Why Is Sean's Death So Crucial? | Red Dead Redemption 2

Why is the death of Sean MAcGuire so important in red dead redemption 2? A short walk in a pretty town walkthrough death of sean rdr2.
Sean and Karen scene:
• Sean Bangs Karen In RD...
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[@historyfactsshorts22]

Sean was one of my favourite Characters it shoked me when he suddenly died

[@waadi3ach569]

It didn't shock me one bit

[@waadi3ach569]

But it's stupid cause the enemies had over 4 guns if they synced the shots they could've killed Arthur Micah and bill all at once instead of just Sean. So u immersive

[@uncomentarista3103]

My friend knew he was gonna die when he read the subtitles (it was a blind walkthrough)

[@waadi3ach569]

@@uncomentarista3103 Sean: this town is full of ... Dies

[@charliemijatovic8562]

I thought I MUST have done something wrong to get that cut scene.

[@ConJonLeprechaun95]

"Real fookin foonny sh*t Arthur Morgan.... Reeeal Fookin fooony" 😂😂😂 always gets me

[@Sebastian62608]

It feels like Sean says the f bomb way more in the game but that’s the only time he says it

[@thefallenvalley4340]

The moment Sean died i completely changed my view on how i saw the same, and it's still the same to this day.

[@Sebastian62608]

At first I thought no one was going to die since whenever they died in the missions it said mission failed

[@totalcreativegaming6681]

My heart broke when Sean died, he may have been an annoying loudmouth but he was also hilarious, fun loving and ultimately lovable character. RIP Sean McGuire I think his death impacted me as much as Arthur’s, Hosea & Lenny’s deaths did. At least Arthur got to later be reunited with his “annoying little brother”

[@bobhill3941]

Beautifully said, my only addition is that I agree with the reasoning in the analysis of where Rockstar chose to kill Sean❤ With the gang stretched as thin as they were and coming off of loss after loss, Sean's death was the last affront that brought upon anger, paranoia and failure. While not a linchpin, Sean was special to everyone differently.

[@DjunisBRE]

same it was so sudden and shocking and the begining of the end for the gang

[@bobhill3941]

@@DjunisBRE Yes it was.

[@deathrager2404]

its just a game bro.....

[@CooperTheHunter]

I'm not kidding for some reason I was Happy when he died then I saw Arthur was sad and realized Sean wasn't so bad.

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

I like that the first official death was Sean after all that worked to rescue him they're recklessness got him in kill

[@RaulitoTheAssassin]

Yeah it realistic

[@heythatsprettygood1237]

Replaying the game you realize seans death is when the game starts to really change

[@Jimmmy650]

There is gold underneath the manor after you burn it down in a lockbox there’s a good bar

[@r3idmcread212]

Sean’s death was shocking at first but there’s many hints to it happening. More than foreshadowing. It’s in his character I’m sure people will know what I mean I’ve said the same with Lenny from the beginning too

[@cbixby8335]

Hated Sean at first then he grew on me I was bummed when he died along with Lenny And hosea

[@guyjperson]

To my mind, Lenny was the most notable death. Mostly because it was so un notable. And Arthur really seemed to like Lenny alot ("LEENNNNNYYY!?")

[@chaneyphillips8317]

I think Sean was probably the first character to die so suddenly in the game. It's been a while so fact check me on that. But I think it was so crucial because it just shows how quickly life is extinguished and sets up the game to be much darker than the original in that aspect.

[@smokinjoe4709]

You said that there was no fortune to be had in Rhoads but actually there was. Beau and Penelope stole it in chapter 6 and Arthur helped them escape with it.

[@guyjperson]

I agree that Beau and Penelope left with some treasure, but I don't remember it being the long sought gold. It had disappeared long before that. I think that letter north of Saint Denis explains it.

[@nickbuckley4371]

As annoying as any little brother is you always love them and try to protect them

[@cosmonauthal7651]

Sean getting killed was when all the boiling problems became "real". Before then sure there were scuffles and shootouts troubles, Shawn even gets captured but in the end the gang makes it in almost like a Wild West Adventure with that "oooo whats are we gonna deal with next" and then lovably annoying Sean the "crazy action loving Irishmen" has his head blown off and all of a sudden those problems are very very real and any of that fun loving feeling dies with him.

