Dutch van der Linde

"We can't always fight nature, John. We can't fight change, we can't fight gravity, we can't fight nothin'. My whole life, all I ever did was fight..."

- Dutch van der Linde



Dutch van der Linde is a recurring character in the Red Dead series, appearing as a central character and one of the primary antagonists of Red Dead Redemption, and as a central character in Red Dead Redemption 2.

With the addition of the Liars and Cheats DLC pack for Redemption, Van der Linde is also a multiplayer character model that may be selected in the 'Damnation' section of the Outfitter.

Background
Dutch was born in 1858 to an unnamed Dutch father and an English woman called Greta. Little is known about his younger days. His father fought for the Union in the American Civil War and died in a battle (heavily implied to be Gettysburg). Because of his father's death, Dutch seems to have developed a grudge against Southerners. Dutch also mentions that he left his home when he was 15 years old because he rarely got along with his mother, who died at some point prior to 1899 and was buried in Blackwater however Dutch only found out several months after the fact from an uncle of his.

He valued liberties above all else and dreamed of living an independent existence. To attain these desires, Dutch began to resort to a life of crime. In the early days of his criminal life, Dutch had an "odd" partnership with Colm O'Driscoll, a fellow infamous outlaw and the leader of his own gang. At some point, Dutch met and befriended Hosea Matthews, a con artist who tried to rob Dutch who likewise tried to do to do the same to Hosea. Dutch and Hosea later formed their own gang and began to operate in West Elizabeth. Notable members that joined the gang were Arthur Morgan, Micah Bell, John Marston, Abigail Marston, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuella. At some point later, Dutch and Colm became bitter enemies after Dutch killed Colm's brother and Colm killed Dutch's lover Annabelle in retaliation.

At this time, Dutch was an altruistic and idealistic rogue, believing the gang could make a difference in the world. He fashioned himself into a Robin Hood figure, taking money from those who had more than they could ever need, and giving it to those who had very little, and truly needed it. He saw himself as a symbol of the romanticized Wild West, and a humanitarian champion of the people, opposing government control, supporting individual liberty and punishing general human cruelty and selfishness. His romantic image and charisma inspired his gang to believe in his vision of a "Savage Utopia", and it was in the name of Dutch and his cause that they committed crimes such as murder and robbery. By 1899, Dutch was reluctantly starting to realize that the way of life he held dear was fast becoming an unrealistic proposition.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2
"The leader of a sizable gang of outlaws and misfits. Idealistic, anarchic, charismatic, well‐read, well‐ lived, but possibly starting to unravel under the pressures of the encroaching modern world."

- Rockstar Games' description of Dutch for Redemption 2. The Van der Linde gang attempted one last big score in the form of a Blackwater ferry heist, however, it ended in disaster and the gang was forced to flee into the blizzard mountains of Ambarino to escape the heat. The specifications of the heist are kept very vague, but it's known that Dutch killed a defenseless young mother named Heidi McCourt during it. The events of Blackwater shook Hosea's faith in Dutch, though he admits that his faith in their mission had been dead for a long time before this.

Colter Chapter
Dutch and his gang reluctantly travel into the heart of the blizzard in a wagon convoy, where they rest up in a small mining town called Colter. Dutch gives an inspirational speech to the gang and heads out with Arthur to meet up with Micah. After Micah tells Dutch that he found a homestead that appears to have a party going on, the three head out. After showing up at the homestead, the gang members soon learn that the residents are all O'Driscolls. A shootout erupts, with Dutch, Arthur and Micah eliminating them. After searching the house, they find a hysterical victim of the O'Driscolls named Sadie. Dutch brings Sadie back to camp and, a few days later, attacks the O'Driscolls camped nearby. The mission is a success, and the gang gains intel about a Cornwall train traveling nearby and finds dynamite to take it out. The gang then moves to attack the train, and although the dynamite doesn't go off, the train and its money are taken by the gang. Now with some money in their pockets, and the thaw coming, he decides to finally evacuate the mountains.

