Irredeemable

Irredeemable is an adjective meaning not capable of being redeemed or forgiven, typically used to describe actions, conditions, or individuals deemed beyond salvation or restoration. In religious contexts, it often signals that moral repair or redemption is considered impossible; in secular discourse it can describe grave, unforgivable behavior or a state of irreversible decline. The term derives from the prefix ir- plus redeemable, from Old French redimer and Latin redimere, meaning to buy back or reclaim; the form irredeemable emerged in early modern English to denote an inability to be redeemed.

In popular culture, Irredeemable is the title of a comic book series published by BOOM! Studios, created by Mark Waid and Peter Krause. Published from 2009 onward, it centers on The Plutonian, a superhero who turns villain and wages war on humanity, prompting examinations of power, responsibility, and the possibility of redemption. The series is known for deconstructing traditional superhero tropes and darker moral tone; it spawned a companion series, Incorruptible, about a villain who seeks to become a hero.

See also: Redemption; Irredeemable (comics).