[@BJWFenix]

Sean and Lennys deaths are the biggest blows to the gang in my opinion because they were the hopes for the future, both are still puppies but they have great potential but essentially the story motif is : the hope for the future dies with them . The gang is over the moment they die in a sense: no one new joins thats worth having and the gang splits where I actually think a Lenny or Sean would help hold it together because they (and the other younger members) are the future. Imagine a situation where Sadie charles sean and Lenny had to take over : the gang would be fine, probably better honestly.

[@nickbuckley4371]

This death made me realize this is the end of them

[@kenyonelliott2628]

The Braithwaite gold wasnt a myth. You can find it in the ruined foundation of the burnt down manor

[@wizardfucker8999]

dude, right when i thought to myself, "y'know i think sean is my favorite character", he fucking died and i had to immediately pause the game for like. five minutes. just staring at my screen in shock

[@cainancainan]

Your videos are excellent bro really insightful. Just subbed I’ve just started replaying the game for the first time since I did my first play through back at release. Im obsessed again, what a beautiful game

[@0fficialdregs]

my favorites john Sean Author

[@nickbuckley4371]

He was really Arthur’s brother in arms and found family

[@Cozza69]

Are we going to ignore that Micah basically saves everyone in the first seconds of the ambush taking out 3 front shooters.

[@2_OP]

Yeah. Yeah, we are.

[@rikybarbeito4123]

My head canon is that Arthur saw himself in sean, and thats why he is harsh on him

[@gaunterodim8131]

cause he burned down gray's field?

[@logger22]

Rockstar hardly ever makes deaths emotional or dramatic. Even John’s was just unsettling.

[@Patrick-wl6pw]

Love sean Irish characters i am Irish American

[@Icy_Princess]

Idk man. Seans death wasn't really anything I lost any sleep over. I know I'm in the absolute minority here, but...I didn't really care for him and it didn't phaze me when he died. Like yes he was pretty funny, but some people are like "OMG NO SEAN I LOVED HIM SO MUCH" when he was in the game for literally one chapter only. I couldn't really establish a bond and a deeper feeling in that amount of time, he just felt like a minor side character tbh

[@mightymidget7181]

Fuck Micah but like the way he started shooting after Sean’s death was smooth asf

[@jckdnls9292]

Nonsense, he craved attention all the time, we all know people like that.

[@lewisjohnston7077]

Well there is the gold bar in the Braithwaite Manor once its been destroyed.

[@WardyLion]

My first reaction when he was shot was: “…finally!” As someone who is really irritated by constant, meaningless chatter, Sean soon found himself high on my list of hated characters. Useless, lazy, annoying, arrogant…all solved with one shot.

[@genemaxwell4]

He HAD to die when he did. You're absolutely correct. Sooner would have made him feel kinda pointless. Later would have been too much going on. He was the true tipping point that shit was going downhill FAST. Though had he survived, I think he would have likely died during the bank robbery when hosea and lenny died. Otherwise, he'd be too loyal to Arthur in the later chapters for Micah's betrayal to really workout. I think had Arthur had John AND Sean during that point, Javier and maybe Bill would have defected. Sean living past when he did is such a butterfly effect. Despite the gang seemingly always annoyed with him, Sean IS vital to the groups moral and unity.

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

Bill maybe Javier no he was blindly loyal to dutch he rescued him from a really bad situation

[@stevenwoods5787]

sean likely wouldve gone with dutch. dont forget, when youre riding with sean to rob that cabin, he went HARD defending dutch

[@genemaxwell4]

@@stevenwoods5787 but he also didn't like Micha and loved Arthur. As the game progressed Sean would have seen how dirty Micha was acting

[@adyensp]

imo that's backwards. Bill is the blindly loyal one, and in Beaver Hollow, you can consistently see Bill talking about who could be "the rat", constantly defending himself, saying that he's loyal. He also didn't really take a look at what was happening around him and believed every word out of Dutch's mouth. Javier was closer with Arthur and didn't want to believe that Arthur was a traitor in the last mission, but he also didn't want to leave Dutch, which you can interpret when he points his gun up. @@theoutsiderjess1869

[@offworlder1]

@@genemaxwell4 This and Micah made horrible choices which no one except Dutch supported. Sean would have supported Arthur.