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter
Not long after arriving at the new camp location, Micah is arrested in the town of Strawberry. Dutch, knowing he can't go to Strawberry himself due to being wanted in the area, sends Arthur to break Micah out.

Dutch and Strauss go to Valentine to see John and Arthur after they threw a successful train heist. During the visit, Leviticus Cornwall and his hired guns capture Strauss and John, and demands that Dutch comes outside. Dutch and Arthur rescue them, before fighting their way out of the town back to camp. Realizing that they can't stay in the area, he sends Charles and Arthur to investigate an area in Lemoyne for a new camp location.

Clemens Point Chapter
After moving to the new camp location, Hosea, Arthur, and he go riding. They encounter Sheriff Gray who has captured Trelawny, due to him running an illegal gold prospecting operation. After Arthur re-captures a group of outlaws who escaped, Trelawny is released. If the player wishes, Dutch, Arthur and Hosea can go fishing. Later, Gray decides to make Arthur, Dutch, and Bill deputies in order to crack down on a Braithwaite funded moon-shining operation. With the help of Archibald, the three gang members succeed in bringing down the moon-shining operation, earning favor with the Sheriff.

With considerable persuasion from Micah, Dutch decided to attend a “truce” meeting with Colm O’Driscoll. However, it actually turns out to be a trap to catch Arthur, with the hope of luring Dutch in and capturing him and giving them to the Pinkertons. Arthur manages to escape, however.

After Jack is captured by the Braithwaites, Dutch orders an assault on Braithwaite Manor. The gang members storm the manor and slaughter the family members. After Jack is nowhere to be seen, Dutch torches the manor before interrogating Catherine Braithwaite and forcing her to reveal to them that Jack is being held hostage by Angelo Bronte. Dutch then orders for the gang to ride away, and later orders them to relocate farther south.

Saint Denis Chapter
After moving to the Saint Denis area, he, Dutch, and John ride to the city and confront Bronte. Bronte agrees to give back Jack if in exchange they do a job for him. After Arthur and John deal with some grave robbers, Bronte releases Jack and gives them an invitation to the Mayor's party.

At the Mayor's party, Dutch hears someone talking about Cornwall and tells Arthur to go and find out more about him.

Dutch calls over Arthur and Lenny, and tell them that Bronte also gave him a tip that the Saint Denis trolley station is carrying a large amount of cash. In fact, the trolley station is carrying almost no money, and they are forced to fight their way out of the station, to safety. During the escape, the trolley crashes and Dutch gets a concussion, receiving a head injury that he insists is nothing to worry about. Afterward, he vows revenge on Bronte for betraying him.

During the O'Driscoll assault on Shady Belle, Dutch tells Arthur to find Sadie and get inside of the building, and helps fight off the O’Driscolls from inside the manor.

Dutch and Arthur go to the town of Lagras, where they make a deal with a fisherman that if they find one of his people who has disappeared, he will drop the gang off at Bronte's doorstep. Arthur and Dutch succeed in saving his life, and the fisherman keeps his promise. The gang comes ashore at Bronte's home, and after fighting through his Manor, capture him. With police closing around them, the gang fights their way through, and back to the boat. Along the way back, Dutch kills Bronte for his betrayal, drowning him and feeding his corpse to an alligator, shocking John and Arthur.

After deciding to do one more heist before sailing to a peaceful island and leaving the gang life, the Saint Denis bank robbery quickly goes wrong due to it being a set-up. The robbery costs Lenny and Hosea their lives, and Dutch is never the same again. The remaining gang members stow away on a boat destined for the south pacific, with the intention of coming back for the others.

Guarma Chapter
Along the way, the ship sinks, and all the gang members besides Arthur regroup on the shore. Not long after Arthur finds his way back to them, the local military arrest them and transport them in shackles to jail. Along the way to the jail, the rebels bombard the soldiers with bullets. In the confusion, Arthur manages to unlock their shackles, and the gang kills the guards in the area. Hercule Fontaine, the revolutionary leader tells the gang to follow him. Hercule leads the remaining gang to a small rebel outpost, stocked with Bolt Action Rifles. Reinforcements soon arrive, but they are victorious. They then retreat to the rebel outpost of La Capilla.

