History Characters / RedDeadRedemption

* Characters/RedDeadRedemptionOtherCharacters
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemptionNewAustin New Austin]]
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemptionWestElizabeth West Elizabeth]]
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemptionNuevoParaiso Nuevo Paraiso]]
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemptionMinorCharacters Strangers and other minor characters]]
* Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters
** Characters/RedDeadRedemption2Allies
** Characters/RedDeadRedemption2Antagonists
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2MinorCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, Duelists, Gangs, and Law Enforcement]]
** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2StrangersAndOtherMinorCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Strangers and other minor characters]]

** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemptionNuevoParaiso Nuevo Pariso]]

** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, Duelists, Gangs, and Law Enforcement]]

** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, Duelists, Gangs, and Law Enforcement]]

A list of the various characters in Rockstar Games' ''Red Dead Redemption'' series. [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Some of them are good, some of them are bad, and some of them are ugly]] -- but they're certainly interesting.

#** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, Duelists, Gangs, and Law Enforcement]]

** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters Red Dead Redemption 2 Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, Duelists, Gangs, and Law Enforcement]]

** [[Characters/RedDeadRedemption2OtherCharacters Bounties, Collectors, Debtors, and Duelists]]

** Characters/RedDeadRedemption2StrangersAndMinorCharacters

!!VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2
Characters (outside of the Van der Linde Gang) who first appeared in VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2, set in 1899-1907.

[[folder:Allies and Friends]]

[[WMG:Overarching allies and friends]]

!!Mary Linton

-->'''Voiced by:''' Julie Jesneck

Arthur's LoveInterest. She comes from a rich family that didn't approve of her relationship with Arthur. Mary sends letters to Arthur asking him for help with family issues.
----
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]]. In the past, she tried to be with Arthur despite her father's contempt for him, but ultimately obeyed him and left Arthur for a more respectable man. [[spoiler: While she does eventually offer to run away with Arthur once and for all, it's only after her father alienates her by selling off her mother's brooch. Even then, she soon comes to realize that Arthur will never be able to leave the outlaw life, not even for her, and says goodbye to him for what ends up being the final time]]
* DeadpanSnarker: She can surprisingly be pretty snarky with Arthur.
* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:Sadly, before Arthur could fully mend the fence with Mary, he dies from his tuberculosis. She's last seen mourning at his grave during the credits, a full 7 years after his death.]]
** [[spoiler: In fact, she seemed ready to leave their relationship in the past for good as of their final meeting, when it became clear to her that he'd never really be able to pull himself away from his criminal ties for her.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: She repeatedly criticizes Arthur for his outlaw ways and unwillingness to leave that life, but always calls upon him in situations that require exactly that kind of man. She admits that this is painful and makes her feel guilty.
* OldFlame: She had a relationship with Arthur, but they became estranged when Arthur couldn't let go of his life as an outlaw.
* OneSteveLimit: Shares her first name with Mary-Beth, who is part of Dutch's gang. Coincidentally enough, both of them have feelings for the same man.

[[WMG:Chapter 3 allies and friends]]

!!Beau Gray and Penelope Braithwaite

-->'''Voiced by:''' Bjorn Thorstad (Beau Gray), Alison Barton (Penelope Braithwaite)

Two young lovers from opposite sides of the feuding families in Scarlett Meadows.
----
* GenerationXerox: Arthur can find a letter outside Saint Denis, and it turns out that Beau and Penelope weren't the only StarCrossedLovers and WhiteSheep among the Gray and Braithwaite families.
* InadequateInheritor: Beau mentions how his "artistic" temperament keeps him outside his family's money talks. Not that he actually minds, given how his family is.
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane People:]] They both realize how utterly pointless and destructive their family feud has become.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When their family feud gets completely out of control, both of them decide to leave for Boston while they still can.
* SilkHidingSteel: Beau wasn't kidding when he says Penelope is ahead of her time; she's a staunch feminist and is willing to put her life on the line in a town that has a dim view on women's rights. [[spoiler: Turns out that her cousins hunting her and Beau when they elope has less to do with their relationship and more with the fact that she robbed her family dry. Arthur is very impressed]].
* SouthernBelle: Everything about Penelope.
* SouthernGentleman: Beau is this to a T.
* StarCrossedLovers: Practically textbook Southern versions of Romeo and Juliet. Arthur even mockingly refers to them as such. Unlike Romeo and Juliet, they are able to escape together.
* WhiteSheep: The most pleasant, polite, intelligent, and genuinely good natured members of their respective families. Considering that the rest of their family are feuding, backwards hicks, that's saying something. [[spoiler:This is what allows them to escape the grisly fate that the rest of their family members have suffered.]]

[[WMG:Chapter 5 allies and friends]]

!!Hercule Fontaine

-->'''Voiced by:''' Guyviaud Joseph

A former slave turn rebel/pirate who opposes the tyranny of Alberto Fussar.
----
* GoodAllAlong: The crew thinks that he's going to betray them after they agree to help him, [[spoiler: he keeps his word.]]
* LaResistance: Heads a group of rebel slaves against Fussar.

[[WMG:Chapter 6 allies and friends]]

!!Arturo Bullard

-->'''Voiced by:''' Asa Somers

A hot air balloon pilot that unwittingly helps in Arthur and Sadie's prison breakout of John.
----
* AccentSlipUp: Bullard presents himself with a sophisticated Trans-Atlantic accent, but when things start going south he slips into a Southern drawl.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He doesn't allow Sadie in his balloon because he believes women are fragile and flying will affect their "vapors". Sadie isn't even offended, she just laughs.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: Well, he was no main character, but his death was certainly abrupt and tragic.
* NiceGuy: Even Arthur likes the guy.

!!Eagle Flies

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jeremiah Bitsui

Son of Rains Fall. He is militantly oppose to the injustices and harsh conditions imposed on the Wapiti by the U.S. Army.
----
* AGoodWayToDie: [[spoiler: He comforts Arthur after getting shot while saving him, saying that it was worth it if only to repay his multiple life debts to the outlaw]].
* EarlyBirdCameo: Just like his dad, his first appearance is an extra at Angelo Bronte's ball.
** Has an even earlier one in the first chapter, where he and his tribe curiously watch the Van der Lindes move out of Ambarino.
* {{Foil}}: To Jack Marston. [[spoiler: Both of them end up becoming violent killers because of their family, Eagle Flies because of the mistreatment that the Native Americans are receiving at the hands of the army and Jack to avenge the death of his father. Also, while Jack is able to successfully avenge his father and [[ShrugOfGod possibly achieve some peace by becoming a novel writer,]] Eagle Flies is killed in battle and left his (still leaving) father grieving.]]
* HotBlooded: He's very fiery and bitter after years of having to stomach the US Army's abuse. This makes it very easy for Dutch to manipulate him.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's very dismissive of Rains Fall, but you can tell it hurts him, and he's not really sick of his father, he's just sick of being abused by the US Army and Rains Fall putting up with it. [[spoiler: In his final moments, he gives his father a warm, reassuring smile and holds onto his hand]].
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to his father's blue.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Eagle Flies believes that Dutch is sympathetic to his people's plight and is willing to help them against the Army. But in reality, Dutch is only using him and the Wapiti as part of his gang's [[OneLastJob last big score]]. He's also one to Henry Favours, who's deliberately provoking the tribe as a means to kickstart a war with the army and claim his glory. Their manipulations ultimately led to Eagle Flies' death.]]

!!Lyndon Monroe

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jake Silbermann

A sympathetic medical officer of the U.S. Army who helps the Wapiti Lakota. However, his efforts is hampered by Colonel Favours.
----
* FightingYourFriend: Once the US Army betrays him, he's pitted against his former brothers-in-arms. However, he understandably refuses to shoot back.
* HonorBeforeReason: Can't bring himself to returning UnfriendlyFire onto his men.
* TheMedic
* MortonsFork: He was gonna get tried with treason either way.
* NiceGuy: He goes behind Favours' back to help the Wapiti multiple times, refuses to hurt his former brothers in arms and is friendly towards Arthur and Charles, not caring they're criminals.
* RunOrDie: Very reluctantly, Monroe is forced to leave Ambarino after Colonel Favours intends on framing and executing him for treason.
* TokenGoodTeammate: He is the only member of the U.S. Army who gives a damn in helping the Wapiti. Because of his goodwill intentions, Colonel Favours sought to kill Monroe for being a threat and obstacle to his intentions on creating a war with the Wapiti.

!!Rains Fall

-->'''Voiced by:''' Graham Greene

The Chief of the Wapiti Lakota who are currently at odds with the U.S. Army.
----
* AdultFear: One of the reasons he's so adamant against fighting the U.S. Army is because he already lost his firstborn son during the war and he doesn't want to lose his remaining son either. [[spoiler:Tragically, his worst fears end up being realized.]]
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:On the one hand, the Wapiti have all moved up to Canada and are apparently doing okay. On the other hand, they're only a handful of families left and Rains Fall himself seems to be in the early stages of Alzheimer's.]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: He's first seen at Angelo Bronte's ball representing the Native Americans.
** And he has an even ''earlier'' cameo in the prologue, watching the gang's caravan as they move into Horseshoe Overlook.
* {{Foil}}: Serve's as one to John Marston. While John is willing to kill in order to keep his son safe, Rains Fall is trying to prevent his son from killing so that he doesn't lose his life in a hopeless war against the US Army. Tellingly [[spoiler: John Marston and Eagle Flies both end up dying, while Rains Fall and Jack Marston both survive.]]
* NiceGuy: Is always soft-spoken, level-headed, and understanding, a contrast to his HotBlooded son. During their ride together, he comforts Arthur and encourages him to get a few things off his chest.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His firstborn son died during a fight with the U.S. Army, where a soldier smashed his head in. Rains Fall's [[AdultFear greatest fear]] is losing his other son, Eagle Flies. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, thanks to Dutch and Colonel Favours' actions, he ends up outliving both sons.]]
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Rain Falls wanted peaceful and non-violent solutions for his tribe, and doesn't want to antagonize the U.S. Army that would only bring more suffering to his people.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to his son's red.

[[WMG:Epilogue allies and friends ('''Warning: Unmarked Spoilers''')]]

!!David Geddes

A kindly ranch owner who hires [[spoiler:John Marston]].
----
* BenevolentBoss: He is very supportive of his workers, and is even willing to help [[spoiler:John]] get a bank loan despite his lack of credit or collateral.
* MrViceGuy: Despite being hinted at to regularly cheat on his wife, he's an upstanding man who puts a lot of work into running his ranch.
* NiceGuy: He's a rather nice and understanding man who took John and his family in, putting them to work and housing them on his ranch.
* YourCheatingHeart: It's almost outright said that he visits the big city mostly to cheat on his wife. In turn, she eagerly cheats on him with the farmhands, which he doesn't seem to mind beyond asking her not to make scenes in front of their employees. Interestingly, Geddes usually doesn't hire married workers and it's implied it's to his wife's benefit.

!!Tom Dickens

The head ranch hand on Geddes farm. [[spoiler: Helps Marston get a job.]]
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He can be rather hostile to John, but he's a decent guy underneath his gruffness.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Antagonists]]

[[WMG:Overarching villains]]

!!Andrew Milton
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/agentandrewmiltonreddeadredemption2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You people venerate savagery, and you will die '''savagely'''!"'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' John Hickok

A Pinkerton agent tasked in apprehending the Van Der Linde gang.
----
* AntiVillain: Unlike Ross, a phony self-righteous GloryHound, Milton would be a straight-up HeroAntagonist if he wasn't so vindictive towards criminals.
* BadBoss: Implied, since none of his Pinkerton underlings seem very fond of him.
* BigBadEnsemble: Alongside [[spoiler:Micah Bell]]. He's the most visible threat to the Van der Linde gang, constantly hounding them at every turn.
* BondVillainStupidity: Fails multiple times to kill members of the Van Der Linde gang, mostly due to his preference for evil gloating and pointless negotiating. [[spoiler:It's at its worst at the end of the game, where he holds Arthur Morgan at gun point, gloating about how Micah was the mole all along and unveiling his plans. This gives Abigail time to free herself and shoot him.]]
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:He's shot in the head by Abigail during his struggle with Arthur.]]
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: He looks an awful lot like Creator/PetePostlethwaite.
* CompositeCharacter: He seems to be one of both Agents Edgar Ross and Fordham. He shares the former's {{Jerkass}} and HolierThanThou mentality, but genuinely desires what's best for society like the latter.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: He's a federal agent, just like Ross, but is much more reasonable and honest, only acting on his threats once his offers of clemency are ignored [[spoiler:instead of treacherously reneging on them like Ross did in ''RDR 1''.]] He still shares Ross's smug sense of moral superiority, and is all-too-willing to coldly murder those he ''does'' consider to be a lost cause.
* DastardlyDapperDerby: Well-dressed with a nice suit and bowler hat, and equally nasty as well.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:He's the most visible and persistent threat the Van der Linde gang faces throughout ''Red Dead Redemption 2'', but there's still several hours worth of story to complete once he's dead. The ultimate villain and FinalBoss is Micah Bell.]]
* TheDragon: Is employed by Cornwall, although the two have different reasons for going after the gang.
** DragonAscendant: [[spoiler:He officially takes the reigns as main villain after Cornwall is killed. His own dragon, Edgar Ross, becomes this following Milton's own death, becoming the BigBad of the original ''Red Dead Redemption''.]]
** DragonInChief: Though he's under Cornwall's employ, he's still the greater threat as he has the weapons and Pinkerton agents needed to pose a constant threat to the Van der Linde gang.
** DragonTheirFeet: [[spoiler:Dutch kills Cornwall without going through Milton first. Interestingly, Milton had just met with Cornwall, and Dutch only attacked after Milton had left.]]
** DragonWithAnAgenda: Cornwall's the one signing Milton's paycheck and ordering him to take down the Van der Linde gang, but Cornwall's only interested in protecting his wealth. Milton, on the other hand, is trying to bring civilization to the United States by hunting down people he sees as "savages" like Dutch and his crew.
** ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: Cornwall may be signing his paychecks, but he's only someone the Van der Linde gang is ripping off through their heists. Milton is the one with a personal connection to the gang, since he's been pursuing them throughout the game, [[spoiler:personally killed Hosea with his men killing Lenny Summers, turned Micah into the mole, and abducted Abigail Roberts to lure the gang to him.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** When Milton first tracks down the Van der Linde gang, even though they have him outgunned and outnumbered, he walks into their camp and offers to let all other members of the gang go free with a three day head-start if Dutch surrenders. When Dutch asks why Milton would do such a thing, Milton says he "doesn't want to kill all these people, Dutch. Just you." He becomes more petty and spiteful in later dealings with the gang, but that's only because his original offer of mercy was rejected.
** Leviticus Cornwall is employing him to hunt down the Van der Linde gang, but when Cornwall demands results, Milton responds by saying they're doing everything the law allows them to do. Though he's working for someone else, the exchange confirms Milton does believe in law and order, unlike Cornwall who believes he can do whatever he wants because he's rich.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's professionally cordial with the Van Der Linde gang most of the time, but in the end he is still willing to go to extreme lengths to take down the gang.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Similar to John, Milton's face is littered with scars.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Much like Edgar Ross, Milton is a classical example of a man trying to destroy criminals who becomes just as cruel and ruthless as the criminals he's pursuing.
* TheHeavy: [[BigBadEnsemble Several antagonists]] cause problems for the Van der Linde gang throughout the game, but Milton is the most visible and his actions have the most effect on the plot.
* HeroAntagonist: If it wasn't for his increasingly vicious actions, such as [[spoiler:executing Hosea and indiscriminately shooting up the gang's hideout]], Milton would be a straight example. He started out as just a passionate detective doing his job of hunting down one of the biggest terrorists in the west. He even gave the gang multiple chances to surrender peacefully without anyone aside from Dutch getting hurt or even arrested, only losing his cool when those offers were refused. Certainly a contrast from Ross, [[spoiler:a treacherous backstabbing VillainWithGoodPublicity who ''did'' get everything he wanted.]]
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Shoots Hosea right in front of the whole gang. His men kill Lenny shortly afterwards.]]
* HiredGuns: Even though he has his own motivation for hunting the Van der Linde gang, he's ultimately a gun for hire working for Cornwall.
* {{Irony}}: Considers the Van Der Linde gang immoral and savage, [[spoiler:yet his mole Micah is the embodiment of the very kind of savagery that Milton hates.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: If Arthur had taken Milton's offer to turn in Dutch, many of the tragic events of the game could have been prevented. He says this directly to Arthur shortly before his own death.]]
* KickTheDog:
** After he captures [[spoiler:Hosea]], he murders him right in front of Dutch out of spite. He doesn't even give him the courtesy of a quick death either, he shoots him in the chest so he can writhe and suffer.
** When Milton finds the gang hiding out at Lakay he attacks them with a Maxim gun, even though non-combatants and a three-year-old boy are present. After saying he'll give them to the count of five, Milton decides to screw it and just opens fire immediately.
* KnightTemplar: Seems to regard himself as this, believing he's safeguarding civilization from the chaotic likes of the Van Der Linde Gang. He passes on this mentality to Ross. [[spoiler: However, given his subservience to an industrialist rather than the government and his clear enjoyment in humiliating and killing the Van Der Linde Gang, this is very much in doubt.]] Nonetheless, he's at least somewhat more honest in comparison to the GloryHound that his partner is.
* LargeHam / EvilIsHammy: He's usually quite reserved, but when he [[spoiler:tracks down Dutch's gang in the swamps and corners them]], he all of a sudden screams a self-righteous speech like some theatrical maniac. It's enough a spectacle to piss Arthur off and make him go on a rampage.
* LetsGetDangerous: When cornering the gang in the swamps, he forgoes his attempts at negotiation and instead proceeds to [[MoreDakka unleash a gatling gun on them]].
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:By revealing that Micah and not Molly was the rat, it allowed Arthur to expose Micah's treachery and for John to hunt him down years later.]]
* PinkertonDetective: He's the head of the group of them pursuing the Van der Linde gang.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He believes that "savages" like Dutch and the Native Americans need to be killed off for civilization to progress, and he calls Lenny a "boy" during his parley at Van Der Linde's camp.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Dresses in a black and red suit. His entire face is solid red too since it's just scar tissue at this point.
* SmugSnake: [[spoiler:He boasts about how Arthur will die while he'll get to live a long life mere ''seconds'' before Abigail blows the idiot's brains out.]]
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Milton serves as one to Edgar Ross. Both are HolierThanThou men working for the government who are trying to destroy the Van der Linde gang in the name of civilization. In game, Ross actually appears as Milton's [[TheDragon right-hand man]]. Whether Ross always possessed this mentality or picked it up from Milton is unknown given how much Ross remains OutOfFocus in game.
* TakeALevelInBadass: After him and his agents have tried multiple times to take down the Van Der Linde gang and its members, and failed every single time, Milton succeeds [[spoiler:in laying a trap for them during the bank heist in Saint Denis. Milton's men manage to kill two of Dutch's gang and capture a third, and put the survivors on the run.]]
* WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied: He mocks Arthur by telling him how he and his men found Mac Callander then tortured him to death.

!!Colm O'Driscoll
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/odriscoll.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I've been a bad man."]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Andrew Berg

A dangerous, sadistic outlaw who used to be a partner of Dutch.
----
* ArchEnemy: To Dutch. They've been enemies for a long time ever since Dutch killed Colm's brother and Colm killed a woman Dutch loved in revenge.
* AssholeVictim: It's hard not to be grinning [[spoiler: when his smug, sleazy, psycho exterior is shattered by the impending realization that he ''is'' going to hang, and you're the reason why.]]
* AxCrazy: A psychopathic outlaw who gleefully commits RapePillageAndBurn. [[spoiler:He also killed Kieran in an extremely brutal way]]. Even when we know him, he sounds ''pretty manic''.
* BadBoss: In contrast to Dutch, Colm sees his men as expendable CannonFodder, and when he loses a bunch, he just hires on more scum from somewhere else. Kieran defects to the Van Der Linde Gang because he knows that coerced or not, Colm will brutally kill him for failing regardless. [[spoiler:Sadly, he's proven right.]]
* BigBadEnsemble: With Andrew Milton, Leviticus Cornwall and [[spoiler:Micah Bell]].
* BigBadWannabe: Even though he's the Van der Linde gang's main rival, he barely makes a footnote in the story. [[spoiler:He gets captured offscreen to hang, and isn't even dignified with a standoff with his rival gang]].
* CardCarryingVillain: He has a very matter-of-factly way of confronting his crimes during his hanging, knowing that he has an escape plan.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Subverted. His feud with Dutch may have started with the death of his brother, but it's obvious that he did not care for his brother, going so far as to admit that he never liked him very much.
* EvilGloating: Indulges in a good bit of this when he takes Arthur prisoner, in between [[{{Sadist}} beating him for fun.]]
* EvilOldFolks: His exact age is never given, but his grey hair and wrinkles suggest he's pretty old.
* {{Foil}}: In terms of leadership and personality, he's very much the exact opposite of Dutch. Both are outlaws, but while Dutch is charismatic, paternal, educated, well-read and cares for his gang; Colm is rude, foul-mouthed, a terrible boss, and doesn't care about anyone but himself.
* HateSink: Nothing is pleasant about the guy except the sight of [[AssholeVictim what was coming to him]].
* ItsPersonal:
** While the feud is primarily between Dutch and Colm, [[spoiler:Kieran's cruel death earns Colm Arthur's hatred]].
** Sadie Adler also has business with Colm, since his gang was responsible for the death of her husband, even thought the two never personally met.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even if he ''wasn't'' a wanton, merciless murderer with a penchant for torture and mutilation, his generally smug, insulting attitude makes him utterly unlikable.
* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: He was sentenced to hang twice in the past, but managed to escape the noose each time. [[spoiler:The third time proves to be the charm, especially when Arthur, Dutch and Sadie are around to ensure his boys won't be able to help him get free.]]
* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler:Once he realizes that no one is coming to save him, he turns from confident and self-assured to outright panicking at his imminent death.]]
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Gets an absolutely ''epic'' dose of this when he realizes that his plot to have his underlings bust him out from his hanging has been foiled by Dutch, Sadie, and Arthur. Bonus points for doing so completely silently (he's already been gagged by the hangman). His bearing goes from cocky and unconcerned to terrified in less than a minute.]]
* OutOfFocus: Despite the O'Driscolls being prominent thorns in the Van der Linde's sides, Colm doesn't appear much. Somewhat justified - Arthur mentions that it was always Dutch's fight and [[spoiler: while he enjoyed easing the son of a bitch's passage to hell, he ultimately didn't care that much]].
* RapePillageAndBurn: His favorite hobby. There doesn't even need to be a profit at stake, he just [[ForTheEvulz enjoys being an out-and-out bastard]].
* {{Sadist}}: He is ruthless, violent, and tends to commit brutal acts for pure enjoyment.
* ShadowArchetype: Colm O'Driscoll is ultimately the embodiment of what Dutch outwardly expresses hatred of becoming; ruthless, prone to violence and ultimately looks out for himself over his own men. [[spoiler:By Chapter 6, Dutch's SanitySlippage makes him act very much like Colm in almost every aspect.]]
* SmugSnake: Right before his [[spoiler: hanging, he laughs and mocks the charges against them, convinced that his gang members will save him. Once he realises that no one will come to save him, his smugness turns to horror.]]
* VillainousBreakdown:[[spoiler:When he realizes that his plan to escape his execution has failed, he absolutely loses it.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Dutch used to ride together, until their partnership was dissolved by Dutch killing Colm's brother. Colm responded by murdering Dutch's lover, Annabelle. Afterwards, not a trace of any old friendship is visible, both men consumed with hatred for the other.

!!Leviticus Cornwall

-->'''Voiced by:''' John Rue

A rich businessman and industrialist whose many businesses are constantly targeted by the Van Der Linde gang. He hires the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to either capture or kill the outlaws.
----
* BaldOfEvil: An evil old man who's losing his hair.
* BigBadEnsemble: With Colm O'Driscoll, Andrew Milton and [[spoiler:Micah Bell]].
* BigBadWannabe: Cornwall is a looming threat throughout much of the game. Dutch targets a lot of his businesses and, in return, Cornwall gives financial backing to the Pinkertons to eliminate the Van Der Linde gang. However, [[DragonInChief Agent Milton]] is a much bigger threat and [[spoiler:Dutch guns Cornwall down without fanfare during their only face-to-face encounter]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: A classic Robber Baron of TheGildedAge, concerned solely with his own power and profit, more than willing to intimidate, blackmail and murder to achieve both.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:He's a major threat to the Van Der Linde gang for most of the game, but he's quickly killed near the beginning of Chapter 6 with other, more dangerous opponents to take on.]]
* EvilOldFolks: An elderly businessman whose sugar business is destroying the people of Guarma and who's forcing Native Americans off their land so he can drill for oil.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's a horrible piece of trash, but when he finally meets the man he's been hunting for months, Cornwall feigns being unwaveringly well-mannered to his nemesis. It's clear, however, that he has nothing but contempt for Dutch.
* {{Jerkass}}: He treats his hired gun, Agent Milton, like trash for failing to deal with the Van Der Linde gang, acts like he's above the law because of his wealth, dismisses the needs of his workers, and treats Dutch with contempt when they meet face-to-face.
* NotSoDifferent: Dutch seems to think there isn't much difference between them, only that Cornwall is actually ''worse'', because while Dutch chooses who he kills and robs, Cornwall indiscriminately corrupts, robs, despoils, and murders everything in his way.
* RailroadBaron: Cornwall is a robber baron with businesses connected to railroads, oil and sugar.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: His moral outlooks seems to be "wealth equals right", and since he's the richest man around, everything he does is therefore above reproach.
-->The law? I think we both know what you can do with your LAWS! Find me Dutch Van Der Linde! Bring him here, and leave the laws to them as need them!
* SmugSnake: He's a greedy, callous, arrogant man who believes that his wealth and connections make him untouchable. When Dutch offers him mercy in exchange for money and safe passage for his gang, Cornwall laughs in his face. [[spoiler:He's immediately killed for his trouble.]]
* TooDumbToLive: Despite the fact he was backed up by a handful of armed guards, he ''really'' should have known better than to laugh at Dutch's offer to let him live.

