History Awesome / RedDeadRedemption2

* In 'Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego', Arthur survives facing off against the meanest grizzly bear in the game, and can potentially continue to hunt after and kill it immediately afterwards.
* A shout-out must be given to a random bystander when he intervenes to stop Arthur from beating a man to death in the middle of town. Think about it. He’s just a random townsfolk who likely never had a day’s experience of fighting in his ''entire life'', yet the minute he sees a clearly violent and angry man savagely punching his victim, he decides to put his own life at risk and jump in to save the victim. Even better, you know who that random bystander is? Mr. Downes, aka the man dying of tuberculosis. He is literally on his last legs succumbing to the disease, yet still intervenes in the fight that he has no chance of winning even without the sickness killing him.

* Sean's rescue from Fort Riggs during 'the First Shall be Last', which begins with reconnaissance on the outskirts of Blackwater, deep in the heart of the portion of West Elizabeth where the whole gang is licenced by law to be *shot on sight* following their botched Blackwater Ferry heist. It's one of the earliest available missions in the chapter, and it ranks up closely with some endgame missions as one of the most memorable in the game.
* In 'Pouring Forth Oil I-IV,' Arthur meets up with Sean who's shooting at some bottles and talking trash to Arthur daring him to take his best shot. In the blink of an eye Arthur pulls out his pistol and shoots and breaks a bottle showing the vast difference in aim and experience between the two before then telling Sean to grow up.

* 'The Sheep and the Goats', marks the first in a trend of missions often escalating in an ambush situation out of which the Dutch Boys have to fight to survive and/or avoid capture. A vengeful Cornwall announces himself outside the saloon Arthur and Dutch are drinking in before it's revealed that he's captured Strauss and John and posted gunmen all over Valentine in retaliation for the Chapter One train robbery, from which point a massive firefight ensues after Dutch puts on a act to distract the gunmen holding the other two men hostage.
* 'An American Pastoral Scene' - despite it featuring an [[FauxAffablyEvil obviously posturing]] Micah - begins by following a trail which overlooks the [[SceneryPorn breathtaking scenery]] of northern Big Valley, before the action kicks in when the stagecoach Micah has been staking out emerges and the duo give chase in order to hijack it. Naturally, with the stage's route being sourced from an O'Driscoll, the two are then in turn ambushed by a large group of their outlaw rivals by a shallow river crossing. In the ensuing firefight, Arthur and Micah singlehandedly litter the crossing with the corpses of twenty to thirty men!

* 'Further Questions of Female Suffrage' mostly serves as a proper [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introductory platform]] for one of Dutch's newest gang recruits, and is one of the first available missions once the gang settles into their new hideout. It's ([[MundaneMadeAwesome on paper, at least]]) a fairly mundane groceries shopping excursion in the local town. With [[ActionGirl Sadie]], at her insistence. On the way back, she will have changed into one of her most iconic outfits (an ochre-yellow shirt with suspenders and dark brown trouser bottoms) when she and Arthur are intercepted by the regional bad boys, the 'Lemoyne Raiders.' [[BloodKnight The rest is history]].
* 'Advertising, The New American Art.' Not the plan itself (or [[ComplexityAddiction almost anything else]] that [[TooCleverByHalf Dutch]] and [[IdiotBall Hosea]] orchestrate during [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot this chapter]]), but the fact that once Catherine Braithwaite tips off the Raiders to ambush the Greys' hotel while Hosea and Arthur were still giving away their stolen moonshine, Dutch's men demonstrate once more their ability to simply brute-force their way out of a bad situation against superior numbers using their incredible marksmanship.
* In 'an Honest Mistake', Uncle of all people manages to come up with a solid lead on a payroll being transported by wagon. It being Uncle, the whole thing goes south and ''quick'': the payroll in question being owned by Leviticus Cornwall and his personal paid security soon give chase. Arthur, Uncle, Bill, and Charles hole up in an old barn on a (seemingly) deserted farmstead to lie low. After nightfall, the agency men find the outlaws and a gigantic firefight ensues, as the Van Der Linde boys not only hold off the Cornwall agents, they do so ''while the barn is on fire''. The entire sequence and the party's escape is one gigantic moment of awesome.
* The Valentine Bank heist during the mission 'Sodom? Back to Gomorrah', which is conceived, organised and spearheaded by none other than Bill Williamson! Until Trelawny's Riverboat stint late into chapter four, this is by far the most successful robbery accomplished by Dutch's gang (with the main participants earning upwards of $2K each), and it only required three carefully handpicked accomplices in Karen, Lenny, and of course Arthur.
* In 'Blessed are the Peacemakers', Arthur is captured by the O'Driscoll. Shot, tortured, and beaten nearly to death, Arthur not only manages to free himself from his bonds, not only cauterizes and seals his wound with a heated file, buckshot, and a candle, but he kills his would-be torturer, gets his gear, and escapes on horseback. All while ''nearly half dead.'' Arthur Morgan is tougher than old leather.

