Dutch van der Linde

Dutch van der Linde
Gameplay
Game	Red Dead Redemption Red Dead Redemption 2
Biography
Nicknames	Archibald Smith Hoagy Macintosh Featherstone Chambers Aiden O'Malley Your Misery The Lord God almighty Your Majesty Butch the Visionary
Nationality	American (English and Dutch descent)
Gender	Male
Location	Redemption 2: Transitory Micah's Hideout on Mount Hagen in Grizzlies West, State of Ambarino (1907) Redemption: Cochinay in Tall Trees, Commonwealth of West Elizabeth (c. 1911)
Affiliations	Van der Linde gang (leader) Micah's gang (1907) Dutch's gang (leader) (1911) Colm O'Driscoll (formerly) Gray family (temporarily) Guarma Rebels (temporarily) Wapiti Indians (temporarily)
Family	Unnamed father dead Greta van der Linde (mother) dead Unnamed uncle Susan Grimshaw (ex-lover) Annabelle (ex-lover) dead Molly O'Shea (lover)
Occupation	Outlaw Gang leader Revolutionary Deputy (temporarily)
Additional info
Weapon	Semi-automatic Pistol Two custom Schofield Revolvers Two Double-Action Revolvers (temporary; while in Guarma) Browning Gun (temporary) Knife
Actor	Benjamin Byron Davis
Mount	The Count

“	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

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Dutch van der Linde is a recurring character in the Red Dead series, appearing as a central character and the secondary antagonist of Red Dead Redemption, as well 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.

Quick Answers

What is the significance of Dutch van der Linde's ancestry in the Red Dead series?

Dutch van der Linde, an American of English and Dutch descent, is a pivotal figure in the Red Dead series. As the leader of the Van der Linde Gang, he envisions a savage utopia in the West, opposing a corrupt power system. He mentors orphans and street children like Arthur Morgan and John Marston, imparting education and self-esteem.

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How does Dutch van der Linde's age impact his character development in RDR2?

As Dutch van der Linde matures in Red Dead Redemption 2, his dream of a savage utopia in the West strengthens. He mentors orphans and street children, imparting essential skills and fostering self-esteem. His age significantly shapes his interactions with the Van der Linde gang, positioning him as a mentor and leader.

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What is the story behind Dutch van der Linde's death in the Red Dead series?

Leader of the Van der Linde Gang in Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch van der Linde, had a dream of creating a savage utopia in the West. He mentored orphans and street children, instilling in them a sense of self-worth. His life, however, ended in tragedy. The game developers decided on Dutch's self-inflicted death, despite initially contemplating giving players control over his destiny. Dutch passed away without any offspring.

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What happens to Dutch van der Linde in the storyline of RDR2?

In Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch van der Linde, the Van der Linde Gang leader, seeks to create a savage utopia in the West. He mentors individuals like Arthur Morgan and John Marston, instilling in them literacy and self-esteem. Dutch's journey culminates in his suicide, reflecting Evelyn Miller's assertion that one cannot fight their own nature.

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Why did Dutch van der Linde betray Arthur in the Red Dead series?

Dutch van der Linde's betrayal of Arthur in the Red Dead series stems from Dutch's intolerance of perceived disloyalty. He was incensed when John Marston, a member of the Van der Linde gang, planned to leave with his family. Dutch viewed this as betrayal and began to disregard anyone not following him without question. Consequently, he deceived Arthur about John's departure and denied it when questioned.

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History

Background

“	The charismatic lender of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch is radically opposed to government control. He values individual liberties above all else and dreams of living an independent existence, appropriating wealth from others and answering to no authority. He is reluctantly starting to realize that the way of life he holds dear is fast becoming an unrealistic proposition.	„
	—Red Dead Redemption 2: The Complete Official Guide

Biography in RDR 2 (click to enlarge)

A young Dutch with Hosea and Arthur

Dutch was born in the mid-1850s to a woman of English descent named Greta and a father of Dutch ancestry somewhere near Philadelphia. His father fought for the Union in the American Civil War and died in a battle that occurred in Pennsylvania; because of his father's death, van der Linde developed a sworn grudge against Southerners. Dutch was a disobedient child and rarely got along with his mother, eventually running away from home at the age of 15. His mother would later die in 1881 and be buried in Blackwater, although Dutch only found out several years later from an uncle of his.

In absence of any parental figure, Dutch educated himself entirely on his own, shaping the philosophy he would come to adopt. Van der Linde valued freedom and 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 mid-1870s, Dutch met a con artist named Hosea Matthews at a campfire on the road to Chicago. Hosea attempted to con and rob him only to realize that Dutch likewise had done the same and stolen from him. Impressed by the other's skills, the pair laughed and decided to partner up and face the future together, founding the famous Van der Linde gang.

Dutch and Hosea later found themselves in the town of Kettering, Ohio, where the two posed as international merchants, conning twelve locals into buying $300 worth of shares into a fictional Portuguese shipping company. Unfortunately, they were eventually discovered and arrested by Sheriff Carmichael. On March 9^th, 1877, the pair managed to escape from their cell by unknown means, tying up and robbing the sheriff in the process.

Later that year, Dutch and Hosea encountered a 14-year-old street orphan named Arthur Morgan. The pair decided to take the boy under their wing. Teaching him how to read, write, hunt, fight, shoot and ride, Arthur became their first protege and alongside Hosea and Dutch, the trio would go on to comprise the old guard of the Van der Linde gang. Around this time, Dutch became romantically involved with a woman named Susan Grimshaw, who also became a member of the gang. He later ended his relationship with Susan as he met and deeply fell in love with a woman named Annabelle.

Around the late-1870s, Dutch met Leopold Strauss, a bookish Austrian immigrant and scam artist who would join the gang for protection. Strauss would serve as the gang's money lender, becoming a major provider.

In 1885, Dutch stumbled across a group of Illinois homesteaders who attempted to lynch a 12-year-old boy named John Marston, who had been caught stealing from them. Dutch intervened in saving the boy's life and inducted him into the gang. Dutch taught John how to read, write, fight, shoot and ride just like he had previously done with Arthur. Arthur and John became like brothers, and Dutch often read to them from books by Evelyn Miller and Waldo Emerson, even though most of the concepts went over the young boys' heads. Over time Dutch and Hosea came to regard Arthur and John as their favorite 'sons'.

In 1887, Dutch led the gang's first major bank robbery alongside Hosea and Arthur. At 2 o'clock, the trio burst into the banking house of Lee and Hoyt and held up the staff and customers. As a result of the robbery the gang made off with $5000 in gold. After the robbery they lingered in town; going to hovels, shanties, and orphanages handing out money; envisioning themselves as 'Robin Hood' figures in the process. It was around this period where Dutch became a wanted man and earned a price on his head.

Sometime later Van der Linde met the infamous outlaw named Colm O'Driscoll who was the leader of his own gang, the O'Driscoll Boys. The two maintained a loose and uneasy partnership, as Dutch disliked how Colm treated his own men as disposable. Colm likewise mocked Van der Linde for his philosophy in making a 'better world'. Although the exact reason is unknown, Dutch broke the truce and killed Colm's brother. In retaliation Colm murdered Annabelle, leaving Dutch heartbroken and vengeful. This event caused Dutch and Colm to become arch-enemies and sparked a years-long blood feud between the two rival gangs.

