Some characters just stick with you. Whether it’s from your favourite TV show, a old film, a book or a graphic novel, we all have one or two that stay with us, lingering like ghosts of old friends. One of mine is Arthur Morgan, protagonist of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.
I am not a gamer. So I’m not surprised if this declaration of love raises one or both eyebrows. How can I love a character in a medium I don’t actively engage with?
Well, it’s just that Arthur Morgan is such a good character, that instead of simply pottering about the flat when my partner played the game, I stopped what I was doing and simply watched. I was so engaged with Arthur’s story I would rush into the living room when I heard the PlayStation switched on. I didn’t want to miss a single part of his story.
And I’m not alone. There is a whole plethora of heartfelt blog posts out there about Arthur. He is loved, by both gamers and watchers, like me. I had conversations with colleagues whose partners were also playing the game about our love for him.
As a writer, I want to create characters who will create attachments with readers that go far beyond the final page, just like Arthur did with me. So, I broke down some of the reasons why I think he is such a stand out character.
SPOILERS: If you haven’t played (or watched!) RDR 2 and are planning to, then this analysis will give away some biggies… you’ve been warned.
His strengths are also his weaknesses
Arthur has strengths and weaknesses like all good characters. He’s honourable, loyal and cares deeply. But those are also his downfall. He’s loyal to the wrong man, Dutch, meaning that he makes decisions he knows are wrong, but his honour dictates that he doesn’t let down Dutch and the gang he sees as his family. The link between his good traits and his bad creates empathy. Even though he does some pretty terrible stuff, we can see it’s because he’s trying to do right, and this makes him an instant anti-hero who you want to get behind.
Complex personality
Arthur isn’t just a sum of good and bad traits though. The game is long enough that we get some detailed insights into his personality. He puts himself down when he looks in the mirror – a simple enough act but one that creates a powerful connection with the player. After all, who hasn’t had one of those ‘ugh’ moments when they catch their reflection?
Arthur likes to write, which gives us further insight into his true feelings about his life when we read his diary. We get a secret line into his conscious that the usually gruff and hardened criminal wouldn’t let others see.
And he cares deeply for the horses – anyone who has read Save the Cat knows the redeeming power of a character showing care towards animals.
Morality makes up for ruthlessness
We learn that, despite his abrasiveness and actions, Arthur has a strong moral compass. Not only does this negate some of his more ruthlessness actions, it makes us want him to transform into the person we know he can be.
His backstory
Arthur’s complex personality is driven by his backstory. We get to know not just the man of the present, but the man he once was and also the man he could have been if he had made different choices. Again, knowing some of the heartbreak and history of the man only serves to tie us closer to him. Giving us the reasons to explain his behaviour only serves to create more sympathy through understanding. This is especially true of his interaction with Mary, his former lover – a relationship that ended because he couldn’t give her what she wanted.
Growth in character arc
The redemption at the heart of RDR 2 is, of course, Arthur’s. He goes from violent outlaw to an anti-hero. Although we can see the potential in Arthur ourselves, it’s not until he’s diagnosed with tuberculosis – a terminal illness, which he contracted whilst beating a man – that he starts to really ponder on his own actions and wrongdoing. His impending death makes him consider the angst he has caused in so many lives, and he sets out on a path veering away from his friend and gang-leader Dutch, to save a younger gang member who he believes can be saved from the path Arthur himself took.
The game itself forces the player into not making decisions for an animated puppet, but one of a man. In line with Arthur’s true values, a player who makes decisions resulting in high ‘honour’ (e.g. saving people from bandits, helping others) gives Arthur a peaceful death upon the mountainside. Make different decisions like stealing and murdering, though, and Arthur will mope around camp, talking to members of the gang about the terrible deeds he (or the player) has enacted. Eventually this low-honour Arthur will be executed by a fellow gang member, stripping him of the full redemption of a peaceful death.
Arthur’s arc isn’t an easy one. His strengths-come-weaknesses battle each other in every scene and every decision. Because we see the pain and struggle in him, we want him to succeed.
The worldbuilding is phenomenal
Although this isn’t necessarily to do with Arthur’s character, it’s just as important. What good is a really rounded character if they live in a two-dimensional world? The world is touchable, it’s so real. The sheer scale and possibility means that Arthur has a chance to engage in so many different ways, and each unique conversation, hunting trip, stroll down the street gives us deeper insight into Arthur as a person.
The cast supports Arthur’s journey
Dutch – his friend and gang leader – serves as a mirror to Arthur’s own journey. Whereas Arthur embarks on a redemption arc, Dutch lacks Arthur’s deeply entrenched redeeming qualities and falls deeper into his criminal lifestyle. He is a constant reminder to the player of what Arthur could become if he let go of his honour and decency.
On the other hand, John, the man Arthur sets out to save (and the protagonist in RDR 1 which is set in a time period after the second game), serves as a reminder of who Arthur could have been. You can see the longing in Arthur’s eyes for John to make the decisions he didn’t as a younger man. In saving this man’s life and returning him to his wife, away from the gang and Dutch, you feel as if Arthur is winding back his own clock and living vicariously through John.
The world is full on unique characters, all going about their days. You can follow random people on the street and see their lives played out in full – they’re not just digital cardboard cuts outs set on the street to plump out the world. This is a brilliant example, of ‘everyone is the protagonist in their own story’ – each person we meet, whether it’s a shopkeeper or a captured traveler, a farmer or a train guard, seems to have their own personality, their own needs and desires. Just like the incredible world, this gives Arthur even more chance to show his good and sides to the player.
Arthur Morgan is by far my favourite character from a video game, and I’d wager he beats most characters from a lot of films, TV shows and books I’ve consumed in recent years. It’s an achievement that’s made all the more outstanding because the creators aren’t entirely in control of their character – the player is.
Have you played (or watched!) Red Dead Redemption 2? What did you make of Arthur?