The Most Well Developed Character in History 

Did Arthur earn his place in Heaven or it wasn't enough?

I remember beating the game for the first time an i literally cried…. It felt like Arthur morgan was real and it took me months to get over his death as if he was a family member….. RdR 2 is a masterpiece and it deserves a huge award

Charles was a good man, I always felt relieved when I had a mission with him because I knew I wouldn’t be betrayed.

Arthur.. especially when you play the game realistically and slowly as intended.. honestly feels like a friend and oh man, it crushes you when he dies! I go into some weird form of mourning

Dude, when Dutch turns away and walks out when Arthur is about to be killed... the anger I felt, oh boy

This game is literally a work of art. It is a piece of American culture on par with novels.

Arthur thanking his horse will never not make me cry man. Idk why it hits me harder than his literal death but that scene with a high bond horse and half of Mary Linton's content does it for me.

The funny thing is what dutch said to leviticus cornwwall , he said cornwall destroy everything at his path , but in reality it’s dutch and his gang that did it

This game had SUCH a profound effect on me, I think everyone should experience it at least once. Its the best game of all time IMO

Hearing Arthur say “I said don’t thank me” is so heartbreaking

When you said its Dutch's fall into insanity that saves Arthur, im inclined to agree. I like to think the moment he sees Dutch kill Bronte was the moment Arthur started questioning things, even before his diagnosis which of course had a massive impact on him. I remember trying to play arthur as low honour but that scene, seeing Arthurs face and johns kneejerk reaction of questioning him infront of the rest of them, seems like the place Arthur was able to doubt his lifelong father figure

Arthur was a character that literally made me panic when i thought he could die, when i found out ingame that he had tb i rushed to my phone to search tutorial on how to cure his tb, accidentally spoiling myself his bitter end

I balled my eyes out like a baby on my first play-through. Hell, even on subsequent play-throughs, I still cry. This narrative is one of the best ever written, including other games, books, and movies.

Arthur is one of those characters where you don’t know how to feel about him at first but as you get to know him it makes his tale even more tragic. the layers of depth to his character never fails to make me think how the influence of one’s circumstances can make even a good hearted man a measure of monster. It’s fascinating to see how the whole time he knows what he’s doing isn’t right he even hates himself for it at times but its not until he’s almost dead does he finally realize he has a choice and had one this whole time now that hes for once in life able to think outside of his programming and see things clearly and he knows his time is very limited more than ever he knows he has to do something and now. it’s so sad.

The night the gang saved Sean, i spent about five or ten minutes sitting by fire listening to Hosea talk about ancient neanderthals first discovering fire, feeling likes gods. Literally a conversation my friend and I would have irl. This game almost acts like my secind home, and Arthur is a person I can look up to. A few others of the gang are too, especially Charles. For me, the quote that broke me was when Arthur admits his fear to the sister superior, and she eventually has this line. "Take a chance that love exists, and do a loving act." I'd given up on love recently, and hearing that in her kind voice really helped in a way. My whole life, video games have touched me more than any form of media besides maybe music.

Arthur Morgan is without a doubt one of if not Rockstar's best written protagonist. This game crushes your soul. RDR2 is nothing short of a masterpiece, this game is art.

my first play through i had Buell as my primary horse because i loved Hamish and his questline so much and the moment where Arthur comforts his horse at the end hurt so much more for it.

My favorite line in the whole game, "Into all that, *CIVILIZATION* ?

It's such a masterpiece of a game. I teared up a little in the video at some of the points where Arthur is confronted with the consequences of his prior life and his true desire for redemption. I wanted so bad for there to be some way for him to come out the other side. Even though his fate was sealed and we all knew his death was unavoidable it still ripps out your heart and feeds it to you. Thanks for the content I enjoyed the emotional recap.

When I first played, I thought there was no way that this Arthur Morgan guy would be better than John marston. Little did I know he’d be so much bigger

This came out 5 years ago from when I’m making this comment, and people still have analysis on red dead redemption 2 story, lore, and characters. This is truly one of the best games ever made.

homie cried like me during the "You kneel for no one" scene from lord of the rings. I respect it.

damn this game is so good and it's my first time to cry for a game character 😢 Arthur taught me one thing that Revenge is a Fool game and i always remembered that.

I think what makes the last debt collection so impactful is seeing woman with a young son, fending for herself, with a dead husband named Arthur, an obvious parallel to him with Issac and Eliza. it's one of the only things we as the player never find anything out about, and I really want there to be some sort of story for that phase of his life. he realizes how much he's given up to the gang, including a family. he sees what must have been a real struggle for Eliza and her child. this is literally the best video game I've ever played holy shit. edit: I think the entire plot of the game is how good and bad is not one or the other, and how everyone is human, not just a bad guy or a good guy. Arthur physically couldn't always make the right choice, just like real life. he was a good man, because of his actions and how he recognized his wrong doings, and changed, rather than continuing his run to follow and serve his gang, his family.