Over the years Dutch would attract many new members to the gang, who would come to respect him as a protector and father figure. At some point, Dutch came across a lone young girl named Tilly Jackson. A former member of the Foreman Brothers gang, she was sleeping rough when he found her. Dutch took her in and taught her how to read. Dutch would also encounter Simon Pearson, a former Navy chef who was being harassed by loan sharks. After rescuing him, Dutch recruited Pearson as the gang's camp cook and butcher. At some point, a disgraced reverend named Orville Swanson saved Dutch's life in an unspecified incident. As a reward, Dutch inducted Swanson into the gang.

Eventually, Dutch would meet Molly O'Shea, a young Irish noblewoman prior to 1899. Infatuated with Van der Linde, Molly would become his lover and live with him going forward.

In 1893, Dutch and Hosea encountered a drunk veteran named Bill Williamson who attempted to rob them. However, having previously stolen Bill's ammunition, they simply laughed at him and his disorderly conduct which infuriated Bill at first, but Dutch encouraged him and inducted him into the gang. Although Bill lacked conventional intelligence Dutch came to value his loyalty.

In 1895, Dutch was stealing some chickens, where he came across a young Mexican exile named Javier Escuella who attempted to do the same. Alone and starving, Dutch fed him, wrapped him in warm clothing and soon inducted him into the gang. Javier came to idolize Dutch's philosophy and became one of his most loyal members.

One night, Dutch and Hosea went to a bar in North Elizabeth where they encountered a young Irishman named Sean MacGuire, who became fixated on Dutch's fancy pocket watch. Overconfident, he followed the pair out down an alleyway and attempted to rob them. Dutch and Hosea simply laughed at him as Sean discovered that they had spotted him earlier and unloaded the bullets out of his gun. Instead of killing him, they recruited Sean into the gang.

At this time, Dutch was an altruistic and idealistic rogue, believing the gang could make a difference in the world. He had fashioned himself into something of a Robin Hood-like figure, taking money from the rich and wealthy who had plenty of it, and giving it to the poor and destitute who needed it. He saw himself as a symbol of the Wild West in its romanticized form, and a humanitarian champion of the people, opposing government control and corporate exploitation while supporting individual liberty and punishing general human cruelty and selfishness. His romantic image and charisma inspired his gang to believe in his anarchistic vision of a "savage utopia", and it was in the name of Dutch and his cause that they committed many violent crimes such as murder and robbery. By 1899, Dutch was reluctantly starting to realize that the way of life he held so dear was quickly becoming an increasingly unrealistic proposition, and that the days of the Wild West were coming to an end, no matter how much he might try to prevent it.

By 1898, the Van der Linde gang had grown to a sizable group, and had found itself in Montana. After a fire and some trouble up in the north, the gang travelled south and east, taking a slow and tortuous trail down through the Northern Grizzlies to throw off anyone tracking them. They then spent several months in the wilderness. During the winter, they stuck mostly to the western foothills of the mountain. Food was plentiful, and for a time, the gang lived in peace. Dutch eventually got a lead on some land for the gang to buy for their "savage utopia", but it either did not match up to Dutch's criteria or he grew suspicious that law enforcement was watching them and the gang began wandering again.

Around December of 1898, Dutch looked to sell a cache of stolen gold at a bar in Crenshaw Hills, aggravating the locals in the process. The deal went south and nearly resulted in him being killed. Fortunately, Dutch was saved by a career outlaw named Micah Bell who was then accepted into the gang. While Dutch took a particular liking towards Micah, Hosea and Arthur found him to be argumentative, reckless and hot-headed.

The gang continued moving east until reaching the booming port town of Blackwater, West Elizabeth, in 1899, where they decided to stay for a time. In April of that year Dutch and Micah planned to rob a riverboat carrying money from the bank. While Arthur and Hosea had their own lead, Dutch instead opted to pursue the ferry robbery, which promised a bigger reward but was also riskier. Although they managed to make off with an immense take of $150,000, the heist ended in disaster. Agents of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency arrived unexpectedly quickly and ambushed the gang. During the chaos, Dutch shot a defenseless young woman named Heidi McCourt in the head. With the law close behind, the gang was forced to flee into the mountains of Ambarino during a heavy blizzard to escape. Before evacuating, Dutch hid the robbery earnings somewhere near town. The events of Blackwater Massacre shook Hosea's faith in Dutch, though he later admits that his faith in their mission had been dead for a long time before this.

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.

Colter Chapter

Dutch and his gang reluctantly travel into the heart of the blizzard in a wagon convoy. A few weeks later they arrive in a small, abandoned mining town called Colter, where they stop to rest. Dutch gives an inspirational speech to the gang and heads out with Arthur to find John or Micah, who went scouting. They come across Micah, who tells Dutch that he found a homestead which appears to have a party going on, and the three head out to investigate. After showing up at the homestead, the gang members soon discover that the residents are all O'Driscolls, when Dutch approaches the door and Micah finds a corpse hidden inside a nearby wagon. A shootout erupts, with Dutch, Arthur and Micah eliminating the O'Driscolls. After searching the house, they find a hysterical victim of the O'Driscolls named Sadie Adler. Dutch comforts Sadie and puts a blanket around her, before taking her back to camp.

A few days later, Dutch and the gang attack some O'Driscolls camped nearby. The mission is a success, and the gang learns from a young O'Driscoll named Kieran Duffy, about a Cornwall Kerosene & Tar train traveling nearby and finds dynamite that the O'Driscolls were going to use to take it out. Dutch and the gang, against Hosea's warnings, then move to attack the train themselves, and although the dynamite fails to go off, the train is eventually stopped, and its loot is taken by the gang. Now with some money in their pockets, and the spring thaw coming, Dutch decides to finally depart from the mountains and head south, down to warmer pastures.

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter

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

Dutch also learns from Josiah Trelawny that Sean MacGuire has been captured by Ike Skelding's bounty hunters. He then sends Arthur, Javier, and Charles Smith to rescue him.

Later, Arthur reports to Dutch that he was approached by the Pinkertons, who know roughly where the gang were set up. Arthur then urges Dutch to relocate, but Van der Linde says that it's merely an attempt to scare the gang into doing something unwise and has the gang stay put for the time being.

Dutch and Leopold Strauss go to Valentine to see John and Arthur after their rustling of sheep. During the visit, Leviticus Cornwall and his hired guns capture Strauss and John outside the saloon, and demand that Dutch come 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 decides to move further east, and 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 Dutch go riding. They encounter Sheriff Gray who has captured Josiah 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 then go fishing. Later, Sheriff Gray decides to make Arthur, Dutch, and Bill deputies in order to crack down on an illegal moonshine operation funded by the Braithwaites. With the help of Archibald MacGregor, the three gang members succeed in destroying the moonshine operation, earning favor with the Sheriff. Sometime later, after considerable persuasion from Micah, Dutch decides to attend a “truce” meeting with Colm O'Driscoll. The supposed truce meeting ultimately turns out to be a trap to catch Arthur, however, with the intention of luring in Dutch to capture him and give him to the Pinkertons. Arthur is captured and badly injured while in captivity but manages to escape.

