The acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2 continued the franchise tradition of having compelling and memorable protagonists. Be it Red Harlow, John Marston, or Arthur Morgan, the protagonists of the Red Dead series are known for how memorable they are, perhaps more so than any other Rockstar franchise.
Fans are universally vocal in their admiration of both John and Arthur and the relationship they both share. However, the question of who would beat who in combat has been a common point of contention and debate within the community, ever since Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018.
The Case For Arthur Morgan Beating John Marston
When Arthur Morgan is introduced to players in Red Dead 2, he is 36 years old. Considering that in this game John is only 26, Arthur will be compared to the 38-year-old John that features in the first Red Dead Redemption for the sake of fairness.
The combat of the Red Dead franchise can essentially be broken down into that of bare-handed and ranged, with the outlaw lives that the two protagonists lead necessitating a high level of skill in both of these areas of fighting. While Arthur is more than capable with a gun, he excels very impressively at bare-handed combat. One of the most memorable scenes of Red Dead Redemption 2's story was a bar fight that saw Arthur brutally beat a man almost twice his size. In fact, Arthur beats the man so competently that the NPC appears to suffer from brain damage for the rest of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Considering that Arthur was also the designated debt collector for the feared Van Der Linde gang, his physical presence and fighting ability speak for themselves. Considering that Arthur is larger than John, his penchant for brawling puts him a cut above Marston if they were to ever fight hand-to-hand. However, this is not to say that Arthur's shooting ability should be disregarded. As is shown extensively within Red Dead 2, Arthur is extremely proficient with rifles and small arms, laying waste to countless adversaries in this manner over the course of the game's story.
The Case For John Marston Beating Arthur Morgan
As previously mentioned, John's comparatively smaller stature to Arthur puts him at a close-quartered disadvantage, with Arthur's brawling experience only compounding this. However, the playing-field between the two outlaws is leveled significantly when John Marston's legendary gunslinging abilities are taken into account.
While both characters have access to the game's coveted "Dead Eye" shooting system, Marston's experience in ranged combat far exceeds that of Arthur's. Engaging in bullet-riddled skirmishes long after the age Arthur Morgan lived up to, the fact that John is thought to be blind in one eye only compounds the superiority of his shooting skill. To further establish John's firearm proficiency, he is mentored directly by famous duelist and gunslinger Landon Ricketts during the events of the first Red Dead Redemption.
In this way, John would have a significant advantage over Arthur if the two were to ever fight in the conventional cowboy manner of a shootout, purely through his decades of sustained experience and later-life mentorship. While Arthur himself faces gunslingers in Red Dead 2, none quite come close to the same caliber as Landon Ricketts. Despite this, if Arthur were to ever close the gap in this hypothetical battle, it can be said with a high degree of confidence that his size and bare-knuckle fighting ability would see him gain the edge over his close friend.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.