WARNING: Spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2 below

Arthur's death at the decision of his story in Ruddy Dead Redemption 2shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, even earlier players learned he contracted active tuberculosis. The grapheme isn't fifty-fifty mentioned in the beginningCherry Expressionless Redemption,so it makes sense that the sequel would follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and end the story with the protagonist'southward tragic, untimely death. Notwithstanding, the nature of the game'sbranching endings and binary accolade system begs the question: Can Arthur exist cured of tuberculosis in RDR2?

The brusque answer is no, there isn't a cure for tuberculosis in RDR2. Both in RDR2 and in the nonfictional 1890s, the chances of Arthur Morgan overcoming such a severe case of TB would exist slim to none. There's a reason why the scene in which Arthur receives his diagnosis (along with a salubrious shot of what i can only assume is either cocaine or an amphetamine) is so awkward and somber. The doctor can't even bear to say the discussion "die," but fifty-fifty Arthur probably knew before he walked in that any he had would kill him - and for good reason.

Even in the real world, tuberculosis has long remained almost the superlative of humanity's nearly common deadly diseases. In 2018, the yr Cherry-red Dead Redemption 2 was released, it's estimated that over a 1000000 people died from TB, according to a World Health Organization report. Even with the benefits of modern medicine like antibiotics and vaccines, if someone's inactive, "latent" TB develops into the active kind, it'southward still a serious issue.Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in 1899, well before treatments like those available today were commonplace. No matter which way it'south cut, the 2d Arthur Morgan extorts the Downes family in Cerise Expressionless Redemption 2'due south second chapter, he is every bit good as expressionless, and there's no manner for players to cure his tuberculosis in RDR2.

Why Arthur Morgan's TB Is Still A Serious Illness Today

But Ruby-red Dead Redemption 2is a video game. Maybe Arthur tin can beat the odds and overcome the illness with his inexhaustible reservoir of grit and rough-cut masculinity? Or maybe the player can find some hidden, long-forgotten, natural treatment in the wilds of the open up world? Again, this is impossible. At that place's nothing in RDR2 that even hints at the idea that Arthur can muscle through his condition, or that some hermit is hanging out in the copse, ready to cure Arthur's tuberculosis with a mystical mixture of natural herbs. The player has no option but to progressRDR2'due south story until Arthur'due south tuberculosis gets so severe that he can barely walk.

There is, all the same, a loophole involved with avoiding Arthur's succumbing to tuberculosis in RDR2, even if information technology's not exactly a cure. Currently, the only known way for a role player to even come close to sparing Arthur's life in RDR2 is past not progressing in the game at all. If players end participating in story missions before Arthur dies, he'll technically keep on yee-hawing for every bit long every bit the actor desires. If the game'southward story progresses to a certain point, yet, the furnishings of Arthur's TB will still start to set in. He'll lose weight, get stake, and cough much more often. Outside of simply stopping game progress, though, there's no RDR2 tuberculosis cure.

From a narrative perspective, however, Arthur's affliction is extremely interesting. The fall of the Van Der Linde Gang inRed Dead Redemption 2 comes as a outcome of their cadre leadership either dying or decaying in some way. The almost prominent instance of this is the gang'southward leader, Dutch, whose moral and mental disuse over time causes him to atomic number 82 the gang toward danger and fifty-fifty betray some of his closest supporters. In the same way, Arthur's physical decay can be seen equally the deposition of the gang's strength. Arthur is characterized as the gang'south muscle. He'southward not dumb, but he'south much more of a doer than a thinker. Considering of a lack of a tuberculosis cure inRDR2, Arthur becomes weaker, and so also does the gang lose its sense of strength. More than of its ranks die, its enemies come closer to finding it, and it's forced to live in increasingly desolate conditions. Without Arthur Morgan acting every bit the gum, Red Dead Redemption ii'due south Van Der Linde gang can't agree itself together.

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Jonah Schuhart (148 Articles Published)

Jonah Schuhart is a Freelance Writer at Screen Rant. Growing up as the stereotypical gamer, Jonah captivated everything he could about his favorite video games until adulthood came knocking. He decided to go a games journalist after his dad purchased a subscription to Gameinformer when he was 10 years one-time. Now, he follows in the footsteps of his early influences, giving his two-cents on the games he loves. Yous tin can also notice Jonah on Looper, where he writes about his favorite TV and Movies. Follow him on Twitter @JonahSchuhart, or reach him by email at schuhartjh@gmail.com

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