10 secrets you may not know about Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2

10 things you did not know about Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2.
10 things you did not know about Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Image via Rockstar Studios)

In many aspects, Rockstar has portrayed peak character building through Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2. Throughout the chapters of this critically acclaimed title, Arthur matures far more than John did. He is portrayed as a character with a great arc that eventually leads to one of the saddest endings in gaming history, leaving fans heartbroken.

Arthur has lived a life of crime and adventure intertwined with drama and tragedy. Many of these secrets will be revealed by playing the game and paying close attention to detail, so be warned that there may be spoilers ahead if you haven't completed the story.

In this article, we will take a look at some secrets that you may not have known about Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions. Read with caution as it includes spoilers for Read Dead Redemption 2.


Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2: Top 10 secrets you may not know

1) Arthur's family history

Arthur insists that John leave the gang and Dutch gets angry (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Zanar Aesthetics)
Arthur insists that John leave the gang and Dutch gets angry (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Zanar Aesthetics)

Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 hails from a line of outlaws. He was born to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan in 1863. His father was convicted of stealing when he was just a young lad, and he was picked up by Dutch van der Linde a few years later. Arthur grew to regard Dutch as a father figure and he became one of the first members of Dutch's well-known gang.


2) His love for Jack

Arthur having a conversation with young Jack (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Faith van der Linde)
Arthur having a conversation with young Jack (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Faith van der Linde)

Jack, a young Marston offspring who requires a strong masculine presence in his life, is implied to be distanced by Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 during events before the game. Arthur takes on the fatherly role before this young lad starts getting his act together. He does not acknowledge it, but he is closer to Jack than everyone else maybe because he sees a little of Isaac in Jack. Arthur's sacrifice was just as significant for Jack as it was for John.


3) His love for Mary

Arthur leaving Mary's house after she requests him to help (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Real Pixels)
Arthur leaving Mary's house after she requests him to help (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube-Real Pixels)

Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 has a love interest whom players will get to meet in the game. Our favorite outlaw was just a teenager when he met Mary Gillis, with whom he fell madly in love. Unlike Arthur, Mary hailed from an upper-class family that opposed Arthur's criminal lifestyle and, as a result, their relationship. Consequently, the two felt forced to abandon their relationship.

It is eventually discovered that Mary married someone else. However, she eventually reaches out to Arthur once she becomes widowed and her brother falls into difficulty.


4) The legacy of Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 continued

Arthur advising John to leave the gang (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Zanar Aesthetics)
Arthur advising John to leave the gang (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Zanar Aesthetics)

After completing a certain last task during a chapter, Arthur gives John all his possessions. This is the final time they see each other, as Arthur leaves to confront Micah and Dutch, after which he dies. However, John not only flourishes but also carries on Arthur's legacy. John can carry Arthur's final will simply because he is alive. He maintains Arthur's notebook and even writes in it. In some ways, the world remembers John after he is gone, just as it remembers Arthur.


5) How he ages eventually is for players to determine

Arthur's looks and his aging can be determined by players (Image via Rockstar Studios)
Arthur's looks and his aging can be determined by players (Image via Rockstar Studios)

Players have complete control over Arthur's looks, from his hair to his clothing. The way players treat him in the game will determine if he ages gracefully or not. They are accountable for his fundamental necessities like maintaining his physique from the start of the game.

While overfeeding Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 will end up with him acquiring weight and losing stamina, starving him will thin him down, which will increase his stamina in turn. This level of detail in character development is something that upcoming games should look to incorporate.


6) He is a gifted writer

Arthur checking his notebook sketches and writings (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/AshwinY)
Arthur checking his notebook sketches and writings (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/AshwinY)

Flipping through the pages of the notebook, you'll quickly see that Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a gifted writer who values his art. His literary style is contemplative and existential as he wonderfully expresses how opposed he is to Dutch's spiral into lunacy. Additionally, he has an incredible ability to portray emotional thoughts.


7) His moral code

Arthur is a deadly gunslinger and a fan-favorite outlaw (Image via Rockstar Studios)
Arthur is a deadly gunslinger and a fan-favorite outlaw (Image via Rockstar Studios)

Dutch taught Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 that vengeance is pointless, as he believes that violence should be cold, necessary, emotionless, and never for personal gain. Despite Arthur's horrific crimes in the game, this does not necessarily imply that he condones violence or murder. Rather, it's evident that he regards it as a commercial transaction.


8) His opinions about women of his time

The star-crossed lovers who had a romeo-juliet story (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Real Pixels)
The star-crossed lovers who had a romeo-juliet story (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Real Pixels)

Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 encounters a variety of female characters who advocate for women's voting rights and he feels sympathetic to their cause in one moment. Arthur also assists two lovers when one attends a women's suffrage demonstration despite the other's objections to her participation. Arthur responds and subsequently drives the rally wagon, demonstrating that he is for the cause.


9) The honor system will determine the grave of Arthur

Arthur's grave headstone in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Real Pixels)
Arthur's grave headstone in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Real Pixels)

Being one of the reasons to try Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2024, honor has a wide-ranging influence throughout the game, including the headstone, as people will take greater care of Arthur's burial site if he dies with dignity and honor. Some people even lay flowers for the noble outlaw.

The gravestone's inscription also varies as an honorable Arthur's headstone reads: "Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness." The dishonorable version, on the other hand, states: "Blessed Are Those Who Mourn For They Will Be Comforted." Arthur's honor also influences which animal appears at his grave.


10) Ethereal vision of Wolf and Stag

High honor playthrough gives Arthur visions of a Stag (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Dayker)
High honor playthrough gives Arthur visions of a Stag (Image via Rockstar Studios || YouTube/Dayker)

Players may come across a stag or a wolf in ethereal visions. These visions show Arthur's character development by representing where you are as a player. Whether you see the stag or the wolf is determined by the player's honor. Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 will get images of a graceful stag when playing with high honor, and get visions of a wolf when having low honor.


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