How Arthur Morgan Gets TB In Red Dead Redemption 2
31.12.2023 - 22:13
/ screenrant.com
[Warning: The following story contains major spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2.]
Regardless of how is played, Arthur Morgan always contracts tuberculosis and passes away by the end of the gameWhile this reveal does come later in the story, there is a specific scene that makes it clear exactly when Arthur catches this, but it may not be apparent during someone's first playthrough of the game.
Tuberculosis (commonly called TB) is an infection caused by bacteria that often targets the lungs or any other area in the body with a lot of blood and oxygen flowing through it.
Although there is treatment now for TB, there were barely any available options for people unfortunate enough to contract the sickness at the end of the 1800s when is set. Most people who were unlucky enough to become infected succumbed to their illness, and Arthur Morgan is an example of this, passing away from the infection by the end of story if he’s not killed off by Micah first.
Throughout the second half of, it becomes clear Morgan is sick thanks to his incessant coughing and pale color. A doctor in Saint Denis confirms Arthur Morgan's tuberculosis diagnosis, and Arthur gets slower and less agile as the game’s conclusion draws near, with the gameplay paralleling how his body and abilities would deteriorate in real life.
This reveal was set up very early in 's story, however, as Arthur gets TBduring the mission. During the quest, the Van der Linde gang's loan shark, Leopold Strauss, tasks Arthur with collecting a debt from various people in a rather uncomfortable sequence that sees many of them begging for mercy as Arthur takes what little they have left to pay off the debt.
One of these people was Thomas Downes, like many other people who crossed the gang's path, made the mistake of borrowing money from Strauss, and Arthur finds him working in his garden when he comes to collect what’s due. It becomes clear that Downes is unwell as he can be seen coughing throughout their conversation, but the game forces Arthur into an interaction with Downes until Downes coughs blood and his family intervenes, begging for mercy and explaining that Downes isn't well until Arthur leaves, stating that the Van der Lindes "".
Canonically, Arthur beats Thomas Downes, as explained in a later conversation, but even if the player doesn’t attack him and just uses threats and intimidation, it’s impossible to prevent Downes from coughing on Arthur and giving him TB.
If players chose to have Arthur using violence during his interaction with Thomas Downes, the latter's coughing blood could be perceived as a result of his beating. However, coughing blood is also one of the major signs of TB. Arthur barely paid any mind to the blood spewed in his face at the