Deacon St. John of Days Gone lives in a world of death and darkness, sometimes of his own creation. Before the events of the game even take place, Deacon was used to the trauma of being in war and operating as an enforcer for a motorcycle club. Deacon, or Deek, probably thought his life had taken a turn for the better when he encountered Sarah and they got married. However, when the apocalypse took her away from him, he went down that same dark road again. What Deek does during the events of Days Gone are dark and it's no surprise he's rubbed some people the wrong way.
What kind of justified Deacon's darkness was that he had someone he truly cared about in Sarah, but after her camp was overrun, he assumed she was dead. This sent him to a dark place, and many of his actions that follow that are his attempt at lashing out at the world. When the player finds out Sarah was alive and well the whole time less than 100 miles away, it kind of weakens that defense. Deacon did some dark things before and during the events of Days Gone before he found Sarah. A second game could have allowed him time to explore his past actions and make up for them by helping create a better world for humanity.
Deacon's Atonement
If Deacon St. John's character were to seek any redemption, it would have to take place after he recognizes his own faults. Like when Arthur Morgan goes on his long ride and deals with the events of the game, Deacon must also come to terms with his decisions during Days Gone. Drowning a whole village, for instance, could see Deacon dealing with an orphan or family member that lost their loved on, or Sarah trying to help them. Perhaps he could meet someone who relied on some of the survivors he killed, like the man at the beginning of the game who pointed a gun at him.
Redemption in a Days Gone 2
Once he's come to terms and accepted the mistakes he's made in the past, Deacon would be ready for redemption. Sarah would most likely be integral to this, as she is a positive figure who has the ability to pick at Deacon's vulnerabilities. If Days Gone wanted to be like Red Dead Redemption, Sarah could take the place of Mary Linton, questioning what Deacon has been up to and sowing doubt that his actions were justifiable. All of that leading up to Deacon having a moment of realization, coming farther than he ever had before the zombie apocalypse.
The actual redemption could either happen as a breaking point, or over the course of the entire game as a slow burn. The stronger the change, the more the character has to sacrifice in order to be redeemed. This could have seen Deacon St. John's world completely changed as a result of his own actions, coming to terms with it, and then seeking to improve the world for the survivors that are still around. Another option would've been for Deacon to slowly and tirelessly build up the community around him, although this would be harder to keep entertaining.
Fans have been begging Sony to make a second Days Gone, but Sony has yet to give in to the demands. The Days Gone developers have also confirmed that it isn't working on any new entries to the franchise, instead focusing on other projects. That being said, the fans have taken to signing petitions and reaching out to Sony in hordes to hopefully get Days Gone 2. If the fans do get their long awaited sequel, then it's not out of the question that Deacon's character can be redeemed.
Days Gone is available now on PS4 and PS5. The PC version releases on May 18, 2021.