* The rinse-and-repeat pattern of Dutch's Boys walking into an ambush only to turn the tables on their assailants continues in 'A Short Walk in a Pretty Town', although not without suffering their first casualty since the Blackwater debacle.
* After Jack gets kidnapped in 'Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern', the whole gang rides out to save him, storming the manor and stronghold of the Braithwaites, a local Southern clan that does not lack men or guns at all. In the ensuing fight, they kill nearly 40 men together. Truly a family of outlaws.

** They receive another visit from the Pinkertons after returning to camp, this time demanding for Dutch's unconditional surrender in exchange for the rest of the gang walking free. In a show of loyalty to their leader, every person with a gun unholsters and cocks it in response, with some even pointing theirs at the agents - including Kieran! The agents promise to return with reinforcements as they're forced to retreat.

* 'No, No and Thrice, No' has [[MamaBear Susan Grimshaw]] set on a warpath to return Tilly Jackson from the Foreman brothers after the former learns of their part in Tilly's abduction.
* Jack's reunion with the gang in 'Angelo Bronte, A Man of Honour' is aptly treated with much jubilant fanfare and merriment for an entire evening.
* 'Horsemen, Apocalypses' sees Dutch's gang successfully stave off an aggressive ambush attack on their new home base, this time from the O'Driscolls. Of note, [[TheBerserker Sadie Adler]] abandons all notion of self preservation and at one point brutally eviscerates three armed men to death, one after the other almost simultaneously with her hunting knife, all the while unleashing a [[HellIsThatNoise shrieking warcry]] that makes her sound more like a banshee than a human being. It's highly probable for her to end the mission with her clothes completely drenched in her victims' blood, and she won't change out of them for at least the rest of the day.
* In Saint Denis, there are two main 'jobs' the gang tasks themselves with before their plans to attack the City Bank are finalised. One is Dutch's trolley station robbery taken [[SchmuckBait on Bronte's advice]] ('Urban Pleasures'), and the other is Trelawny's Ocean's Eleven-style riverboat shakedown ('A Fine Night of Debauchery'). Care to guess which was worth going for?

* [[BigDamnHeroes Hercule Fontaine's]] introduction in 'Welcome to the New World', as well as [[WhamShot Guarma itself]].
* 'A Kind and Benevolent Despot' displays both some of the best and worst of Dutch's personality attributes in a mission which eventually leads to Javier's rescue from Fussar's men in Aguasdulces, before the trio makes a hasty retreat back into the wilderness past surrounding sugarcane plantations, all done under a hail of bullets from pursuing reinforcements. Mission highlights include Dutch's improvisational creation of a powder bomb utilising the settlement's central sugar press factory, as a diversionary tactic that enables them to retrieve Javier.
* During the [[MarathonLevel final mission strand]] on Guarma ('Hell Hath No Fury / Paradise, Mercifully Departed'), when the St.Denis segment of the gang are stranded on the island and looking for a way back to the US, they participate in a full military battle, repelling seemingly countless waves of soldiers that storm the beaches near the old fort on which they're stationed alongside [[LaResistance the local rebels]], and with whom [[EnemyMine they co-operate]]. The mission culminates with Arthur and Hercule using a cannon to sink an off-shore battleship, before they rescue the captain and eventually eliminate Alberto Fussar by cannon-blasting him in the turret stronghold he had positioned himself on top of a disused watchtower.
* Highlights from 'Dear Uncle Tacitus / Fleeting Joy':

