Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Red Dead Redemption Series.Fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 and its predecessor Red Dead Redemption are all too aware of the protagonists' mortality. Despite their ability to respawn after failed shootouts or riding their horse straight into a tree, the protagonists of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Redemption face close brushes with death time and again throughout their respective stories. In the end, both Arthur Morgan and John Marston succumb to their dangerous lifestyles. Their glorious deaths at the end of Red Dead Redemptions 1 and 2 kick off each game's epilogue, where players continue on as a different character altogether.
Today, not much is known about Red Dead Redemption 3's story. Red Dead 3 likely won't reinvent the wheel with its setting, placing its protagonist in or around states like Ambarino, New Hanover, and West Elizabeth. But players can divine some information about Red Dead Redemption 3's protagonist based on the fates of previous characters in the series. Principally, that both Red Dead protagonists meet their end by the game's conclusion, forcing players to live out their days as the protagonists' successors. From what players know about Rockstar's penchant for striking down beloved protagonists, it's very possible that Red Dead Redemption 3 will inflict a similarly heart-wrenching fate on its leading hero.
The Fate of Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2
As one of the most complex, charismatic, and emotionally-driven single player protagonists in recent history, Arthur Morgan had players invested from the start. Like John Marston before him (technically after him), Arthur's story is a tale of, well, redemption. His ruthless gunslinger lifestyle eventually gives way to a more compassionate, introspective approach to life as his own begins to draw to a close. Arthur Morgan's life is filled with tragedy, making his eventual redemption all the more moving.
Following a brutal debt-collecting beat down of a sickly debtor, Arthur contracts a fatal case of tuberculosis. His deterioration throughout the game forces him to reckon with his life choices and ultimately make the decision to be loyal to what matters. This moral about-face from villain to hero reason why Red Dead Redemption 2's characters have varying reactions to Arthur Morgan's death.
Arthur's death at the end of Chapter 6 gives way to a robust epilogue featuring a well-worn protagonist, John Marston. Players return to filling Marston's boots after nearly a decade, slowly building out the life that players first enter at the beginning of Red Dead Redemption. While there are plenty of things Arthur Morgan can do that John Marston can't - swimming comes to mind - players were happy to soothe their broken heart by carrying on as another beloved gunslinger.
John Marston's Final Showdown in Red Dead Redemption
The epilogue in Red Dead Redemption 2 sets the stage for the beginning of Red Dead Redemption years later. Filled with unique interactions, Red Dead 2's epilogue sees players gradually build the life that John Marston eventually inhabits with Abigail and Jack. Though they get several years of domestic bliss together, this life is eventually ripped away from John as Agent Ross and the Pinkertons finally catch up with him. With his family held hostage, John is strong-armed into hunting down the former members of the Van der Linde gang.
After fulfilling his contract to Ross, John is left in peace for a short time. But it's not long before Ross betrays John, leading a small army of agents in an all-out assault on John's home at Beecher's Hope. After fighting off the gunmen for as long as he can, John realizes that his family will never be safe so long as he is with them. In a final act of selflessness, he sacrifices himself while his family makes their escape in one of the saddest video game deaths in the history of the medium.
The Future of Red Dead Redemption 3's Protagonist
Both games share a remarkable consistency in how they draw their protagonists' stories to a close. Arthur and John both ultimately sacrifice themselves to ensure that the people they care about can escape: Arthur's sacrifice allows John, Abigail, and Jack to escape, and John's sacrifice allows Abigail and Jack to escape. Both games subvert the "good guys always win" trope to great effect, forcing players to confront the fact that life isn't always fair.
Their selfless sacrifice is the culmination of their redemptive arcs throughout the games. Given that John's story concludes at the very tail end of the Wild West era, it's likely that Red Dead Redemption 3 will be another prequel dating back even further than Arthur's story in 1899. A protagonist making their way through the high watermark of the Wild West would be a sight to behold, given that both games play with the idea of progress and industrialization catching up to the fading lifestyles of Arthur and John. Unfortunately, given that Red Dead Redemption 3 likely wont be released for some time, players shouldn't get their hopes up for a quick turnaround on the next entry in the Red Dead Redemption series.