Reservoir Dogs: Mr. Orange, the Ultimate Survivor?

Okay, Priya here! Just re-watched Reservoir Dogs for like, the millionth time. Still packs a punch! I know everyone dissects the whole 'who's the rat' thing (and I have my own theories on that too!), but I've been thinking a lot about Mr. Orange lately. Hear me out: is he secretly the most cunning character in the whole film? Like, everyone else is either dead, wounded, or going completely berserk, but he survives. He gets shot, yeah, but he manipulates the whole situation from his position on the floor. Think about it: he plays Mr. White like a fiddle. He gains his trust, gets him invested, and uses that to ultimately take down Joe Cabot (and Eddie, RIP Eddie!). He creates doubt perfectly, he gaslights them -- all while bleeding out! It's an insane level of manipulation. The whole 'tip the waitress' story feels a bit too rehearsed, I almost think the cops gave him the story but not enough time to practice and make it natural. The way he tells it, he's giving himself away a tiny bit with the unnaturalness. Of course, it's sad that Mr. White ends up dying because he believed in Orange. But Orange getting the truth to White at the end... did he need to? Or was that the final nail in the coffin for White's loyalty, necessary to control the situation entirely? Maybe a bit cynical, but I feel like Orange knew exactly what he was doing, even in his wounded state. Maybe I'm overthinking it, maybe I'm reading too much into Tim Roth's performance… But the ending is such a downer! What do you all think? Is Mr. Orange just a good cop doing his job, or is there something more calculating going on under that bloody shirt? I'm dying to know what others' takes are. Spill!