I believe RDR2 is ultimately a story about Arthur Morgan, at last, seeing everything clearly and accepting that he is a good-natured man who was molded into a killer by those around him and the wild visceral world he was born into. I always do a high-honor playthrough and this is written from that perspective.
At the start of the game, Arthur appears to be a hardened killer, a man shaped by violence and survival. It's as his hands bear the scars of countless gunfights, and his eyes reflect the weariness of a life lived on the edge. We later become aware of Arthur’s true nature and find out that beneath this weathered exterior lies a kind soul who loves helping others and hates all of the needless killing and conflict that has ruined the lives of countless people who were already hardly getting by in the American frontier. The player can get brief look at his true feelings and disgust for all that transpires far more clearly when he documents the events in his journal. He rarely lets his hardened persona slip in front of others but one glance at that novel and you get a good idea of how Arthur feels in any scene. This game’s writing is genuinely next level as in the first 2-3 chapters alone it makes Arthur feel more like a real person than the majority of fictional characters. I see plenty of people comment on how Arthur is mostly just evil during the starting chapters, this is absurd to me. He’s very obviously conflicted about all of it, and he's far too loyal and, like everyone else, blinded by Dutch’s promises to do anything about it this early on.
He has always put all of his faith into his mentor Dutch. He does everything Dutch says without question and strongly believes that at the end of it all Dutch will do right by the gang he leads. He is Dutch’s best man, by far, and he always puts everyone’s needs and safety before his own.
From the beginning of the game, Dutch starts to lose his tactical edge, and you see his plans backfire in the worst ways throughout the rest of the game. The events that transpired before and during the game, have forever altered the gifted charismatic leader that everyone in the gang looked up to and followed without question. Arthur hates the needless killing but he does it anyway because he trusts Dutch whenever he says this is the last time, until he finally doesn’t, more about that later. This family is everything to Arthur, the only place he has known and felt at home. He loves these people. Most of all, Dutch, Hosea, and John.
Throughout the game, the player can frequently witness Arthur’s compassionate and caring nature emerge, except when he is entangled in the gang’s schemes of robbery or violence. During these moments, it becomes evident that Arthur struggles with self-doubt. Despite doing right by others, he avoids acknowledgment and gratitude. He has internalized the belief that he is irredeemably evil, and undeserving of any form of appreciation. While those around him recognize his inherent goodness, Arthur remains convinced otherwise due to all the bloodshed and the company he keeps. This man has gaslighted himself into thinking he’s evil so much that redemption comes across as a novelty he hates to think he deserves. That is why every "You are a good man" comment that comes his way he vocally and physically shrugs it off.
When you encounter agent Milton of the Pinkertons during your fishing endeavor with Jack, he mentions something along the lines of how Arthur was “an orphan who found his home under Dutch’s mentorship after being coerced by his silver tongue”. Now these guys are supposed to be the antagonists of the game, they suddenly show up and start terrorizing the gang’s safety but you as the player know there is truth in what he said about Arthur (especially on a subsequent playthrough), you know because of how Arthur acts and how happy helping others makes him, you can see how selfless he is, and this is the kind of selflessness he deserves, not the kind that turns him into a killer, which is what Dutch’s plans lead him into.
As the game goes on Arthur gradually grows warm to the idea of him being good, you can see him helping people more frequently and his happiness is as clear as ever. Still, he negatively responds to all gratitude that comes his way, he’s obsessed with burning in hell and believes he deserves nothing else. Somewhere deep in his heart, he believes, that what use is it being good when he has to be a killer once again whenever Dutch hatches up another plan to fulfill this promise he has made to the whole gang. His loyalty to Dutch, and by extension what he believes to also be his loyalty to the gang, truly destroys his chance to be loyal to his good nature as he never wants to do anything that might even slightly come in the way of him being able to help Dutch accomplish his tasks. Had Arthur chosen a different path, unburdened by his association with the gang, he could have led a fulfilling life. He had plenty of opportunities to break free either by following John’s example and leaving or by cooperating with the Pinkertons. However, both of these options were never options to him, he would loathe the thought of accepting either of them, which is why he never even considered them. We as players knew he would never ever do that, even if this loyalty to Dutch is destroying everything around him, he still won't do it. That is, until something happens that practically forces him.
