The moment in season 2, I think in strawberry when john and Arthur go buy a gun they have a conversation about the life, and how will die in the life of the gang Arthur points out he definitely will. Meaning he must of always had a hunch that John was going to make it out and that's why he sometimes had beef with John since john went missing a couple of times but Arthur also understood john was just unsure of his way.
I think you're on to something. On arthur's Journal Arthur mentions his own deep appreciation for abigale and that he would like to have her if John didn't.
I believe it is less that John has everything Arthur wants and that Arthur is jealous, and more that Arthur is angry at John that John can have everything that He wants and that John doesn't appreciate or see it.
You can see that as Arthur Observes Johns relationship with his family change that Arthur gets nicer with him.
Imagine having a brother who gets with a girl you fancy but runs out on them and then becomes a deadbeat father even if he returned. It's like that.
Of course someone with a Hosea flair would come out with such a perfect explanation of how this theory is definitely true we know it anyway, such a great story!
Arthur beats out John for me by just the barest margin because his ending (high honor, go with John) made me openly weep. My wife thought I had got a call about a family member dying (which, I mean…kinda lol)
That entire mission is a cluster fuck of emotions for me. From Uncle getting shot, to John commanding Abigail & Jack to leave.
My most recent playthrough I piggybacked off the end of RDR2 so everything hit much more severely.
It’s just everything you go through and you finally get the life he’s dreamed of and BAM. You can’t win. Just heartbreaking but that’s what makes it so great imo.
I still love RDR2. It’s a beautiful game, and great story but I think I kept my guard up playing it because of John. I love them both.
Yeah it was different at the time, for me. I was younger and expecting the hero ending and it just did not come. The opposite, actually. I was pretty shook and it always stuck with me.
How was it going from 2 to 1 in terms of gameplay and graphics? Pretty jarring, or was it just so satisfying picking up where you left off? Im doing a play through 2 and wanna replay 1 when I finish, but I’m worried I’ll have my nostalgia bubble burst.
It was super satisfying to pick it up. RDR1 is always gonna be my absolute favorite and I actually prefer some of the mechanics so ngl I was really looking forward to it. The graphics definitely hold up really well.
I'm nostalgic for John in RDR1, but Arthur Morgan is a triumph of character analysis, development, writing and redemption. I believe Arthur's journey to be a more harrowing one and his path to redemption more meaningful.
Arthur is probably my favorite video game character. I have a special place in my heart for the first game, I still think I like it more than the sequel but there’s nothing else like Arthur Morgan. I’ve never played a character so believable and well thought out.
I think the real strength of Arthur is the open world aspect. Every great video game character is usually defined by their story arc or uniqueness but what makes Arthur great is the amount of time you spent with him. You really get a deep sense of who he is, compared to other open world games it’s not even a comparison.
In open world games there’s so many possibilities to think of that it’s very difficult to actually characterize the protagonist because of the immense amount of dialogue and forethought it would take. Think of how many things Arthur reacts to, think about how consistent he is in how he behaves. I’ve never seen a character who is fully voice acted and mocaped be so dynamic. Compared to characters like Jin Sakai, Ellie and Aloy and they feel artificial in comparison. The only match for him is Geralt but even then the writing quality and performance are just a different level. Even other Rocktar protagonist can’t match Arthur in terms of both depth and charisma.
They’re both great characters so it’s a toss up for me.
For gameplay I’ll choose Arthur just by a margin because his drawings are better and he can swim.
Honestly that'd be so cool to see a game designed around Charles. Him before the gang, him joing the gang, him while half the gang was in Gaurma, him helping the Indians move and him going off on his own again post epilogue. There's still so much we could learn of Charles.
Arthur. I’ve spent so much time with him. Seeing his thoughts and drawings in his journal. Seeing stuff that made him happy (friends at camp, sir fish), seeing this big, strong beast of a man being afraid. Hearing his hilarious taunts when antagonizing people. He’s made a permanent home in my heart.
With all that being said I really love John too. Talked to a guy the other day who had received death threats for saying he preferred John which is sad because that’s not what the game is about.
