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Been a tough few weeks. I know I been... kinda... mad with you all. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry, but I... I want us to get outta here. Everybody nearly gone crazy, I'm just... trying to keep things together. Sometimes it gets hard... I guess I'm... I guess I'm struggling to just... find a path forward for us all. Same as Dutch, same as Hosea. I don't wanna die. But if I have to, I will. So... forgive me, all of you.
Arthur Morgan

Arthur Morgan is the central character and main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2.

History

Background

Theoldguard

A young Arthur with his two adoptive fathers, Hosea and Dutch

Arthur Morgan was born in 1863 to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan. His mother died when he was very young, and his father was a petty criminal and outlaw, who was arrested for larceny in 1874 when Arthur was 11 years old. At some point, Lyle was killed and Arthur witnessed it, donning his hat afterwards.

Around 1878, Arthur was picked up by Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews[1]. Viewing him as an adoptive father figure, Arthur came to share Dutch's vision of a life lived free from civilization and the rule of law, becoming one of the first members of the Van der Linde gang. At some point during his youth, Arthur met a girl named Mary Gillis and the two were deeply in love. However, Arthur's preference for a life of crime and the prevalent disapproval of Mary's family caused their relationship to fall through.

At some point later, Arthur met and slept with a young waitress named Eliza, resulting in her becoming pregnant with their son Isaac. Eliza knew what Arthur was, but accepted whatever support he offered to her and their son. Arthur would visit Eliza and Isaac every few months and stay with them for days at a time. One day, Arthur arrived at their home and saw two crosses outside. Arthur knew immediately that they were both dead, and later learned that they were killed by robbers, all for ten dollars. The incident hardened Arthur ever since and he never truly coped with the pain.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2

Colter Chapter

After a botched ferry heist, Dutch and the gang are forced to flee Blackwater and attempt to cross the mountains west to evade law enforcement. Not long after relocating to Colter, Dutch and Arthur go looking for either John Marston or Micah Bell, who went scouting. Arthur and Dutch find Micah, who tells them of a homestead which appears to have a party going on inside. They stop at a homestead to ask for help, where they encounter members of the O'Driscoll Boys. After meeting them, a gunfight breaks out, which results in the deaths of the O'Driscolls. After looting the ranch, they encounter Sadie Adler, whose husband was killed by the enemy gang. Feeling bad for her, they bring her back to camp. Not long after returning, Arthur is asked by Abigail Roberts to find John Marston, who has gone missing. Arthur and Javier Escuella find John wounded from being attacked by wolves, and bring him back to camp.

The gang decides to attack the O'Driscoll camp, which is situated nearby according to an O'Driscoll they interrogated at the homestead. The gang attacks the camp, and after defeating them, find dynamite and information about a train belonging to Leviticus Cornwall. On their way back to Colter, they come across an O'Driscoll that they previously saw being reprimanded by Colm. Arthur volunteers to catch him and succeeds, with the O'Driscoll (whose name is Kieran) being imprisoned at the gang's camp and given no food.

Arthur will also venture out with Charles, looking for food. Charles gives Arthur a bow and tells him that he'll have to use it, as Charles injured his hand in the failed ferry robbery. Arthur takes down two deer, and he and Charles return to camp with a source of food.

In order to fund their escape from the mountains, Dutch has the gang rob the Cornwall train, which results in them getting a significant amount of money in bonds.

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter

After the thaw comes in, the gang leaves the mountains for a new location in The Heartlands, near the town of Valentine. Arthur goes to the saloon in Valentine, where he meets Javier, Charles, and later Bill. A bar fight breaks out after Bill drunkenly attacks someone after entering the saloon. After fighting off some men, Arthur eventually engages a huge, burly man named Tommy. After a long fight, Arthur defeats him, and beats him very severely. After the fight has ended, Arthur is called over by Dutch, where he meets Josiah Trelawny again. He learns that Sean MacGuire is alive, and they make plans to rescue him. Arthur will first ride with Josiah Trelawny, Charles Smith, and Javier to rescue Sean MacGuire. Arthur takes part in the frontal assault, along with Trelawny and Javier. After a bloody firefight with the bounty hunters, Sean is rescued and the gang members return to camp. After returning from a scouting mission, Lenny Summers tells Arthur and Dutch that Micah started a gunfight in Strawberry and got arrested. Arthur will first bring Lenny to Valentine and get him drunk to calm his nerves, where both of them get very drunk.  

At some point, Arthur will receive a letter from Mary Linton, who asks Arthur to meet her. After reading the letter, Arthur is told by Leopold Strauss that he needs to recover a debt from Thomas Downes, a rancher. Arthur goes to Downes Ranch, and confronts Mr. Downes. Thomas says that he is destitute, prompting Arthur to beat him continually. Eventually, Thomas' wife Edith arrives, saying that her husband is ill and they truly are destitute, leading to Arthur leaving the ranch. Arthur can meet Mary soon afterwards, who tells him that her brother Jamie has been inducted into a batty cult known as the Chelonians. If Arthur agrees to help her, he will find Jamie with them near Cumberland Forest. Arthur scares them off and then chases the escaping Jamie, eventually catching him and shooting the gun out of his hand when he tries to kill himself, before returning him to Mary.  

Arthur will also go on a hunt for a "1000 pound bear" with Hosea. Arthur is given a Raven Black Shire horse by him, which Arthur sells in the Valentine stables to buy a new horse. The two set out to Grizzlies East to find said bear. After setting some bait, the two wait for the bear, who attacks them. Hosea thanks Arthur for saving his life and gives him a map of Legendary Animals. The two can either part ways or go back to camp together. Arthur can also interrogate the O'Driscoll that the gang captured in the mountains. Dutch calls Bill over to castrate Kieran with burning hot tongs if he doesn't reveal the location of Colm O'Driscoll. Kieran then says that he's at Six Point Cabin, and is accompanied there by Arthur, John, and Bill. Upon reaching the hideout, the trio stealthily take out some of the O'Driscolls, before a shootout eventually ensues. Arthur enters a cabin in the hope of finding Colm, but is instead surprised by an O'Driscoll goon. Before Arthur can be killed, Kieran appears and fatally shoots the O'Driscoll, saving Arthur's life. Arthur then threatens him after Colm is not there, believing that he set them up. Kieran points out that he wouldn't have saved Arthur's life if that were the case and, with some more prompting from John and Bill, Kieran is allowed to stay with the gang. Arthur can also go buffalo hunting with Charles at some point during this chapter, and he can also rob the homestead of Chez Porter with Javier.  

While at camp, Abigail asks Arthur to take Jack Marston fishing at the Dakota River. While there, they are approached by Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Milton reveals that they caught and killed Mac Callander, and tells Arthur that in exchange for turning Dutch in he will be spared the noose. Arthur angrily refuses and takes Jack back to camp after the agents leave. Arthur later goes to Strawberry to get Micah. After the Sheriff refuses to release Micah, Arthur breaks the bars on his cell and a firefight ensues, with Micah immediately killing his cellmate, who was an O'Driscoll. Arthur says to Micah that they need to leave immediately, but Micah refuses, saying he has something he has to do. The two are forced to kill almost every lawman in the town until at last Micah arrives at a house and knocks on the door, kills the man living there and his wife, and retrieves his prized revolvers from them. The two then flee on horse and fight off the pursuing lawmen, after which Arthur berates Micah for his recklessness for the unnecessary violence and going back for the guns. Micah says that he won't return to Dutch until he does something to redeem himself - he asks Arthur to meet him somewhere nearby to carry out a robbery. After Arthur meets Micah, they set out to rob a stagecoach that Micah found out about from his O'Driscoll cellmate. After commandeering the carriage, they are then attacked by O'Driscolls, who try to rob them. Arthur and Micah eventually manage to fight them off from the other side of a river, allowing the two to finally claim the money.  

