Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Evil Redeemed in a Can

 Evil Redeemed in a Can
type
FeatureClass
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
label
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
page
EvilRedeemedInACan
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
comment
Evil has been defeated and Sealed in a Can. Centuries or even millennia later, someone finds it and lets it out. Maybe intentionally, maybe accidentally.
But something has happened. Our supposed Greater-Scope Villain isn't attacking. They're not plotting or planning.
Turns out that Being Evil Sucks (for one thing, it gets you sealed in cans for eons) and the formerly sealed evil force has had time, a lot of time, to reflect on who they are and why they were imprisoned — and they've decided that they don't want to be that way any longer.
They have been Redeemed in the can.
A subtrope of Heel–Face Turn. A sealed evil who has spent time in the can and reformed is generally able to avoid Redemption Equals Death, as they've been punished for a long time already, although they do sometimes choose to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence. Compare Bored with Insanity, for the Order Versus Chaos equivalent.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
fetched
2024-04-14T01:01:09Z
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
parsed
2024-04-14T01:01:09Z
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingComment
Dropped link to Arcanum: Not an Item - UNKNOWN
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingUnknown
Arcanum
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_11b7db91
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_11b7db91
comment
Adventure Time: After Marceline's vampiric powers have been drained, and the efluvium spilled, releasing the various vampires whom she had killed and absorbed, most of them take up their old ways, except for the Vampire King, who decides that he's tired of the repetitive cycles. When he encounters the heroes, after his comrades have fallen again, in the same way they'd been defeated before, proving his point, he simply surrenders, offering to have his vampiric essence drained.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_11b7db91
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_11b7db91
featureConfidence
1.0
 Adventure Time
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_11b7db91
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_188b684b
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_188b684b
comment
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: "The Mummies of the Malenque" has a descendant of the Malenque try and revive a plague that the Malenque had supposedly engineered as part of a plot to rule the world. Unfortunately for him, his deceased ancestors woke up and had a few strong opinions on the subject.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_188b684b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_188b684b
featureConfidence
1.0
 TheRealAdventuresOfJonnyQuest
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_188b684b
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1bb28c63
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1bb28c63
comment
The Witch and the Beast: Ashgan the Demon Sword has been sealed by the Velvette witch clan for centuries. The sealing granted the otherwise feral being intelligence and an understanding of the emotion it felt for humanity: Hate. However, the witch Helga took pity on Ashgan due to his reduced state and treated him more like an annoying friend than a threat. While not fully redeemed, it's enough that Ashgan would prefer to stay by Helga's side since he feels something other than hate for her.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1bb28c63
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1bb28c63
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Witch and the Beast (Manga)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1bb28c63
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1f140feb
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1f140feb
comment
The Silmarillion: Defied by Morgoth. After his first defeat by the Valar, he was chained in the Halls of Mandos for thousands of years to reflect on his actions, in an attempt to pull this off. Unfortunately, it didn't take, but his faked repentance was accepted because the Valar (or at least their leader) couldn't understand that Morgoth was irredeemably and permanently evil.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1f140feb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1f140feb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Silmarillion
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_1f140feb
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2a842e3a
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2a842e3a
comment
Doctor Who Expanded Universe:
In the Doctor Who New Adventures novel Blood Harvest, the villain of the week rescues Borusa from the petrifaction he suffered at the end of The Five Doctors. Borusa promptly informs him that he's had ample time to reflect on the mistakes that led him to be trapped there, and certainly isn't going to repeat them by helping with someone else's evil plan.
