Arthur Morgan

**Arthur Mogan** is the main character from Red Dead Redemption 2.

## History

Arthur Morgan was born circa 1863 to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan in the northern US. As a child, his mother died of unknown causes, while his father was a petty criminal and outlaw. In 1874, when Arthur was 11 years old, his father was arrested for larceny. Morgan later witnessed his sad death and, despite a strained relationship with him, still donned his hat and kept a picture of him.

Around 1877, Arthur was found as a 'wild delinquent' and always picked up off the streets by Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews. Viewing the pair as surrogate father figures, Arthur came to share Dutch's vision of a life lived free from the constraints of civilization and the rule of law. The pair taught him how to read, write, hunt, fight, shoot, and ride, becoming their first protégé as well as one of the founding members of the Van der Linde gang.

Arthur found a pet dog named Copper at some point whom he grew particularly close to and occasionally took baths with. Although Arthur had difficulty controlling him, he admired the dog's spirit. Copper later passed away and Arthur kept a picture of him on his wagon. He also later acquired a mare named Boadicea whom he became fond of and she became his signature mount.

As a young adult, Arthur met a girl named Mary Gillis where the two fell deeply in love and even became engaged. He befriended her younger brother Jamie and taught him horseback-riding. However, Arthur's preference for a life of crime coupled with the prevalent disapproval of Mary's family, most strongly from her father ultimately caused their relationship to fall apart and the pair separated.

In 1884, Arthur was sent out fishing and pridefully returned with three beautiful bass. The gang celebrated with a big feast and toasted him all night long. The following week, Arthur and Dutch walked in the local market where it was revealed that he had simply purchased the bass from a fish monger, much to his embarrassment.

In 1885, Arthur met a 12 year-old boy named John Marston who had been saved by Dutch from being lynched by a group of Illinois homesteaders. John was inducted into the gang and raised alongside Arthur with the pair growing as close as brothers. Dutch instilled the boys with his anarchist worldviews against a corrupt government and preached that revenge was a fool's game. Over the years, Arthur and John became regarded as Dutch's favorite 'sons'.

In 1887, Arthur participated in the gang's first major bank robbery alongside Dutch and Hosea. At 2 o'clock, the trio burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt and managed to make off with $5000 in gold. After the robbery, they lingered in town, going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money, envisioning themselves as 'Robin Hood' figures. It was following this event where Arthur became a wanted man.

Some years later, Arthur met and slept with a 19 year-old waitress named Eliza, resulting in her becoming pregnant with their son, Isaac. Although Eliza knew of Arthur's lifestyle, she accepted whatever support he offered to her and their son. Arthur, not wanting to promise anything he couldn't keep, said that he would do right by them. He would periodically visit Eliza and Isaac every few months and stay with them for days at a time. Arthur remembered fondly of Isaac as a 'good kid'.

Tragically one day, however, Arthur arrived at their home and saw two crosses outside. He knew immediately that they were both dead, and later learned that they had been shot and killed by robbers, all for ten dollars. This traumatic incident hardened Arthur as a result as he never truly coped with the pain and gave him the understanding to not live the life of an outlaw and expect good things to happen to him.

In 1894, a prostitute named Abigail Roberts joined the Van der Linde Gang. At some point, she fell in love with John Marston and became pregnant with their son named Jack. Arthur became a surrogate uncle figure towards him growing up. John however refused to accept responsibility over the boy and soon left the gang. Around a year later, John returned, while Dutch and the majority of the gang welcomed him back with open arms, Arthur felt betrayed by his actions and a rift was formed between the two which steadily grew over the years.

By 1898, the gang had found itself in Montana. During their stay, Hosea caught several large salmon during a fishing trip and planned to prepare a feast for the whole camp. However, the feast was cut short when Copper found and ate the fish, passing away soon after. After a fire, in which Arthur's old journal was lost, and some trouble up north, the gang traveled south and east, taking a slow and tortuous trail down through the Northern Grizzlies to throw off anyone tracking them. They then spent several months in the wilderness. During the winter, they stuck mostly to the western foothills of the mountain.

While traversing the Grizzlies, several new members were picked up and brought into the gang. A young teenager, Lenny Summers, and a drifting outlaw, Charles Smith. Arthur had generally fair opinions of the pair, eventually forming close bonds with the two. Later on, the gang came across Jenny Kirk, a young woman abandoned by the roadside. The most recent member inducted into the gang was Micah Bell, a hot-headed career outlaw who saved Dutch's life in a shootout. Although Dutch found a liking to Micah, Arthur openly disliked him for his tendencies.

By the spring of 1899, the gang had arrived in West Elizabeth and decided to hide in plain sight just outside Blackwater, a town undergoing the process of industrialization. The gang began to scope out many leads, including Arthur and Hosea, who were planning a hefty real estate scam. Despite this, Dutch was also planning something big. Supported by Micah, Dutch began working on plans to rob a ferry laden with riches coming to town. Hosea and Arthur were reluctant despite Dutch's beliefs. His plan was to carry out the heist then flee west, possibly into New Austin. Then, after Arthur and Hosea carried out their scam, they would join the gang the following day.

## Personality

Arthur Morgan is a badly cold outlaw who often resorts to violence and has very few qualms about killing. At his worst Arthur could be extremely ruthless and completely unsympathetic 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.

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 that Arthur strictly believes that violence should be cold, necessary and without feeling, never out of personal enjoyment or without reason.