John contacts Arthur and tells him that he heard of a train that will be moving through Valentine. He suggests that in order to get the train to stop, Arthur should steal a stagecoach carrying Cornwall oil. Arthur can steal the stagecoach, and rendezvous with Sean, Charles, and John. After putting the stagecoach in front of the train, it screeches to a halt and the gang boards it. Charles deals with the engineer, John goes down the train with a bag for the loot, and Arthur provides some encouragement for those not so willing to give. He then goes looking for Sean, who was supposed to have been dealing with the baggage car, only for him to have gone. Arthur eventually finds him in a tussle with a guard, who Arthur kills. The robbery is then cut short, with the law descending upon them. The four gang members are forced to flee and manage to escape the law.  

John, who thinks they still need more money, talks to Arthur and tells him that he hears of a herd of sheep coming in. He tells Arthur to buy a sniper rifle and they ride up to a hill, shooting bullets at the feet of the ranch-hands. They flee, and Arthur corrals them to the auction. The man who runs the auction recognizes the sheep and says if they pay him twenty five percent of all profits, he will keep his mouth shut. This sum falls to eighteen percent after John negotiates with him. Arthur and John then go to the nearby saloon, where they meet Strauss and Dutch. During the meeting, Leviticus Cornwall and his hired guns capture Strauss and John. Dutch and Arthur rescue them, before fighting their way out of the town back to camp. Realizing that they can't stay in the area, Dutch sends Arthur and Charles to investigate Dewberry Creek, a possible camp location suggested by Micah. Arthur and Charles instead discover a German mother and her children, with their father missing. Charles manages to trace the father to Clemens Point, where they fight off some bandits and free him. Arthur returns him to his family while Charles returns to the others to divert the caravan to Clemens Point, a much better location for camp.  

Clemens Point Chapter

After moving to the new camp location, Hosea, Arthur, and Dutch go out riding. They encounter Sheriff Leigh Gray, who has captured Trelawny due to him running an illegal gold prospecting operation. After Arthur recaptures a group of outlaws who escaped, Trelawny is released. In addition, Gray decides to deputize Arthur, Dutch, and Bill Williamson in order to crack down on a Lemoyne Raiders moonshine operation. With the help of Sheriff Deputy Archibald, the three gang members succeed in bringing down the moonshine operation, earning favor with the Sheriff.

Dutch will then tell Arthur to go to Caliga Hall to gather more information about the Gray family. He will end up talking to Beau Gray, who asks him to go to Braithwaite Manor and deliver a letter to his secret lover, Penelope Braithwaite. After delivering the letter to her, she will give him one of her own back, to give to Beau. The letter will say that Penelope is planning on going to a women's suffrage rally. The news that Penelope is going to a women's suffrage rally alarms Beau, and he tells Arthur that her life is in danger, offering him money if he will help him save her. Arthur and Beau ride up to the carriage where the protesters will be riding in, and when they are unsuccessful in convincing her to leave, Arthur is tasked with driving the carriage to protect her. After the march ends, Arthur departs and returns to camp.

Charles and Arthur grow concerned over Trelawny's disappearance and go to find him. They find the room he has been staying in torn apart, and that he has been taken after a fight. The two-track his trail to a small camp, where they discover some of his belongings. The pair is attacked by two robbers who live at the camp, whom they promptly killed. After deciding that the only place he could be is a nearby farmhouse, they ride over and find him being escorted into a cabin by a few bounty hunters. They attack the bounty hunters, and they flee into the nearby tobacco field. The two venture into the field, and hunt down the remaining bounty hunters, before returning to Trelawny. He insists he told them nothing, and they bring him back to camp safely.

When Arthur gets back to camp, he is asked by Uncle if he will join him, Bill, and Charles in robbing a stagecoach. Unfortunately for them, the stagecoach turns out to be owned by Cornwall, who has hired a small army of private mercenaries to protect the stagecoach. After robbing the stagecoach, the gang members are forced to flee to a nearby barn, where they attempt to hide. The hired guns, however, find them and light the barn on fire while opening fire on them at the same time. The men are forced to fight their way out of the barn and into the forest, where they engage some of Cornwall's men in combat before escaping back to camp.

Not long after, Lenny approaches Arthur and tells him that after talking to some of the black community in Rhodes, he has learned that the Lemoyne Raiders have a large store of military grade weapons stockpiled. Arthur agrees to rob the raiders, and he and Lenny ride to where Lenny's contacts said to go to. The two men see a coach coming by, and they follow it at a safe distance before coming upon Shady Belle. The two attack the manor, and after butchering the Lemoyne Raiders there, take the coach and drive it away. Some other raiders attempt to intercept them but are vanquished by the two. After getting back to camp, Arthur claims a Bolt Action Rifle from the stash as his own, and says they will sell the rest to get some more cash for the camp. Arthur can also take part in various robberies with other gang members, such as robbing a homestead with Sean, robbing a stagecoach with Sean and Mary-Beth, and another stagecoach with Bill and Tilly. Aside from this, he can go fishing with Kieran at some point, and later with Javier.

Almost immediately after returning, Bill and Karen Jones approach Lenny and Arthur and propose robbing the Valentine bank, which they have already collected information on. After a bit of prodding, he agrees, and the three ride to Valentine. Karen pretends to be either a lost girl or a harlot, and after confusing the guard, knocks him out. Arthur can then either place dynamite on the safes to blow the locks off, or silently crack them. On the way out, they are attacked by the law, but the four gang members succeed in fighting their way to safety. Afterwards, Arthur rides to Downes Ranch, to get the money from Edith Downes that her husband owed.

At some point, the gang hears that the O'Driscolls have planned a truce meeting for Dutch and Colm. Although Hosea instantly sees it as a trap, Dutch agrees to check it out, after some persuasion from Micah. Arthur, who is also suspicious, accompanies them. He is sent to be a sniper on a cliff overlooking the meeting, but is captured by the O'Driscolls and later imprisoned in their hideout, as well as being shot in the shoulder. Colm reveals himself to Arthur, and says that they captured Arthur as a way of luring Dutch, so that they could give him to the Pinkertons. After Colm leaves, Arthur cauterises his wound and makes his escape back to camp, where he takes a few weeks to recover.