* In 'Icarus and Friends', Sadie comes up with the ingenious plan of scouting the island prison of Sisika via hot air balloon in order to confirm John's incarceration there, before they can break him out. You get to fly the balloon and the view of the surrounding countryside is absolutely stunning.

* 'Favored Sons'. Not the mission itself, or the 'plan' leading to it - both are complete shitshows. But the ONLY noteworthy moment it has for this page is the speech Dutch makes as stalling tactic once he and Arthur are cornered against a cliff edge overlooking a river. It's a tidy [[CallForward retroactive callback]] which almost completely parallels Dutch's death scene in the first game.

* Charles and Arthur's two-man siege of Fort Wallace in a bid to rescue Eagle Flies during 'the King's Son'. En route, Arthur [[ActionFilmQuietDramaScene confides in]] Charles about his deteriorating physical condition to TB and the latter responds with an offering of [[WarriorPoet consolation and moral advice]], which not only reinforces the bond the two men share throughout this chapter, but also torques Arthur (particularly on a high-honour playthrough) to make a significant push towards being a better person in the time he has remaining while simultaneously coming to terms with his mortality. This interaction underscores Arthur's personal motivation to 'earn' his redemption by helping Charles and the Wapiti in any way he can. Doubles as a heartwarming moment.

** This extends to any other mission which has them [[BashBrothers pairing to great effect]]. Other examples include their raid and take-over of Beaver Hollow from the Murfree clan in 'That's Murfree Country', as well as the rescue and extraction of [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Cpt.Monroe]] from the clutches of Col.Favours and his corrupt regiment in 'the Fine Art of Conversation'.
* 'My Last Boy', where you assault an oil field with an army of natives is pretty epic. A handful of Wapiti braves, Charles, Sadie, and Arthur at the point of a [[VFormationTeamShot V-formation]] riding to rescue Eagle Flies from the US Army.

** This mission superficially plays into Dutch's claim that it was "all part of [his] plan" for the natives to keep the army busy so they could raid the office for state bonds worth thousands, although how much his part in the fray counts as a CMoA is debatable enough to be a YMMV issue regarding the implication that said plan exploits the indignation of the already exhausted and compromised young Wapiti tribesmen whom it's made clear could not afford to take on the army by then(and thus the game does not portray this move positively), and that Dutch may or may not have been willing to abandon Arthur to be killed by the army (and which leads to the death of Eagle Flies)in a move which dramatically underscores how anyone incorporated into his 'plans' is an expendable accessory to serve his own chaotic ends. Ultimately, siccing the Army with the Wapiti on each other [[AllForNothing doesn't work]] as the gang's activities never go unnoticed and Pinkerton reinforcements eventually besiege Beaver Hollow anyway.
* Colm O'Driscoll's hanging in the sarcastically-titled 'Goodbye, Dear Friend'.

* 'Mrs.Sadie Adler, Widow Pts.I&II' lays the final death knell on the last remnants of the O'Driscolls as Sadie avenges her husband's death and the destruction of her civilian livelihood in bloody fashion. A significant highlight during the siege of Hanging Dog ranch is the evidence Arthur finds of all the bodies belonging to the men Sadie had killed in the house sheltering the target of her personal vendetta. The mission is underscored in tragedy since Sadie's transformation into a bloodthirsty outlaw is rightly never glorified and ultimately she finds no peace in vengeance, although that in itself doesn't diminish from the lengths to which she goes to make her perpetrators answer for their transgressions against her. As broken as she may have been by her homestead's fateful encounter with the O'Driscolls, her tenacious refusal to see herself as a helpless victim is one of the aspects of her personality which has earned her much [[EnsembleDarkHorse fan adoration]].
* 'Our Best Selves' can be summarised with a single sentence: Dutch's gang successfully rob the US national army.

