Arthur Morgan’s Biggest Mistakes in RDR2

Throughout Arthur Morgan’s journey, he has done some bad things and made plenty of mistakes that players might be all too familiar with in Red Dead Redemption 2. One can only ponder what ifs when it comes to Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, and look back on his biggest mistakes that led him on the road that he ended up on.

Arthur Morgan’s complexity makes him one of the greatest characters of fiction, and this outlaw for life has made plenty of mistakes outside of just being a thief and a killer, to the point where those acts need recognition to see where it all went wrong for Arthur Morgan.

Spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption 2!

8

Failing to Take Care of His Son and His Son’s Mother

Eliza and Isaac Might Still Be Alive if Arthur Was a Good Father and Husband

When Arthur Morgan got a woman pregnant, he decided that his life as an outlaw was too risky for a newborn and a woman who wasn’t already in that life. As such, Arthur left them, and while he did say he would visit them, the last time he returned it was to their graves. Eliza and Isaac were killed in a robbery, and while Arthur isn’t to blame, things could have gone differently if he had been around.

If Eliza and Isaac were with the gang, perhaps they would have been protected. Or, a healthier option, if Arthur decided to leave the gang and settle down with the woman he got pregnant with, perhaps all three of them would still be alive.

7

Helping Herr Strauss

The Gang’s Descent into Preying on Penniless Victims Was a Descent into Darkness

• Featured in: Money Lending and Other Sins

Leopold Straus is a nasty man who left the cruelty of his country for a better chance in America, where he would discover the opportunities that await the poor souls who lack the cash to survive. As a result, Strauss fell in with the Van der Linde gang to conduct further scams, this time, with loyal muscle like Arthur Morgan to deliver punches to those who refused to pay.

Strauss is a loan shark, and it proves the foulness of his business in the way he preys on the weak. Arthur’s biggest mistake is being okay with this line of work, as although he’s a killer, he can remember a time when the gang would help some folk and even give them money, and now they’re placing innocent people under their heels.

6

Freeing Micah Bell

The Catalyst for the Gang’s Problems Was Locked Up Before Arthur Helped

• Featured in: Blessed are the Meek?

After Micah Bell gets himself into some trouble in Strawberry, he ends up in a cell, where Dutch Van der Linde requires Arthur Morgan to free him. While Arthur does joke about how they should just let Micah swing, he does abide by Dutch’s wishes and ends up freeing him, allowing Micah to wreak havoc on Strawberry and the Van der Linde gang.

If Arthur just let Micah rot in the Strawberry jail cell, then the entire Van der Linde gang may have been saved. The Blackwater job was Micah’s fault, as was Arthur’s kidnapping from the O’Driscolls, and finally, the worst of all, the manipulation of Dutch and acting as a Pinkerton informant.

5

Not Shooting Agent Milton & Agent Ross

Two Prominent Members of the Pinkertons Could Have Been Killed Immediately

• Featured in: A Fisher of Men

A wholesome fishing trip between Arthur and Jack ends in fear, as the two are confronted by the prominent Pinkerton agents who are hunting for Dutch Van der Linde. Agent Milton and Agent Ross confront Arthur and tell him to turn Dutch in to save himself. Despite the two agents being so persistent in their hunt, the fact that they knew where Arthur was, showed how dangerous they truly were as government agents.

However, even in the moment when their backs were turned, Arthur decided not to shoot and kill them. Killing both of them there would have perhaps slowed the Pinkertons down as the Van der Linde escaped, and with Agent Ross dead, John would still be around. Perhaps the reason he didn’t kill them both was to protect Jack’s innocence, but that’s a small price to pay for saving the entire gang.

4

Getting Too Violent with Thomas Downes

Arthur’s Aggression Led to His Own Demise

• Featured in: Money Lending and Other Sins Part 3

As instructed by Dutch and Strauss, Arthur heads to the Downes Ranch to intimidate Thomas Downes, a debtor who owes the gang a lot of money. When Arthur approaches Thomas Downes, he makes it clear that the time for conversation has passed, and he punches Thomas to get him on the floor, and can then continue to beat him.

Thomas coughs on Arthur, spitting blood into his mouth and transmitting tuberculosis to him. This is the fatal mistake that cost Arthur Morgan his life, as his own rage consumed him and resulted in his terminal diagnosis of TB.

3

Refusing to Run Away with Mary Linton

Mary Linton Could Have Given Arthur a New and Happy Life

• Featured in: Fatherhood and Other Dreams

Mary Linton was Arthur Morgan’s greatest love, but the two had to separate when their lives took drastically different turns. Arthur’s commitment to the life of an outlaw, and Mary’s desire for innocent normalcy had the two drift apart, until they reunited in Valentine, and then again in Saint Denis.

The two reunited and their love blossomed once more, but nothing happened. Mary pleaded with Arthur to run away with her – to take the train out of Saint Denis and head somewhere safe and away from all this violence. Yet, Arthur wants to take care of the Van der Linde gang and throws away his last chance at peace.

2

Being Too Loyal to Dutch Van der Linde

Arthur’s Loyalty to Dutch Van der Linde is the Catalyst of His Downfall

Arthur’s loyalty to Dutch is commendable, to a degree. Dutch and Hosea practically raised Arthur as their son ever since his youth, and he feels like he owes a lot to them. Arthur even states that he would happily die for the Van der Linde gang, but that was before he saw how bad things were going to get.

Even in the gang’s dying era at Beaver Hollow, Arthur rarely confronts Dutch, and even after the many displays of betrayal and disagreements, Arthur never decides to shoot him or just walk up and leave it all behind with the Marston family, even though everyone else seems smart enough to leave their loyalty behind.

1

Going Back for the Money (Player Dependant)

Abandoning John Marston to Greedily Steal the Van der Linde Stash

• Featured in: Red Dead Redemption (Return For The Money)

Arthur’s final mission sees him fight against the Van der Linde gang and the Pinkertons as all hell breaks loose in Beaver Hollow. With Arthur knowing that he’s pushed all he can, and the fact that this is his final ride, he can make a decision on what his last act will be – save John Marston and help him escape to his family, or leave John and head back for the money.

If players choose the most dishonorable act of abandoning John and heading back for the money, they are proving that Arthur is so consumed by vengeance to get Dutch and Micah and take the money for his own personal greed, rather than having a lasting legacy on those who matter most to him.