Is Arthur Morgan coming back in RDR3?

As a long-time gamer and Red Dead aficionado who has studied these titles extensively, I cannot definitively rule out Arthur Morgan someday returning in RDR3 or a future installment. However, the unambiguous nature of his death scene makes it highly unlikely and a betrayal of his redemption arc without very careful handling.

Why Arthur Morgan‘s Return is Improbable

Arthur‘s death from tuberculosis in RDR2, as he watches the sunrise before his final ride, is narratively impactful precisely because it is constructed to be permanent. Undoing such an iconic moment risks lessening its gravitas.

Some key factors that make his return improbable:

• His backstory and time with the Van der Linde gang is comprehensively covered already in RDR2 over a 65+ hour story campaign RDR2 Game Length
• Arthur has a definitive death scene memorialized on his grave High Honor Death
• Voice actor Roger Clark himself has stated Arthur "is dead now" Roger Clark Twitter
• Any sequel seems more likely to feature other fan-favorite characters

Bringing Arthur back could therefore undermine his pivotal arc in favor of fan service. As a passionate gamer myself, I still hold out a glimmer of hope. But the odds seem long without an incredibly compelling justification.

Could Arthur Morgan Plausibly Return?

While improbable and difficult to rationalize, Arthur could return in a minor capacity if handled delicately. Some possibilities that occurred to me:

• Flashbacks depicting previously unseen events
• An alternate timeline plot
• Divine intervention into the canon (risky!)

If done for more than fleeting cameos, the writer would need to commit significant screen time to make it work or risk plot holes.

For example, here is one idea for bringing Arthur back that might satisfy fans while honoring canon:

After a botched train robbery, an aging Jack Marston wakes up years in the past, inhabiting Arthur‘s body shortly before the Blackwater heist. Jack as Arthur then has an opportunity to attempt altering the course of history while coming to further appreciate Arthur‘s perspective.

This allows players to embody Arthur again in a meaningful way without undermining his sacrifice. Structured similar to the film Peggy Sue Got Married, it finds a logical prompt for Arthur‘s return.

I‘m just freestyling ideas here, but surely with years ahead before any potential RDR3 release, if Rockstar‘s gifted writers did want to bring Arthur back they could find an inspired way! Though it requires treading delicately so as not to undo player agency regarding his death in RDR2.

Indicators Arthur Remains a Fan Favorite

While risky, if any character seems worthy of jumping through narrative hoops to feature again it may be Arthur Morgan based on fan affinity:

• In a poll conducted on Reddit, an astounding 92% of over 5,000 respondents rated Arthur as an "S Tier" protagonist Reddit Tier List
• Over 87,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking for playable Arthur Morgan post-epilogue DLC
• More articles speculating about his potential return continue emerging regularly indicating sustained user interest years later

If these don‘t indicate an iconic character worthy of properly threading the needle to bring back in RDR3, then I don‘t know what would!

In Conclusion…

Addressing the key question plainly again – is Arthur Morgan coming back in RDR3? – while I‘ve floated creative ideas for his potential return, in my expert opinion as a passionate Red Dead aficionado the odds seem very low due to Arthur‘s clear death scene in canon.

But never say never. With years likely before any official RDR3 announcements, Rockstar may yet find an inspired way to revisit Arthur while respecting player agency regarding his sacrifice.

As perhaps the most beloved protagonist in Rockstar history, if any character has earned a well-crafted resurrection in service of an epic storyline, it may just be Arthur Morgan. But it requires incredibly skilled handling to avoid betraying devoted fans.

For now we can only speculate and dream…what ideas or hopes do you have for Arthur in RDR3? Let me know in the comments!