@_Zanga For me, an effective redemption arc requires change of both character and action. The character needs to show a true understanding of why what they did was wrong, and take specific actions to right the wrong as much as they can. For an example of a character that I think is redeemed well, look at Thorfinn from Vinland Saga. We get to see how the lives he ruined in his quest for vengeance haunt him, and how he carries what little of their memory he can with him in his efforts to create a world where nobody will do the horrific things he did, or be a victim of them. He learns what his father meant when he tried to teach him he has no enemies, and the remorse that comes with learning this lesson lead him to dedicating his life for making up for it while knowing nothing he does will truly undo the damage he did.
The way I read it, Endeavor's redemption begins with him deciding to be a hero not to validate his own ego, but to protect the next generation. This happens during the hero license remediation course if I recall correctly, but it has been a few years since I watched that part of the anime so I may be a little off base. While this is a perfectly fine reason on paper, it's something he's basically told to do by All Might. This combined with the fact that he's still doing the same hero work makes him feel like he isn't an active agent in his own redemption.
Endeavor only gives up the thing that he gained through the abuse he put others through, his career as a hero, when he sustains such severe injuries that he physically no longer can do it. He says he planned to retire when Dabi reveals Endeavor's abuse to the world, but this falls flat because for me because I only learn about it once Endeavor's retirement is being forced by his physical health anyways, so his decision to give up being a hero means nothing. It also feels like it undermines his whole thing about doing hero work for altruistic reasons. If the abuse he subjected others to was something he was fine living with until it became public knowledge, it makes his conviction to right the wrongs of his actions by protecting the next generation feel paper thin. If he truly wants to make up for the abuse he put his kids through by protecting other kids, it shouldn't matter. The public knowing is Endeavor's chance to show growth by protecting the public despite their hatred towards him for his past mistakes.
Lastly, I thoroughly despise the way that Rei is handled. We know that she forgives him because he sends her letters and flowers during her time in the hospital, and through this she decides that he has grown. My problem is two fold. Firstly, we never get to see any specifics that would show us this growth she sees. Secondly, this is a textbook example of how abusive partners will prevent their partner from leaving. They offer these superficial gestures to present the illusion of change and prey on the goodwill of people they have victimized to keep them from escaping and breaking the power the abuser has over them. While it is clear that Horikoshi's intention is to show that Endeavor has actually changed, the way that it plays into the same tropes people use to keep people in abusive situations in real life doesn't sit right with me.
Natsu's continued refusal to forgive him does a little to correct these issues. It feels like it gestures towards this possibility that Endeavor failed to redeem himself, and I think that could have worked if MHA wasn't going for the happily ever after sort of vibe I feel like the ending is moving towards. It feels like Horikoshi wants to end off with all the characters having their trauma resolved, and that makes me feel like he wants me to forgive Endeavor because he portrays Rei and Shoto, the characters whose abuse at the hands of Endeavor is centered in the story, as forgiving him. Since I've seen more of Endeavor's journey than they have though, it feels unearned and their forgiveness feels like a cheap way for the author to push his audience towards sympathy in place of having done the work of making Endeavor a character that deserves my sympathy.
Sorry for the long response, but I've been mulling over this the past few days and appreciated the chance to write my thoughts down somewhere. |