[[WMG:Chapter 3 villains]]

!!Catherine Braithwaite
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/braithwaite.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I ain't in the market for what's already mine."]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Ellen Harvey

Matriarch of the Braithwaite family.
----
* ArcVillain: She is the main villain of Chapter 3 during the gang's time in Rhodes.
* ByTheHair: [[spoiler:Dutch grabs her by the hair and drags her out of her burning manor.]]
* CoolOldLady: Comes off as this when you first meet her, being sassy, sharp and dominating her sons. [[EvilMatriarch It doesn't last.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:She would rather stagger back into her family's burning mansion and burn with it, rather than live with the disgrace.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Nasty piece of work that she is, she genuinely loves her sons. [[spoiler:After Arthur kills them both, her demeanor changes from haughty defiance to hysteria.]]
* EvilIsPetty: Why did she kidnap a toddler and traffic him off to TheMafia? Because the Van der Lindes stole her Moonshine.
* EvilMatriarch: The queen of the Braithwraite Manor, and is shown to be extremely petty and ruthless.
* EvilOldFolks: Looks to be in her 60's, which means she was in her prime back when slavery was a thing.
* FeudingFamilies: The Braithwaites and the Gray Families have been enemies for generations, the feud originally starting over gold or women supposedly. Hosea's plan to con them involves playing them both against each other. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, both families are observant enough to connect the recent tragedies befalling them to the new outlaws in their lives.]]
* HateSink: [[spoiler:The gang considered Dutch killing Angelo Bronte his MoralEventHorizon, however earlier they didn't once bat an eye to him sadistically ruining Braithwaite's life. Not even the nice guys like Hosea and Charles. Hell, they even indulged in it themselves. Braithwaite is ''that'' much of a bitch.]]
* HystericalWoman: [[spoiler:When she's cornered by Dutch and sees her dead sons, she's left shrieking and sobbing at the top of her lungs as Dutch drags her out of the mansion by her hair.]]
* KickTheDog: It's revealed that she had her own insane daughter locked up in a wooden shack not far from the manor.
* LeaveBehindAPistol: A variation. [[spoiler: After literally taking everything from her, Dutch's gang just leaves her at the steps of her burning mansion and let her run back into the inferno to kill herself.]]
* TheMark: Dutch and Hosea plan on PlayingBothSides of her family's conflict with the Gray family, in order to rob them blind. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for the Van der Linde gang, both she and the Gray family end up seeing through the ruse.]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: She sells moonshine to [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic the Lemoyne Raiders]], and it's heavily implied that her relationship is a bit more than just business. For one, one of the Grays says that the Braithwaite family used to be rich until "[[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil a change in the labor laws]]", [[spoiler: and when the Van der Linde gang is burning down her mansion, she's cursing out the "[[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Yankees]]" as part of her VillainousBreakdown.]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler: Kidnapping Jack was a stupid, stupid idea; her attempt at petty revenge leads Dutch's gang to storm her home, kill all her sons, and burn her mansion to the ground.]]
* WouldHurtAChild: A variation, in that she'd happily ''kidnap'' one and pass him along to [[TheMafia Angelo Bronte]], [[EvilIsPetty all to get back at Dutch's gang for stealing her moonshine and horses]]. She defends her actions by saying there are no rules in war.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: After Arthur [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes kills both of her bastard sons in front of her]], she starts sobbing uncontrollably. Then when Dutch and his gang set her house on fire, and drag her limp old body out of it, [[HystericalWoman she's reduced to shrieking]] intermittently between {{Angrish}} and pathetic attempts at ordering Dutch to put her down.]]
* YouKeepUsingThatWord: This goes for her whole family. It seems the Braithwaites have no idea what a Yankee is, since they keep calling the Van der Lindes, the most southern cowboys this side of the Mississippi, "yankees".

!!Leigh Gray

-->'''Voiced by:''' Tim [=McGeever=]

A member of the Gray Family and the corrupt Sheriff of Rhodes.
----
* TheAlcoholic: Leigh spends most of his screen-time drunk off his ass. In his second appearance he has the Van der Linde gang destroy a moonshine operation, then wants the moonshine for himself.
* ArcVillain: He shares the role with Catherine Braithwaite for Chapter 3.
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:Arthur kills him this way in Dead Eye after Leigh takes Bill Williamson hostage.]]
* DirtyCop: He may be the Sheriff of Rhodes, but he's just a crook with a badge, using his position to continue his family's feud with the Braithwaites.
* TheDragon: He acts as one to his father, Tavish Gray.
* EvilRedhead: He's a corrupt Sheriff with red hair
* FeudingFamilies: His family, the Grays, have been feuding with the Braithwaites, for generations.
* TheMark: Leigh and Catherine Braithwaite are targeted by the Van der Linde gang, who intend on PlayingBothSides. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, both sides end up seeing through the ruse before it can come to fruition, making both sides enemies of the gang.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: At first he just seems like a drunken, oafish buffoon who's an easy mark for the Van der Linde gang. However, [[spoiler:he's the one who arranges the ambush that results in Sean's death, and he even manages to take Bill Williamson hostage before Arthur kills him.]]

[[WMG:Chapter 4 villains]]

!!Angelo Bronte
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bronte_5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"You twist words. You lie shamelessly. You think you are better than everyone else...I LOVE YOU! GIVE THESE MEN DRINKS!"]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jim Pirri

A wealthy Italian businessman who has a large influence in Saint Denis.
----
* ArcVillain: The main antagonist of Chapter 4, where the gang goes to Saint Denis.
* BaitTheDog: Zigzagged in his first appearance. He's a mafioso who took [[spoiler:Jack]] hostage as a favor to a business associate and when he meets Dutch, Arthur and John he acts needlessly hostile to them. Then he laughs at something Dutch says, tells them he likes them and returns his hostage, who he treated quite well. It looks like he might be at least AffablyEvil, but not long after he reveals his true colors as a bigoted {{Jerkass}} who sets up Dutch's gang to die for no real reason.
* BullyingADragon: [[spoiler:Even as he's chartered away by Dutch, he still has the audacity to mock him. Too bad it gets him killed.]]
* CardCarryingVillain: Seems to be fully aware of how much of a slimy, arrogant piece of shit he is and loves it.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Dutch drowns Bronte in the swamp before proceeding to feed his corpse to a nearby alligator.]]
* TheDon: The word "mafia" is never said outright and Bronte doesn't have the traditional structure of a Mafia family working under him, but his characterization is spot on. TruthInTelevision, since in 1899 the criminal secret societies of the Italian peninsula hadn't really gained a solid foothold in America.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite his attitude and behavior to Dutch and the gang, his connections with the Mafia and the Braithwaite family, when [[spoiler: he finds himself caring for Jack Marston, he dotes on the boy as if he were his own son — teaching him Italian and introducing him to Italian cuisine.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: Bronte is initially hostile to Dutch on their first meeting before shortly becoming friendly with Dutch. [[spoiler:He even took care of Jack Marston and teaching him some Italian words.]] However, even when he's being polite, his voice carries a sense of haughtiness and condescension when in Dutch's company.
* FedToTheBeast: [[spoiler:Dutch throws Bronte's body into the swamp to be eaten by an alligator.]]
* ForTheEvulz: At least Braithwaite had a (pathetically petty) reason to betray the Van der Lindes. Bronte had literally zero reason whatsoever.
* FrameUp: Tells Dutch and the gang that they can rob the cash-filled trolley station with his blessing, but the station is actually almost empty of money and Bronte ordered the Police Chief to have men waiting for them.
* HateSink: While a tad nicer than most of the nasty pieces of work the game has to offer, he's still an obnoxious snob who's nothing but demeaning to practically everyone around him.
* IOwnThisTown: He really does. The Mayor, the police, the courts, most of the major businesses, they all answer to him. He either bribes them into cooperation or, as the newspapers reveal, has troublesome officials assassinated.
* {{Jerkass}}: Spends most of his time insulting and demeaning Dutch and the others as primitive bumpkins, switching to Italian when he wants to ''really'' mock them to his men. His general [[IOwnThisTown attitude]] means he comes off as obnoxious, condescending, arrogant to the extreme and just plain annoying no matter what.
* PetTheDog: [[spoiler:When three-year-old Jack Marston was his hostage, Bronte treated him very well, teaching him Italian words and feeding him Italian food.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After being captured by Dutch, Bronte scornfully derides him and his gang as "nothing" compare to him running all of Saint Denis. [[spoiler:However, his words only further infuriates Dutch to drown him and feeding his lifeless corpse to an alligator.]]
-->You are nothing. You do nothing. You mean nothing. You stand for nothing. Me? I run a city...and when the law catches up you...you will die like nothing. I am this country. You... you... you are what people are running from.
* RealityEnsues:
** Much like [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV Devin Weston]], he believes his vast wealth means he can get people to do anything he wants; all he has to do is name the right figure. Also similar to Weston, he finds out that all the money in the world is worthless when offered to men who are [[UndyingLoyalty devoted to ideals other than money]].
** Beforehand, his men also discover that intimidating local businessmen and murdering the odd policeman does ''not'' mean you're capable of going toe-to-toe with seasoned, skilled, heavily-armed outlaws who have survived dozens of gunfights over the years.
** [[spoiler:His death is also another case. Murdering an influential man such as Bronte by storming his mansion guns blazing is bound to bring the law down on the gang. When the gang's bank heist goes south, Marston said they shouldn't have gone after Bronte.]]
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Bronte has many connections to highly ranked state officials in Saint Denis which effectively make him the de facto ruler of the entire city.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: His wealth enables Bronte to control the city. But unfortunately for him, his wealth doesn't save his life when he fails miserably to bribe Dutch's gang to free him and kill their leader because Bronte presumed too much that the gang are no different from any common, greedy criminal, and the Van Der Linde gang are very loyal to Dutch.
* StupidEvil: What ultimately screwed Bronte over was betraying Dutch, because simply in Arthur words, "he thinks he's the king around here". He could have let Dutch and his gang be, but sold them out ForTheEvulz.
* ThrowAwayGuns: A variation. When cornered by Arthur and Marston, Bronte tries to fire a pistol but [[EpicFail forgot to load it]]. He then chucks it at Marston, hitting him in the head.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Despite knowing that Dutch got his previous business partner killed and [[LeaveNoSurvivors pretty much ended her bloodline]] he STILL opts to betray Dutch.]]
* VillainsWantMercy: When confronted by Morgan and Marston, Bronte tries to bribe them before begging that he surrenders. He then gets knocked out by Marston and is taken to Dutch.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He acts like a villain from a ''Godfather'' movie expecting everyone to follow the rules he sets. [[spoiler: Too bad Dutch's gang doesn't give a damn about the rules and kill him as soon as he betrays them.]]
* WouldntHurtAChild: [[spoiler:Didn't touch a hair on Jack's head.]]

[[WMG:Chapter 5 villains]]

!!Alberto Fussar

-->'''Voiced by:''' Alfredo Narciso

Governor of the Caribbean island of Guarma, and owner of a large sugar plantation.
----
* AntagonisticGovernor: He's the evil governor of Guarma, which he runs like his own personal fiefdom.
* ArcVillain: Of the Guarma Chapter, where he's the main obstacle to the gang escaping the island.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Fussar first appears as a guest at Angelo Bronte's party. After Dutch's gang becomes stranded on Guarma, Dutch and Morgan remembered Fussar from the party.
* FeudalOverlord: Effectively runs his sugar plantation this way. He uses his vast income to hire a private army of mercenaries, and regularly enslaves the local populace (when he doesn't flat out import slaves from Haiti or even the United States).
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: He is [[spoiler:killed by one his very own cannons when Arthur turns it on him.]]
* KickTheDog: His EstablishingCharacterMoment is having [[spoiler:Javier]] dragged behind a donkey by the leg he was shot in.
* MexicanStandoff: He and his [[TheDragon dragon]] Levi Simon engage in one with Arthur and Dutch. [[spoiler:He barely escapes while Simon is shot dead by the captain.]]
* PlotIrrelevantVillain: Fussar's impact on the overall plot is negligible, with the events on Guarma being an isolated story that just serves to break up the gang temporarily, something that already happened when half the gang needed to escape Saint Denis by boat.
* TheresNoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Arthur kills him by firing a cannon at the tower he's hiding in.]]
* {{Sadist}}: It's mentioned from his men that he relishes in the pain and suffering of his slaves.
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He uses slave labor on his sugar plantation, either enslaving the local populace or importing them from Haiti and the United States.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler:He should have known that Dutch and his gang weren't on Guarma willingly and were looking for a way off the island. He could have just let them go seeing as how they had no interest in getting involved in the worker rebellion, but kept trying to trap them on the island forcing the gang to go directly after him.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's a disgusting bigot, murderer, slaver, and thanks to his wealth and America's demand for sugar, hailed as a "friend of America" in the newspapers.
* WeHaveReserves: He sends an entire Cuban warship to go after the rebels and Dutch's gang. Even as they slaughter through Fussar's forces, Hercule says it won't matter as Fussar could simply deploy more men.

!!Levi Simon

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jeff Gurner

Senior Overseer for Alberto Fussar.
----
* TheDragon: As stated, he's the main overseer of Fussar's operations.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's pretty affable when he meets Dutch and his gang when they were stranded on Guarma. But that doesn't make him any more pleasant.
* MexicanStandoff: He and Fussar engage in one with Arthur and Dutch. [[spoiler:Too bad he didn't count on the sea captain.]]

[[WMG:Chapter 6 villains]]

!!Henry Favours
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colonel_favours_rdr2.png]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Malachy Cleary

A corrupt U.S. Army colonel and liaison to the Wapiti Indian Reservation.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The soldiers under Favours have no love for him. Several eavesdropped conversations make it clear that they find him an ineffectual moron and many of the soldiers find the entire conflict with the Wapiti shameful. They follow his orders, but it's obvious it's out of fear of governmental retaliation.
* ArcVillain: Of Chapter 6, where Dutch decides to get the gang involved in the conflict between the U.S. Army and the Wapiti.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: All his actions are dedicated to pushing the Wapiti to war so he has a chance to gain glory for himself. [[spoiler:When the war finally does come, he's one of its casualties.]]
* BigBadWannabe: He's introduced as the ArcVillain of Chapter 6, as Dutch decides to assist the Wapiti who are being abused by his regiment. [[spoiler:The conflict between the Wapiti and Favours is quickly included into Dutch's plan to create a diversion and leave the country undetected while the government is busy putting down the Wapiti's rebellion, with Dutch being apathetic about the Wapiti's situation. As soon as Favours is dealt with, Micah and Dutch ultimately turn out to be much bigger issues for Arthur and the rest of the gang to face.]]
* EmbarrassingNickname: He earned the poor nickname of "High-tail Favours" for missing a battle in the Civil War.
* EvilIsPetty:
** His actions to force the Wapiti to war are just ludicrously petty. He steals their horses so they can't hunt, withholds vaccines so their children die, and burns down their shrines and steals their sacred artifacts, all to piss them off.
** While trying to court-martial Monroe, the excuse he gives for it is "impudence from a junior officer in public." That's his pretext for trying to execute him for treason.
* EvilOldFolks: He's an elderly, glory-seeking warmonger.
* FauxAffablyEvil: During his peace talk, he mentions how he "prides himself on being a gentleman" while he's really a racist, petty warmonger only out for his own advancement.
* FrameUp: [[spoiler:He use the excuse of the "stolen" vaccines (which he withheld from the Wapiti) to try and hang Captain Monroe for treason. Unfortunately for Favours, Morgan overhears his plot and saves Monroe.]]
* GeneralFailure: He's infamous among the army ranks as a commander who cowardly fled from battle after battle.
* GeneralRipper: He plotted to wage war against the weak and destitute Wapiti Lakota in a petty attempt to erase his humiliating reputation as an incompetent coward. He opposed to Captain Monroe's humanitarian efforts for the Wapiti and did everything he could to hinder him [[spoiler:before deciding to execute him on trumped-up charges of treason.]]
* GloryHound: Favours was branded as a coward in the Civil War. Seeking to regain his "honor," he plans to provoke a war with the Wapiti.
* HateSink: Easily one of the most repugnant characters in the storyline. All we see of Favours is a smug, racist asshole without likable traits.
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Fatally shoots Eagle Flies. Morgan shoots him in return.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: He does everything in his power to provoke a war with the Wapiti in order to regain his lost honor. [[spoiler:He gets his war, but dies as a result of it.]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's openly racist against Native Americans. In fact, not soon after meeting with Rains Fall for their peace talk, he refuses to call him by his non-English name, which he refers to as "silly." He also refers to Rains Fall's men as little more than criminals.
* SmugSnake: Favours' entire "peace talk" with Rains Fall is dripping with arrogance and contempt as he uses his platform to bully an old man who just wants to protect his people, spouts BlatantLies about the Wapiti violating the existing treaty while Favours has broken it multiple times, and set the entire meeting as a pretext to frame his GoodCounterpart for treason, which he defines as "impudence from a junior officer in public."
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: His heinous crimes and position of colonel are reminiscent of Agustin Allende, the corrupt Mexican governor from the first game.
* WarHawk: With his career almost over and his chances for recognition gone, Favours decides to pressure the Wapiti into a war so he can get the glory he missed out on during the Civil War.
* WouldHurtAChild: Indirectly. He purposefully prevents the federally mandated vaccines from reaching the Wapiti, causing their children to die, so that they'll rise up and give him a reason to go to war.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: He's violated the peace treaty with the Wapiti multiple times but he acts like the Wapiti are the only ones to have done so to justify removing them from their land.

[[WMG:Epilogue villains]]

!!Abel

A rich rancher who is trying to force other ranchers off their property so he can obtain more land. The main enemy of the epilogue's first chapter.
----
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: He keeps trying to pressure Geddes into selling his ranch, first using the Laramie Gang to bully the workers there, then just sending them out to release Geddes' cattle, burn his buildings and kill his employees.
* ArcVillain: He's the main enemy of the epilogue's first chapter. Even though he's never directly encountered, he's responsible for sending the Laramie Gang to harass David Geddes.
* CattleBaron: It's implied that he's a villainous example of these. He's trying to intimidate David Geddes into selling Pronghorn Ranch to him.
* TheGhost: Abel is never actually seen, even though his influence is felt.
* KarmaHoudini: Though he fails in his goal to acquire Pronghorn Ranch, Abel never faces any consequences for the property he destroyed or the men he killed.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Abel relies on the Laramie Gang to do his dirty work for him and never personally comes down to Pronghorn Ranch.
* TheUnfought: The player never fights or kills him, just his hired thugs.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bounties]]

Criminals with bounties on their heads.

[[WMG:Main game bounties]]

!!Benedict Allbright

-->'''Voiced by:''' Anthony Reimer

A snake-oil salesman. After his bogus cure kills several people, the authorities in Valentine put a price on his head.
----
* SnakeOilSalesman: His profession.

!!Ellie Anne Swan

A woman wanted by the Valentine authorities for murder.
----
* BlackWidow: She's identified as this by name in the bounty poster. Arthur even reaches her just in time to see her seduce and then try to kill her latest romantic conquest (although he can save her if he's fast enough).

!!Joshua Brown

-->'''Voiced by:''' Andre Ware

A duelist wanted for murder by the Strawberry authorities.
----
* TheGunslinger: He's an expert duelist.

!!Lindsey Wofford

-->'''Voiced by:''' Andrew Rothenberg

The leader of the Lemoyne Raiders. The authorities in Saint Denis have placed a bounty on his head due to the activities of his violent militia.
----
* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: He founded a militia of former Confederates.

!!Mark Johnson

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jason Salmon

A man wanted in Rhodes for robbing stagecoaches and trains several years before Arthur Morgan arrived in the area.
----
* FauxAffablyEvil: When Arthur catches him, Johnson seems to politely accept this and doesn't cause any trouble at first. However, Arthur soon discovers that this was just a ploy and Johnson had secretly trapped the road and sent for some armed friends to rescue him.
* {{Foil}}: To John in the last game. Both are retired outlaws now living on a farm with their wife and son, with a difficult relationship to the later. [[spoiler: Considering how quick and easy it was to get some outlaws to stop Arthur from turning him in, he isn't as retired as John will be]].
* MeaningfulName: His name, '''Mar'''k '''John'''son, is meant to echo '''John Mar'''ston.

!!Robbie Laidlaw

A one-eyed Scottish man who is wanted for assaulting a police officer.
----
* AreWeThereYet: He says this word for word on the way back to Rhodes.
* ComicallySmallBribe: He tries to get Arthur to release him by offering him pornography.

!!Sampson Black and Wendell White

-->'''Voiced by:''' Bob Dibuono (Sampson Black), Shawn Andrew (Wendell White)

Two members of an escape chain gang both wanted in Rhodes for murder...[[FrameUp or are they?]] Arthur can either turn them in or help them by taking down and destroying their wanted posters; if he chooses the latter option, he can later bring them supplies while they wait for the heat to die down.
----
* AntiVillain: It seems both of their crimes were exaggerated and they aren't nearly as bad as their wanted posters would indicate.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: They don't like each other and stated that they only stick together until the heat dies down. However, on Arthur's second and third encounters, Mr. Black and Mr. White remain together and are willingly to taking care each other while bickering LikeAnOldMarriedCouple.
* NonIndicativeName: Mr. Black is a white man and Mr. White is... well you guessed it.

!!Wilson [=McDaniels=]

A criminal wanted in Saint Denis for a variety of crimes.
----
* BestialityIsDepraved: His crimes include 'immoral animal husbandry,' which is presumably this trope.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: He's brutally tortured to death in Bell's prototype electric chair.

[[WMG:Epilogue bounties (mandatory)]]

!!Marshall Thurwell

A petty criminal hiding in the woods.
----
* FlunkyBoss: Thurwell doesn't actually fight John or Sadie. It's a nearby giant bear, as well as some rival bounty hunters, who actually attack them.

!!Nathan Kirk

An accountant wanted in New York for embezzlement.
----
* {{Embezzlement}}: His crime.
* GetBackHereBoss: He doesn't even try to fight Arthur and Sadie. He just runs for it.

!!Ramon Cortez

A notorious member of the Del Lobos gang.
----
* GreatEscape: He actually escapes from prison the first time John and Sadie catch him, forcing them to track him down and nab him a second time.

!!Shane Finley

A man wanted for multiple violent crimes.
----
* WouldHurtAChild: His crimes including murdering children.

[[WMG:Epilogue bounties (optional)]]

!!Anthony Foreman

-->'''Voiced by:''' David St. Louis

The leader of the Foreman Brothers, a gang that has a history with Tilly Jackson.
----
* AscendedExtra: He becomes a contractor in ''Online''.
* TheBusCameBack: If Arthur spares him, Anthony will reappear as the target of a bounty hunting mission [[spoiler:in the epilogue pursued by John.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He wants revenge on Tilly for the death of his cousin, whom she killed, but according to Tilly, his cousin had it coming.
* EtTuBrute: He apparently took Tilly's "betrayal" very personally, saying they were like family. Tilly does not agree with this assessment at all.
* TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether: Some members of the Foreman Brothers are his cousins.
* GuttedLikeAFish: How Arthur will kill him if he decides Anthony's too big a risk to let live.
* KnowWhenToFoldThem: If Arthur spares him like Tilly asks, Anthony will do as she says and never come after her again, saying the past is done.
* LeaveHimToMe: Tilly tells Arthur to bring him back alive because she wants to deal with him herself. He's lucky in this case, cause Tilly plans on sparing him, though Arthur can always decide to go against her wishes and kill him instead.
* YouKilledMyFather: Cousin, rather, but he still wants vengeance for the death of a loved one.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Tilly used to ride together in the same gang. Anthony claims they were family, but Tilly shoots back that her gang was never any family she wanted.

!!Elias Green

A psychotic member of the Skinner brothers.
----
* AxCrazy: Wanted on multiple counts of both murder and mutilation. At his burial, the pastor notes that Green took 'souvenirs' from the flesh of the people he killed.
* ForTheEvulz: He doesn't gain anything by torturing the random victims he comes across. He just has fun doing it.

!!Esteban Cortez

A high-ranking member of the Del Lobos gang.
----
* BadBoss: When some of his underlings begin shooting guns off for fun, a more senior underling tells them that he (Esteban) will decapitate anyone who doesn't stop doing that.
* {{Bandito}}: He is one, like many other members of Del Lobos.

!!Joaquin Arroyo

A member of the Del Lobos gang.
----
* BadBoss: Two of his minions can be heard trying to figure out if Arroyo will kill them for killing a young new Del Lobo... or if he will kill them for ''not'' killing the new member.
* SurroundedByIdiots: He is part of a group of Del Lobos, and John doesn't know which one he is or even if he's there... until another gang member 'helpfully' yells at him to run because he's the guy John is searching for.

!!Otis Skinner

A senior member of the Skinner brothers.
----
* AxCrazy: He demonstrates palpable glee at the thought of brutally torturing and killing his enemies.
* YouCanNotKillAnIdea: As he's being taken to jail, he says that even if he's executed his ideals will endure and destroy civilization.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Collectors]]

Various individuals who want the protagonist to find or collect some things for them.

!!Algernon Wasp

The owner of a boutique store in Saint Denis. He needs the protagonist to collect feathers, flowers, and other materials he can incorporate into his products.
----
* BlingBlingBang: One of the rewards he can offer the protagonist is a unique gun with an unusual grip and design.

!!Deborah [=MacGuiness=]

An amateur paleontologist who wants the locations of dinosaur fossils.
----
* TheyCalledMeMad: She complains a lot about how none of the universities or other scientists will hire her or even consider her ideas, and claims that proving her critics wrong is the best part about science. [[spoiler:By the time you get all 30 sites mailed to her and she puts her "totalisaurus" together, it's clear that she ''is'' mad, at least by modern standards of paleontology.]]

!!Francis Sinclair

-->'''Voiced by:''' Nathaniel Janis

A mysterious man with orange hair and a birthmark near his right eye. He ask Morgan to find a series of rock carvings for reasons he cannot explain. Implied to be a time traveler from the future.
----
* DistinguishingMark: Francis's facial birthmark [[spoiler:implies that he is a descendant of [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto Kraff]].]]
* FutureSlang: He use a lot of slang that is not so common in 1899 such as "what's eating you?" and "I'm on the level."
* NeverTheSelvesShallMeet: [[spoiler:Francis is long gone by the time Morgan reach his cabin after finding all 10 rock carvings, where Morgan also meets Francis's mother and his infant self.]]

!!Jeremy Gill

A fisherman who wants legendary fish so he can stuff and sell them.
----
* KarmicDeath: He gets Arthur to send him legendary fish, then steals the credit in order to bolster his reputation as a great fisherman. He's ultimately killed by a fish that he's not great enough to successfully catch.
* MeaningfulName: A fisherman named Gill.
* SmallNameBigEgo: He is enormously conceited and is actually surprised when he finds Arthur doesn't know who he is.
* StealingTheCredit: Takes credit for the legendary fish Arthur catches and sends him.