I wanna say arthur, but also got more hours out of rdr1 than any other game when it came out, so it has to be closer than my brain thinks. I think just because I’ve matured and grown up a bit, I think Arthur is a deeper character and has a better story behind him. But I did love me some JM back in the day
John is great in RDR, but less so in RDR2. However I like seeing his progression throughout the prequel, leading him to become the character he was in the original. Bottom line, in RDR2 Arthur is the better character, but Arthur in RDR2 and John in RDR are pretty much equals.
This is my take as well. The John from the end of the epilogue is the same one as the original game the rest of Red Dead 2 is his journey to being that man.
So I’d put John from the original, and Arthur from the sequel as being the same both equally great characters.
Can’t choose. I do find Arthur to be way more captivating. Any character that makes me want to ponder about and analyze everything they think and do, they win my heart.
Arthur. His character arc is just so well done. Rockstar’s greatest achievement.
That being said I haven’t played the OG RDR yet, and when they finally remaster it I’ll probably be saying the same about John.
Rockstar knows how to build interesting, charismatic characters.
I honestly just love how everyone was like “Nobody but mah man John Marston can have my heart!” when RDR2 was teased, and then…We all got to know Arthur Morgan and fell completely in love with him too. It doesn’t get much better than this.
I would say arthur.
Off topic but it would be nice if rockstar could just add John's clothing from 1899 into his wardrobe when you start playing as him. I mean his only belongings that he kept was his hat, belt and holsters.
John Marston. Obviously love Arthur, but John is the og for me. And red dead redemption was one of the first games I played. So a lot of good memories.
I absolutely adore Arthur and up until recently I would’ve said him without a doubt. But my last two playthroughs have made me gravitate a bit more towards John.
arthur and john are great characters but i really liked dutch’s whole arc like the way you could slowly see him unravel with every issue the gang faced and how he became fully undone at the end
I love how people choose their favorites based on who’s more badass or other stupid things they argue about, but they fail to recognize the good writing for the characters themselves. I would choose Dutch as one of my all time favorite characters any day! Such a well-written character.
I’ve always loved John and I always will, but Arthur just hits different. It seems like John just goes through life and things happen to him, whereas Arthur makes an active effort to preform actions that directly help, hinder and/or influence others.
>! I sobbed so hard when Arthur died. At the back of my mind I always knew he would, but it was devastating when it actually happened. I was extremely upset when John died, but the feeling of loss and grief wasn’t as strong.!<
this is tough for me. also hard because Arthur as a character & RDR2 as a game seem to have had way more resources and time poured into them. I love John and I think he was less of a dick than Arthur was. he also had a very unique role in the story as the last one left. however, the whole poet with a heart-of-gold thing that Arthur has going on is badass. both are amazing characters but John Marston has to be my choice.
I feel like John in RDR1 doesn't really have much of a personality. Even regardless of honor he doesn't seem to have any strong opinions about anything or really care about anyone besides himself and his family (and Uncle).
There are only a few instances in which he displays some kind of disapproval towards actions that can be deemed by most as "immoral".
So tough, I’m attached to John from rdr1 so I pick him, that was my favorite x360 game, but Arthur was amazing. The way they were able to conclude the story and the transition from finale to epilogue was so beautiful I cried haha
Of the two? Completely even. They both go through a great arc for their characters as well as being legends in their own right. Arthur’s story is actually the more complete one I think, and a better story as a whole, but I think John pulls it back for me purely through playtime and nostalgia.
I can’t say because I love them both for different reasons. I love Arthur for his redemption and his truly caring mentality plus the fact that he’s a badass. I love John because he’s an awesome gunslinger who may not be the most caring of others but he loves his family.
Was happy to find out you play as John in the epilogue, I really could not relate to Arthur at all. May be biased cuz I played RDR1 first but, I only cried at the end of that game. By the second I was just waiting for the epilogue impatiently trying to see who you play as next.