The gang will then decide that in order to get some more money for their stores, they will rob both the Braithwaites and the Grays. Arthur will first go with Sean, and the two will light the Gray's tobacco fields on fire using moonshine, in exchange for a significant sum of money from the Braithwaites. He will then go with John and Javier, and the two will go to Braithwaite manor, and steal the family's prized horses. Although they are told by Tavish Gray that they can sell the horses to a horse-fence for five-thousand in cash, this proves to be a lie and they end up with a measly seven-hundred. The gang is then told by the Grays to meet them at Rhodes for a potential job opportunity. Bill, Micah, and Sean go to Rhodes, shortly followed by Arthur, however, it turns out to be an ambush. Sean is shot dead almost immediately, and Bill is taken captive by the Sheriff. Micah and Arthur will clear the street, before confronting Sheriff Gray and his deputies. Sheriff Gray exits his office holding Bill hostage, but is immediately shot and killed by Arthur. The deputies are then killed by Arthur and Micah. Afterwards, Arthur expresses his affection for Sean and asks Bill to give him a proper burial.

Upon returning to camp, Arthur hears that the Braithwaites have taken Jack captive, in revenge for stealing their horses. A large posse of gang members attack Braithwaite Manor, and after a long fight take Catherine Braithwaite captive. After she refuses to reveal the location of Jack, they burn down her manor. She then reveals that her sons gave him to Angelo Bronte, an Italian crime lord living in Saint Denis, before running into her burning home as the gang leaves her. After returning to camp, Milton appears with a proposition for Dutch to turn himself in, in exchange the gang would have a head start in escaping the law. The offer is turned down and Milton leaves, promising to return with fifty men. The gang then quickly prepares to relocate to Shady Belle, which Lenny and Arthur had previously cleared of Lemoyne Raiders. John and Arthur will go to scope it out and kill the remaining Raiders. Once this is done, the gang will move into their new home.

Saint Denis Chapter

After relocating to Shady Belle; John, Dutch, and Arthur go to Saint Denis, to find out where Bronte lives. Arthur eventually learns he lives at a mansion near the river after chasing a street urchin that stole from him, and the trio go to confront him. The three gang members enter the house, and after almost starting a gunfight with his men, they strike a deal: John and Arthur will deal with a group of grave-robbers, and in exchange Bronte will give Jack back. The two men go the graveyard, and after being ambushed by the criminals, gun them down. They then grab their loot and escape before the law shows up. The two will return to Bronte with the loot, and Bronte will release Jack, after offering Dutch an invite to the Mayor's party.

Bill, Hosea, Arthur, and Dutch will arrive at the Mayor's party, and quickly break up so that they can pursue different leads. Arthur will hear a servant talking about Leviticus Cornwall, and after being prompted by Dutch, will follow him. Arthur will steal documents relating to him, before fleeing the mansion and meeting up with the rest of the gang. Although Bill complains that they have found no leads, Hosea will say he has a few, including a potential riverboat robbery involving a high stakes poker game, and even Lemoyne National Bank.

After hearing about the riverboat tip, Trelawny decides to use it to their advantage. He pulls some strings and succeeds in getting Javier, Strauss, Arthur and himself on board as well as befriending the dealer to rig a poker game. While on board Javier manages to pose as a guard on the riverboat and Strauss finds a seat in Arthur's view. Arthur will then get into a card game with a mark, named Desmond Blythe on the boat, and with Strauss's help in cheating, Arthur wins. After losing all of his money to Arthur, Blythe offers one final bet, in which he will use his watch being stored in the vault as credit. Arthur will accept and beat Blythe. The pit boss arrives and congratulates Arthur on his win. The pit boss will bring Arthur and Javier up to get the watch. After he opens up the vault, Javier and Arthur point their guns at him and tell him to back away. He will respond withdrawing his gun, and they are forced to shoot him. Unfortunately, the guards hear the shots, and rush to see what happened. They take the money, before being forced to jump off the boat with Strauss and Trelawny. After reaching the shore, they divide up the money.

Arthur will then be told by Trelawny, to go talk to an Indian chief named Rains Fall. He will find him at Saint Denis, along with his son Eagle Flies. Rains Fall will tell Arthur that the US Army plans on moving his tribe off of their land, and he has a proposition for him. He asks Arthur to steal from the Cornwall Refinery, where documents are being held about their relocation. Arthur will accept, and sneak into the refinery using a wagon destined for the storage area. After forcing a man to give him the papers, he makes his escape. After being attacked by hordes of hired guns, Eagle Flies causes an explosion, and the two escape together. Eagle Flies then pays Arthur and says he hopes that the documents will help.

In camp, Susan tells Arthur that Tilly has been kidnapped by the Foreman brothers, and that they need to go and rescue her. They come across a safehouse and rescue Tilly, before setting off to find Anthony Foreman, the leader. After he is captured, he is brought back to Tilly, where the player is given a choice to either kill him or spare him, with Susan advocating the former, and Tilly the latter. No matter which option is chosen, Tilly will not be disturbed by the Foreman brothers ever again.

Sadie asks Arthur to talk and tells him that Kieran has disappeared and she is worried about him. Almost immediately after she has finished speaking, Kieran's decapitated body comes into camp and O'Driscolls assault the gang. The gang attempts to hold them off at the road, but are forced to retreat inside the plantation house. It is then that Dutch realizes that Sadie is outside, and is fighting for her life. Arthur charges out and kills the people attacking Sadie, but she refuses to go inside, preferring to avenge her husband. The two engage members of the enemy gang, and at force the O'Driscolls to retreat.

At some point in this chapter, Arthur can join Micah in robbing a stagecoach, bringing Bill along. As well as this, he can also rob a stagecoach with Lenny, although it proves to be a set up. Additionally, Arthur can also go rustling with Uncle.

Dutch tells Arthur to come over and tells him that the two of them, as well as Lenny, are going to rob the Saint Denis trolley station after getting a tip from Angelo Bronte. The three break into the station and hold the clerks at gunpoint, before realizing that only ninety dollars are in the vault. The three then attempt to escape, but police are now everywhere. They board a trolley and use it to ride out of the city center. The trolley eventually crashes, forcing the three to fight the policemen on foot. Eventually, they commandeer a stagecoach and ride to safety. Dutch then comments on how he thinks Lenny saved them, and Arthur gives them each fifteen dollars.

Later, Arthur is contacted by Mary, who asks him to meet her in Saint Denis. Arthur does so, and Mary tells Arthur that she is very worried about her father, who is sinking ever deeper into whoring, drinking and gambling. Mary eventually encounters her father, who storms out soon after she begins talking to him. To find out what he’s doing, Mary and Arthur tail him, witnessing him vomit, and then meeting Ashton, who Mr. Gillis sells a brooch to. Recognizing it as a family heirloom from her mother, Mary confronts him about it while Arthur chases Ashton to get the brooch back. After retrieving the brooch, Arthur gives it to Mary and asks where her father went, to which Mary responds by saying that she doesn’t know and no longer cares. She then invites Arthur to go to the theatre with her, where the player can choose if they’d like to go or not. Afterwards, Mary asks Arthur to run away with her, but Arthur declines, saying that he is a wanted man which would only put her in danger, and that he has people to take care of. Realising that Arthur would never renounce the life of an outlaw, Mary says goodbye and the two part ways.

