Bad Guys Gone Good: Our Favorite TV Villains Who Turned Over a New Leaf

Photo: HBO

Al Swearengen – Deadwood

Okay, okay. Don’t send me mean mentions or emails. I get this is a bit of a hard sell. Al Swearengen, in pop culture and in real life, was a real villain in every sense of the word. He trafficked in prostitution and crime, and he brutalized more woman than I care to consider.

However, Al loved his town of Deadwood and most of the things he did, he did to make it a better place. His fierce protection of his home creates a soft spot with audiences. While we’re not rushing to forgive him all the atrocities he enacted, we’re a little more likely to view him as a complicated human rather than an outright villain.

He was a savvy businessman and propelled his business to the forefront of Deadwood’s economy. He had a talent for making lucrative alliances and kept his financial dealings open to anyone who could benefit his agenda. Through it all, and there was a lot to look past, Al was a hometown guy that would do whatever he had to make it a better place to live.

Al eventually left Deadwood. But he wasn’t a complete monster after all. He married a woman the same year and they rode off into the sunset.