After Sean is killed in an ambush by the Grays in Rhodes, while looking into a prospective job with Arthur, Micah, and Bill, and Jack Marston is kidnapped by the Braithwaites, Dutch orders an assault on Braithwaite Manor. The gang members storm the manor and slaughter the vast majority of the Braithwaite family. After Jack is nowhere to be seen, the gang torches the manor and drags out Catherine Braithwaite and interrogates her, forcing her to reveal to them that Jack is being held hostage by Angelo Bronte. Dutch then orders the gang to ride away and leaves Catherine sobbing on the ground at the foot of her burning mansion. The next morning, two Pinkerton agents named Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross appear at camp, to offer the gang members a deal. In return for turning over Dutch, they pledge to allow the rest of the gang to flee and grant them amnesty. Dutch originally pretends to comply, but he then refuses and the rest of the gang ready their weapons and warn the agents to leave. Flustered, Agent Milton says that the gang are making a mistake and that he’ll be back with fifty men, before being escorted out. Afterward, Dutch asks Arthur and John to investigate Shady Belle, a location originally discovered by Lenny Summers, as a new place for camp.

Saint Denis Chapter

After moving to Shady Belle and the Saint Denis area, Dutch, Arthur and John ride to the city and confront Angelo Bronte. Bronte agrees to give back Jack in exchange for them doing a job for him. After Arthur and John deal with some grave robbers per Bronte’s request, Bronte releases Jack and gives them an invitation to Mayor Henri Lemieux's party. At the Mayor's party, Dutch is welcomed by Bronte, who later tells Dutch that there is lots of money in a trolley station for him to rob. Soon afterwards, Dutch hears someone talking about Cornwall and tells Arthur to go and find out more about him, while he, Hosea and Bill work on finding some more leads.

Back at camp, Dutch begins making plans to rob the trolley station in Saint Denis. Arthur agrees to ride with Dutch, although Dutch suggests taking Micah as a third gun. Arthur disagrees, and instead asks for Lenny, which Dutch accepts. Immediately afterwards, the camp is assaulted by the O'Driscoll gang, who send Kieran's decapitated corpse into Shady Belle on horseback, before the two gangs face off in a brutal shootout. Dutch and his gang take shelter inside the Shady Belle manor to fight off the O'Driscolls. During the shootout, Dutch tells Arthur to find Sadie and get her inside the building and helps fight off the O'Driscolls from inside the manor. Ultimately, the Van der Linde gang emerges victorious and is able to repulse the O'Driscolls. After the battle, the gang sees to disposing of the enemy corpses, and Dutch orders Reverend Orville Swanson to bury Kieran's remains nearby.

Soon afterwards, Dutch decides to start working on the tip given to him by Bronte. He, Arthur and Lenny go in and rob the trolley station, only to discover that it contains almost no money at all, and they are forced to fight their way out, hijacking a trolley to escape out of the city. During the escape, the trolley that the three are in derails and crashes, with Dutch suffering a concussion in the crash, as well as a head injury that he insists is nothing to worry about. After escaping, he vows revenge on Bronte for betraying him.

Dutch later gets into a dispute with Hosea over going after Bronte. The latter believes the former wants revenge, which he denies, saying he only wants to take down the crime lord so that they can rob the bank in Saint Denis. They call Arthur for his input and he ends up backing Dutch's decision to go after Bronte, much to Hosea's dismay.

After the battle at Shady Belle, Dutch and Arthur go to the town of Lagras, where they make a deal with a a fisherman, Thomas, to have him row the gang in behind Bronte's mansion, in exchange for Dutch and Arthur helping him find one of his assistants, Jules, who has gone missing in the swamp. Arthur and Dutch succeed in saving Jules' life when it is threatened by a notoriously huge alligator, and Thomas keeps his promise. Shortly afterwards, Dutch, Arthur, John, Bill, and Lenny arrive at Bronte's home, and after fighting through his guards and the manor, they capture him. With police closing in around them, the gang manage to fight their way out and get back to the boat. On the way back, Dutch kills Bronte for his betrayal, drowning him and throwing his corpse overboard to be consumed by alligators, shocking both John and Arthur.

In order to fund the gang's escape from the country, Dutch decides that the gang should rob Lemoyne National Bank in Saint Denis. Although the robbery starts off smoothly, Hosea is captured by Pinkertons while orchestrating a distraction, and is then killed by Agent Milton in front of the gang, infuriating Dutch. A violent shootout breaks out, before further misfortune unfolds for the gang when John is captured, and Lenny is killed during the gang's escape on the rooftop. The remaining six continue their escape and manage to hide in an abandoned apartment until nightfall, where they sneak down to the docks. In order for them to proceed, Charles distracts some Pinkertons guarding the area, allowing Dutch, Arthur, Micah, Bill and Javier to stow away on a boat destined for the south Pacific, with the intention of coming back for the others later.

Guarma Chapter

Along the way, the ship is caught in a storm and perishes, and all the gang members besides Arthur jump overboard and swim over to the nearby shore of Guarma, regrouping there. Not long after Arthur finds his way back to them, where the local military lead by Levi Simon, under orders of Colonel Alberto Fussar, find and arrest them and chain them together in shackles to transport them to jail. Along the way to the jail, the soldiers are attacked by rebels and a shootout ensues. In the scuffle, Arthur manages to unlock their shackles and the gang attacks and kills the guards in the area, but Javier is shot and injured and unable to escape. Hercule Fontaine, the revolutionary leader, tells the gang to follow him leading the remaining gang to a small rebel outpost, stocked with Bolt Action Rifles. Army reinforcements soon arrive, but they get defeated. The gang then retreats to the rebel outpost of La Capilla.

Dutch and Arthur rest for a short time at La Capilla, before they both go to rescue Javier, who was captured in the battle with the Guarma military. Going to a nearby cave, Dutch pays elderly woman named Gloria 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 grabs her by the throat and chokes her to death, much to Arthur’s dismay, although Dutch responds by saying that she would have betrayed them later anyway, which Arthur highly doubts. The pair then enter Aguasdulces, where they see Colonel Fussar and a group of soldiers leading a donkey that is dragging Javier along. Dutch quickly sees a way to cause a distraction in the sugar refinery. Dutch and Arthur cut up the bags of sugar, spilling the sugar on the floor, which blows up the furnace. In the ensuing chaos, they rescue Javier, before fighting their way out of the settlement.

Regrouping with Bill and Micah, the gang goes to the rebel stronghold of Cinco Torres. Not long after arriving, a Cuban warship approaches, unloading large amounts of reinforcements. The gang and Hercule shoot at them from above, before moving down to the beach and fighting them off head-on. Realizing the warship has to be stopped, the gang make their way to the top of the tower and use a cannon to fire upon the warship until it ultimately sinks.

They then set out making 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 enters, 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 and Fussar flees the cabin. With Fussar shooting at them from a tower with a machine gun, Dutch and Hercule draw his fire and allow Arthur to eliminate Fussar by bringing down the tower with a cannon. With Fussar and his troops gone, they finally reach the port. They then set sail for the mainland, heading back to America.

