| “ | Out in the frontier there are people living an everyday existence and struggling to survive. You can find these Strangers out in the wilderness or in the local towns. They are marked by '?' on your map, and can be spoken to when not busy with a mission. Their tasks can be as simple as finding a friend or loved one, picking some flowers, hunting some animals, or delivering items across the dangerous frontier. Violence can often solve these problems, but think hard before letting your gun speak first. Unlike narrative missions, Stranger's tasks can be started and finished at any time. Active tasks will be tracked for you on the map. This journal will record the name of the task, as well as the objectives for each stage. |
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| —Journal description |
Location of the "Jenny's Faith" stranger side-mission
Strangers are special NPC characters featured in Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Red Dead Online, who give missions to the player. Unlike story missions, these side-missions can be initiated and completed at any time. Stranger missions are usually much shorter and simpler than the story missions.
In Redemption, strangers are represented on the map by a question mark "?" icon. These cons only appear on the map when the player is close to their locations, and the mission is triggered when the player approaches the person in question. In Redemption 2, strangers are represented by white circle on the mini map with a question mark. In Online, the icon is changed to an orange icon containing the silhouette of a man, but the concept is the same.
If a character has more than one mission, then in subsequent encounters their name will appear on the map instead of "Stranger", since the player has already met them. Some stranger missions involve a choice that the player has to make, which will affect their honor. Additionally, the successful completion of these activities will often reward players with cash and other bonuses.
Stranger missions contribute towards 100% Completion. In Redemption, all missions except "I Know You" need to be completed. In Redemption 2, only 10 stranger missions strands are required for 100% Completion.
Quick Answers
What types of tasks do the Strangers typically assign in RDR2?
How can you identify a Stranger on the map in Red Dead Redemption 2?
What are some possible outcomes of completing stranger missions in RDR2?
How many stranger missions are there in RDR2?
What is the role of violence in solving stranger missions in RDR2?
Red Dead Redemption[]
The following is a list of stranger missions in Red Dead Redemption. Next to them are the names of the characters that give said missions. Some missions are split into multiple parts, with each given by the same or a different character. Some missions require reaching a certain chapter in the main story.
Red Dead Redemption 2[]
The following is a list of stranger missions in Red Dead Redemption 2. Next to them are the names of the characters that give said missions. Some missions are split into multiple parts, with each given by the same or a different character. Some missions require reaching a certain chapter in the main story to be obtained.
Red Dead Online[]
The following is a list of strangers featured in Red Dead Online. Next to them are the type of missions that they can offer to the player. Unlike in previous instalments, there isn't a limited number of stranger missions. The player's honor may increase or decrease depending on the mission type.
Positive Honor[]
| Stranger Name | Tasks Involved |
|---|---|
| Alden Carruthers | Repossessions / Deliveries / Hunting / Caravan Escorts |
| Angus Elliston | |
| Bonnie MacFarlane | |
| Hector Barlow | |
| Hamish Sinclair | Repossessions / Deliveries / Hunting / Rescues |
| Jake & Sadie Adler | |
| Thomas | Repossessions / Deliveries / Hunting |
| Sheriff Freeman | Repossessions / Caravan Escorts |
| Anthony Foreman | Rescues |
| Josiah Trelawny | Caravan Escorts / Rescues / Hunting |
| Sean MacGuire | Hunting |
| The Boy | |
| Flaco Hernández |
Negative Honor[]
| Stranger Name | Tasks Involved |
|---|---|
| Hamish Sinclair | Boat Thefts |
| Josiah Trelawny | Repossessions / Horse Thefts / Destroy Supplies |
| The Boy | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Boat Thefts / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Early Releases / Rescues |
| Bray & Tammy Aberdeen | Paid Killings / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts |
| Flaco Hernández | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Boat Thefts / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Early Releases |
| Anthony Foreman | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts |
| Joe | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Boat Thefts / Early Releases |
| Black Belle | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Early Releases |
| Mama Watson | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Early Releases |
| Sean MacGuire | |
| James Langton | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Coach Holdups / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Rescues / Early Releases |
| Shaky | Paid Killings / Destroy Supplies / Wagon Thefts / Horse Thefts / Early Releases |
Tips[]
- Most stranger mission strands require the player to wait a couple of in-game days before the next part of the mission becomes available. Instead of waiting the player can just save the game at any property/campsite and then reload that save, or an auto-save in case this feature is turned on.
Trivia[]
Red Dead Redemption[]
- Several Stranger missions were cut from Red Dead Redemption before the game was released:
- In one, John encounters a lonely dwarf with a hatred of people. John ends up feeling sorry for him and goes searching for someone to befriend the dwarf. Eventually John encounters a large man described as a giant. However, after meeting each other, the giant ends up killing someone by accidentally smothering them. The dwarf then encourages John to kill the giant and the large man's fate is left in the player's hands. Only the audio for this cut mission remains, and it can be heard here.
- In another, John must gather four stolen holy relics for Mother Superior. The first relic is described as being in the possession of a hermit in New Austin. One was being sold in the Pacific Union Railroad Camp. The next, in possession of a criminal who lives in Tumbleweed, and finally, one by an outlaw hunted by bounty hunters. It can be heard here.
Red Dead Redemption 2[]
- A cut character known as Señor Andreas Colon was supposed to give five missions in Guarma (referred to as "Coln" in the files) to the player, though this was cut quite early in development and there are only remnants of what would've happened. He would've been met at a table for the first four missions (though he does not seem to have a physical role in the second), and each time he would be asleep with a bottle or a glass of wine and his opium pipe. During one encounter, there would've been a camera involved. During the final encounter, the player could find him sitting down on the ground writing in a book with an umbrella before he would've stood up, and joined the player in a boat. He'd look around and get frustrated at one point, before pointing excitedly in presumably different directions. Cut text suggests he also would've given the player a map, and the opium pipe belonging to him can be found inside of a room during a random encounter in Valentine.
- The cut character Dr. Lane Higgins was intended to be encountered on Guarma and was the subject of a stranger mission strand. Cut voicelines depict him asking the player to stop members of the Cuban Military from desecrating a sacred site in order to steal post-Columbian artifacts, which he believes "belong in a museum."
Videos[]
Achievements[]
Red Dead Redemption[]
There are three trophies/achievements associated with completing Stranger tasks:
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10
 Bronze
 Complete a task for a stranger.
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25
Silver
 Complete 15 tasks for Strangers.
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100
Gold
 Attain 100% in the singleplayer completion stat.
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Red Dead Redemption 2[]
There are two trophies/achievements associated with completing Stranger tasks:
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WESTERN STRANGER
30
Bronze
Complete 10 Stranger mission strands.
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100
Gold
Attain 100% Completion.
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