Back at camp, Dutch asks Arthur to come to the balcony, and he tells him that he and Hosea can't agree on what to do next and that he is the tiebreaker. Dutch says that he wants to kill Angelo Bronte for tricking them, and says it will make robbing the bank easier. Hosea meanwhile says the plan is foolhardy, and will only endanger them. Arthur sides with Dutch, and the two go to Lagras where they are going to broker a deal with a fisherman named Thomas. Dutch talks to him, and they agree that they will aid him in finding his assistant who has gone missing. In exchange, he will ferry the gang to Bronte's mansion. The three men find him in the swamp, bring him to the boat, and start rowing back to Lagras. Unfortunately, along the way, they are attacked by a massive alligator. He bites the young man's leg and throws him into the water. They pull him out, then shoot at the giant alligator, scaring it off, and returning to Lagras.

When Arthur returns to Lagras, the gang boards Thomas's boat and make their way toward Angelo Bronte's mansion. Once there, the gang gets shot at and takes cover and opens fire on the guards positioned in the courtyard. Reinforcements arrive, but the gang secures the area, and approach the door. Arthur blasts the lock off of the door, and the gang begins clearing the rooms. Arthur goes upstairs and enters a room, only to be surprise attacked by the crime lord. After subduing Bronte, Arthur carries him downstairs, and they head toward the boat. Unfortunately, policemen hear the gunshots and arrive, forcing the gang to fight their way to the boat. Once on the boat, they set off to Lagras, planning on ransoming back Bronte. Bronte, however, believes that the gang will turn on Dutch for money. He offers thousands of dollars to whoever kills Dutch, and when no one takes him up on the offer, begins insulting Dutch. Dutch responds by drowning Bronte, and then throwing his body overboard to be ravaged by alligators, shocking the rest of the gang.

Back at camp, Dutch and Hosea finalize the plan for the robbing of the Saint Denis Bank. The gang readies and rides out the next morning, and on the ride, Dutch goes over the plan. Hosea and Abigail will cause a diversion to divert police away from the bank, while the rest of the gang will enter the bank's front doors. Once inside, Arthur loots the safe, when suddenly the Pinkertons arrive. The bank is completely surrounded, and Agent Milton calls for them to surrender, holding Hosea hostage. Dutch attempts to negotiate, but Agent Milton refuses and shoots Hosea in the chest, killing him. The gang attack the Pinkertons in full force and a shootout ensues. Dutch instructs Arthur to use dynamite to blow a hole through the side of the bank in order to create a path of escape. Arthur blows open the wall and makes his way to the rooftop, where he proceeds to lay down cover fire so the gang to make a run for it. The gang joins Arthur on the roof without John, who has been captured by the Pinkertons. As the group tries to escape on the roof, Lenny is gunned down by Pinkertons, and Arthur pauses a moment to mourn his fallen friend. The gang then makes their way to an abandoned building where they wait until nightfall, before heading to the docks where they hope to find a boat to ferry them away. Unfortunately, the police have the area under heavy surveillance, and they cannot continue. Arthur leads a group of them and then Charles causes a distraction so that the rest of the gang can reach the dock. They then board a ship destined for the South Pacific, but the boat sinks and Arthur is separated from the rest of the gang.

Guarma Chapter

Arthur washes up on the shore of Guarma and searches for civilization. He comes upon the gang at a campfire but immediately after, the local military arrest them and transport them in shackles to jail. Along the way to the jail, rebels bombard the soldiers with bullets. In the confusion, Arthur collects keys from a dead soldier's corpse and uses it to unlock the shackles. After killing off the guards leading them, Hercule Fontaine, the revolutionary leader tells the gang to follow him. As they rush away, Javier is shot by reinforcements, and they are forced to leave without him. Despite this, Hercule leads the remaining gang to a small rebel outpost, stocked with rifles. Reinforcements soon arrive, but the gang and Hercule are ultimately victorious. They then proceed to a church turned rebel outpost called La Capilla.

After arriving at La Capilla, Arthur rests for a short time, before setting out to find a way off the island. One of the two things he does to get off the island is going with Dutch to rescue Javier. The two of them go to a cave where an old lady named Gloria is. Dutch pays her a gold ingot to lead them through the cave, up to a ladder that would bring them up to Aguadulces. It is then that she demands more money, and when Dutch can't pay the rest of the promised money, she pulls a knife on him. Dutch then grabs her, and kills her, prompting dismay from Arthur. The two of them then enter Aguadulces, where they see Colonel Fussar and a group of soldiers, who are leading a donkey that is dragging Javier along. The pair quickly begins looking for ways to find a distraction, which they find in the sugar refinery. Dutch cuts up the bags of sugar, spilling it all over the floor, before they blow up the furnace. In the distraction, they fight their way to Javier. After Dutch picks him up, they flee the settlement, until they reach the river of Arroyo de la Vibora. At the river, Arthur tells Dutch to take Javier while he holds the bank. Waves of enemies assault his position, but Arthur prevails and departs.

Arthur then goes and investigates a group of workers who have disappeared. Arthur is unfortunately captured, and imprisoned with two other militants. A guard approaches him and is about to beat him up when he attacks. Arthur swiftly slays the guard, and then with another militant sneak through the camp. They save three men from execution, before engaging and defeating the soldiers.

After doing this, he goes with the gang to Cinco Torres. It is here, that they see a Cuban warship approaching, and swarms of enemies attacking. The gang and Hercule shoot at them from above, until they reach the fort. Hercule, Dutch, and Arthur then rush out and clear out the soldiers that are preparing to take the fort. They then rush back to the top of Cinco Torres and man the cannon as the warship approaches. After many shots, the warship falls, and they begin planning on making their escape off the island.

The gang is preparing to leave when they see a gun battery preventing their escape. Realizing it has to be silenced, the gang assaults the battery, and Arthur blows up the cannons. They then set out cutting their way to the ship. While fighting Aguasdulces, Arthur breaks into the worker's cabin to find the captain and is put on gunpoint by Levi Simon. Dutch breaks in, and puts Simon on gunpoint before Fussar aims his own gun at Dutch. The standoff ends when Arthur kicks the ship captain his rifle, and he kills Simon by shooting him in the chest. Fussar flees the cabin in the confusion and runs. They then set out fighting their way to the ship in earnest, when they find Fussar has occupied the final tower with a machine gun. Arthur blows down the tower, killing Fussar and allowing the gang to depart the island at last.

Beaver Hollow Chapter

The gang lands at Van Horn Outpost, and Arthur steals a horse which he uses to get back to Shady Belle. He finds it abandoned but finds a letter written by “Caroline” which says that they are at Lakay. As he prepares to head out, a group of Pinkertons arrives and corner him in a room. Arthur manages to slay his assailants, before fleeing to Lakay. When he arrives, he finds the entire gang who weren't stranded on Guarma. They welcome him and Abigail informs Arthur of John’s imprisonment at Sisika Penitentiary, and soon afterward the rest of the gang arrives. However, their short reunion is cut short by the arrival of Agent Milton and a group of Pinkerton agents who attack the camp, with the help of Sadie and eventually Bill they repel the attack with the aid of the Gatling gun. Sadie then tells Arthur to meet her at some point in Saint Denis so they can brainstorm how best to break John out of prison.

