Arthur Morgan, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, is one of the most complex and layered characters in Rockstar’s history and probably gaming history, too. The gunslinger was picked up as a teen by the outlaw Dutch van der Linde and his associate Hosea Matthews and would eventually grow up to be a ruthless, violent bandit who cares little for the lives of those outside his own gang.
However, through rich character development, Arthur is revealed to be a deeply troubled but wise man who starts to have an existential crisis as the game continues. Pretty much everything that comes out of Arthur’s mouth is hilarious, badass, or inspiring. Here are some of the quotes from gaming’s most beloved cowboy!
Updated on April 27, 2023, by Dennis Moiseyev: Red Dead Redemption 2 found a gem of a protagonist in Arthur Morgan. His speaking skills, dark witticism, and ability to get profoundly deep with wisdom are unmatched. This outlaw character provides some of the game's most standout quotes, and a few more were warranted to include in an updated style.
Some quotes and entries contain spoilers.
30 "We Got Sloppier Than The Town Drunk, And They Know Who We Are, And Where We Are, And What We're Doing."
The Pinkertons. The private detective agency that becomes the bane of the Van der Linde gang and the undoing of all its members. That's who Arthur is referring to in this quote when he meets with Dutch and Micah to discuss whether there is a potential rat at the start of the 'Just a Social Call' mission.
Arthur gets ambushed by Micah about his suspicions of a rat in their midst, and Dutch sides with Micah that there likely is one. Arthur pushes back on their claims and says that the Pinkertons are onto them because of their mistakes and how careless they got, comparing their actions to those of the town drunk. Well put, Arthur, well put.
29 "I Had A Son... He Passed Away. I Had A Girl Who Loved Me... I Threw That Away. My Momma Died When I Was A Kid, And My Daddy... Well, I Watched Him Die. And It Weren't Soon Enough."
Arthur is becoming more and more visibly ill from his tuberculosis, and he has a vulnerable moment with a nun named Sister Calderón at a train station. She's bound for Mexico on a mission but takes a moment to engage with Arthur and give him some comforting words. In their conversation about him not knowing himself, he reveals this bit from his past.
Throughout the game, Arthur shares stories of his son Isaac and Isaac's mother Eliza, whom he lost a long time ago. But here he sums up all the personal tragedies that brought him to this moment. Arthur lost his young son, his mom at an early age, his father (who didn't seem like a positive figure), and a chance at love.
28 "You Might Be The First Bastard To Ever Have Half His Brains Eaten By A Wolf And End Up More Intelligent."
The sequel shows how John Marston got those iconic scars across his face. In a mission early on in the game, Abigail sends Arthur and Javier to find John in the snowy mountains, who's been missing for two days. They find him injured by wolves, leaving him with a giant gnarly bite wound.
Arthur references the harrowing moment with this line in jest after John comes up with a solid plan to force a train to stop by placing a cart full of explosives in the tracks in front of it. John's brain didn't really get partially eaten, but the potential damage from the punctures allows Arthur to joke he recovered from it smarter.
27 "Maybe We Should Cut You Open And Count The Rings Of Whiskey"
Being ever the joker, Arthur puts whiskey, mutilation, and age into one disturbing yet equal parts hilarious wisecrack at Uncle. It's no secret Uncle favors the bottle more than he ought to, and Arthur means to joke that you can find out his exact age by the amount of whiskey inside him.
"Counting the rings" is, of course, a reference to the way you would determine the age of a tree, by cutting it down and counting each ring you see inside the stump. Therefore, there's an added insult of Uncle being an alcoholic tree in this playfully threatening quip.
26 "You’re My Favorite Parasite… No Wait, Ringworm’s My Favorite Parasite, You’re My Second-Favorite Parasite… I Lied. Ringworm, Then Rats With The Plague, Then You."
He says yet another crude remark to Uncle in RDR2 thanks to Uncle's laziness, alcoholism, and general ornery nature. This one goes even further to berate the poor fellow, comparing him to being even lower than horrible diseases. Straight shooter that Arthur Morgan — especially when it comes to people he doesn't care for.
