The Micah Fan Theory That Has Red Dead Redemption 2 Fans Talking
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an expansive open-world game full of interesting and diverse characters. Just within the main gang, there are varied and distinct individuals like Dutch and Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston, just to name a few. Whether you like their personalities or not, they're all originals, and it's clear that a good amount of time went into designing each character.
One character in particular has had fans talking recently. Micah Bell, the main antagonist of the game, has sparked a theory on Reddit. The theory states that Micah may have actually been trying to protect the hero of the game, Arthur Morgan, although it's unclear what he was trying to protect him from.
Could it be that one of the nastiest characters in the game was actually looking out for his fellow man? What's the conclusion on this theory? Did Micah really try to protect Arthur, or is he only out for himself like everyone thinks?
Beware of spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption 2.
Who is Micah Bell?
Micah Bell started out as his own father's partner-in-crime, with whom he murdered two people when he was 17. Micah is relatively new to Dutch Van der Linde's gang, only being a member for about five months. He is generally disliked by everyone but Dutch, with the others finding him to be needlessly aggressive and rash. Micah set his sights on robbing a ferry in the town of Blackwater, suggesting a more profitable but riskier lead, to which Dutch agreed. Blackwater became a disaster because of this, leading to the gang losing members and going into hiding.
Although Micah initially tries to earn Arthur's trust, he eventually gives that up in favor of loyalty to no one but himself. This is revealed when he becomes a mole for the Pinkertons and spies on the gang. He is also cruel to people and animals. In short, he's a deeply disturbed and unhappy man.
So how does this fan theory seemingly contradict Micah's harsh portrayal in the game?
The theory
The theory, posed by Reddit user Character_Abroad, claims that it's possible that Micah tried to save Arthur by sending Pinkertons to talk to him before the Blackwater job. The theory also posits that by Micah telling Arthur "you stick with me and you'll live" that he was also trying to save him from his eventual fate. In defense of Micah, Character_Abroad states, "being hateful doesn't always mean the person is completely bad." However, many of Micah's other actions show that he mostly looks out for himself.
However, this theory didn't last too long. In an edit on the original post, Character_Abroad states, "now that I finished the game ... he didn't send the Pinkertons to talk to Arthur."
Although Micah tried to gain Arthur's trust in the beginning, it's clear that he's only out for himself after he figures out he's not going to get that trust and that Arthur openly dislikes him. At one point, Micah says tells Arthur to stick with him and he'll live, which indicates that Micah knows something that Arthur doesn't. However, it could also be Micah's bravado making him believe he's the only one who's going to survive.
Either way, it's hard to believe Micah would actively try and protect someone, given his track record with the gang members and strangers.