WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the fifth and final season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, now streaming on Netflix.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has always been in part about the importance of learning empathy, and the amazing acts that can be done when you allow yourself to feel love. Redemption is a big part of that, with the final season focusing somewhat on how villains deal with that kind of epiphany -- and how it changes them for the better.
Three of the chief villains from across She-Ra and the Princesses of Power get the chance to redeem themselves during the final battles against Horde-Prime, elevating the concept to major importance in the grand scheme of things for the series.
CATRA
Catra began the show in a strange position against her oldest friend, Adora. The two grew up together in the Fright Zone under Shadow Weaver, with Adora as the clear favorite. However, everything changed when Adora left the Horde to join with the Princess Rebellion. Catra became her most dedicated enemy, often targeting Adora and her allies specifically. The two came to blows multiple times, with Catra almost destroying all of Eternia in her pursuit to defeat her former friend. After losing everything due to her own actions, Catra was faced with the chance for redemption on Hordak-Prime's ship. Rather than work with the villain, she turned on him and freed fellow prisoner Glimmer -- a choice that resulted in Catra being fitted with a control chip.
Catra's road to redemption always had one destination: Adora. Adora was eventually able to save Catra and fully welcomed onto the side of angels. Catra's redemption was quickly proven, as she helped fight alongside the Princesses and became bonded with Melog, the alien feline creature. She even resisted her own failings (her habit of turning on her friends for "betraying" her) to stand beside Adora at the Heart of Etheria. Her love for Adora -- and Adora's matching feelings -- turn the tide of Adora and Hordak-Prime's race to claim the Heart of Etheria -- allowing the heroines to save the day by unleashing the magical energy across Etheria. Her redemption complete, Catra is fully accepted by the heroines.
SHADOW WEAVER
Shadow Weaver was introduced as the mentor and maternal figure for Catra and Adora in the Fright Zone. A loyal servant of Hordak, Shadow Weaver was a frequent counsel for the villainous commander. When Adora turned on the Horde, however, Shadow-Weaver found herself desperate to reassert her control and command in the Fright Zone. This led to escalating tension between her and Hordak, as well as bristling against the ambitious Catra. After too many mistakes, Hordak moves Catra into Shadow Weaver's position of power, and even imprisons his former advisor. However, she eventually ends up released -- thanks in part to her manipulations of Catra -- and ended up among the Princesses as a prisoner.
Shadow Weaver has never been interested in redemption. She tries to use her manipulative abilities to direct people like Adora and Glimmer to the paths that she hopes for. But this doesn't always work, as the heroes become steadily more and more self-reliant. Revealing the plan to free the Heart of Etheria, she eventually convinces Adora to utilize this failsafe to stop Hordak-Prime -- even if it costs Adora her life. Adora and Catra both tell her how much pain she's caused and how useless all her treachery has really been. These words actually affect Shadow Weaver and lead her to do the first heroic thing she's done all series -- sacrificing herself to stop a monster targeting Catra and Adora. Her final words being to her surrogate daughters are even heartfelt.
HORDAK
Hordak is initially set up as the ultimate villain of She-Ra. Ruling from his base of operations in the Fright Zone, his army of robotic drones and loyal soldiers made his conquest of Etheria seem like not just a possibility, but an eventuality. However, Adora taking the powers and form of She-Ra threw all of his plans into disarray. Largely unconcerned with anything outside her experiments and robotics, Entrapta forged a bond with Hordak and became his first every genuine friend. The revelation that Catra sent her to Beast Island and lied to him about her "betrayal" set Hordak against Catra, leading to a battle that largely destroyed their base.
It was at this point that Hordak-Prime finally found Etheria and took them (and Glimmer) to his mothership. Hordak was seemingly erased, his mind wiped to join the countless other clones of Hordak. Signs of the original Hordak still peek through the forced ideals Hordak-Prime, however. When Hordak meets Entrapta again, memories eat at him about his time with her. This finally comes to fruition in the just before Hordak-Prime can gain victory -- Hordak turning on him, proclaiming that Etheria has taught him the importance of having his own life and choices and feelings. Hordak-Prime briefly takes his body for his own, but after She-Ra destroys his essence Hordak is freed and reunited with Entrapta.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power stars Aimee Carrero, Karen Fukuhara, AJ Michalka, Marcus Scribner, Reshma Shetty, Lorraine Toussaint, Keston John, Lauren Ash, Christine Woods, Genesis Rodriguez, Jordan Fisher, Vella Lovell, Merit Leighton, Sandra Oh, Krystal Joy Brown and Jacob Tobias