Dutch rests for a short time at La Capilla, before he and Arthur go to rescue Javier, who was captured in the battle with the Guarman military. Arthur and he go to a cave where an old lady named Gloria is. Dutch pays her gold to lead them through the cave, to Aguasdulces. It is then that she demands more money, and when Dutch doesn't pay her, she pulls a knife on him. Dutch then grabs and kills her, saying she would have betrayed them. The pair then enters Aguasdulces, where they see Colonel Fussar and a group of soldiers, who are leading a donkey that is dragging Javier along. Dutch quickly sees a way to cause a distraction in the sugar refinery. Dutch cuts up the bags of sugar, spilling them on the floor, before blowing up the furnace. In the distraction, they rescue Javier, before fighting their way out of the settlement.

The gang then goes to the rebel stronghold of Cinco Torres. Not long after arriving, a Cuban warship approaching, and swarms of enemies attack. The gang and Hercule shoot at them from above, before moving down to the beach and vanquishing them. Realizing the warship has to be silenced, Dutch orders an assault against it, and the warship is eventually sunk by cannon fire.

They then set out cutting their way to the ship. While fighting in Aguasdulces, Dutch breaks into the workers’ cabin and finds Arthur being held at gunpoint by Levi Simon. Dutch points his gun at Simon, before Fussar comes in, where he and Dutch hold each other at gunpoint. The standoff ends when Arthur kicks the ship captain his rifle, who kills Simon by shooting him in the chest. Fussar flees the cabin and runs. They then set out fighting their way to the ship in earnest, and finally reach the port. They then set sail for the mainland at last.

Beaver Hollow Chapter
After coming back to the gang at Lakay, the outlaws are attacked by Pinkertons. The gang narrowly fend off the attack, and Dutch tells Arthur and Charles to go investigate Beaver Hollow for a new possible camp location.

Dutch begins to grow increasingly paranoid, and orders Arthur and Sadie not to rescue John from Sisika Penitentiary, as Dutch believes he is a traitor. After they rescue him anyway, Dutch gets furious for the insubordination.

Later, Dutch goes to Annesburg with Micah and Arthur for a “social call” with Leviticus Cornwall. Dutch confronts Cornwall after arriving in his yacht, and eventually offers Cornwall his life in exchange for ten thousand dollars, his yacht and safe passage away from the place, to which Cornwall laughs and refuses. Dutch decides to pull the trigger on Cornwall, and shoots him in the chest. Dutch, Arthur and Micah are then forced to fight their way out of the town.

At some point, Colm O’Driscoll is caught and sentenced to hang in Saint Denis. Aware that Colm had escaped the past two times, Dutch attends his execution disguised as a police officer with Arthur and Sadie to sabotage any rescue attempt. The sabotage succeeds and Colm is hanged, although Sadie is unable to contain her rage and opens fire on O’Driscolls, initiating a firefight. Afterwards, Dutch returns to Beaver Hollow.

Eagle Flies later rides into Beaver Hollow and tells the gang that the army stationed at Fort Wallace has taken their horses, and he needs help to get them back. Dutch, seeing an opportunity to hurt damage the government, agrees. He calls for Charles and Arthur to follow him, and the four men ride east where they plan on stealing horses from a government ferry. The four of them swim to the boat, sneak on board, and knock out the guards. They then grab the horses and flee back to shore. After reaching the shore, Eagle Flies and Dutch take the horses back to the reservation while they plan their next move.

Dutch orders Arthur to meet up with him and a group of Indians led by Paytah and Eagle Flies. Dutch tells him that they plan on trapping the soldiers in the canyon and tar-and-feathering them, and the two get to work. After placing dynamite next to the trees, they wait for the soldiers to arrive, and blow the dynamite. The trees collapse, blocking the road, and they order the soldiers to drop their weapons. Unfortunately, reinforcements arrive and swarm the would-be-ambushers. They fight their way down the pass, but all the Indians are killed or captured, and Arthur and Dutch are forced to run. They flee to the top of a cliff, and after being surrounded by the army, jump to the rapids below, allowing them to escape.

