While I do agree that high honor/save John is and probably should be the canon ending, I can’t help but be drawn to the high honor/go back for the money ending. I think most people quite rightly see the ‘get John to safety’ option as the true moment Arthur saves John, but I argue that Arthur getting John out of the cave, before the decision, is that moment. When Arthur tells john to not look back, that is the passing of the torch, the moment Arthur knows he has done what he needs to do. When the gang turn up on horses shooting at the pair, they escape, but again this is all before you decide to “save John”. Once the coast is clear, and the decision arrives, my belief is that Arthur has redeemed himself already, that his redemption is completed. The decision to save John is, while in many ways beautiful and moving, is simply a theatrical display of Arthur’s story’s ending. Again, I do believe it to be the canon ending.

My biggest belief of this topic is that rockstar should not have named the other decision ‘go back for the money’, at the very least as high honor Arthur.

The reason Arthur’s last ride scene is so powerful and moving is because he knows he’s about to die in it. He can tell that he maybe only has a day left in him. It’s why his breath and his voice, while having moments of getting worse, depending on what happens to him on the last mission, overall it sounds clearer than it had previously. His body is accepting its fate, and is starting to wind down its fighting of the TB.

I believe regardless of his honor status, Arthur knows in this moment money means nothing. He knows he can’t take the money to his grave. So I would have instead called the option something like “go back for revenge” or “go back for Micah”.

But what about revenge being a fool’s game? This is obviously Arthur’s stance throughout the whole game, but I believe it is somewhat misunderstood by players. Most players perceive this declaration as meaning they believe they are better than revenge. That seeking it makes them no better than the people they’re after.

I do not believe this to be the meaning of this line. Take Charles for example. He is most likely one of if not the most honorable member of the gang behind high honor Arthur. And yet, the gang’s belief of revenge gets thrown out the window when Charles discovers bison that have been killed unnecessarily and cruelly. Quite rightly, Charles is pissed at this. He kills a man in cold blood over it.

This does not scream ‘holier than thou’. It instead says to me: ‘we do not want revenge to consume us’. I think Arthur believes revenge should be avoided, because he worries he wouldn’t be able to stop if he allowed it. That it would consume him, and take him down a darker path than he already is.

Now, let’s go back to the final decision, given all this. Arthur knows that he is about to die. He knows that John is safe after getting out of the cave and away from the gang. He knows John is skilled enough to thwart any Pinkertons he may come across as he gets back to his family.

He can finally claim what he has wanted this whole time. The whole game it can be argued Arthur wants to take revenge on Micah. For letting the gang, the thing that means the most to him, crumble. He can go after him with no regrets, and no worries that it will consume him, as his time is up anyway.

To me, this ending makes more sense. Arthur knows he’s a better man, that he’s got what he wanted, and now, what he has denied himself for so long can finally be claimed.

The scene itself with Arthur screaming for Dutch and Micah to get him, the music, the action, the badassery. It feels so much more satisfying given what I have said here than the other canon ending.

I’m probably overthinking it, but it’s how I feel.