Highlights from [[MarathonLevel 'Red Dead Redemption']]:

* The mission "Jim Milton Rides, Again?" gets an extra special mention for one reason: once the shooting starts, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfUtSyUoaCE music]] launches into an extremely triumphant sounding remix of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpXXfCzSmJQ of the Red Dead Redemption Main Theme]] from the first game. Notable because the game teases the theme throughout its runtime, culminating in a version that begins blasting every single instrument in the soundtrack. Very fitting since John decides he's out of retirement just as abruptly.

* An understated one at the beginning of 'Motherhood', in the form of [[TheBusCameBack a telegram]]:

* 'Bare Knuckle Friendships' has John reuniting with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Charles]] after Uncle locates his whereabouts in Saint Denis. More specifically, we learn that Charles had been reduced to throwing rigged fights in the city slums in order to make a living, although once he resolves to leave town with John and Uncle, we're treated to what [[LightningBruiser he can really do]] with his bare hands when he decides against holding back on an opponent of equal size. The challenging boxer is [[CurbStompBattle physically overwhelmed]] by a flurry of blistering haymakers within half a minute.
* Props to Uncle (particularly in 'Home Improvement for Beginners' and 'A New Jerusalem') for managing to get John to do something about Beecher's Hope instead of just constantly complaining about his family leaving. We finally find out why the Marstons keep him around; the farm would not exist without him.

* The Marstons' reunion in front of their new homestead in 'the Best of Women', followed by John's marriage proposal to Abigail over Flat Iron lake in 'A New Future Imagined' may not be packing much in the way of action, but as underscores to the evolution of John's character development into the man most players of the precedent game are familiar with, these are arguably more important to his characterisation than anything he could do with a gun. It's such a tragic shame Hosea never survived long enough to see the man he believed John truly was become a reality.
* In the last of the story missions, John, Charles, and Sadie fight their way up a snowy mountain seeking revenge with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MK5ChLJTAk "American Venom"]] playing in the background, facing resistance from an outlaw gang all the way up. Knowing the predecessor, you get a sense of foreboding regarding the later two, and sure enough, the later two get gravely wounded on the way at separate point, leaving John to face Micah alone. Both Charles and Sadie end up getting back in the mix at crucial moments, and not only that, but they make it back down and make it out of the story alive.

** When finally confronted by John in 'American Venom', Micah, being the piece of shit he is, tries to get under John's skin. [[NoSell It flat out doesn't work.]]

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story as an irredeemably spiteful, [[AxCrazy psychopathic]], [[TheStarscream perfidious]] and [[SocialDarwinist nihilistic]] reptile of a person, he's also such an avowed BloodKnight who fully commits to his self centred might-makes-right brand of outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for [[TheGunslinger close-quarters gunmanship]] with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.

* In the mission "The Wisdom of the Elders," Arthur (or John) gets involved with the people of a small settlement called Butcher's Creek. The town is plagued by a mysterious curse--the citizens are violent and paranoid, and demons have been attacking their houses at night. Town elder Obediah explains that a shaman has been offering them advice about the curse, but a suspicious Arthur soon notices that things aren't adding up--the "demons" are just feral dogs, and the shaman seems to be coming up with new, nonsensical terms of the curse whenever things start to improve. Arthur eventually discovers that the supposed hex is actually the result of poisoned water in the nearby mines, and even survives the shaman trying to blow the place up with him inside. But the truly awesome moment comes when Arthur returns and discovers all of the townspeople gathered around the shaman, who has promised to lift the curse if everyone will just sign some papers. But then Obediah does something that no one expected: he ''reads the document'' and reveals that the entire situation has been a ScoobyDooHoax staged by a corporation called the Roanoke Fuel Company. They inadvertently released massive deposits of arsenic and lead into Butcher Creek's water supply while mining, but rather than admit their mistake, they tried to trick the denizens of Butcher's Creek into selling their land and releasing them from all liability. It seems that the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive dirty businessmen]] who run the RFC figured that the citizens would be too stupid to figure out what was going on--but Obediah's literacy has singlehandedly saved his people and their homes. Talk about UnderestimatingBadassery. Granted, the moment is unfortunately undercut by the townspeople deciding that the mining company is just another manifestation of the curse, but at least they'll know not to drink the poisoned water and can hopefully recover to a degree.

