A high-ranking member of the Van der Linde gang, Arthur must deal with the decline of the Wild West while attempting to survive against government forces and other adversaries in a fictionalized representation of the American frontier.

[3] Researching the role, Clark's main inspiration came from Toshiro Mifune,[4] whose characters' stoic but humorous demeanor held intricacies he wanted in Arthur.

He watched films such as High Noon (1952), as well as the work of John Wayne;[6] despite viewing the Dollars Trilogy (1964–1966) he did not derive much from Clint Eastwood's portrayal of the Man with No Name because he felt that Arthur was more talkative.

[8] Writer Dan Houser was interested in subverting the trope of the lead starting as weak and becoming stronger as the story progresses; instead, Arthur is already tough at the beginning of the game, and is "taken on a more intellectual roller coaster when his world view gets taken apart".

[9] He felt that the decline of the American frontier had a deep effect on Arthur, noting that the character is "caught between the nastiness of nature and the brutality of encroaching industrialization in civilization".

[10] When an unsuccessful ferry heist leaves them with no choice but to flee east across the mountains, Arthur helps to find supplies and later tracks down fellow gang member John Marston.

In Saint Denis, a failed bank heist forces some group members out of town; Arthur is shipwrecked with others on Guarma, an island near Cuba, but battles alongside a revolutionary in exchange for a ship back to the mainland.

Shocked by the grim reality of his imminent death, he starts reflecting on decisions and morals, led further by his friendship with Native American leader Rains Fall.

Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro wrote that the thoughtful portrayal of Arthur's internal conflicts possessed humanity often lacking in other Rockstar games.

[13] Writing for Ars Technica, Daniel Starkey felt that, while Arthur's story can be considered "poignant and memorable", some may see it as a typical tale about a "'bad man' who isn't necessarily in control".

[14] Tom Power of GamesRadar+ believed that the account of Arthur's life in Red Dead Redemption 2 reflected a Shakespearean tragedy, with various chapters of the game representing the five stages of grief.

[15] Electronic Gaming Monthly's Nick Plessas found his journey to be "far more redeeming" than that of John Marston in Red Dead Redemption, noting that Arthur's shortcomings evoked a sense of sympathy.

[16] Javy Gwaltney's review for Game Informer echoed this sentiment, describing the arc as a "fantastic take on memento mori and how ruthlessly messy and complex redemption can be".

[24] Luke Reilly at IGN hailed Arthur's voice as having an "infectious authenticity",[25] and Destructoid's Noelle Warner found it made him a "quintessential southern American country boy".