The people that complain about not being able to be truly evil completely missed the point of the entire game, everything down to the title. It's called "Red Dead Redemption" for a reason, both John and Arthur redeem themselves for their past sins but ultimately land themselves dead in a pool of their own blood.

Something I also loved about arthur, he wasn't sexist or racist like he didn't even fully understand those concepts as shown in side missions, he just helped people who he thought needed help and shot people who he thought needed shooting but with a valid reasons, arthur probably one of the most complex characters ever made which is why he is so good, he can feel relatable, and yet also so distance from everything you can feel with him and understand his actions.

Calling Arthur the most well written character in history is INSANE to anyone who has never played the game, but for those who have, its perfectly believable

I have so many questions about Dutch. do we think he fell into insanity, or do we think Arthur just saw him for who he really always was, or a little bit of both? (and yes Charles is love Charles is life.)

i can’t believe this isn’t getting more attention! great video

I cried. A lot , watching this, this game has broken me time and time again and will genuinely have a place in my heart for the rest of my life

I played this game not in my room butnin the living room, my dad (may he rest in peace) when he saw cowboys horses and a guy who was a man that became an angel, when the rnd came we cried we cried alot and i felt that we bonded in a way that itnwas different, thrn he said "amy wipe the tears and carry on i reckon i have to get a drink for Arthur morgan" He wrnt to the bar and as i followed him to the bar he poured me a shot and him too.. Raise your glasses gentlemen this one is for Arthur and my dad.. If u did i thank you..

A friend of mine recommended Rdr2 for me to play , He kept praising the game and always told me about it being a masterpiece , I thought he was exaggerating until I played it, It was literally the first time I'd ever cried after beating a game , Now, I have more than 800 hours on the game , I played it three times, and every single time I get the same ending , the high honor one , I just can't get any other ending, I just can't accept the idea of Arthur being a bad dishonorable man, After watching this video, I think I'm going to play the game again.

Arthur will forever be my favourite character. i remember back in 2018 on release, i moved across the country for a uni i was unsure about and lost alot of relationships. played the game low and slow and had atleast 100hr before the final mission and i completely lost it when Arthur died. didnt really recover for like a week and i quit school and moved back home.

This character and story were so well done I replayed it 8 times back to back. And as a grown ass man I still teared up every time.

its sad that such a masterpiece will go unnoticed to alot of people thinking "It's just a game" As no movie could narrate this a Tv Show could but it wouldn't be the same

This may have been the greatest video about the greatest game

Awesome video man, it's awesome that you took the time to fully understand Arthur Morgans character and all of the nuances that rockstar writes into their stories.

Cried the first time I played the story, and it hurt me so much that I haven't gone back until very recently. I went in knowing it would be sad, as I played the first game when it came out, but it still hurt so much.

Arthur Morgan: I am not a good man. Isaac Clarke: Good men mean well. They just don't always end up doing well.

I really like your editing style man, especially in the use of the OST to keep things entertaining in the in-between moments

fantastic video! made me cry a little.

Most games kinda just give characters likes and dislikes. Red Dead 2 gave Arthur a personality, interests, humor and a life. He felt like a Man instead of just a character.

I like this analysis. Made me see things from a perspective I think I missed somewhat. Thank you.

And to think that John gets two games to shine in and be the one everyone praises.. But Arthur just came in and stole the show. Bless him. I love him so much.

You did an excellent job on this video man. It’s so good to see Arthur Morgan being loved and his story told years after the game. You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar

I *LOVE* Arthur. I've played RDR2 multiple times, and the ending made me break down and cry like a baby each damn time. Arthur knows he's not a good man, but he tries his best to be as good as he can be.

Great video! Just found your channel and glad I did, now I'm a proud subscriber here. I really loved this game, it pulled me in like very few can manage to do. Rockstar actually took a gamble on trusting players to be able to keep up with the various character motivations/personalities within the greater context of the overall narrative by avoiding making everything black and white. The nuance was left fully in tact and just helped make everything so much more believable. Most of their AAA peers are just either never willing to take what they see as a risk in committing to a narrative in such a way or perhaps they just simply aren't capable. Either way, it really makes RDR2 stand out that much more.

The part with Arthur talking about his son really tugs at me…so brief but really powerful.