* in 'Icarus and Friends', Sadie comes up with the ingenious plan of scouting the island prison of Sisika via hot air balloon in order to confirm John's incarceration there, before they can break him out. You get to fly the balloon and the view of the surrounding countryside is absolutely stunning.
** Most often this mission is what follows shortly after stark revelations are made in '[[WhamEpisode A Fork in the Road]]', and even '[[DramaBomb That's Murfree Country]]' (if the player begins with the latter before heading back into Saint Denis, thereby initiating the mission in chapter six), and is [[BreatherEpisode comparatively light-hearted]], offering some respite from what would eventually develop into the story's [[CerebusSyndrome gloomiest chapter]]. The balloon pilot's personality provides comic relief, and the mission culminates in a chase-and-shoot scene between Sadie and the O'Driscolls, with Arthur providing [[DeathFromAbove aerial cover-fire]]. It's every bit as outlandish as it sounds.

** When Saide gets stabbed and John has to go it alone, he shortly comes to the bottom of an incline, with Joe and two other outlaws above him. It's three against one. But John isn't scared.

** When finally confronted by John in 'American Venom' Micah, being the piece of shit he is, tries to get under John's skin. [[NoSell It flat out doesn't work.]]

*** The mission it plays in is equally as awesome. Just after Arthur finally reunites with the gang after their trip to Guarma, the Pinkertons storm their new hiding spot and attempt to finish them off for good. Arthur, almost completely enraged, takes on an ''army'' of Pinkertons almost entirely by himself and sends them back to Hell with [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard their own Maxim Gun]]!

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIfybzNp88 Fleeting Joy]], whose eponymous soundtrack is a blaringly frenetic piece that plays as the Pinkertons make good on their promise and launch a no-holds-barred assault on Dutch's gang in Lakay, with the acclaimed Colin Stetson as the lead saxophonist. A truly cinematic experience.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMIfybzNp88 Fleeting Joy.]] How awesome is this song? Well, it has ''Colin Stetson'' on the sax in it. '''Yeah'''.

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story as an irredeemably spiteful, [[AxCrazy psychopathic]], [[TheStarscream perfidious]] and [[SocialDarwinist nihilistic]] reptile of a person, he's also such an avowed canny BloodKnight who fully commits to his self centred might-makes-right brand of outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for [[TheGunslinger close-quarters gunmanship]] with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story as an irredeemably spiteful, [[AxCrazy psychopathic]], [[TheStarscream perfidious]] and [[SocialDarwinist nihilistic]] reptile of a person, he's also such an avowed BloodKnight who fully commits to his self centred might-makes-right outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for [[TheGunslinger close-quarters gunmanship]] with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story as an irredeemably [[AxCrazy psychopathic]], [[TheStarscream traitorous]] and [[SocialDarwinist nihilistic]] reptile of a person, he's also such an avowed BloodKnight who fully commits to his might-makes-right outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for [[TheGunslinger close-quarters gunmanship]] with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story as an irredeemably psychopathic traitorous SocialDarwinist reptile of a person, he's also such an avowed AxCrazy BloodKnight who fully commits to his nihilistic outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for close-quarters gunmanship with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.

