Summary
While the highly detailed gameplay ofRed Dead Redemption 2was one of its most impressive aspects, the depth and memorability of its core characters left an even larger impression in the hearts of many fans. Of course, the game’s story involved a lot of the same faces that appeared in its 2010 predecessor, but a wide cast of new characters were introduced to flesh out the fall of the Van der Linde gang even further.
The story ofRed Dead Redemption 2is a long and thorough one, but some central characters are still given ambiguous endings, with the player having to guess how their arcs eventually end. Some of these characters are among the most popular fan-favorites inRed Dead 2, with Charles Smith perhaps standing as the most deserving of further narrative development. It is clear to see why Charles appealed to so many fans over the course of the game, but his exit from the narrative throws up more questions than it does answers, and any future projects for the IP should change this.
Charles stood out as one of the most compelling characters that debuted inRed Dead Redemption 2, with his strong moral compass and connection to the Native American experience of the time being a valuable asset to the game’s story. Players spend a lot of time with Charles throughout the release,be it through Arthur Morgan or John Marston, with Charles always showing a level of clarity and understanding that stood out among the chaos and scheming of the wider Van der Linde gang.
His scouting ability and combat prowess saw Charles stand as a respected figure in the gang, although he is separated from the group during its final days of betrayal and tension. Despite not being there for the climax of Arthur Morgan’s story, it was Charles who buried the beloved protagonist, and then went on tohelp John throughout the epilogue ofRed Dead Redemption 2. Charles leaves the Marston family at the very end of the game, with his ultimate fate being completely unknown to the player.
Other characters faced similar exits toRed Dead Redemption 2’s story, withSadie Adler’s storyturning ambiguous after 1907. Unlike Charles, however, Sadie’s future looks bright thanks to her lucrative work as a bounty hunter which is already established in the game’s epilogue. While Charles states how he hopes to move to Canada to settle down and start a family, there are a lot of factors that pose worries over how feasible this may be, such as the increasing hardships faced by Native Americans around the turn of the 20th century.
Nothing is currently confirmed about a potentialRed Dead Redemption 3, with the gaming industry being fully focused on the upcoming launch ofGrand Theft Auto 6, but there are certain narrative elements that a sequel toRDR2should definitely include. Many theories point towardsRDR3being set after the events ofRed Dead Redemption 2, perhaps exploring the life of Jack Marston, and this would be a great opportunity to clear things up around past characters like Charles.
While it is nice to leave the fates of certain figures to the imagination of players, Charles did not have the benefit of appearing in 2010’sRed Dead Redemption, and even a reference to the character in a sequel would more than make up for this. It might be a bit gratuitous for Charles to actually appear as a consistent character inRed Dead Redemption 3, but the game could easily provide closure to fans overone of the most beloved figures inRed Dead Redemption 2.