!!Phineas T. Ramsbottom

A man who collects cigarette cards and claims to smoke up to 200 cigarettes in a day.
----
* MotorMouth: He talks extremely quickly.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Debtors]]

Individuals who borrowed money from the Van Der Linde gang but have not paid it back. Arthur can track them down on behalf of Leopold Strauss, the gang's moneylender, and compel them to repay the money with whatever they have.

!!Algie Davison

-->'''Voiced by:''' Kent C. Jackman

A drunkard and negligent father.
----
* ParentalNeglect: Davison is a useless father. In the end, it isn't even him who pays off his own debt--it's his son, who squirreled away the money just in case the Van Der Linde gang demanded it back.
* TheAlcoholic: Perpetually drunk. Even coming back after sparing him will only reveal that his drinking habits never stopped.
* GenerationXerox: If you kill him and come back to the house during the Epilogue, you will witness how his son turned out exactly like his father.

!!Arthur Londonderry

A miner.
----
* PosthumousCharacter: When Morgan tracks him down, he learns that Londonderry is already dead.

!!Chick Matthews

A farmhand who tries to run away when Arthur approaches him.
----
* TreasureMap: He has no money on him, but can provide Arthur with a map to a hidden box of his valuable worldly possessions.

!!Guyn Hughes

An assistant undertaker.
----
* GraveRobbing: What he resorts to in order to repay his debt.

!!J. John Weathers

A deserting soldier.
----
* GoingNative: Since leaving the army he's married a Native American woman and has taken the name Snow Goose.
* NotWhatISignedOnFor: It's implied that he deserted the military because he didn't want to take part in oppressing the local Native American populace.

!!Lilly Millet

-->'''Voiced by:''' Comfort Clinton

A ranch maid who tried to give a loan of her own, with unfortunate results.
----
* NeverLendToAFriend: She lent money to another rancher, Cooper, but he didn't pay her back. This causes her problems when Arthur comes to collect on the money Strauss lent her.

!!Thomas, Edith, and Archie Downes

-->'''Voiced by:''' Peter Lettre (Thomas Downes), Jayme Lake (Edith Downes), Paul Thode (Archie Downes)

A family who lives in a small ranch in the Heartlands
----
* DeterminedHomesteadersWife: This is how you first meet Edith. [[spoiler: She later becomes a DeterminedWidow.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:If Arthur helps out the Downes, Edith becomes a successful golf course owner in the epilogue]].
* GoodSamaritan: Thomas intervenes in the fight between Arthur and Valentine's local brute Tommy, despite being a meek, sickly man. He can also be seen collecting donations for the poor in Valentine.
* HonorBeforeReason: Edith refuses to accept any money from Arthur, [[spoiler: even when she and her son Archie desperately need it to survive.]] Arthur comments on how too many people die for their pride.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Thomas has a pretty nasty cough when you meet him. [[spoiler: This cough is passed down to Arthur later in the game.]]
* RejectedApology: Edith makes it clear that she doesn't forgive Arthur for their situation, regardless of his efforts to make amends.
* SingleMomStripper: [[spoiler: Edith's unfortunate fate after losing her husband and her home.]]
* WorkOffTheDebt: The reason why the Downes are barely able to afford their modest property.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Arthur shakes down Thomas in order to get the money his family owes the gang, regardless of how sickly and defenseless the poor guy is. [[spoiler: Thomas accidentally ends up passing his tuberculosis to Arthur, which ends up killing him.]]

!!Winton Holmes

-->'''Voiced by:''' Carl Howell

A man who has no cash to repay his debt and so decides to hunt a rare wildcat in the hopes of slaying it and selling its pelt.
----
* ButThouMust: The cougar won’t spawn in until after he and Arthur split up and Arthur is well out of sight. So try as the player might, Arthur can’t save him.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Is torn apart by the wildcat he tried to hunt.

!!Wrobel

A Polish man who borrowed money but has none to pay his debt back with.
----
* LanguageBarrier: He barely speaks English, which makes it harder for Arthur to threaten him.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gangs]]

Notorious gangs roaming the wild west.

!!Del Lobo Gang

A notorious group of banditos and mercenaries who have formed an outlaw gang.
----
* {{Bandito}}: Seems to form a majority of the gang, but it's made clear that there's plenty of whites in the gang, too.
* TheCartel: The prototype of one.
* EarlyBirdCameo: They are normally encountered in [[spoiler:New Austin]], but a group of them can be seen protecting Flaco Hernandez as early as Chapter 2.

!!Laramie Gang

A band of mercenaries who are often hired by corrupt landowners to seize property with force.
----
* {{Foil}}: To the Pinkertons. They're the paid muscle for rich, corrupt businessmen, specifically [[CattleBaron ranchers]] looking to gobble up smaller plots. The Pinkertons arguably do exactly the same sort of thing, they just work for far wealthier clients, are much more organized, and have achieved the legitimacy of government sponsorship.
* HiredGuns: They don't seem to be independent criminals; as in, working for themselves, like the other gangs. Whatever crimes they commit, it's always in the service of the one that hired them.

!!Lemoyne Raiders

A group of Confederate veterans and sympathizers who have formed an anti-government, neo-Confederate militia in Scarlett Meadows.
----
* ArmsDealer: A source of their income comes from selling weapons to nations like Cuba. Arthur and Lenny steal one of their shipments for the Van der Linde gang's uses.
* ButtMonkey: Compared to the other gangs - which run the gamut from psychotically evil to just plain evil to simply outlaws - these guys ''are'' a threat, but Arthur and the gang make short work of them. By the end of your time in Scarlett Meadows, [[spoiler: they've been effectively wiped out, and if you haven't already killed or captured their leader for the Saint-Denis PD, he'll show up and commit suicide in front of you]].
* HiredGuns: They seem to be the muscle for the Braithwaite family, partnering with them to sell moonshine and acting as security for them. Probably as a counter to the Grey's "legitimate" muscle in the form of the sheriff's office.
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: Likely of Quantrill's Raiders, Confederate guerrillas who were active during the Civil War.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: They're all ardent and unapologetic racists, who even after thirty-something years haven't got over the fact the South lost the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar American Civil War]].
* TheRemnant: Their members are made up of former Confederate soldiers and sympathizers.
* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: They are often described as a militia, and express an anti-government, anti-taxation, and far-right ideology.

!!Murfree Brood
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/themurfreebrood.png]]

A family native to Roanoke Ridge who have turned to torturing and cannibalizing the people of the region.
----
* AxCrazy: They are practically a gang of psychopaths like Randall Forrester and by far the '''most''' deranged characters in the game. They are a CannibalClan of homicidal lunatics, after all.
* BombThrowingAnarchists: In addition to holding anti-government views, the Murfree Brood are implied to be terrorizing Roanoke Ridge out of revenge for the industrialization of the region.
* CannibalClan: A hefty number of the people they [[IncrediblyLamePun prey]] on are held captive in their caves and eventually eaten. They are a cut above the Skinner Brothers in depravity for this reason alone.
* {{Cult}}: The family appears to worship some kind of Lovecraftian deity, and have numerous idols around their cave built out of human bodies.
* TheDreaded: Everyone fears them, and for a ''very'' good reason. The O'Driscolls are treated as the Van der Linde gang's nemesis and the Lemoyne Raiders are barely a footnote to them but the Murfree Brood are treated with fear by even Arthur and Charles. It's worth noting that even with their hideout taken over, the gang still tries to keep away from them.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite their threats, they tend to be quite polite and cordial towards Arthur whenever they see him camping in their territory. They even leave Arthur alone if you stay on good terms with them. However, they are quite brutal in nature.
* GenerationXerox: Given their acts of cannibalism, twisted beliefs and anti-government views, they seem to be ancestors or at least the prototype of the Altruist Cult from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''.
* {{Gonk}}: Most members of the Murfree Brood are incredibly ugly, and range from being morbidly obese to emaciated and corpselike, without a single pretty face in the whole family.
* HateSink: Depraved to the core, these guys are meant to earn the hatred of the players.
* HillbillyHorrors: They're tied with the Skinner Brothers in the "FUBAR redneck depravity" stakes, although the Murfree Brood do tick a few more stereotypes.
* MacheteMayhem: They can be found carrying machetes to chop up their victims or an unlucky Arthur.
* MuggingTheMonster: If Arthur sets up camp in their territory, there's a chance that two Brood members will come by and threaten him at gunpoint to stay off their land. Of course, there's nothing stopping Arthur from gunning the bastards down the moment their backs are turned.
-->'''Arthur''': [[BondOneLiner I'll camp wherever the hell I like!]]
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Everything about them is nightmarish. '''Everything'''.
* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: In spite of how brutally psychotic they are, a dialogue that one of them has with Arthur seems to imply this.
-->'''Arthur''': I can look after myself. Besides, it's a free country.
-->'''Murfree Brood''': Free country? Ha ha ha ha ha... no, everything bought and paid for. And we going to protect what's ours. Y'all be careful where you wander...

%%%Should the Night Folk be added here?

!!O'Driscoll Boys
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/odriscollboys.png]]

A major outlaw gang lead by Colm O'Driscoll, known for their rivalry with the Van der Linde gang.
----
* EvilerThanThou: They are far more willing to cross moral boundaries that their rival gangs wouldn't.
* HateSink: Things like rape, pillage and home invasion are practically ''hobbies'' for them. There is nothing remotely pleasant about them.
* TheIrishMob: While not explicitly a "mob", the O'Driscoll Boys appear to consist solely of Irish-American outlaws, and many of their members speak with thick {{Oireland}} accents.
* KillEmAll: It's implied that after [[spoiler: Col's execution, Arthur and Sadie kill what's left of the gang at their final hideout. Either way, they don't show up again in the story.]]
* RapePillageAndBurn: This is practically what they often do, making them come off as far worse than the Van der Linde gang.
* TheRival: They are this to the Van der Linde gang.
* WeHaveReserves: Colm O'Driscoll cares more about quantity over quality, as the lives of his men don't matter at all. Arthur Morgan will encounter and kill well over a hundred of their number during the story, as Colm can easily find replacements for the men he's lost.

!!Skinner Brothers

A diverse group of nomadic criminals who terrorize the regions of Tall Trees and the Great Plains.
----
* AxCrazy: Imagine ''a gang of psychopaths'' like Edmund Lowry Jr. That's ''exactly'' what these guys are. Robbing people as a means of income doesn't seem to be their primary motivation; they just [[ForTheEvulz enjoy spreading death and pain in the worst way possible]]. They're so unhinged they even charge armed men with machetes and hatchets without any thought of their own survival.
* ColdBloodedTorture: Their favorite hobby.
* ConfusionFu: The Skinner Brothers use a wide range of weapons, including bows and knives, and fight with unorthodox tactics like using trees as vantage points.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: ''The closest thing'' they have to a redeemable trait is that they don't seem to be bigoted. The Skinner Brothers are a diverse group, consisting of men of various nationalities and ethnicities who enjoy savagery.
* HateSink: Much like the Murfree Brood and Edmund Lowry Jr., they carries out an horrific brutality and possesses zero redeeming qualities.
* HillbillyHorrors: A ''very'' nightmarish example. They are a gang of lunatics who roam the forest in search of kidnapping, torturing and mutilating their victims.
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Much like the Murfree Brood, they have a reputation for being extremely brutal and nightmarish.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Legendary Duelists]]

Several gunslingers that were infamous in the past. Arthur must track several of them down in order to find information about one of their number, Jim "Boy" Calloway, in order to see if he really was as accomplished as people claimed he was.

!!Billy Midnight

-->'''Voiced by:''' Tommy Buck

Another infamous gunslinger in the Wild West who became an overnight sensation after killing fellow gunslinger, Rabbit Matthew. Unfortunately his status as a national celebrity has gained him death threats and made him a target of assassins, contributing to his instability.
----
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: He really posed no threat to Arthur and seemed up for antagonizing nobody any more. If he hadn't been driven irrational by drink, he might have had an amiable conversation with Arthur and escaped unscathed.
* BlingBlingBang: Carries a golden Mauser pistol. [[spoiler:Arthur can claim it for himself after killing him in a duel.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:If Morgan disarms him, then Billy will draw an extra gun on himself.]]
* DrowningMySorrows: He is plagued by a lot of regret over his past, and just deals with it by hanging out in the bar carriages on trains.
* InVinoVeritas: Rather easily admits to his deepest secrets when called out by name. His penchant for drinking has eroded his filter.
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: Of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ford_(outlaw) Robert Ford]], the man who killed the notorious Jesse James. Ford, like Midnight, killed James under rather ignominious circumstances. Like Midnight, Ford also became fairly well-off on the back of this fame and became the focus of public hatred, multiple death threats and assassination attempts, finally resulting in his murder in 1892.
* NoodleIncident: He killed a man in his sleep which forced him on the run.
* SanitySlippage: By the time Arthur meets him, he's gone way over the deep end, racked with guilt over killing a guy in his sleep.

!!Black Belle

-->'''Voiced by:''' Rebecca Watson

The sole surviving member of the infamous Colter Tobin Gang. She was married six times to six different men and never divorced any of them. She's currently on the run from bounty hunters.
----
* {{Adorkable}}: Has shades of this when trying to pose for the photo.
* CelebrityIsOverrated: She doesn't care about her fame and telling stories to newspaper or dime novel writers, and is more focus on surviving.
* CrazyPrepared: She's rigged her hideout with explosives in the event that bounty hunters would come after her, and has packed her belongings ready to flee in a hurry.
* CoolOldLady: She's pretty reasonable and extremely badass. She was also the only one of the gunslingers who cooperated with Arthur; she even posed for the photo!
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: Arthur even comments in his journal that if Black Belle were a few years younger, he would be interested in her.
* NeverMessWithGranny: She along with Arthur take down an entire gang of bounty hunters coming for her.
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: She is the most well adjusted of the duelists and the only one that doesn't try and challenge Arthur.
* ProperlyParanoid: Originally greets Arthur at gunpoint, thinking he may be a bounty hunter. Her fear of them is swiftly justified.
* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:She was the only one smart enough to cooperate with Arthur and thus lived to see another day.]]
* SurvivalistStash: Leaves behind a considerable amount of food and supplies that Arthur can have at.
* WomenAreWiser: Compared to her peers: she is far smarter, has a cooler head, seems to lack their tendencies for pointless antisocial behavior, and doesn't mind helping those who help her. [[spoiler:She's the only one to survive meeting Arthur, and for good reason.]]

!!Emmet Granger

-->'''Voiced by:''' Matte Osian

A gunslinger involved in the Beaver Brook massacre, the Laidlaw family disappearance, and the Chaparral killings. Despite being an unapologetic monster, he's retired from the outlaw life after making a deal with the authorities.
----
* AssholeVictim: He brags about all the people he's killed and threatens to do the same to Arthur if he doesn't leave. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Arthur responds by killing him.]]
* JerkAss: He makes Arthur shovel pig manure for him in exchange for information on Calloway, only to go back on his word as he never specified telling anything about Calloway but only about himself.
* LaserGuidedKarma: After pushing Arthur's buttons, he promptly gets drenched in his own pig's manure that he made Arthur shovel for him.
* MeaningfulName: A [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/granger granger]] is an old term for a farmer, which is what he's become since retiring.
* NoOntologicalInertia: If he's killed before the knife that he throws at Arthur connects, even if the knife has already been thrown and about to hit, the knife will visibly warp back into his hand as he falls to the ground.
* ReformedCriminal: Currently a pig farmer after making a deal with the authorities as a government witness. That doesn't mean that he's any nicer.
* RetiredMonster: Eagerly admits to some pretty atrocious crimes, but is now just a humble pig farmer in the New Heartlands.
* WouldHitAGirl: As shown by his long list of crimes and his own irreverent boasting, he had no scruples whatsoever about who he harmed, and loudly boasts of killing women.
* WouldHurtAChild: Loudly boasts to Arthur, in an attempt to establish his own reputation as a notorious gunslinger, that he has killed children.

!!Flaco Hernandez

-->'''Voiced by:''' Teddy Cañez

An infamous outlaw who launched raids against Valentine, Strawberry and Annesburg. He's known as "The Terror of the Grizzlies" and is a member of the Del Lobos.
----
* AscendedExtra: He becomes a mission giver in ''Online''.
* AvengingTheVillain: Averted. If you don't kill his men first, they accept you killing him in a duel and just leave.
* FlunkyBoss: Can end up fighting alongside his men if they are not all dispatched first. Otherwise, he hides behind them.
* InterfaceSpoiler: He provides likely the first encounter the player will have with the Del Lobos gang, and their entry in the compendium reveals that [[spoiler:New Austin is unlockable in the game.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: In ''Online'', he shoots at the player's feet to scare them just for his own amusement.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Out of all the gunslingers you meet, he receives the least amount of characterisation other than he tries to shoot you.

!! Jim "Boy" Calloway

-->'''Voiced by:''' Frank Ridley

Once considered one of the fastest left-handed draws in the Wild West, in the present, Calloway is a drunk who has trouble remembering his past exploits. This causes his biographer, Theodore Levin, no end of grief, to the point where he's looking for outside help to interview previous associates of Calloway.
----
* DuelToTheDeath: Calloway wanted to settle his score with his enemy Slim Grant twenty years ago in a proper duel. [[spoiler:However, Grant is not at all interested because he wanted to bury their past behind them. This only deeply infuriated Calloway to [[InTheBack shooting Grant in the back]]. He then [[NeverMyFault angrily blames Morgan and Levin]] for ruining his duel, and demanding Morgan to duel him. Morgan grant his wish.]]
* EmbarrassingNickname: According to Black Belle, his real full nickname is ''Little'' Boy.
* FakeUltimateHero: Calloway is not so famous. According to Black Belle, Calloway is a coward who ran from more fights than he took part in. After Grant killed his cousin Ged, he instantly left town rather than trying to avenge his cousin. Now he is a angry, drunken old man who is threatening a dime novel writer into writing false stories about him.

!!Slim Grant

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jack O'Connell

A former gunslinger who later became a marshal.
----
* BadBoss: His deputies don't like him very much, and one even notes that he hopes Grant is killed so that he (the deputy) can be promoted into his place.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other strangers and minor characters]]

!!Acrisius, Proteus, and Helen

-->'''Voiced by:''' David T. Patterson (Acrisius), Bryan Langlitz (Proteus), Kyra Wagstaff (Helen)

Acrisius and Proteus are a pair of strange brothers who are determined to prove their manliness to a woman named Helen, much to her exasperation. Their competition starts with Arthur shooting bottles off their heads and goes downhill from there.
----
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[spoiler:Acrisius and Proteus spend all of their appearances insulting each other, but that all changes after their final challenge to impress Helen: going over a waterfall in two barrels. After nearly dying, both of them are elated that the other survived and decide to never let a woman get in-between them again.]]
* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:Gender inverted. The brothers decide that Helen is a "siren" who's driven a wedge between them and both of them dump her. Helen, who liked both of them equally and was only trying to stop them from killing themselves, is disappointed by this turn of events.]]
* GroinAttack: Their second encounter with Arthur has them getting him to punt them in the nuts.
* MachoMasochism: The brothers are constantly trying to best each other by putting themselves in various suicidal challenges.
* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:Ultimately, they blame Helen for driving them to pull off their suicidal antics, even though Helen constantly tries to stop them and it's clear it's their own stupidity that nearly got them killed.]]
* OnlySaneMan: Helen is just trying to get the two to stop trying to kill themselves.
* WilliamTelling: Their first encounter with Arthur involves him shooting bottles off their heads.

!!Agnes Dowd

-->'''Voiced by:''' Kaitlyn Bausch

Reverend Swanson claims to have seen the ghost of a young woman in the swamps of Lemonyne. He is dismissed as crazy, but Arthur can investigate these strange sightings for himself, where he can find a tragic tale....
----
* BoyMeetsGhoul: For what it's worth, Agnes seems flattered if Arthur has seen her tell her life story through to the end, and invites him to come see her at 'our tree' ([[TearJerker/RedDeadRedemption2 the tree where she hanged herself]]).
* BrokenBird: The poor girl has gone through a lot, and now she spends her afterlife endlessly wandering the swamps where she took her own life.
* DrivenToSuicide: Her final sighting occurs at the spot where she died - a tree with a noose hanging from it.
* LivingMemory: At first it appears that the 'ghost' is repeating significant events from her past life that led up to her death, but [[spoiler: her final appearance confirms she is, in fact, a sentient ghost and is aware Arthur is watching her.]]
* LoveObstructingParents: Her parents did not approve of her loved one, to the point where her father pulled a gun on her. Eventually, she was forced to leave her boyfriend to satisfy them.

!!Albert Mason

-->'''Voiced by:''' Matt Walton

A hapless wildlife photographer.
----
* DistressedDude: He needs to be saved by Arthur from the various wildlife he tries to photograph. He even refers to himself as this by name.
* TheKlutz: He is clumsy and fumbling, and often doesn't fully consider his own safety.
* MoralityPet: He's one of the few strangers that Arthur likes and helps out without any promise of reward. Arthur sticks his neck out several times to ensure he's no eaten by the very wildlife he's trying to photograph.
* NatureLover: His primary motivation. Even though he doesn't always understand how best to survive in nature, his passion for the animals and his firm belief in conservation and preservation cannot be questioned.
* OddFriendship: Despite some teasing, and occasionally outright mocking, on Arthur's end, the two have a rather genuine friendship. Arthur is even genuinely touched by the photograph of a pack of wolves he gets from Albert.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: A minor character whom the protagonist comes across several times in the wild and must save from the dangerous situations they often place themselves in while they’re out seeking to capture the spirit of the dying Wild West in the hopes of appeasing people back East? Albert’s motivations may be considerably more benign, but he could still give Jimmy Saint a run for his money in the “What were you expecting to happen when you put yourself in this position?,” category.

!!Alphonse Renaurd

-->'''Voiced by:''' Leroy [=McClain=]

A highly educated Black man who came to the South to give free medical treatment to the poor and disenfranchised. On arrival in Rhodes he was promptly harassed by racists and had his cart stolen; he barely escaped castration, defenestration, disembowelment, crucifixion, and/or lynching for being Black, being a northern Yankee, being educated, and using too many fancy words. Arthur goes to retrieve his Doctor's Cart from the people who stole it.
----
* ApologisesALot: He's just been robbed when Arthur meets him, and so apologizes left and right so as not to anger Arthur.
* PetTheDog: One of the few strangers that Arthur offers his help to without promise of a reward - in fact, he's the one to propose it.

!!Andrew Bell III

-->'''Voiced by:''' Matt Ballard

An inventor who want to market his electric chair as a "humane" alternative to public hanging.
----
* BlatantLies: He keeps up the charade that his electric chair is a more humane alternative to public hanging [[spoiler:even as his victim is quite obviously being slowly cooked alive.]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:He gets accidentally electrocuted by his invention during the presentation.]]
* MadScientist: He praise the electric chair a "machine of love" and a merciful solution for condemned criminals.

!!Bertram, Marjorie, and Magnifico

Members of a traveling circus. Marjorie is the manager, Bertran is a (mentally disabled) strongman, and Magnifico is a dwarf magician.
----
* MayBeMagicMayBeMundane: It's not clear whether Magnifico can actually teleport or if he's just using smoke bombs and illusions to make it look like he can. His ability to seemingly pass through a moving train to get to its other side totally confounds Morgan.

!! Blind Man Cassidy

-->'''Voiced by:''' Tom Hair

A blind man Arthur occasionally runs across.
----
* {{Foreshadowing}}: All of his dialogue consists of cryptic hints regarding Arthur's future. [[spoiler:Including Arthur's eventual death, Micah's betrayal, and Dutch's descent into insanity.]]

!!Bray and Tammy Aberdeen

-->'''Voiced by:''' Ryan Woodle (Bray), Katie Paxton (Tammy)

A pair of hillbillies living out in a farm in the swamps.
----
* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler: Ma and Pa Aberdeen beat and possibly sexually abused Bray and Tammy, and at some point they killed their parents, and fed them to the family pigs.]]
* AffablyEvil: Creepy though they may be, the Aberdeens are nothing but cordial towards Arthur, allowing him to lounge around their house for as long as he likes and letting him go freely if he chooses to leave. [[spoiler: Drink or eat any of the stuff they offer, though...]]
* BrotherSisterIncest: The two are siblings and make a bunch of creepy, lecherous comments to each other. Arthur does a DoubleTake when he realizes they are related.
* FedToPigs: [[spoiler: What they did to their Ma and Pa.]]
* HillbillyHorrors: Inbred incestuous sibling hillbillies who [[spoiler: poison and rob travelers and apparently worship their dead mother.]]
* HoneyTrap: Tammy will come on heavily to Arthur, with Bray's approval, promising him sex after dinner. There is no after dinner.
* LaserGuidedKarma: After being [[spoiler: left for dead in a mass grave, Arthur can kidnap Tammy and leave her in the same grave, with her crying and screaming.]]
* PeekABooCorpse: Mama Aberdeen's skull and bones can be found sitting in a closet upstairs. Both the siblings are pretty chill about this if Arthur brings it up.
* SerialKiller: Judging by the number of skeletons in the grave they dump Arthur in, they've been killing quite a lot of people.
* ShmuckBait: Arthur can choose whether he wants to drink Aberdeen's 'good stuff' or not. It's made pretty clear drinking this is not a wise choice.
* VillainousIncest: They don't even bother hiding it.

!!Brother Dorkins and Sister Calderon

A monk and a nun who work in Saint Denis.
----
* GoodShepherd: They both care a great deal for the poor and lost in Saint Denis.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[spoiler:If the player has completed her missions and has high honor, Arthur will meet with Sister Calderon one last time. She'll tell him that despite his belief to the contrary, he's a good man, and every time she sees him he's always helping other people.]]

!!Charles Chatenay

-->'''Voiced by:''' Alan Mozes

A self-absorbed artist who fled Paris to Saint Denis.
----
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He is oblivious to the consequences of his actions; for instance, he paints nudes pictures of several people and then invites them--as well as their families--to an exhibition, which promptly breaks out into a riot when various people take offense to nude depictions of their loved ones.
* DisguisedInDrag: He makes his exit from America dressed as a lady, and not a very convincing one. He doesn't even bother to shave his beard off, instead opting to cover it in makeup.
* FakeOutMakeOut: When he spots someone who might recognize him in drag, he hides his face by suddenly grabbing Arthur and kissing him. Arthur is ''not'' happy about this.
* FrenchJerk: Charles Chatenay is a Frenchman who takes pride in being a [[InsistentTerminology "whole ass."]] While he's friendly to Morgan, he spends most of his time sleeping with the wives of married men.
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: A parody of French Bohemianism and Impressionism in general, and his exhibition in particular marks him and his art as a parody of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet Claude Monet]] and Monet's ''Olympia,'' which faced similar outrage.
* OddFriendship: He develops one with Morgan, who keeps saving his life even though Arthur himself admits he doesn't know why.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted since he shares his name with one of Arthur's fellow gangmembers, Charles Smith. It probably helps though that this one uses the French pronunciation.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: His antics eventually end up earning him enough enemies that he's forced to leave America.

