30 Days of PR: Day 10

Day 10: Favorite Redeemed Villain

I want to say Ecliptor, I really do, but... he's not redeemed. Everything about him that makes the case for him being just as able to be purified by the Z-wave instead of just destroyed was already there when he was being unrepentantly evil. His love for Astronema and his honor in fighting are commendable, but he's STILL EVIL. That's why he's an awesome character. If he'd ever received any actual redemption in terms of having given up Evil, he'd be right here on top of the list, but he's not available to choose from.

I could spend ages running down why the likely more popular choices aren't mine, but instead, I would just like to get right into squeeing about Itassis. Why did she defect to the side of good? Because Magiranger footage says so in order to understand Good, she needed to become Good. SO SHE DID. How often do you see the whole Evil Cannot Comprehend Good trope playing out like that? In Magiranger You DON'T. This wasn't some emotional "but being bad hurts people" thing. There weren't any connections to rangers being used to try to pull her to the side of good. Hell, the rangers never even consider that it might happen.

Itassis just looks rationally at the situation, sees that the rangers are winning despite what she sees as severe relative weakness, and when she finds out what makes them strong, she goes "I don't get it. If I have to be good to get it, so be it. It's going to make me stronger and more knowledgeable, so it's worthwhile." And she definitely gives the impression she's more into exploring this completely unknown concept than she is in getting the strength that understanding it will afford her.

Is her redemption the most "pure" or "earned"? Absolutely not, and I'm certainly not arguing that it is. It's just the most fascinating.

( 30 Days of Power Rangers )

30 Days of PR: Day 10

Day 10: Favorite Redeemed Villain

I want to say Ecliptor, I really do, but... he's not redeemed. Everything about him that makes the case for him being just as able to be purified by the Z-wave instead of just destroyed was already there when he was being unrepentantly evil. His love for Astronema and his honor in fighting are commendable, but he's STILL EVIL. That's why he's an awesome character. If he'd ever received any actual redemption in terms of having given up Evil, he'd be right here on top of the list, but he's not available to choose from.

I could spend ages running down why the likely more popular choices aren't mine, but instead, I would just like to get right into squeeing about Itassis. Why did she defect to the side of good? Because Magiranger footage says so in order to understand Good, she needed to become Good. SO SHE DID. How often do you see the whole Evil Cannot Comprehend Good trope playing out like that? In Magiranger You DON'T. This wasn't some emotional "but being bad hurts people" thing. There weren't any connections to rangers being used to try to pull her to the side of good. Hell, the rangers never even consider that it might happen.

Itassis just looks rationally at the situation, sees that the rangers are winning despite what she sees as severe relative weakness, and when she finds out what makes them strong, she goes "I don't get it. If I have to be good to get it, so be it. It's going to make me stronger and more knowledgeable, so it's worthwhile." And she definitely gives the impression she's more into exploring this completely unknown concept than she is in getting the strength that understanding it will afford her.

Is her redemption the most "pure" or "earned"? Absolutely not, and I'm certainly not arguing that it is. It's just the most fascinating.

( 30 Days of Power Rangers )