When thinking of Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s hard to think of antagonists aside from Micah Bell, Dutch Van Der Linde (mostly), the Pinkertons, Leviticus Cornwall, and so on. These antagonists stick out in some way, while others fade into the background. One such forgotten antagonist is Colonel Henry Favours, who primarily serves as the enemy of RDR2 Chapter 6.
It’s not that he’s any less antagonistic, and it’s not that he’s any less evil and spiteful than others. No, Colonel Henry Favours is forgettable in Red Dead Redemption 2 because he is designed to be so. That’s not to say he’s entirely generic—his relationship with the Native Americans, his jealousy of Colonel Monroe, and his created military culture of abhorrent Native American racism all stand out—but that his forgettable design is used to reinforce his atrocities.
Colonel Favours Plays Second Fiddle In Red Dead Redemption 2
Favours, despite being a military man, follow the command of Leviticus Cornwall. It’s not Favours’ decision to run the Wapiti Native Americans off their land, but Cornwall’s. He just has no heart and no morals to stop it. This leads to Favour being the “yes man” in major RDR2 events like the defense of Cornwall Kerosene & Tar and the death of Eagle Flies.
These Red Dead Redemption 2 events themselves are emotional and memorable, but not Favours. He is overshadowed even among his own men, and his character design is indeed intentionally generic—old, grey hair, mutton chops, military uniform, condescending personality, undeserved pride, and amoral tendencies. In other words, he’s a generic depiction of a generic image of a generic, bad military leader. It’s no wonder he is so forgettable, but he is also forgotten about in game history.
Colonel Favours’ Final Failure in RDR2
Aside from his playing second fiddle to Cornwall, one reason why Favours is so eager to push Native Americans off their land is so that he can have one more win under his belt after a career of inadequacy. He’s a very insecure man trying to redeem his failures, something which is admittedly humanizing about him if entirely amoral, but it was all for naught.
The results of Cornwall and Favours’ campaign did see the Wapiti people abandon their reservation and flee into Canada, but neither would live to see any sort of honor from it. If anything, the fact that there was next-to-no oil on the reservation—to the point that drilling stopped as soon as it started—highlights how Favours found no redemption in Red Dead Redemption 2. There was no reward for being the “yes man” and no honor in what came after.
As Red Dead Redemption 2 is the story of outlaws dealing with the changing world and trying to find their place in it, resisting so many changes that are taking place, so too do many of its characters find themselves needing to adapt. Favours was one of these, who could have stood up to Cornwall, stood up for the Wapiti people, and actually made a historical change by fighting his nature. By fighting his nature, he could have succeeded where he wanted to instead of failing, as Dutch’s last words dictate.
“We can’t always fight nature, John. We can’t fight change. We can’t fight gravity. We can’t fight nothing. My whole life, all I ever did was fight….But I can’t give up, neither. I can’t fight my own nature. That’s the Paradox, John. You see? […] Our time is passed, John.”
Favours’ inability to fight his nature, like so many Red Dead Redemption 2 characters do, leaves Favours out of many discussions both in and out of the game. It’s intentional and highlights the powerful themes and storytelling RDR2 employs.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.