!!Charlotte Balfour

A grieving widow who had recently lost her husband in a bear attack.
----
* AnywhereButTheirLips: She gives Arthur a peck on the cheek in their last meeting. Justified, since [[spoiler: he's deathly sick with a contagious illness]], and she's still grieving for her husband.
* BackForTheFinale: [[spoiler:After the epilogue, John can meet her to inform her of Arthur's death]].
* CityMouse: What she was before she and her husband moved to the country.
* HonorBeforeReason: She knows nothing about surviving in the wild, but is determined to honor the memory of her husband by doing so. [[spoiler: If Arthur doesn't help her, she's dead in the epilogue.]]
* NiceGirl: [[spoiler:When Arthur collapses from a bout of tuberculosis, Charlotte quickly nurses him back to health and even leaves some jewellery behind for Arthur to take should he need it.]]
* ShipTease: Before parting ways with Arthur for the last time, she gives him a kiss on the cheek.
* SheCleansUpNicely: She initially appears unkempt and somewhat sickly, due to mourning her husband and inability to survive in the wild on her own. But when Arthur [[spoiler:and John]] meet her the final time, it shows that her condition has improved a lot.
* TookALevelInBadass: When Arthur first meets her, she can't hunt anything. But thanks to his tutelage, she becomes an experienced hunter who's capable of fending for herself.

!!Chelonian Master

Leader of a religious sect which managed to ensnare Mary Linton's younger brother.
----
* {{Cult}}: He leads one.

!!Dorothea Wicklow

A suffragette making her case on the streets of Saint Denis.

----
* SoapboxSadie: She is an activist who is fighting to allow women to vote.

!!Edmund Lowry Jr.

-->'''Voiced by:''' Don Stephenson

A SerialKiller who is responsible for a series of grisly murders in Valentine.
----
* AttentionWhore: He writes a letter to the press demanding recognition, as his crimes had gone unreported.
* AxCrazy: In terms of depravity, he shares company with the likes of Randall Forrester, Murfree Brood and Skinner Brothers. He's a completely demented SerialKiller who leaves mutilated and dismembered corpses posed for others to find. A letter from his mother mentions how she's noticed the change in his behavior and she asks if she's still taking the laudanum his doctor prescribed.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Subverted. While his decision to forgo marriage in order to spend more time with his mother may seem like a textbook example of this, his mother notes in her letter that his anti-social behavior has recently been getting worse to the point where he's agitated by her presence even during their dinners together, implying that he's now only spending time with her out of routine.
* GenerationXerox: Edmund seems to be the ancestor of [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV Eddie Low]], who is also a demented serial killer.
* HateSink: He carries out an horrific brutality and possesses zero redeeming qualities.
* LosingYourHead: Part of his murder theme. Ironically, Morgan throws a head at Edmund to distract him and long enough to subdue him.
* ISurrenderSuckers: He pretends to surrender to the Sheriff of Valentine, only to try to kill him when his guard's down.
* {{Sadist}}: When Morgan's at his mercy, Edmund tells him what happens next won't be fun for Morgan, but it will be fun for Edmund. If you don't escape in time, Edmund begins cutting him up while laughing.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: He is very similar to Randall Forrester, since he is also an AxCrazy SerialKiller.
* ThemeSerialKiller: He always leaves his victims decapitated and their bodies hanging on a tree, rock, or underpass, and their eyeless head not too far away with a note shoved in its mouth.

!!Evelyn Miller

An author who writes about the wonders of nature. Arthur and Dutch are among his biggest fans.
----
* NatureLover: His life's work is all about writing about the wonders of nature.
* NiceGuy: He's sympathetic to the plight of the Wapiti and tries to help Rains Fall with the politicians of Saint Denis.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Between his occupation as a writer, his love of nature, his activism in support various causes and his appearance, he's clearly inspired by Creator/{{Henry David Thoreau}}.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He is the one that introduces Arthur to Rains Fall and Eagle Flies and isn't seen again. John Marston can find him later in the mountains.

!!Hamish Sinclair

A one-legged veteran.
----
* AnimalNemesis: Has several, whom Arthur is able to help him hunt down. One of them even leads the two of them into an elaborate ambush after ''stalking him for days.''
* ArtificialLimbs: He has a prosthetic leg.
* CoolHorse: His horse Buell has very high stats, is one of the few horses with a backstory, and can even be [[spoiler:inherited once Hamish dies.]]
* CoolOldGuy: He's one of the few strangers who after the first encounter is in no need of real help, but Arthur decides to visit simply because he likes him.
* HandicappedBadass: More than holds his own despite having only one leg and needing a prosthetic.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Arthur admires him and genuinely enjoys spending time with him.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Subverted, despite recounting some grisly tales to Arthur/[[spoiler:John]] he's shown to be completely fine and stable after the war despite his disability.

!!Henri Lemieux

-->'''Voiced by:''' Simon Jutras

The mayor of Saint Denis.
----
* BitchInSheepsClothing: On the surface, he seems to be a pleasant guy. However, the stranger missions show that he's pretty corrupt and would blackmail Arthur into strong-arming people who don't agree with him. The last mission [[spoiler:has him order Jean-Marc's death because Jean-Marc can't tolerate Henri's corrupt actions]].
* CorruptPolitician: He doesn't hesitate to get people strong-armed into cooperation if it suits him.
* {{Blackmail}}: He gets Arthur to do some jobs for him under the subtle threat of revealing his identity to the enemies of the Van Der Linde gang.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Should Arthur let Jean-Marc live against Lemieux's orders, a letter from him reveals that Lemieux was forced to resign in light of his corruption coming to light. To add insult to injury, Jean-Marc becomes Lemieux's successor.
* PuppetKing: It's implied that he's under Bronte's payroll, or at the very least they have a partnership.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Unlike many others Arthur meets Mayor Lemieux isn't interested in wealth or furthering his own career, but instead genuinely wants to make the city a better place. Unfortunately for everybody else, he is willing to use all means available to do so.

!!Jeremiah Compton

-->'''Voiced by:''' Chuck Montgomery

A drunkard who claims "they" took everything from him, dressed in finery and found in Rhodes. He asks Arthur to retrieve some heirlooms from his house, which was foreclosed by the bank. [[spoiler:You eventually find out he was a Confederate slave hunter, with the "they" being the North that won the Civil War and put him out of a job.]]
----
* BaitTheDog: He seems like a sympathetic old man who fell victim to the government's harassment, [[spoiler: but he was really a Confederate who would track down slaves and torturing them before selling them.]]
* JerkassVictim: Everyone cut ties with him, he is fired from his job, and his home is taken from him. [[spoiler: He deserves it.]]
* NotWorthKilling: [[spoiler: In the end Arthur tossing his ledger, his watch, and his pistol in the fire saying that he deserves to be forgotten, while watching him desperately scramble for his things.]]
** That said...[[spoiler: You can kill him and it even raises your honor.]]
* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler:When Arthur finds out that he's a slave trafficker, he holds nothing but absolute contempt for Compton.]]

!!Jimmy Brooks

A man who recognizes Arthur from Blackwater.
----
* LiteralCliffhanger: He winds up dangling off a cliff. Arthur can choose to save him or let him fall.

!!Margaret

-->'''Voiced by:''' Edward Baker-Duly

A flamboyant British man whose animal-wrangling-in-drag act goes awry when his animals escape.
----
* BaitAndSwitch: Rather humorously, it happens twice. The first occurs when he tasks Arthur with tracking down his “zebra”, [[spoiler: only for it to turn out to be a mule with painted stripes]]. The second time, after Arthur has tracked down his “tiger” [[spoiler: (actually a cougar)]], and one of his “lions” [[spoiler: (a wolf)]], he’s asked to track down the second “lion”. [[spoiler: Except this time it really is a lion]].
* CassandraTruth: Turns out, [[spoiler: he really did have a lion.]]
* DragQueen: His act involves dressing up like a woman, except he also has [[PaperThinDisguise a handlebar mustache]].

!!Marko Dragic

-->'''Voiced by:''' Aaron Phillips

An under-appreciated Eastern European scientist and inventor.
----
* InsufferableGenius: He constantly talks down to Arthur while trying to wrangle him into doing grunt work.
* MadScientist: He's constantly raving about achieving immortality through science, which turns out to be [[spoiler:him trying to make a sentient robot]].
* MeaningfulName: His name is a pun of the word "tragic", [[spoiler: appropriate given his ultimate fate]].
* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: He is clearly based on UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla. His remote control boat is actually based on Tesla's invention made in 1898. Even his laboratory resembles Wardenclyffe Tower.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: [[spoiler:The robot he created eventually ends up killing him. The robot can later be found on a cliff edge asking about its "papa"]].

!!Maximo Cristobal Valdespino

A treasure hunter.
----
* TreasureMap: He provides Arthur with one.

!!Obediah Hinton

An elderly man who is worried that his town is cursed.
----
* SpannerInTheWorks: Despite his credulity, he derails the gas company's plot to trick the villagers by simply reading the contract he was asked to sign. Apparently the gas company hadn't expected that he or any of his fellow villagers could actually read.

!!Sally Nash

-->'''Voiced by:''' Sydney Shepherd

Margaret's assistant.
----
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Somehow deluded herself into thinking that the zoo's feral wildcat is 'friends' with the dog that was dressed up as a tiger. Consequently, she releases the dog to help find the wildcat, only for the wildcat to kill and eat the dog.

!!Sonny

-->'''Voiced by:''' Jonathan Spivey

A resident of the Bayou Nwa swamp who invites passerby into his cabin with the promise of food. This tends to go badly for the passerby.
----
* HillbillyHorrors: A creepy old man in a rural swamp who invites travelers into his home, then attacks them, robs them, and leaves them for dead.
* SchmuckBait: It's fairly obvious that accepting his offer is a bad idea.

!!Theodore Levin

-->'''Voiced by:''' David Rossmer

A biographer who finds himself trapped into writing the saga of Jim Calloway's life.
----
* ButtMonkey: He is kept meekly subserviant by Calloway, who is recalcitrant enough to make writing his biography impossible and violent enough to prevent Levin from just quitting or running away.

[[/folder]]

[[foldercontrol]]

!! Protagonists

[[folder:Arthur Morgan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arthur_morgan___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know, all that mattered to me was loyalty. It's all I ever believed in."'']]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Roger Clark

-->''"Listen to me. When the time comes... you gotta run and don't look back. This is over."''

Born of Welsh descent, Arthur was left an orphan when his father was arrested for larceny. Taken in by Dutch, Arthur became one of the first members of the Van der Linde gang, as Dutch's right-hand man and his most loyal follower. In 1899 after a job in Blackwater gone horribly wrong, the gang was forced to flee further East into civilization. There, Arthur's faith in the man whom he called father and the decisions he makes begins to be tested.

* AbusiveParents: Implied. Arthur's parents are long dead by the events of the game, but while he reminisces on his mother's death with a measure of sadness, his only comments on his father's death is regret that it didn't happen ''sooner''. However, he does keep a picture of his father at his bedside, implying a degree of fondness for his father.
* {{Adorkable}}: He has a childlike sense of wonder that comes through from time to time like: when he remote controls a toy boat, cheers at a magic show, or gets straight up giddy whenever he does good at poker. It's impossible not to smile at him.
* AGoodWayToDie: [[spoiler:Strongly invoked when finally succumbing to tuberculosis with high honor. When all is said and done, Morgan lays down and dies watching the sunrise, at peace with himself for having helped John survive to live with his family.]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: See ChickMagnet.
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:His sacrifice to give the Marstons a normal and secure future comes to naught when Edgar Ross comes knocking, kickstarting the events of the first game that ends in tragedy for the family.]]
* AllThereInTheManual: Arthur's extended thoughts and feelings can only be accessed from his journal, which goes into more detail about his life.
* AnimalMotifs: If you're honorable, Arthur will be symbolized by a beautiful buck, often seen as a symbol of "spiritual awakening", which reflects Arthur choosing to become the good man [[HiddenHeartOfGold that he is inside]]. If you're dishonorable, he'll be a twisted black furred coyote, which are often compared to sinister tricksters, reflection of a low honor Arthur's twisted morality. [[spoiler:They even hang around his grave in the epilogue.]]
** [[spoiler:It's also implied in the epilogue that Arthur was reincarnated as a blue jay that watched over Beecher's Hope and the Marstons. The blue jay symbolises many positive qualities, among them being truth, faithfulness and solidarity. These are traits that a high-honor Arthur possesses.]]
* AntiHero: Although he sometimes helps people [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold out of the goodness of his heart]], Arthur usually only gives aid [[NominalHero if he's reimbursed in some way,]] regardless of the level of honor he has.
** If the player has maintained high honor throughout the game, however,[[spoiler: Arthur can become a KnightInSourArmour who uses what little time he has left to atone for his misdeeds (getting Miss. Downes and her son out of coal mines to start a new life) and will help John and his family escape from the outlaw life so that they can have a peaceful future]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Regardless of how you play him, Arthur will attempt to reform after getting diagnosed with an at-the-time fatal disease. This culminates in him defying Dutch and helping John Marston escape the outlaw life.]]
* BadassBeard: Despite being clean-shaven in most media, he is capable of growing one. It actually grows in gameplay and can grow even longer with hair tonics.
** He can also opt to shave most of it and rock a sweet BadassMustache as well.
* BadassBookworm: A contrast to BookDumb John, though not to the extent of Jack.
* BadassLongcoat: Can wear from a variety if the player chooses.
* BeingEvilSucks: Arthur has no real love of the outlaw life, only doing it because of his loyalty to Dutch and his love for the gang.
* BerserkButton:
** During Chapter 2 a bar fight breaks out in Valentine between the gang members and a few locals. Arthur is quite content defending his fellow gang members, right up until his opponent calls him ‘pretty boy’. He nearly beats the guy to death.
** Having been raised in the egalitarian Dutch's gang (where some of his closest friends have Hispanic, African, and Native American heritage; and in Charles' case, ''both'' of the latter two), he loathes slavers and racists. When you run into the KKK , he says "I'll kill all you goddamn hooded bastards." You don't lose honor for killing them either.
* BigBeautifulMan: Like CJ from ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas San Andreas]]'', you can fatten Arthur up, although it's extremely hard. You pretty much have to eat enough high calorie food items each day to do so. While CJ's obesity is strictly played for laughs, even at max weight Arthur is still an undeniable {{Hunk}}. [[spoiler:Until he's diagnosed with tuberculosis which causes him to suffer rapid weight loss.]]
* TheBigGuy / TheBrute: The most powerful and active member of the gang. It’s no coincidence he’s also the tallest and stockiest, next to Charles and Bill.
* BloodFromTheMouth: [[spoiler: The earliest hint that Arthur won't survive this story is when he starts coughing up blood and collapses.]]
* BrokenAce: Arthur is an accomplished gunslinger, hunter and even has shades of a skilled artist and a WarriorPoet. However, this is put down by his own self-loathing and the tragic mistakes he made in the past.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:Perhaps the most tragic part of the TraumaCongaLine that is Arthur's life is his relationship with Dutch. Dutch was not only Arthur's father, but the man he worshipped like a God, or cult leader. Realizing that he really was a piece of shit who didn't care about him all along gave Arthur an existential crisis. In fact, one of his final words to Dutch is a weak and tearful "I gave you all I had."]]
* ByronicHero: Arthur is... troubled. He's an unrepentant criminal with no desire to change his lifestyle yet everything he does is to take care of his own. He is also constantly stressed, mainly because every plan that his gang has to make money usually brings in a ton of unnecessary heat or fails entirely, forcing his gang to relocate. At several points he can apologize to his gang for being so angry all the time; and if he kills a lot of innocent he can confess to Sadie or Tilly that he doesn't know why he does it, he loses control to his anger.
--->'''[[OldFlame Mary]]''': "There's a good man within you... But he is wrestling with a giant."
* TheCaretaker: Morgan can bring dead animals and other supplies back to Dutch's camp. Doing this improves the gang's morale, while ignoring them results in hunger and complaints. They can never die from hunger, so the player isn't forced to help them if they find something more interesting to do.
* CelibateHero: He could bed a ''lot'' of women if he wanted to, but he remains loveless throughout the whole game. The lewdest thing he does is go on a cheesy date with Mary. When you get solicited by prostitites , your chooces are "reject: and "decline". It's probably a combonation of still being in love with Mary and [[spoiler: his other confirmed relationship ending in tragedy. At some unspecified time before the events of a game, he had a son with a woman named Eliza. He came to vist them one day and found their graves and never really got over it. ]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Arthur's UndyingLoyalty to Dutch and [[TheFatalist Fatalist attitude]] about himself and life all come crashing down in Chapter 6 when [[spoiler:Dutch continually [[SanitySlippage loses more and more reason]] and when Arthur gets diagnosed with [[YourDaysAreNumbered tuberculosis]]]] realizing that even if his life can't be changed but others can, he resolves [[spoiler:to help John and his family as much as he can in [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere getting the hell out of this life and finding a new one]]. Whether it's a HeelFaceTurn or a VillainsDyingGrace is up to the player's honor however. With the high-honor ending leaning towards the former while the low-honor one leaning towards the latter.]]
* ChickMagnet: Played with, Mary, Sadie, Mary-Beth, Karen, Tilly, and even the widow Charlotte, all seem to hold affection for him.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: Or '''prequel''' in this case. He differs from John Marston in various ways.
** The first game starts off with John Marston as a former outlaw who has to hunt down former members of his gang. Arthur Morgan on the other hand starts off as a member of that said gang.
** While Marston is a NiceGuy even if some of his methods are [[PragmaticHero underhanded]], Arthur comes off as more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. In contrast to the level-headed and patient John, Arthur is more hot-headed and [[DeadpanSnarker snarkier]] than John ever was, and is more likely to resort to violence.
** John is HappilyMarried to Abigal despite his former life as an outlaw, considering Abigal was part of the Van der Linde Gang as well. Arthur, however, has a strained relationship with Mary Linton, as he's sadly unable to balance his life as an outlaw and his devotion to Mary. [[spoiler:Tragically, he never fully mended the fence with Mary before his untimely death.]]
** Relating to the above, Arthur is different from John in that he's never able to let go off his life as an outlaw [[spoiler:until it was too late]]. Unlike John who was able to abandon his former life to the point that he's willing to hunt down his former gang members, Arthur was far too deep in Dutch's influence to be truly balance between a normal life and that as an outlaw, which was what caused his deteriorating relationship with Mary. He even scolds John for daring to walk his own path by leaving the gang for an entire year, and held a minor grudge against him as a result. [[spoiler:It's only after the discovery of his illness and [[BrokenPedestal broken faith]] in Dutch that he decides to die his own way by giving Marston a chance to live a normal life with his family.]]
** Both John and Morgan [[spoiler:ultimately die defending the Marston family. But while John died from his wounds, Arthur instead succumbed to his tuberculosis (unless Micah finished the job in the "low honor" ending).]]
** Arthur is fairly cultured for an outlaw and has artistic talents; while he's an absolute beast in a fight, he doesn't really enjoy neither violence nor the thrills of high-risk heists. It's very likely he could thrive as a civilian with enough effort, but nothing and no one can convince him to leave the gang, [[spoiler: not even a chance to survive his illness]]. John, on the other hand, has few talents and lacks his son's appreciation for literature. His true skill is with a gun, which he can't use legally and [[spoiler: the epilogue makes it clear that being a rancher was Abigail's dream, not his]]. He eventually leaves the life out of love for his family.
** A more humorous example is their swimming capabilities. While John can't swim even if his life depended on it to the point he would sink like a sack of bricks, Arthur is at the very least decently capable of swimming.
* CulturedBadass: He references classic literature like ''Romeo and Juliet'' a little too frequently for a country boy hick. He's also appreciative of photography and is an excellent draftsman.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: The man's life is never-ending misery, plain and simple. Beaten half to death by his father as a kid, spent most of his childhood a street orphan after his beloved mother died, kidnapped and brainwashed into a thug who knows nothing but violence by Dutch. His adulthood wasn't any happier, [[spoiler:losing his one chance at happiness when his child and lover were murdered. And that's not even getting into [[TraumaCongaLine what actually happens to him in the game...]]]]
* DeadpanSnarker: The man is a downright ''riot'' to listen to, especially if you have him act like a complete {{Jerkass}} to the rest of his gang.
* TheDeterminator: Due to doing all of the things he does while [[spoiler:dying of tuberculosis]], Arthur would rival [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Old Snake]] in a "most strong-willed video game protagonists ever" contest.
* TheDragon: He's practically third in command after Hosea. [[spoiler: He subtly takes over his role as the OnlySaneMan after his death, ascending to this]].
* DragonWithAnAgenda: An interesting case. [[spoiler: Once the gang is in Beaver Hollow, Arthur remains loyal to Dutch and goes along with the plan, even though he disagrees with it - his honor determines whether he's keeping up appearances or is genuine. Regardless, he starts doing things behind Dutch's back: throws Strauss out, grants leave to Swanson and Trelawny, attempts to deescalate the Wapiti-US Army feud and actively plots to help the Marstons leave]].
* DoomedByCanon: Since he's never mentioned in the previous game, things presumably do not work out well for him. [[spoiler:Ultimately, he ends up dying from tuberculosis regardless of whether or not Micah finished him off.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:If he helps John escape with low honor, Micah will finish him off with his revolver. Morgan isn't phased, calling him a fool and that they're not that different before being shot.]]
* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[LoveInterest Mary]] loves Arthur dearly, but doesn't want to be with him while he's still riding with a gang. He promises once he gets enough money he will run away with her. [[spoiler: Though she still loves him, she breaks things off with him for good via a "Dear John" letter once word reaches her of the gang's botched robbery at Saint Denis. Tragically, Arthur is in the final stages of tuberculosis by the time he receives the letter, and either succumbs to it or is killed by Micah shortly after turning on Dutch and trying to leave, meaning he never got the chance to patch things up with her]].
* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler: In spite of the circumstances he finds himself in, Arthur takes a moment to cradle his fallen horse and thanks it.]]
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: [[spoiler: After contracting tuberculosis Arthur's complexion grows notably more pale, eye sockets darkening, and his eyes become blood shot.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** While he might be an outlaw who robs and kills for a living, he has a very low opinion of racism and doesn't hesitate to voice his disgust towards such subjects as slavery or the Klan.
** He’s also surprisingly progressive in terms of women's suffrage, believing that they should be allowed to vote [[TheCynic because he thinks that anyone who's dumb enough to want to vote should be able to.]]
** He utterly loathes Leopold Strauss's loan sharking and being forced to be his debt collector.[[spoiler: This may is probably not helped by the fact that Arthur contracts tuberculosis from a man he is sent to collect a debt from.]]
** While he's far from a saint himself, Arthur is disgusted by Micah's bloodlust and wanton sociopathy.
** He outright calls the [[CannibalClan Murfree Brood]] evil, and is outright disgusted by their atrocities.
** He also has a soft spot for animals. He loves horses, and will dote on his horse if he reaches a high bond level with them. He also has a low opinion of animal abusers, reacts with shock and disgust when he and Charles come across the seemingly meaningless slaughter of a herd of bison and if the player has him shoot a lot of animals without collecting their resources, he'll mention during one of his chats with Mary-Beth that he's deeply troubled by the fact that he's started killing animals for no reason.
* FaceOfAThug: Well, he's actually a TEXTBOOK thug and certainly looks the part, but for all his flaws he's still a good guy, especially if you keep your honor up.
* FailureHero: The whole game is already a TraumaCongaLine for the Van der Lindes, but Arthur definitely gets it the worst.
* FatalFlaw: His temper and over-reliance on violence is even worse than John's. [[spoiler: This causes his undoing, as he decides to beat up a sick man, who in turn gets him sick.]]
** His biggest flaw is his loyalty to Dutch. Having been raised by the man his entire life, Arthur was always loyal to Dutch even if he questions the man's choice of actions. This causes him to make many mistakes in his life, such as his broken relationship with Mary.
** Self-loathing is another major one. Actions may speak louder than words, but just ''listen'' to how he talks about himself in front of the mirror and how quick he is to reject compliments. Explains why, despite his sharp tongue and belligerent personality, he's often a pushover for those he cares about.
* FatBastard: Low honor + overweight Arthur = this. [[spoiler:Made impossible once his tuberculosis gets bad, however.]]
* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:[[TearJerker "John made it. He's the only one. Rest of us...No. But, I tried. In the end. I did."]]]]
* FireForgedFriends: [[spoiler: With Eagle Flies, Rain Falls and the rest of the Dakota tribe really. He goes from being indifferent towards their plights, to becoming one of their closest friends and allies.]]
* ForgottenFallenFriend: [[spoiler:Sadly falls straight into this due Rockstar never building a narrative back in ''[=RDR1=]'' that John had a member in the gang that ultimately ended up being his one true brother, so John in that game acts as if he had no one back in the gang that supported him and shaped him up to be the man that he became after they disbanded]].
** However to the game's credit, it ''does'' give an explanation, [[spoiler: in the Epilogue John confesses to Mary Beth that he is ''always'' thinking of Arthur, but it's too painful for him to talk about him (and true to his word, even in the Epilogue he seldom talks about Arthur, and only in rare circumstances). So it's likely John ''did'' think about Arthur quite a bit in ''1'', he just didn't speak about him to avoid bringing up painful memories.]]
* GoodIsNotSoft: Outside of gameplay, Arthur does not hold back insults and speaks his mind when he needs to. Gameplay-wise, you can potentially have the highest honor possible, and still kill anyone who's a threat to you if left to your own devices.
* GoToAlias: He uses a few over the course of the game, although the gang's go-to one for sending and receiving mail is "Tacitus Kilgore".
* GunsAkimbo: With a second holster, he can equip two sidearms in this fashion.
* GutturalGrowler: He talks in a very hushed, gravelly voice.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: [[spoiler:Arthur is diagnosed with tuberculosis, and his coughing gets progressively worse by the final mission. By the end, he ultimately succumbs to it.]]
* HairTriggerTemper: His FatalFlaw.
* HandicappedBadass: The last sections of the game will be spent while Arthur [[spoiler:is dying from tuberculosis]]. It won't affect the gameplay and he will kick just as much ass though.
* HasTwoDaddies: Dutch and Hosea are ''explicitly'' called Arthur's two daddies.
* HatesEveryoneEqually: Don't mistake his disgust towards xenophobia for heroism; he's just a misanthrope who thinks almost everyone is awful, regardless of sex or race.
* HeartbrokenBadass: While Mary Linton broke his heart, Arthur can ultimately agree to help her. [[{{Tearjerker}} All while lamenting that he wished she had run off with him.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:The final mission sees Arthur sacrifice himself for the security of the Marston Family. To what extent he does this is up to the player, as he can either make a final bid for Dutch's money and part amicably with John, or stick with John till the bitter end and die holding off his pursuers.]]
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: No matter how consistently high your honor is, Arthur never misses an opportunity to voice his self-loathing.
--->'''Arthur''': "No wonder they all leave you, you sour-faced idiot."
* HeroicRROD: [[spoiler: He is told that he has a chance of surviving his sickness if he goes some place warm and relaxes, he instead chooses to help John and his family escape; which ends up sealing his fate but allows him to die content.]]
* HiddenDepths: Invoked. Arthur loudly presents himself as a dumb brute. Almost no one believes this, but Morgan himself is privately so self-deprecating that he's often surprised by this. Judging by his journal entries he is an eloquent writer and a fairly good artist - there's even a button prompt to draw interesting sights on the trail. Although he doesn't understand a lot of it, he's also drawn to artists and eccentrics such as Albert Mason, Charles Chatennay and Marko Dragic, even forming genuine friendships with the former two.
* HollywoodPudgy: No matter how fat you try and make him, Arthur just gets wider and a double chin, so he seems more stocky than fat. Justified, since the Wild West's conditions were so tough that it would be impossible to survive if straight up fat, if you were even lucky enough to get that much food in the first place. Haven't you noticed that there are almost no fat people in the game (aside from Micah's, Uncle's, and Pearson's beer bellies)?
* HonoraryUncle: To Jack.
* {{Hunk}}: Doesn't matter how hairy, dirty, or fat you make him, Arthur is a damn good looking man. [[BerserkButton Just don't call him a]] PrettyBoy. [[spoiler:Then he gets tuberculosis...]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: He forms a real bond with the old war veteran Hamish Sinclair, formed from both of their love of hunting and fishing and of Arthur's genuine respect for the man.
* InTheBack: [[spoiler:If Arthur has low honor and decides to go for Dutch's loot, he ends up getting fatally stabbed in the back by Micah]].
* IronicDeath: [[spoiler:He actually notices this himself and writes it in his journal. As an outlaw, he has survived tough weather, countless shootouts and animal attacks... and his death comes in the form of a very ill man coughing on him.]]
* IOweYouMyLife: He firmly believes that saving a life forms a bond. While he's hostile to Kieran Duffy from the outset, he warms up to him once the former O'Driscoll saves his life, sincerely thanking him a few times and [[spoiler: warmly calls Eagle Flies his friend when he saves him after Dutch tries to leave him behind at the refinery]].
* {{Jerkass}}: The player can have him antagonize his own gang so relentlessly that Arthur ends up getting [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment sucker punched into unconsciousness and thrown out out of the camp for his troubles]]. And the cruelty is ''not'' limited to the gang, you can antagonize and terrorize ''anyone'' as much as you want.
* JerkassFacade: Towards most of the strangers, he will usually mock or scoff at them but ultimately agrees to help.
** In one case a black doctor has his wagon stolen by a bunch of racists, after hearing that the doctor was working for free to help people, Arthur tells him to wait and goes off to retrieve his wagon without promise of pay or reward, he simply does it out of the (small speck of) goodness in his heart.
* JerkassHasAPoint: If the player has Arthur antagonize a member of the gang, he often has some very valid criticisms of that character and their actions throughout the game ('''''especially''''' if he antagonizes Dutch).
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his actions as an outlaw, he genuinely cares for the gang and can perform good deeds if the player chooses to.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: In an early mission, Arthur beats up a sickly man to the point where he dies from his injuries, said sickly man gives him tuberculosis which ends up killing him, unless you end the game with low honor.]]
* KnightInSourArmor: John was a romantic trying to be a cynic - Arthur is TheAntiNihilist pretending to be a StrawNihilist. This duality and refusal to accept that he has a heart is a big part of his arc. In the end, for all his outward misantrophy and lack of faith in anything, even a low honor Arthur [[spoiler: goes down fighting for love by trying to keep the gang safe and securing a future for the Marstons, hoping it will mean something]].
-->'''Arthur:''' Love makes us do crazy things, more so than hate.
* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: [[spoiler:Arthur's adopted father, Dutch, turns out to be a BrokenPedestal. ]]
** Symbolically, [[spoiler:Dutch dies falling off a mountain, ostensibly killed by John, while Arthur (with high honor and having helped John escape) dies on top of one after saving John]]
** Also with blood family, [[spoiler: Arthur's bilogocal father was abusive whereas he loved his son Issac very much, He couldn't be there in the way he wanted due to his lifestyle but financially provided for him and his mom before they were killed over $10. He only ever brings him up twice because it's till too painful for him.]]
* MadeOfIron: Aside from being your typical video game protagonist, being able to shrug off an infinite amount of gunfire barrages and beatdowns, what makes Arthur stand out is that he's able to do all of that while [[spoiler:days away from succumbing to tuberculosis.]]
* MrFanservice: A {{Hunk}} that you can strip down and bathe all you want for just a quarter. ''Very'' thoroughly. And the game does ''not'' pull a SexyDiscretionShot either.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: [[spoiler:Arthur is the same gameplay-wise even when stricken with terminal tuberculosis that makes him NothingButSkinAndBones, though his Cores do drain much faster.]]
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Arthur's loyalty to Dutch is one of his [[FatalFlaw flaws]]. At worst he voices discontent about one of Dutch's plans, but Arthur follows with it anyway. He doesn't move past this until late in the story.
* NatureLover: Loves and appreciates the prairie just as much as John does and shares his disgust with Dutch over having to visit [[ViceCity Saint Denis]].
* NiceHat: Which can be knocked or shot off your head. Thankfully, you can pick it back up. If it somehow despawns, you can just get it back out of your saddlebags.
* NobleDemon: Arthur is front and center about his status of being an outlaw but doesn't allow it to compromise his morals and standards.
* NothingButSkinAndBones: [[spoiler:When his tuberculosis worsens, Arthur is forced BELOW underweight. ''He gets thinner than the game mechanics normally allow.'']]
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Arthur presents himself as far more single-minded and brutish than he really is. He often reflects privately, either in his journal, or in internal monologues with far more eloquence than he voices to others.
** In a more direct example, a story mission in Rhodes has Arthur and Hosea disguise themselves as traveling moonshiners. Hosea is quick to assign Arthur the role of a dumb mute, and teases him for playing the character well.
* OneManArmy: He's the player character of an action packed shooter, of course he is. It's made especially evident, however, since Arthur's fellow [=NPCs=] actually can die in shootouts, resulting in a NonStandardGameover, which makes Arthur the one individually responsible for the whole Van der Linde gang, which is ''already'' the most BadassArmy in the game.
* OnlySaneMan: Loudly gripes about himself being such. It initially begins with him being frustrated with Dutch's delusions of grandeur, but then Arthur progresses with this same attitude with quieter and more solemn concern.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: [[spoiler: Had a son named Isaac with a waitress, [[StuffedInTheFridge one day he came to visit to find they had both been killed by a robber over 10 dollars.]]]]
* PapaWolf: [[spoiler: When the Pinkertons catch up to him during a fishing trip with Jack, Arthur’s first instinct is to put himself between them and the boy. When Jack gets kidnapped later on, Arthur is nearly as incensed as John.]]
* PetTheDog: Arthur usually hates the many Rockstar trademark eccentric strangers he comes across, however he reluctantly admits that even ''he'' liked the hot air balloon pilot and gives Sadie a WhatTheHellHero for getting him killed.
** In Rhodes, a potential Stranger encounter leads to Arthur helping out a poor fellow who was robbed of his wagon because of his skin color. Arthur is quick to offer his help without any of his usual fuss or demand of payment.
** The Braithwaite's and Gray's rivalry becomes a tremendous obstacle for the gang, but despite the trouble it could potentially lead to, Arthur does help out the [[StarCrossedLovers two unfortunate lovers]] trapped between the feud.
** He gets along well with Albert Mason and helps him out without expecting anything.
* RatedMForManly: A big, strong, handsome, sharp-witted OneManArmy outlaw with DarkAndTroubledPast and a soft side who casually charms almost every woman he comes across.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Upon discovering that he had contracted tuberculosis, he decides to spend his last days helping Marston have a future with his family. Having wasted his whole life in Dutch's thrall, moving on from one blunder to the next, Arthur decides to have one real moment of control in his life and do the right thing.]]
* {{Reincarnation}}: [[spoiler:Arthur is implied to be reincarnated as one of his three spirit animals in the epilogue.]]
* TheReliableOne: Dutch's premiere muscle, and with good reason. [[spoiler:Over the course of the story, Arthur loses Dutch's favor over Micah.]]
* RememberTheNewGuy: Several characters in ''[=RDR2=]'' apply but he is an extreme case due how much Arthur's actions affect the events in ''[=RDR1=]''; [[spoiler:Arthur is pretty much the one who sided with John till the end, directly being the foundation of John's attempt to live a life out of crime, Arthur was John's true brother in the end as John himself puts it that way, but ''[=RDR1=]'' does not recognize Arthur ever existed because he wasn't conceptualized back then, surely John (and even Jack) would reminisce a bit about such a great person in their lives from time to time if Rockstar had a narrow concept for Arthur back then]].
* SingleTargetSexuality: Despite being a bonafide ChickMagnet, he's faithful to Mary, even though they're long broken up and could never be together.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: He tries his best to hide his condition from the rest of the gang, but does give in once he enters the final stages of illness.]]
* SelfDeprecation: Look at Arthur in the mirror and he'll sigh while calling himself ugly. Oh shut up, Arthur, we all know you're a {{Hunk}}!
** He also brushes off people when they compliment him on the good things he does, or tell him what they like about him. His self esteem is rock bottom.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Despite being a textbook thug, his words are fancier than even John's!
* SophisticatedAsHell: He has an insanely thick southern accent and a sailor's mouth, but damned if he ain't cultured.
* SouthernGentleman: He’s polite to most women, though it ultimately depends on the player. He also has an [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness amusingly elegant vocabulary]] clearly inspired by [[CulturedBadass Dutch]].
* TheLastDance: [[spoiler:Helping John escape is seen as this for him, knowing he has little time left thanks to his illness.]]
* LeanAndMean: Low honor + underweight Arthur = this. [[spoiler:Enforced when Arthur gets tuberculosis and is ''stuck'' underweight, however the player is also encouraged to redeem themselves with the diagnosis, optionally downplaying the "mean" part.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: Invoked in chapter 6. [[spoiler: Once Arthur is diagnosed with tuberculosis, he can reach the maximum level of honor and the game nudges the player towards redemption, allowing you to forgo payment in the remaining sidequests and absolve debts]].
* TragicDream: He doesn't enjoy the outlaw life and when he gets enough money hopes to run away with his LoveInterest. [[spoiler: Unfortunately because this is a prequel, he dies before the end.]]
%%* TraumaCongaLine: Poor Arthur can't catch a break.
* UndignifiedDeath: [[spoiler:He survives countless gunfights and near-death scenarios, only to be killed by... a relatively common disease from the 20th century, tuberculosis. To make things worse, he contracted it because of his own impatience in dealing with a sick debtor who coughed all over him after being beaten up. His death is slow, painful, and completely unavoidable. However, he subverts this by making sure his last moments aren't in vain.]]
** [[spoiler: In both endings, Arthur takes [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown quite a beating from Micah]]. This can be taken further if the player has low honor: in the Loot ending Micah stabs and kills him while he is crawling away, and should you help John, Micah shoots him in the head with his revolver. With a high honor, however, Micah just leaves, which results in Arthur lying down to look into the sunrise before dying in peace with himself.]]
* UnflinchingWalk: In the second trailer.
* VerbalTic: If you don't mind liver poisoning, take a shot every time Arthur says "Boah," especially if you have a male horse.
** Or, god forbid, "Sure".
* VillainProtagonist: He is a merciless member of an outlaw gang, and you get to play as him as such thanks to the honor system.
* VirtualPaperdoll: The most customizable Rockstar protagonist since [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas CJ]]. His hair, beard, clothes, and even weight can be changed by the player.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With most of the gang no less! Despite all his ribbing, however, he truly loves them all. Micah being the only exception.
* WhatTheHellHero: After she stirs up the O'Driscoll's while Arthur is on his hot balloon ride, Arthur chews out Sadie because her actions accidentally got the balloon's owner, Mr. Bullard killed who Arthur was just taking a shine to.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Downplayed since he's able to pull himself together, but pretty much we see Arthur show any fear (outside of the "I'm afraid" scene) is when he gets shaky and nervous while piloting a hot air balloon soaring through the clouds. Justified since pretty much everyone was terrified of heights back then, as planes and skyscrapers were unheard of.
* WickedCultured: He is Dutch's son, after all. Most evident in his journal, where he proves to have an impressive vocabulary, a decent grasp on literature and pop culture, and ample drawing skills.
* WouldHitAGirl: He firmly believes men and women are equally awful.
* WouldNotHurtAChild: Not even if they're robbing him-- the game won't let Arthur shoot at Cleet the cutpurse while chasing him in Saint Denis. Considering how the entire Van Der Linde gang rides out with a ''vengeance'' when [[spoiler: Jack is kidnapped by Lady Braithwaite, and the disgust they show towards her for involving children]], it's likely that this is a rule that Dutch and Hosea ingrained in all of their men.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: A high-honor Arthur will be told this by [[spoiler: Reverend Swanson or Sister Calderón before they leave, telling him that he still has time to good in the world and that he should, this inspires Arthur to go and help John and spurs his HeelFaceTurn right before he dies.]]
** By the end of the main story, just about every other character will tell this to Arthur who has high honor. [[spoiler: His final ride to camp, Arthur reflects on each time another character has called him a good man.]]
* YourDaysAreNumbered [[spoiler: Being diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1899 is not a matter of if you'll die, but a matter of when.]]
* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Rather than risk the both of them being caught and killed, Arthur decides to stay behind and hold off the pursuing Pinkerton agents so John can escape.]]
* YoungerThanHeLooks: He's in his thirties, but looks a decade older. He can look even older depending on how the player customizes him (particularly by having him grow out his beard).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:John Marston]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_marston___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Every man has a right to change, a chance of forgiveness."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_marston_red_dead_redeption.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Rob Wiethoff

