Red Dead Redemption 2: The Life of Dutch Van Der Linde Explained
Dutch van der Linde is one of the most important characters across both Red Dead Redemption games. In the first game, John Marston has to hunt down his former gang leader, while Red Dead Redemption 2 gives players some insight into the man Dutch once was and tracks his fall from grace.
The freedom-based philosophy of Dutch van der Linde and its failure to hold up as the frontier begins to close around him is one of the central themes of Red Dead Redemption, and his full life story across the original game and Red Dead Redemption 2 is arguably one of the most interesting in Rockstar's repertoire.
Dutch van der Linde was born somewhere outside Philadelphia in the year 1855 to an English mother and a Dutch father. His childhood was an unhappy one. Dutch's father was conscripted into the Union Army during the American Civil War and was killed during an unnamed battle. His relationship with his mother deteriorated, and Dutch left home at the age of 15 in search of personal freedom.
That pursuit quickly found Dutch living the life of a petty criminal. While still a young man, he ran into a con artist named Hosea Matthews on the road. After talking for a while, the two men realized that they'd been robbed by the other, and believing they had each found a kindred spirit, the Van der Linde gang was born. One of the pair's early successes involved conning twelve residents of Kettering, Ohio out of $300 and getting caught before managing to escape while robbing the town's sheriff in the process.
Hosea and Dutch eventually met 14-year old orphan Arthur Morgan, who Dutch decided to take under his wing. Around this time, Dutch also began a romantic relationship with Susan Grimshaw, who also joined the gang. Their relationship would end, however, when Dutch fell in love with a woman named Annabelle. She was eventually murdered by notorious gang leader Colm O'Driscoll, igniting a feud began between the O'Driscoll and Van der Linde gangs which would last for years.
In the year 1885, Dutch found another protege. While travelling through Illinois, the gang rescued 12-year old John Marston, who was about to be hanged by local farmers for theft. Two years later, Hosea, Dutch, and Arthur successfully robbed $5000 from a bank. The gang stayed in town, handing out money to the residents and believing themselves to be modern-day Robin Hoods. The gang's membership grew in 1893 with the addition of Bill Williamson, and again in 1895 with Javier Escuella. Soon, the gang was filled with gunslingers, united under Dutch's philosophy of personal freedom.
There were a few key moments that led the members of Dutch's gang to begin questioning his judgement, and at times even his sanity. The opening of Red Dead Redemption 2 is preceded by a failed attempt to rob a ferry in Blackwater. The attempt was carried out under the advice of Micah Bell, who joined the gang in 1898. Though it isn't depicted, Dutch killed an innocent woman named Heidi McCourt during the botched job. Hosea in particular found this disturbing, though he had also become increasingly disillusioned with Dutch's leadership over the years.
The Blackwater Massacre forced the Van der Linde gang to hide out in the mountains of Ambarino for the winter. There, Dutch showed his better side, helping rescue the recently-widowed Sadie Adler from some O'Driscoll gang members. After a successfully robbing a train belonging to businessman Leviticus Cornwall, the gang was back on its feet.
As the gang continued committing robberies, they found themselves increasingly hounded by Pinkerton agents. During this time, Dutch had a few more moments that led some members of his gang to question his judgement. After rescuing Jack Marston from Saint Denis crimelord Angelo Bronte, Dutch drowned Bronte and fed his corpse to an alligator. Even though his son had been saved, John Marston was particularly disturbed by this act.
During a bank robbery in Saint Denis, Dutch witnessed Pinkerton Agent Milton kill Hosea, his oldest ally. Several gang members lost their lives during the job, and when the survivors escaped by boat, they lost the money overboard. They washed up on the island of Guarma, becoming involved in a local revolution. During this time, Arthur witnessed Dutch strangle an old woman named Gloria after refusing to pay her more money for guiding the pair through a cave system. This was a turning point in Arthur's perception of a man who had once been his father figure.
After an ambush gone-wrong in 1899, Dutch and Arthur found themselves backed up against a cliff-edge by the US Army. "You can't fight nature," Dutch told their pursuers, "you can't fight change. You can't fight gravity." The pair then escaped by jumping off the cliff into the rapids below. Dutch would later leave Arthur to die at the hands of the soldiers hot on the gang's tail, though Arthur managed to escape. Dutch later left John for dead during a botched train robbery, though John too survived.
With Dutch and Micah planning yet another dangerous robbery, the Van der Linde gang finally dissolved into chaos. Several members fled, and Arthur Morgan died. By 1907, Dutch and Micah had recovered the money from the Blackwater ferry job. When a standoff took place between John and Micah, who was holding Sadie Adler hostage, Dutch shot Micah dead. He then left, leaving the Blackwater money behind.
When John Marston was forced to hunt down several survivors of the gang in 1911, Dutch was at the top of the list. Dutch continued committing robberies throughout this time, though when John eventually had him backed to a cliff edge he threw his gun over. In an echo of his previous line, Dutch lamented his inability to fight his own nature, and let himself fall to his death.
Dutch van der Linde is determined to fight the inevitable death of his lifestyle despite knowing he can't. Though he knows he can't defeat nature, he also can't overcome his own natural desire to fight, something Dutch himself describes as a paradox. In the end, Dutch ends up being one of Red Dead's most deplorable characters, but also one of its most tragic.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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