Red Dead Redemption is one of the most successful game franchises of our age and Rockstar has done an exceptional job of showing the true grit of the Western world of early America. With two titles already under their belt, fans are hopeful for a third, but we are unlikely to see it for another few years, especially with what we have learned about the next Grand Theft Auto, which we will see sooner than a new RDR. But while we wait, fans have time to flex their creative chops and let Rockstar Games what they want to see for Red Dead Redemption 3, and they want a character already introduced in Red Dead Redemption 2, the African American Charles Smith, to step into the spotlight.
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What Fans Want
A Reddit thread was started a few days ago by reddeadredemptions saying, “Red Dead Redemption 3 with a young Charles Smith as the protagonist (or one of the Protags). Yeah, or Nah? Exploring the Native American angle would be cool, something that’s not usually seen in Western movies/shows.” And it seems that other users would in fact like to see it.
“I think playing as a Native American would strike a nice balance between innovating the original gritty storytelling while also getting the plus of representation more and more people are demanding these days,” said professionalfriendd.
“I’d do anything for a Charles prequel of some kind. Let’s meet his mom. Let’s meet his dad. Let’s see how he interacted with the world before he left home, and after. I’m begging,” said BleakBluejay.
While it would be wonderful to see a Western-themed game with central Native American characters, Rockstar would have to tread a very thin line, because it can easily turn into a representation of the white saviour narrative that has been pushed by Hollywood for decades. So having Charles Smith as the lead in Red Dead Redemption 3 makes a lot of sense.
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Charles Smith
Known as Roger Clark’s favourite character from Red Dead Redemption 2, the character is well-loved by fans as well. Born to a Native American mother and an African American father, the pictures of the family can be found as a little secret in Red Dead Redemption 2. But the sweet family didn’t stay sweet for very long. Charles Smith’s mother was abducted by US soldiers when he was quite young, and in his depression, Charles’ father slipped into his sadness and drowned his sorrows in alcohol.
Charles then left his father at the tender age of 13 to wander the wilderness and forged in a crucible of fire, he became one of the most exceptional survivalists of his age. Although altruistic and a man with a solid moral compass, Charles went on to become an outlaw, joining the Van Der Linde gang. It’s from this point in his story that fans want to see in the next game, something totally different from what Rockstar has done in the past.
Rockstar Games is a studio famous for taking the will of their adoring fans into account, as well as making well-loved titles with a fan base that would stun most creators. With this particular idea — Charles Smith as the lead in Red Dead Redemption 3 — they have all the work already laid out, as well as the opinion of their fans. Now all they have to do is roll with it.
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