After coming back to the gang at Lakay, the gang is attacked by Pinkertons. They narrowly fend off the attack, killing several Pinkerton agents, and Dutch tells Arthur and Charles to go north to investigate Beaver Hollow for a possible new camp location.

Beaver Hollow Chapter

Van der Linde begins to grow increasingly paranoid and begins to tighten his hold over the gang and demand loyalty; he orders Arthur and Sadie not to rescue John from Sisika Penitentiary, believing that he is a traitor and after they rescue him anyway, Dutch is infuriated by their insubordination and perceived disloyalty. Later, Dutch goes to Annesburg with Micah and Arthur for a "social call" with Leviticus Cornwall. Van der Linde confronts Cornwall after he arrives in his yacht, and eventually offers Cornwall his life in exchange for ten thousand dollars, his boat and safe passage away from the place. Cornwall laughs at this and refuses, so Dutch decides to pull the trigger on Cornwall in a seemingly spontaneous manner and shoots him in the chest. With Cornwall killed, Dutch, Arthur, and Micah are forced to fight their way out of the town.

At some point, Colm O'Driscoll is caught and sentenced to death by hanging in Saint Denis. Aware that Colm had escaped the past two times, Dutch and Arthur attend his execution disguised as police officers with Sadie to sabotage any rescue attempt. The sabotage succeeds and Colm is successfully hanged, although Sadie is unable to contain her rage and opens fire on the O'Driscolls, initiating a firefight with first the O'Driscolls and then the police. Afterwards, Dutch and Sadie return to Beaver Hollow.

During this time, suspicions begin to arise that the Pinkertons may have an informant inside the gang; a mole who feeds them information, thus allowing them to chase after the gang much more effectively than before. This only further worsens Dutch's paranoia, and he becomes increasingly suspicious of everyone and everything.

Eagle Flies later rides into Beaver Hollow and tells the gang that the United States Army stationed at Fort Wallace have taken their horses, and requests help in getting them back. Dutch, seeing an opportunity to distract the government’s attention away from the gang, 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, Dutch accompanies Eagle Flies in taking the horses back to the reservation, while they plan their next move.

Dutch orders Arthur to meet up with him and a group of Wapiti Indians led by Paytah and Eagle Flies. Van der Linde explains 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. However, reinforcements arrive and swarm the would-be-ambushers. As they fight their way down the pass, the Indians are either killed or captured, forcing Arthur and Dutch to retreat. They flee to the top of a cliff but find their escape route cut off and are thus surrounded by the soldiers and held at gunpoint. In this seeming moment of hopelessness, Arthur and Dutch stand side by side and Dutch begins to talk, holding a speech of sorts for their pursuers about "how you cannot fight gravity" and "how you cannot fight change", as Dutch keeps talking, he and Arthur begin to slowly walk backwards until they are close enough to the cliff edge to jump without getting shot. Once there, they jump over the edge and into the rapids below, allowing them to escape.

Eagle Flies later arrives at Beaver Hollow with a large force of warriors from the reservation and angrily tells the gang that the army raided the reservation for oil. He then asks for the gang's help in destroying the distillery at the oil fields in retaliation. Rains Fall then steps in and begs his tribe not to go to war again, still remembering the death and destruction they suffered in their previous campaign against the military. Eagle Flies ignores his father's warnings and rides off with his men, leaving the gang behind. After a quick discussion in which Dutch learns of Arthur assisting Rains Fall behind his back, the majority of the gang follows Eagle Flies. The group arrive to find the battle all but over, with many Wapiti warriors having been slain and Eagle Flies fighting for his life amidst the chaos, as well as a small group of warriors who have been surrounded near the warehouse. The gang assaults the distillery and is able to save the remnants of the Wapiti force; they then split into two groups, with Dutch leading a force to take the warehouse to find a stash of state bonds stored there. Under heavy fire, they make little progress until Arthur's force arrives to assist them, at which point they begin to drive back the enemy. After fighting to the warehouse doors, Dutch and Arthur search the building to find the state bonds, which Dutch eventually finds. As they leave, however, a pipe bursts, incapacitating Arthur and leaving him to the mercy of the approaching soldiers. Dutch exits the warehouse upon witnessing this and leaves Arthur to his fate, 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 others back to camp.

After plenty of planning, Dutch and Micah decide to carry out a robbery on a train carrying army payroll. He tells Arthur that Uncle, Pearson, Karen, and Mary-Beth have all fled, calling them cowards and traitors. After Arthur suggests letting John and his family go too, Dutch becomes furious, but quickly calms down and seemingly agrees, although it is apparent that he does not take the agreement seriously. Van der Linde then leads the gang to Saint Denis, where they intend to board the train and subsequently carry out the robbery. During the robbery, John gets shot and falls off of the train; Dutch claims that he'll try to save John and leaves for a while, but when he comes back without John, he claims that he had died.

Following the robbery, 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 presses Dutch to abandon her. Dutch agrees with him and the gang head back to camp, infuriating Arthur and Sadie, who go after her themselves.

When Arthur returns to camp, he reveals that Micah was Agent Milton's informant. This initiates a standoff between Arthur and Micah, who draw on each other. Arthur tries to convince Dutch that Micah is the rat, while Micah denies it and says to Dutch that they can achieve a lot together, although Dutch remains silent, seemingly undecided. Soon afterwards, John appears and reveals that not only did he survive the train robbery, but that Dutch made no attempt to rescue him. He sides with Arthur, followed by Susan Grimshaw, who points a shotgun at Micah and tells him to put down his guns. Javier then announces that the Pinkertons are coming, distracting Miss Grimshaw and giving Micah the opportunity to shoot her, resulting in Susan's death. Dutch finally draws his guns and joins Micah, with the majority of the gang united behind him. Dutch and the others point their guns at John and Arthur, and prepare to shoot them, but the showdown is cut short when said Pinkertons assault the camp; in the chaos, Dutch and his men slip away, leaving John and Arthur to fend for themselves. Shortly afterwards, Dutch is seen in a posse with Micah, Cleet and Joe, pursuing Arthur and John on horseback through the woods. Due in part to the abundance of hostile Pinkertons in the vicinity, the posse fails to kill Arthur and John.

Dutch 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 who, 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, shocked over the fact that he brought his gang to ruin and no longer wishing to associate himself with either man, simply walks away without a word, signifying the end of the Van der Linde gang. Arthur dies soon after.

Post-Gang Years

Following the Van der Linde gang's demise in 1899, Dutch would spend several years violently evading the law. He would partake in a bungled robbery in 1906, during which he was presumed to have perished in a fire. Dutch would remain out of sight following this event, aside from a sighting reported in Tall Trees a year later. Nonetheless, law enforcement agencies pledged to continue searching for Van der Linde, who still had a large bounty on his head.

Around 1907, Dutch would reunite with Micah, now in charge of his own gang. Together they finally retrieve the money from the failed ferry robbery.

