I Replayed Red Dead Redemption and Now I Have a New Pick for Who Should Be the Main Character of RDR3
Whenever Rockstar Games moves forward with the inevitable Red Dead Redemption 3, it should consider making Landon Ricketts the main playable character. The original Red Dead Redemption starred John Marston, while Red Dead Redemption 2 served as a prequel and featured Arthur Morgan. Rockstar Games has yet to officially announce a Red Dead Redemption 3, but the success of the first two games means it’s a virtual guarantee.
This article contains major SPOILERS for Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2
The first Red Dead Redemption was critically-acclaimed and took home numerous awards, with Red Dead Redemption 2 managing to eclipse it commercially and critically. Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to be a top-selling game, and many point to it as one of the absolute best titles that the industry has ever produced. Rockstar Games is currently busy developing the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6, but one has to imagine that Red Dead Redemption 3 has at least been discussed by now.
Red Dead Redemption 3’s Protagonist is a Real Hedgehog’s Dilemma
Red Dead Redemption 3 could be in a tough position when it comes to its protagonist, which is not something that should be taken lightly.
Who Should Be the Main Character in Red Dead Redemption 3?
There are all kinds of fan theories about what Red Dead Redemption 3 could be about. Some have suggested that the game should be a sequel set after the events of the original RDR, while others believe that the game should be yet another prequel and focus on the early days of the Van der Linde Gang. Others still have suggested that fan-favorite RDR2 character Sadie Adler should be the main character of Red Dead Redemption 3. These are all great options and I wouldn’t mind seeing any of them come to fruition, but I also think making Landon Ricketts the main character of RDR3 should be given serious consideration.
Maybe Red Dead Redemption 3 will pull a Grand Theft Auto 6 and have both a male and female playable character. If so, perhaps Adler and Ricketts could cross paths and be the dual protagonists of RDR3.
I have been replaying the original Red Dead Redemption recently thanks to the new version of the game that was released on PS5, and one character that has stuck out to me more than others is Landon Ricketts. Ricketts is a legendary gunslinger that John Marston meets in Mexico, and he seems like the perfect character to follow in a prequel. Whereas Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 are set during the decline of the Wild West, a prequel game starring a young Landon Ricketts could feature the West in its glory days.
Depending on how long a hypothetical Red Dead Redemption 3 follows Ricketts’ story, it could be a game that spans multiple decades. It could start when he’s a rookie gunslinger and follow his life all the way up to the point where he meets John Marston in the first Red Dead Redemption game. It could even show how Ricketts met characters like Andreas Muller and The Stranger.
Red Dead Redemption 3 with Landon Ricketts Would Be a Good Opportunity to Break From Tradition
Both Red Dead Redemption games end with the main character dying and being replaced by someone else. In Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur dies, and John Marston becomes the new main playable character. In Red Dead Redemption 1, John Marston dies and is replaced by his son Jack. If Red Dead Redemption 3 were to feature Landon Ricketts and the story stuck entirely to the past, it would mean that for once the main character in an RDR wouldn’t have to die at the end of the story.
This could make for an interesting departure from norms for Red Dead Redemption 3. Then again, perhaps a Red Dead Redemption 3 could go all the way to the events of the first game, show Ricketts and Marston’s interactions from Ricketts’ perspective, and then continue following the character after the events of RDR1. We know that Ricketts eventually died peacefully in his sleep, so even then it wouldn’t make for a violent ending like the ones met by Arthur and John. Unless, of course, what we’ve been told about Landon Ricketts’ death has been fabricated.
Ricketts is technically playable in the first Red Dead Redemption, but only as part of the Myths and Mavericks multiplayer DLC.
The Blackwater Ledger that features Landon Ricketts’ obituary mentions that he was part of the Blackwater Massacre in 1899, yet Ricketts is not seen anywhere during the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. A Red Dead Redemption 3 with Ricketts could explain that discrepancy, and show exactly what he was doing when all of that was going down.
That same obituary says that one of the things Ricketts is most famous for is killing The Butcher Brothers in 1896. We know very little about them, but the Butcher Brothers could potentially be the main antagonists of a Ricketts-led Red Dead Redemption 3.
Whether Red Dead Redemption 3 stars Landon Ricketts or someone else entirely remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he would make for an interesting choice. Assuming Grand Theft Auto 6 meets its November 19 release date, a potential Red Dead Redemption 3 would still be many years away, so fans shouldn’t hold their breath that they will learn anything substantial any time soon.
- Released
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May 18, 2010
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
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Rockstar San Diego
