Charles Smith

"The amount of hell we've raised, we're owed some back."

- Charles Smith

Charles Smith is a major character featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Background
"A relatively recent recruit to the gang, Charles is quiet and reserved but extremely competent in everything he does and virtually unbeatable in a fight. A decent, honest man who also happens to be deadly."

- Description by Rockstar Games Born to an African American father and a Native American mother, Smith became one of the most recent additions to the Van der Linde gang joining roughly 6-7 months before the events of the game. He states that he and his father lived with his mother’s tribe until the US Army drove them away. His mother was captured by soldiers a couple years later and was never seen again, and his father fell into a depression and became an alcoholic. At the age of 13, Charles ran away and wandered the country, before joining various other gangs and eventually the Van der Linde gang in late 1898.

Colter Chapter
After the failed ferry robbery in Blackwater, Charles regroups with the gang in the mountains after finding their horses, and lets Arthur use Taima, who is Charles' horse, while giving Dutch his own, before Dutch asks him to go inside with the others. He also burnt his hand during an unknown incident, likely during the robbery. Soon afterwards, Arthur talks to Pearson about food, who informs them that they won't be able to live on their current supplies. Charles offers to take Arthur hunting for deer in the wilderness, where Charles teaches Arthur how to use the bow, due to his hand injury. Arthur successfully hunts down two deer, allowing him and Charles to bring them back to Pearson. Charles is also put in charge of the horses and keeping watch over captured O'Driscoll member Kieran Duffy. He later takes part in the robbery of the Leviticus Cornwall train.

On the way down from the mountains, Charles, Arthur Morgan and Hosea Matthews stay behind from the main caravan to fix the wagon. During the repair, Hosea points out the Native Americans atop a nearby cliff and proceeds to tell Arthur and Charles their history. Following up on the discussion, Charles states that he doesn't know if he even has a tribe and ran away at the age of thirteen when his father became an alcoholic, and wandered the country before eventually falling in with the gang.

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter
Charles is present in the Valentine saloon when the fight breaks out. He can be heard cheering Arthur during his fight against Tommy. Later, he is seen with Javier overlooking Blackwater in the hopes of freeing Sean MacGuire. Charles proceeds to get a vantage point for when they attack the bounty hunters, while Arthur, Javier, and Josiah Trelawny attack head-on. They then rendezvous at the enemy camp and free Sean.

Arthur can go buffalo hunting with Charles at some point during this chapter. The two kill a buffalo, before Charles decides that they should investigate a site being circled by vultures nearby. They find a dead, rotting bison, angering Charles. They find more of them, and eventually come across two poachers. Charles loses his usually-cool head and shoots one of the them; Arthur deals with the other, and his fate is left to the player.

Charles, along with Sean, John, and Arthur, partakes in a train robbery, one of the last things the gang does at Horseshoe Overlook. During the robbery, he deals with the engineer, allowing the other three to conduct the robbery.

After the gang realise they must relocate following the events in Valentine, Dutch sends Arthur and Charles to look for a new spot for camp. They head for Dewberry Creek, a location suggested by Micah. Upon arrival, they see a body of someone who got shot, and look around for clues. The pair come across a German mother and her children, whose father is missing. Reluctantly accompanied by Arthur, Charles searches for him, and they eventually find him tied up. After freeing him, the pair are attacked by bandits and, after fending them off, Arthur brings him back to his family while Charles goes back to the gang to divert the caravan to Clemens Point, a much better spot for camp.

Clemens Point Chapter
Charles takes part in Uncle’s stagecoach robbery of the Cornwall carriage, which turns out badly, forcing the gang members to flee. Along with Uncle, Bill, and Arthur, he shelters in a barn, hoping not to be seen. They are eventually found and, after the barn is lit on fire, they flee into the woods. They manage to fend off a final wave of attackers, before they can return to camp.

Later in this chapter, he and Arthur search for the whereabouts of Trelawny, who has been captured by bounty hunters. The two manage to slay the bounty hunters, although one final one captures Arthur, only to be killed by Charles with a throwable weapon. He later takes part in the assault on Braithwaite Manor, in the hopes of rescuing Jack.

Saint Denis Chapter
Charles, along with the rest of the gang, is involved in the robbery of the city's bank. He survives the ensuing gunfight, and later distracts some Pinkerton guards which allows Dutch, Bill, Javier, Micah, and Arthur can board a boat and escape the country.

Guarma Chapter
During the gang’s temporary separation when five of its members land on Guarma, Charles (along with Sadie) is largely responsible for organising the rest of the gang. He was a key player in keeping the gang together and united after the failed bank robbery‘s impact on morale, as well as organising the gang’s relocation to Lakay. He also helped in stealing the bodies of Hosea and Lenny from the morgue, and burying them in Bluewater Marsh.

Beaver Hollow Chapter
After Lakay was attacked by Pinkertons, Charles and Arthur are sent to scout out Beaver Hollow, in preparation for making it the new camp. During the expedition, they are forced to attack the Murfree Brood, who are occupying the hollow. The two clear it out, and kill all the members of the gang. After finding a girl who had been kidnapped by the Murfrees, Arthur takes her back to Annesburg while Charles goes back to the gang to direct them to the new camp at Beaver Hollow.

Charles rides into camp with Eagle Flies, and introduces him as the son of Rains Fall, chief of the Wapiti Indians. Eagle Flies tells them how the US Army took their horses, and he wants help stealing some from the army. Charles will then go along with Eagle Flies, Dutch, and Arthur to canoe silently alongside the army boat, before boarding and knocking out the guards. They then bring the horses back to the shore, and Eagle Flies brings them to his tribe.

