While many fans quickly fell in love with Red Dead Redemption 2 protagonist Arthur Morgan, other members of the cast could’ve made equally interesting prequel protagonists. Rockstar Games’ open-world adventure portrays the waning years of the Wild West and the Van der Linde gang, years before John Marston hunts the posse down for the American government in the first game. Red Dead Redemption 2’s Arthur Morgan is an amazing and relatable playable character, but the game’s story could’ve also been told from several alternate perspectives.
While the prequel does feature the first game’s main character, regretful outlaw John Marston, Red Dead Redemption 2’s protagonist Arthur Morgan manages to be even more grounded and likable. The iconic character is endlessly loyal to Dutch Van der Linde and the rest of his adopted family, but he also craves a quiet life outside of gunfights and robberies. Arthur never finds this happy ending, sadly, since he famously contracts tuberculosis while violently collecting money from a simple farmer. Arthur Morgan’s tale of loyalty and redemption lies at the core of Red Dead Redemption 2, but experiencing the prequel’s plot from another character’s perspective could’ve been just as interesting.
Lenny Summers Would Make A Lovable RDR2 Protagonist
Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts a lovable cast of Wild West figures, but the young outlaw Lenny Summers is one of the most memorable. One of the sequel’s most iconic missions is Lenny and Arthur’s drunken night in RDR2, which sees things get wildly out of hand inside a bar in Valentine. This early mission establishes a brotherly relationship between Arthur and Lenny, which reflects the larger concept of the Van der Linde gang as a family rather than a mere criminal enterprise. Unfortunately, this night of bonding with Lenny only makes it more painful when Arthur’s friend is shot dead by law officers towards the title’s emotional climax.
While the gruff and experienced Arthur Morgan makes a great protagonist, Lenny Summers would’ve given a different perspective on RDR2 as its player character. The prequel portrays Lenny is one of the youngest and newest members of the Van der Linde gang, which could’ve made him a useful point-of-view character as players get to know each of Dutch’s loyal followers. Making Lenny RDR2’s main character instead of Arthur would also make his death even more tragic, considering its pointless and sudden nature. Perhaps an alternate version of the game would see players start out controlling Lenny, only to switch to John or Arthur upon his death.
Charles Smith Would Give RDR2 A New Perspective
Another of Red Dead Redemption 2’s most beloved characters is Charles Smith, a soft-spoken survivalist and recent addition to the Van der Linde gang. A man of African American and Native American descent, Charles embraces his heritage by teaching Arthur to hunt and seeking revenge on poachers who needlessly slaughtered buffalo. Charles’ role slowly grows throughout RDR2, and he eventually becomes one of Arthur’s few allies when the Van der Linde gang members turn against each other. Rockstar Games gives Charles a happy ending for Red Dead Redemption, considering he escapes to Canada rather than brutally dying, but his ultimate fate remains unknown.
Charles already serves as a major supporting character throughout the game, but RDR2 told from his perspective could be even more interesting. As a newer member of the gang Charles is considered a loner, so players could grow closer to other members of the gang along with him. Charles’ race and background also could’ve created an interesting dynamic in the open-world Wild West, perhaps playing into the game’s Wanted system and the American frontier’s perception of his colored heritage. As one of the few characters who actually survives to the end of Red Dead Redemption 2 and beyond, Charles could serve as the sole protagonist throughout this theoretical version of RDR2.
Sadie Adler Is Already A Major RDR2 Protagonist
Many franchise fans want to see Red Dead Redemption 3 follow Sadie Adler’s story, considering her undeniable importance to the plot of RDR2. Rescued by the Van der Linde gang early in the game following the murder of her husband, Sadie quickly evolves from a frightened survivor into a powerful gunslinging outlaw. The men of the American frontier initially refuse to take her seriously, but Sadie eventually proves herself as possibly the deadliest and most moral member of the Van der Linde crew. Sadie is arguably the second most important character in RDR2, more prominent even than John Marston, and the game ends her story with her heading south to parts unknown.
Like Lenny and Charles, Sadie Adler would make an excellent RDR2 protagonist due to her recent addition to the Van der Linde gang. Sadie is just as important as Arthur Morgan in the prequel, and her strong character arc could make her the best option for an alternate protagonist. Players would learn how to fight and survive just as Sadie does, rather than embodying the already skilled sharpshooter Arthur Morgan. Playing a Red Dead game from a female perspective would also be unique, given the period’s dated view of women that the series readily addresses and parodies. Playing as Sadie could also reveal more about her lost husband and her future after the game’s events.
Red Dead Redemption 2 made players fall in love with protagonist Arthur Morgan, but some of the game’s other beloved characters could’ve made excellent playable characters too. Lenny, Charles and Sadie are some of the most relatable and well-written characters in the Wild West simulator, making them prime candidates to take Arthur’s place. Each of these characters would give the sad story of RDR2 a unique new twist, given their varying backgrounds and shared status as newcomers to the Van der Linde family. While Red Dead Redemption 2 will always star Arthur Morgan, perhaps one of these other amazing outlaws will star in a potential third Red Dead Redemption game.
Source: Rockstar Games/YouTube