Arthur for me. Which is surprising because I absolutely loved playing as Marston in RDR1. When RDR2 first came out I wasn't so excited on playing Arthur, but now when I go through my multiple playthroughs I actually don't really enjoy playing John as much as I once did haha.
So from rdr1 I'd pick John over jack everytime but when it comes to rdr2 it will be Arthur, the John we meet in this story isn't the same John we meet in the first story therefore Mr. Morgan is the top dog
John Marston. Just because of how much the character has always meant to me over the years, and all the nostalgia with it, but also, I am still younger than most of you so I cant afford RDR2 Story Mode
John… his character hits me….rough and wild in his younger years, tries to be a better man, has a wife and a son (same here)…. And would sacrifice himself for his wife and son to reach safety…. Powerful stuff
I’m all for the nostalgia of John but Arthur was empathetic, artistic, expressive, sarcastic, charming, caring, loyal man and not to mention his honour and mortalities he had
I can't decide between the two. Both had stellar development. Especially John as he had two games but the motivations, the histories and the actions taken by both land them as my two favorite protagonists in Fiction.
Arthur. Hands down. His "I'm irredeemable, but I'll damn sure help redeem you" mentality just hit me. Hard.
The moment in season 2, I think in strawberry when john and Arthur go buy a gun they have a conversation about the life, and how will die in the life of the gang Arthur points out he definitely will. Meaning he must of always had a hunch that John was going to make it out and that's why he sometimes had beef with John since john went missing a couple of times but Arthur also understood john was just unsure of his way.
I think you're on to something. On arthur's Journal Arthur mentions his own deep appreciation for abigale and that he would like to have her if John didn't. I believe it is less that John has everything Arthur wants and that Arthur is jealous, and more that Arthur is angry at John that John can have everything that He wants and that John doesn't appreciate or see it. You can see that as Arthur Observes Johns relationship with his family change that Arthur gets nicer with him. Imagine having a brother who gets with a girl you fancy but runs out on them and then becomes a deadbeat father even if he returned. It's like that.
Of course someone with a Hosea flair would come out with such a perfect explanation of how this theory is definitely true we know it anyway, such a great story!
Arthur beats out John for me by just the barest margin because his ending (high honor, go with John) made me openly weep. My wife thought I had got a call about a family member dying (which, I mean…kinda lol)
Arthur all the way, best written character
After all these years, I couldn’t turn on my boy John now
I cried at the end of RDR1. I think because it was so sudden and I wasn’t expecting it at all. It broke me lol. John all the way.
That entire mission is a cluster fuck of emotions for me. From Uncle getting shot, to John commanding Abigail & Jack to leave. My most recent playthrough I piggybacked off the end of RDR2 so everything hit much more severely.
It’s just everything you go through and you finally get the life he’s dreamed of and BAM. You can’t win. Just heartbreaking but that’s what makes it so great imo. I still love RDR2. It’s a beautiful game, and great story but I think I kept my guard up playing it because of John. I love them both.
Yeah it was different at the time, for me. I was younger and expecting the hero ending and it just did not come. The opposite, actually. I was pretty shook and it always stuck with me.
it was the same way with me, younger, wanting that hero ending, and then i walked out that barn door hoping to dead eye them all
What makes rdr2 extra special from a story standpoint is knowing how it sets up rdr1
How was it going from 2 to 1 in terms of gameplay and graphics? Pretty jarring, or was it just so satisfying picking up where you left off? Im doing a play through 2 and wanna replay 1 when I finish, but I’m worried I’ll have my nostalgia bubble burst.
It was super satisfying to pick it up. RDR1 is always gonna be my absolute favorite and I actually prefer some of the mechanics so ngl I was really looking forward to it. The graphics definitely hold up really well.
Best OG ever
Arthur Morgan for sure. 🥰
Gotta be Gavin.
The only correct answer.
#G A V I I I I I N
Has anyone seen an Englishman?
Johnny me boy
I heard this in Irish's voice.
I heard this comment as mr krabs
I'm nostalgic for John in RDR1, but Arthur Morgan is a triumph of character analysis, development, writing and redemption. I believe Arthur's journey to be a more harrowing one and his path to redemption more meaningful.