That was a Great Overview on Arthur, Thank You for doing it.

ive played this game like 100 times through and watching this literally almost made me shed a tear. Arthurs downfall is one of the saddest yet greatest pieces of storytelling we have in gaming

this is... just amazing, you deserve WAYYY more subscribers. The way you think, the way you explain, it's all perfect (like the game you're talking about haha). i think that you have such a huge career in front of you that just waits in the future and man... you deserve it all

I just started my second playthrough and as soon as I heard Arthur's voice, I started crying. Like seeing an old friend again after a long time apart. I have never been so connected to a fictional character in a video game. Apart from John in RDR1. The writing team outdid themselves with Arthur.

The saddest part about these videos is that I watch them for 2 minutes and get so immersed/interested that I decide to watch an entire playlist of the game it's related to. I'll definitely come back to this to watch it fully, as I believe the effort you put down is worth it, even after only having watched it for as long as I have.

The game also reminds me of a better time within my own life. Where I was, HOW I was, etc. Same goes for The Witcher 3. These two games are insanely perfect. I have a melancholy feeling with them. They’re in my top 5 of all time. I think I speak for most.

This game was incredibly immersive in it's experience, which I think is a part of why Arthur's death hit so hard. Alongside fantastic writing and graphics, the WORLD was rich, plentiful, and at times excitingly unpredictable. When Arthur died, it felt not like a video game character dying, but as though someone you knew deeply passed on. It's only natural when you play hours upon hours of a game and get to know a well-written, beautiful character so intimately. RDR2 is the one game I can confidently say is my all-time, unbeatable favourite.

Arthur Morgan is my favorite character of all time, and nothing can replace him. Rest in peace..

what an amazing video, made me tear up even after playing the game over 5 years ago

Great Job Malcolm

What a masterpiece of a video!

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredible game. I will always remember it.

It was stauss who went borrowing money to people hwo had a hard time paying it back and he only got arthur to collect the money back because he was the only one he trusted to do the job

Great video. I wish you'd have mentioned Hosea

This is a great character analysis.

Such a great video

I beat this game in early January of 2019 i was 11 and stayed up day in day out playing with my dad. He died in april of 2020 and im playing the game again when arthur died i quite literally broke down into tears its the most beautiful piece of storytelling ive ever experienced.

Amazing video!!!

This was so, so fucking good. Well done, man

This was an incredible video i was emotional the whole time watching Arthur is probably the best character ive ever seen outside of maybe one or two other characters but no character has ever made me care for them more than Arthur. I hated playing as Arthur initially i was like "kill him off already so i can play as john" but then i started to want to see him be a better person around Saint Dennis and then when he got TB was was dreading playing as John because i didn't want to see Arthur go his relationship with John Saidie and Charles is a master-class in writing character saidie and Charles being the only ones to see through Arthurs closed off nature and tough exterior from pretty early in the game was so smart they knew it before he did and finally in the end he sees his life for what it was and in the end he did the right thing and thats what mattered

I think something that is often overlooked are the "therapy" sessions with Tilly and Mary Beth. Arthur will basically talk about the dishonorable things that he has done during that chapter. If you kill innocents he will talk about that. If you haven't killed innocents but killed too many animals without skinning them he will talk about that. If you haven't done any of those things he will talk about how he has robbed people for no reason. I haven't done 0 dishonorable things in a chapter so I don't know what he says then but the point is that Arthur regrets those actions. He even regrets robbing people which is what he does all the time during missions. So it seems that during missions the indoctrination from Dutch makes him think that his actions are justified, but when he is alone he feels ashamed. Arthur never wanted to kill, he never wanted to rob or hurt people. He hated his father for that reason. He just wanted to live free in the open country with Mary Linton and to be at peace. But Dutch twisted his mind.

Hey man, I really enjoyed this vid you made

Well done on the video

Incredible video and an incredible game

Such a great channel

Hands down favorite game of all time. I think I've got six full playthroughs at this point.

The pain is all gone? it's never gone...

Played the story through 6 times and cried my eyes out every single time Arthur dies. What an experience I’ll never forget.

Thank you!

This is the best explanation of Arthur Morgan’s redemption arc I’ve seen.

earned a sub

A neat idea would be to have Arthur actually read out his journal with AI voice. Great video btw

i remember when i played it for the first time, it was about 2 years ago as i didn’t have a way to play it until i bought my xbox. i fell in love with the story and the characters immediately. arthur morgan was an amazing man, this game has forever changed me for real

I never did any more Strauss missions after the last one they made you do because I hated them so much, so I never saw that ending scene with Arthur kicking him out. So satisfying

After i am thinking back at the storie, the capter in valentine was just so peaceful, wish id would had been longer. R.I.P Arthur !

