Arthur Morgan is the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, and there are many reasons why fans fell in love with him over the course of the game. He's not the best character, morally, but players can decide how they want Arthur to evolve over the game's campaign. Do they want him to stick with his gang of bandits, or do they want to have a literal redemption arc and put away his past as a rogue to be a kinder settler in the Old West?
However players do it, Arthur rules, and his journey, no matter the choices, will end with those heartstrings getting pulled. Are there any characters set in darker games that have dramatic story arcs similar to Arthur in Red Dead Redemption 2? The easy answer is yes, so let's explore some examples like Joel Miller from The Last of Us and Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 4.
Warning
There will be spoilers.
Joel Miller
A Second Chance At Fatherhood
Joel Miller is the protagonist in The Last of Us, along with a supporting character in the sequel. The game starts roughly for Joel as he loses his daughter during the ensuing infected incident in Texas, before things flash forward years later. In a post-apocalyptic society, Joel has become a hardened smuggler who will do what he has to survive and rarely cares about anyone else in return.
He even stopped talking to his brother Tommy. However, what’s great about Joel and his journey in the first game is Ellie, whom he slowly starts to see as not some package, but perhaps a daughter he can raise. In his own way, as dark as some of his actions are, Joel has a bit of a redemption himself.
Cloud Strife
An EX-SOLDIER Looking For Purpose
Cloud Strife is the hero in Final Fantasy 7, who has a heck of an arc in the game, including having amnesia, stolen identity syndrome, and even realizing he may be a clone of some sort. What’s more interesting is analyzing how the remakes have treated Cloud, though. Thanks to voice acting and changes in the script, Cloud comes alive more in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cloud starts as a mercenary in it for the money who couldn't care less about making friends within the anti-Shinra organization known as AVALANCHE. As soft-spoken as he is, people just flock to him, and because they believe in Cloud, he too starts to soften and even cracks jokes at times, including when he has to put on a dress. Seeing his evolution between the two remakes has been great so far, and hopefully, things will conclude well in the final episode, giving Cloud a full circle journey.
Naked Snake/Big Boss
The Man Who Would Unite The World
Big Boss first appeared as the secret villain of Metal Gear, but before he was a villain, he was a rookie named Naked Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which was adapted recently with the remake Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Snake is tasked with stopping a group of Soviet Union defectors, along with his former colleague, The Boss, from starting a nuclear war. On the mission, Snake only cares about one thing: succeeding, and he can often come across as cold to his fellow teammates who check up on him through comms channels.
He is far from perfect, but Snake is indeed skilled enough to get the job done, and by the end, he has a character turn when he realizes The Boss defected to save the U.S., and not harm it. It’s complicated, but this would change Snake forever as his codename became Big Boss following this incident, where he learned he must be a better soldier to others out there. The original game and the remake showcase the best versions of the character, along with the PSP sequel Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which all slowly lead to his more “villainous” turn. That said, anyone interested in his full prequel journey needs to check out Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, too.
Leon S. Kennedy
Bingo Time
Leon S. Kennedy first appeared as a rookie in Resident Evil 2, who didn’t have much of a personality beyond being a duty-bound cop. His character was expanded in Resident Evil 4, where he now worked for the government and was tasked with rescuing the President’s daughter, Ashley. In the time between games, Leon learned how to be cunning, saying one-liners like he was in an 80s action movie.
He was ripped, skilled with a knife and gun, and could retort to any villain with words of vengeance. He was the perfect action hero in a horror game, and while his character took a dip in Resident Evil 6, he was redeemed within the latest entry, Resident Evil Requiem. Leon is not a complex character like some of the others on the list, but he is cool, no doubt about it.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
