How Old Is Dutch & The Van Der Linde Gang In RDR2?

Summary The Van der Linde gang's downfall is a key plot point in the Red Dead Redemption games, spanning decades in the Wild West.

Dutch Van der Linde's leadership in the gang is emphasized, impacting younger members who initially look to him for guidance.

The gang's roots trace back to the fateful meeting of Dutch and Hosea, forming the Van der Linde gang in the mid-1870s.

The fall of the Van der Linde gang is a major plot point across the Red Dead Redemption games, with the 2018 prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, showing the group's final days in 1899. Red Dead Redemption's story picks up years later with John Marston tasked with tracking down the remaining members, including leader Dutch Van der Linde, in a bid to save his family from Edgar Ross and the Bureau of Investigation.

When players are re-introduced to the Van der Lindes in Red Dead Redemption 2, it's clear that the group has been around for quite some time. Red Dead Redemption 2's opening sequence immediately introduced players to the game's protagonist Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang in desperate times as they tried to survive a harsh winter on the run after a failed ferry heist in Blackwater, with Dutch realizing that the "age of outlaws" is finally coming to an end, incentivizing him to acquire enough money for his gang to escape the law and retire, which results in him obsessing over "one last heist" frequently throughout the campaign.

Related Complete Red Dead Timeline Before RDR3 - Revolver, Redemption, & RDR2 Rockstar's acclaimed Red Dead series spans several decades in the Wild West with numerous protagonists across its three main Western titles.

How Old Is Dutch Van der Linde In Red Dead Redemption 2?

Dutch Has Been A Role Model To Younger Members Of The Gang

The Van der Linde gang is mostly split into two age ranges, the younger generation in their 20s and 30s, and the older ones in their 40s and 50s, and Dutch falls into the latter category, with many of the younger members of the gang initially looking to him for guidance - even if later in the game it became evident that his leadership was flawed. According to the official guidebook published by Piggyback, Dutch was born in 1855, making him 44 years old during the events of Red Dead Redemption 2.

The ages of the Van der Linde gang members during Red Dead Redemption 2 is as follows:

Name Age Dutch Van der Linde 44 Hosea Matthews 55 Arthur Morgan 36 John Marston 26 Abigail Roberts (later Marston) 22 Jack Marston 4 Uncle 50 Sadie Adler 25 Bill Williamson 33 Micah Bell 39 Charles Smith 27 Lenny Summers 19 Karen Jones Mid-20s Tilly Jackson Early 20s Simon Pearson 48 Leopold Strauss 53 Javier Escuella Mid-20s Sean MacGuire Mid-20s Mary-Beth Gaskill Early To Mid-20s Josiah Trelawny Between 40-55 Molly O'Shea Mid-20s Reverend Swanson Mid-40s

Related Who Dutch Van der Linde Was Before Red Dead Redemption 2 Dutch Van der Linde clearly had a colorful life before founding his namesake gang, through Red Dead Redemption 2 only provides a few details.

How Long Has The Van Der Linde Gang Been Around?

Dutch And Hosea Formed The Gang Decades Before The Events Of Red Dead Redemption 2

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The gang's roots lie in a fateful meeting between Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews, at a campfire on the road to Chicago around the mid-1870s. At the time, the two were small-time hustlers and Hosea attempted to con and rob Dutch, but realized that Dutch had done the same and stolen from him in the meantime. Instead of coming to blows over the deception, both saw the skill that the other had and laughed about it before deciding to team up, forming The Van der Linde gang. While neither the game nor the guide book narrow down the date further, the gang was likely formed in 1875 or 1876 as a newspaper clipping in Hosea's room in Chapter 4 of the game refers to a heist the duo performed in March 1877, suggesting that they were established by then.

Around the same time, Hosea met a woman named Bessie, whom he eventually married, and while the two briefly attempted to leave the life of crime behind, Hosea eventually drifted back into it. Despite this, Bessie stayed with Hosea until she passed away, with her death coming as a huge blow to Hosea.

One of Dutch's main aims for the Van der Linde gang was to find redemption for their past sins by robbing the rich and giving to the poor, similar to the story of Robin Hood. He saw himself as a revolutionary and thought that with these kinds of actions, where they only took from those who they believed deserved it, the gang could be an example to others who would follow their lead. This clearly worked, as the gang grew with characters from various backgrounds, including a 14-year-old Arthur Morgan and a 12-year-old John Marston, who Dutch took under his wing, teaching them to read, write, shoot, and survive.

Unfortunately, as time went on, Dutch's ideals began to fade, as the group started assisting the likes of Leopold Strauss with loansharking and stopped being so charitable, essentially targeting those lower-class citizens who they originally wanted to fight for. During the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch's leadership begins to unravel, resulting in the deaths of several of his followers, and ultimately, the Van der Linde gang disbanded in 1899.

Source: Piggyback