Beecher's Hope Chapter

Dutch shoots Micah

In June 1907, John, Sadie, and Charles storm Mount Hagen in order to get revenge on Micah for his betrayal of the gang. After Sadie appears while wounded and breaks the deadlock between John and Micah, Dutch emerges from the cabin with his guns drawn; Micah simultaneously takes Sadie hostage, initiating a three-way standoff between Dutch, John and Micah. An exchange of words between the three follows and, despite Van der Linde appearing to be on Micah's side, the standoff ultimately culminates in Dutch shooting Micah in the chest, wounding him and freeing Sadie. Micah then attempts to shoot both Dutch and John, but the latter shoots him repeatedly and thereby finishes him off for good. Dutch subsequently departs without a word, 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

Sometime between 1907 and 1911, Dutch resurfaced to form a new gang comprised of disaffected young natives, operating in West Elizabeth. Dutch used the native's hatred for the government and modernization to persuade them into attacking and harassing settlers outside of Blackwater. He would reveal himself as alive in November 1911 after being linked to the murder of two men on a farm north of Blackwater. This would attract the attention of the Bureau of Investigation, who send John Marston to hunt Dutch down.

Events of Red Dead Redemption

“	Dutch is a big, well-lived, charismatic, charming, scheming man who tried to live above the law. He is self-educated and has tried to live like a noble savage. He gave money away, stole from those who had too much, and lived as someone who could dominated the world. But slowly, his disgust of reality transcended his ability to induce a savage utopia in the west, and he began to see that he could no longer hope to turn bad men into doers of good deeds. So, he committed an atrocity and took to the hills to live with the Native people that he felt he could understand and admire.	„
	—Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition Guide

In 1911, Bureau of Investigation agent Edgar Ross kidnaps John's family to coerce him into hunting down several surviving members of the Van der Linde gang, including Dutch. After Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella are dealt with in Mexico, John arrives in Blackwater, where Ross informs him, that Dutch has been spotted in the region and that he is his final target. Together with a Native American named Nastas and Professor Harold MacDougal, John begins to search for Dutch. Nastas tells Marston and MacDougal of Dutch's fortress, Cochinay, located in the mountains.

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 executing 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.

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. Not long after, the Bureau of Investigation receives word that Dutch's Gang has robbed the First National Bank of Blackwater and has taken hostages inside.

Dutch and his men confronted by John and lawmen at Blackwater's bank

After taking a sniping position and gaining entrance to the bank, John confronts Dutch with a posse of lawmen and has him cornered 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 admits that he made a mistake, but then dismisses it 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 lawmen 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, 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 Ross, and Agent 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 Browning Gun and attempts to use it to kill 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.

John holds Dutch at a gunpoint

Dutch tosses his gun off to the side and the two exchange words. Dutch discusses the inevitability of his situation and the changing times. He laments that his whole life he tried to fight societal change but that in the end, like gravity, change was always constant and inevitable. John asks Dutch why he could never give up if he knew his fight for change was in vain. However, Dutch explains that he couldn't give up as it was too much in his nature to fight despite being fully aware of the futility of his cause, saying "That's the paradox, John. You see?". 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 his death, 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 is passed, John" before allowing himself to fall back off the cliff to his death, choosing to die by his own hand rather than be captured. Edgar Ross later shoots Dutch's corpse with John's pistol in order to make it look like John shot him, claiming that it "looks better in the report that way".

Dutch's prediction that the Bureau would not stop with his death came true, as very soon after, John himself became the next target of the agency and this subsequently led to his death.

Character

Philosophy

“	The promise of this great nation. Men created equal, liberty and justice for all. That might be nonsense too. 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 the Red Dead Redemption saga. Dutch has an anarchistic worldview and seems to want a world that goes somewhere along the lines of a Hunter-Gatherer Society, one that opposes technology and governmental control where one must fight to survive but may also live the lifestyle they choose, free from any rules and regulations; a world where men live very much like they did in the old, idealized Wild West. Dutch shows a common disgust and contempt for "cultured" towns like Blackwater and industrialized urban centers like Saint Denis, as these locations serve as monuments to technological and industrial progression, and government-enforced order, conformity and peace, all of which Dutch violently opposes. Van der Linde considers technological and industrial progress as methods by which the federal government can exert authority and control over the general population, especially disenfranchised groups of people, such as the Native Americans and those who live in poverty.

Dutch's philosophy is reactionary, desiring a return to the older ways. While the New West of the 20th century promotes clothing, technology, culture and civilization, Dutch seems to want to move back to the Old West of the 19th century which promotes survival, discipline, resourcefulness and fitness by using skill and courage to overcome hardship. As the culture in the west progresses towards a modernist view that praises and rewards forced conformity, incorporation, order and employment on a large societal scale, Van der Linde would prefer people to remain civilized where they are and allow the Old West to survive in the way to which it has grown accustomed, and if the Federal Government will not allow him or his people to live their lives the way they wish, he will fight for his perceived right to live as he wishes.

It should be noted that Dutch's heavy emphasis on personal values such as liberty, equality, cultural tolerance and natural law aligns with many 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. Van der Linde 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. Dutch's worldview states that law and political order are neither natural nor dependent on government and that human rights are universal and inalienable. Dutch often laments that in the increasingly modernized America, individual rights and freedoms must be sacrificed to an authority he views as greedy, dishonest, exploitative, and prejudiced. 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

“	Well sometimes he's a downright fool but... usually, he's the best man I know.	„
	—Arthur Morgan describing Dutch in "Help a Brother Out"

“	Dutch. Just another dreamer who woke up, I suppose. After he realized humanity was never gonna change, he lost faith in it. He spoke about as fine as you, and was about as full of shit.	„
	—John Marston describing Dutch to Nigel West Dickens

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 educated and, unlike many outlaws, genuinely believes he is committing these crimes for idealistic reasons rather than greed. His anti-government and pro-individualist idealism, combined with his natural charisma, attracted a following of people who had been downtrodden by the society they lived in. Several members of the gang were orphans, minorities, town drunks, former prostitutes and other lowlifes; people who had felt they had no purpose until they joined the gang and Dutch gave them one. This created a strong sense of unity within the gang and a great sense loyalty to Dutch.

Despite at times being rather brutal in his methods, Dutch would often joke around with his fellow gang members and had a kind, playful disposition. He would often make motivational speeches to encourage the gang to come together in times of hardship while preaching that "loyalty" and "faith" were among the highest and most honorable tenets. Before Hosea's demise, he often consulted him and Arthur on important decisions, putting it to a discussion and vote between the three of them when deciding on the direction of the gang, demonstrating how much their opinions meant to him.

Dutch employed a highly flexible command system within the gang. At the peak of his power, Dutch displayed genuine compassion for his fellow gang members and treated them as family members in a way that made them feel appreciated. He complimented them on their resilience and ability, thanked them for their loyalty and their work, and saw to it that they were supplied, fed, and sheltered. His generosity endeared him to new members, many of whom had known little but harshness, pain, and struggle. His capacity to believe in others and help them believe in themselves was in turn reciprocated. Although he demanded that members give loyalty and do their share for the gang as a whole, he also encouraged them to be themselves as well as to make use of their free time to optimize their own talents and skill sets. At his best, Dutch commanded a balanced brand of leadership that not only required followers to have structure and discipline but also allowed them to express freedom and individuality. He had utmost faith in his gang to overcome almost any situation regardless of the odds and regarded his most capable lieutenants, such as Arthur Morgan and John Marston, as his collective ace in the hole. Moreover, he remained accommodating to members who hardly contributed to camp such as Uncle and Reverend Swanson, and kept them around, establishing the gang as more of a family than a business.

