>>537004092
I should have been more precise - all the supposedly "evil" companions (origins) were always written to have a redemption arc. It's effective for characters such as Lae'zel and Shadowheart because these two are young, have been manipulated for their entire lives, go through a crisis of faith, have their whole worldviews upended, and that's all very dramatic and compelling. Minthara also experiences change, perhaps no less dramatic, because she is forced to lose two things that were central to her previous identity - her faith in Lolth and her place in House Baenre. It's just given less attention because she's not an origin and more of a hidden companion.