Arthur Morgan is described as someone with a good man inside them, but one that is wrestling with a giant. This makes the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2 one of the most complex characters in recent memory and one who will be immortalized as an incredible character with such a rich story. Yet, despite the bad that Arthur Morgan might have done, there’s plenty to counter it on his road to redemption.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 presents Arthur Morgan as a good man underneath his burliness and self-loathing, and those who commit to high honor playthroughs will get to experience this for themselves as they battle Arthur’s demons and attempt to leave the world with some semblance of good.
Spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption 2!
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Helping Strangers for No Real Reason
Arthur Can Involve Himself With Some Strangers For No Reason Other Than Fun
Throughout the many states that Arthur can explore, he can often encounter some weird strangers who require his help, and Arthur is more often than not, happy to oblige, even if they do not immediately tell him of all the riches that he will get for doing so. Whether it’s helping Hamish Sinclair, the veteran, with his horse, or teaching Charlotte Balfour to hunt, Arthur helps them out of the kindness of his heart.
There are even other instances of strangers that Arthur helps just because he can, like the photographer, Albert Mason, whom Arthur saves from grizzly wildlife death over and over. Arthur’s active involvement in the lives of so many strangers has made him a memorable figure, even if their encounters were brief.
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Assisting Mary, Despite Their Love Having Passed
Helping Mary Linton Proves Arthur Morgan Has a Heart
The love story of Arthur Morgan and Mary Linton is one of tragedy. Such a young love, squandered by the parallel lives that they lead. While Arthur’s loyalty remained with Dutch and the life of an outlaw, his heart will always be held by that of Mary Linton, the sweet woman who just wants to seek a better life with her man by her side.
Despite the fact that Mary broke Arthur’s heart, and in turn, he broke hers, the two can often involve themselves with each other outside of romance with Arthur electing to help her brother and later her father. Despite gaining nothing from this, Arthur helping Mary proves his deep-rooted care for those in his life, even if he sees himself as a fool for doing so.
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Fighting Against Racism
Arthur Won’t Stand for Prejudice Against People of Color
Arthur Morgan doesn’t seem to care about all that much other than the gang, but within that gang is some damn fine people that he considers family, and those family members happen to be of a different ethnicity. Characters like Charles, Javier, Lenny, and Tilly are all persecuted because of the color of their skin, especially in the deep south state of Lemoyne.
Arthur can come across a few racists in Red Dead Redemption 2 that he can antagonize and even attack with no detriment to his honor level. Whether it’s a former slave catcher, a KKK meeting, or other moronic racists spouting nonsense, Arthur Morgan just won’t stand for it.
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Giving to the Poor
Arthur Morgan Can Help the Homeless and Other Poor Souls
While Herr Strauss is more focused on taking from the poor and forcing them into loans that they cannot repay, Arthur Morgan seems less interested in this business, and will instead prefer to give to the poor. Characters like the false veteran, Mickey, in Valentine are prime examples of Arthur’s generosity.
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Arthur also talks about the Van der Linde gang’s old days in which they would steal from the rich and often give money to those less fortunate than themselves, but those days have long since passed. There are a few homeless characters and those who request just a dollar or two, and Arthur providing them with cash shows how he’s not as selfish and rough as he seems.
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Standing for Women’s Rights
Arthur Defends Women, Even if He Doesn’t Care So Much About the Politics
In 1899, women still did not have the right to vote in America, and the suffragette movement would fight for women’s rights. As a result of this, a few women in Red Dead Redemption 2 campaigned for women’s rights, including the suffragette in Saint Denis, Dorothea Wicklow. While most men insult Dorothea or even attempt to attack her, Arthur will antagonize those against her, but claim he doesn’t really care about women’s suffrage.
Outside of Ms. Wicklow, Arthur can rescue quite a few women in the states, abused and kidnapped by men. Arthur is always ready to defend the honor of women, and that’s not because they are weak, but because the men in 1899 can be rather cruel.
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Absolving the Debts of Strauss’s Victims
Loan Shark Victims Are Freed of Debt From a Dying Arthur Morgan
Arthur has a lot of reflecting to do after he is diagnosed with tuberculosis, and a lot of resentment towards Strauss, who Arthur finally realizes is a blood-sucking culprit who preys on weak and vulnerable citizens to put them in irreparable debt that will see everything they owned taken by Arthur Morgan.
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With Arthur sick and the Van der Linde gang falling apart, Arthur takes responsibility for the debts for himself and absolves them, allowing those who were in Strauss’ seedy debt to go free. Arthur’s heart shows in those who could lose their lives to the practice of debt, and so he gets rid of it at the source by kicking Strauss out of the camp.
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Aiding the Native American People
Helping Rains Fall and the Wapiti Indian Reservation Makes Arthur a Hero
Arthur Morgan has no real reason to help Rains Fall, as it doesn’t benefit him or the Van der Linde gang in any way. Even Dutch understands this and instead seeks to manipulate the youthful men into angry soldiers for his own crusade. Meanwhile, Arthur takes it upon himself to help Rains Fall and bring peace to the reservation against the U.S. Army.
Arthur’s respect for Native American culture, and his relationship with the wise Rains Fall, show that he’s on the right path of bravery and gentleness, and how he might find peace in his redemption as he helps those who are being abused by greater powers.
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Helping John Marston Escape
Arthur Prioritises John Getting Back to His Family Over His Own Safety or Greed
With the fall of the Van der Linde gang and the final assault from the Pinkertons at Beaver Hollow, Arthur Morgan is left with two choices: Help an injured John Marston escape so that he can reunite with his wife and son and start a new life, or fight through Pinkertons and his old gang in order to try and greedily grab the money that Dutch has stashed away.
Should Arthur choose to make his final stand as a hero, he will ride with John Marston and save him, proving how much John means to him as a little brother. While Arthur’s fate remains the same, it shows how high his honor is that he would make his last moments one of heroism to save the life of a man who still has a chance to turn his life around.
- Released
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October 26, 2018