Throughout his life, Van der Linde demonstrated incredible courage, although by 1899, his fearlessness often overlapped into recklessness. Whether facing rival gang leaders, powerful men, or law enforcement, Dutch had no qualms with confronting any such opponent head-on, and in the face of imminent danger and gunfire, he often stood at the front of his gang. He displayed this courage most brazenly during the confrontation at Braithwaite Manor, where he approached the Manor that housed many gunmen, directly despite being in the line of fire and sought little cover during the ensuing firefight; and when confronting Leviticus Cornwall and his gunmen, whom he stood a mere gangplank's distance away from, having a simple conversation with before shooting and killing him on the spot.

The Pinkertons' relentless pursuit, the deaths of multiple gang members, and constantly increasing pressure from civilization that the Van der Linde gang faced during its final months began to take a toll on Dutch and his sanity. He became more driven by ego, money, and vengeance, beginning to outright despise anyone who questioned him. As his behavior grew more aggressive, violent and erratic, so did his plans. Dutch callously killed powerful figures like Angelo Bronte and Leviticus Cornwall, against Hosea and Arthur's warnings, solely out of vengeance with little regard for the outcome, starkly contrasting with his previous ideology that "revenge is a fool's game." His heists also expanded dramatically in scale and risk, launching a full-on assault on the Cornwall oil refinery and robbing a train carrying army payroll. These revenge murders and highly aggressive and destructive attacks attracted more attention from law enforcement and led to dangerous consequences for the gang as a whole.

After the disastrous bank heist in Saint Denis and Hosea's death, Dutch began to tighten his grip on the gang and took his valuing of loyalty to an utmost extreme, labeling anyone who questioned him, even slightly, as a 'doubter' and lessened the freedoms the other members of his gang once had. This made it easier for him to make flat and absolute decisions that decide the course of the gang without taking any input or criticism from those he led, making his leadership increasingly despotic. Unlike before, Dutch began to value Arthur's and John's opinions less and less as the two often criticized his decision making. Instead, Dutch consulted solely with Micah Bell, someone who never questioned his decision making and instead actively encouraged and loyally stood by him, no matter what. Whenever a member of the gang questioned Dutch's actions, he would immediately see such an action as traitorous and the person doing so as a threat.

Dutch commonly referred to John and Arthur as his brothers or sons, with Dutch himself and Hosea becoming fatherly figures to both of them, implementing a family-like relationship with the gang members that had stuck by him over several years. However, as Dutch became more erratic and paranoid, Arthur and John started to question his leadership and decisions, resulting in Dutch becoming increasingly resentful as well as suspicious of their motives. His paranoia and disdain for the "doubters" is shown when Dutch leaves both John and Arthur to die in two respective situations, as well as leaving John to be arrested by Pinkertons during the bank robbery in Saint Denis.

Dutch deliberately leaves Arthur to die while robbing Cornwall Kerosene & Tar. Upon seeing Arthur pinned-down by a soldier and hearing him call for help, Dutch flees the scene with only a quick glance. Dutch quickly denies this act minutes later when confronted by him. In John's case, Van der Linde was enraged that Marston wished to leave the gang with his family, believing it to be evidence of disloyalty. Dutch's choice to abandon an injured John, falsely report his death to the gang and denying it when confronted by him divulges his tendency to lose interest in underlings who do not follow him blindly. Years later, upon realizing that Marston never betrayed him after all, Dutch admitted to John that he made a mistake, but immediately and callously brushed off the betrayal by saying "I never claimed to be a saint".

Dutch's moral and philosophical hypocrisies can be observed as early as 1899. Despite being vehemently opposed to cultural, technological, and industrial progress, Dutch benefits the most from modern inventions out of any other gang member. His clothing is often far more elegant than anything else the rest of the gang wears (apart from Molly). He plays tracks on a phonograph within his tent and is frequently found reading at camp (the only gang member that reads more than he does is Mary-Beth). Actually, the fact that Dutch has such a well-developed philosophy to believe in and preach to his gang demonstrates a surprising level of intellect, philosophy and culture on his part; all of them prime examples of the very civilization he opposes.

By 1911, Dutch's underlying hypocrisy has become even more apparent; both his horse along with his revolvers have disappeared. Instead, they have been replaced by an automobile and a Semi-Automatic Pistol, and a well-stocked bookshelf and typewriter can be found in his lair in Cochinay. This hypocrisy is noticed and pointed out by Uncle, who once remarked that Dutch is not fighting for the right to pursue "a better life" as separate individuals with their own personal freedoms, but rather for what Dutch monolithically believes "a better life" is.

A testament towards how much Dutch values loyalty can be seen in his relationship with Micah. During the final days of the Van der Linde gang, Micah became Dutch's most trusted consultant; unlike Arthur, Micah never openly questioned any of Dutch's actions, no matter what they were. This resulted in Dutch trusting in Micah so much, that when it was revealed that the latter was the Pinkerton spy, Dutch couldn't bring himself to believe it, even after Micah had shot and killed Susan Grimshaw in front of him. Not even Arthur repeating the truth with his dying breath would dislodge Dutch's disbelief, although it did have some effect as Dutch would abandon Micah immidiately after. It was only years later that Dutch would finally come to terms with Micah's betrayal and exact vengeance by shooting him.

By 1911, the once-idealistic rogue had fully deteriorated into a delusional maniac, sadistic and violent killer who was secretly aware that all of the horrible crimes he committed had changed nothing about the government or society. Fully embracing his love of violence, Dutch resorted to murder as his primary solution to problems, such as when he callously shot Muriel Scranton. His enjoyment of killing can be seen in "The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)", where when asked by John why he wanted to kill him and Professor Harold MacDougal, he simply replied "I don't know, sport, I guess."

In his final moments Dutch expressed remorse for his actions, likening himself to a monster and telling John that he couldn't stop fighting for his ideas despite the futility of it, lamenting that he was unable to fight the nature of a changing world and simultaneously, he couldn't fight the nature of himself to stop. Before dying by suicide, Dutch told John "Our time is passed" — something Arthur tried to tell him. This signified, at long last, his final acceptance that the Old Wild West and the way of life it once stood for had come to an end and his will to live along with it.

Appearance

Pre-1899

As seen in an old photograph on Arthur Morgan's wagon, Dutch is shown to be clean shaven and wears a closed vest with a shirt that has the sleeves rolled up and is unbuttoned at the collar, as well as a pair of striped pants and black shoes.

