How RDR2’s Van Der Linde Gang Formed
Red Dead Redemption’s Van der Linde gang has a rich history, and it’s easy to explain how each RDR2 character became associated with the group.
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The Van der Linde gang consists of all the main characters in Red Dead Redemption 2, and even though the group is only briefly mentioned in the original Red Dead Redemption as John Marston attempts to hunt down his old gang members, the group still has important significance in the overall stories for both games.
In Red Dead Redemption, players assume the role of John, whereas they play as Arthur Morgan in its sequel Red Dead Redemption 2. These two characters grew up like brothers while being raised by the Van der Linde gang, and it’s leader (and namesake) Dutch, which ultimately makes the story of how the gang eventually breaks apart all the sadder.
Nevertheless, the origin story of the gang is extremely important, since it provides more context for how things play out in the original game and its sequel. Even more, it’s especially interesting to see the shift in Dutch from a caring father figure to a disillusioned anarchist, who is arguably responsible for the gang’s demise at the end of Red Dead Redemption 2.
How The Van Der Lindes Were Founded
The Van der Linde gang was originally founded by Dutch Van der Linde and Hosea Matthews. In Red Dead Redemption 2, players learn the two first crossed paths when they both attempted to steal from one another while en route to Chicago. Specifically, Hosea attempts to con Dutch, only to realize he’s already been pick-pocketed. Recognizing the talent they both had for thievery and criminal activities, Dutch and Hosea became a duo, eventually founding the gang together.
Hosea and Dutch traveled around conning people and pulling schemes for several years, and their antics eventually wound them up in jail in Ohio, though they were later able to break free. After their swift escape from prison, they met Arthur Morgan, aged 14 at the time, who would later become the main anti-hero of Red Dead Redemption 2. The two men and their female partners took Arthur in, thereby establishing the founding members of the gang. A few years later, the group ran into John Marston, who was only a child just like Arthur at age 12. John was going to be hanged after getting caught stealing, but the Van der Lindes saved him and took him in.
For years, the Van der Lindes became infamous for their successful yet often bloody bank heists. As they grew older, Arthur and John became like sons to Dutch in many ways, who shared his libertarian, anti-government views with them. They had a Robin Hood-esque motto in which they would only steal from the rich. In RDR2, Arthur reveals there was a time he got in trouble with Dutch after trying to steal from a poor man. But Arthur also admitted that Dutch’s views became more extreme and fanatical the older he got. At some point, as the motivations of the gang began changing, they became associated with Leopold Strauss, a loan shark that specifically targets the lower and working class.
Throughout the years, many members came and went from the gang. Some of the female members included Mary-Beth Gaskill, Tilly Jackson, and Karen Jones, all of whom had previous dealings in criminal activities before joining the Van der Lindes. In the mid-1880s, the gang became acquaintance with Abigail Roberts, who was then working as a prostitute. She eventually began a committed relationship with John, but he denied her child when she became pregnant, insisting the boy, Jack Marston, could have been a number of people’s in the gang. A decade later, the group became introduced to Javier, a Mexican immigrant on the run who quickly fit in with Dutch’s disillusioned beliefs. Lenny Summers and Charles Smith also joined after meeting the Van der Lindes near the Grizzlies, and later Micah Bell teamed up with them after saving Dutch’s life.
Things eventually go awry for the gang when they attempt to rob a riverboat that was transporting bank money. The Pinkertons arrived way too quickly, implying they were possibly tipped off. After narrowly surviving the shoot-out, the gang attempts to lay low by moving North to Ambarino, which then begins the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. The Van der Linde gang originally had deep roots in survival and family, but as the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 demonstrate, it wasn’t enough to keep the gang strong and unified.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/red-dead-redemption-2-van-der-linde-history/