[@Bori468]

The fact that Sean actually had connections with Bronte in online (a year before campaign) makes his death even more cruical

[@waadi3ach569]

Online is set in an alternative dimension where Arthur was a good for nothing drunk

[@NaiveAgenda]

@@waadi3ach569lol actually?

[@waadi3ach569]

@@NaiveAgenda no

[@NaiveAgenda]

@@waadi3ach569 lmao you fuck, that would of been interesting

[@LUNARBL00M]

Online is set a little bit before the events of the story I think. But Sadie Adler is in online so yeah its probably an alternative universe

[@coltonwilkie241]

Sean was the life of the party. It's kinda fitting that when Sean dies, the very next chapter has Arthur's illness getting much worse, Dutch fully being mentally broken and Kieran, Hosea and Lenny are killed. Also Jack gets kidnapped the same day Sean is killed. Sean was the happiest person in the gang who was always having fun with everybody so his death removes all the joy from the gang.

[@Jennifer-jt9cb]

Sean's death was devastating. He was a wild card that kept the game on their toes with his goofy antics. And like Arthur said, he was like a little brother. He was mouthy as hell, and that was something everyone loved about him. Karen was in love with him, so you know her heart broke instantly when she heard the news. My heart broke as well when he was killed. I had found a family in the gang that I never had growing up. Sure, they fought, but for the most part loved each other and remained loyal to a fault. I never had any of that as a child. Abuse was all I knew. Yet in the gang I found the family that I needed.

[@snowpawwolf1123]

The reason Sean specifically was picked off in the ambush was because he was the only one the Grays actually saw during the tobacco burning mission. At one point you can hear one of them yell "I've got eyes on the redhead" or something to that effect, which I only noticed on my most recent playthrough and was like, ouch! Sean's always been my favorite fr, I would deadass marry him if he were real, and also not have his ass dead. Poetry.

[@mtthw1597]

I was so amazed and shocked by Sean's death. This mission was for me like Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire moment when you realize that shit is getting real. Up to this point it was classic GTA style fun story about robbing shooting etc. you don't even consider that something gonna happen to this gang because its all fun and games and then it happens Sean got shot in the head infront of your eyes and then you just realize that this story becomes dark and real and not everyone will survive till the end...

[@nickbuckley4371]

Rdr1 was after this is was that burning hope Arthur’s friends survived but no kill them off it definitely was sad

[@stepdadmagic8258]

Good vid, but I think there is a HUGE piece missing that ties Sean’s death to the major themes of the story. The theme I’m referencing is that RDR2 takes place in the end of the time of outlaws. Sean repeatedly and enthusiastically tells Arthur that he is the young buck who is the next generation of outlaws that will eventually take his place. His (and Lenny’s) deaths are physical manifestations that there will be no more outlaws, and that Dutch’s gang will meet the same reckoning. Arthur is aware of this in chapter 3 just as much as he is in chapter 6. but doesn’t yet have the realization that he has the autonomy to get the people he cares about out of this life before it is too late.

[@guyman1899]

Well said, and nice wording, mate! I get your point

[@jerryragan]

As for the Karen and Sean love affair is when you are at camp and they throw a party for Sean's return. I think Michah had something to do with his death and Arthur figured something out. ( side note I think Michah was betraying the gang from the beginning. The ferry job is the first clue. Listen to what Dutch says. In the very beginning when Arthur ask if he thought it was a set up. I think Michah also set up Arthur when Colm's gang abducts Arthur )

[@maheeppanwar4756]

Nope it's revealed that michah betrayed the gang in chapter 6 not before that, he wouldn't have shot the sniper if he planned it

[@thekingmeez1203]

Tbh Micah was right all along the gang really should have put their focus into the black water money doing more “scores” only brought attention personally I think they could’ve sent Sadie and Charles as a back up since they were not as involved in black water

[@maheeppanwar4756]

@@thekingmeez1203 Tbh can't blame Micah for betraying the gang, the Pinkertons were gonna kill all of them one by one sooner or later and Dutch was going crazy

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

I was shocked Micah was still even in the gang after the job which was hid idea went so bad I would expect him setting them up

[@lorealiiiii]

@@maheeppanwar4756traitorous psycho is what micah was lol

[@slayednpked1]

I can definately say I love Micah’s ability to lay some lead down

[@robertphillips213]

Sad that the best part of Micah is his ability to cause death.