1899

In 1899, Dutch is an average built man in his mid-forties and is approximately 6 feet in height. He has tanned skin, a large roman nose, brown eyes and a cleft chin, along with a thick, black mustache and soul patch surrounded by a light stubble, and black, slick backed hair that curls at the end reaching his nape. He is always seen in elegant suits or fancy clothing, most often wearing a white and grey striped shirt, charcoal grey striped trousers with pointed black leather boots, an ornate black paisley waistcoat with a blood red silk back, and matching red pocket square, it has glittering gold buttons and is decorated with a gold pocket-watch with twin chains and ruby pendant. Along with a smart black jacket also with a red pocket square, and leather notch lapels, and a black felt homburg hat with a silk band. He also wears a chunky black gun belt with a square gold buckle and twin holsters, and two ornate gold rings, one on his pinkie and another with a large rectangular face on his forefinger. He also owns a red and cream plaid scarf which he wears both for warmth and as a bandana. During the Saint Denis bank robbery, he wears a gleaming white shirt, red velvet vest and black slacks with a long, black tailcoat complete with red silk lining. While stranded on Guarma, his appearance becomes unkempt: his mustache becomes scruffy and long, he develops thick stubble around his face, and his tailcoat is lost, while his white shirt and red waistcoat that he wore for the robbery become loose, dirty and tattered. After returning to the United States, Dutch's appearance returns to what it was before.

During the first chapter, he wears a black, knee-length overcoat in black fur with notched lapels, an upturned collar and two rows of brass buttons, along with his plaid scarf, and dark brown rifleman gloves. When he attends the mayor's party, he wears a black three-piece suit and a top hat, but with his bow tie and waistcoat being an off-white silver.

1907

During the Epilogue of Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch briefly appears with a bushy beard and even longer hair, both tinged with grey. Wearing a long, thick, double breasted overcoat in black with shaggy tan fur shawl lapels and cuffs, as well as thick fur legwarmers and black leather gloves.

1911

By 1911, Dutch has aged considerably and has large white streaks through the sides and top of his hair. His hair is also cut much shorter than it was in 1907, and his hairline appears to have receded slightly, giving him a widow's peak. He has also gained some weight, has a bulkier look, and wears a faded orange shirt with no collar, brown pants tucked into brown leather moccasin boots with white fur, a dark brown gun belt and with a black cord necklace with a silver pendant. He has also shaved his beard off, sporting a thick mustache without a soul patch, with a stubble covering the rest of his lower face.

Relationships

Main article: Dutch van der Linde/Relationships

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"

Red Dead Redemption 2

• "Outlaws from the West"
• "Old Friends"
• "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?"
• "Eastward Bound"
• "Americans at Rest"
• "Paying a Social Call"
• "A Quiet Time"
• "A Fisher of Men"
• "The Sheep and the Goats"
• "A Strange Kindness"
• "The New South"
• "American Distillation"
• "Magicians for Sport"
• "Blessed are the Peacemakers"
• "Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern"
• "The Battle of Shady Belle"
• "The Joys of Civilization"
• "Angelo Bronte, A Man of Honor"
• "The Gilded Cage"
• "Horsemen, Apocalypses"
• "Urban Pleasures"
• "Country Pursuits"
• "Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten"
• "Banking, The Old American Art"
• "Lost and Not Quite Found"
• "Welcome to the New World"
• "A Kind and Benevolent Despot"
• "Hell Hath No Fury"
• "Paradise Mercifully Departed"
• "Fleeting Joy"
• "That's Murfree Country"
• "Visiting Hours"
• "Just a Social Call"
• "A Rage Unleashed"
• "Goodbye, Dear Friend"
• "Favored Sons"
• "My Last Boy"
• "Our Best Selves"
• "Red Dead Redemption"
• "Old Habits" (voice only)
• "American Venom"

Notable Murders Committed

• Colm O’Driscoll’s brother - Murdered in vague circumstances.
• Heidi McCourt - Shot in the head under unknown circumstances during the Blackwater Massacre.
• Billy (determinant) - Shot to death at Adler Ranch.
• Bartholomew Braithwaite - Murdered after he refused to hand over Jack Marston, whom his family kidnapped.
• Angelo Bronte - Drowned and fed to an alligator in revenge for having previously set the gang up.
• Gloria - Strangled to death for threatening him to pay more for her guidance through Guarma’s caves. Dutch also stated to Arthur that he felt that Gloria would betray them to the authorities.
• Leviticus Cornwall - Shot in the chest for refusing his ultimatum and in revenge for Cornwall financing the Pinkerton Agency to track the gang down.
• Micah Bell - Shot in the torso, allowing John to finish him off, in revenge for Micah betraying him and causing the downfall of his gang.
• Muriel Scranton - Murdered in pure sadism when escaping from John and the law.

Quotes

Red Dead Redemption

Single-player

“	It's nice to see you again, John.	„
	—Dutch to John in Great Men are Not Always Wise

“	I think that's what they call 'two for the price of one' out here in this wonderful place!	„
	—Dutch taunting John and Harold MacDougal

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“	Now, would you kindly send that academic out here, so we can show him what we really think about the art of anthropology?	„
	—Dutch threatening John and Harold MacDougal

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“

But I can't give up neither. I can't fight my own nature. That's the paradox, John. You see?

„

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“

When I'm gone, they'll just find another monster. They have to. Because they have to justify their wages.

„

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“	Our time is passed, John.	„
	—Dutch's last words before committing suicide

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Multiplayer

• "I saw your friends runnin' off with their tails between their legs."
• "C'mon my fine, patriotic friends."
• "Come closer, I've got a surprise for you."
• "Who do you think you are?"
• "Meet one of the few benefits of your civilization."
• "Go to hell!"

• "You should've stayed at home."
• "You're all cowards!"
• "You're weak; you always were. You never had the stomach for this."
• "Well, come and get it then."
• "I am settin' these people free."
• "We'll kill every last one of you!"
• "You're even weaker than I thought."
• "Why don't you look me in the eye?"
• "Get the hell away from me!"
• "You're a dead man."
• "I'll make you so sorry."
• "You made a big mistake comin' here."
• "This time, I'll make sure you're dead!"
• "Crazy?! Oh, I'll show you crazy, you just keep comin'."
• "We're takin' what's ours!"
• "I'll cut your throat."
• "Go back to your whore wife!"
• "We're taking what's ours!"

Red Dead Redemption 2

Trailers

“	This place... ain't no such thing as civilized.	„
	—Dutch van der Linde to Agent Milton

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“	Arthur... do you have my back?	„
	—Dutch questioning Arthur's loyalty

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“	Listen to me! We don't want to kill any of you, but trust me, we will!	„
	—Dutch threatening the train passengers.

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“	Wake 'em up a little!	„
	—Dutch ordering his men to fire on the train.

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“	You have got to keep faith. They will not crush us!	„
	—Dutch reassuring Arthur.

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“	Ladies and gentlemen, this is a robbery!	„
	—Dutch during the trolley station robbery.

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In-game

“	You coming, buddy?	„
	—Dutch to Arthur after rescuing him from Rhodes jail.

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“	We need to get those people warm and fed.	„
	—Dutch to Arthur during the midst of a blizzard.

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“	We are gonna borrow a little money from old Uncle Sam, and be out of his hair, once and for all.	„
	—Dutch to the gang.