In the New Series Adventures novel At Childhood's End, the backstory involves an implacable galaxy-threatening army that were defeated by trapping them outside of time and space. The villain of the novel is trying to bring them back into reality and set them loose on the galaxy to wreak havoc. In the end, when Ace establishes contact with their leader, it turns out that they're no longer interested in wreaking havoc; being trapped outside time meant that they could see every possible future, and they learned that every scenario where they went back to their old ways ended badly for everyone, so now they're committed to turning over a new leaf and helping their former enemies rebuild from the devastation they caused.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2a842e3a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2a842e3a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doctor Who – Expanded Universe (Franchise)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2a842e3a
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2b7257cd
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2b7257cd
comment
In the New Series Adventures novel At Childhood's End, the backstory involves an implacable galaxy-threatening army that were defeated by trapping them outside of time and space. The villain of the novel is trying to bring them back into reality and set them loose on the galaxy to wreak havoc. In the end, when Ace establishes contact with their leader, it turns out that they're no longer interested in wreaking havoc; being trapped outside time meant that they could see every possible future, and they learned that every scenario where they went back to their old ways ended badly for everyone, so now they're committed to turning over a new leaf and helping their former enemies rebuild from the devastation they caused.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2b7257cd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2b7257cd
featureConfidence
1.0
 New Series Adventures
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_2b7257cd
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_34411a6e
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_34411a6e
comment
The Great Raven of Archipelago, having spent a considerable amount of time sealed and actually unable to order his servants about (they just acted on the last orders given, which were to cause destruction and try to free their boss). When finally released, he turns out to be on his last legs and very repentant.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_34411a6e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_34411a6e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Archipelago (Webcomic)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_34411a6e
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_427f8a27
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_427f8a27
comment
Dog Days: Most demons are gods and spirits who have been corrupted, and the only way to turn them back is to seal them up and wait for the corruption to dissipate.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_427f8a27
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_427f8a27
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dog Days
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_427f8a27
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_43576f5
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_43576f5
comment
Supernatural: In contrast to how Lucifer grew worse after his first re-imprisonment in the Cage, Season 15 reveals that Michael's decade of imprisonment down there has actually done him a lot of good. By the time he's escaped the Cage, Michael's gone from being the most apocalyptically extreme "Well Done, Son" Guy in the universe to a celestial drifter, he's formed a genuine friendship with his vessel Adam (who he originally regarded as nothing more than a necessary meatsuit), and he's notably less callous to the value of human life now than he was before.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_43576f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_43576f5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supernatural
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_43576f5
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_5e1213a8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_5e1213a8
comment
Neverwhere: After the destruction of Atlantis, this was Heaven's plan with the Angel Islington, to lock him up in London Below to reflect and repent, and when he had learned his lesson, he would be released. Unfortunately, Islington decided he didn't deserve his punishment, and tried to arrange for an early release. It did not go as planned, though.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_5e1213a8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_5e1213a8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Neverwhere
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_5e1213a8
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_68237790
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_68237790
comment
Pathfinder: The Wrath of the Righteous adventure path gives this as a possibility regarding the Runelord Alderpash, who is currently imprisoned in the demon lord Baphomet's domain in the Abyss. In his day, Alderpash was a textbook Evil Sorcerer, a ruthless tyrant, a gleeful backstabber, an open demon-worshipper, and generally a very, very evil man. However, he's been trapped in Baphomet's Ineluctable Prison for millennia — far longer than he ever was free, in fact — has had plenty of time to reflect on his mistakes, and most importantly is desperate to get out. If the player characters request that he stick to the straight and narrow in exchange for his freedom, he will give it an honest try.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_68237790
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_68237790
featureConfidence
1.0
 Pathfinder (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_68237790
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_755b343f
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_755b343f
comment
Halo: The Forerunners lost their war with the Flood partially because the Artificial Intelligence they built to help combat it, Mendicant Bias, joined the Flood after being corrupted by the Logic Plague. The Forerunners only just managed to delay the traitorous AI long enough to pull a Mutual Kill on the Flood, with the survivors capturing Bias and imprisoning him in the Ark. After 100,000 years, Bias awakens and reveals himself to the Master Chief via Terminals, admitting his wrongdoing and now committed to helping Humanity as penance to the Forerunners. Though in an ironic twist, Halo: Contact Harvest reveals Bias' first attempt to help humanity ended up making things worse by accidentally inciting war between them and the Covenant.note  To clarify, when the Forerunners reseeded the Galaxy after the Flood war, they reprogrammed all their remaining technology to recognize Humanity as their successors by designating them Reclaimers. When a fragment of Mendicant Bias located in the Forerunner Dreadnought on the Covenant capital, High Charity, was accidently reactivated due to the sensor data recently gained from the first contact with the human colonists on Harvest, it revealed this to three San'shyuum (Prophets) that were present at the time, before it was deactivated as it attempted to take control of the dreadnought. These three San'shyuum misinterpreted the term Reclaimer to mean that the humans were living descendants of the Forerunners, something that contradicts the very core of their religion which states that all the Forerunners ascended to godhood during the Great Journey. Realizing such knowledge would completely fracture the Covenant, these three kept this information to themselves, ascended as the new leaders of the Covenant, and began the war in an attempt to wipe out humanity before the "truth" could be revealed, which they justified to the rest of the Covenant by claiming that the humans were heretics who deliberately destroyed Forerunner relics.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_755b343f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_755b343f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Halo (Franchise)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_755b343f
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_877bfaf7