[@ReitanaViscera]

​@@robertphillips213 you have a point but doesn't that also go for most every other gang member as well

[@themoongateofficial]

@@robertphillips213deadeye pretty much

[@enigma7310]

*He was the only shooter in the gang that was colorful and humorous unlike the dark, serious and brooding types like Arthur, Bill, Micah and even Hosea at times ect....he was the man that can make the ladies laugh and blush he made the gang look innocent and multicultural...*

[@donmegadonmega3533]

Multicultural belongs to My man Javier

[@cwebb6737]

For me, it was just how fast, and how brutally Seans death was. He was arthurs buddy, they’re just walking theough town talking, then he’s dead. Gone, atone cold on the ground. It was so fast and so surprising. It really highlighted the fact people were gonna start dropping like flies.

[@jaydenfisherncfc]

The Irish get it so bad in Red Dead and In Rockstar games as a whole

[@nicolasmatheusfernandesdos6229]

I feel Sean's death also marks the point of no return for us in the game. When I was playing, it felt like a great, campy western with most of the gang being alright, no 'real' stakes on our side, so all I kept wondering was "How do we get out of this one now?" Sean's death is THE twist for me, where you suddenly get pulled back down to reality instantly. It's a shot to the head, there is no hope once you see it happen. And to be followwd up by Jack disappearing, it's a perfect 1-2 punch, IMO

[@WaterVolt1917]

Am I genuinely the only person who realizes you can find the Gray’s gold in RDR1? I can’t remember exactly where it is but it’s hidden between two rocks and you can stumble across it in New Austin when exploring the world as John, therefore finally putting the mystery to rest.

[@enthusiasticallydry]

according to a letter in rdr2, it says that two people from the seperate families took gold from each or their families and ran away together

[@enthusiasticallydry]

@@Lumbaginator maybe

[@smokinjoe4709]

​@@enthusiasticallydry Beau and Penelope stole it.

[@enthusiasticallydry]

@@smokinjoe4709 no

[@smokinjoe4709]

@@enthusiasticallydry yes

[@Manuelz]

I’ll never forget what I said literally moments before Sean’s death. “Sean is one of my favorite characters” imagine my depression after his death

[@blasterkrios7253]

I know how You feel... The death of Sean was a very unexpected and painful moment of los for me, Even as if he were a real person to me at that moment. Also i forgot to mention that 3 days before i went yo see that. I was bussy killing necromorphs in Dead Space 2 DLC only to sees myself how Gabe (the protagonist) dies in a heroic but sad way too 😢

[@nanomachines2954]

Rockstar: creates interesting well-written characters Also Rockstar: kills them just 1 chapter later

[@JohnV170]

I actually think sean is still alive, i mean sure it appeared his entire head blew apart, but maybe it wasnt as bad as it looked? How deadly can a bullet to the head be anyways? Realistically it would bounce off him, even the 30.06 round has been known to bounce off its target, that is a historical fact. So by my calculations Sean is fine, hes just sleeping for a while 😊

[@Stepin2]

😂

[@crypticrobin]

I never see anyone talk about this but a vid idea could be “What if Arthur went with Charles and helped the Wapiti tribe to Canada”

[@Everyonesbuddy829]

Arthur is right Sean, Bill & Micah is so dumb in the mission A Short Walk on A pretty town. It is like the middle of the day the setting of that mission & oddly Rhodes suddenly became a ghost town for such a small town you should see many people going out of their house doing their daily chores / job how come only Arthur saw something suspicious?

[@quentindiaz9418]

Actually i think Sean was thinking the same thing. Or he was going to agree with Arthur when he turned around before getting shot. He just had a different attitude about it because of his personality. "Now it don't feel right? I coulda told ya th--- *gets shot".

