What actions lower honor the most in RDR2?

In Red Dead Redemption 2, your honor level is a key gameplay mechanic that reflects your moral choices and impacts how NPCs and the world react to you. Actions that lower your honor the most are typically violent, selfish, or criminal in nature. These include killing innocent civilians, harming animals unnecessarily, robbing or looting innocent people, and committing crimes in towns or settlements. Each of these actions deducts a significant amount of honor, making it harder to maintain a high honor level.\n\nKilling innocent civilians is one of the most impactful ways to lower your honor. For example, if you shoot or attack unarmed NPCs in towns like Valentine, Saint Denis, or Strawberry, your honor will drop noticeably. This is especially true if you kill multiple people in a short period. To avoid this, always aim to de-escalate conflicts or use non-lethal methods like fists or lassoing to subdue aggressive NPCs without killing them.\n\nAnother major honor-draining action is harming or killing animals without a valid reason. While hunting for food or crafting materials is acceptable, killing animals for fun or leaving their carcasses to rot will lower your honor. For instance, shooting a deer and not skinning it, or killing farm animals like cows or chickens in settlements, will result in a significant honor penalty. Always ensure you hunt responsibly and use every part of the animal to avoid this.\n\nCommitting crimes like robbery, theft, or looting also drastically lowers your honor. For example, holding up a store or train, stealing from NPCs, or looting bodies in plain sight will reduce your honor. If you must commit crimes, do so discreetly and avoid witnesses. Wearing a mask can help, but it won’t completely prevent honor loss. A practical solution is to focus on robbing criminals or enemies, as this has less impact on your honor.\n\nLastly, antagonizing or harassing NPCs can lower your honor, especially if it escalates into violence. Insulting or threatening townsfolk, even without physical harm, can lead to minor honor deductions. Repeatedly doing this in areas like Rhodes or Blackwater will compound the penalty. To avoid this, use the Greet option instead of Antagonize when interacting with NPCs, as this can actually increase your honor.\n\nTo summarize, the most honor-draining actions in RDR2 involve unnecessary violence, cruelty, or criminal behavior. To maintain high honor, avoid killing innocents, hunt responsibly, commit crimes sparingly, and treat NPCs with respect. If your honor drops too low, you can rebuild it by helping strangers, donating to camp, or performing other honorable deeds. Balancing these actions is key to shaping Arthur Morgan’s moral journey in the game.