Summary
- Arthur Morgan's complex and nuanced character in Red Dead Redemption 2 has made him one of the greatest gaming heroes, with his loyalty, strong will, and ability to commit morally questionable acts out of duty and loyalty.
- The game presents Arthur as a grounded and unbiased character, painting a complete picture with both his virtues and his darker qualities, making him a relatable and believable character.
- Arthur's tragic story and legacy live on in characters like John Marston, as his virtues and emotional depth shine through his difficult life of crime, making him one of the most interesting characters in both Red Dead Redemption 2 and gaming as a whole.
Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 will likely go down in history as one of the best games that the developer has ever produced, and much of this comes down to the strengths of the main character, Arthur Morgan. Although the world of RDR2 is filled with despicable individuals and morally questionable behavior, Arthur manages to garner sympathy and intrigue throughout the experience - a fact that still rings true five years after the game's release.
Following 2010's Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 had some big shoes to fill when it came to the main character. John Marston, the hero of the first game, is often ranked among one of the best gaming characters of all time, and there were some fans who were disappointed to learn that he wouldn't be the main character in the prequel game. Instead, RDR2 gave players control of Arthur, a character who isn't even referenced in the first game. However, Arthur's emotional story in RDR2 ultimately won over both fans of the 2010 game and newcomers, earning him a spot among the greatest gaming heroes ever.
Arthur Morgan Is a Profoundly Complex and Nuanced Character
Arthur's rugged charisma is apparent from the very beginning of Red Dead Redemption 2. Dutch's gang is facing a number of threats at the start of the game, as they are on the run from the law following a botched heist in Blackwater, and wind up stuck in a snowstorm in the mountains. Despite these odds, Arthur doesn't shy away from helping out his comrades, riding ahead to scout out the road, searching for supplies, hunting, and risking his own life to rescue John Marston. He is incredibly loyal to Dutch but isn't afraid to speak his mind, which keeps him from seeming like a doormat.
The way Arthur follows the Van Der Linde code while still being a strong-willed and capable character makes him likable from the start of the game, which is important given what players quickly come to learn about him. Arthur is far from a typical, morally upright hero, and he can be seen committing a number of cold and unfair acts throughout the game, including murder, extortion, and assault. While many of his actions are indefensible, it's clear that he commits these actions out of duty and loyalty to his loved ones. It's important to note that Arthur doesn't seem to particularly enjoy violence - he simply shuts off his empathic side to accomplish his goals.
This moral ambiguity makes Arthur far more interesting than a typically ethical character. RDR2 makes a point to highlight Arthur's sensitive side, from small details like his affinity for sketching to more significant elements of his backstory, like his complicated relationship with Mary Linton. Crucially, the game never draws too much attention to these details, nor does it explicitly tell the player that Arthur is "good" or "evil." Instead, Rockstar paints a complete picture of Arthur as a character, warts and all, and presents him in a grounded and unbiased way, which winds up making him a far more believable and relatable character, with understandable motives.
Rockstar paints a complete picture of Arthur as a character, warts and all, and presents him in a grounded and unbiased way.
Ultimately, Arthur's tragic story in RDR2 ends with his death, but his legacy lives on in characters like John Marston, who learns from Arthur's strengths and shortcomings. Part of what makes Arthur such a sad character is how he spends the game trapped in a difficult situation, manipulated by Dutch and cornered into a life of crime from a young age. He doesn't know a life other than that of an outlaw, but his virtues, namely loyalty and surprising emotional depth, shine through his darker qualities, making him one of the best and most interesting characters, not only in Red Dead Redemption 2, but in gaming as a whole.
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
- Engine
- RAGE
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
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.