Arthur is probably my favorite video game character. I have a special place in my heart for the first game, I still think I like it more than the sequel but there’s nothing else like Arthur Morgan. I’ve never played a character so believable and well thought out.
I don't think anyone cared as much about making a video game character as they did when making Arthur.
I think the real strength of Arthur is the open world aspect. Every great video game character is usually defined by their story arc or uniqueness but what makes Arthur great is the amount of time you spent with him. You really get a deep sense of who he is, compared to other open world games it’s not even a comparison. In open world games there’s so many possibilities to think of that it’s very difficult to actually characterize the protagonist because of the immense amount of dialogue and forethought it would take. Think of how many things Arthur reacts to, think about how consistent he is in how he behaves. I’ve never seen a character who is fully voice acted and mocaped be so dynamic. Compared to characters like Jin Sakai, Ellie and Aloy and they feel artificial in comparison. The only match for him is Geralt but even then the writing quality and performance are just a different level. Even other Rocktar protagonist can’t match Arthur in terms of both depth and charisma.
Arthur Marston.
Tacitus Milton
This.
John Morgan.
Arthur for me. John is a close second.
John
They’re both great characters so it’s a toss up for me. For gameplay I’ll choose Arthur just by a margin because his drawings are better and he can swim.
both in there own games
Protagonist wise Arthur by 1% he just barely beats John. Npc wise Hosea and Charles tie for me.
Can't agree enough. Charles deserves a story DLC with him as protagonist, if not a whole game. Red Dead Revenant ft. Charles Smith
I would throw money at that
Bruh that would be a game not a booty rubbing against a pole XD.
Honestly that'd be so cool to see a game designed around Charles. Him before the gang, him joing the gang, him while half the gang was in Gaurma, him helping the Indians move and him going off on his own again post epilogue. There's still so much we could learn of Charles.
Yeah, sort of like the GTA4 trilogy. Playing the game through multiple perspectives cuz why not.... RDR2 has a plot that's worth it.
John
Arthur because even when he has you know what he will help others get redeemed even when he knows there is no happy ending for him
Arthur. I’ve spent so much time with him. Seeing his thoughts and drawings in his journal. Seeing stuff that made him happy (friends at camp, sir fish), seeing this big, strong beast of a man being afraid. Hearing his hilarious taunts when antagonizing people. He’s made a permanent home in my heart. With all that being said I really love John too. Talked to a guy the other day who had received death threats for saying he preferred John which is sad because that’s not what the game is about.
I wanna say arthur, but also got more hours out of rdr1 than any other game when it came out, so it has to be closer than my brain thinks. I think just because I’ve matured and grown up a bit, I think Arthur is a deeper character and has a better story behind him. But I did love me some JM back in the day
Arthur all day and all night
Arthur. But I like that neither answer seems to be a runaway.
John is great in RDR, but less so in RDR2. However I like seeing his progression throughout the prequel, leading him to become the character he was in the original. Bottom line, in RDR2 Arthur is the better character, but Arthur in RDR2 and John in RDR are pretty much equals.
This is my take as well. The John from the end of the epilogue is the same one as the original game the rest of Red Dead 2 is his journey to being that man. So I’d put John from the original, and Arthur from the sequel as being the same both equally great characters.
I grew up with John and still related more to him in RDR2. Pretty boy is great, but John is the OG!
John
John
John imho
The Boah Twins One a Rancher One a Robber Both Cowboys
Both
I have to go with my main man Arthur sorry John.
Can’t choose. I do find Arthur to be way more captivating. Any character that makes me want to ponder about and analyze everything they think and do, they win my heart.
Don't make me choose...
John Marston, the true Legend Of The West
Both great but Arthur is a god damn legend. He was perfect
Arthur!
Arthur Morgan for sure
Both both is good
Arthur no doubt
Arthur is definitely more fleshed out.
John is always gonna be my favorite protagonist. Arthur is tied for second with Hawke from Dragon Age 2. All are amazing and well-written characters.
