Although it may seem like a minuscule detail, the cowboy hats featured in Red Dead Redemption 2 have important significance, particularly for the characters wearing them. RDR2 was released in 2018 by Rockstar Games, and it continues to receive acclaim two years following its release. Players and critics alike have appreciated the realism and attention to detail that’s evident throughout the game, allowing players to feel as though they’re truly traversing through the wild, wild west.
Red Dead Redemption 2 follows many of the most important western trends strictly, which only adds to the authenticity of the game. One of the most impressive aspects of RDR2 is how life-like the character outfits are. They reflect what outlaws would have actually worn at the turn of the 20th century, including everything from their gun holsters to their cowboy hats.
Cowboy hats have important symbolism in western films and books, so it’s not surprising that they also have an important meaning in the Red Dead franchise, too. As players assume the role of Arthur Morgan, they may notice the outlaw mainly sticks to a dark cowboy hat, which seems odd for the protagonist of the story. However, this was likely done for a reason.
RDR2's Cowboy Hats Are Backwards On Purpose
Red Dead Redemption 2 offers players some freedom when it comes to choosing Arthur’s hat. They can switch it out for different ones that they buy in stores or even for hats that picked up along the way. For the most part, however, Arthur is seen sporting a black hat, whereas Micah is wearing a white one. This may seem counter-intuitive. Dating back to the 1903 film, Great Train Robbery, a dark cowboy hat has long been symbolic of a criminal. A light-colored hat, on the other hand, has become associated with the opposite. It’s usually worn by the protagonist in the story, meant to symbolize moral righteousness and purity.
For players who’ve finished RDR2 in its entirety, they know that Micah was definitely not the hero of the story, which begs the question as to why the game developers often gave him the light-colored hat whereas Arthur Morgan got stuck with the dark one. This was likely an intentional choice in order to signify how the characters see themselves. Throughout the game, Arthur is very self-deprecating and rarely talks well about himself. He often admits he’s done horrible things and hasn’t lived the life of a good man, making it clear that he sees himself as a villain. This is juxtaposed by Arthur’s sensitive, vulnerable side, which comes out more and more often closer to the game’s end. Despite all of the trouble he’s caused, Arthur still has somewhat of a moral code, which is why he takes issue with killing people unnecessarily or leaving the gang members to fend for themselves.
Micah is the opposite of Arthur. At the end of RDR2, he’s revealed to be a traitor and a liar. In fact, he’s the real reason that the Van der Linde gang disbanded (and that so many of the members met an untimely end). Still, throughout the game, Micah tries to characterize himself as only doing what’s in the best interest of the gang. When Arthur is trying to expose Micah’s deeds to Dutch, Micah turns it around and emphasizes how he’s always had the gang’s best interest at heart. At times, it truly seems that Micah believes he’s doing the ‘right’ thing, or at the very least, he’s doing what’s right for himself.
Even more, since the game allows players to switch out Arthur’s cowboy hats for other options, this appears symbolic of the fact that Arthur is an anti-hero. All of the horrible things he’s done in the past cannot be ignored, or the things players have to do as him while playing story missions. At times, Arthur is and has been a villain. However, considering that Arthur does have a moral compass which shows itself in important times, it’s also fitting that players can dress him in a light-colored hat, should they choose. If only players could switch out Micah’s hat to give him sometime more representative of his personality. Either way, the cowboy hats in Red Dead Redemption 2 are an important symbolic mechanism that says more about the characters and how they perceive themselves than one may initially think.