Eagle Flies shows up at Beaver Hollow with a large force of warriors from the reservation and tells the gang that the army raided the reservation. He then asks for the gangs to help in destroying the Cornwall company distillery in retaliation. It is then that Rains Fall rides in, and begs for his tribe not to go for war. They instead ride off, leaving the gang behind. After a quick discussion, the majority of the gang follows, only to arrive to find the battle all but over. Many Wapiti were dead, Eagle Flies was fighting for his life in the center, and a small group of warriors was surrounded near the warehouse. The remnants met up with the gang, and they split into two groups with Dutch leading a force to take the warehouse. Under heavy fire, they make little progress until Arthur's force arrives, and they begin to drive back the enemy. After fighting to the warehouse doors, Dutch and Arthur enter and take the government bonds. As they leave, however, a pipe bursts and it causes Arthur to be knocked over and stunned. He is attacked by a small group of soldiers, but Dutch exits the warehouse and leaves Arthur to die, making no attempt to save him. After Arthur is saved by Eagle Flies (who is mortally wounded in the process), Dutch denies leaving Arthur to die when confronted, and rides with the money back to camp.

Dutch and Micah plan "one last score" off of a nearby train. When Arthur arrives, he reveals that Uncle, Pearson, and Mary-Beth fled, and calls them cowards. After Arthur suggests letting John and his family go to, Dutch becomes furious, but quickly calms down and seemingly agrees. During the heist, John is shot and falls off of the train. Dutch claims he'll try to save John and leaves for a while. When he comes back, he claims John has already died.

Following the heist, the gang learns that Abigail has been arrested for murder. Despite the gang's code, Micah quickly points out the risks of making a rescue attempt and implores Dutch to abandon her. Dutch agrees with him and heads back to camp, infuriating Arthur and Sadie, who go after her themselves.

When Arthur returns to camp, he reveals that Agent Milton's informant was in fact, Micah. This initiates a standoff between nearly everyone in camp, but Dutch initially refuses to participate. During the standoff, John appears and reveals that not only he did not die during the train heist, but that Dutch, fearing John was a traitor, made no attempt to rescue him. Micah shoots Miss Grimshaw and John sides with Arthur, causing Dutch to finally take out his guns and join Micah along with the majority of the gang. The showdown is cut short by an intervention from the Pinkertons, and in the chaos, Dutch and his men slip away, leaving John and Arthur to fend for themselves.

He eventually reappears, either at the ruins of the camp or in the mountains depending on Arthur's choice. Either way, he intervenes in the fight between Micah and Arthur. Arthur, with his final breaths, pleads to Dutch and swears that Micah is the traitor. Micah asks Dutch to come with him and take the money, but Dutch, unable to bring himself to decide who to turn on, simply walks away, signifying the end of the Van Der Linde Gang.

Beecher's Hope Chapter


Eight years later, Dutch comes out of hiding to join Micah's Gang and partner with him in order to finally retrieve the Blackwater money. Upon storing the money, John and Sadie storm their hideout in order to get revenge on Micah. Dutch reveals himself and steps into a three-way standoff with them. Although he initially appears to be on Micah’s side, he eventually shoots Micah, mortally wounding him and freeing Sadie. John then seals Micah’s fate by repeatedly shooting him, to which Dutch walks away, ignoring John's attempts to thank him. He also consciously leaves the Blackwater money behind, financially securing Sadie, Charles, and the Marston family for life.

Post-Redemption 2
Van der Linde had not been seen nor heard from in a few years, and despite claims of sightings he was thought to have perished in a fire following a botched robbery in 1906. Meanwhile, another article in 1907 suggests he is active in the tall trees area (suggesting that he had at least been scouting the Cochinay location). During one of the cutscenes in "The Gates of El Presidio", it is said by Javier Escuella that Dutch is “in Colombia“ and not likely to be seen ever again. This was later proven to be a lie.