** A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story to be an irredeemably psychopathic traitorous SocialDarwinist reptile of a person, he's such an avowed AxCrazy BloodKnight who fully commits to his nihilistic outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for close-quarters gunmanship with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.
*** It's also a testament to his perceptiveness and conniving that Micah was able to decipher and exploit Dutch's personality flaws and ideological oversights even before the main story begins, to the extent that it takes Dutch YEARS before he fully accepts that he had been soundly manipulated into trusting a remorseless sociopath over his most trusted allies. There's widespread rationalisation amongst the playerbase that Micah represents through his actions a more accurate (and far less self-deluded, compared with Dutch) historic representation of the way most wild west outlaws probably operated, presenting him as a more 'realistic' contrast to Dutch's attempt (and notable failure) to romanticise the outlaw image.

* the Marstons reuniting in front of their new homestead in 'the Best of Women', followed by John's marriage proposal to Abigail over the lake in 'A New Future Imagined' may not be packing much in the way of action, but as underscores to the evolution of John's character development into the man most players of the precedent game are familiar with, these are arguably more important to his identity than anything he could do with a gun. It's such a tragic shame Hosea never survived long enough to see the man he believed John truly was become a reality.

[[BigDamnHeroes Hercule Fontaine's]] introduction in 'Welcome to the New World', as well as [[WhamShot Guarma itself]].

-->'''Arthur:''' Y'know Marston, you might be the only feller who got half their brain eaten by wolves and ended up more intelligent! [..] Next time, have them eat all of your brains, then you'll be a genius!

--->'''Arthur:''' “...Can't even kill a dying man.”/“In the end, [[InopportuneVoiceCracking Micah... despite my best efforts to the contrary...]] it turns out I've won... Goddamn you.”

--> '''Bill''': So what's wrong with you, you old fool?\\

-->'''Arthur:''' Y'know Marston, you might be the only feller who got half their brain eaten by wolves and ended up more intelligent! [..] Next time, have them eat all of your brains, then you'll be a genius! \\

---> '''Arthur:''' “...Can't even kill a dying man.”/“In the end, [[InopportuneVoiceCracking Micah... despite my best efforts to the contrary...]] it turns out I've won... Goddamn you.”

---> '''Arthur:''' (Voice utterly ''dripping'' with anger ) "Dutch.... Micah.... '''Come and get me you bastards'''"

--> ''' Jim STOP If you're the JM I know STOP It's [[ActionGirl Sadie Adler]] STOP I've got something to discuss STOP Pay good STOP Meet me in saloon in Valentine STOP I'm there most days '''

-->'''Micah:''' How's that... ''whore'' of yours?\\

--> '''Arthur''': This country is man unleashed, that's the thing, and it ain't my fault any more than is anyone else's-
--> '''Edith Downes''': Man ''unleashed''!? Then unleash ''goodness''! Not just hell's feeble brother, sir.

* In a meta sense. The way Arthur became just as interesting and beloved as John himself.

* [[HeroOfAnotherStory Hercule Fontaine]]'s [[BigDamnHeroes introduction]] in 'Welcome to the New World' - and on a meta level, [[WhamShot Guarma itself]].

* After Jack gets kidnapped, the whole gang rides out to save him, storming the manor and stronghold of the Braithwaites, a local Southern clan that does not lack men or guns at all. In the ensuing fight, they kill nearly 40 men together. Truly a family of outlaws.

** One thing that makes this part even more awesome for fans of the first game? The moment where John shoots the Laramie gang member after he threatens to go after his family is a direct recreation of the [[https://i.redd.it/xertl468jc121.jpg.]]

** One thing that makes this part even more awesome for fans of the first game? The moment where John shoots the Laramie gang member after he threatens to go after his family is a direct recreation of the [[https://i.redd.it/cbieqqwrzeb61.jpg cover of the first game.]]