[@RobertMyers-bw1qk]

Sean actually agreed with Arthur that something wasn't right

[@Ryuks.4pple_reward]

3:55 I remember getting the Karen and Sean cutscene on my playthrough, I was literally just wandering around wondering where the hell everyone kept on getting the alcohol (During Seans party) and I was just like 'oop, ima just leave them to that.' whenever I heard / saw the full thing. Had no clue that it was hard to trigger lmao

[@lovelightstarboy]

Sean’s and Lenny’s death will always be the two that impact me the hardest, and will never stop shocking me every time I play through the story. They’re both just so sudden and unstoppable. Even when I know it’s coming, it doesn’t stop me from becoming stunned. They were both very young, with so much ahead of them, so many good moments with them, and then they’re gone in an instant. It really highlighted that hopeless feeling of being unable to stop what was coming.

[@abyssofrage7408]

Genuinely one of my favorite characters when he died I was so sad I had to take a break

[@guyjperson]

The gold wasn't a myth. You can find a letter in a box on the shore of the river north of Saint Denis that reveals that a PREVIOUS set of star-crossed lovers stole it all and gave it to charity. As for Sean. That really was a shocking moment. He really was an irritating character, but I liked him anyway.

[@panbot2203]

Wasn't fair man i new something wasn't right whe i started walking

[@kennedysolomon2964]

Broke my heart when Kieran Died THAT was unexpected

[@NoseCandyKermit]

I think its crazy how Micah without thinking headshots 3 people without thinking

[@guyjperson]

Yeah. Micah ain't no slouch with a revolver

[@keithhightower646]

I actually liked Sean. He was funny. I was a bit afraid he may have been a traitor, with the way he told auther to "sleep with his eyes open" and he sounded a little too serious. But that may be attributed to his sense of humor. But now that I think of it, the Pinkerton did have him for a while. Who knows how much he disclosed. Might be why the pinkertons knew so much about the gang when they first met.

[@CookedLikeaCookie]

Sean was my favorite charachter besides Arthur but I didnt even love Arthur until near the end of the game when he was starting to change. So honestly Seans death was also a time where we started to see Arthur reflect on the failings of this gang he is apart of. He was more affected by the lost of his friend than by the loss of money from Blackwater. His death changed a lot in the story but I still miss the guy and loved evey moment he got in the spotlight. Personally the moment Sean died I was heartbroken. I just remember saying how much I wish it were Bill or Micah that died. But as a story Seans death would be far more painful to the player than those other 2 douchebags. His backstory as an exiled IRA activist only make me admire him more.

[@Sebastian62608]

It honestly couldn’t have been anyone else except him and maybe Lenny. Everyone ele was either too crucial or they were in rdr1. Ironically Sean was out of luck.

[@peytongriffin6771]

As a player honestly at this point, it was when I started having suspicions about Micah just his lack of response or care was fishy

[@nickbuckley4371]

He definitely had the most western style death despite being Irish the calm before the shootout

[@ftwsam2246]

Yeah I walked into that mission and I actually got startled when Sean got his blown off.

[@RaulitoTheAssassin]

Sean dead and still no confeti gold! But a shit load of trouble😡

[@bigfella23729]

I still have one last fire bottle from that mission with Sean :(

[@Graydog801]

3:18 beardless uncle

[@gameparade4527]

At first i hate sean but he start to grow on me and then they shot him

[@PokémonPlush12]

Sean was only in 7 missions😢

[@OrggsOrggs]

Mate do one on Lenny?

[@CynicGTA]

Absolutely

[@user-yf1zc7zb6y]

I LOVE YOU SEAN MACGUIRE😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@MeepmcarthurtheSECOND]

3:57 they used John's tent 💀

[@TheFistOfTheWest]

*Thats not fucking funny*

[@Fieryxjoe]

I definitely think Sean's last mission being burning the fields, the most impactful and damaging thing the gang did in the family feud. It makes it seem like a direct consequence for the gangs actions there. Every time you think of Sean you think of him burning that field and being shot in the head. It is probably the gangs stupidest plan (introduce yourself to both families, fuck with both families for a months, ???, gold) and drives home that they aren't untouchable and your plans have real consequences. After this the player starts questioning the gangs plans and heists more. Will this be the next one to get someone killed?