Events of Red Dead Redemption
When Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella are dealt with in Mexico, Edgar Ross declares that John is not finished hunting his old gang. He is told that Dutch is back in the West Elizabeth region and that Marston is obliged to kill him. Together with a Native American named Nastas and Professor Harold MacDougal, John tries to hunt down Dutch. Nastas tells Marston and MacDougal of Dutch's fortress in the mountains called Cochinay, where he has recruited a new gang consisting of Native Americans that lived in poor conditions on local reservations. Dutch takes advantage of the natives mutual hatred of the government and has created an army now holed up in the mountainous fortress. Dutch's Gang has been attacking and harassing settlers outside of Blackwater. The Blackwater Ledger makes mention of an incident where Dutch and his gang killed two men on a homestead north of Blackwater.

John and Nastas investigate and scout Cochinay with the goal of locating Dutch himself. Nastas is injured while climbing the mountains, so John continues the climb alone. After killing a scout, John picks up his binoculars. When looked through, John observes Dutch killing a captured police officer. After looking away, John returns his glance on Dutch again only to see Dutch now aiming at him. A shot is fired, but it hits the binoculars, causing John to fall back and get knocked unconscious. Satisfied, Dutch holsters his pistol. Not long after, the Bureau of Investigation receives word that Dutch's Gang has robbed the Blackwater Bank and has taken hostages inside.

After taking a sniping position and gaining entrance to the bank, John confronts Dutch with a group of sheriffs and has him corned in an upstairs office. However, Dutch is holding a young woman hostage at gunpoint. Dutch takes the moment to speak with John, all the while slowly making his way towards the exit. Dutch asks about John's family, remarking how fast time flies before berating his marriage to Abigail telling the sheriffs that John "married a whore". When John brings up that Dutch had left him to die years prior, Dutch dismisses this and mocks John for being an "errand boy" for the government. Dutch suddenly inches closer to the door and shoots the young woman in the head while throwing her corpse into John's arms. John and the sheriffs pursue Dutch on horseback after realizing he escaped in an automobile parked outside the bank. They come across the automobile, now wrecked, and with Dutch nowhere in sight.

Later, Dutch and his gang surround the Blackwater Hotel while John and Professor MacDougal are inside. Shouting up at John, he announces that he plans on killing John and the Professor for "sport". However, John and MacDougal escape out of a window and across the rooftops before reaching a pair of waiting horses. John is then able to safely escort MacDougal to the train station at Manzanita Post.

The U.S. Army launches a full scale assault on Cochinay. After weakening Dutch's forces by luring them out of Tall Trees and into the Great Plains where the army ambushes them, John Marston, Edgar Ros, and Archer Fordham ride to Cochinay with a garrison of U.S. Army soldiers with the intention of killing Dutch and ending his gang. The army assaults Cochinay, gunning down most of Dutch's Gang. John tells the American Army Captain to tend to his wounded while he faces Dutch alone. Seeing John coming, Dutch mounts an armor-plated Gatling Gun and attempts to use it to gun down John. However, John shoots an oil lantern fixed behind Dutch, causing a fire that forces him off the gun. Dutch then flees into the caves with John chasing after him. The caves lead to atop a mountain cliff where John holds Dutch at gunpoint.

Dutch tosses his pistol off the mountain and the two exchange words. Dutch remarks the inevitability of his situation and the changing times. He laments that his whole life he tried to fight societal change but that, like gravity, change was always constant. John asks Dutch why he could never give up if he knew his fight for change was in vain. But Dutch explains that he couldn't give up as it was too much in his nature to fight. John coldly claims that if Dutch won't surrender, he'll have to shoot him. Dutch smirks at this and comments on the hypocrisy of law enforcement, saying that after he dies, the law will find "another monster" to target and use that to justify their wages. Dutch takes a step back towards the mountain cliff and says "Our time has passed... John" before allowing himself to fall back off the cliff to his death, choosing suicide over capture. Edgar Ross later shoots Dutch's corpse with a pistol in order to make it look like John shot him, claiming that it "looks better in the report that way".

Dutch's prediction of the bureau not stopping after his death came true. In The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed, John himself became the next target of the agency and this subsequently leads to his death.