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“	You have turned into my son.	„
	—Dutch to Arthur during preparations for departure from Horseshoe Overlook; a line the latter remembers from Dutch during his last ride, if his Honor is low

“	You kill, I kill. You rob, I rob. Only difference I can see is I choose whom I kill, and rob, while you destroy everything in your path.	„
	—Dutch to Leviticus Cornwall

“	It ain't nice, I know it, but it's either us or him! I figure it might as well be him.	„
	—Dutch to John, after the former has killed Angelo Bronte

“	You can't fight nature, captain. You can't fight change. You can't fight... gravity.	„
	—Dutch to a captain of the U.S. Army seconds before jumping off with Arthur to the river below

“	We rob Uncle Sam and we leave. The poetry of it all.	„
	—Van der Linde explaining his intentions to Arthur

“	There ain't no freedom for no one in this country no more.	„
	—Dutch van der Linde

“	We are not criminals. We are outlaws.	„
	—Dutch in one random camp event; a line Arthur remembers from Dutch during his last ride, if his Honor is low

“	The game ain't over... I ain't played my final move.	„
	—Dutch van der Linde to Arthur

“	Hello, son. Mrs. Adler, been quite a while.	„
	—Dutch reintroducing himself to John in 1907

“	I ain't got too much to say no more...	„
	—Dutch, moments before shooting Micah

Trivia

Red Dead Redemption

• Dutch's appearance and voice appear to be partially inspired by the late Powers Boothe's portrayal of "Curly Bill" Brocius in the 1993 film Tombstone.
• After Dutch's death, 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.
• Dutch himself uses a Semi-automatic Pistol, a prime symbol of future technology compared to the typical revolver still used by many, when he is against civilization and modernization himself. He also uses an automobile to flee from Blackwater after robbing the bank, instead of the horse he previously owned circa 1899.
  • All these contradictions may also intentionally be 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."
• 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 Marston is with a High Power Pistol, the second time he fires is with a Semi-automatic Pistol, and when he is cornered, the game will usually glitch and show him holding a Cattleman Revolver. Similarly, enough, sometimes in "The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)", he will have a Cattleman in his holster and the Semi-Automatic Pistol in his hand.
• John implies that he still has respect for Dutch, 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 even worse than Dutch, probably because Ross has the power that he is corrupt with, which is the key thing that 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.
• 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.
• Although it is never expressly revealed as to whether they were his precise target, Dutch appears to be a frighteningly skilled shooter, as he is able to shoot John's binoculars from well over 100 feet away. Dutch manages to do so from about a 70-degree upwards angle, with the wind, cold and gravity effects of being on a mountaintop working against him, and above all with a single shot from what is meant to be a mid-range pistol, taking little over a second to correct his aim.
  • This could also be interpreted as an in-game representation of Dead Eye Targeting, albeit from the target's perspective.
• When Dutch is using the Maxim Gun in "And The Truth Will Set You Free", the player can use the invincibility cheat to get behind him. If the player hogties Dutch, he can be killed with no effect on the story or mission.
• Dutch's line "When I'm gone, they'll just find another monster" foreshadows Agent Ross' betrayal of John even after he killed Dutch.
• Dutch's corpse is far more detailed than what the player is typically able to see, featuring a large, gory chunk of flesh exposed on the side of his head that faces the ground.
• Dutch is the only one of John's targets that he is never given the option to kill; instead opting to kill himself. Bill and Javier can both either be killed or spared although their fate remains the same regardless of the player's actions.

Red Dead Redemption 2

• During a camp interaction at Horseshoe Overlook, Dutch will state to members of the gang that his mother's ancestry hails from the county of Lincolnshire in England, while his father's family is from Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
• 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, the most famous battle 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.
• The head injury Dutch sustains in the trolley crash during "Urban Pleasures" might have affected his mental state somewhat. This is also insinuated by Arthur repeatedly questioning Dutch of his condition following the accident. Furthermore, Dutch acts somewhat dazed and mentally lost after that incident with even Abigail wondering if he is fine. He even says he himself feels odd after John asks him why he is being funny with him.
• 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. He shares this outcome with Micah.
• In a random encounter in the camp, Dutch claims that the theory of man being evolved from the monkey is for "small-minded scientists", suggesting he doesn't believe in it.
• Dutch uses a pair of custom Schofield Revolvers which have black, silver frames, pearl grips and golden engravings. While he is in Guarma, however, he uses a pair of Double-Action Revolvers.
• Dutch's proclaimed plan for the gang to flee to Tahiti after gathering enough funds for the gang to travel there is similar to that of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch retreat to South America, the latter actually achieving this pipe dream, as in 1899 they planned to run away to a subtropical island, and unlike the Van der Linde gang, Wild Bunch members Butch Cassidy and Harry Longabaugh made their getaway to Argentina in 1901.
• Arthur says that Dutch has a very strong bond with his horse, The Count. He also says that The Count won’t let anyone other than Dutch ride him, and that he was bucked "faster than a bull" when he once tried to mount it.
• Dutch is seen with his own unique hunting knife, which he only uses once in the mission "Just a Social Call".
• Dutch has a unique looking bandana - it has a checked red and white pattern, which differs from the plain black color that the rest of the gang use. Aside from Dutch, only Lenny and Uncle use non-black bandanas.
• Dutch never uses any long arms in either game but is depicted with a Bolt Action Rifle over his shoulder in promotional art for Redemption 2.
• Dutch has his initials on his knife holster (D.V.L).
• "The Redcliff" outfit in Red Dead Online is based on Dutch's main attire.

Gallery

Red Dead Redemption

In-game

Dutch in Cochinay

Dutch shooting at John

Dutch holding Muriel Scranton hostage

Dutch requesting John to hand out MacDougal

Dutch using his base's Maxim gun

Dutch using his base's Maxim gun

Dutch confronted by John for the last time

Dutch in his final moments

Dutch committing suicide

Dutch's corpse, looked over by John

Multiplayer

Render of Dutch's model for the multiplayer mode of Redemption.

Dutch in a deathmatch

Promotional screenshot for Liars and Cheats depicting Dutch playing with Bill, Nigel West Dickens and Leigh Johnson

Promotional screenshot for Liars and Cheats depicting Dutch and Edgar Ross

Dutch playing with John, Johnson, Bonnie MacFarlane and Seth Briars

Red Dead Redemption 2

Artworks

Promotional teaser for Redemption 2 showcasing members of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch is the third from left

Close-up to Dutch's silhouette.

Promotional poster in the form a newspaper depicting Dutch

Official artwork

Promotional

Dutch and Molly O'Shea at camp

Dutch's revolvers

Trailers

Dutch's introduction in the second trailer

Dutch wearing a bandana during a train robbery in the second trailer

Dutch, alongside Hosea and Arthur, leading the Van der Linde gang in the third trailer

In-game

Dutch at Colter

Dutch firing at Cornwall's train car in "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?"

Dutch at Horseshoe Overlook

Dutch at Clemens Point

Dutch and Micah during the meeting with Colm

Dutch drowns Angelo Bronte

Dutch after witnessing Hosea's death in "Banking, The Old American Art"

Dutch, while in Guarma

Dutch with Micah at Beaver Hollow

Dutch reloading in "Just a Social Call"

Dutch aiming his revolvers

Dutch, in a standoff with John and Micah in "American Venom"

Dutch's speech notes

Dutch's custom revolver in holster

Dutch's unique knife

Dutch's Horse, The Count