One of the most significant things players took away from Red Dead Redemption 2 was its story. Much like the first game, the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 tends to surprise players in unexpected and emotional ways. This is largely owed to its cast of characters, including the lead character of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan.
Before the game released, a portion of players were upset that the lead character of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston, was taking a backseat. However, for many players, those feelings quickly went away when they experienced the story of Arthur Morgan. A large part of what makes Arthur's story so powerful is his relationship with John, and one fan has managed to further expand upon that relationship in a heartwarming way.
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Reddit user chelloboss posted a piece of fan art by artist PeanutM depicting Arthur Morgan and John Marston as young boys. The amount of expression conveyed in this one image is impressive. Similar to how Jack Marston was portrayed during the early parts of Red Dead 2, the two of them almost feel like completely different characters compared to when players see them grown up in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Many small details can be seen in this image that convey a newer, unseen side of Arthur and John's personalities. For example, Arthur wears a blue shirt and kerchief that can be seen in Red Dead 2 and puts his gambler hat on John's head, much like how he does at during the end of Red Dead Redemption 2. In addition, John gives off a much more grumpy personality, perhaps to indicate that Arthur has made fun of him.
What makes the story and relationships of Red Dead 2 so interesting is how much history is felt between the members of the Van der Linde gang. Arthur and John grew up together, with Dutch Van der Linde serving as their surrogate father, so it's clear their relationship is one that has existed for a long time. Thus, this fan art should give fans a better idea of how they possibly acted as boys.
It will be interesting to see what Rockstar Games does with Red Dead Redemption in the future. Right now a lot of attention is being placed on Red Dead Online, but considering it took over eight years for Red Dead Redemption 2 to release, it seems unlikely that Rockstar will continue the mainline story of Red Dead Redemption anytime soon.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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