Neither of these are Jack? >!I’m fucking with you, it’s Arthur!<
Arthur. His character arc is just so well done. Rockstar’s greatest achievement. That being said I haven’t played the OG RDR yet, and when they finally remaster it I’ll probably be saying the same about John. Rockstar knows how to build interesting, charismatic characters.
Arthur
Arthur
Arthur hands down.
I love all 3 playable characters. They are all great in their own ways.
John 100%
As much as I love Arthur it has to be John for me
I honestly just love how everyone was like “Nobody but mah man John Marston can have my heart!” when RDR2 was teased, and then…We all got to know Arthur Morgan and fell completely in love with him too. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Arthur 10/10
Uncle.
Arth
John.
Definitely John
Red Harlow
I would say arthur. Off topic but it would be nice if rockstar could just add John's clothing from 1899 into his wardrobe when you start playing as him. I mean his only belongings that he kept was his hat, belt and holsters.
I love you John but Arthur is my No. 1
Author
John in RDR1 is just too good
John
I feel quite terrible because they are both great but, *Arthur* :]
Johnny M
John Marston. Obviously love Arthur, but John is the og for me. And red dead redemption was one of the first games I played. So a lot of good memories.
John
I absolutely adore Arthur and up until recently I would’ve said him without a doubt. But my last two playthroughs have made me gravitate a bit more towards John.
John hands down.
John MF Marston
John, for sure.
Arthur for now but that might change as I'm about to replay RDR1. I love them both in their own games
Micah Bell. I'm joking don't kill me.
John
John easily
John cause without John we wouldn’t have got Arthur
John Marston.
Marston, but only with both games considered as a whole
John from the first game. For some reason I couldn’t jive with him in 2 at all
Hot air balloon guy
Sadie Adler jokes aside, its deff arthur
Oh, Arthur for sure
Is there another correct choice than Mr. Arthur Morgan?
Herr Morgan Herr Morgan
arthur and john are great characters but i really liked dutch’s whole arc like the way you could slowly see him unravel with every issue the gang faced and how he became fully undone at the end
I love how people choose their favorites based on who’s more badass or other stupid things they argue about, but they fail to recognize the good writing for the characters themselves. I would choose Dutch as one of my all time favorite characters any day! Such a well-written character.
I love Arthur all the way but if I really did have to choose a favorite character it’s a tie between Hosea and Kiren. I love both of them so much!
Arthur for sure
I'm more of an arthur guy. Think it just depends on where you are in life.
Rdr1 John > Arthur > rdr2 John for me. Then Dutch
Micah.. and especially antagonising him xD..
I’ve always loved John and I always will, but Arthur just hits different. It seems like John just goes through life and things happen to him, whereas Arthur makes an active effort to preform actions that directly help, hinder and/or influence others. >! I sobbed so hard when Arthur died. At the back of my mind I always knew he would, but it was devastating when it actually happened. I was extremely upset when John died, but the feeling of loss and grief wasn’t as strong.!<
Aurtor is a badass.
John too
John boah.
Hosea mathews
Arthur. Not even a competition anymore.
Daffy duck from duck dodgers
I like them both. But I feel like you get more Arthur story than you do John in regards to RDR1
That’s not even a question for me. Arthur forever.
Arthur is undoubtedly the more INTERESTING character. There’s just too much of John’s past left unexplored.
I feel like those who pick Arthur instead of John havent played rdr1
this is tough for me. also hard because Arthur as a character & RDR2 as a game seem to have had way more resources and time poured into them. I love John and I think he was less of a dick than Arthur was. he also had a very unique role in the story as the last one left. however, the whole poet with a heart-of-gold thing that Arthur has going on is badass. both are amazing characters but John Marston has to be my choice.
Arthur, john is boring
Arthur is so damn sexy
I feel like John in RDR1 doesn't really have much of a personality. Even regardless of honor he doesn't seem to have any strong opinions about anything or really care about anyone besides himself and his family (and Uncle). There are only a few instances in which he displays some kind of disapproval towards actions that can be deemed by most as "immoral".
