Nigel West Dickens

"I apologize if science is not your forté."

- Nigel West Dickens

 is a Major character in Red Dead Redemption.

Background
West Dickens poses as a traveling salesman, when he is really a con man, and is purported to have unique miracle cures for many medical and psychological problems, which he calls Nigel West Dickens' Elixir. He is an impeccable dresser and travels in an opulent emblazoned stagecoach.

Nigel West Dickens is involved in several essential gameplay missions. After working as Nigel's "bodyguard" on several scams, West Dickens helps Marston in the taking over of Fort Mercer, in which he provides an armored stagecoach.

Interactions


John Marston, after having worked with Marshal Leigh Johnson to clear Pike's Basin, is tipped off by deputy Eli that West Dickens has gone missing. He states that West Dickens is missed by his repeat customers in Armadillo. Marshal Johnson equates West Dickens with a drug dealer.

Marston finds West Dickens having been shot and exposed to the elements not far from his stagecoach south of Coot's Chapel, and returns him to the doctor in Armadillo while fighting off bandits who want to finish the job.

Despite Marston's personal dislike of him, West Dickens becomes the central networker and orchestrator of Marston's plan to assault Fort Mercer. West Dickens puts Marston in contact with Seth Briars and Irish, as well as supplying his newly armored stagecoach as a Trojan horse to deceive the outlaws.

After the assault on Fort Mercer, West Dickens suggests that he intends to travel abroad, having exhausted customers in the New Austin region.

He is later seen in Blackwater, being arrested for possession of "illegal narcotics,". John recognizes him and tells the officers to release him, stating he helped him catch Bill Williamson.

One of the first newspapers that can be bought in 1911 has an article about Dickens' "miracle tonic," stating it possesses extraordinary healing powers, saying a woman with one leg grew back her lost limb, and a man on his deathbed got up and went to the nearest brothel with the vigor of a 14 year old boy. It can be assumed that Dickens has greatly exaggerated, if not outright fabricated, these feats.

Mission Appearances

 * "Old Swindler Blues"
 * "You Shall Not Give False Testimony, Except for Profit"
 * "Liars, Cheats and Other Proud Americans"
 * "Can a Swindler Change His Spots?"
 * "The Sport of Kings and Liars"
 * "The Assault on Fort Mercer"
 * "We Shall Be Together in Paradise"
 * "Bear One Another's Burdens"

Trivia

 * Despite his outward opulence, West Dickens seems to know several shady characters, such as Seth and Irish. This may just go with him being a con artist.
 * Upon close inspection, one can see that his suit has several blood stains on it, hinting that he is often unsuccessful in his attempts at conning people (a theory that is proven judging by the many times Marston saves his skin).
 * He also has a rope burn around his neck, which can be seen when he looks up. Proving that at least once, he was hanged, but got out of it alive.
 * In the mission "The Assault on Fort Mercer", West Dickens is shown fighting Bill Williamson's gang with a revolver. This is the only time he fights anyone or uses a weapon of any kind (apart from the unlikely event he attacks the player).
 * When West Dickens is being arrested in Blackwater, he is arrested on the charges of narcotics.
 * At the end of "Can a Swindler Change His Spots?", he can be seen urinating on the ground.
 * If the player shoots near Dickens with a Double-barreled Shotgun, he can become violent and draw a revolver. If the player continues to shoot near him, he may do the insta-kill attack on West Dickens which, due to his apparent immortality, he survives. He then runs around for a time with a blood soaked, zombie like appearance. If this happens, he will run incredibly fast for his old age.
 * West Dickens was 68 years old in 1911 and 71 years old in 1914.
 * West Dickens' voice actor, Don Creech, played the infamous Mr. Sweeney from the Nickelodeon show "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide." Both characters are men of science, as Mr. Sweeney was a science teacher and West Dickens pretended his elixir was a new scientific discovery.
 * Although Marston initially hated Dickens, he calls him a "harmless old fraud" when he free Dickens of his arrest in Blackwater. Marston most likely, despite disliking Dickens' lifestyle, probably sees him as an ally, if not friend, due to his help on the assault on Fort Mercer.
 * He is one of new playable multiplayer characters in the Liars and Cheats DLC.
 * At the Cinema in Armadillo you watch a film about a doctor which is clearly based on West Dickens. Not only is there a strong physical resemblance between Dickens and the fictional character present in the film, but their business practices are similar.
 * His fate after Remember my Family is unknown.
 * He is set to appear in the upcoming DLC Undead Nightmare and is seen in the most recent trailer.

Quotes
"I know a cure for all ailments, Mr. Marston."

- Nigel West Dickens

"Bugger fuck! Goddamnit! Good heavens!"

- Nigel West Dickens