[@loudelk99]

First time playing, I was surprised when Sean was killed. I wasn't expecting anything but another mission, it sure took a turn.

[@JohEl777]

I remember when I first played RDR2 thinking Sean was going to survive and become Irish in RDR1, then he got shot in the head.

[@Adarkane325xi]

If only that jerk in Rhodes had shot Micah instead of Sean. 😞 Sean was a likable ne’er-do-well. It’s funny how you lose Sean, Hosea and Lenny - all the “good” gang members - in relatively quick succession.

[@Makarosc]

Sean was one of the deaths I had spoiled for me but i wasn’t given enough details about it to know when it was so it hit pretty hard when it happened so soon plus i thought he was kinda funny

[@bio-phobia3895]

Sean's death was a surprise and wake up call for us and the gang, we thought we were immortal and the gang was untouchable

[@JohnReedy07163]

"In Broad Daylight" Yeah mine happened at night, Bastards killed Sean when it was dark outside.

[@Cheese_steak_]

The thing a about Arthur and Sean's relationship guys insult their best and most closest friends the worst

[@thatfamousredneck6422]

I got lik3 7 playthroughs and decided to replay when i saw the mission marker in rhodes i was like im not ready for thid

[@jefftheturtle4734]

Karen and Sean sleeping together is a rare event? Shit happened for me and thought nothing of it I was just confused

[@martinweee]

In my first playthrough when sean got shot i genuinely just stopped the game for s solid minute snd just stared into the tv i loved him in the start even more than lenny in that point

[@SPICYISHERE]

One of my friends irl looks like sean so i make fun of him, but yet again i look like colm O'Driscoll sooooo

[@G4MER28]

RARE cutscene? it happens everytime you play the party section of chapter 1.

[@jooeelng]

I still like to think he lives on... especially in RDR online, helping me get that sweet ol Capitale~

[@CornholioPuppetMaster]

This is when we realized there are consequences for screwing over 2 families

[@MrBluebirds22]

I don’t get all this love for Sean, he was an annoying character who didn’t add much

[@LLL417]

Hosea, Kieran, Sadie, Pearson, and Mary Beth are my favs in the gang.

[@pwnster14]

As much as I hate Micah I’m not gonna lie in a guy fight he’s definitely him 😂

[@eagleowl833]

This video has come at the exact right time. Im playing the game for the first time and yesterday i recognised that the mission i was about to do was the one were he dies so i shut off the game immediately because i cant let him die!!!!😭

[@maheeppanwar4756]

Actually when you go back to manor after the burning mission you can find one gold bar and loot Braithwaite

[@appealtoreason7584]

That’s not the gold the rumor is about though.

[@nickbuckley4371]

Also he has the most western death killed before the chaos

[@trashtalkterry2133]

:(

[@FrankyTorres-h7t]

Sean would have aid arthur in chapter 6

[@player2kus]

It definitely shocked me...wish he had more screen time

[@liminali.d]

i sobbed out loud and had to pause when it happened he was my favorite

[@brucejohns4932]

As shawn is talking in the mission where he died i was thinking "y'know Shawn could become one of my favourite characters, now the competition is between Hosea, Lenny, Charles and- WHAT!?!!!"

[@guyjperson]

Charles. It's always Charles. Arguably, he is the strongest protagonist of the franchise. He's such a calming influence for everyone, and he's the guy who buried Arthur. I'd play a Charles-based game in a second.

[@brucejohns4932]

@@guyjperson yeah I love Charles

[@chrishelbling3879]

Great analysis & superbly edited.

[@Carrot-Man1876]

Do you like carrots?

[@halksinzambia9080]

Why, dude, why?

[@nsaad3048]

First sign of R* reminding us that hey, this is about the downfall of the gang, remember? Because after Colter, the game could really fool you into thinking everything was manageable. The chaos transitioning from 3 to 4 was really a preview of what was to come later in droves.