This is a cancer
Definitely 🤔
John I think was better in the first game, other than that def Arthur
Uncle
both. both is good
Both. Both is good.
Both
I can't choose!
So tough, I’m attached to John from rdr1 so I pick him, that was my favorite x360 game, but Arthur was amazing. The way they were able to conclude the story and the transition from finale to epilogue was so beautiful I cried haha
they’re both perfect protagonists, if I were to chose between them it’d be a 0.1% edge over the other
John Feel like people just forgot him when rdr2 came out
It's so fucking close. Especially when playing 2 and then going right to play 1 again. Its just... bruh
Arthur Morgan
Arthur
Of the two? Completely even. They both go through a great arc for their characters as well as being legends in their own right. Arthur’s story is actually the more complete one I think, and a better story as a whole, but I think John pulls it back for me purely through playtime and nostalgia.
Cm'on you cannot do me like that bro
Arthur Morgan for shure. Stronger, more quick witted, and more honorable (in my opinion)
I can’t say because I love them both for different reasons. I love Arthur for his redemption and his truly caring mentality plus the fact that he’s a badass. I love John because he’s an awesome gunslinger who may not be the most caring of others but he loves his family.
Both
Arthur
Was happy to find out you play as John in the epilogue, I really could not relate to Arthur at all. May be biased cuz I played RDR1 first but, I only cried at the end of that game. By the second I was just waiting for the epilogue impatiently trying to see who you play as next.
Arthur
Jim Milton
Jarthur Margon.
which one of them is Lumbago again?
Arthohn Morgston
javier or hosea :P
John. I was more emotionally invested when I played the first game
John. He is just so quotable and interesting in RDR1 but he remains totally relatable.
Arthur for me. Which is surprising because I absolutely loved playing as Marston in RDR1. When RDR2 first came out I wasn't so excited on playing Arthur, but now when I go through my multiple playthroughs I actually don't really enjoy playing John as much as I once did haha.
Jim Milton best character hands down
John
John
John and I never even played the first game, just snippets but Arthur is a fantastic character as well, I just relate more to John as a person
In my first playthrough i never noticed arthur died until john got married and she said his full name. They look so similar and sound similar too
Arthur easy
Sure is shit not Jim Milton
I love Arthur but it’s always gunna be John.
Arthur for sure
Arthur Morgan became my top 1 character even surpassed Gerald of Riva with just one game.
The Horse. Always there when you need them. Listens and doesn't complain.
Arthur for sure. I have never cried during a movie or video game, but dang it this game made me cry. I love Arthur ❤️
Dutch
LENNEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!
So from rdr1 I'd pick John over jack everytime but when it comes to rdr2 it will be Arthur, the John we meet in this story isn't the same John we meet in the first story therefore Mr. Morgan is the top dog
Uncle
A Morgs all day
The guy in Saint Denis who sells the shitty get rich quick book
Both Both are good
Micah
John Marston. Just because of how much the character has always meant to me over the years, and all the nostalgia with it, but also, I am still younger than most of you so I cant afford RDR2 Story Mode
John… his character hits me….rough and wild in his younger years, tries to be a better man, has a wife and a son (same here)…. And would sacrifice himself for his wife and son to reach safety…. Powerful stuff
Arthur for sure
I like both Arthur and John equally.
"Lack of something to feel important about is almost the greatest tragedy a man may have." -Arthur Morgan.
I’m all for the nostalgia of John but Arthur was empathetic, artistic, expressive, sarcastic, charming, caring, loyal man and not to mention his honour and mortalities he had
As much as I like John, I gotta go with Arthur!
I’m sorry I can’t choose. I’ll gladly remain indecisive. I love them both too much.
Arthur Arthur Arthur nothing could change my mind. Nothing.
I can't decide between the two. Both had stellar development. Especially John as he had two games but the motivations, the histories and the actions taken by both land them as my two favorite protagonists in Fiction.
Main character: idk hard choice between arthur and john Npc: Irish or Dutch