-->''"People don't forget. Nothing gets forgiven."''

An orphan of Scottish descent, John Marston ran away at a young age to live on his own, soon finding himself in the company of Ducth van der Linde. Raised like a son by the outlaw and his growing gang, John was a loyal follower for many years, until rising tensions and a job gone wrong saw him left for dead by his so-called family. Embittered by the betrayal and looking for a second chance, he married his sweetheart Abigail and settled down as a rancher with their son, Jack - until one day, a group of government agents came to him with an ultimatum...

* TheAce: He’s an extremely accomplished gunslinger and horse rider who is basically a OneManArmy who can cut down swathes of gangs, lawmen and even the Mexican army. There’s a reason why Ross wanted him to hunt down the rest of the Van der Linde Gang, because he’s the right man for the job.
* ActionDad: John's defining trait is his devotion to his family. The very reason he's going on a long, violent quest across New Austin, Nuevo Paraiso, and West Elizabeth to hunt down his former gang? The BOI has them trapped in a GildedCage and he wants to set them free.
* AmazonChaser: Abigail used to ride with their gang and is even more of a verbal badass than John is. [[spoiler:She's also the one who kills [[BigBad Agent Milton]] in the prequel.]]
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: [[spoiler:Is the playable character in 2's epilogue.]]
* AngerBornOfWorry: Has some harsh words for Jack after saving him in "Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child". Considering that the kid tried to hunt and take down a [[BearsAreBadNews grizzly bear]] ''by himself'', it's quite justified.
* AntiHero: John is an AntiHero no matter how you play him, but the KarmaMeter makes it somewhat difficult to ascertain exactly ''what'' AntiHero he is. A player who does consistently good deeds, along with Marston's willingness to help people in need and motivation for the main story to make him more of a KnightInSourArmor or a light GoodIsNotNice PragmaticHero. A particularly nasty player can make him a PayEvilUntoEvil UnscrupulousHero or even a VillainProtagonist.
* TheAtoner: It's right there in the title. He hunts down the remainder of his former gang members as means of atonement for his time as an outlaw and keep his future safe.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:In Undead Nightmare, [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie John returns to the world as a zombie]].]]
* BadassBandolier: Not at first, but you can get one. It's more than just cosmetic; purchasing it allows him to carry more ammunition.
* BadassBaritone: His voice is somewhat deep.
* BadassBeard: He has a noticeable neckbeard, in the best way possible. [[spoiler:Upon becoming the playable character in 2, his beard can be grown out as much as the player sees fit]].
* BadassBoast: "You'll be the first to know when I kill you, I promise."
* BadassCape: The poncho outfit, which is a ShoutOut to TheManWithNoName's outfit in ''Film/TheDollarsTrilogy''.
* BadassLongcoat: Quite a few of his outfits.
* BadLiar: He is terrible at it. Agent Milton instantly sees through the "Rip Van Winkle" alias when asked for a name (though it’s ambiguous if it was merely a snide remark on his part or not), and [[spoiler:John's lack of knowledge about everyday farm stuff and his skill with guns and horses speak ''much'' louder than his sob story about losing her wife's family inheritance to her brother.]]
* BookDumb: He never got a proper education, but is a fast learner, quickly mastering ranching tasks under [[spoiler:Tom Dickens']] and Bonnie's tutelage. In ''2'', Arthur calls him dull and it's slowly revealed that John has few skills beyond shooting.
* BountyHunter: In ''Red Dead Redemption'', he's been tasked by the Bureau Of Investigation to track down Bill, Javier, and Dutch, though in more of a BoxedCrook way than for money. In ''Red Dead Redemption 2'', Sadie takes him bounty hunting with her to help him earn money in order to pay off his mortgage on the ranch. In both games, he can also take individual bounties in order to earn money.
* BrokenPedestal: He used to be supremely loyal to Dutch. However, his faith is shaken when [[spoiler:Dutch supposedly abandons him during the botched Saint Denis bank heist]], and is shattered when [[spoiler:Dutch definitely abandons him when he's shot during the raid on the army train. Even in the epilogue years later, John’s viewpoint of Dutch had changed dramatically.]]
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Should the player feel so thus inclined in the Stranger missions. [[spoiler:According to Abigail in the epilogue of ''2'', John has a bad habit of taking up his guns in defense of others, thus blowing his cover as a civilian and forcing the Marstons to constantly be on the move]].
* {{Cowboy}}: Not particularly at first, but during the game you pick up a lot of cowboy skills. Justified, since it’s been years since he was a gunslinger and he’s gotten rusty.
* DeadpanSnarker: It helps him keep his sanity with all the nutcases he encounters.
* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:In his final stand with Edgar Ross, it's implied that John knows that he won't make it out alive. With a bloody ledger marked both by his time as an outlaw and as Ross's lackey, John saw that as long as he's alive, his family will never have a peaceful life. Thus, he willingly gives up his life in hopes that both he and more importantly, his family, would be redeemed of his past crimes.]]
* {{Determinator}}: [[http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=red+dead+redemption++motivational#/art/Red-Dead-Redemption-Motivational-350017186?_sid=10a00f1e This]] picture pretty much sums it up. He fights countless crooks, bandits and even a Mexican army, all to save his own family.
** [[UpToEleven Taken To Eleven]] in the prequel. One of the game's first missions is rescuing Marston after he doesn't come back from scouting: you find out his horse was eaten, he got mauled by wolves and was stranded in a blizzard for two days with no food. All after getting ''shot'' escaping Blackwater with the gang. Over the course of the game he gets held hostage, thrown in jail and shot ''again'' during [[spoiler: the last train robbery]]. John Marston, simply put, is one tough son-of-a-bitch. Lampshaded by Marston himself.
--->'''Marston''': "Arthur always says I'm lucky!"
* DisappearedDad: Before he was the textbook example of a PapaWolf, he straight up abandoned his family for an entire year since he believed Jack wasn't his son. And even when he did come back, he was a godawful deadbeat dad for about 15 more years.
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Although those who played ''Redemption'' 1 know that he survives, after he is shot and falls off from the train during the gang's final robbery, Dutch claims that John didn't make it. He later returns to the camp, proving how far Dutch has fallen from the man who looked after his own.]]
* DisproportionateRetribution: He'll sometimes dish these out to demonstrate his HairTriggerTemper. The first thing he does when he steps foot in Mexico is kill three random people for taking his hat (though to be fair, [[AssholeVictim they were harassing him a fair bit even after he tried to reason with them]]).
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Dies in a shootout with an Army contingent manned by Ross all by himself, to give his family time to escape.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: He may be an AntiHero, but even he has limits that he wouldn’t cross.
** When ordered to burn down a village by De Santa, Marston is clearly against the idea but is forced to go along with it to maintain the support of the Mexican army. Afterward, he's pretty disgusted at himself while everyone else is happily pillaging. On top of that, and his disgust with all the other colorful characters he meets, no matter how much of a murderous douche you play him as, [[http://www.dorkly.com/post/2480/red-dead-moral-code as this comic lampshades]], he'll never cheat on his wife.
** In the prequel, [[spoiler:he's disturbed by the way Dutch kills Angelo Bronte by drowning the man and feeding his body to an alligator. He later elaborates to Arthur he's shedding no tears for the man, suggesting further he's either disturbed at the brutality of the method or Dutch's growing unpredictability.]]
* {{Expy}}: Played with, as he resembles Red Harlow physically but not in personality.
* FastestGunInTheWest: Can be this, thanks to his Dead Eye skill.
* FatalFlaw: His HairTriggerTemper and ChronicHeroSyndrome combined. [[spoiler:In ‘’2’’, Abigail says that these two traits make it hard for the Marston family to settle down to have a normal life, as John will often resort to violence which ends up attracting attention to themselves and forces them to move again and again.]]
* {{Flanderization}}: His inability to swim in the first game was clearly to explain the SuperDrowningSkills stopping players from exploring areas players weren't meant to reach (yet). In 2, not only is he incapable of swimming, it's implied he's afraid of water.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: To prevent the player from going outside the map, John [[SuperDrowningSkills dies instantly]] ([[spoiler:or near instantly in ''[=RDR2=]'']]) when he goes too deep in water. In-universe, John just never learned how to swim.
* [[GoodParents Good Parent]]: To Jack. He's caring, stern, and tries to set him on the right path.
** ''2'' reveals he was actually an awful father to Jack at first. It took him [[spoiler:getting kidnapped for his inner PapaWolf to emerge.]] And even then, he's still really bad at parenting Jack for about a whole decade. But he at least tries. It isn't until the final stretch of ''1'' where he truly becomes a good parent.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: While he can be good or evil depending on how you play, he sure didn't get them "falling over in church", as he puts it. ''[=RDR2=]'' reveals that he got them in 1899 from a wolf attack.
* GunsAkimbo: [[spoiler:In the epilogue of ‘‘2’’, he can dual wield sidearms.]]
* TheGunslinger: Deadeye lets him make pinpoint shots at a rapid pace.
* HairTriggerTemper: One of his biggest flaws. He doesn't resort to violence as a first resort, and generally prefers to reason with or intimidate people, but if pushed too far he won't hesitate to ice you. A band of three Mexican hoodlums who swiped his hat and relentlessly harassed him found out the hard way.
** The prequel establishes that the restraint he shows in ''1'' is something he patiently and painstakingly trained for the sake of his family, [[spoiler: ever since Abigail left him for three months because of one heroic shootout too many]].
* HandicappedBadass: There are several hints (later confirmed in ''2'') that point to John being nearly blind in his left eye. He's still quite a sharpshooter, however. He even quips, "Looks like I got my eye back" once you killed a few people in Dead Eye mode.
* HappilyMarried: He absolutely adores his wife. In contrast to every other Rockstar protagonist out there, he turns down every other woman's advances without hesitation, always remaining faithful to her.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: He'll assist any side that helps him get the men he wants, especially in Mexico where he’ll side with both the Army and the revolutionaries for his own ends. Nonetheless, he openly disapproves of the brutality that both sides engage in.
* TheHero[=/=]VillainProtagonist: A fully filled karma meter on the good side will give you the title of “hero", while a fully filled karma meter on the bad side will give you the title “desperado".
* HeroicNeutral: Just wants to be left alone with his family. This particularly comes up in the Mexico arc, in which he repeatedly asserts that he's not interested in politics, works with whomever he thinks will best help him get to Williamson and Escuella, and repeatedly expresses cynicism about both sides. This makes him the subject of several a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech from many of the participants who have chosen a particular position. [[spoiler: But his cynicism ultimately proves well-founded, since when the rebels finally take over they turn out to be just as bad as the government they replace.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:He allows the government to kill him, so his wife and son can live the rest of their lives in peace. But he doesn't go down [[DyingMomentOfAwesome without taking a few with him]].]]
** FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: Once Uncle kicks it, he knows he isn't getting off the ranch alive, and even if he did he and his family would be hunted down until he's dead. So he sends them away, looks through the barn doors to see what exactly is waiting for him, and tries to take at least a few down before going down himself.]]
** TakingYouWithMe[=/=]DoNotGoGentle: [[spoiler:Knowing that he is going to die and has to die for his family, Marston is damn well not going down alone.]]
* InstantExpert: [[spoiler:Despite having zero experience in ranching, he’s able to pick it up pretty quickly while working on the Geddes’ ranch.]]
* IOweYouMyLife: He develops this attitude towards Arthur, who allowed him to escape the outlaw life, to the point he risks blowing his cover to avenge him by going after Micah Bell.
* JerkassHasAPoint: In the epilogue of 2, when John tells Abagail that Jack witnessed a shootout and she yells at him, he points out it was literally no other choice. Regardless of how you try to handle the situation, it will end with John shooting the three.
* KarmaHoudini: Ross considers him to be one of these, [[spoiler: to the point that he kills him.]]
* KnightInSourArmor: Reyes even calls him a romantic trying to be a cynic.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler: Goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Micah with Sadie and Charles to avenge Arthur despite knowing that if Micah dies, it will bring attention, but given everything Micah did, you can hardly blame him.]]
* LastStand: [[spoiler:Mows down a full army of bad guys before finally meeting his end, all to save his family.]]
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: He's considered attractive both InUniverse and out, and judging by his appearance in both games, likes growing his hair out. In fact, the only time he's seen with short hair is [[spoiler:in the epilogue of 2 when he's trying to keep a low profile. (And if the player decides to cut it)]]
* MrFanservice: His facial scars do nothing to convince anyone otherwise. [[spoiler:The epilogue of ''2'' even has him shirtless while building the Marston ranch.]] Arthur can tease him over this.
--->'''Arthur''': "Little Johnny Marston. So popular with the ladies."
* MultipleChoicePast: Characters in ''Redemption'' 1 mention both a ferry and a bank job when discussing John's past as an outlaw, implying it was either of these robberies where John got shot and left to die. [[spoiler:While both happen in 2, (and John got injured during the former and arrested during the latter) it was actually an attempted robbery of an army train. He got shot in the arm and fell off. It also goes unmentioned in 1 that he still confronted the gang later to chew out Dutch for leaving him to die.]]
* NatureLover: During 2 he can wax poetic to Jack about how much he loves the great outdoors.
--->'''Marston''': "Pretty countryside, ain't it? The grass and the light...there's a lot of ugly in this world, but there sure as ''hell'' is a lot of beauty. You'll see it better when you get older. It's tough at your age. Just...land and light, but to me? It's ''life''. I can't explain it."
* NeverLiveItDown:
** In-universe. His former gang members love to bring up that Abigail, his wife, was the gang's resident prostitute. John himself doesn't care.
** Another one is the fact that he can't swim, something that the rest of the gang pick on him for.
* NiceGuy[=/=]AffablyEvil: Generally tries to be cooperative with those he's working with and displays a large amount of restraint and patience, not to mention being a very loving father and husband.
** BewareTheNiceOnes: Despite this, he does have his limits and will not hesitate to threaten those he feels aren't holding up their side of the bargain.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
** [[spoiler:You feel doing all of those good deeds and side stories don't you? Ross says Hello. John Marston is quite possibly the TropeCodifier. All the good deeds he does throughout the game... is undone when Ross and his men come to kill him.]]
** It gets even worse with the context of ''II'' revealed. [[spoiler: It turns out that killing Micah to avenge Arthur's death is what caused Ross to pick up John's trail in the first place, essentially meaning every death in Red Dead 1- including John's- is the result of trying to do right by Arthur. [[DownerEnding Seriously]]]].
* NostalgiaFilter: Possibly InUniverse. [[spoiler:The gang's fall is a rough one, and by the time he leaves the gang he is seriously fed up with Dutch's poor decision making and false promises, and believes that Dutch was always that way yet managed to cover it up.]] Yet by 1911, he thinks fondly of him, remembering him as a man who started good but slowly went insane. It's possible that [[spoiler:seeing Dutch beyond his DespairEventHorizon in 1907 made him realize that the man he really has a problem with is Micah, and sees Dutch as an another victim of his. It helps that Dutch briefly comes around and shoots Micah during their MexicanStandoff.]]
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: He only starts to openly work for the rebels after [[spoiler:Allende and de Santa tried to screw him over and Reyes saved him.]] Otherwise he treats them as a means to an end, though [[MoralityPet he's somewhat sympathetic towards Luisa]].
* OneManArmy: He, by himself, fought off bandits, rebels, wolves, cougars, and the Mexican and US Armies [[spoiler:(if only)]].
* [[EvilParentsWantGoodKids Outlaw Parents Want Good Kids]]: He and Abigail made Jack unaware of their profession, especially in regard to the days of Dutch's gang.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: It's not brought up much, but John and Abigail had a daughter who died of fever sometime before the events of the game.
* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler:He develops this towards Micah Bell not only for ruining the gang that was his family, but to avenge Arthur]].
* PapaWolf: Very protective of his son; when he finds out that Jack went hunting a Grizzly by himself in "Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child", he wastes no time setting off to find him. [[spoiler: In the final shootout, he flips out at the attacking US soldiers as they try to harm his family. And he ultimately allows himself to be killed to give them a chance at a life without Ross and his cronies coming for them.]]
** In the prequel, when Jack [[spoiler:gets abducted by the Braithwaites, John is ''absolutely'' pissed off.]]
--->'''Marston''': "I'm gonna let fly at those sons of ''bitches''."
* ParentalAbandonment: His mother died in childbirth, and his father died when he was 8, leaving him to grow up in an orphanage until he met Dutch.
* ParentalNeglect: In the prequel, he's unintentionally neglectful to Jack, being often too busy with work to spend time with him. However, with advice from Arthur and [[spoiler:Jack being abducted by the Braithwaites]] as a wake-up call, he decides to take more time off to be a proper father.
* ReasonWhyYouSuckSpeech: Frequently on the receiving end of these from his allies, especially when traveling together between objectives during a mission. The subject is usually a fair criticism of his flawed morals, sociopathy and selfishness from upstanding characters like Bonnie, the marshal and Ricketts, or when lowlives and thieves like Irish and West Dickens call out his hypocrisy for looking down on their dishonest ways.
* RetiredOutlaw: He simply wants to live his days out in peace with his family, having been disillusioned with the outlaw life he grew up with years ago. [[spoiler: The epilogue to ''2'' reveals it took him a few years - in 1907 he still was very willing to grab a gun. He only decided to fully retire once Abigail left him]].
* RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:Against Abigail's wishes, he joins Sadie and Charles in pursuit of revenge on Micah. This inadvertently brought Edgar Ross on his trail.]]
* RuggedScar: Covered in em'. As he says, he certainly didn't get them "falling over in church". ''2'' reveals that he got them after being attacked by wolves.
* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler:His aforementioned HeroicSacrifice to give Abigail and Jack a better, safer future... The three-year-later epilogue reveals Abigail soon died anyway (implicitly from DeathByDespair due to John's death), and Jack ended up a miserable LastOfHisKind and loner whose only real reason for living is {{Revenge}} on Ross (thus becoming an outlaw himself -- exactly what John didn't want -- in the process).]] May be somewhat subverted, however, if you see a certain ''Grand Theft Auto V'' EasterEgg [[note]]That heavily implies [[spoiler:Jack was able to become a successful novelist (his childhood dream) after all and invoke VindicatedByHistory on John's legacy]].[[/note]] as canon.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Lampshaded by Bill Williamson - John was always one for "fancy words." Subverted in ''2'', when it's revealed that in 1899, John didn't have that great a way with words.
* SophisticatedAsHell: That's what happens when you cross BookDumb with SesquipedalianLoquaciousness.
* SpitefulSpit: If Marston kills Javier instead of capturing him, he will spit on Javier's body. But he's shown wiping his eyes as if he's crying, implying that he's genuinely regretful having to kill him.
* StaticCharacter: John Marston arguably doesn't go through any kind of development in the first game, remaining the same man that he started out as from start to end. This is because he had already undergone his own CharacterDevelopment in the prequel.
* SuperDrowningSkills: He never learned to swim. The gang actually makes fun of this in ''2''.
* SupportingProtagonist: [[spoiler:He becomes the playable protagonist in the epilogue of ''2''.]] Even before that, he has a prominent role in the story.
* TookALevelInKindness: Young John treated Abigail badly and didn't even believe Jack was his son at first. Comes ''[=RDR1=]'' and John is a loving family man who would do anything for the ones he loves.
** The player can see much of this slow, organic development throughout the course of ''2'', particularly if they spend a lot of time in camp. John can be found brushing Jack off when he wants to play and even having his wife and kid sleep on the ''floor of their tent''. Later you can see Marston using tree branches to swordfight with Jack, teaching him how to carve arrows and asking him about his feelings after a traumatic event. In later campsites you [[CharacterDevelopment find him sleeping on the floor, with Abigail using the bed]]. He also grows a sense of humor and learns to take himself less seriously - he reacts poorly and boorishly to teasing in the prequel, a far cry from the ever-polite cowboy of the original.
* TragicKeepsake: [[spoiler:Arthur’s hat, which the latter passed on to John before staying behind to fend off the Pinkertons.]]
* VirtualPaperDoll: [[spoiler:He has all of Morgan's customization options in the epilogue of ''2'', with even more added in.]]
* WarriorPoet: He's a surprisingly eloquent speaker, something that [[DiscOneFinalBoss Bill Williamson]] points out.
* WildCard: In Mexico, he's willing to work with whomever he thinks can get him to Williamson and Escuella and continually makes it clear that he has no personal stakes in the civil war.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He’s pretty uncomfortable around water no thanks to his SuperDrowningSkills. [[spoiler:In ‘‘2’’, he can be heard breathing heavily whenever he’s close to a large body of water.]]
[[/folder]]

