Ever since I've heard that phrase, I've always wanted to know exactly how it can be avoided in stories, both canon and fanon. I've seen it many times before in the actual show and other shows like Steven Universe in regard to the Diamonds. But I've never been able to figure out how to avoid it, either by doing it right or getting rid of it entirely, in order to make a proper and satisfying redemption for genuinely sympathetic characters who deserve it. Can someone explain to me how to avoid it if we want to write our own redemption arcs in the future?

I think one of the best redemption arcs I've seen recently is Catra from Netflix's She Ra. You need the audience to care about the villain in question, which means you need to take the time to get to know your villain outside of just them doing the bad stuff. That show does a great job with getting to know why the character is the way they are and address the changes that need to occur in order for a redemption to take place. It is arguable if they are a villain since the show makes you care about everyone on the bad side too, but they are definitely the antagonist. If you haven't watched it already and you have Netflix, do so while making notes on the antagonist's character flaws, motivations, and pay special attention to how they react when they get what they (think they) want.

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