Summary
- Arthur and Micah's hats in Red Dead Redemption 2 challenge the traditional western trope of good guys wearing white hats and bad guys wearing black hats.
- Despite Micah wearing a white hat, he is far more loathsome and morally corrupt than Arthur, who wears a black hat. Micah's actions throughout the game prove him to be a villain.
- Arthur, even as a criminal, displays loyalty and virtues, while Micah prioritizes violence and betrayal. Their contrasting morals make their hats ironic and highlight Arthur's superior character.
While there is plenty worth discussing in Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur and Micah's signature hats are unexpectedly symbolic conversation topics. Of course, there are plenty of reasons to talk about the two beyond their choices in headwear. They are two of the most important characters in not just Red Dead Redemption 2, but the franchise as a whole, and each makes a major impact in their respective role. However, their hats are the most unexpected details that make their relationship an ironic one, at least as long as one takes the opportunity to analyze their meanings.
During the story, the connection between Arthur and Micah in RDR2 is present almost from the beginning. While it's not outright stated that the two men have a rivalry, they clearly represent two different forces within the Van Der Linde gang. Arthur was with Dutch long before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, while Micah is a newer member of the gang who has managed to get Dutch's ear. While Arthur faces several villains over the course of the game, and even fights side by side alongside Micah on a few occasions, the two men never have anything close to a friendship at any point.
Red Dead Redemption 2: How Dutch Became Everything He Hated About the O'Driscoll Gang
Dutch van der Linde had a very compelling arc in Red Dead Redemption 2 which saw him become everything he hated about his rival, Colm O'Driscoll.
Arthur and Micah's Hats Tell an Ironic Story in Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redmeption 2 Plays With a Classic Western Trope
Unless the player changes it, Arthur's signature hat in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a stylish black hat. Conversely, Micah wears a white hat during the game's events. One of the more famous tropes regarding the western genre is the way that heroes typically wear white hats, while villains usually wear black hats. Using that logic, Micah would be the good guy, while Arthur is the bad guy. However, the events of the game end up proving this assumption wrong on every conceivable level. Even the opening hours of the game are enough to make the true natures of Arthur and Micah clear.
Arthur and Micah's Morals Couldn't Be More Different
Even though there's no questioning that Arthur Morgan was loyal to Red Dead Redemption 2's Van Der Linde code, there's no doubt that he was a better man than Micah. While Arthur was a criminal, he had principles and virtues, with loyalty being chief among them. Micah, on the other hand, manages to go the entire length of the story without showing a single redeeming quality. He treats everyone else terribly, and seems to care more about killing and hurting people than anything else. Despite his white hat, Micah Bell is more loathsome than most villains from any medium, let alone western films.
Micah Might be the Evilest Gunslinger to Wear a White Hat
While Micah informing the authorities technically put him on the side of the law, it only reinforces how Micah is terrible in Red Dead Redemption 2. He didn't care about justice, he just wanted to sell everyone else out so that he could get away free. This is reinforced by the epilogue, where Micah forms his own gang and arguably becomes even worse than he was before. Even though Arthur was always on the opposite side of the law, he didn't try to sell anyone out to save himself. In fact, he sacrificed himself for the Marstons, showing a degree of honor Micah couldn't even imagine.
Despite his white hat, Micah Bell is more loathsome than most villains from any medium, let alone western films.
Arthur and Micah completely turned the western trope of white and black hats on its head. Any player who sees Red Dead Redemption 2's tragic story will know that even a low honor Arthur Morgan is a far better person than Micah Bell could ever hope to be. With this in mind, their hats almost seem like one of Rockstar's satirical jabs. Arthur Morgan may wear a black hat in Red Dead Redemption 2, but he's a saint compared to his white hat-wearing arch-rival.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