Charles, along with Arthur go to help Rains Fall negotiate peace with Colonel Favours. After the negotiations collapse, Favours arranges for Captain Monroe to be charged for treason, Arthur and Charles fight him out. After a long battle, they put him on a train at Emerald Station, that is headed far away.

After Charles learns that Eagle Flies has been captured and awaits execution, he and Arthur go to Fort Wallace to get him back. Charles and Arthur sneak past the fort, stealthily killing several guards, before scaling the back wall. The two assault the soldiers in the fort, break Eagle Flies out, and canoe him to safety. Charles then brings him back to his father.

Charles is present in the camp when Eagle Flies rides in and asks for them to help him attack the Cornwall refinery. He goes with the gang to help, and joins Arthur's group, which rescues Eagle Flies, before meeting up with the rest of the gang at the warehouse. After Eagle Flies is mortally wounded, he helps bring him back to the reservation. He then effectively leaves the gang, opting to stay at the reservation to help the Wapiti Indians in getting away from the army.

Charles later returned to Roanoke Ridge after the disbandment of the Van der Linde gang, and buried the bodies of Arthur and Susan.

Beecher's Hope Chapter
Uncle and John learn that after all these years, Charles is alive and in Saint Denis. They ride to the city, and find him participating in a fighting tournament. Charles wins the fight, after agreeing to allow his opponent to win. The gangsters who he made the deal with, frustrated at being tricked, attack him, and try to kill him and John. The two kill the gangsters and flee the city before going to Beecher's Hope.

At Beecher's Hope, Charles comes to buy wood for a new house at the ranch. He hires two bodyguards to help escort them, but they are attacked by the Skinner Brothers. Charles and John kill the Skinners, before finding the dead body of one of the hired guns. After depositing the wood back at the ranch, Charles brings his body to Blackwater for burial. Charles then helps build the house along with John and Uncle, and in celebration for finishing it, they have a drink. While hungover, Uncle is taken by the Skinners, and the two assault the Skinners' hideout where they rescue Uncle.

Sadie comes by the ranch, and tells Charles and John that she has found out how to get to Micah. They, along with John, ride to Strawberry, where they find Cleet. After threatening Cleet with hanging, he reveals that Micah is at Mount Hagen, and they set out for the mountain. It is during this trip that Charles reveals that he wants to settle in Canada and start a family of his own there. After finally reaching Mount Hagen, Charles is immediately shot in the right shoulder by a sniper. Due to his gunshot wound, he is forced to stay behind Sadie and John, with his only action being killing Sadie’s attacker and thus saving her from being killed.

After returning to the ranch, Charles attends John and Abigail's wedding. He later gives his farewells to the Marston family, Uncle, and Sadie as he leaves the ranch. Charles's fate is uncertain, but it can be assumed that he left for Canada to pursue his intentions of living and raising a family there.

Personality
Charles has been described as a quiet and reserved person, yet very competent in everything he takes part of, especially fights, to the extent that he is able to successfully compete in fighting tournaments such as in Saint Denis in 1907. In addition, he was noted to be a decent and honest man in spite of his deadliness as a fighter. He is shown to be a courageous and sympathetic as well, providing whatever help he could to the Wapiti Indian reservation and going as far as to rescue Captain Monroe and Eagle Flies from the American Army. Arguably the most honourable member of the gang, Charles is cool-headed and reluctant to kill; the continuing blood spilt by the gang is ultimately what causes him to become disillusioned with it, with Charles developing a preference of helping the Wapiti Indians instead. He is also shown to be somewhat thoughtful and kind, too, burying Arthur in a particularly picturesque spot with a decorated grave stone, as well as, seemingly unconditionally, helping John to construct the ranch at Beecher’s Hope in 1907.

Appearance
Charles has a very muscular build, and is extremely strong and athletic. He has very long, free-flowing black hair which he later turns into a mohawk/braid look, seen after the return from Guarma. He also has very dark skin, with light stubble and scarring on his face. He wears a blue shirt with a dotted white pattern, brown trousers, boots, a gunbelt and a necklace, which is accompanied by a blue woolly jumper and a hood, in Chapter 2 temporarily. By 1907, his hair has returned to its original style of being very long and free-flowing, and he wears a striped white shirt with an undone brown vest, dark grey trousers, and black boots.

Mission appearances

 * "Outlaws from the West"
 * "The Aftermath of Genesis"
 * "Old Friends"
 * "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?"
 * "Eastward Bound"
 * "Americans at Rest"
 * "The First Shall Be the Last"
 * "Pouring Forth Oil IV"
 * "A Strange Kindness"
 * "An Honest Mistake"
 * "Magicians for Sport"
 * "Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern"
 * "The Battle of Shady Belle"
 * "Horsemen, Apocalypses"
 * "Banking, The Old American Art"
 * "Fleeting Joy"
 * "That's Murfree Country"
 * "A Rage Unleashed"
 * "The Fine Art of Conversation"
 * "The King's Son" (Boss)
 * "My Last Boy"
 * "Bare Knuckle Friendships"
 * "Home Improvement for Beginners"
 * "The Tool Box"
 * "A New Jerusalem"
 * "Uncle's Bad Day"
 * "American Venom"

Trivia

 * If the player antagonizes the camp enough, Charles will punch Arthur out and throw him out the camp, just like Lenny, Javier, Bill, and John.
 * Charles’ sidearm and weapon of choice is a Sawed-off Shotgun, which is unique from other gang members in that it is not a revolver and it is not customised in any way.
 * Occasionally, if Arthur has spent a long time away from camp, then Charles may be sent by Dutch to track down Arthur. After he has found Arthur, the player then has the option to fast travel back to camp with him.

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