John Marston Vs. Arthur Morgan - Who Is The Better Hero?

The Result

So now we come down to it; the “draw” part of the duel. There's been a lot of words testifying to both John and Arthur’s merits as characters, but which one is actually the better protagonist?

Well, as mentioned earlier, both characters are equally worthy of sharing the top spot. Both present differing pictures of flawed masculinity and the criminal mindset in a time when it wasn’t easy to be either.

But the definitive tip of the hat, with two points to one, has to be John Marston.

While Arthur is memorable, his arc increasingly lovable, and his end perhaps even more heart wrenching than his gangmate’s, John Marston is the epitome of the Western genre. His clear, defined morals, his family oriented values, and his no-nonsense, down to earth mindset all make him perhaps one of the greatest heroes of not just gaming, but fiction in general.

While sometimes Arthur’s actions and motives are a little muddy -he laments his forced violence but will happily slaughter a town at the gang’s behest- all of John’s actions are geared towards the single, defining goal of saving his Wife and child.

Watching him grapple with the fear that he has made one mistake too many for his family to forgive him is a fear that resonates with many today, if perhaps in less extreme circumstances. Humble yet dangerous, driven yet helpless in the face of encroaching and oppressive federal law, and fuelled by the same simple love that powers so many stories today, John Marston is the ultimate Western protagonist.