DC Comics has always had amazing villains. As great as the big-name villains are, the company's B-listers have always had a special place in readers' hearts. They run the gamut from gimmick villains created in the Silver Age to perennial members of villain teams to the arch-enemies of heroes who aren't exactly popular.
They're a varied group, and their status as slightly lower-tier villains has allowed the company to do interesting things with them. This has often included redemption arcs. These don't always work out for villains, but some DC B-list villains have gotten some great ones. Some have even escaped the B-list because of them.
10 Pied Piper Became An Important Character Because Of His Redemption Arc
Pied Piper started out as another Flash gimmick villain. That's not exactly the worst place to be, but his mind control flute wasn't the best weapon ever. After Wally West became the Flash, the Piper got a redemption arc, working with the new Scarlet Speedster and the FBI against the Rogues. Fans got to know him as a character, which never would have happened otherwise.
Pied Piper became a staple of the Flash's supporting cast. He came out as gay and was given a starring role in Countdown To Final Crisis. He rose much farther than he would have as just another Rogue.
9 Major Disaster Joined The Justice League
Major Disaster spent years battling Green Lantern and making a living joining second or third-tier villain teams. His big break came during writer Joe Kelly and artist Doug Mahnke's JLA. The villain was made a member of the Justice League. At first, he got the typical distrust that a villain gets when they join up with the heroes, but eventually, he was accepted.
It was easily the best time in Major Disaster's entire existence. The character gained fans and was a player on DC's biggest team. His eventual disappearance was that much sadder, as many fans wanted to see much more of him.
8 The Shade's Redemption Saw Him End His Long-Running Grudge With The Knight Family
For years, the Shade battled Starman and other members of the Justice Society. His shadow powers made him a dangerous foe, and he fit well with his fellow villains. However, Starman changed all of that. Writer James Robinson was heavily invested in revitalizing DC's Golden Age characters for the modern age, and the Shade benefited greatly from all of this.
The Shade was taken from a rather stereotypical villain and made into a suave immortal. He began to help out the Knight family instead of battling them. This characterization proved to be successful for him. Without this change, the Shade would have faded away into obscurity instead of becoming a beloved character.
7 Clayface Joining Up With Batwoman's Team Post-Rebirth Was A Fun Change For The Character.
There have been several Clayfaces over the years. In the post-Rebirth DC Universe, the Basil Karlo version of the character ended up joining with the team of Batman's sidekicks that included Batwoman, Orphan, Spoiler, and Tim Drake. He was definitely a strange candidate for the team, but he fit in rather well with the group.
It's always nice to see a villain in a new light, and Clayface's time with the Bat-Family's team allowed readers to see the classic villain quite differently than before. It showed there was more to the character than just over-the-top villainy.
6 Carol Ferris's Star Sapphire Became More Than A Stereotype
Silver Age DC wasn't exactly the best when it came to women. Love interests were often one-dimensional and stereotypical. Supervillainesses were little better. Carol Ferris as Star Sapphire was the perfect example of this. She became a shrill, domineering woman whose emotions made her evil compared to the rational and cool-headed Hal Jordan.
It was terrible. However, things got much better when the Star Sapphires became a part of the emotional spectrum of energies. Carol no longer lost control when she used her ring, and she worked alongside Hal to save the universe. The costume was very much designed with the male gaze in mind, but it was a much better portrayal of the character than before.
5 Black Adam's Redemption Arc Took Him To The A-List
There are some characters whose popularity was completely unpredictable. That description fits Black Adam to a tee. Black Adam's early appearances in JSA were his big break, as that book was DC's hottest team book. Joining up with the group was the best thing that happened to the villain. It led to him getting legions of fans and becoming a player in the DC Universe.
Black Adam was a big deal in the pre-Flashpoint years at DC. It all came from his redemption arc, and his current popularity is still a legacy of that. Black Adam would never have gotten a movie if it wasn't for his redemption arc.
4 Ravager Went From Trying To Kill The Teen Titans To A Member
Deathstroke's children have all had a rather rough go of things. Most of them end up dead at some point, and all of them are damaged. Rose Wilson became the second Ravager in order to help her father. She wanted to prove to him that she was worthy of being his sidekick. She even put her own eye out to prove her devotion to her father.
She clashed with the Teen Titans but joined up with the team post-Infinite Crisis. She played an important role in the team. She was the cynical outsider, and fans got more invested in her character than they otherwise would have if she had just stayed a villain.
3 Harley Quinn's Redemption Led Her To The Top Of The DC Universe
Harley Quinn was introduced to fans in Batman: The Animated Series. She'd soon come over to the comics, working as the Joker's henchwoman. Harley Quinn's sad backstory, striking costume, and humor resonated with readers, so she was given her own solo book, one that saw her strike out on her own. For years afterwards, she went back and forth with the Joker and quietly got more and more popular.
Quinn is now a cultural icon, but that all came from her several redemption arcs over the years. They allowed readers to see her as more than just the Joker's long-suffering moll. She became a fully fleshed-out character and made a huge mark on the DC Universe.
2 Deadshot Joining The Suicide Squad Was The Best Thing That Happened To Him
Many reformed DC villains got their chance because of the Suicide Squad. Certain characters became synonymous with the team, and they benefited greatly from their membership. Deadshot is one of those. Before joining the Squad, he was just a lower-tier Batman villain with a cool look. Being a part of the Squad allowed readers to see there was more to the character than just being a crack shot.
Deadshot became a big deal in the DC Universe in a way he never would have without his redemption arc. Deadshot as a Batman villain was a small fish in a huge pond. With the Suicide Squad and the Secret Six, he was a big fish and got to become a multi-faceted character.
1 Poison Ivy's Relationship With Harley Quinn Allowed Readers To See Her Softer Side
Poison Ivy's ecoterrorism has often been justified, but her methods have made it hard for readers to sympathize with her. That's why her relationship with Harley Quinn was so important to the character. It was rare to see an actual softer side to Poison Ivy. She was all about the mission of destroying humanity, so having her go on fun adventures with Harley Quinn and chronicling their love did wonders for her.
Poison Ivy has become an actual character for the first time in years. Being with Harley gave her a chance to be something besides a genocidal villain. This was exactly what the character needed, and Poison Ivy is more popular now than she's been in ages.