On the Nature of Redemption Arcs

Lately, I've asking myself: why are there so many examples of redemption arcs, not only in established, canon of MLP, or in published fiction in general, but in fanfiction as well?

Let's take a minute and define a redemption arc. The way I've always defined it is a person who has done some horrible wrong (whether interpersonal to another individual or on a systemic level in times of conflict) that comes to realize their mistakes and the impacts of their actions, and as such, seeks forgiveness from the person/peoples they hurt before actively working against their previous harm.

Good and popular examples of this are Zuko from "Avatar: The Last AIrbender", and Catra from "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power". Both of these individuals were antagonists at first with deep inner conflict that eventually realized their mistakes and sought forgiveness from the protagonists. Even in older fiction such as Star Wars has Darth Vader being redeemed in the end. In MLP, people like to complain that we have a bunch, but it's really only a handful: Nightmare Moon/Luna, Discord, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie. (I intentionally left Thorax off the list because really he wasn't so much a reformed villain with a redemption arc as he was an outlier of changeling society at the time. Additionally, the first one is debatable since it was an alter ego that very much was a separate entity, but I say it was still Luna's choices that led her to becoming Nightmare Moon.) In fanfiction, it's seen throughout many fics I've read, involving both canon characters exploring their own redemptions and OCs following their own path of forgiveness. Fallout Equestria, one of the most popular MLP fanfiction stories ever, has several characters that go through this.

All of these characters have a certain aesthetic appeal in good triumphing over evil, which explains their popularity, but I feel like it goes deeper than that.

The one thing all these characters have in common is that at one point, they believed themselves unforgivable. Hell, some of these characters dealt with these feelings of guilt for several seasons. The point though is that they believe they are unforgivable and yet the protagonists always eventually accepts them into the fold and loves them as their own. Sure, they sometimes need to work to earn the trust and love of those they had previously hurt, but that's just realistic story-telling. Nearly all the time, through trials and tribulations, and through commitment to change by the one seeking redemption, forgiveness is earned and they come full circle as heroes in their own right.

Now, why does this matter so much to us as human beings creating this story?

I don't think there's one correct answer, but my belief is because on a certain level, we all crave that forgiveness. As my friend put it, "Everyone has something they're ashamed of, something terrible they've done that they think is unforgivable, and I don't trust anyone who says otherwise because that tells me they've done something truly reprehensible." Everyone has something they feel guilty about, feels they've hurt a friend or a family member in a way they think is beyond saving. I believe this 100%, and that's why I think these stories of redemption are so common in fiction. The real world is quite punitive and harsh: you do something wrong, then you are condemned and punished. Forgiveness is not an option, and your sins forever mark you as an evil-doer. In fiction however we can dare to believe this reality doesn't exist, that people have compassion in their hearts, enough to forgive our supposedly unforgivable mistakes. Essentially, the prevalence of redemption arcs seems to be a reflection of our desire to be redeemed and forgiven by those we've hurt.

I could be wrong, I could be right. In fact, I fully admit bias and some level of projection in this blog post. But this is what I believe, and its why I love this trope, because I believe everyone deserves a second chance, that no one is irredeemable. Much love to all of you, and I hope you have a good day.