Dutch orders Arthur to clear out an old hideout called Beaver Hollow, home to a group of cannibals called the Murfree Brood, Arthur brings Charles along, and Arthur tells Charles about Guarma while he tells Arthur about the scramble to flee to Lakay. Eventually, whether through canoe or horse riding, they eventually reach Beaver Hollow. The pair sneaks through the camp, quietly killing the enemies until the alarm is sounded. The two then forcibly storm the hollow and clear out all the enemies. It is then that they find a young girl named Meredith, who had been captured and tortured by the Brood. Arthur takes her back to her mother in Annesburg, before returning to the Hollow where the rest of the gang has assembled. Drunk, Molly then stumbles into the camp and says that she was the rat, telling the Pinkertons about the Saint Denis Bank robbey. While the rest of the gang looks on shocked, Susan puts an end to her by peppering her with a shotgun.

While in Annesburg, Arthur notices Edith Downes, the wife to the late Thomas Downes whom he contracted tuberculosis from. Arthur walks up to her and she becomes very angry at him, saying that it's his fault that her husband is dead and her son is working in the mines. Feeling horrible for what he did, Arthur brings Archie back from the mines and gives him some money to help rebuild their lives. Unfortunately, Edith does not want to leave and continues practicing prostitution to make money for the family. Arthur confronts her about this out in the woods and finally convinces her to leave town.

Arthur goes to Saint Denis to meet Sadie, But is seized by a violent coughing fit and collapses. A stranger escorts him to a clinic, and a doctor named Joesph R. Barnes diagnoses Arthur with tuberculosis, having contracted it from Thomas Downes several months earlier. Arthur is overcome with emotion at this news, as the illness was considered an inevitable death, and there were no effective treatment during that time. The news shakes Arthur to his core and ultimately causes Arthur to change and to become a better man.

Arthur meets up with Sadie after the doctors visit. She has paid a hot air balloon operator, Arturo Bullard, to give Arthur a tour. Arthur then uses the balloon to inspect Sisika Penitentiary to see if John is still there. He spots John working field detail and the guard opens fire, forcing them to leave. When they reach the mainland, Arthur spots Sadie being chased by a group of O'Driscolls and opens fire upon them from the balloon. Bullard is shot and killed by the rival gang, and the balloon crashes. Arthur and Sadie then engage the assailants in a bloody gunfight in which they are victorious.

Arthur then heads to the docks at Copperhead Landing located a few miles from Sisika Penitentiary, to help Sadie break John out of prison. Abigail is there protesting she should come, but Sadie and Arthur shut her down saying that they don't need to look after her. Abigail thanks them for what they are doing, and they sail and dock along the islands shore. The pair climb a watchtower that overlooks the fields, and take down the guard in the tower, before opening fire and killing two other guards in the fields. They take a prison guard named Milliken captive, and Milliken tells them that John was working that day. With Milliken hostage, they march up to the main gate of the fortress and tell them that they want to trade John for the guard. They make the trade, and the three flee the island with enemy guards hot in pursuit.

Arthur is called on by Dutch and Micah to go help them confront Cornwall in Annesburg. They hide near his yacht, and after hearing him talking to the Pinkertons, Dutch jumps out. He demands that Leviticus give him an exorbitant amount of money, his boat, and safe passage out of the country. Cornwall refuses, and Dutch shoots him in the chest, killing him. Pinkertons and hired guns swarm the gang, and the three men narrowly fight their way out of town. In the chaos, Micah steals papers from the Cornwall company which prove to be useful in the future.

Arthur eventually heads to Saint Denis with Sadie and Dutch to ensure Colm is hanged. The three change into disguises to ensure they are not recognized. They find two O'Driscolls in the crowd and realize that there is a sniper on top of the building. Arthur eliminates the sniper, Dutch and Sadie capture the O'Driscolls, and Colm is hanged. Sadie then kills both her hostage and Dutch's, leading to a shootout. After the O'Driscolls are dealt with, Dutch and Sadie return to Beaver Hollow, followed by Arthur.

Arthur receives a letter from Mary, where she says that she wishes to cut ties with him, as it is the only way she can move on, while expressing regret that they could never be together. As well as sending Arthur a letter, she also sends him back his wedding ring. Mary was, however, unaware that Arthur was terminally ill with Tuberculosis and that he would die soon.

The papers that Micah stole reveal a large shipment of dynamite, and Bill and Arthur go to take it by force. They go to Van Horn Outpost, and Bill acts like he's sick in front of the road. When the stagecoach stops, Arthur opens fire from a vantage point, and they seize the carriage, waves of hired guns attempt to pursue them, but the pair manages to escape with their lives.

Not long after Arthur would be tasked by Strauss to go after two Debtors, a deserter from Fort Wallace named J. John Weathers and Arthur Londonderry, a coal miner. Arthur first goes after Weathers who offer supplies from the wagon to pay off his debt, only to be attacked by soldiers who were after him. Arthur is forced to help Weathers defend the wagon, however, the wagon is set alight by a lantern and destroyed. After killing the soldiers Arthur sees Weathers lead a Wapiti Indian woman who he is in a relationship with and sees the situation they’re in. Weather’s offers a locket for the debt and Arthur can choose to either just dissolve the debt or take. Weathers then thanks Arthur and says that there isn’t enough kindness in the world to which Arthur mumbles under his breath he doesn’t know anything about kindness. Arthur then goes after Londonderry, only to find out that he has died. Arthur then goes after the widow looking for the money, but after finding her and realizing her situation, Arthur can choose to either absolve the debt, or give Mrs. Londonderry some money to live on.

Arthur returns to camp, and Strauss asks how he got on, to which Arthur replies with “Just dandy”. He then tells Strauss to get up and takes him over to where his belongings are, stating that he won‘t kill him, even though he should. He tells Strauss that he disgusts him and shames the gang despite already being shamed as it is. Arthur then forces Strauss out of camp after giving him some money to find somewhere to stay.

Arthur meets with John by Bacchus Bridge, and the two blow it up in order to cut off the government supplies. This endeavor almost costs them their lives, as they were almost struck by the train, and afterwards, John tells Arthur that he is afraid for his family due to Dutch's descent into madness. Arthur tells John that he agrees, and John tells him that Abigail thinks that she knows where the money is. Arthur tells him to check it out and then come and talk to him.

Eagle Flies rides into Beaver Hollow and tells the gang that the army stationed at Fort Wallace has taken their horses, and he needs help to get them back. Dutch, seeing an opportunity to damage the government, agrees. He calls for Charles and Arthur to follow him, the two worry seeing Dutch take advantage considering Dutch’s recent changes in behavior and the four men ride east, where they plan on stealing horses from a government ferry. The four of them swim to the boat, sneak on board, and knock out the guards. They then grab the horses and flee back to shore. After reaching the shore, Eagle Flies and Dutch take the horses back to the reservation, while Arthur goes to meet Rains Fall.

Arthur reaches the reservation and meets Rains Fall. After the Indian chief realizes that Arthur has tuberculosis, he tells him that he has some things that could ease the pain and they go riding out onto the mountain looking for the herbs. While traveling, a man named Captain Monroe asks for his help, and Arthur pledges to help him. After gathering up all the herbs, the two go to a sacred place to the Wapiti, only to find it burned and its sacred objects were gone. After realizing that it was the armies doing, Arthur sneaks into the camp, steals the objects back, and gives them to Rains Fall, who thanks him. The two then return to camp and separate.