Philosophy
"The promise of this great nation. Men created equal, liberty and justice for all. That might be nonsense to. But it's worth trying for. It's worth believing in. Can't you see that, friend?"

- Dutch reassuring Arthur Morgan to have faith in his ideal America Dutch seems to carry a philosophy similar to other characters in Red Dead Redemption. Dutch seems to want a world that goes along the lines of a Hunter-Gatherer Society, a world that opposes technology and governmental control and where men fight to survive. A world where men live like they did in the old Wild West. Dutch shows a common disgust and contempt for urban cultured towns like Blackwater or industrialized cities like Saint Denis. As these locations serve as a monument to technological and industrial progression, something Dutch violently opposes. Dutch equates technological and industrial progression as powerful ways the federal government can exert control over the population, especially disenfranchised groups of people such as the Native Americans and people who live in poverty.

Another part of Dutch's philosophy seems to be returning to the older ways. While the New West promotes clothing, technology, and civilization, Dutch seems to want to move back to the Old West which promotes survival, discipline, and using skill and courage to overcome hardship. As the culture in the west progresses to a modernist view that praises and rewards forced conformity, incorporation and employment on a large societal scale. Dutch would prefer people remain civilized where they are and allow the Old West to survive in the way to which it has grown accustomed, and when the Federal Government, will not allow him or his people to live their lives the way they wish, he attacks.

It should be noted that Dutch's heavy emphasis on personal values such as liberty, equality, cultural tolerance and natural law aligns with Enlightenment ideas that encompassed the Age of Enlightenment movement during the 18th century. Many of the models and theories proposed during this time are currents of thought that Dutch frequently uses to share his beliefs. Dutch is particularly a frequent user of the social contract. Which is an enlightenment examination model used to highlight how individuals in a society surrender their freedoms to a higher power or authority. While recognizing that law and political order are not natural nor dependent on government. But instead that human rights are universal and inalienable. Dutch often laments that individual freedoms must be sacrificed to authority. An authority he views as greedy, dishonest and prejudice. The Old West is the perfect environment for a society based on natural rights, which is why Dutch violently opposes anything that threatens to end this way of life.

Personality
Dutch himself is shown to be a merciless killer who justifies killing innocent people or lawmen as a way of combating the corruption of the federal government. Despite his brutal ways, Dutch is shown to be educated and, unlike many outlaws, believes he is committing these crimes for idealistic reasons rather than greed.

Dutch preaches "loyalty" and "faith" as being among the highest and most honorable tenets. Before Hosea's demise, he often consulted him and Arthur on important decisions, putting it to a vote between the three of them. After the disastrous bank heist in Saint Denis, Dutch puts a tighter grip on the gang, labeling anyone who questions him as a "doubter"; this makes it easier for him to make fiat decisions that decide the course of the gang without taking any input or criticism from those he is leading. In fact, whenever a member of the gang questions Dutch's actions, he immediately sees the act of doing so as traitorous and a threat.

Dutch commonly referred to John Marston and Arthur Morgan as his brothers or sons, implementing a family-like relationship with the gang members that have stuck by him for over several years. However, as Arthur and John continued to question his leadership, Dutch became increasingly resentful and paranoid of their motives. His paranoia and disdain for the "doubters" is shown when Dutch leaves both John and Arthur to die at two different points.

When Arthur is nearly killed by a soldier while fighting alongside Dutch, it is clearly shown that Dutch knowingly left Arthur to die when he could have helped him. However once confronted by Arthur on the subject, Dutch denies this and acts as if it never happened.

Not long after, Dutch would leave John to die during a train robbery following an argument with Arthur on allowing John to leave the gang to protect his family. Dutch was silently angered at the prospect that John was willing to leave the gang to protect his own family. When John was shot and left behind, Dutch lied to the entire gang, claiming that John had died. However, unexpectedly, a wounded John turned up to confront Dutch about leaving him to die. Again, Dutch denied this.

