So far, nothing has been announced about an upcomingRed Dead Redemptiongame and it doesn’t look like one will be coming anytime soon. If anything, a remake of the original game will probably come first. But after the enormous success ofRed Dead Redemption 2, it seems hard to believe that there will never be a third installment.
It’s been suggested that Jack, John Marston’s son, could make a great main character for a third game. Jack seems like the most predictable choice and could show him going on his own journey after avenging his father. However, it might be more interesting for Rockstar Games to surprise players with a completely different choice: Sadie Adler. Sadie’s character development inRed Dead Redemption 2has already laid the foundation for a great protagonist, but there are also some external reasons why she could be thebest choice forRed Dead Redemption 3’smain character (in no particular order below).
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10Sadie Adler Has Undeniable Star Power
Every once in a while, a character comes along that steals every scene they’re in. That’s exactly the kind of character that Sadie is; although she seems unassuming at the beginning of the game, she quickly makes herself known as a force to be reckoned with. Sadie is the star of every scene and mission she’s included in, so why not just let her be the star of her own game? Tthe overwhelming majority of fans seem to love her untamed spirit. Sadie seems like she’s destined to take the spotlight and it’s easy to see her as the protagonist inRed Dead Redemption 3.
Players were introduced to Sadie Adler at the beginning ofRed Dead Redemption 2after her husband was killed by the O’Driscolls. She wastaken in by the Van der Linde gangand didn’t see a whole lot of action in the first couple of chapters, but soon she makes it clear that she is not one to be ignored.
As the story progresses and Sadie is included on more missions, sheforms a close bond with Arthurand with the player. She’s dependable and smart, if a little bit reckless, and most players share Arthur’s respect for her. Giving Sadie a chance to star in her own game would be a much easier transition thanRed Dead RedemptiontoRed Dead Redemption 2because players already know her and are attached to her character.
After the members of the Van der Linde gang went their separate ways,Sadie became a bounty hunter. It makes a lot of sense, as it’s a perfectly legal way for her to continue using her skills. It’s a little thing, but it’s important becauseRed Dead Redemption 3would have to be another third-person shooter to be consistent with the franchise.
Sadie can more than hold her own in a gunfight, and it would be a natural transition to playing as her. Fans don’t know how her story ends, but knowing Sadie they can count on it being filled with crime and shootouts. That’s exactly what aRed Dead Redemptiongame should be, even if Sadie is helping to stop crime rather than commit it.
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7Sadie Has a Strong Enough Backstory and Personality to Carry Her Own Game
As Sadie becomes more central to the plot ofRed Dead Redemption 2,fans get to know her as a fiery, determined, and unstoppable woman who no one wants to mess with. She becomes one of the only people that Arthur trusts towards the end, and remains fiercely loyal to him even after he’s gone. Most of thecharacters inRed Dead Redemption 2can hold their own, but Sadie might be the strongest character in the game.
She’s also got a strong backstory that’s established inRed Dead Redemption 2and further solidified by the events ofRed Dead Online.Sadie was happily married to her husband Jakebefore he died, and then she became a widow and an outlaw.
Out of the twoRed Dead Redemptiongames, both of them have male protagonists. Now, that’s not a bad thing, and 0/2 isn’t the worst track record in the world. But as a whole, the franchise is short on strong female characters. InRed Dead Redemption 2’sdefense, most of the women in the games have historically accurate roles and several of them, such asSadie, Bonnie McFarlane, Abigail, and Miss Grimshaw play significant roles in the story. But it would be nice to see a female-ledRed Dead Redemptiongame.
Rockstar could always fulfill this wish with a new character, but why double the work when Sadie has already been created and won the hearts of fans? Sadie has made it very clear that she’s not going to sit around and live a boring life, so it makes perfect sense to have players join her on her adventures.
5Rockstar Games as a Whole Needs to Prioritize Having a Female Protagonist
Going off of the previous point, Rockstar Games doesn’t have a great history of featuring female protagonists in its games.Red Dead Redemption 2is the developer’s best effort so far, largely because of Sadie, but that doesn’t change the fact thatRockstar’s other big franchise isGrand Theft Auto,which has numerous issues with the way it portrays women.
Despite all its success,Grand Theft Autohas been heavily criticized for the way it objectifies women and fails to give them dignified or meaningful roles. Looking further down Rockstar’s roster of games, there aren’t any female protagonists to be found. It’s important for theRed Dead Redemptionseries, but it’s even more important for Rockstar as a developer to pursue diversity in all of its major franchises. There are a lot of rumors suggesting thatGTA 6may have a female lead, which would be a great step in the right direction, but it’s needed inRed Dead Redemptiontoo.
4Sadie’s Character Arc is Far From Complete
Protagonists inRed Dead Redemptiongameshaven’t made out very well so far, and it’s possible that Sadie wouldn’t be any different, but it seems like her character arc isn’t complete yet.Red Dead Redemption 2put Sadie through a ton of loss, starting with her husband and ending with her new family and best friends. She seems relatively happy as a bounty hunter, but it’s clear she hasn’t found peace.
Sadie’s also no stranger to exacting revenge on those who have wronged her, and she seems unable to let things go. Seeing her character grow might look like her finally learning that revenge doesn’t truly satisfy. Sadie could continue to live as a bounty hunter and be content, but it would be much more interesting to see her go through a period of doubt as she finds a new, more meaningful purpose in life.
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3Voice Actress Alex McKenna is On Board With a Game Starring Sadie
In a recent interview, Sadie’s voice actress Alex McKenna said it would “be a dream” to reprise her role as Sadie in a leading role. She played Sadie forfive years duringRed Dead Redemption 2’slong developmentand understandably, the outspoken gunslinger has a special place in her heart.
Getting Alex McKenna back to play Sadiewould be essential; her performance inRed Dead Redemption 2is iconic. If she’s up for a game starring Sadie, that’s already half the battle. It would be a shame to not give McKenna the opportunity to reprise her role. Even if it’s notRed Dead Redemption 3,Sadie definitely needs to star in her own narrative spinoff title at the very least.
2Having Sadie as a Protagonist Could Bring Back More Familiar Characters
To be fair, this point has its limitations considering that most of the original members of the Van der Linde gang are dead at the conclusion ofRed Dead Redemption.That said, there are enough members left alive to play a part in thecontinuation of Sadie’s story. Charles Smithmight be the most obvious example, but John and Abigail’s son Jack could make an appearance, as could Reverend Swanson, Tilly Jackson, and Trelawney.
In the two existingRed Dead Redemptiongames, the family aspect and the connections between the characters are part of what drives the story. Choosing an existing character like Sadie would allow Rockstar to continue with that trend instead of creating a new character without a naturalconnection to the Van der Linde gang.
1Sadie’s Adventures in South America Could Be a Fresh Start for the Franchise
After theremaining members of the Van der Linde ganghunted down and killed Micah, Sadie supposedly went off to South America. Her journey to get there and her experiences as she tries to build a new life would be a wonderful change of scenery forRed Dead Redemption.It would also offer a different angle on one of the franchise’s major themes.
Over and over,Red Dead Redemptionargues that people can’t escape the outlaw life or outrun the past. The characters dream of going off and starting a new life somewhere else, but it never worked out. If it works out for Sadie, it would be interesting to see if that theme remained consistent or if Sadie’s story would end differently than Arthur and John’s.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
