The Power of Redemption Arcs
We read stories so we can experience another person’s journey of change and learn from it. We connect with rich characters that strive to achieve a goal, but must struggle against an internal lie or obstacle that’s holding them back first. As we plan our protagonist’s journey, we aim to craft character arcs that emphasize this change and serve to prove our story’s message. However, many writers overlook the importance of the antagonist’s character arc.
The antagonist’s character arc can be just as powerful as the protagonist’s.
Zuko, an antagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), is a prime example of a character whose redemptive journey of change is just as powerful, if not more, than any other character in the story (including Avatar Aang, the protagonist) precisely because it is built on a strong foundation of goals, stakes, and obstacles.
Spoilers ahead, beware! If you haven’t watched Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, stop what you’re doing now and binge all 3 seasons on Netflix.
What is a Redemptive Character Arc?
A redemptive character arc is a journey of change wherein a character who does “bad” or “morally gray” things eventually becomes a hero or “good” character. These arcs can be used with either protagonists or antagonists. Their journey is usually peppered with choices that represent the dichotomy of good and evil, and the character must struggle against or be tempted by both. By the end, the internal change the character experiences ultimately results in choosing good, or redemption, by the end of their arc.
Redemptive arcs are powerful. They allow readers to experience what happens when people who do bad things struggle to do good things — a problem we will all be faced with during our lives. They teach us that while it is not easy to be “good,” it is worth it, and one is never too far gone to change. Today, let’s focus on how to successfully use a redemption arc to create a powerful antagonist.
Zuko’s Journey of Change
Prince Zuko from ATLA serves as an example of redemptive arcs done well — so well that we end up resonating more with the antagonist than with the protagonist. Let’s examine his goals, stakes, and obstacles table, which set the stage for the journey he undergoes.
Character Table: Prince Zuko
Act 1 — Confronting the Inner Obstacle
Act 1 is about setting the stage, introducing the character, and establishing the character’s goals, stakes and obstacles. Act 1 ends with the story’s catalyst, an inciting incident when the character is forced to confront their inner obstacle for the first time.
Example: Zuko’s Act 1
Zuko begins as a petulant, banished young prince who is driven by his desire to regain his honor (external goal), which he believes will earn his abusive father’s love and respect (internal goal) and allow him to return to his family and homeland.
After years of fruitless searching, Zuko finally discovers the missing Avatar (external obstacle). If he is able to return the Avatar back to his father, Fire Lord Ozai, Zuko will be welcomed home after two years of banishment, but if he doesn’t he must remain banished forever (external stakes).
At the inciting incident, Zuko underestimates the Avatar, who easily evades capture. Zuko’s desire to capture the Avatar grows and he’s forced to decide whether he will obsessively continue to hunt the Avatar across the world (believing that regaining his honor is the only thing that makes him lovable) OR whether he will give up the search at the advice of his Uncle Iroh (realizing that he has love and respect right in front of him). He chooses to continue his hunt for the Avatar.
Act 2 — Fixing the Inner Obstacle the Wrong Way
Act 2 revolves around the character trying to overcome their inner obstacle the wrong way. In this Act, things will likely get progressively worse as the character is forced to confront their deep-rooted flaws. This Act concludes with the character at their worst place.
Example: Zuko’s Act 2
As Zuko follows the Avatar around the world, and eventually faces off with him, we see him continually make selfish choices focused around regaining honor because he believes it is the only way he can be loved again.
After failing to capture the Avatar, Zuko sinks even farther into despair. He struggles with recognizing the purpose of his life as he realizes he will probably not be able to return home. On top of his banishment, he and Iroh have been branded as traitors and they are now the ones on the run from Zuko’s sister, Princess Azula. Meanwhile, Zuko gradually learns more about himself and we begin to see a change in him due to Iroh’s influence. He starts to question what “honor” means to him.
At the midpoint moment, Zuko has the opportunity to help the Avatar and his friends escape from Azula. Instead, Zuko chooses to aid his sister and attack the Avatar, once again choosing his internal obstacle and backtracking on the small growth he’s made so far.
As a result, Zuko receives the love and respect he so desperately wanted from his father and the Fire Nation. However, his false victory leaves him questioning his father’s ideals and he’s forced to wrestle with the concept of honor, and whether the love and respect he thought he wanted should come at the cost of doing the wrong thing.
Act 3 — Overcoming the Inner Obstacle
Act 3 is about the character fixing the problems created in Act 2 and fixing themselves by overcoming the internal obstacle. During this Act, the character proves that they have changed — that they have learned. By the end of this Act, the character should be the opposite image of who they were at the beginning of this journey.
Example: Zuko’s Act 3
Zuko wrestles with recognizing his own ideals/honor, and during his aha! moment, he realizes that he must reject his father, Fire Lord Ozai (and therefore his father’s ideals). Zuko confronts his father, and chooses what he now knows to be honorable — to join the Avatar’s quest to restore balance to the world and defeat Fire Lord Ozai.
He then makes amends with the Avatar and his friends, eventually becoming an integral part of their group. We see Zuko adopt humility and patience, becoming the exact opposite of who he was at the beginning of the story, as he prepares to battle his father and his sister once and for all.
During the final battle with his sister, Zuko solidifies his redemption by sacrificing himself for the Avatar’s friend, Katara, which allows her to defeat Azula. Through this sacrifice, we see his redemption arc complete as he has finally found friendship and love (internal goal) by embracing his own honorable ideals (overcoming his internal obstacle).
Applying Goals, Stakes & Obstacles to Antagonists
As a redemption story, Zuko’s arc is so successful because it directly ties to his specific and relatable goals, stakes, and obstacles. His journey of change revolves around learning how honor comes from doing the right thing (overcoming his internal obstacle) to eventually receive love from his new friends and family (achieving his internal goal), though exactly the opposite of how he intended.
We understand why he is an antagonist, we understand his struggle at every decision point, and we triumph with him as he discovers his own identity. We learn with him through his change.
Of course, your antagonist does not need a redemptive arc. There are many different ways to structure your antagonist’s journey. That being said, it is essential to map your antagonist’s decisions to their goals, stakes, and obstacles. When antagonists are crafted with as much time and attention as protagonists, we’re left with characters that shine through the page and leave a permanent mark on our hearts.
This story was first published at goldenmayediting.com. We provide book coaching & editing to fiction writers. If you’re interested in our other blog posts or in checking out our services please visit us there!
