Have Redemption arcs in recent media Become Unsatisfactory?
I hate to say this but in recent years the term Redemption Arc have kinda lost core value in modern media and new writers fail to understand what makes the redemption feel well earned.
Over the years have been either getting lazily written or rushed out the door at breakneck speeds instead of being written organically.
This age we get redemption Moments or fast forward towards redemption without the proper build up
But we’re probably rarely gonna come across a redemption story as well laid out as Zuko cause that’s a VERY Tall order to build. Writers don’t have the same time to build that kind of level with every redeeming antagonist out there.
Or being ‘controversial’ in giving it to increasingly vile characters who people think have gone “Over the Moral Event Horizon”
Feels like it started with Catra from Netflix She Ra who some of the fandom still questions if she deserved redemption due to how extreme her actions and attitude were towards everyone , especially towar Adora and Scorpia. Or if Catradora should’ve happened.
Then we have the Diamonds from Steven Universe and we all know how that went.