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_877bfaf7
comment
Better Bones AU: After her tyrannical rule over the ancient lake cats, Sol takes over Hollyleaf's body and her spirit is trapped in the tunnels for a hundred years. When she finally gets her body back, she has a better perspective over how wrong her actions were and how pointless her ambitions and obsession with the code were, and is a much more benevolent figure.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_877bfaf7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_877bfaf7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Better Bones AU (Blog)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_877bfaf7
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_977c980a
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_977c980a
comment
Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms: In "Fortune's Fool" Katya attempts to Invoke this on the Jinn as they reseal him into his bottle, as Curse Escape Clauses are mandatory in this universe:
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_977c980a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_977c980a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_977c980a
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a1ef919a
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a1ef919a
comment
Crayon Shin Chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness: Devil jack is a malicious and powerful demon dangerous enough to cause the end of the world, being sealed inside a vessel. At the end of the movie, he is released by Shinnosuke and Himawari, and is revealed that not only his powers have expired since 12/31/1996 and wasted all his remaining power to escape the vessel, but he isn't longer interested in destroying the world or helping bad guys who want to rule it like Hecson, quickly joining the heroes' side.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a1ef919a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a1ef919a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Crayon Shin Chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a1ef919a
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a9cd7cc8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a9cd7cc8
comment
Juniper's Knot: For all the claims the Fiend makes about her crimes, and her plans of revenge upon the human race, her only action, upon being freed, is to cry in the boy's arms
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a9cd7cc8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a9cd7cc8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Juniper's Knot (Visual Novel)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_a9cd7cc8
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_c43df4d8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_c43df4d8
comment
Doctor Who: During Series 10, The Doctor attempts to invoke this with Missy/The Master. Keeping her in a vault beneath the university where he works, he visits her from time to time, telling her about his latest adventures. It begins to have an effect, too, as at one point, Missy laments tearfully that she now knows that she remembers the names of all her victims, even though she would have sworn But for Me, It Was Tuesday prior to that.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_c43df4d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_c43df4d8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doctor Who
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_c43df4d8
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_dbb2bc26
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_dbb2bc26
comment
Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost where Asomad van Ghoul had spent so long imprisoned in the Chest of Demons that he reformed, and disippated peacefully after aiding Vincent van Ghoul, his descendant, keep the Chest out of evil hands.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_dbb2bc26
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_dbb2bc26
featureConfidence
1.0
 Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_dbb2bc26
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_e7410020
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_e7410020
comment
Empowered: Caged Demonwolf hasn't been in the can all that long, but he can still communicate from within the can, and he's become very supportive of Emp, who captured him in the first place, giving her the occasional You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_e7410020
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_e7410020
featureConfidence
1.0
 Empowered (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_e7410020
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f7dc716d
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f7dc716d
comment
Transformers: War for Cybertron: Sky Lynx turns out to be this. A very long time ago, he tried to seize the Matrix of Leadership for himself, believing that his power meant that he was more deserving of it than any other Transformer. This got him banished to the Dead Universe, and by the time the Autobots encounter him he's had so long to think about how pointless his actions were that he's become somber, humble, and apologetic about his past behavior and becomes The Mentor to Optimus Prime.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f7dc716d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f7dc716d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Transformers: War for Cybertron (Web Animation)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f7dc716d
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f9b9dfe4
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f9b9dfe4
comment
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn: The "dark god" Yune, who had been sealed away in the eponymous Fire Emblem turns out to be caring and reasonable in part because she's actually the Goddess of Chaos, not a dark or evil god as centuries of propaganda to keep people from releasing her after she had an emotional outburst that caused global devastation. In that time, she'd heard the Galdr of Slumber, a magically calming song that helped prevent her escape from the Fire Emblem in situations with intense chaotic energy many times from many mortals and it mellowed her out. Yune then helps the party stop Ashera, her other half and the Goddess of Order who has Gone Mad From the Isolation and decided to wipe out all life.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f9b9dfe4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f9b9dfe4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Video Game)
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_f9b9dfe4
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_fd74a791
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_fd74a791
comment
In the Doctor Who New Adventures novel Blood Harvest, the villain of the week rescues Borusa from the petrifaction he suffered at the end of The Five Doctors. Borusa promptly informs him that he's had ample time to reflect on the mistakes that led him to be trapped there, and certainly isn't going to repeat them by helping with someone else's evil plan.
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_fd74a791
featureApplicability
1.0
 Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_fd74a791
featureConfidence
1.0
 Doctor Who New Adventures
hasFeature
Evil Redeemed in a Can / int_fd74a791

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingCategory2
Evil Tropes
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingCategory2
Goodness Tropes
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingCategory2
Heel/Face Index
 Evil Redeemed in a Can
processingCategory2
Hero Tropes
 Dog Days / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Tenchi Muyo! / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Better Bones AU (Blog) / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Empowered (Comic Book) / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Neverwhere / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 New Series Adventures / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Video Game) / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Halo 3 (Video Game) / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can
 Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost / int_a87ad6e8
type
Evil Redeemed in a Can