!!Van der Linde Gang

[[folder:In General]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_van_der_linde_gang.jpg]]
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: They are not good guys, but other gangs such as the O'Driscolls, Mufree Brood and Skinner Brothers are much, '''much''' worse.
* ArchEnemy: The O'Driscolls -- All the way.
* BadassCrew: Individually, most of them are veteran outlaws and gunslingers. Riding together, they're truly a force to be reckoned with, even when heavily outnumbered. [[spoiler: Prime examples are the assaults on the Braithwaite and Bronte estates, not to mention the ''entire'' Guarma arc.]]
** BadassFamily [[FamilyOfChoice of Choice]]: Dutch and Hosea either saved its members from poverty and the rope or actually raised them for most of their lives. The gang has a very familial structure, the gunslingers tend to act like bickering children and Dutch has a clearly paternal influence over them.
* BanditClan: They're clearly more than a gang in ''2'', acting more like an isolationist community set apart from the rest of the United States. At their peak they're around twenty-strong, including women and children. They also display a ''familial'' loyalty to each other, more than just the professional respect or appreciation.
** They also turn their hand to whatever criminal enterprise makes money, not just limiting themselves to armed robbery. Livestock rustling, burglary, prostitution, guns-for-hire, fraud, even ''loansharking'' are all familiar to them.
* BerserkButton: The gang does ''not'' take kindly to [[spoiler: the Braithwaites kidnapping Jack, and it’s all Dutch can do to keep a few back at camp while the rest follow him to burn the Braithwaite estate to the ground.]]
* BunnyEarsLawyer: They may be an odd bunch, but almost all of them are capable of putting up a fight. [[spoiler: [[Awesome/RedDeadRedemption2 When the Pinkertons come to arrest Dutch, the whole camp picks up guns and tell them to piss off.]]]]
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Many members of the gang are orphans, including Dutch, Hosea, Arthur, John, Tilly, Lenny, Abigail, Charles, and Strauss. Arthur and John being orphans led to Dutch and Hosea being parental substitutes for them, leading to Arthur and John in ''2'' starting out as Dutch's most loyal followers.
* CultOfPersonality: And that personality is Dutch. Arthur privately describes him as "something else", in comparison to the relatable Hosea. Various characters, especially Bill and Javier, express almost religious devotion to him. Dutch repeatedly invites this by stressing the importance of faith and calling out Arthur, Hosea and John for doubting him, constantly complaining about "doubters". This almost cult-like belief in Dutch is what keeps the gang together. [[spoiler:In the end, they fall apart because he proves himself to be an undeniably human, selfish and fallible man.]]
* DoomedByCanon: Much of the cast in ''2'' are fated to meet their end by lieu of being characters in a prequel. [[spoiler:However, several of them manage to move on to peaceful and successful lives, presumably getting out of Ross' reach or [[NotWorthKilling simply not worth his time and effort to deal with]]]].
* DwindlingParty: ''Red Dead 2'' starts with several gang members having been killed or lost due to the botched Blackwater Ferry job. It only get's worse as the game progresses.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: This gang of outlaws includes several people of color and women, which for 1899 is impressive. Taking on the latter does serve a [[PragmaticVillainy useful purpose]], as these women are often used to infiltrate local towns and sniff out any promising targets for robbery.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** The Van der Linde Gang will perform bank robberies, train jobs, and even steal cattle and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking lend money at usurious rates]], but they have an official policy of not robbing people who get by like the local grocer. [[spoiler: It's implied that the main reason [[LoanShark Strauss]] is ejected from the gang by Morgan is because he's breaking this rule, specifically targeting people with little to nothing with which to pay back the loans]].
** They also have a disgust for the actions of the O'Driscolls, who gleefully commit RapePillageAndBurn.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Take a look at the gang in 1899. Then play ''Red Dead Redemption''.
* KarmaHoudini: '''Averted.''' [[spoiler: Almost all the active members of the gang get their comeuppance in ''1'' and ''2''. Their inability to escape the consequences of their actions as the West becomes more civilized is actually the central theme of both games. Even several members not actively involved in violent crimes suffer the consequences of being associated with the gang]].
* LegacyCharacter: Dutch tried to form another gang in 1911. Emphasis on ''tried''.
* LetsSplitUpGang: The gang members usually split up after a job to keep a low profile afterward and ensure no one follows them to their camp.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The original group was this. The group is made of a variety of people: idealists, professional robbers, orphans raised into criminals, normal former farmsteaders turned crooks, soldiers, trappers....
* RememberTheNewGuy: Much of the gang members introduced in ''2'' were never mentioned by any of the characters in ''1'' and it was assumed that the gang consisted primarily of Dutch, John, Bill and Javier. Even Uncle was never hinted to be associated with the gang.
* TrueCompanions: The gang was one big family back in 1899.
[[/folder]]

!!!Leadership
[[folder:Dutch van der Linde]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dutch_van_der_linde___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"We have got something. Something to live and die for."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d3321bb22eab7a45d4620d578046e076.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Benjamin Byron Davis

->''"This place, ain't no such thing as civilized. It's man so in love with greed he has forgotten himself and only found appetites."''

The leader and founder of the gang. An anarchist WarriorPoet with a love of the nature and the frontier, Dutch saw himself not as a criminal, but a man fighting back against a corrupt system to liberate the Old West. His charisma and charm made him a father figure to much of the gang, especially John Marston and Arthur Morgan. Unfortunately, the pressures of leadership and the law's increasing scrutiny eventually broke him, and by 1911 his campaign of violence in West Elizabeth made him a target of the fledgling FBI.