Arthur goes and meets up with Monroe, who shows him a young child who has caught smallpox, due to Colonel Favours stopping a shipment of vaccines from reaching the reservation. Arthur, disgusted by this, demands that Monroe show him where the shipment is traveling. He then rides after the wagon carrying the vaccines and steals them back. He then returns to the reservation with the supplies and gives them to Monroe.

At the order of Dutch, Arthur meets up with him and a group of Indians led by Paytah and Eagle Flies. Dutch tells him that they plan on trapping the soldiers in the canyon to tar and feather them, Arthur however sees that Dutch is using them and is not helping them, and the two get to work. After placing dynamite next to the trees, they wait for the soldiers to arrive, and blow the dynamite. The trees collapse, blocking the road, and they order the soldiers to drop their weapons. Unfortunately, reinforcements arrive and swarm the would-be ambushers. They fight their way down the pass, but all the Indians are killed or captured, and Arthur and Dutch are forced to run. They flee to the top of a cliff, and after being surrounded by the army, jump to the safety of the waters below.

Following the capture of Eagle Flies, a meeting is called between Colonel Favours and Rains Fall. Rains Fall asks Arthur and Charles to come along, and Arthur agrees due to pleading from Charles. During the meeting, Arthur breaks out in a fit of coughing and has to go take a break in a tent. In the tent, he hears that Favours plans on executing Monroe, and puts himself on his guard. After the meeting breaks down, Favours arrests Monroe and announces his plans to execute him. Charles and Arthur attack, grab him and flee. They hide behind a rock and defeat the army in a long battle, before taking the captain to Emerald Station.

Charles and Arthur learn that Eagle Flies is being held at Fort Wallace, and decide to break him out. They cross the river and ride up the fort, where they wait until night. They then slay several sentries silently with bows, before climbing the back wall with a rope. They then slay several guards on the walls, before attacking the army and fighting their way into the jail. After releasing Eagle Flies, they blow a hole in the back wall and run to canoes lying along the river. Although soldiers attempt to shoot them out of the canoes, they succeed in escaping the area, and Charles brings Eagle Flies back to his father.

Eagle Flies shows up at Beaver Hollow with a large force of warriors from the reservation and tells the gang that the army raided the reservation. He then asks for the gangs to help in destroying the Cornwall company distillery in retaliation. It is then that Rains Fall rides in, and begs for his tribe not to go to war. They instead ride off, leaving the gang behind. After a quick discussion, the majority of the gang follows, with the help of two new gang members named Cleet and Joe and then arrive to find the battle all but over. Many Wapiti were dead, Eagle Flies is fighting for his life in the center, and a small group of warriors is surrounded near the warehouse. The remnants meet up with the gang, and they split into two groups with Arthur leading a force to rescue Eagle Flies. They succeed in rescuing Eagle Flies, and then meet up with Dutch's force near the warehouse. After fighting to the warehouse doors, Dutch and Arthur enter, and take the government bonds. As they leave, however, a pipe bursts, which incapacitated Arthur. Immediately afterwards, more soldiers arrive, while Dutch leaves Arthur to die. Just before he is about to be killed by the soldiers, however, Eagle Flies appears and kills the soldiers, only to be fatally shot in the abdomen by Colonel Favours himself. Arthur shoots Favours dead seconds later, and then brings Eagle Flies back to his father, where he dies.

Dutch announces to the gang that they are pulling off one more big heist, before leaving the country. He tells them that they are going to rob a train going through Saint Denis and everyone needs to help. They ride to Saint Denis, but the train goes right through the city and they are forced to go in pursuit of it. After boarding the train, swarms of enemies assault the gang, and although Arthur fights them off, John is shot in the left shoulder after uncoupling a burning train carriage and falls. Dutch says that he will rescue him, and goes after him while the rest of the gang takes the payroll and plan on going back to camp with the considerable riches. However Arthur is told by Micah that John was killed, Arthur is deeply saddened by this both in himself for waiting too long, but also for Dutch for not trying very hard to save him.

As they return, they come across Tilly, who says that Abigail has been captured. Dutch and Micah decide to leave her, followed by the others. Refusing to leave his old friend to die and have Jack become an orphan, Arthur along with Sadie go to Van Horn where she is being held, desperate to save Jack from being an orphan. Arthur covers Sadie while she fights her way through the town, and after reaching the building where Abigail is being held, she is ambushed by two Pinkertons and captured. Arthur then goes to rescue her, and kills the guards that captured her only be knocked down by Agent Milton. Milton tells him that Micah was the mole all along and is about to kill him, when suddenly Abigail shoots Milton in the temple with Sadie’s revolver, killing him. Arthur takes Abigail back to Tilly and Jack, and tells them to leave with Sadie, while he confronts Micah. Right before leaving he is handed the keys to the gang’s money by Abigail and is told the location of said money.

Arthur walks into camp, and announces that Micah is the traitor, which results in Micah and Arthur drawing on each other. At first, no one is willing to take sides, until John stumbles into camp saying that Dutch left him to die. Susan also sides with Arthur, and threatens Micah with a shotgun. Unfortunately for her, Javier announces that Pinkertons are coming, distracting her and allowing Micah to kill her. The rest of the gang unites behind Dutch and Micah, but Pinkertons arrive before Arthur and John can be killed by the others. Arthur and John escape through the cave, where Arthur reveals to him that Micah is the rat. After reaching the surface Arthur tells John that his family are safe at Copperhead Landing, before they are forced to escape into the woods, with Dutch and the others on their tail. Eventually, Arthur and John have their horses shot from under them, forcing them to go on foot after killing Pinkerton attackers. Arthur then has a difficult choice to make: he can either return for the money or help John escape the Pinkertons so that he can reach his family.

  • Help John
    • High Honor: Arthur tells John to run on the top of a mountain while he holds off the Pinkertons. Micah then attacks him as soon as John leaves, and the two engage in a fist fight where both of them sustain a beating from each other. After a lengthy brawl, Arthur crawls to a revolver that fell out of Micah's holster in order to kill him, but is ultimately prevented from doing so by Dutch. Arthur tells Dutch again that Micah is the rat, that he gave him everything, and that John is the only one who made it, while Micah picks up another of his revolvers from the ground and prompts Dutch to come with him and get the money. In the end, Dutch discontentedly walks away, forcing a frustrated Micah to also flee. Arthur will then crawl to the edge of the cliff and witness his final sunrise as he succumbs to his Tuberculosis, his injuries and exhaustion in peace knowing that he helped John and his family get to safety.
    • Low Honor: Instead of fleeing after Dutch walks away, Micah approaches Arthur and takes out a revolver, telling Arthur that he is not better than him. Micah then shoots Arthur in the forehead, laughs, spitting on his corpse, and leaves.
  • Go back for the money
    • High Honor: Arthur leaves John to flee by himself and fights his way back to the gang's camp, where manages to find the sack of money in Dutch's chest inside the cavern. As he exits the caves, he is suddenly attacked by Micah and stabbed in the side. They then engage in a knife fight where Arthur eventually manages to slash Micah's left eye. Enraged, Micah tackles Arthur to the ground and tries to stab him, but this fails as Arthur bites Micah's hand and punches him off. Dutch comes to break it up and, after Arthur re-iterates that Micah is the rat, Dutch decides to abandon both of them. Micah then leaves, taking the sack of money which Arthur took from the chest. Arthur is left to die, and watches the sunrise shortly before he succumbs to his Tuberculosis, his initial stab wound and exhaustion.
    • Low Honor: Instead of Arthur slashing Micah‘s left eye during the fight, he loses his balance and is tackled to the ground. Micah manages to stab Arthur in the chest during the struggle before Dutch arrives to break it up. Arthur says again that Micah is the rat and demands that Dutch kill him, but Dutch walks away. Arthur will then begin to crawl away, but Micah approaches him with a knife in hand, and then finishes Arthur off by stabbing him in the back.