* 'Mrs.Sadie Adler, Widow Pts.I&II' lays the final death knell on the last remnants of the O'Driscolls as Sadie avenges her husband's death and the destruction of her civilian livelihood in bloody fashion. A significant highlight during the siege of Hanging Dog ranch is the evidence of all the bodies belonging to the men Sadie had killed in the house sheltering the target of her personal vendetta. The mission is underscored in tragedy since Sadie's transformation into a bloodthirsty outlaw is rightly never glorified and ultimately she finds no peace in vengeance, although that in itself doesn't diminish from the lengths to which she goes to make her perpetrators answer for their transgressions against her. As broken as she may have been by her homestead's fateful encounter with the O'Driscolls, her tenacious refusal to see herself as a victim is one of the aspects of her personality which has earned her much [[EnsembleDarkHorse fan adoration]].

* 'Mrs.Sadie Adler, Widow Pts.I&II' lays the final death knell on the last remnants of the O'Driscolls as Sadie avenges her husband's death and the destruction of her civilian livelihood in bloody fashion. A significant highlight during the siege of Hanging Dog ranch is the evidence of all the bodies belonging to the men Sadie had killed in the house sheltering the target of her personal vendetta. The mission is underscored in tragedy since Sadie's transformation into a bloodthirsty outlaw is rightly never glorified and ultimately she finds no peace in vengeance, although that in itself doesn't diminish from the lengths to which she goes to make her perpetrators answer for their transgressions. As broken as she may have been by her homestead's fateful encounter with the O'Driscolls, her tenacious refusal to see herself as a victim is one of the aspects of her personality which has earned her much fan admiration.

*** Special mention goes to the buildup to the knife fight if you choose to go for the money.
--> '''Arthur:''' (Voice utterly ''dripping'' with anger ) "Dutch.... Micah.... '''Come and get me you bastards'''"

* Highlights from 'Red Dead Redemption':
** Abigail saving Arthur by putting a bullet in [[SmugSnake Agent Milton]] and finally ending him.
*** Abigail is awesome even when she isn't killing Agent Milton. For most of the game, she spends her time at camp, caring for Jack and tending to the other camp chores. The main exception is the Saint Denis bank heist, where she and Hosea create the distraction so the other men can sneak into the bank. Then, at the very end of the game, not only does she remind Arthur that she’s a damn good thief, she proves it by telling Arthur that she seems to be the only one who knows that Dutch has hidden the gang’s money in the caves, and then she steals the key without anyone knowing.
** The confrontation between Arthur and the entire gang before the final battle. Without any fear, Arthur calls out everyone in the gang for their treachery, including Dutch, and exposes Micah as a traitor. Even though it doesn’t work, after all the crap Arthur’s been put through, it’s cathartic to see him unload on everyone. At the very least, it was impressive enough for Miss Grimshaw to join his side, before her sudden death.
*** It’s a quick moment, but when Micah starts to pull out his gun, Arthur draws his out in an instant! What makes this even better is that Arthur can do this with any of his sidearms, so he can literally pull out a sawed-off shotgun faster than Micah can pull out a revolver. For a second, even Micah must have been terrified.
** Arthur's last stand with Micah, all in the middle of the night. Having saved John and given him a chance to live a better life, Arthur will make one last hopeless fight with Micah. ''We know'' Arthur won't survive. He's too weak due to his disease and injuries, but yet, we're still trying our damn best to at least [[TakingYouWithMe take Micah with us]] for being a manipulative rat. Unfortunately, it doesn't work and Arthur is either executed (low honor) or gets to live to watch the sunrise one last time before succumbing (high honor), all to the fantastic theme track reprise of "Unshaken", which is here called "Crash of Worlds".
*** What makes this even more awesome is that Arthur puts up a hell of a fight, despite the fact that his TB has almost killed him. Yes, he gives Micah the mother of all brawls while ''dying from a crippling disease.'' Also consider one of the things Arthur is shown doing early on, beating Tommy, a man twice his size who literally threw him out a window, almost to death, bashing his face to a pulp and it's implied he gave Tommy ''brain damage''. It's abundantly clear that if Arthur had been at his best, he would have folded Micah faster than Superman on laundry day.
*** The song that plays during this final battle (aptly titled "Red Dead Redemption" after the final mission of Chapter 6) is simply [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iGoLmFK8jw fantastic]] as well. '''Beware of spoilers in the comments.'''
*** Double the awesome is Arthur's taunts and insults to Micah during the fight.
---> '''Arthur:''' “...Can't even kill a dying man.”/“In the end, [[InopportuneVoiceCracking Micah... despite my best efforts to the contrary...]] it turns out I've won... Goddamn you.”
*** Even better, if Arthur chose to go for the money in High Honor mode, the knife fight will end with him aiming for Micah's left eye and [[EyeScream slashing it out]], rendering him nearly blind and unable to attack him in a frenzy (as he would have if Arthur was at Low Honor), and [[ManBitesMan biting Micah in the hand]] and punching him in the face before getting stopped by Dutch. Though Micah getting nearly blinded by the knife attack doesn't stop him from taking the money from Arthur and getting away, it does, however, make Arthur's payback bit all the more satisfying.
*** Some points do have to go to Micah, especially the above one. As Arthur stabbing him in the friggin' eye with a knife, which has lasting damage and blinds him from one eye, only seems to piss Micah off and he only stops when Arthur bites his hand and punches him in the face. Even then Micah almost immediately gets up when Dutch arrives. And the knife injury has no change to the final fight with him, as he can still outspeed deadeye even when blinded from one eye. Call him what you want, but what a badass.
*** The true Moment of Awesome in this final battle, and also in this game? Usually outlaws meet their violent, horrifying, and bloody end (Sean, Kieran, Hosea, Lenny, Molly, Susan), but with the Honor system, a high-honor Arthur with TB shows that sometimes not ''all'' outlaws die violent, terrible deaths, meaning that at least he doesn't have to suffer their vicious and cruel fate in the end. Quite a rare feat for an outlaw-turned-good guy.
*** Special mention goes to the buildup to the knife fight if you choose to go for the money.
--> '''Arthur:''' (Voice utterly ''dripping'' with anger ) "Dutch.... Micah.... '''Come and get me you bastards'''"

