User blog comment:ChishioKunrin/Volume 6 Bingo/@comment-35455126-20180811033945/@comment-4141313-20180812031733

MAJOR SPOILERS

I'm of the same opinion, which makes his fall all the more tragic. He looked like he genuinely was beginning to be good for real thanks to Alura and the other Paladins. Unfortunately, not all skeletons stay in the closet. If he's still alive and is returning in Season 8, then there may be a slimmer of hope. But if that robot belonged to Hira rather than him, Lotor truly embodies the quote: "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain".

END OF SPOILERS

I am of the opinion that Whitley is just sucking up to Jacques to avoid his wrath, so hopefully if he does become a personal antagonist for Weiss, it would be similar to how Ilia was one to Blake, and Weiss needs to do for him what Blake did for Ilia.