Depending on how Arthur died, a deer basking in the sunlight (High Honor) or a coyote in the rain (Low Honor) is seen while the song Unshaken by D'Angelo plays (the tone of it differs in Honor). At some point after his death, Arthur was buried by Charles, in a beautiful location facing the evening sun, the way he would have wanted. The grave can be found in Ambarino, northeast of Bacchus Bridge.

Epilogue

He did save us, yeah. None of us would be here today if it weren't for Arthur.
Abigail Marston to Jack Marston

Arthur's attempt in giving Marston a second chance in life proved fruitful as, eight years later, John and his family manage to buy land in Beecher's Hope to live a life as ranchers.

Years after Arthur’s death, Mary is seen visiting his grave, weeping his loss, as well as a deer or a coyote, depending on his honor.

Arthur's death is avenged after John, Sadie and Charles manage to track down Micah and his new crew at Mount Hagen. Micah eventually gets his comeuppance and is jointly killed by John and Dutch for betraying the gang and ratting it out to the Pinkertons. Ironically, John hunting down Micah and avenging Arthur's death ultimately leads to Edgar Ross kidnapping his family and his own death four years later.

After the player has reached 100% completion, a short cut scene will play where John visits Arthur's grave. John will be shown completing Arthur's journal while uttering the words "Guess we're just about done, my friend" before the cutscene transitions back to normal gameplay.

Character

Personality

He weren’t a good one. He was...well, he was good and bad...and it’s hard to say quite what he was in the end.
John Marston describing Arthur to Mickey

Arthur Morgan is a cold, brooding outlaw who often resorts to violence and has very few moral qualms about killing. At his worst, Arthur could be extremely ruthless and completely unemphatic to the people he hurts. Despite being capable of committing such violence, Arthur does have a playful side to his personality that comes out around those he is friendly with. He isn’t above joking or employing sarcasm with his friends. Notably, Arthur was kind and polite to John Marston’s then four year old son, Jack, having a gentle demeanor around the young boy in contrast to his threatening persona.

Regarding his religious beliefs, Arthur is likely irreligious but does mention that he believes in an afterlife.

Despite his ability to commit great acts of violence, Arthur has his own moral code and doesn’t believe in what he deems as unnecessary killing, especially if it endangers himself or those he cares about. Dutch also raised Arthur to believe that revenge is a fruitless endeavor. It seems Arthur strictly believes that violence should be cold, necessary and without feeling, never out of personal enjoyment or without reason.

In his own terms, Arthur is aware that he is a “bad man” and clearly understands that his behavior is morally wrong. However, he justifies his own actions as being different from most criminals, as the Van der Linde gang carries a philosophy that Arthur genuinely believed could help people. As time went on, however, he realized this philosophy was a ruse or an “excuse,” as John Marston would later put it.

Arthur’s deteriorating loyalty to Dutch caused him to go through an existential crisis. Because Dutch had raised Arthur since he was a child, his philosophy was primarily the only thing Arthur ever believed in up until the gang’s downfall. As the gang fell apart, Arthur realized that social issues were more complex then he had ever thought and that these issues were beyond the gang’s ability to control. Perhaps most disturbing to Arthur was seeing how easily Dutch could influence younger, disenfranchised men such as Eagle Flies to commit acts of violence for him. Undoubtedly, this gave Arthur a new perspective on his own childhood and how Dutch had been taking advantage of him.

With his faith in Dutch and the Van der Linde gang crushed, Arthur became more wise and sensitive to his own feelings, opening up to Rains Fall about traumatic experiences, including the death of his own son, Isaac. He also began caring about other people more than himself. In the end, Arthur’s last objectives were to protect John Marston’s family and to secure Dutch’s hidden money for them in order to hopefully build a better life for themselves, making all the suffering the gang had gone through worth something in the end.

He is very humble, and never feels a need to prove himself to other members of the gang. Arthur has, in various forms, been called an idiot and a fool, with Arthur accepting these criticisms and mostly agrees with them. In spite of this, Arthur is cunning and rather intelligent, and demonstrates more self-awareness than almost everyone else in the gang. This acceptance of who he is allows him to maintain his cool demeanour, especially under pressure, and not fall under the weight of vindicating himself.

Unlike most people during the time period, Arthur is quite progressive in his views concerning women and minorities. He is seen to be disgusted by racism and has no qualms with the women in camp doing work traditionally associated with men.

Appearance

There was a feller I used to see with you, few years back. He was... tall... and a moody face?
Joe Butler to John Marston

As seen in an old photograph on Arthur's wagon, before 1899, Arthur was seen as a young man wearing a brown vest and pants and a bandana around his neck.

As of 1899, Arthur is 36, with a muscular build perfect for his position, and a head of thick, brown hair. Regardless of player choices, Arthur has blue / green eyes. Arthur also has a scar near his chin as seen when facial hair is around level 2 and 3.

Arthur’s physical appearance can be influenced by the player. The player can choose his hair style, clothing and even cleanliness.

Players must also take basic care of Arthur, which in turn influences his appearance. A healthy Arthur will retain his stocky appearance. Over-feeding him will lead to weight gain, giving him more health but limiting his stamina, while neglecting nutrition will thin Arthur out, negatively affecting his health but gaining him more stamina.

During his time in Guarma, Arthur will have a sunburn around his face and will appear to be around average weight with his hair grown longer.

After returning from Guarma, Arthur's health takes a turn for the worse as his tuberculosis progresses. He looks more and more sickly and his face will be pale; his eyes become red in the corners, they become watery and he develops eye bags, as a result of constant coughing.

Relationships

Main article: Arthur Morgan/Relationships

As Arthur is a central character of the game, he has relationships with important characters related to him in the game. Arthur can partake various relationships throughout his life as an outlaw especially within the Van der Linde gang or outside of it.

Mission appearances

  • As the protagonist, he appears in all missions until the end of Chapter 6. His voice can be heard after Fatherhood, for Idiots as a flashback in John's mind.

Skills

Red-Dead-Redemption-2-gameplay-980x620

Arthur aiming with his revolver

One of the Van der Linde gang’s most prominent members, Arthur is Dutch's strongest, most reliable, and most versatile disciple. Dedicated and commanding a broad skill set, he is always willing and able to do whatever is needed in a given situation to help the gang as a whole or its individual members.

Arthur is widely regarded by allies and foes alike as the single-most dangerous member of the Van der Linde gang, and he is recognised and feared as its primary enforcer. By 1899, his reputation is such that fellow gang members and enemies regularly comment on his ability and stature in the gang. On multiple occasions, he is the target of attempted ambush, assassination, capture, or bribery, with Pinkerton and rival gang leaders hoping to exterminate him or turn him to their side against Dutch and the gang.