A testament as to how much Dutch values loyalty can be seen in Dutch's relationship with Micah Bell. During the final days of the Van der Linde gang, Micah Bell became Dutch's most trusted consultant, as Micah never questioned any of Dutch's actions. Dutch trusted in Micah so much that when Arthur revealed that Micah was the Pinkerton spy, Dutch couldn't bring himself to admit this fact, even after Micah shoots and kills Susan Grimshaw. It was only years later would that Dutch would come to terms with Micah's betrayal and exact vengeance.

In the years after his time in the Van der Linde gang, John Marston would reference Dutch's past actions and crimes with a Robin Hood-like idealism. However, John has also stated that this idealism was really just an excuse to mindlessly kill and rob people. This became more obvious as Dutch grew more violent and erratic as time went on, to the point where John and other members of the gang even questioned his sanity.

By 1911, the once idealistic rogue had become a delusional frantic killer who was secretly aware that all of the horrible crimes he committed changed nothing about the government or society.

In his final moments, Dutch expresses remorse for his actions, telling John that he couldn't stop fighting for his ideas even though he realized the futility of it simply because it was who he was. He even described himself as a "monster". Before committing suicide, Dutch told John that "Our time has passed", signifying his acceptance that the Old West way of life was dead and his ideals along with it.

Pre-1899
As seen in an old photograph on Arthur Morgan's wagon, Dutch is seen without his mustache and darker hair.

1899
In 1899 Dutch is shown as an average built man with a thick, black mustache and soul patch under his lips, he also has dark black, slick backed hair that curls at the end. He is always seen in elegant suits or fancy clothing: some examples include, a black and red vest with a blue and white pinstripe shirt and gold chains on his vest and a black tail coat and black hat, a low cut red vest with a white shirt and the same tail coat from the former outfit, during the Saint Denis bank heist he wears a white shirt and red vest and bigger tailcoat which leads to the survivor look in Guarma with an elongated mustache a large amount of scruff on his face. During the first chapter he wears a knee length coat and rifleman gloves, and during the mission in which you attend to Angelo Bronte's mansion, he wears a black and white three piece suit with a top hat.

1907
During the Epilogue of Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch briefly appears with an ungroomed beard and even longer hair with grey streaks, along with a very thick winter coat thrown over him.

1911
In 1911 Dutch has aged considerably with large white streaks through the sides and top of his hair, but has regained some of its previous color since 1907, and has gained obvious weight and wears an orange shirt and brown pants with a black and silver necklace. He also shaved his beard back down to a mustache without the soul patch and sports a more modern haircut.

Mission Appearances

 * Red Dead Redemption
 * "Great Men Are Not Always Wise"
 * "At Home With Dutch"
 * "The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)"
 * "And The Truth Will Set You Free" (Suicide)


 * Red Dead Redemption 2
 * "Outlaws from the West"
 * "Old Friends"
 * "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?" (Boss)
 * "Eastward Bound" (Boss)
 * "Americans at Rest"
 * "Paying a Social Call"
 * "A Quiet Time" (Boss)
 * "A Fisher of Men"
 * "The Sheep and the Goats"
 * "A Strange Kindness" (Boss)
 * "The New South" (Boss)
 * "American Distillation" (Boss)
 * Advertising, The New American Art
 * "Magicians for Sport" (Boss)
 * "Blessed are the Peacemakers"
 * "Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern" (Boss)
 * "The Battle of Shady Belle" (Boss)
 * "The Joys of Civilization"
 * "Angelo Bronte, A Man of Honor" (Boss)
 * "The Gilded Cage"
 * "Horsemen, Apocalypses"
 * "Urban Pleasures" (Boss)
 * "Country Pursuits" (Boss)
 * "Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten" (Boss)
 * "Banking, The Old American Art" (Boss)
 * "Welcome to the New World" (Boss)
 * "A Kind and Benevolent Despot" (Boss)
 * "Hell Hath No Fury"
 * "Paradise Mercifully Departed"
 * "Dear Uncle Tacitus"
 * "Fleeting Joy"
 * "That's Murfree Country" (Boss)
 * "Visiting Hours"
 * "Just a Social Call"
 * "A Rage Unleashed"
 * "Goodbye, Dear Friend"
 * "Favored Sons"
 * "My Last Boy" (Boss)
 * "Our Best Selves" (Boss)
 * "Red Dead Redemption"
 * "Old Habits" (Voice only)
 * "American Venom"