* When finally confronted by John in 'American Venom' Micah, being the piece of shit he is, tries to get under John's skin. [[NoSell It flat out doesn't work.]]

* A villainous nod is owed to Micah here. yes, THAT rat fucking bastard Micah. Though he proves himself throughout the story to be an irredeemably psychopathic traitorous SocialDarwinist reptile of a person, he's such an avowed AxCrazy BloodKnight who fully commits to his nihilistic outlaw philosophy, combining an almost uncanny talent for close-quarters gunmanship with his 'knack' for CombatPragmatism to the point that he becomes one of the very few characters in the entire game who can directly counter the protagonist's deadeye. He also has a surprisingly dignified reaction to his imminent death, which naturally only comes after he feigns concession by congratulating his aggressors for getting the drop on him before taking advantage of the resulting momentary distraction to retaliate - and in failing to do so, he simply staggers off, giving an almost comical Kanye West-like shrug before collapsing lifelessly into the snow.
** It's also a testament to his perceptiveness and conniving that Micah was able to decipher and exploit Dutch's personality flaws and ideological oversights even before the main story begins, to the extent that it takes Dutch YEARS before he fully accepts that he had been soundly manipulated into trusting a remorseless sociopath over his most trusted allies. There's widespread rationalisation amongst the playerbase that Micah represents through his actions a more accurate (and far less self-deluded, compared with Dutch) historic representation of the way most wild west outlaws probably operated, presenting him as a more 'realistic' contrast to Dutch's attempt (and notable failure) to romanticise the outlaw image.

* 'Bare Knuckle Friendships' has John reuniting with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Charles]] after Uncle locates his whereabouts in Saint Denis. More specifically, we learn that Charles had been reduced to throwing rigged fights in the city slums in order to make a living, although once he resolves to leave town with John and Uncle, we're treated to what [[LightningBruiser he can really do]] with his bare hands when he decides against holding back on an opponent of equal size. The challenging boxer is [[CurbStompBattle physically overwhelmed]] by a flurry of lightning-fast haymakers within half a minute.