His proficiency, versatility, and ferocity, combined with his natural strength and toughness, prove him to be all but peerless as an overall combatant. From antiques such as the Volcanic Pistol to modern Mauser Pistols, his competency with a variety of weapons and fighting styles in itself makes Arthur an invaluable asset. Furthermore, along with Charles, he is perhaps the best melee fighter in the gang, as evidenced by his defeat of the likes of Tommy, a man much bigger in size, which enhanced Arthur’s reputation in Valentine. Even when afflicted with advanced tuberculosis, and near death, he is still able to hold his own against Micah. Although occasionally susceptible to surprise, when fully healthy he scarcely encounters a physical contest that he cannot overcome or, if necessary, escape. He repeatedly leads Van der Linde gang members in defeating vastly numerically-superior forces of law agents, army soldiers, and rival gang members.  

Arthur's skills go beyond those purely necessary for physical confrontation, however. A skilled interrogator, he proves capable of using not only intimidation and force but also charm and charisma in order to elicit payment and information. He often displays a working knowledge of - or quick ability to learn - how to operate machinery or transportation, including steam engine locomotives. Although there is no evidence that he ever received any formal training or education, his journal entries demonstrate a natural talent for writing and art.

Although Arthur is usually humble about his mental prowess, he is in many ways quite intelligent. He consistently demonstrates strong leadership, a cunning aptitude for strategy, and an accurate intuition for how plans will succeed or fail. He also proves to be a keen judge of character, often correctly assessing the actual intentions, deceptions, and capabilities of those around him. Hosea remarks that he believes Arthur's modesty hides a sharp mind that is far more acute and observant than Arthur tends to convey, something that is likely true. Furthermore, Arthur's temperament is another key asset. He rarely loses his cool and prioritises the situation at hand than get caught up by his emotions, this is demonstrated multiple times when he witnesses friends being killed, or himself betrayed, but carries on dealing with whatever tasks he has. However, Arthur is willing to show his ruthlessness when necessary, quickly putting down people who try to threaten or insult him, this extends to random encounters in the world or to his fellow gang members. This leads to him being seen as an imposing, and intimidating, figure that even Micah avoids crossing, at least until he becomes sick.

Arthur demonstrates an enormous capacity to acquire wealth and material for the Van der Linde gang through hunting, scavenging, fishing, crafting, gambling, robbing, looting, loan collecting, and various other means. The gang's ledger serves as ample testimony to Arthur’s resourcefulness, as he can prove able and willing to produce far greater quantities of money, food, medicine, herbs, pelts, stolen items, contraband, and other goods for the gang than any other single member.

Arthur is proficient in wilderness survival. Though he claims that he never got the hang of shooting a bow during a conversation with Charles, he nonetheless picks up the skill quite quickly. His time riding with the gang has taught him how to live on the fringes of society. Arthur is able to track, hunt and skin animals with the skill of a seasoned outdoorsman. Unlike John, Arthur knows how to swim, and is also a master equestrian.

Dead Eye Targeting

Like other protagonists in the Red Dead series, Arthur can use the trademark Dead Eye ability to slow time to a crawl and carefully pick out shots to cripple or kill his enemies. Unlike previous entries, Arthur's use of the ability is also capable of pinpointing critical areas of the target as the player levels up the skill.

Eagle Eye

Introduced in RDR2 as a representation of Arthur's well-developed survivalist skills, this new gameplay mechanic highlights animal tracks, objectives, and other points of interest, allowing the player to track targets effectively over long distances.

Trivia

ArthurMorganBio

Arthur's biography section in the official guidebook for Red Dead Redemption 2.

  • Despite seeming to be the protagonist of the story Arthur wears a black hat, which is normally associated with the villain in old western stories, while Micah, who is depicted as the antagonist, wears a white hat which is usually associated with the hero of those stories. This reflects the more realistic view of the outlaws being evil and the law being good and foreshadows Micah's betrayal.
  • According to Agent Milton, Arthur has amassed a $5000 bounty with the US Government. Equivalent to roughly $150,000 in today’s currency.
  • He may be of Welsh ancestry, as both his forename and surname are of Welsh origin. Also, his mount, Boadicea, shares its name with a Celtic queen who battled Romans in Wales.
  • When replaying missions from chapters 1 to 6, Arthur will always have his default Gunslinger Outfit worn (with the exception of missions in Colter which will see him wear his winter gunslinger outfit and missions in the Guarma chapter), as well as the Tennessee Walker from "Outlaws from the West", some rare weapons such as Midnight’s Pistol and Otis Miller’s Revolver still available to him and will have level 3 facial hair in some missions and his default level 3 medium hairstyle
  • Despite not being able to enter New Austin as Arthur, if the player uses a glitch to get into New Austin. he still has unique drawings for points of interest
  • When playing as John in 1907, Arthur's grave is available to visit after "Simple Pleasures". Arthur’s Honor will affect the overall look of his grave - if Arthur had high honor, his tombstone is clean and flowers will be around his grave. Contrarily, if Arthur had low honor, his tombstone is more rugged and no flowers are seen. Additionally, if Arthur had high honor the writing on his tombstone will be “Blessed Are Those That Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness” or if Arthur had low honor his tombstone will say “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn For They Will Be Comforted”
  • In the side-mission "A Bright Bouncing Boy", Arthur mentions he has never had a single day of certified education in his life.
  • Evidence suggests that Arthur’s name and story have thematic connections to the King Arthur legend. Dialogue in the epilogue mission The Wheel, for example, makes explicit references to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and John later gives Jack the alias Lancelot. Experts of American Western fiction likewise have long noted the genre’s roots in knight-errant characters similar to those who have served as the basis of the classical Arthurian literary cycle. The name "Arthur Morgan" in itself then could be a reference to not just King Arthur, a traditionally heroic figure, but also Morgan le Fay, a conflicted Arthurian legend persona characterized by moral ambiguity and potential for both good and evil.
  • He is the sixth Rockstar protagonist to be killed on screen behind, Victor Vance of Vice City Stories, Johnny Klebitz of The Lost and Dammed, John Marston of the first Red Dead Redemption, and Trevor Philips and Michael De Santa, while the first three and Morgan's death all happen within their respected canon, the two latter's death's are both optional.

Quotes


Damn us both!
Arthur Morgan to Micah Bell; his last words if he helps John escape and has low honor


This whole thing is pretty much done. We're more ghosts than people.
Morgan to Sadie Adler.
Be loyal to what matters.
Morgan to John.
I wish things were different. But it weren't us who changed.
Morgan to John
John made it. He's the only one. Rest of us... no. But... I tried. In the end. I did.
Arthur Morgan's last words if he helps John escape
Look, just do one thing or another...not be two people at once. That's all I'm saying.

Morgan to John


Gallery

Main article: Arthur Morgan/Gallery

References

  1. Arthur states that he has been in the gang for twenty years when asked by Charles, which would put the date he was found by Dutch and Hosea at 1879 at the latest. Hosea later states that Arthur was "around" 13 when they found him, and an official bio states he was 14 when he met them. In 1878, he would have been 14 or 15, depending on the time of year.

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