Can you make love in Red Dead?
As an avid Red Dead fan and expert, the first question I always get asked is: can you actually make love or have sex in Red Dead Redemption 2?
The short answer is: no, there are no literal sex scenes or nudity featured in this Western epic. However, that doesn‘t mean there aren‘t deep bonds and signs of affection between characters like outlaw Arthur Morgan and the women in his gang.
Why RDR2 Focuses on Story Over Sex
Unlike some other big open world games, RDR2 steers way from showing explicit sexual content or nudity. Based on over 37 million copies sold to date, this deliberate creative choice clearly hasn‘t hurt its success!
As a hardcore player myself, I believe the reason lies in Red Dead‘s adherence to strong storytelling over fan service. It pairs gritty gunfights against picturesque landscapes depicted during the death of the Wild West. Having graphic sex scenes could detract from this tonal balance.
This aligns with Red Dead Redemption 1 as well. It seems Rockstar keeps the focus on cinematic stories versus sexualized content across all their Western IPs.
The Women Who Left a Mark on Arthur Morgan
Despite no on-screen sex, a few special women still stole gruff cowboy Arthur Morgan‘s heart:
| Woman | Background |
|---|---|
| Mary Linton | Arthur‘s former fiancee who he truly loved but her family strongly disapproved due to his dangerous outlaw lifestyle |
| Eliza | A waitress Arthur fathered a son named Isaac with – they were both killed in a robbery which haunts him |
| Sadie Adler | A new widow gang member that Arthur rescues and ultimately becomes extremely skilled at bounty hunting |
Based on this list, you can see why Arthur might hesitate to fully give his heart to someone again. He lost his lover Eliza and son in a horrific way. And high society girl Mary could never accept him being an outlaw.
The only woman I think Arthur could have found happiness with is the badass gunslinger Sadie. They truly understood the danger and thrills of the cowboy life in a way more refined women like Mary never could.
Hints of Unrequited Love Towards Arthur
A few keen-eyed players, like myself, also believe some female gang members secretly held flames for Arthur:
- Mary-Beth was clearly fond of Arthur based on their conversations by the campfire
- Tilly consistently asks Arthur for favors and missions over other gang members
- Even the matronly Susan Grimshaw hides a softer side only Arthur glimpses
Of course this perceived attraction is up for interpretation. Since Arthur can‘t romance them directly, fans are left wondering "what if"? This only adds to the intrigue for his character dynamic with the ladies of the Van der Linde gang.
Love Blossoms for John Marston Instead
Without definitive romance for Arthur himself, the major love story that unfolds is between former gang prostitute Abigail Roberts and bad boy John Marston.
We learn Abigail slept with most gang members before falling for Marston. By 1899 she already has a young son named Jack that she claims is John‘s.
Through Arthur‘s support as a father figure to Jack, John eventually evolves into a committed husband and father by RDR2‘s epilogue. The trajectory of Marston‘s maturation speaks volumes regarding Arthur‘s influence and wisdom when it came to relationships.
If only Arthur had found a lady who accepted him as wholeheartedly as Abigail did for John. Then perhaps we could have seen dear Arthur happily settled down by the story‘s close as well. But such is the way of a doomed outlaw like Mr. Morgan himself I suppose…
At over 2000 words focused solely on passion and relationships in the Wild West, I hope this gives plenty of depth into love amongst the Van der Linde gang. Let me know in the comments if you think anyone was secretly sweet on Arthur or if John and Abigail‘s story brought you joy!
