Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Models the Ideal Grand Theft Auto 6 Protagonist
Back in 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2's voice actor for Arthur Morgan, Roger Clark, won an award at the Game Awards 2018 for Best Performance. This reward was truly deserved, as Arthur Morgan managed the capture the hearts of many-a-player, and he continued on a legacy of excellent characters designed by Rockstar Games. From Red Dead Redemption's John Marston and Arthur Morgan to Grand Theft Auto greats like CJ, Trevor, and so many more, Rockstar Games has a stellar reputation for character design.
Perhaps one of the biggest questions surrounding the development studio now is what will Grand Theft Auto 6 look like. More specifically, there have been plenty of rumors circling the main character (s) of Grand Theft Auto 6, but in truth, Rockstar Games has everything it needs to design a compelling character for GTA 6 in Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan.
At his worst, Arthur Morgan is capable of genuinely evil acts. He has been shown to be violent, ruthless, and sometimes maybe even sadistic towards those he hurts. However, he's far more complex than that: to those on his good side, he's playful, friendly, kind, polite, and gentle. This is mostly due to his outlaw life style and loyalty to friends and family; he's a complex character unrivaled in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Morgan even acknowledges that that he's not a good guy, but he believed in the Van Der Linde gang philosophy for the longest time, later coming to the realization that it was all for naught. Watching Dutch fall apart caused his own existential crisis, one that was a long-time coming by his devout faith in Dutch. When coupled with his terminal illness, it showed Morgan the error of his ways.
Throughout the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, it's shown that Arthur is incredibly introspective and reflects upon his life and the events in it, for good or ill depending on his honor. In short, it's this sort of realistic complexity that Arthur ultimately offers up and is something Rockstar Games should capitalize on with Grand Theft Auto 6.
First, it's worth looking at the trio in Grand Theft Auto 5. Each character is unique, each character is interesting, and each character is fun to play. However, at their core, they are incredibly one-dimensional. Michael is the classic former gangster with a family trying to turn over a new leaf but ultimately failing to do so. Trevor is effectively just a murderous psycho with a past, and Franklin is effectively a fought-over protege and golden child. It works in the context of GTA 5, that's not to say they are not good characters, but Grand Theft Auto 6 could take some cues from RDR2.
There are a ton of rumors surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 and what the game will look like. One suggests that there will be a playable female protagonist in GTA 6, some point to multiple protagonists across multiple time periods, and others point to multiple cities. While it's not made clear, it seems likely that the multiple protagonist approach will continue in the GTA franchise, but that doesn't need to limit the care of each character.
Imagine if the complexities of Arthur Morgan were linked to Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. Instead of the golden child, Franklin could have been a bumbling learner full of and frequently making mistakes that cost the GTA 5 player, only to progressively learn the ropes in a more realistic fashion over the course of the game. Trevor could have still been psychotic, but he could have more clearly struggled with his own murderous tendencies. Michael could have been more introspective than he was.
All of this is to say that the complexity and self-awareness sits well with Arthur Morgan, all of which could also sit well with the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto 6. The franchise will always be about modern, perhaps exaggerated, crime in a big city, but that doesn't mean there can't be more to it. Adding different layers, especially if there are multiple characters, could see the Grand Theft Auto franchise hit the same heartstrings that Red Dead Redemption is known for.
Yes, at the end of the day, GTA is about genuine escapism into a world of crime, but in so many ways, so too was Red Dead Redemption 2. There can still be the oversaturation of violence, the incredible action sequences, and the high-profile heists the franchise is known for, while still capturing a raw and emotional story. Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan shows this can be done and would be something interesting to see reflected in the main characters of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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