Found Family, Redemption, Noble Sacrifice and the long road Arthur travels make RDR2's story a true masterpiece in gaming

I used to hate stories in video games, especially the shooter games. Call of Duty used to drive me crazy! I wanted to run and gun, lol. I played GTV, but always roamed to get the best vehicles and drove around the map creating my own chaos without other players interfering. Then came RDR2! I bought it the day it came out on Xbox. I played it for almost two years straight, both in story mode and online, starting w/ beta. RDR2 online playing was every day, for the daily challenges. And, I played it the first time daily for 225 days straight, missed a day and started over online for 150 days straight. I've played through the game on xbox 5 times and 4 times on my ps4. No other game came come close w/ the exception of the first sniper ghost warrior or the sniper elite series...

15:25 this is why i chose the “go back for the money” ending. I know it’s weird, but i didn’t realize at that moment that it was a greedy and revenge focused move. Since arthur wasn’t greedy at all by the end of the game and abigail gave so much trying to get that key, i thought it was like a sure death mission where i would sacrifice myself for the chance of guaranteeing my friend a better life (as obsviously they would need money to start anew). I only realized it wasn’t that when i chose the ending and lost honor and arthur started calling out for micah. Still, i love that ending. Dying at the last camp, the last place where the gang was together, the fire during the last scenes and getting to stab micah’s eyes were great. The music as well. The only thing i would say is better in helping john is the dialogue with him (although that alone makes it the better ending). Some might say i would kind of leave john to die but idk, when i was playing that mission i felt like the pinkerton were camping from the camp, so if i went back i would also slow them down and john would turn out fine.

I wept at a well written piece of poetry, a somber song from a masterful violinist, and the ending to Arthur's (mostly) high honor journey. Truly a work of art

When I got to the end and watched arthur prop himself up to see the sunrise and the deer imagery showed up it made me wanna tear up. My man just wanted to help people at the end of the day and I'm glade he was able to before he died.

Just finished this game, compared to gta v I did not expect the heart break of this game I expected a light hearted cowboy shooter. Rockstar is wasting time on gta this story is something that’s being lost to time in pursuit of financial gains by large companies. This shows it’s still possible although as time goes on farther and farther from the goal

Played rdr2 thru first time a couple months ago. What a ride. And about those rides and the music, just perfect! Normally like to use speedtravel whenever possible but man did I enjoy watching Arthur ride almost across the whole map after Tahiti. I mean on emotional level this game is just something else!

This game absolutely broke me. Never before or sense have i been that hurt

There is no shame in crying over Arthur's story! He is the most wonderful and well developed character indeed. I guess GTA6 will be awesome, but in reality I only wait for RedDead3 Even my girlfriend who realy is not into gaming at all, pushed me to play and go on storywise and even to this day, we sometimes both sigh "Oh Arthur!" or say how we miss him!

This is so well made how dose this have 30 views

I love that Tennessee Walker but losing Buell at the end is an absolute killer 😢

Man, i remember my first time in rdr2 when arthur is riding back to beaver hollow and that song started playing that i cried like a baby 😅

1 Hour into the game: who is this Arthur character, I wanna play as John. Gets to play as John: sobs uncontrollably

I’ve only cried twice in all of my gaming career. The first time was with Arthur Morgan’s death. The second time was when I truly beat NieR: Automata. RDR2 and NieR:A are two very special games to me. Despite how different they are, both have very well changed who I am as a person. Both of these games have characters of intense complexity and amazing writing, with beautiful scenery and gorgeous soundtracks, and some of the best storytelling in all of gaming history. The characters actually feel like people, not just avatars on your screen, with hopes and dreams and fears even if they are fake and premade. My grandparents think video games are dumb. They don’t see the entertainment value in them, they say that good stories are only found on TV or in books. In their mind, the extent of video games is just a brainless experience. And they are wrong. I have read many good books and watched a lot of good TV, but my favorite stories come from the worlds within games. A book or TV show can only show you so much. They are linear, they have a set path. Reading from left to right and from to back (or right to left and back to front), watching from beginning to the end. Games are interactive experiences, where the actions you choose directly affect the characters. You don’t just read or watch a character make a predetermined choice, you get to make the choice yourself and see how it affects the character and the world.

say a therepist play this game and the way he was breaking down game and characters made it so much clear the depth of writing in this game and peoples character . Ex - mary asking arthurs help to save jamie - He chose to not help her -reasons - she came back to ask arthur for help using past relation & so & so it was that bit that made me think of it from story and reason perspective than side quest of Ex Channel name Dr mick -if anyone is intrested in watching his playthru im still in ch2

I think this was a very well put together video, if Rdr2 was a movie i think it would be considered one of the best but as a game it still is. And to anyone who is reading this God bless you and those who are important to you!

I kept the black shire you get till the end and the scene that killed the horse had me crying my eyes out