Arthur’s true self-acceptance begins after receiving a diagnosis of tuberculosis. This life-threatening illness comes across as more of a blessing than a curse. It serves as a wake-up call, forcefully opening his eyes to reality. He lived more loyal to his true self in these few months of illness than he did most of his life. The very people he had devoted himself to began to doubt his loyalty at the lowest point in his life. The once-strong familial bond they shared faded away far too quickly, leaving Arthur empty-handed. The thing he held most valuable disappeared and his unwavering dedication to it led him to be untrue to himself for such a long time. The bare minimum was them, at least, caring for his health or loyalty but it is clear, that he had merely become a crucial pawn in Dutch’s game one that Dutch couldn’t afford to lose, as once again, he is his most skilled man. He dares to question Dutch’s motives and for that he finds himself abandoned by everyone, other than those who sincerely considered him family.
Arthur has always hated the job especially the debt collecting, you can somewhat observe him mention how disgusting they make him feel in his journal. Still, despite all of this he never mentions it or does anything about it as he still wants to hold on and give his all to Dutch’s vision.
Then Chapter 5 happens and Arthur reaches a breaking point. Whenever Dutch pulls some shady stuff, Arthur doesn’t hold back, he calls him out on it. When we see Dutch needlessly kill a helpless old lady Arthur gets pissed off and is clearly disgusted to his core and he doesn't stop pestering Dutch about it, I loved every second of this. Arthur finally being open and true to himself like this feels so good and it hits even harder on a subsequent playthrough. Going forward this kind of altercations become more and more frequent.
Moreover, Arthur continues helping people trying to do his best by those whom he had done wrong or by new people he comes across, the difference now is that he finally starts to accept who he really is, it is the outlaw business that had driven him to think he is evil because of all the bloodshed. His dedication to the work and the vision of his leader is what was the cause of it, he was shaped into this person, and once he finally starts to question it, he finally starts being loyal to his true self. Him being disloyal to himself is also made clear in one of his conversations with Sister Calderon, at one point when she calls him a kind-hearted person who loves helping others he simply responds with “I’m not religious Sister, I’m an Outlaw.” He really didn't want to be redeemed, he feels he doesn't deserve it, all his life he has done so much harm, and even if he feels good by doing good he denies it. But now most of his conversations with others during these chapters finally put into place for him to see how actually loves being the good guy and helping others. His kindness is a trait that we rarely find in those who resided and worked in the world of the game, let alone a badass outlaw, and yet Arthur is unconditionally good.
When Molly gets shot in front of his eyes you can see the disgust on Arthur’s face, he can’t believe that this family he valued above everything would kill one of their own without even trying to properly prosecute. All of this and getting questioned for his unwavering loyalty to the gang, again and again, hurts Arthur a lot more than the deadly disease. It is apparent that to him this is the equivalent of getting stabbed through the chest, but thankfully this knife knocks off the lock that he had on his heart and finally wholly wakes him up to the cruelty around him and the compassion inside him. I love how this is done, Arthur doesn't suddenly snap and start shooting, he still admires Dutch but he hates the kind of killer he has become and how little to no care he showed for those he directly or indirectly hurt along the way. Until the very end Arthur tries his best to make Dutch snap back but he's too far gone, he was too far gone a fairly long time ago but the gang just couldn't see it, they even discuss the possibility that maybe this is how Dutch always was, he is now just being wholly true to himself.
This redemption, the entire game has been building up to this and I can’t properly state how much I adore seeing this. I love seeing Arthur finally smile with all his heart whenever he’s thanked now onwards. I love his smile when Sister Calderon tells him that whenever I see you, you’re always helping folks, and anyone can see how happy it all makes you. I love how he smiles at Charlotte after seeing her turn her whole life around because he offered to help her. I love how he shows his caring side far more often now for Sadie, John, and the girls. Lastly, I love how it all ends, Arthur woke up to his true self just in time to do as much right as he could. He meets a tragic end, but it's more bittersweet than purely sad, because at least Arthur died true to himself.
There are so many amazing scenes that reflect all of what I have said with great effect. This is why despite not being able to enjoy the gameplay of this game much it will always remain a must-play in my eyes. This game is a brilliantly well-written tale that everyone should experience, its story gets even better the second time through when you start to pick up more on every single scene and appreciate everything on offer. I urge you to try it out or revisit it if you already have whenever you get a chance. I can't vouch for its gameplay but the narrative is immaculate, it is a truly special experience. If the gameplay weren't so repetitive, I'd replay it even more. There is so much to love here and I just wanted to write this piece to show my love for this one outstanding character who has carved his place among my favorites in fiction.