Why Arthur Morgan Is The Best Video Game Protagonist Of The Generation

1. Conclusion

Like God of War before it, and Spec Ops: The Line even before that, this final act also works as a wider commentary on video game violence in general, and the industry's continuing reckoning with its own history. Like Arthur does in the game, players are starting to think about the way violence is portrayed and contextualised in this medium. That's not to say games can't be violent, more that there's so much dramatic material to be gained from using the player's interaction with said violence to tell a story or explore character.

That's just the added metatextual cherry on top of the lush cake that is Arthur Morgan, though. While you might enjoy other heroes more, Arthur is the only one that's really synergised the two main approaches to protagonists we've seen this generation. He embodies the very best aspects of player-driven avatars found in this gen's role-playing and open-world games, making the personal expression of the people controlling him part of his story. But that's only so resonant because of how much it's informed by the strong characterisation Rockstar drive home in the writing and cutscenes.

Through him, Rockstar have delivered an authored experience that's still deeply personal and built around the actions of the player, with his arc reflected in how you're actively encouraged to control him, as opposed to just passively watching it play out in a cutscene. There have been countless amazing characters that've graced consoles since 2013, but none embody the trends and philosophies of the generation quite like Arthur Morgan.