What Does Arthur Morgan‘s Grave Say in Red Dead Redemption 2?
At the conclusion of Rockstar‘s acclaimed Western epic Red Dead Redemption 2, main protagonist Arthur Morgan perishes from tuberculosis contracted early in the game. Players can later visit Arthur’s grave to see a poignant epitaph that varies depending on his honor level.
Overview of Honor and its Impact on Arthur‘s Fate
Throughout Red Dead Redemption 2, players steer Arthur along a spectrum of honor – positive honorable acts move his alignment towards heroic, while unscrupulous deeds push it further into dark infamy. According to analysis from Gamerant, only 15% of players ended with very high honor, while over 20% landed on the very low end.
This honor ranking changes how the world reacts to Arthur, but most importantly, decides the course of his degradation from tuberculosis. Rockstar crafted two distinct grave outcomes for Arthur to underscore honor‘s significance.
| Honor Level | Grave Location | Epitaph | Gravesite Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Overlooking valley by Bacchus Station | "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" | Grave decorated with flowers, eagle circling overhead |
| Low | Overlooking valley by Bacchus Station | "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" | Grave barren, coyote lurking nearby |
As shown above, Arthur’s tombstone, decor and visiting animal companion all tie back to player actions – these parallel symbols reinforce his polarity around morality.
High Honor Ending and Gravesite Analysis
For players that guided Arthur down an ethical path, gaining redemption before his passing, the "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" epitaph marks the gravesite.
The verse quotes the Bible‘s Book of Matthew, where Jesus Christ gives his famous Sermon on the Mount. This scripture has strong connotations around spiritual enlightenment and rising above worldly desires to seek truth. These themes contextualize Arthur finding peace and meaning in his final moments alive through noble deeds.
Moreover, clusters of flowers adorn Arthur’s grave, suggesting townsfolk came to mourn him in death – highlighting that despite being an outlaw, his righteous acts still touched lives around him. An eagle majestically circles overhead, symbolizing Arthur’s soul transcending towards freer planes thematically.
This avian imagery recurs in other Rockstar titles to depict characters overcoming restraints and mortal troubles. Overall, the grave visuals indicate that in pursuing virtue, Arthur left the world improved – his spirit soars in response to achieving absolution through altruism at the end.
Mary Linton‘s Presence at Arthur‘s High Honor Grave
In a touching post-credits scene, Arthur‘s former lover Mary Linton is witnessed silently grieving over his grave. Though their relationship remained fragmented throughout Red Dead Redemption 2‘s story, Mary finding closure here typifies Arthur‘s capacity to inspire loyalty even after death.
Despite only featuring as a minor character, Mary‘s poignant moment speaks to Arthur‘s lasting positive impacts that gave his life richer meaning in the end. Though she once represented a temptation away from outlaw life, Mary‘s sadness equally symbolizes the tragedy of Arthur‘s condition preventing them ever reconciling romantically.
Overall, Mary being depicted as mourning Arthur weeks or months later emphasizes themes around how meaningful connections and devotion persist even when people are separated by the chasm of mortality.
Low Honor Ending and Gravesite Analysis
For players that indulged Arthur‘s darker and ruthless aspects, steering down the path of infamy and callousness, the "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" inscription awaits at his grave.
The epitaph harkens from the Book of Matthew, switching focus onto those grieving for the suffering and loss he brought. Surrounding the tombstone, the bare and sparse dirt signify scant mourners came to honor Arthur after death. The grim, ashen terrain entire area also evokes a kind of apocalyptic landscape – symbolic of Arthur‘s destructive tendancies that still linger.
A lone coyote circling in the background drives home ideas around predatory, scavenging behavior. Like the animal surviving off remnants and scraps, Arthur subsisted by victimizing people in his low honor playthroughs, leaving misery in his wake. The coyote represents how enduring the aftermath of his misdeeds and callousness still persists beyond the grave.
Together, these landmarks surrounding Arthur‘s resting place reflect an epitaph and legacy focused not on his soul‘s redemption, but rather emphasizing the needless of death caused. Where the eagle of high-honor cut a heroic figure, the coyote highlights Arthur dying alone and unrealized after succumbing to his most self-serving impulses.
No Mary Linton at Low Honor Grave
Unlike the high-honor ending, Arthur‘s former Mary Linton does not make an appearance by his grave in the epilogue if players took the darker path. Her absence speaks to ideas about bridges burned and connections severed when we give in to our worst natures. The possible romance represents another light extinguished by Arthur following cruelty and hatred.
Visiting Other Gang Member‘s Graves
Beyond Arthur himself, Red Dead Redemption 2 players can discover graves for prominent members of the Van der Linde gang that perish over the course of the story:
- Hosea Matthews – Senior gunman, killed during a botched Saint Denis bank heist
- Lenny Summers – Young sharpshooter, slain in the Saint Denis heist aftermath
- Sean Macguire – Boisterous Irish getaway driver, murdered by bounty hunters
- Susan Grimshaw – Camp cook and mother-figure, sacrificed herself protecting others during the collapse in Beaver Hollow
Each grave carries resonance, underlining the scale of loss that Sage‘s outlaw pack endures – the shared trauma bonding them. By visiting former friends together, John Marston and Arthur‘s son Jack gain perspective on choices dooming the gang, helping inform their own paths escaping outlaw roots going forward.
These minor moments bring closure around Red Dead Redemption 2‘s sweeping generational character drama. Players assuming John‘s role in the later epilogue are reminded that though characters perish, their stories continue impacting those remaining.
Conclusion & Summary
In summary, the variable inscription and adornments on Arthur Morgan‘s grave in Red Dead Redemption 2 echoes sentiments around whether players achieved absolution or further notoriety in steering the outlaw‘s fate. The environmental storytelling across high versus low honor gravesites speaks to larger themes within Rockstar‘s narrative about paths towards redemption never being foreclosed, even on one‘s deathbed.
For those curious to learn the fates of other prominent figures that perish during the van der Linde gang‘s collapse, their graves can also provide emotional resonance and reckoning. No matter which choices players made across this sweeping Western epic, the dead still impact the living – etching both lessons and scars. Revisiting graves serves as a powerful reminder to make our time count each day towards legacy.