It's curious, however, that Uncle appears in the mission "Love in the Time of Plague" in Undead Nightmare. Though not canon, perhaps it was a subtle easter egg moment.
25 "In The End, Micah... Despite My Best Efforts To The Contrary... It Turns Out I've Won."
This is a more dramatic quote indeed at the end of Arthur's journey, said during the final confrontation with Micah. Arthur's TB now has a complete hold on him, but he still attempts to fight Micah and gets beaten to the ground, crawling toward a revolver. Micah tells Arthur he lost as he moves closer toward the gun.
Arthur responds that he actually sees himself as a winner at the end of all this, despite the fact that it's over, and he's about to lose his life with no justice to clear his name as the rat. His win goes much deeper. It's ensuring that John escapes this life and becomes better.
24 "But It Weren't Us Who Changed."
This is part of a longer quote: "Nothin' means more to me than this gang. I would kill for it. I would happily die for it. I wish things were different... But it weren't us who changed."
This quote shows what's most important to Arthur Morgan: the gang. He cares a great deal about his comrades in the Van der Linde Gang and would do anything for them. It also shows that Arthur understands that things aren't quite how he thought they were.
Dutch is more reckless and selfish than Arthur thought, and the world is closing in on them. They're not wanted in this world; it won't be long before the gang is shattered.
23 "You, Sir, Are A Fish."
You can't say that Arthur lacks for observational skills or honesty when it comes to simple things. That includes when he wants to express his awe at something like a large fish he caught one day.
Instead of exclaiming "Whoa!" or even a "Hot damn!", Arthur says this. And you know what? Good.
22 "Lack Of Something To Feel Important About Is Almost The Greatest Tragedy A Man May Have."
Arthur can get pretty philosophical out of the blue during RDR2. His outlook on life bridges the deeds of an outlaw with the moral compass of an artist and good man. More importantly, Arthur always wants to feel like he's part of something.
Whether it's the Van der Linde Gang, a family, or even a simple card game, Arthur likes completing goals, helping people he cares about, and making things happen. Someone who doesn't have that same drive may seem like an empty shell to him.
21 "I Guess I... I'm Afraid."
This moment comes shortly after the conversation about his past when Arthur seeks the counsel of Sister Calderón in Saint-Denis. He's left wondering what all his actions amount to and what he should do now. Arthur tells the sister that he's dying and that he's afraid.
She offers this in response, "Take a gamble that love exists, and do a loving act." It's quite an Oscar-worthy moment for Arthur. You can feel the fear and uncertainty in his voice.
20 "Five Thousand Dollars? For Me? Can I Turn Myself In?"
Arthur provides this line to Pinkerton detective, Andrew Milton, during a private conversation between the two. Milton worked to turn members of the Van der Linde Gang against one another, but Arthur Morgan wouldn't take the bait.
Milton tells Morgan how much his bounty is worth, and Morgan doesn't take it seriously of course. If anything defines Arthur Morgan beyond his loyalty to the gang, it's his lack of respect for authority that he views as corrupt.
19 "I think, As A General Rule, Dutch Likes To Avoid Murder Within The Camp."
Dutch is, shall we say, not the best leader. But even the problematic head of the Van der Linde gang has his lines in the sand. One of them, as Arthur reveals, is murder where the gang sleeps.
This quote comes up in a conversation with Arthur's Tilly Jackson. While not a particularly poetic, meaty, or moving quote, it gives insight into Arthur's sense of humor. It also shows how playful he can be with others — a trait discouraged in grown men of the time and even today.
18 "All Them Years, Dutch, For This Snake?"
This is a moment of disillusionment and even a bit of heartbreak for Arthur. Micah Callahan proved a violent and chaotic element that would keep endangering the remainder of the gang. Micah also proved on several occasions that he doesn't care a lick about the rest of the gang.
