There are many contributing factors to Red Dead Redemption 2's success and its reputation as one of the greatest pen world video games ever - one of which is the weird and wonderful cast of characters in the game. The game is chock full of brilliantly written characters, who add a lot to the game's story.
In fact, they are so great that many fans have taken to internet platforms, such as Reddit, share their opinions on which ones are the best of the bunch. While there was a variety of different choices, many users on the platform did agree that these ones proved to be the most memorable.
Rains Fall
Rains Fall is not a member of the Van Der Linde gang, nor is he in the game for the majority of chapters. However, in a short amount of time, he still made enough impact to be deemed one of the game's best characters by Redditor laserlovey5000.
Although they feel like it would be an unpopular opinion, they state that "Rains Fall is one the best characters in all of Red Dead Redemption 2," and "deserves to be talked about more." It would be hard to find someone on Reddit who would have a bad word to say about Rains Fall since he has a profound impact on Arthur and his story and is a joy to be with during the game. He also came up with some of the most emotional and thought-provoking quotes that still resonate with several gamers to this day.
Sean MacGuire
Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of funny moments, and a bunch of them come from the Van Der Linde gang's young Irishman, Sean MacGuire (a hugely popular character seen as one of the game's best by such people as this deleted Redditor).
In ranking their top five favorite characters in the game, they put Sean third, saying, "How can you not love Sean?". Not only was Sean one of the best additions to the game, providing much comic relief for the players but they also love watching the bond between him and the gang develop too.
Lenny Summers
Lenny Summers' death is one of the hardest moments to take in Red Dead, partly because he was not even given a cutscene and partly because everybody loves him (including multiple Redditors, such as originalname610).
They state, simply, that Lenny is the "Best character no one can change my mind." Lenny is a huge favorite of not only players but of Arthur, who grows very close to him in the short time he spends in the gang. He is such a likable presence who died far too young, a victim of both the life of an outlaw and Dutch's stupidity.
Hosea Matthews
At the start of Red Dead Redemption 2, there are three senior pillars of the Van Der Linde gang, the titular leader, Arthur, and Hosea Matthews, a calm voice of wisdom who many fans adore and regard as a standout character (including by bakedmaga2020).
In calling Hosea their favorite character, the Redditor says, "He's a very worldly and wise person, and I consider him to be somewhat of a father figure to the gang." Hosea brought a more level head to the conversations with Dutch, with his heartbreaking death acting as a catalyst for Dutch becoming dangerous at an alarming rate.
Micah Bell
Micah Bell is not likable. In fact, he is one of Rockstar's most detestable, abhorrent creations. However, that is a testament to how well-written and excellent of a character he is, deemed one of the game's best by some, including Redditor Waffle342.
In reply to a tiered ranking that put Micah in the coveted S-tier, they say, "I think he's a great character because of how his development is and how even his voice actor makes you hate him." He is undoubtedly an immense antagonist, who manages to worm his way into Dutch's head and oppose Arthur and the good members of the gang.
Dutch Van Der Linde
Across two games, there is an argument that Dutch Van Der Linde is the best Red Dead character, with many believing him to be one of the top characters in Red Dead 2 (such as Redditor oznrobie).
On Dutch, they say, "He's almost like a god amongst men for the first half of Red Dead 2. Every single line he has is mesmerizing. His downfall is so well written." Dutch's descent into darkness in Red Dead 2 is quite harrowing. Despite knowing how he is in the first game, the first half of the sequel sees the player, like Dutch, get drawn into his words before they slowly discover how dangerous he is. It is wonderful to play through. One of the saddest things about Arthur Morgan is how he spends his last days pretty much alone and sad thanks to Dutch's actions and the breaking up of the gang.
Charles Smith
Unquestionably one of the best new characters in Red Dead 2, and someone all fans were happy to see survives the game, is Charles Smith, a fan-favorite who many think is one of the best characters in the game (including Redditor XOCognac).
They give the answer of Charles to the question posed of favorite Red Dead 2 character, reasons being that he is "Quiet, reserved, intelligent. Friendly and good but not afraid to fight or kill." These are pretty much the defining traits of Charles' wise, layered character, who acts as a phenomenal ally for both Arthur and John.
Sadie Adler
In a game full of hardened outlaws, Sadie Adler manages to stand out as one of the biggest badasses in the entire story. Full of anger and skill, she is a beloved aspect of the game to a tonne of players, like dragonlady_11.
They do not say explicitly that Sadie is the best character. Rather, in a thread asking about the "Queen of Red Dead," they say, "I'd totally play a red dead with her as the main character and her adventures after the gang as a bounty hunter." This is a sentiment shared amongst many players who appreciate how great Sadie is both as part of a duo with Arthur and as a kickass warrior.
John Marston
The big debate amongst Red Dead fans is who is the better character, John or Arthur? John is the main protagonist of the first game and a vital part of the second, which leads the likes of ReekThe_Freak to say he is the best of the lot.
They say that John "is my favorite character of all time, not just in video games but in everything." Of course, this is not looking specifically at Red Dead 2, but many, many fans say John is also one of the best characters in that game, made better by his legendary outing in the first Red Dead.
Arthur Morgan
There is no debating Arthur Morgan's status as the best Red Dead Redemption 2 character. To many, he transcends the game with his quality (a statement echoed by GleysonRJ).
In a post dedicated to the game's protagonist, they state that Arthur is "The best character ever made by Rockstar." While there are contenders such as John Marston then individuals from the GTA line, many players agree with the bold statement. Arthur's journey and character complexities are so immense to play through his death will haunt players forever, and, overall, he is one of the best lead characters in gaming ever.