* TheAce: Is an intelligent, charismatic leader who's also a remarkably skilled shot. He's likely the one who taught John and Arthur how to shoot as well as they do (including possibly the dead eye skill), and in ''1'', he's able to ''shoot the binoculars out of John's hands'' despite John being on top of a mountain several hundred feet away.
* AceCustom: In ''2'' has a badass pair of customized Schofield revolvers with roses engraved on them.
* AffablyEvil[=/=]FauxAffablyEvil: In the beginning of ''2'', he's genuinely kind to the majority of his gang, having accepted many lost, desperate people into his group and even acted as a surrogate father to several of them (such as Arthur, John, and Tilly). [[spoiler: However, with his eventual SanitySlippage and his increasing paranoia of several members of the gang, he begins to resort to regularly yelling at several people and abandons Arthur and John several times when they were about to be murdered]]. By the events of ''1'', [[spoiler: he's notably FauxAffablyEvil to John, being fairly polite and friendly to him as he attempts to murder him several times]] However, by the their last confrontation, he's arguably back to AffablyEvil. He throws his gun off to the side rather than continue fighting him, and speaks amicably and casually with John before [[spoiler: he commits suicide]].
* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler: His death is one of the saddest moments in the first game. Since he knows he is living in a false hope and a TragicDream, he simply accepts that his era is over and commits suicide. It's arguably made even sadder with the context of ''2'', as we truly see just how far he's fallen since the days of the gang]].
* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: By the end of his life, he realizes everything he ever fought for was meaningless, and that civilization and government taming the American West was inevitable.]]
* AmbiguouslyBi: While Dutch has a lover in Molly, and is sometimes seen openly flirting with Mary-Beth, the nature of his relationship with Hosea is ambiguous. Hosea at one point (perhaps jokingly) refers to himself, Dutch, and Arthur collectively as “the curious couple and their unruly son.” During a party the gang holds after Sean returns, Arthur can find Dutch and Hosea having a conversation out of view from the others, where Dutch occasionally [[https://i.redd.it/jjcxengw99621.jpg rests his hand on Hosea’s or holds it.]] If Dutch notices Arthur near them during this, he will tell Arthur to go away. In addition, if the player chooses to have Arthur antagonize Dutch, he will occasionally say to him “Everyone sees you and Hosea [[UnusualEuphemism ‘reading’]].”
* AmbiguousDisorder: Even before being worsened by his gradual SanitySlippage, Dutch was prone to delusional ideas about how to evade law enforcement, was demonstrated to be paranoid of several members of his gang (such as, out of the blue, [[spoiler: telling Arthur that he suspects he’ll betray him fairly early into the story]]), and regularly made extremely impulsive decisions that almost always ended poorly. Then, he received an injury to the head after a trolley he was in derails, and all of these tendencies became worse, implying that the injury was at least partially responsible for his behavior after that point.
** It's implied his SanitySlippage was already beginning to happen right before the events of ''2'' with the failed Blackwater robbery, and that this behavior wasn't present in him until recently by the events of the game.
* AmbiguouslyEvil: While it’s clear that Dutch becomes more unhinged as ''2'' progresses, it’s debatable what the motivations behind many of his actions are, and what his true character is. [[spoiler: It’s possible that he was initially a good person who cracked under the pressure of situations his poor decision making caused, but it’s also possible he was already an unhinged narcissist whose true nature started to show as the game continues and who fashioned himself and his gang as Robin Hood-types as an excuse to rob and kill. There’s also the question of how he viewed the members of his gang, either as people he genuinely cared for (who he rescued from various terrible situations and then protected) or as expendable pawns he could use and cast aside based on his plans, such as abandoning John and Arthur when their lives were in peril several times towards the end, and then proceeding to lie about doing so.]]
** These two contrasting interpretations of his actions appear in-universe. [[spoiler: Agent Milton simply calls him a "silver-tongued maniac", and Arthur and John by the end believe that his true nature was slowly surfacing after being BeneathTheMask for so long, while Charles and Sadie believe he genuinely changed throughout the course of ''2''. What's interesting is that John has the opposite opinion of him by the events of ''1'', coming to the conclusion that he in fact was, in a way, a good person before his SanitySlippage. This is probably due to Dutch shooting Micah, in addition to a possible NostalgiaFilter on John's part.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: More like several ambiguous situations involving Dutch.
** [[spoiler: Dutch being in Micah's cabin in the final mission of ''2''. Micah's dialog reveals that Dutch only recently teamed up with Micah again, but when John asks Dutch why he's there he simply responds "Same as you, I suppose." This suggests that he too was there to kill Micah, but it's possible he could be referring to the fact that the retried money from the Blackwater robbery is in the cabin, and that he assumed that John was there to take it. He ends up shooting Micah, and it's unknown whether it was his intention beforehand or whether John successfully convinced him to. He ends up silently walking away from the cabin, leaving the questions for his actions in the scene unanswered.]]
** His situation with regards to Micah. [[spoiler: How much of a corrupting influence does Micah have on Dutch, and is he taking advantage of Dutch's mental state as early as Blackwater, or does Micah's influence simply contribute to his SanitySlippage?]]
** His reaction to [[spoiler: Arthur's final words to him and Arthur's death moments later in chapter 6. He leaves Arthur as he dies and ignores Micah's insistence that they escape together, after Dutch apparently accepts Arthur's assertion that Micah's the rat. It's possible that Dutch left because he feared capture by the Pinkertons, that he was angered after realizing he was being manipulated, that he was ashamed of how he ruined everything for himself and the gang, or that he simply couldn't bare to watch his surrogate son die. His reasons for doing so are never addressed.]]
** What exactly happened to Dutch during the Blackwater job is never revealed. Arthur and Hosea were wary of it, but others say that it was going fine until Dutch suddenly shot Heidi [=McCourt=]. Only Javier saw anything and he says that it was chaos - it's implied that he doesn't want to implicate Dutch. [[spoiler: Near the camp in Horseshoe Overlook, you can find Dutch's notes from the RousingSpeech he makes at the beginning of the game. They imply he had it prepared a lot earlier, likely with anticipation that the ferry robbery is going to end in a bloodbath]].
* AntiHero: Before [[SanitySlippage going]] AxCrazy, he was known to be a FatherToHisMen. Sure, he was an outlaw, but still decent enough to worry about poor people. At one point, he even goes in search of provisions for people with Arthur.
* ArcVillain: Of the ''West Elizabeth'' arc in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption''.
* ArchEnemy: Colm O'Driscoll. Dutch murdered Colm's brother and Colm murdered Dutch's mistress (Annabelle), so their feud [[ItsPersonal is personal]].
* ArchnemesisDad: Sort of. He adopted John and Arthur when they were teens, and raised them as a part of his gang. [=MacDougal=] even states that the current relationship between John and Dutch is Oedipal in nature.
* AxCrazy: By 1911, he's become little more than a murderous bandit whose crime spree is little more than just a desire to be a menace to the society he hates.
* BadassBaritone: He has a very deep voice.
* BadassBookworm: Dutch has a collection of books in his tent, and you more often than not see him reading something when you encounter him at camp.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Back in 1899, he was a SharpDressedMan, a badass, and the leader of a famous gang.
* BadassMustache: Sports one in the two games.
* BeardOfSorrow: [[spoiler:When he reappears when John, Sadie and Charles go after Micah, Dutch is now sporting a thick beard. He's also much quieter and less forceful in personality then he was before, and he doesn't even seem to care when Micah dies.]]
* BeneathTheMask: Played with. [[spoiler: As the events of ''2'' transpire, and the gang get into deeper and deeper trouble, the darker side of Dutch's personality becomes apparent. However, it's ambiguous if he was just showing more of who he was as he lost control of the situation, or if these aspects of himself just became exacerbated by the dire situations he and the gang got in. There's also the question of when his SanitySlippage began. Did his sanity start to decline with the events of ''2'', or did it start to decline long beforehand, only becoming apparent when he could no longer keep it in check? Several characters in-universe interpret this issue differently, with some like Sadie believing he was changed over of the course of ''2'', versus John who (up until the ''1'') believes he was revealing his true nature]].
-->'''John:''' [[spoiler:You see a man who's changed. I see a man who became who he truly was.]]
* BerserkButton: Do not even ''think'' about calling Dutch worthless or anything along those lines to his face. [[spoiler: Catherine Braithwaite and Angelo Bronte learned this the hard way]].
** Don't question him. Even months before his SanitySlippage kicks in, he acts like a petulant child when Arthur criticizes him lightly (e.g. when he suggests that him and Hosea sitting out in the open and reading while everyone else works is demoralizing) and storms off in a huff. [[spoiler: He's furious when Morgan stands up to him and insists twice that he lets John go with his family before the final robbery. It's implied this spiteful anger motivates him to not intervene when Marston gets shot]].
* BetrayalByInaction: Does this [[spoiler:at least 3 times in the prequel. He willingly leaves John to rot in prison, believing he is okay while in actuality he's about to be hanged, leaves Arthur to die during the assault on the oil refinery, and leaves John to die after he is shot during their final heist.]]
* BigBadEnsemble: With Edgar Ross in the first game. While Ross is the active threat to the Marstons, Dutch is the main target and the one who raised John as a part of his gang.
* BigGood: Serves as this role in ''2'', back when he was still a charismatic leader that still had his sanity. [[spoiler:By the endgame, both those traits have gone out the window and neither Arthur nor John want anything to do with him.]]
* BloodKnight: By his own admission in 1911. He barely believes in the causes he fights for anymore, but keeps killing only because it's all he knows how to do and he has a deep-seeded hatred for civilization and the modernization of the American West.
* BombThrowingAnarchist: He is completely opposed to industrialization and the modernization of the frontier, [[spoiler:though his sanity only drops to the "bomb-throwing" level in the final chapter of ''2'', and onwards.]]
** His philosophy is highly reminiscent of Illegalism, where crime itself is seen as an integral of anarchist practice and not simply a means to an end like it was for certain anarchist revolutionaries.
* BreakoutVillain: Despite having less than ten minutes of screen time, Dutch was far and away the most popular villain from ''Red Dead Redemption 1'', owing to his surprising depth and tragic death scene. The prequel is all about Dutch and his descent into madness.
* BrokenAce: While he has shown himself to be a charismatic leader, a skilled gunsman ''and'' a WarriorPoet to boot, it's offset by his own fragile mental stability once his SanitySlippage becomes apparent.
* BrokenPedestal: As his SanitySlippage becomes worse and worse, and the flaws in his leadership become more apparent, he becomes this to his whole gang [[spoiler:to the point that they leave him]].
* CatchPhrase: "I have a plan." and "Have faith."
* TheChainsOfCommanding: This is what ultimately causes his SanitySlippage in the prequel. The poor decisions he had made, the increasing pressures of resisting the encroaching influence of civilization and [[spoiler:the many losses of his gang]], all took a toll on his sanity.
* CharacterDevelopment: An interesting case in that it's debatable just ''how'' Dutch's character develops. He starts off in ''2'' as a BadassInANiceSuit with a booming, emotional voice and as a WideEyedIdealist who is (seemingly) sane. He progressively becomes more unhinged, erratic, and paranoid throughout the course of ''2'', becoming more reckless and violent in the process. He then demonstrates himself to be quite manipulative and egotistical. [[spoiler: This culminates into him betraying John and Arthur while siding with Micah, something he never would have done beforehand.]] However, the explanation for this development is intentionally ambiguous; characters are split into either believing Dutch was EvilAllAlong and that he became less careful about hiding it, or believing him to have become this way after the traumatic events of ''2''. Regardless, by ''1'' he’s significantly more soft-spoken and composed, while being more obviously insane. His idealism is also long gone at this point, and he now understands and accepts that everything he’s done in his life is ultimately futile.
* ChildhoodBrainDamage: A much older case. After the botched trolley station heist in Saint Denis, Dutch suffered a possible concussion when the trolley the gang hijacked derailed. After the incident, he notably becomes more violent and erratic, implying that the knock to his head contributed to the SanitySlippage he suffered in the first game.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: As his SanitySlippage becomes more severe in ''2'', though slightly downplayed in that he doesn't regularly have these traits over time. [[spoiler: As Arthur notes after Guarma, Dutch "seems half-crazed" after everything that's befallen them since chapter 4. Shortly after they return to the United States, Arthur in one scene finds Dutch playing chess with himself and rambling incoherently, much to Arthur's annoyance.]] This behavior is unlike anything seen of Dutch in ''2'', and highlights his frightening state of mind as various sources of pressure and trauma take their toll.
* ConMan: Started his criminal career as one. In his early twenties, he and Hosea primarily grifted for several years before others joined them to create a gang.
* CulturedBadass: He is extremely well-read and educated for an outlaw.
* DarkIsNotEvil: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. He starts off in ''2'' as an AntiHero and a trusted ally who always wears black clothing. [[SanitySlippage Things change as the story progresses, however]].
* DeathSeeker: Many of his actions in ''1'' certainly suggest he's become this after the DespairEventHorizon he experiences from the events of ''2''.
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the Myth/RobinHood character and TheLeader. While Dutch has the charm and charisma needed to lead and inspire loyalty his gang, he suffers from a lot of poor decision-making that forces the gang to move from one blunder to the next. His idealism of being a Robin Hood archetype also means that he's unable to accept the reality that his gang cannot resist the encroaching influence of civilization, clinging on to the delusion that they could evade the law for as long as they can. Eventually, his SanitySlippage and erratic decisions is what cost him his gang, [[spoiler:whether they be killed or choose to abandon him.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: Went past this a long time ago in the original game. ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' shows how got to that point.
* DespairSpeech: Gives one [[spoiler:right before throwing himself off of a cliff.]]
-->'''Dutch:''' When I'm gone, they'll just find another monster. They have to, because they have to justify their wages. Our time has passed, John.
* DidNotThinkThisThrough: '''All.''' '''The.''' '''Time.''' Dutch always has a plan and is [[IndyPloy quick on his feet]], but his impulsiveness means that almost none of them are worth a damn. Best illustrated by an ambush he leads against the US Army - he captures a patrol in an elaborate, clever trap using dynamite, but he fails to account that there might be ''another'' patrol on the route.
* DisappearedDad: Dutch's father died when he was a small child in what's implied to be the Battle of Gettysburg as a Union soldier.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: After you finally deal with him, the game does not end.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He jumps to his death after giving John a final DespairSpeech]].
* ExactWords: [[spoiler:Arthur tells Dutch just before the final army train heist to let John go from the gang and escape with his family should the heist go south. Dutch does let John go, by abandoning him to the US army when he gets shot off the train.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Demonstrated time and time again by his reaction to several members of his gang dying.
** He seems to have never gotten over his lover Annabelle's death at the hands of the O'Driscoll gang.
** [[spoiler: He grieves for Hosea's death, albeit only openly mourns him in one conversation he has with Arthur after the events of Guarma.]]
** [[spoiler: As he sees Arthur moments before the latter's death, it's implied he comes to a devastating realization that his actions and blind trust in Micah ultimately destroyed his family and caused several deaths in the gang.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Despite being a hardened outlaw, he absolutely disapproves of Colm's actions to the point of calling Colm and his gang "animals".
** Even though he tolerates Leopold Strauss's money lending to support the gang, Dutch admits that he finds the business unseemly.
** He also doesn't seem to share the prejudiced views towards other races or women that were common for that time period. He's shown several times throughout ''2'' to be sympathetic to the plight of Native Americans, and he's shown to not treat any member of his gang differently by race. He's also perfectly fine with Sadie Adler being involved with gunfighting like most of the men in the group.
* EvilFormerFriend: To the majority of the gang (including the Marstons) by end of chapter 6 in ''2'', and to Escuella and Williamson by the epilogue in ''2''.
* EvilOldFolks: Is 52 or 53 by the events of ''1''.
* TheFagin: Much of the gang was adopted by him at a young age, often while trying to rob him or because of criminal circumstances. This is portrayed sympathetically [[spoiler: until Chapter 6, when he encourages Eagle Flies' destructive instincts, preying on his youthful anger. [[AmbiguouslyEvil This leads Arthur and John to wonder how benevolent Dutch actually was when he took them in]]]].
* FallenHero: John believes that he was a good man - "was" being the key word.
* FanBoy: He is a fan of the works of Evelyn Miller, whose works inspired much of his anarchistic and primitivist views. [[spoiler:In the post-game of ''2'', Miller is eventually driven mad by a combination of his obsession with nature and self-loathing to the point that he dies of starvation]].
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}} is arguably Dutch's biggest flaw. A lot of the disasters that befell the gang, especially later on in the story, is due to Dutch's self-destructive ego. He refuses to acknowledge the mistakes he makes, doesn't listen to the advice of others and would rather follow the plan that ''he'' himself comes up with or supports, and mistrusts others who don't share his opinion. [[spoiler:This is what allowed Micah to manipulate him into destroying his own gang by encouraging Dutch's DestructiveHero tendencies.]]
* TheFatalist: [[spoiler:He becomes one right before his death.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Edgar Ross. Both are fighting for what they believe to be best for society, Ross for civilization and Dutch for anarchy, and both display a complete willingness to ShootTheDog if that's what it takes to get there. But the game shows that both of them are hypocrites and neither of their plans are without flaws anyway. The only real difference is that in the end, [[spoiler:Ross is remembered as the hero and Dutch as the vicious outlaw, but then the game points out that had more to do with civilization ultimately triumphing and history being WrittenByTheWinners then any real moral superiority of one over the other]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** [[spoiler: Dutch foreshadows John's death with his last words, subtly saying that Ross will double-cross John.]]
** [[spoiler: In chapter 2, Dutch asks Arthur why he didn't give Agent Milton a chance to capture Dutch in exchange for his freedom. This is an early sign of Dutch's growing distrust of Arthur]].
** [[spoiler: Hosea notes as early as chapter 1 that Dutch's behavior has changed somehow, implying the start of Dutch's SanitySlippage]].
** When Arthur and Charles are scouting for a new hideout in Chapter 2, Arthur scoffs at the notion of Dutch hiding away in a cave, as it "goes everything he stands for". [[spoiler:By the time Dutch's SanitySlippage comes about in Chapter 6, the gang is forced to hide away in a cave at Beaver Hollow]].
* {{Gayngster}} / GayCowboy: Well, AmbiguouslyBi, but still.
* {{Gaslighting}}: [[spoiler: He does this to Arthur after leaving him to die at the Military Base. When called out on it, Dutch, insists he did no such thing.]]
* GeneralFailure: As he's quick to tell everyone, he always has a plan. Unfortunately, his plans usually tend to work out poorly since they all just tend to be heists after heists when it becomes increasingly unfeasible and his inept leadership is a major factor to the downfall of the gang.
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler: By the members of the gang remaining loyal to him throughout most of ''2'' (which he constantly asked for from them), they've all been doomed to be hunted down by law enforcement and the federal government. By this, Dutch is who triggers the events of ''1'' and is ultimately responsible for Bill, Javier, and John's deaths in that game]].
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Hosea, [[AmbiguouslyBi if you read their relationship as platonic]].
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Believes that [[{{Jerkass}} Micah]] is the most loyal out of the whole gang because [[ProfessionalButtKisser he never questions him]]. [[spoiler:He's the one who sold the gang out.]]
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: Out of all the members of the Van der Linde Gang, he's hit with this the hardest. He goes from a well-dressed, intelligent composed gentleman with a borderline-BanditClan [[TheDreaded large enough to draw]] [[GodzillaThreshold U.S Army attention]] reduced to a unkempt and aging outlaw with barely a fraction of his former power, who's slowly suffering from SanitySlippage.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** Despite fighting civilization in favor of the old, more simple and egalitarian way of life that the Old West allowed men to live, you can tell from looking through caves in Cochinay that he's very well read and likely extremely intelligent. Ultimately, he's probably not that different from the people he's trying to fight: bankers, industrialists and government agents that civilization put in power, and under different circumstances probably would've had the smarts to be one himself. There's other evidence of this as well, he uses a Semi-Automatic pistol in cutscenes and escapes from the bank robbery in an automobile. Not only that, he exploits the Native Americans for his own ends, making him no different from those he claims to fight against. [[spoiler:It goes to show how not even he could resist the influence of encroaching civilization, and it seems likely that this fact might have been what ultimately drove him over the DespairEventHorizon.]]
** In the prequel, how he runs his gang is NotSoDifferent from the societal hierarchy and runnings of the government. Dutch seems to have a slightly authoritarian stance when it comes to the runnings of his gang, emphasizing "loyalty" and "faith" as the gang's main tenets, while refusing to take input or criticism from his subordinates. For a man who preaches freedom and anarchy, he doesn't really tolerate individualism if it clashes with his opinions, and sees the act of doing so as traitorous. His camp also has a rule where every member has to contribute half of their earnings from a completed job for the camp, which mirrors to how the government taxes its people.
** At one point in ''2'', he chastises Arthur for [[spoiler: helping break John out of prison]] for very likely giving the gang unwanted attention from the Pinkertons, only to [[spoiler: assassinate Leviticus Cornwall on a whim]] in ''broad daylight and surrounded by Pinkertons.''
** In ''1'', he's disgusted by John [[spoiler: working with the U.S. government]], and further states that "there's ''always'' a choice" when John tells him he was forced to help them. Compare this to when Dutch constantly tells [[spoiler: Arthur and John]] that he didn't have any choice but to [[spoiler: abandon them at points where their lives were in danger]].
* HypocriticalHumor: In ''2'', after [[spoiler:Jack]] is kidnapped, [[PapaWolf a furious John]] is seething in anger and Dutch tells him to calm down. Not even 10 seconds later...
-->"'''GET DOWN HERE NOW! YOU INBRED TRASH!'''"
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Even by the franchise's standards. While John is scouting him from a mountain pretty high up, he manages to shoot the binoculars he was using off of his hands with a pistol held with only one hand.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: His best friend is Hosea, who is at least 14 years his senior.
* JerkassRealization: Implied and subsequently downplayed. [[spoiler: Dutch's reaction to a dying Arthur reiterating that Micah is the rat, and that John and his family successfully escaped the Pinkertons suggests that he finally realizes how his actions lead to the fall of his gang and the deaths of several of his friends. However, he inexplicably walks away from Micah and Arthur shortly afterwards, and this event likely only contributed to his DespairEventHorizon and SanitySlippage.]]
* JustLikeRobinHood: A long time ago. The prequel shows that he's actually a deconstruction of the archetype. While he ''is'' genuine in helping the oppressed, his obsession in being like Robin Hood only ends up causing more harm than good.
* KickTheDog:
** In the first game, the second time we see him, he holds a bank hostage and shoots some poor innocent woman in the head in front of John just to spite him.
** The second game has him [[spoiler:abandoning both Arthur and John on different occasions to save himself. This was what broke their faith in him.]]
* LargeHam: In ''2'', Dutch has a booming (if prone to breaking) voice and is prone to melodramatic, fiery speeches, which he weaponizes when negotiating with Angelo Bronte. By the time 1911 rolls in, he is noticeably soft spoken and eerily composed, even when he's hunting MacDougal outside of his window.
* LightIsNotGood: He wears lighter colored clothes in ''1'' in contrast to his appearance in ''2'', and is without question a villain by this point in time.
* TheLostLenore: Annabelle, an old member of the gang that was murdered by Colm O'Driscoll, which started the bitter feud between the two gangs.
* MightyWhitey: A villainous version. He leads the local Native Americans in a pointless guerrilla war against civilization.
* MoralMyopia: By 1911, he is completely opposed to civilization and sincerely believes that anarchy is the best thing for society.
* TheMostWanted: UpToEleven. In 1899, Dutch was essentially in the subject of a tug of war between Cornwall, the Pinkertons, the O'Driscrolls, the Grays, the Braithwraites, TheMafia, the Lemoyne Raiders, and the local law enforcement, especially Saint Denis's and Blackwater's. They don't even want the rest of the gang, they just want Dutch. Then later on he has the whole FBI on his ass once it's formed in 1903. It's almost like the FBI was formed ''just for Dutch''. He's also stated to have one of the biggest dead or alive bounties ''in the entire country''.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Pretty much the only moment that disqualifies Dutch from being a sociopath is at the very end of ''2'' where [[spoiler:he has a VillainousBreakdown upon seeing Arthur, his own son, broken, bloody, and minutes from death, rasping to him "I gave you all I had". It's at this moment he realizes he's selfishly and stupidly ruined his own family after being corrupted by petty vengeance and Micah. Unfortunately, the moment of clarity only enforces his insanity and nihilism, rather than leading to his redemption. He does at the very least kill Micah 8 years later.]]
* NeverMyFault: It is very much his fault that [[spoiler: that most of his gang ends up dead or having to leave in order to avoid being killed, but he blames everyone else for not standing by him blindly, while not taking into consideration that he has made it difficult for them to do so.]]
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Bears more than a passing resemblance to the late Creator/LeeVanCleef. Their names are even quite similar.
** Also bears some resemblance in looks and voice to Powers Boothe, especially his appearance in ''Film/{{Tombstone}}''.
* NotHimself: Due to his SanitySlippage in ''2''. [[spoiler: Several members of the gang are taken aback by Dutch’s murder of a girl in the failed Blackwater job, considering it very much out of character for him. His personality then gradually shifts as the story progresses, to the point where several characters in the gang are noticeably alarmed and concerned, such as Arthur, John, Miss Grimshaw, Charles, and Sadie.]]
* NotSoDifferent: Ironically, he and his most hated enemy Colm O'Driscoll ultimately have more in common than Dutch would admit by the end of ''2''. In a random campfire conversation between Kieran and Sean, Kieran describes how Colm indoctrinates his own men and "makes them love only him". This is eerily similar to how some of the Van der Linde gang members, particularly Bill and Javier, are [[BlindObedience blindly obedient]] to Dutch to the point of worshipping him.
** He gives a speech to [[spoiler: Leviticus Cornwall]] about how much they have in common. He tells him that, while they both kill and steal, [[spoiler: Cornwall]] does so indiscriminately while Dutch chooses who he wants to rob and kill.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Van der Linde is a very Dutch name, so it's likely Dutch is a nickname based on his ethnicity. Then again, it may be a case of [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude his name actually being Dutch]] since his name is mentioned on his mother's gravestone located just outside of Blackwater in ''2''.
* ParentalSubstitute: Was this to the rest of the original gang.
* PetTheDog: He yells at Bill at least twice for making racist remarks in ''2''.
** In the beginning when he, Micah and Arthur find Sadie Adler, he stops Micah from attempting to harm her. He then has her husband's body found and buried, and lets Sadie live with the gang.
** [[spoiler:In the finale of ''2'', he not only decides to shoot Micah but walks away, leaving his stash of money to John.]]
* ProperlyParanoid: Downplayed.
** [[spoiler:Dutch is right about a low honor!Arthur plotting against him, since a dishonorable Morgan aims to steal the gang's money.]]
** Dutch is absolutely right about there being an informant in the gang, [[spoiler: he just suspects someone like John or Abigail and not Micah due to being a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter.]]
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Exclusively wears red and black clothing in ''2'', though this trope is downplayed in that it's debatable how evil, or if he in fact even ''is'' evil at that point in time.
* RedOniBlueOni: The red to Hosea's blue.
* RevengeBeforeReason: A lot of Dutch's screw-ups was because he would rather go after his enemies out of revenge, as perfectly lampshaded by Arthur.
-->'''Arthur:''' This better not be no stupid revenge mission, Dutch. It ain't worth it.
* RousingSpeech: Is prone to making these toward his gang in ''2'', and uses his charisma to full effect when delivering them.
* SanitySlippage: As the prequel has established, he was not always an [[AxCrazy erratic maniac prone to random violence]] though there's implications that it's simply being tempered. He also hits hits his head in a mission about halfway through the story of '2' and is never the same.
* SignificantWardrobeShift: His shift from caring about his appearance and wearing fairly elegant clothing in ''2'' to wearing much more plain and practical clothing for living in a mountainous area by ''1'' coincides with his DespairEventHorizon and SanitySlippage.
* SocialDarwinist: One who is willing to die to make sure that his ideals become reality.
* SociopathicHero: In his own mind he is.
* SoftspokenSadist: While his voice is generally booming in ''2'', his voice is actually pretty innocuous by [[spoiler: the epilogue of ''2'' and]] ''1'', but he certainly isn't.
* SophisticatedAsHell: He's half-SouthernGentleman half-AxCrazy outlaw, and he talks just like one too.
* StartOfDarkness: The plot of ''2'' shows just how he got there.
* StillFightingTheCivilWar: By the events of the first game where the Wild West era has long since past its twilight years, Dutch is still trying to fight a hopeless battle, even resorting to rallying support from the local Native Americans to his lost cause.
* SunkCostFallacy: A living example of this. At the beginning of the game, the gang steals 150k from a Blackwater bank ferry - calculated with inflation, this total is a whopping ''4.5 million dollars'' in 2018 money. This is more than enough for him and his group of 20 to retire on and live the rest of their lives in peace, but unfortunately the group had to ditch the money in West Elizabeth to cover their tracks upon escaping. The group ''could'' have laid low for a few years, did odd jobs and such to keep up funds, and then gone back for the money when the trail went cold to finally obtain their one-way ticket out of their criminal life, but Dutch simply ''cannot let go'' of his fixation on being a Robin Hood-type. As Dutch pours more and more money into keeping the group afloat, the gang struggles more and more, getting into far more dangerous situations and bloody gunfights than they previously have. As a result, Dutch has to pour more and more money into finding newer jobs for the crew, which leads to more and more fighting, and the cycle continues. By the end of the game, [[spoiler: just about the whole crew has abandoned him upon realizing that Dutch really doesn't ''want'' to stop being a criminal despite his pretensions about a higher purpose. He really was an outlaw to the end.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass: By the end of '2', [[spoiler: he leaves Arthur and John, who are essentially his adopted sons, for dead several times after he considers them to have betrayed him]].
* TragicDream: He has one in his mind - to be an outlaw to the very end, and to force civilization back from the "purity" of the West. By 1911, he is a man clinging to false hope and belief as the West has been settled. When John finally confronts him, [[spoiler: he simply accepts that the Wild West era is over and he commits suicide]].
* TragicVillain: Undoubtedly the most tragic villain of the entire series. His {{Fatal Flaw}}s, bad decisions, tragic dreams, MoralMyopia and [[spoiler:having a [[TheCorrupter corrupter]] monster as a comrade (Micah Bell)]] made him the man he was, practically incapable of fighting against his own nature and finally [[spoiler:committing suicide]].
* TriggerHappy: Progressively so. For most of the game, he advocates talking his way out of trouble and even holds parley with the O'Driscolls. [[spoiler: By chapter 6, he's picking fights with the US Army, shooting oil barons in plain sight and all his plans rely on violence]]. This recklessness is noted to be OutOfCharacter - everyone expresses shock at his shooting of Heidi McCourt at the Blackwater ferry. No one really saw what happened there, but it's suggested the robbery was going off without a hitch until then.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:At the very end of Arthur's story ''2'', he has a huge MyGodWhatHaveIDone-centric moment of clarity when he realizes how wrong he's been. For the first time ever, Dutch Van der Linde, a man who always knows what to say and when to say it, all he can do is pitifully stutter "I...I..." as he gradually perceives all the lives he's permanently ruined, including his own.]]
* VillainHasAPoint: He's an AxCrazy outlaw and ManipulativeBastard, but he has many valid reasons for why he opposes modern civilization and the industrialization of the American Frontier; it's implied that these ideals are partially responsible for why his gang is [[UndyingLoyalty extremely loyal]] to him [[spoiler: until he becomes too dangerous and insane to be around]].
* WarriorPoet: A badass outlaw infamous for numerous bank and train robberies, but also a well-spoken CulturedBadass who justifies his actions with his anarchistic philosophy.
* WeaponOfChoice: Wields a pair of customized Schofield revolvers in ''2''.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He certainly thinks of himself as this. Whether he is indeed one, or just a manipulative psychopath is [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation largely up to the player's interpretation]], though there's enough reason to believe either is valid.
* WideEyedIdealist: Formerly. John believed that when Dutch realized that no matter how hard he fought, he could never make a real difference in the world, he snapped.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: At first, Dutch was a charismatic leader and a mentor willing to fight for the good of the people he has in his gang, but he is also quite prone to being delusional and making bad decisions. In fact, all his fatal flaws are the main reason why his SanitySlippage will come into play years later. In the end, it's revealed that he's just a sad man and a pitiful shell of a man clinging to false hope, only posing a threat due to his ties with Native American rebels -- a cause one can hardly call unjust.
* WouldHarmASenior: [[spoiler:In Guarma, he strangles an elderly guide to death because she demanded more money after he had paid her his only remaining gold stolen from Saint Denis.]]
* WouldHitAGirl: He would brutally murder one if he needed, or ''[[AxCrazy wanted]]'' to.
* WrongGenreSavvy: He thinks himself and his gang as Robin Hood and his Merry Men who will always stay one step ahead of the law and be seen as chivalrous bandits in the eyes of the oppressed. Unfortunately, his DestructiveHero tendencies tends to make it easy for the law to track his gang down and cause them to be feared rather than adored by the people.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: For all his preaching of his ideals to challenge the rise of modernity, he has a paradoxical relationship with it as he subtly follows similar practices and lifestyles. The realization of this contributed to his SanitySlippage.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hosea Matthews]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hosea_matthews___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Curzon Dobell

->''"I wish I had acquired wisdom at less of a price."''

The most senior member of Dutch's gang, who served as his partner in crime for most of his life. They first met when the tried to rob each other before deciding to team up together. Nowadays, Hosea provides a voice of reason to the camp, preferring smooth-talking and conning to gunning people.

* AmbiguouslyBi: While Hosea was happily married to his wife Bessie until her death, the exact nature of his relationship with Dutch can be speculated. Hosea literally refers to himself and Dutch as a “curious couple” and as parents to Arthur, which Dutch doesn’t seem to mind. During a party celebrating Sean’s return to the gang, Hosea and Dutch at one point can be found sitting away from most of the gang, occasionally [[https://i.redd.it/jjcxengw99621.jpg holding hands]] while talking. If Dutch notices Arthur near them during this, he will tell Arthur to go away. The gang is implied to at least suspect something, as, if the player makes Arthur antagonize Dutch around camp, a line he can say is "Everyone sees you and Hosea [[UnusualEuphemism ‘reading’]].”
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Played with. While it's no doubt that Hosea is a better person than Dutch, there are darker implications for his personality if one subscribes to the idea of Dutch being EvilAllAlong. If Dutch indeed manipulated and brainwashed Arthur and John, it's fully possible that Hosea did so as well, though to what extent would be unknown.
** Also considering Hosea in his youth. Just how much worse of a person was he in the past? In one conversation he describes himself as having been worse than many of the others currently in the gang, but he never specifies what he means by this.
* BadassBookworm: Is the co-leader of an infamous gang of outlaws as well as a con-man, and more often than not can be seen around camp reading something. He has a penchant for crime novels.
* BeingEvilSucks: While he accepts the choices he's made in his life in being a criminal, he has no love for most of them, and seems to resent himself for making these choices. He even left the gang at one point with his wife in an attempt to go straight, only to rejoin them a short time later.
** He hold this opinion of his actions and himself strongly enough to where he tries to convince Lenny several times of leaving his life of crime and getting an education.
* BerserkButton: Do not call him lazy, or let him see you slack off regularly.
** He once threatened Bill Williamson ''at gunpoint'' after Bill accused him of being lazy.
** He also on another occasion kicked Sean Maguire off his seat while he was sleeping for not doing any work.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He may generally be a nice guy, but he's still a con-man and hardened outlaw. He's on one occasion threatened Bill Williamson after the latter drunkenly insulted him, and he gladly fights the Braithwaites and assists in burning down their manor after [[spoiler: they abduct Jack]].
* ConMan: Hosea's primary role is as the gang's con artist and grifter.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Became orphaned in his late teens, and is implied to have become a criminal due to this.
* CoolOldGuy: Hosea is getting on in years but he's smart as a whip, caring and compassionate to the gang, and pretty damn funny.
* TheCynic[=/=]ThePessimist: Simply put, Hosea is one of the gang members most grounded in reality. In contrast to the WideEyedIdealist Dutch, Hosea understands and accepts the gravity of the situation the gang is in after the failed Blackwater robbery. His idealistic beliefs about preserving the West and opposing civilization and government also died long before the events of ''2'', along with the belief that the gang's actions were justifiable in any way. It's implied he only remains in the gang out of loyalty to the other members, in addition to him already being notorious for his association with Dutch. He’s one of the first members of the gang to suggest that [[SanitySlippage something hasn’t quite been right with Dutch since Blackwater]]. He’s also likely the first member to accept the inevitability of the government catching up to them and killing them, and tells Abigail and Lenny several times to consider possibly leaving before that happens.
* DeadpanSnarker: Occasionally.
--> '''Hosea''' (While setting fire to the Braithwaite mansion): That's the end of the goddamned cribbage games.
--> (''In one conversation in an earlier mission'') '''Arthur''': Maybe there are a hundred Trelawneys. '''Hosea''': What a terrible thought.
* DidNotThinkThisThrough: His plan of PlayingBothSides with the Grays and Braithwaites has one fatal flaw, [[spoiler:that both families are actually smart enough to notice that Arthur Morgan is involved in their schemes to undermine the other. This makes them realize that they were being played by the gang.]]
* DontYouDarePityMe: Is emphatic about this to the others concerning his IncurableCoughOfDeath, telling them that he's overall at peace with himself and his life and that they should envy him rather than pity him.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He might be an outlaw but he still has lines he won't cross. He disgustedly tells Catherine Braithwaite that "kids are off limits" after she targets one as part of a revenge scheme. This notably is one of the few times Hosea is entirely willing to go on the offensive on the front lines with everyone else.
** While he is perfectly fine with stealing and conning (once saying that "the whole country is about thieving"), he's disdainful of killing, and tries to avoid getting into conflicts that could result in such.
** Like Dutch, he notably doesn't have the prejudiced attitudes towards minorities that were common in the late 19th century, and at one point calls out Bill for making racist remarks.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Right before [[spoiler:Agent Milton shoots him in the street, Hosea, who before that seemingly had been afraid, realizes what's going to happen and turns to face Milton before being shot.]]
* FriendToAllChildren: Essentially raised several members of the gang along with Dutch, and is also shown to be the one who taught Jack to read.
* HappilyMarried: Used to be with a woman named Bessie for about thirty years, but she passed away at the time the game takes place. You can find a photo frame of her and Hosea together at camp.
* TheHeart: While Dutch is the undisputed leader of the gang, Hosea is the one tempering his worst tendencies and is generally well liked within the gang. [[spoiler: It's telling that his death is the point where Dutch loses control and the gang falls apart.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Dutch, [[AmbiguouslyBi if you interpret their relationship as platonic]].
* HiddenDepths: He was, at least at one point in time, Catholic, as he states that he wanted to be a priest once. He still seems to have Christian beliefs by some of his dialog.
** He was a comedian for a short time in his youth, and also tried to take up acting until he snuck onto a stage and got booed when he forgot his lines.
* {{Gayngster}} / GayCowboy: Well, AmbiguouslyBi, but still.
* GentlemanThief: A textbook definition of this trope. He's a con man and thief who admits he enjoys conning people, but is charismatic and for the most part a NiceGuy who took up with Dutch after finding they shared a similar ideology of "ripping off people they thought deserved it the most" to give to the poor.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: He's always coughing and wheezing, and isn't afraid of death because he knows he'll soon succumb to whatever sickness he has regardless.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: He's Dutch's closest friend, and is at least 14 years older than him.
* TheLancer: The more pragmatic and nonviolent man to Dutch's more inspiring and hot-blooded leadership.
** Probably the best demonstration of their contrasting personalities is the methods they use to break Arthur out of jail. While Hosea will sweet-talk lawmen and bribe them with alcohol to release him and discretely leave afterwards, Dutch will ''break Arthur out using dynamite and as a result have to flee the town's law enforcement.''
* TheLostLenore: His wife, Bessie, who died prior to the events of the game. Apparently they were able to make their marriage work despite his outlaw lifestyle. In one campfire conversation, he states that he grieves for her everyday, even long after her death.
* TheMentor: Towards Arthur Morgan and John Marston in particular, also serving as their ParentalSubstitute.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler:He's a fatherly mentor-figure to Arthur and John, and he gets murdered in cold-blood by Agent Milton during the failed Saint Denis bank heist.]]
* MoralityChain: He's one to Dutch as he is the one to keep Dutch in line, [[spoiler:and his death was what marked the start of Dutch's SanitySlippage.]]
* MountainMan: He's stated that he grew up in the mountains, and is thus especially suited for hunting in mountainous areas.
* NiceGuy: Respectful, kind, and trustworthy. The other members in the camp are quick to gather around when he starts telling his stories.
* NonActionGuy: In his youth, he may have been an active member of the gang, but not now thanks to his age He still prefers to do things cleanly, but is not above defending himself if he needs to.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Implied he once had a family along with his wife Bessie, but lost them long before the events of ''2''.
* ParentalNeglect: Is himself a victim of this. Though he's fond of his father, he admits that he was "debauched", a polygamist, and a drunkard who Hosea only ever saw a total of "three months" in his entire life. When Arthur expresses a wish to have met him, Hosea says that if he ever does in the afterlife, to "remind him that he has a son."
* ParentalSubstitute: To all of the gang really but especially to Arthur, John, and Abigail who are all orphans. He raised Arthur and John as his own from the time they were both in their early/mid teens and while Abigail didn't join the gang until she was a good bit older than the guys but is still shown to be close to Hosea. He often gives her advice about Jack and John. Arthur even calls Hosea his true father figure in his journal, writing that while he loves Dutch, that he in many ways loves Hosea more.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Dutch's red.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: While several of the main characters die do have this, his death especially does this, as this allows Micah to become Dutch's NumberTwo and initiates the beginning of the end of the gang.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: Downplayed. He spends a lot of time coaching John into forming a steady, proper relationship with Abigail and most importantly being an actual father to Jack.
* TheSmartGuy: He's the one who comes up with plans for the gang. He would count as an EvilGenius except he's just too nice for that.
* TeamDad: Everyone in the gang is fond of him, and he is quick to worry about the other gang members when he thinks they are in trouble.
** In a more literal example, he practically raised Arthur and John alongside Dutch. Arthur even calls him his "pa" in his journal.
** In addition, he has a relationship with Lenny that's somewhat like that of a father and son, and Abigail views him as a paternal figure to her.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Is insistent on performing the Saint Denis bank robbery despite all the attention the gang has stirred up from committing a robbery that led to them hijacking a trolley and then kidnapping and killing Angelo Bronte. He pays with his life due to the Pinkertons being well prepared for them.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: According to him, he was a much worse person in his youth than anyone presently in the gang (implying that he, too, regularly murdered people in addition to being a con-artist), but changed as he grew older.
* VillainousCheekbones: While not a villain ''per se'', he's still in an outlaw associated with an infamous gang, and has notably high cheekbones. This trait is pretty apparent in the photos you can find of him around camp.
* VillainousFriendship: He's best friends with Dutch.
* WideEyedIdealist: By his own admission, he used to be one before the events of ''2'', using the ideals he and Dutch shared as an excuse to rob and con people. If this trait hadn't already died years before, it died because of the events of the failed Blackwater robbery that takes place immediately before the start of ''2''.
* WouldNotHurtAChild: After Catherine Braithwaite [[spoiler:kidnaps four-year-old Jack Marston]] in revenge against the gang, Hosea flat-out tells her "kids are off limits," when she says there are no rules in war.This is also one of the few times he's seen in action in the game.
[[/folder]]