Dutch's preference for Micah is clear, and he sides with Micah over other members of the gang many times. After Micah proves a traitor, it becomes too much for Arthur, and he blurts this out to Dutch.
17 "You Don't Get To Live A Bad Life And Have Good Things Happen To You."
This line is a moment of resolution for Arthur. He understands that, after everything he and the Van der Linde Gang have done over the course of their lives, nothing good can come to them. Most of them won't make it out alive.
Arthur understands this fact and has more-or-less resigned himself to a grisly fate, especially after he discovers that he has TB. Of course, he still works to give the Marstons a better fate by the end.
16 "We’re Thieves In A World That Don’t Want Us No More."
This is something that Arthur says to Dutch during a conversation at the Clemens Point camp. Dutch asks how Arthur is to which he responds "fine" and, after some small talk, Arthur tells Dutch that he is worrying him. They lost a number of gang members during their escape and Dutch is seemingly nonchalant about it.
Dutch abruptly brushes the deaths off, claiming that there will always be casualties since they are fighting to try and “reform” society. Arthur is clearly disheartened at this justification, and he tells Dutch this entry's quote.
This line and its delivery are some of the earliest signs that Arthur is beginning to lose faith in Dutch and his philosophy. Arthur is beginning to realize that they are not saving anyone; they're just robbing and killing people.
15 "Forgive Me If I Slip And Stab You In The Face."
Anyone who has played the game knows that Micah is a special kind of... person. At one point in the game, he invites Arthur to play Five Finger Fillet – the notorious game of speed and danger with a knife.
However, Arthur -- ever sassy and understated -- can trash talk Micah at this point using the quote above. It's a fantastic chuckle for fans not just because Micah is terrible, but because it's such a surprise.
14 "Some Jobs Aren't For Saving And Some Legacies Are For Pissing On."
Many fans might recall the side mission where Arthur says this. The short, but memorable quest has Arthur on a sort of scavenger hunt. He's gathering journals that start to reveal a dark truth about an old man he encounters.
Not only had the man harmed and profited off slaves, but he had also enjoyed doing it. When Arthur confronts him, threatening to burn the journals, the man flies into hysterics crying about his "legacy." Arthur drops the mic and the player has the choice to kill him or leave the man to stew in his turmoil.
13 "You're Gonna Sleep With Your Chest Open If You Ain't Careful Boy."
This is the equivalent of that McDonald's triangle meme, except Arthur orders a single item that everyone in the gang wants, and then throws it out the window and shoots it. That is to say that when Arthur means business, everyone else better fall in line.
The moment comes when Arthur is talking to Sean who sasses Arthur when he tells him to "Calm down." There's the whole air of disrespecting one's elders here. But really, Arthur just doesn't take any guff.
12 "We Can’t Change What's Done, We Can Only Move On."
Quite a bit into the game, Arthur’s sickness begins to take its toll on him. It affects him so greatly that he has a coughing fit and passes out in the street. During this, Arthur seems to go into a sort of lucid dream where he is up and walking around. There are voices all around him yet no one to be seen. It’s in this dream-like state that we hear Arthur’s own voice repeating advice he once gave.
While this is a great life lesson for anyone, most people who have been through trauma know that it is possibly one of the hardest things to do. This is how the Van der Linde Gang survives. Each and every member of the gang is someone who has been cast out, abused, or abandoned and only ever felt a sense of purpose and belonging once they found the gang.
Arthur is guilt-ridden about his past transgressions, but he knows he cannot take them back or change them; he can only move forward.
11 "Look, I'm Sorry Friend. I Can Barely Speak English."
Arthur, like most people at the time, wasn't super well-educated or well-read. He could read and write, of course, but he hadn't attended a fancy school or anything like that. Throughout the game, he encounters lots of people from various places and cultures. Unfortunately, Arthur is more a hammer than a scalpel when it comes to addressing issues.
He says this when he is trying to help someone speak English, but also trying to tell him that he doesn't understand. Instead of mocking the non-English speaker, Arthur mocks himself, because English is hard y'all.