodness of a Demon, considering how there exists none since — they are the literal physical embodiment of evil. ButThe Regressed Demon Lord is Kindis a manhwa that plays on that concept and essentially just forces a demon to become good. However, with this particular manhwa, the stakes are even higher considering the demon in question is not an ordinary evil beingbut the demon king himself.
The demon king Zeke Mohr is finally defeated in battle by their world’s hero, who curses him before the final blow by telling him to be a good person in his next life. When Zeke goes to that said life, he opens his eyes as a younger version of himself before his ascension to the demon throne. He remembers the hero’s last words to him and genuinely wants to be a good demon in this life. The problem is Zeke has no idea what “good” is.
2023
Boem1800
The Redemption of Earl Nottinghamis a different kind of redemption story that unfortunately entails a lot of heartbreak, trauma, and, surprisingly,some pretty accurate politics. The series is a take on the idea that if a generally horrible person is given another chance, and their circumstances are tweaked even a little, they do have the ability to fix themselves.The Redemption of Earl Nottinghamstarts with the main female lead, Madeline, losing her life in an accident caused by her pretty unruly husband, Ian Nottingham.
Ian was a World War 1 casualty who got severely injured and had basically just retreated into his shell because of his facial deformation and trauma. As a result, his lack of confidence and insecurities get so extreme that he starts being a horrible person to everyone around him, including his wife. During one of their arguments, Madeline loses her footing and falls down a large staircase, only to wake up as a 17-year-old version of herself. This time, she is determined not to let Ian become a part of her life.
2020
Kiarne, Sunset
Isekai redemption arcs might not carry the same weight as a true villain transforming their life, but they still work. After all, the transmigrated soul often inherits the body — and the baggage — of that villain.A Wicked Tale of Cinderella’s Stepmomleans into this concept andoffers a retelling of Cinderellafrom the stepmother’s perspective.
In the manhwa, Cinderella’s actual stepmother, who’s naturally a malicious person, has her soul swapped for someone else. That someone else is now on a mission to do everything opposite to the previous body’s owner(the original stepmother). She’s determined to not only treat her daughters right and get them married to good people but also do the same for Cinderella.
2022
RK Studio, Geulsseunya
There are so many characters out there that are good for the sake of being good. But, since being good is so contextual, the motivation behind doing it can vary from person to person.My Daughter is the Final Bossis a manhwa that uses this theory and builds up on it through a father-daughter relationship.
The main character of this series, Lee Seojun is given another chance at life by a strange and mysterious system that tells him to change the future this time around. The future in question is a doomed one where Seojun’s daughter, Seola, turns into an evil witch completely bent on corrupting and destroying the world. Seeing that she’s succeeded in doing it, Seojun (back in time) is now willing to do everything possibleto be a better fatherto Seola, so she doesn’t do the same again.
2019
Spice & Kitty, ORKA
The redemption inA Stepmother’s Marchenis a little different from what one would expect. Instead of transforming a flawed character, it focuses on a genuinely good person, Shuli, who gets a second chance to approach things differently. As the young guardian of four rowdy kids close to her own age, Shuli dedicates her first life to raising them well. To protect them, she cultivates the image of an indifferent, cold figure to ensure she and the kids are not seen as a threat by high society. However, this facade earns her the nickname “the witch” andultimately leads to a tragedy that costs her her life.
When Shuli wakes up in the body of her 16-year-old self, she still retains all the memories and wisdom from her previous life — and she’s determined to put them to good use. She decides to raise these kids again from scratch, but this time, she’s mixing things up a little.
S.starlight, Heron nest, Milkyray
The Righteous Demon Of Kunlunexplores the impact of a person’s environment and social life on their righteousness. It does so by contrasting two completely different lives of the same person, showing how these divergent paths ultimately transform them.
The Righteous Demon Of Kunlunfollows a demon clan’s young leader, who’s forced into the position despite not wanting to. He eventually climbs the ranks in terms of power and ascends to something called The True Celestial Demon. He’s known throughout the realms for beingcompletely merciless, cruel, and untouchable. Despite that, he still faces a very unexpected death and is now living under the care of a very sweet Taoist.
2018
YeRang
Second Life a Gangsteris a manhwa that progresses exactly like one would expect from reading its name. Redemption arcs in manhwa have always been cases of a second chance and in this case, it’s set in amodern world with crime organizationsas the centerpiece.
This particular series revolves around a 41-year-old man, Oh Joong Seok, who’s a major part of a very wide-reaching mafia organization. On his turf, he’s known by all sorts of names — “demon,” “human butcher,” and “crazy dog of Icheon” — and he definitely lives up to the unfortunate hype. However, one of his jobs goes sideways, and he ends up losing his life fairly unpleasantly. Just when he’s about to pass over to the other side, an angel gives him another chance and sends him back to his high school days.
