Red Dead Redemption 3 should star Charles Smith as protagonist, fans say

The next Red Dead Redemption title won't be on its way for a long while yet, however, that does offer fans a little creative licence with what they want to see. This time, they're sure that this character should step into the spotlight as the playable protagonist.

Charles is actor Roger Clark's favourite character in Red Dead Redemption 2 and he gets a lot of love from the fans too. Altruistic with a strong moral compass, the outlaw was born to a Native American mother and an African American father. There's a very sweet photo of the young family that the player can stumble upon in the camp, yet, their peace did not last long. Charles' mother was abducted by US soldiers and his father became severely depressed, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

At the age of 13, Charles left his father and wandered the wilderness, going through a baptism of fire to turn into an exceptional survivalist before he joined the Van Der Linde gang. It's this point in the character's fascinating life that fans would like to see in the next game, and this would offer the series an opportunity to tell a different story.

"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. Indeed, while there are popular examples of Westerns with central Native American characters, they are argued to still maintain the white saviour narrative.

"I'd do anything for a Charles prequel of some kind," added BleakBluejay. "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." The material's all there. Your move, Rockstar Games.