Do you prefer a game's villain to be punished or redeemed?

[bravelyflee]

My favourite is when the villain is a LI too.

 

[AkaTe]

It really depends on the villain. Some are written in a way that makes you just want to see them die, no matter how good-looking they are. Then there are the ones written as love interests; they often get a tragic backstory to justify their actions, or they hold principles you can relate to, even if their methods aren't exactly moral. For me, it really just depends on the story.

 

[Qroha]

I would like to see them punished if they were making awful things towards MC or LI, i would definitely prefer to see them punished. If the villain was evil towards the people who deserved it, I would not mind seeing their redemption arc

 

[kamilya5]

It depends on the kind of things the villain has done. But in general, I'd prefer for the villain to be punished

 

[marinech]

It reeeaaally depends on the situation to be honest(*´ー｀*)
It also depends on if their redemption arc is good enough or not, but I mostly prefer when they're punished〜

 

[Daisy Magnus229]

I think If the villain is a LI too (like a secret one), I want him to be punished in every other LI's happy ending. Especially if his wrongdoings harm one or two other LIs.

The villain LI can be redeem in his own route, which you can unlock after clearing all happy end. Villain LI route quite tricky sometimes, because he always have a "You deserved better", "I'm filthy" or "I'm a terrible sinner" kind of vibe. Well, I'm not complaining, this villain LI sometimes has a backstory that makes us sympathize with them after all.

 

[NoveiaVonGeorgia]

It depends, Conrad from Even if Tempest is irredeemable while Ish, I can forgive-ish.
There are also complicated ones like Piofore where every LI is a villain to the other LI because of the setting.
In Mistionia, the LI's are indirectly the villains of the Heroine but..its complicated.
Scien from Virche deserves the hate but he's hot and convincing.... therefore forgivable.

 

[Rdddmi]

What I hope happens to a villain depends on how terrible they were and the reasons behind their actions.
If they did something truly awful to the protagonists, it's satisfying to see them receive a fitting punishment.
But if I can understand where they're coming from, or if they've genuinely changed for the better, then I don't need to see them suffer too much. A moderate punishment is enough for me.

 

[Lilia]

Some villains I read about in otome are seriously irredeemable, so no I don't think they can be forgiven. I do love villain LIs though.

 

[SmallEagle]

I suppose it would depend on his crimes, although, in general, I am not big on villain LIs. I do believe in second chances, but some people are trully unforgivable.

 

[osanajimimi]

Both? If they still have a degree of humanity, I would like to see their redemption where it's not always necessary for them to walk in the same direction as other characters, a bittersweet closure

 

[RedLipsSourApples]

Honestly I think this is highly dependant on the plot and what exactly the villain has done, but also I really love the idea of the villain being an Ll

 

[adlo]

I love a villain LI as well! Generally speaking I like exploring the consequences of characters' actions so I definitely lean on seeing them punished - especially if they were doing something unforgivable. Even if I agree that a villain should be redeemed I think he should still get punished even just a little bit before he starts progressing through his redemption arc.

 

[Thegreemgeekergoobin]

Im ngl i have enough empathy for some villans DEPENDING on what they've done or if they feel genuine remorse so those kinds may be redeemed? but if they're straight up evil and dgaf, like im talking trump typa evil, then they gotta meet the grim reaper

 

[a1045466329]

Honestly, I think it really depends on the character and what they actually did.
If the villain did something genuinely unforgivable like mass murder, betrayal without an ounce of regret, or hurting people close to the MC in cruel ways — then I'd rather see them face the consequences. Punishment just hits different in those cases, especially if they've shown zero guilt or self-awareness the entire time.
But if their motives are understandable like they were driven by loss, trauma, or some twisted sense of justice — then I'm totally down for a redemption arc. I love watching characters reflect on their actions and slowly change, as long as it's written well and doesn't feel rushed or forced.
And the definition of "villain" is pretty subjective depending on the player anyway. Someone who's framed as the antagonist might actually be the hero from another character's POV, or they might just be someone who made terrible choices out of desperation. So I don't think it's fair to always expect punishment or redemption across the board — it really comes down to how the story frames them and what the game wants to take us on.(ー`´ー)~~

 

[Aikourou]

They are reddemable when they are hot ngl

 

[O cha]

If the villain is an LI, I usually prefer them to be redeemed. Even if it feels a little unfair, that's still the outcome I enjoy most. Or, if they do have to face the consequences of their actions, I'd love for the MC to stay by their side through it all. I feel like this is probably one of those topics where everyone's preferences are different. Whether the LI is redeemed or punished, I'm happy with either outcome as long as the MC is with them in the end.

An LI losing the MC as the consequence of their own actions... it's definitely heartbreaking, but that kind of ending is just a little outside my personal preferences.

 

[motyu]

I like it when villains change because it can be very emotional and inspiring to see them become better people. However, if a villain never shows any regret and refuses to change, I think it is more satisfying when they are defeated in the end. That kind of ending feels more fitting and makes the story feel complete.

 

[Sacchie]

I think I like it the way they are already (✿◡‿◡)
I might be colorblind (✿◕‿◕✿)

 

[RoseGold]

I think it depends on the villain and what they have done - some things are harder to move past than others. I also think one thing does not exclude the other, you can be redeemed and still be made to face the consequences of what you have done, which I prefer to when everyone seems to just magically forget what happened after the redemption.

 

[VoltageIncEnthusiast]

It depends on who the villain is and what they did, imo. I loved Avatar: The Last Airbender, and one of my favourite characters was Zuko. I think Zuko is one of a few characters who showed me how fulfilling and satisfying a well-written redemption arc can be, but the problem is that most people assume every villain needs one. Some villains just need to face justice or suffer consequences without getting a redemption arc (I think that even if the villain gets redeemed, they should still face the consequences of whatever they did).

I love it when a villain becomes a love interest, it's always fun, especially if the MC is supposed to go against them or something

 

[moonyuki]

Most of the time, I want the villains to be punished—perhaps because many modern villains are just villains without a good reason for their turn to darkness. However, there are also villain characters I like and hope will find redemption, especially when they haven't done anything too inhumane, their descent into villainy is well-motivated, or even if their backstory is quite tragic. Ultimately, it depends on how they're portrayed; if a villain goes too far, I still want them to face consequences.

 

[enren]

My favourite is when the villain is a LI too.

lol this! Villains should have a proper route as LIs! <3
Like Karatachi from Itehari! I wanted one so badly...
Such a waste he never got one...

Welp I guess if hot - a route is a must! - or at least redeem them!
If ugly (like Sakaki or the Doctor from Itehari as well) - they better be punished o.o

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

To me, it depends on the setting of the game and the villain's motivations. For lower stakes, I'm fine with the villain being redeemed, but if it's more serious, I think it's silly to try and redeem him

However I'm fine with villains being LIs, even if they're irredeemable or stay evil to the end, as long as the route is interesting. Sometimes redemption kinda betrays the plot, as if writers do it as obligation if the character is a LI ;b

 

[satory]

Punishment and redemtion are not exclusive. Imo villain should be punished and only then can they be redeemed. I don't see how can redemtion work, if a person is forgiven for all the crimes only because they are sorry or they have a sad backstory. It's not how it should work.

Aaand I'm too petty to forgive Off with their head