Red Dead Redemption

 * Ironically, Dutch uses a Semi-automatic Pistol, a symbol of future technology, when he is against civilization and modernisation himself. He also uses an automobile to flee from Blackwater after robbing the bank, which, ironically, is also a symbol of modern technology
 * In the mission "And The Truth Will Set You Free", when Dutch is forced off the machine gun, he has a High Power Pistol in his holster. When he is fleeing through the caves, the first time he fires at you is with a High Power Pistol, the second time he fires is with a Semi-automatic Pistol, and when he is cornered, he has a Cattleman Revolver, although on occasion the game will glitch and he will be holding a Semi-Automatic Pistol. It is possible that Dutch had a Cattleman tucked into his belt or in a pocket as a backup, although sometimes in "The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)", he will have a Cattleman in his holster and the Semi-Automatic Pistol in his hand. This is likely to be a glitch, however, as it also happens to John sometimes in "The Gates of El Presidio".
 * John implies that he still has respect for him, when he says to Agent Ross, "I'd kill you a hundred times before I killed Dutch if it were an option." The fact that John says this even right after watching Dutch shoot an innocent woman in the head could raise concerns about John's character as a person but is likely meant to show John's opinion towards Ross, more arguably, who he sees as worse than Dutch, probably because Ross has the power that he is corrupt with, which is the key thing Dutch has always been against as well as how John also condemned Dutch for being "the same crazy bastard he turned into" for murdering the innocent woman.
 * After Dutch has died, his lair can be explored. There is a well-stocked bookshelf and a desk with a typewriter, further emphasizing his intelligence and his paradoxical relationship with modernity. There is also a bathtub hidden behind a makeshift curtain.
 * These contradictions may also be intentionally emblematic of an underlying hypocrisy in Dutch and his gang. As John points out to Javier Escuella their philosophies were an excuse, which is something "[they] all knew." But it also could be speculated that Dutch did truly believe in his ideology (as well as Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, John Marston and others), but lost his mind and moral code due to his disillusionment and feelings of futility of his ideology creating positive change beside murdering and robbing
 * At the edge of the cliff on the mission "And The Truth Will Set You Free" Dutch appears to be wounded in the torso despite appearing unharmed moments earlier.
 * This could possibly hint towards perhaps in development the game was meant to allow John Marston shoot Dutch in gameplay as a "mini-boss" type of encounter, (in order to trigger the following cutscene with Dutch wounded) however it is not clearly specified how Dutch was wounded.
 * Dutch appears to be a frighteningly skilled shooter, as he is able to shoot John's binoculars from well over 100 feet away, on about a 70 degree upwards angle, with the wind, cold and gravity effects of being on a mountaintop working against him, and above all he does this with a single shot from what is meant to be a mid-range pistol, taking no more than a second to correct his aim.

Red Dead Redemption 2

 * In the mission "The New South", Dutch tells Arthur that his father was killed in a field in Pennsylvania fighting Southerners during the Civil War. This heavily suggests his father was killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the most famous battles of the Civil War.
 * His alias "Aiden O'Malley" is a reference to a character with the same name in Grand Theft Auto IV.
 * Dutch's mother, Greta van der Linde, is buried in Blackwater and her grave can be found in the game beside the Blackwater chapel.
 * Dutch's speech on the cliff at the end of the mission "Favored Sons" mirrors his last words said to John Marston in "And The Truth Will Set You Free".
 * If the player antagonizes him enough, Dutch will shove Arthur, just like Micah.
 * During a random encounter at Horseshoe Overlook, Dutch will state to members of the gang that his mother's ancestry hails from Lincolnshire County in England, while his father's family is from Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
 * Dutch uses a pair of custom Schofield Revolvers which have black, steel frames, pearl grips and golden engravings. While he is in Guarma, however, he uses a pair of Double-action Revolvers.

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