6 ways Emmerdale could end Joe Tate’s villain arc; from hitting rock bottom to Graham turning against him

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By Rebecca Sayers

9 Mar 2026, 15:03

By Rebecca Sayers

9 Mar 2026, 15:03

Joe Tate has way more enemies than friends at this point in Emmerdale, and quite frankly, fans are sick of it. They want a change, and many have even found some ways that the show could make him go from villain to loved (or liked).

Recently, Joe has been scheming to get his hands on the entirety of Butlers Farm. He’s already managed to blackmail Robert and Victoria to give him Annie’s Field and their share. But now, he is turning to blackmailing Cain for Moira’s half.

With Cain determined not to give up, but Joe Tate not backing down that easily, Emmerdale viewers are adamant that he needs to have a change in storyline once-and-for-all. But the question is how? Well, here are a few ways Emmerdale could seriously fix Joe’s character.

1. Give him the farm – then make him lose it

Some Emmerdale fans seem to think the best way to end Joe Tate’s villainous storyline is to actually have him win – temporarily.

Viewers will remember Robert Sugden told Aaron Dingle that he was determined to get the farm back. And that it was going to be their family legacy. But that hasn’t been brought up since, and so fans think it’s happening in the background.

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Read all the latest spoilers

Upcoming

Cain and Moira to 'lose the farm', the truth about Graham and Jodie and a returning face

3 days ago

Mon, Mar 9

Cain and Moira's world shatters after Joe Tate blackmail

4 days ago

Thu, Mar 5

Cain pushed over the edge and Kerry nearly caught

5 days ago

Wed, Mar 4

Cain confronted, Jai concerned and Gabby suspicious

6 days ago

Mar 9 - 13

Cain confesses, Graham gives Rhona an ultimatum and Kim faces Moira

6 days ago

Tue, Mar 3

Sarah gets caught stealing another car and Manpreet wants the truth

7 days ago

And while Robron are plotting, Joe may manage to get his hands on the entire farm. But many believe if this is the case, it won’t be for long.

One viewer penned on X: “I reckon it’s going to look like Joe will get his hands on the farm and that’s when Robron come back, work together to take him down. It’s going to be beautiful television.”

Another on Reddit had a similar theory. But also felt that Robron could be working with Cain.

2. Lose all of his family

However, some other fans think Joe is going to need to lose everyone he supposedly loves before he can ever redeem himself. Starting with Kim.

One fan wrote on Reddit: “Kim is probably going to try to put a stop to all of it. But she can’t control how he behaves. Time for her to get rid.”

And if Joe gets booted out of Home Farm, could Dawn and the kids turn their back on him? Leaving him with absolutely nobody left.

3. Joe Tate could hit rock bottom

But some fans think Joe needs to fully lose absolutely everything before he can ever possibly be redeemed.

One fan penned on Reddit: “Takedown and redemption most definitely. He can not just jump into redemption.

“Maybe he goes bankrupt because something holds up his plans and he has to start from the bottom. That’s the only way he can redeem himself, by righting his wrongs.

“That being said. I don’t entirely blame him for this farm nonsense. Cain did steal the car. Joe should be punished for his part in the Sugden’s losing theirs and for framing Moira. But Cain needed some form of payback as well.”

4. Graham to make him see sense?

When Graham made his shock return to Emmerdale during Corriedale, everyone thought he would be the one to talk some sense into Joe.

However, he’s been here a while, and Joe isn’t listening to him. While Graham has made his feelings clear, he still ultimately always takes Joe’s side.

Some fans think Graham could finally make it clear that Joe needs to change. And maybe a showdown between the two of them could force Joe to look at his own life differently.

5. Starting a family with Dawn could force him to look at things differently

Not that long ago, Dawn thought she was pregnant. And surprisingly, Joe was actually really excited about the idea of being a dad.

But if Joe actually had his own kid, then this could be the harsh wake-up call he needs to change his behaviours. Perhaps the things that he thought were important to him, like money and scheming, actually aren’t.

While it’s unknown if Joe and Dawn will go on to have any kids, both of them definitely seemed up for trying. Only time will tell!

6. Could Joe’s death redeem him?

Obviously, one big theory that has been going around is that Joe Tate will die in Emmerdale very soon, with fans thinking that’s his only way.

But could his death ultimately be the way he redeems himself? One fan suggested on Reddit, that they think a huge showdown is coming. And Joe may die saving someone he cares about.

But is redemption even possible?

However, despite all of this, some fans just don’t think it is possible for Joe to redeem himself.

Over the last few years, he has stolen a kidney, blackmailed many people, and caused the death of three Emmerdale icons. So, there is a lot of amends to make.

One fan penned: “I don’t actually know if there is anything he can do to redeem himself. He has done way too many bad things in my opinion.”

Only time will tell exactly what happens next. But Emmerdale sure has a lot of routes they could take Joe Tate.

Read more: Emmerdale fans spot two huge foreshadowing signs that Joe Tate is actually leaving the show