Antagonists, bad guys, and villains. Sometimes these are the characters that easily catch fans' eyes. But more often than not, they annoy and enrage us. Whether it's because of their actions, or simply their smugness and cruelty, villains aren't the ones to praise when they're carrying out acts of terror.

Luckily, there are some who find the light, become a better person and alter their villainous ways. According to Redditors, these are the few that really stuck to their heroic transformation. So apologies Game of Thrones fans, but Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) didn't really come around in the end.

Steve Harrington - 'Stranger Things' (2016-Present)

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Image via Netflix

When fans were introduced to Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), he was the stereotypical high-school jock; he's popular, has a beautiful girlfriend, is great at sports, and he even bullies the "weird" kids at school. Steve's selfishness and arrogance became his vice as he typically prioritized whatever and whoever maintained his social stature.

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But come Stranger Things Season 4, Steve's now the lovable babysitter that fans can only adore. By surrounding himself with true friends, Steve went on a journey of self-reflection and growth. A deleted user argued that his turnaround came through the conversation with Robin (Maya Hawke) where he owned up to his past mistakes and "agreed he wasn't the best person". It's this realization that allowed him to become the selfless protector, reliable friend, and big brother that everyone needed.

Zuko - 'Avatar: The Last Air Bender' (2005-2008)

Zuko carrying his fire to the firebending masters in Avatar: The Last Airbender

As the disgraced Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko (Dante Basco) was introduced as the bratty boy determined to hunt down the Avatar in order to restore his honor, and earn the respect of his abusive father. Unfazed by the consequences, Zuko was ruthless and violent in his pursuits.

However, fans came to sympathize with his character's tragic backstory as it was clear that his actions mirrored a broken boy who simply wanted his father's love. xHayashi believed that Zuko's redemption came from understanding how "honor was something he had to earn [for] himself", not his father. His turnaround was never clear-cut, but by the end, he learned to value himself and even fought for justice as he befriended the Gaang and helped take down his nefarious father.

Petra Solano - 'Jane the Virgin' (2014-2019)

Yael Grobglas in Jane the Virgin
Image via The CW

From trapping her husband in a loveless marriage to cheating on him with his best friend to trying to manipulate the woman who was accidentally inseminated with her husband's sperm to give her the baby - it's safe to say that Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas) was one of the most interesting secondary characters on TV.

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Petra constantly worked on her faults in order to become a better person, friend and mother, with more kindness and love. foreveralonesolo praises the show for doing "such a good [job]" at making fans "hate her" only to quickly make them "feel for her situation", especially with her complicated past and even more complicated present.

Michael - 'The Good Place' (2016-2020)

Michael (Ted Danson) in The Good Place

In terms of TV plot twists, Michael's (Ted Danson) reveal as the torturing demon is one of them. Masquerading as a good friend for almost the entirety of the first season, his villainous nature was exposed as he's found out to be an architect of the Bad Place who's created a new method of psychological torture.

An unconventional villain, his journey to heroism came from becoming more human. He grew to care about others and was ultimately ashamed of his long history as a torturer. As King_of_Knowhere explains, Michael's evolution from demon, to "grand architect of heaven", to becoming "a simple human" - is one of genuine heroic growth.

Dr. Randolph Bell - 'The Resident' (2018-Present)

Bruce Greenwood as Randolph in The Resident
Image via FOX

Caught in the bureaucracies of the American healthcare system, Dr Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) started off as the legendary, yet selfish, Chief of Surgery who did everything in his power to gain more power. From hiding his severe hand tremors to forcing the hospital's CEO out of the job for himself - Bell was a great villain for a medical drama.

But as explained by a user, his character "had so much development in his arc". Where characters in The Resident often despised Bell - as seen by his secret nickname, HODAD ("Hands of Death and Destruction") - Bell eventually learned to take accountability for his mistakes and was actually remorseful. He has since fought for his patients' rights, protected his fellow doctors and nurses, and become a better man, friend, father-figure, and now husband.

Vegeta - 'Dragon Ball Z' (1989-1996)

Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z

When fans first met Vegeta (Ryo Horikawa), he was a ruthless Saiyan who never hesitated to conquer planets and murder anyone who stood in his way. Often slaying innocents during his warpath, it was obvious that he was a clear rival and foil of Goku (Masako Nozawa) - especially since he too was one of the most powerful Dragon Ball characters.

But like so many villains, Vegeta's backstory revealed a person capable of change. He wasn't born evil, he was simply molded that way. Vegeta eventually swallows his pride, befriends Goku, helps defend Earth from destruction, and even becomes a loving husband and father. For spiralomega, his drastic transformation even "made [them] forget" how selfish he once was.

Root - 'Person of Interest' (2011-2016)

Root in Persons of Interest

Fans of Person of Interest were shocked at the reveal that the meek psychologist was actually the sinister hacker, Root (Amy Acker). Deadly and reckless, she was willing to do whatever it took to understand the artificial intelligence of The Machine, and eventually "set it free". From kidnappings to murder, Root was an episodic villain that became an integral part of the show.

Where she was vicious, Root's belief in The Machine and its ability to predict terror was pure; her respect for its creator was pure. It was only after several seasons that her reformation was clear - she helped people, fell in love, and she ultimately sacrificed herself to protect a team member. For spartanranger, they were shocked that Root grew to become "[their] favorite character", especially since they "couldn't stand [her]" in the beginning.

Adam Groff - 'Sex Education' (2019-Present)

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Image via Netflix

At the start, Adam Groff (Connor Swindells) was an arrogant and cruel bully who struggled to communicate and bring down his walls. Growing up belittled by his father, Adam made others feel weak to hide his own insecurities. And yet, as one of the great high-school shows on TV, fans couldn't believe that the rage-filled bully eventually turned into a gentle person that some would shed tears for.

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Adam has grown immensely across Sex Education's three seasons. For youre_late_for_tea, they loved "watching him learn to communicate in a healthy way", one where he was open about his feelings and emotions. Adam's embracing of his sexuality even allowed him to explore his capabilities of love, not only romantically but as a friend and a son, encouraging him to become kind and understanding.

Regina / The Evil Queen - 'Once Upon a Time' (2011-2018)

once upon a time regina
Image via ABC

From ripping out hearts to cursing a whole realm for the sake of inflicting misery on the one person she hates most, Regina (Lana Parrilla) took the title of Evil Queen seriously as she relished terrorizing her enemies. Ruthless in her pursuit to destroy Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) happiness - Regina showed that she'd do anything for her own vindication.

Unsurprisingly, her rise to heroism was an arduous journey. But in the end, she learned to forgive, and how to love wholeheartedly. This allowed her enemies to not only become her friends, but her family. For songforbats, they even believed that Regina's "whole story came satisfyingly full circle" because where she started as the Evil Queen, she left the show as The Good Queen.

Negan - 'The Walking Dead' (2010-2022)

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Described as the great wildcard villain of The Walking Dead, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was the brutal totalitarian leader of a combatant survivors group. With kidnappings, murder and mutilation under the list of his crimes - mostly caused by his nailed-up bat Lucille - Negan is infamous for the deaths of beloved characters like Glenn (Steven Yeun).

Many fans argue that his crimes are irredeemable; however, some like yawzheek believe that it was admirable that Negan "eventually started doing right". In the end, he eliminated a terrorizing cult leader, saved several lives, and even received acknowledgment from Maggie (Lauren Cohen) that he was a changed man. Where "hero" may be stretching it, Negan's turnaround still deserves praise.

NEXT: 13 Movies Where The Villains Outshined The Protagonist