Vibhishana
Indian mythology · rakshasa · righteous defection
Ravana's youngest brother, who counseled returning Sita, was kicked from the court, and defected to Rama, who crowned him king of Lanka after the war. Tradition counts him among the immortals; his name remains a byword, honored or bitter, for leaving one's own for dharma.
Stories
The Building of the Bridge
The ocean itself yields to Rama's resolve: with Sugriva's armies, Angada's vanguard, and Jambavan's counsel, the vanaras hurl stones that float, and a causeway grows across the strait to Lanka. Vibhishana, cast out for honest counsel, crosses to Rama's side and is promised the crown.
The Fall of Ravana
Kumbhakarna has fallen telling his brother he was wrong; Indrajit has fallen to Lakshmana. Ravana himself takes the field, and Rama, aiming at last for the heart rather than the ten heads that regrow, ends the war. Mandodari laments a husband greater than his own choice; Vibhishana lights the pyre.