!!!Debuted in ''Red Dead Redemption''

[[folder:Abigail Roberts]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/abigail_roberts___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"The life we led, that doesn't go away. It's never over."'']]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Click here to see her in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/830ed8e1185794fe061b259bc451c62d.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Sophia Marzocchi (''RDR 1'', motion capture in ''RDR 2''), Cali Elizabeth Moore (''RDR 2'')

An ex-prostitute that rode with the gang in its heyday, Abigail's life changed with the birth of her and John Marston's son, Jack. While John was initially unwilling to admit the child was his and struggled with his feelings for her, the collapse of the gang saw the two reconcile and decide to settle down together. Now Abigail ''Marston'', she lived a quiet life on the ranch... until some agents of the law showed up on their doorstep with a message.

* AmbiguousSituation: Her cough. As is mentioned on this folder, she can be heard coughing regularly during the Beecher's Hope section of ''Redemption 1''. However, she [[spoiler:already has a noticeable cough in ''2'''s epilogue. It's unlikely it's tuberculosis, as this would mean she lived with it for 4 to 7 years without ever spreading it to anyone else all the while she worked around the ranch daily, but Morgan died to it in mere months.]] It is possible her lungs just aren't functioning properly, especially since we don't even see her smoke.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: A ''lot'' of this, particularly during the early days of their relationship. They snipe back and forth constantly, at some points barely seem to put up with each other, and there are a handful of scenes in the camp where they even vent about one another to any sympathetic ear nearby. Makes it all the more heartwarming as their bumpy journey makes them grow closer, with John reaching out more and Abigail being more open about how much she cares.
** Just compare her reaction at the very beginning of the game when she barely confesses being worried about John's disappearance in the blizzard to her reaction [[spoiler: in the climax, when Arthur says John is either dead or captured without hope of rescue.]]
** A particularly cute example of this [[spoiler: in the game's epilogue. After a long, hard day trying to start over new all over again at Geddes' Ranch, John and Abigail share a quiet, tender HeadbuttOfLove.]]
* AmicableExes: Downplayed with Arthur. Arthur mentions in his journal that he should be in John's place and would actually enjoy being a father to Jack, implying at least a fling. He's also always the first person she asks for help. Though it's left interpretation if Arthur actually had feelings for her or if he wanted to marry her because he wanted to take care of them in John's absence. Considering what happened [[spoiler: to his own young son and baby mama, it could very well be that.]]
* AngerBornOfWorry: A constant source of friction between her and John during [[spoiler: the epilogue of the second game.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She may be a non-combatant most of the time, [[spoiler: but when Milton is about to kill Arthur, Abigail breaks free of her binds and promptly shoots the agent in the back.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: Shows hints of this whenever Bonnie is mentioned, though it's mostly sarcastic on her part since she often teases John about her. Later a SubvertedTrope, when she and Bonnie get on swimmingly and even take a few turns roasting Marston.
* DeadpanSnarker: She could give her husband and Bonnie [=MacFarlane=] a run for their money.
* DeathByDespair: [[spoiler:It's implied that the death of John was what caused her death, or at least worsened her already poor condition.]]
* DeterminedHomesteadersWife: Literally. [[spoiler:Implied to have become a DeterminedWidow after John died, as she kept their ranch running and raised Jack, even with her illness.]]
* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Subverted. She is shown and mentioned to get physical towards John in the beginning of ''2'', and it is not PlayedForLaughs.
* {{Foil}}: She's one to Mary Linton. Both are the LoveInterest to the protagonists, John and Arthur respectively. But while Abigail is a former prostitute, Mary comes from a well-off family with a wealthy father. Their relationships with their lovers are the polar opposite as well. It’s clear that while Arthur and Mary couldn’t let go of their feelings for each other, they both gave up hopes of mending the fence and never reconciled. Abigail’s relationship with John was initially quite troubled to the point that it’s hard to tell that they’re even a couple, but they were eventually able to settle down and became a HappilyMarried couple. [[spoiler:Like Mary did with Arthur, Abigail left John once she realizes that he will always bring their family into danger as long as he’s unable to let go of his outlaw life. But nonetheless, she comes back to him in the end.]]
* HappilyMarried: With John. They bicker back-and-forth constantly, but they love each other immensely.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: What she was before marrying John.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: She can be heard coughing heavily in gameplay. [[spoiler: She also dies not long after John.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She could downright trade barbs with John in ''2'', but only because both 1) he can be quite reckless and 2) she loves him so much. She mellows out once they marry.
** This includes a case of JerkassHasAPoint, as John was out of control a lot of the time, which she tolerated for years, [[spoiler: and any decent mother would freak out upon hearing that their husband had a shootout in front of their son.]]
** [[spoiler:When John decides to go after Micah, she is obviously pleading with John not to go after Micah. While John does argue that they owe everything to Arthur, she clearly knows that Micah is a sadist and that if John dies, Micah will come for them next. It also winds up leading Edgar Ross to their location]].
* LethalChef: John and Jack absolutely abhor her cooking.
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Well, they ''are'' one.
* MamaBear: Protective of her son Jack. When [[spoiler:he's kidnapped by the Braithwaites, she's thrown into despair. Marston wants to rescue Jack as quickly as possible, partly out of concern for his son's well-being, partly out of fear of Abigail's wrath.]]
** [[spoiler: She also put up with John's recklessness for years, but what makes her draw the line and decide that she needs space from him was when he ends up being ambushed and shoots a group of men in front of Jack.]]
* MoralityChain: Is implied to be one to Marston in ''2'', being the reason why John is never fully subservient to Dutch like Arthur was. Dutch thinks that Abigail is "poisoning" John against him.
* NeverLearnedToRead: The only illiterate member of the Marston family, usually having John or Jack read aloud for her.
* StickyFingers: Abigail had swift thieving skills during her time in Dutch's gang. [[spoiler: So swift that she even stole the key to Dutch's chest of money before the gang broke apart!]]
--->'''Abigail''': "I always was a good thief."
* {{Tsundere}}: Shades of this, mostly around John. Earliest example is when John is brought back to camp bloodied up after being attacked by wolves and stranded in a blizzard for days. She's beside herself with joy upon his return...only to go right to spitting insults the second he's on the bed.
--->'''Abigail''': "This is low, even by ''your'' standards."
** We see this in the first game, when John returns home after months of being away.
--->'''John''': "Oh, darling! I never thought I'd see this day again."
--->'''Abgail''': "You no-good, hillbilly piece of shit!"
* WetBlanketWife: Hates it whenever John does his cowboy thing. [[spoiler:As a matter of fact, she leaves him for 3 months over it, taking Jack with her.]] Explored due to her fearing falling back into the old life and putting Jack in danger all over again. It ends up being just the kick in the ass Marston needs to change things for good.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jack Marston]]

[[quoteright:329:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_marston_1899.png]]

[[caption-width-right:329:[[labelnote:Click here to see 12-year-old Jack ]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_marston_1907.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:329:[[labelnote:Click here to see 16-year-old Jack ]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/75b27d302e46948829c3bbb576fe7004.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:329:[[labelnote:Click here to see 19-year-old Jack]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jack_marston_1914.png[[/labelnote]]]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Josh Blaylock

-->''"I guess there's only room for one hero in this family."''

The son of John Marston and Abigail Roberts, Jack was born into an outlaw's world, staying at camp with his mother while his father went out robbing with the Van der Linde Gang. Not wanting their son to grow up the way they did and face the prospect of an early grave, John and Abigail tried their hardest to make sure he grew up educated and respectable. Unfortunately, by 1914, circumstances left him in just such a position, drifting across New Austin, the last living relic of the age of gunslingers...

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: You play as him after the "final" mission.
* BadassBeard: He's got a goatee and mustache, and is just as badass as his Pa.
* BadassBookworm: He's a literary scholar who wanted to be a writer. He's also an outlaw because he wanted vengeance for John's death.
* BestServedCold: It takes three years, but [[spoiler: he does avenge John's death by filling Ross with lead.]]
* BookEnds: Retroactively invoked in the prequel. [[spoiler: He kills the murderer of his father in the location when he first met him as a child: A river]].
* BreakTheCutie: At the beginning of ''2'', he's a {{Keet}}, but by the end, he's devolved into a jaded and quiet recluse.
* BrokenBird: A lot of Jack's dialogue in combat remarks on how little he has left to live for. The three years since [[spoiler: John's death]] have done much to [[TookALevelInCynic erode his idealism]].
* CheerfulChild: In ''2''.
* CruelMercy: One way to interpret Jack's decisions [[spoiler: should he let Edgar Ross's family live. After they guide him straight to the man himself, he kills Edgar and leaves the wife and brother to live with the loss of their loved one, just like he's had to for three years, and with the knowledge that they led Edgar's killer straight to him.]]
* TheCutie: Naturally, as the only child in the Van der Linde gang.
* DeadpanSnarker: Seems to have inherited this from both his parents, to the point where some of his dialog would easily rival theirs in snarkiness.
* TheDrifter: After the events of the game and Abigail dead, he abandoned the ranch (outside of his bedroom being a game save spot).
* DrowningMySorrows: It's implied in one side quest that he's become a very heavy drinker.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: An Easter Egg in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' suggests that he finally got his dream of becoming a writer.
* TheEeyore: Granted, losing your father to an unscrupulous government agent and having his mother die three years later when you're a teenager will do that to you.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: In the epilogue, he grows out his hair and now has a beard and goatee.
* {{Expy}}: He looks a lot like [[Film/ThePrincessBride Inigo Montoya]]. Now, [[YouKilledMyFather what are both characters' motivations?]]
* FastestGunInTheWest: Just like pa. It's implied that Landon Ricketts taught Jack everything he knows before his death.
* FreudianExcuse: Sometimes when he commits crimes or gets arrested, he will justify it by how he was raised.
* GenerationXerox: He not only has his father's sharpshooting skills, but has his equipment as well. He even looks exactly like his father. Although he also sort of looks like Javier Escuella.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He got these from a bear he tried to hunt on his own.
* HeroicBastard: Technically. [[spoiler: John and Abigail didn't officially get married until Jack was 12]], so he's a bastard during the event of the second game.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: If you decide to turn Jack into a full-on desperado, there's a chance that an NPC challenges him to a duel for killing his father. If accepted, Jack'll make fun of the stranger's dead father, presumably before killing him as well.
* ICouldaBeenAContender: Had dreams of being a writer, but his family's death seems to have ended any hopes and dreams he had for the future. Apparently, {{zig zagged}}, if the book titled "Red Dead" by J. Marston that you can find in ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoV'' counts as canon and not just an EasterEgg.
* InformedFlaw: In ''2'', Abigail temporarily snaps and says she can't put up with the disgust and hatred 4 year old Jack shows her anymore. For all the player knows, however, he's the sweetest child on the face of the earth.
* {{Irony}}: One of the random conversation between him, his mother, and Hosea in ''2'' is him wanting to be a gunslinger, which Abigail highly objects to, and John doesn't want him to TurnOutLikeHisFather, and Arthur explicitly, in no uncertain terms, tells him "Don't be like me". He becomes one out of his own choice later in his adult life.
* {{Keet}}: As a CheerfulChild in ''[=RDR2=]''.
* LastOfHisKind: Last living Marston, last of the Van Der Linde gang [[spoiler: unless you count the likes of Mary-Beth and Pearson, who got out before ''Red Dead Redemption 2'''s climax]] and fitting in the game's theme of the end of the Western era, one of the few Western gunslingers left by the game's end, if not the very last one.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: He couldn't be any more similar to John if he tried.
* MeaningfulName: Because Jack is usually a nickname for John, he's likely named after his father, symbolizing his eventual fate of [[LikeFatherLikeSon becoming an outlaw like John.]]
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: While there's no real question who his father is, for a time John insists he's not his.
* MoralityPet: He's one to almost everyone in the entire Van der Linde gang, even Bill. [[spoiler:When he gets abducted by the Braithwaites, the entire gang come storming the Braithwaite mansion out for blood.]]
* NiceGuy[=/=]AffablyEvil: Jack has an honor meter like John, and any stranger mission you might complete as Jack has him acting in a mostly affable manner towards the non-playable characters, as John tends to act even with low honor.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Apparently Kid!Jack's actress couldn't do a southern accent.
* OneSteveLimit: To a horse named Brown Jack. With regards to the Red Dead series as a whole, to ''VideoGame/RedDeadRevolver'''s Jack Swift.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: His name is John Marston, Jr, but everyone calls him Jack.
* RevengeByProxy: [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential If the player chooses]], Jack can kill Ross' wife and brother before finally finding the man himself.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: '''''Massively''''' [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]]. [[spoiler: Before John's death, Jack was a kindly, idealistic young man with dreams of being a writer. In the epilogue where you play as Jack, it's revealed that he's become a jaded outlaw who [[WanderingTheEarth drifts from place to place]], haunted by his past, and ultimately has very little reason to live. In short, Jack ended up becoming everything his father ''didn't'' want him to be. And just to drive it further, even if Jack does manage to get his revenge, [[WrittenByTheWinners Ross is remembered by the masses as a hero who brought some dangerous criminals to justice, John is remembered as a brutal outlaw who learned the hard way that justice is inescapable]], and Jack spends the rest of his days as a depressed, wandering loner with his life completely ruined. [[DownerEnding There is no happy ending]] for ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption''. However, considering that you can find a book titled Red Dead by J. Marston in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', it's possible that Jack managed to find some peace and become a writer after the events of the game.]]
* SonOfAWhore: Just like his father.
* SpoiledBrat: Abigail gets seriously fed up with 4 year old Jack's seeming ungratefulness in ''2''. It's not played for laughs, she really is sick to her stomach of being a mother. They both grew out of it though.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Just like John, Jack drowns instantly if his nose goes below water. To be fair, [[FridgeLogic who'd teach him?]]
* SupportingProtagonist: Once Marston dies, he's the playable character.
* TagalongKid: He grew up among the gang and is present in the prequel as a four (or five, depending on when he was born) year-old.
* TookALevelInBadass: Before John's death? A bookish, somewhat awkward teenager, always getting himself into trouble. After John's death? He's become a badass, [[TurnOutLikeHisFather just like his father]], who hunts down and slays Edgar Ross in a duel as an act of vengeance. Unfortunately, this is the polar opposite of what John wanted his son to be.
* TookALevelInCynic: [[CynicismCatalyst John's death]] and the three hard years that followed turned him from an aspiring writer into a remorseless killer. However, he can remain [[KnightInSourArmor a good man]] at heart if the player [[VideoGameCaringPotential so desires]].
* TraumaCongaLine: Has had a ''very'' tough life, from being born into and raised by a violent gang, at high risk of being killed as said gang is being tracked by law enforcement and several other factions, [[spoiler: being abducted at one point]], having a largely absent father in his early childhood, having several 'aunts' and 'uncles' [[spoiler: either drop like flies or become AxCrazy]], risking losing both his parents several times while as a young child, [[spoiler: growing up mainly as he and his parents are on the run and is forced to use a pseudonym]], being held hostage by the government along with his mother, [[spoiler: experiencing the army coming down and brutally killing his father and the closest thing he's ever had to an uncle]], and losing his mother three years later, thus being the only surviving Marston. It's no wonder he TookALevelInCynic and is heavily implied to be suffering from depression.
* TurnOutLikeHisFather: Jack becomes a gunslinger like his father, [[FridgeHorror who didn't wish for him to become one.]] Whether or not he is becomes an outlaw after killing Ross depends on the player though, as his shooting skills can be used solely for hunting and heroic deeds if the player chooses.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: The prequel showed that he's absolutely adorable. Played with in that he's still a NiceGuy, just that he TookALevelInCynic after the crap his family had gone through.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: In contrast to John, there isn't much that motivates Jack, outside of exacting vengeance on Ross. When he accomplishes exactly that, he goes back to his aimless career as an outlaw. ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' however implies that he was able to move on and start a normal life as a writer.
* YouKilledMyFather: So he kills Ross back. And if the player wants, his wife and brother as well.
* YoungGun: When he fights with his father against the US Army, and later presumably trained by Landon Ricketts.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: After the TimeSkip, no one can tell he's nineteen – in fact, he doesn't look a day under ''thirty''. Gameplay-wise, this is due to the devs reusing John's character model and modifying his face to look somewhat different. In-story, it's to show how much his father being killed and his mother dying from sickness have taken their toll on him.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bill Williamson]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bill_williamson___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Don't try anything stupid and we won't do anything unkind."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/billwilliamson_rdr.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Steve J. Palmer

->''"Things are different now, John. Now I'm in charge! No more Dutch, and no more you!"''

Discharged from the army on dishonorable charges, Bill turned to a life of violence and drinking. At his lowest point, he was taken in by Dutch who saved him from himself. Rude, slovenly, and drunk more often than not, his attempts to prove himself to the gang often went ignored. While he remained loyal for longer than one might expect, by 1911 he'd struck out on his own, carving a path of bloodshed through New Austin.

* AlasPoorVillain: The prequel takes his death in a new light where he's portrayed more sympathetically than in the first game.
* TheAlcoholic: He can be seen frequently terrorizing the gang with his drunken fits, and ends up being threatened by [[KnifeNut Javier]] at one point.
* ArcVillain: Of the ''New Austin'' arc in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption''.
* AxCrazy: In ''Red Dead Redemption'', he is a psychopathic bandit who gleefully commits RapePillageAndBurn.
* AssholeVictim:
** Of a sorts. He gets relentlessly hunted down by a criminal that, from his point of view is no better than himself, has several members of his gang shot, captured, and killed, is pursued to '''''fucking Mexico''''' and then thrown under the bus (and to the ground) in an utterly humiliating attempt by Col. Allende to save himself. It doesn't work, and he is graphically shot dead without any meaningful last words whatsoever. Might be a bad way to die, but nobody seems to care.
** This is more than likely due to his numerous crimes of crime and intimidation, such as arson, murder, kidnapping, and likely rape. Also, when being chased down by John right before his final moments, he taunts him by stating he "fucked with Abigail" (his wife), along with the rest of the gang. It also doesn't help that he admits that he gladly left John behind in the past.
** Comes full circle in the second game, where it's revealed that Bill has always been a deeply troubled man. He possibly suffers from PTSD from atrocities he witnessed (and maybe participated in) as a cavalryman in the Indian wars. His father also succumbed to dementia and he has constantly lived in fear that he's inherited his father's illness. Considering how he turns out in 1911, that fear wasn't totally unfounded.
* BeardOfEvil: He has a shaggy unkempt mane.
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brawn to Javier Escuella's brain.
* TheBrute: From what is gathered from John, Bill was always a violent brute. This is somewhat confirmed in ''2'', as it takes him a while to slip fully into his savage nature come the first game.
* ButtMonkey: ''2'' shows that within Dutch's gang, Bill was often made fun of by the others for his screw-ups and his general unpleasantness.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: Think your job's done after killing him? Ross has other plans.
* DirtyCoward:
** Whenever he encounters John, a man he truly loathes, he '''''never''''' faces him except at a distance, armed with a long-range rifle, and backed up by lots of minions. Bill prefers to send his men after him, and in the mission in which he is killed, he doesn't bother to stay behind and gun down his friend, opting to flee with Col. Allende instead.
** This appears to be a recent development. During the event of the prequel, Bill and Javier have done far more dangerous things than fighting Marston. [[spoiler: They both have no issue going up against both Arthur and John at the same time in the ending.]]
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Bill tries his best pulling his weight around the gang, but his fellow gang members are often quick to call him out for his screw-ups. He's quick to point this out to Arthur, saying that Arthur never gets called out for his mistakes as Dutch's NumberTwo.
* DumbMuscle: John states that Bill was never the smartest one of the gang. ''2'' shows that his robberies with Arthur are often short-sighted when it comes to planning.
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Idle chatter between him and Micah, as well as finding his military discharge papers in the camp, reveals that his first name is actually... "Marion". He chose "Bill" as a nickname for understandable reasons.
* EvilFormerFriend: He was a former member of the Van der Linde gang alongside John who ended up becoming just another bandit. In the first game there's little indication of their closeness, but it's taken to a new level in the prequel where it’s revealed that John and him actually where friends.
-->'''John:''' Bill? You’re pretty drunk. And you’re a funny feller. But... [[Heartwarming/RedDeadRedemption2 You’re okay.]]
* FatBastard: Downplayed. He's strongfat in ''2'', but that was him at his best (albeit he was still a racist, antisocial outlaw). In ''1'', his weight dissipates along with his sanity.
* FreudianExcuse: Irredeemable piece of trash, yes, but he had an awful, war-torn upbringing in the US Army. Dutch gave him the only meaning in his life, and being robbed of that when Dutch went insane was the final nail in the coffin.
* FromCamouflageToCriminal: Prior to joining Dutch's gang, Bill was a soldier. He got a dishonorable discharge for his troubles, and thinks that the reason was that his captain became corrupt with power. On account of distrusting the government, he wholeheartedly joins the gang.
* GenderBlenderName: His real first name is actually Marion, which is commonly a feminine name, although famously it was the real name of popular Western actor John Wayne. Given the setting, it's possible this is a nod to the fact.
* HateSink:
** In ''Red Dead Redemption'', he has no likable or sympathetic moments. He's just an utter asshole.
** Subverted after ''2''. While he is definitely one of the less popular members of the 1899 gang, he's not malicious towards his comrades and is quite loyal. In fact, his characterization in this game is a huge contrast.
* HiddenDepths:
** Asks Arthur to buy him some hair pomade, presumably to start styling his own hair! [[PetTheDog He then awkwardly but sincerely thanks Arthur for getting him some.]]
** When [[spoiler:Jack gets kidnapped]], Bill does not hesitate to offer his help and can later be heard [[spoiler:screaming at the Braithwaites at how going after a child is utterly reprehensible]].
** Bill is stupid, but he has moments of clarity. While he gets very angry at Arthur for questioning Dutch, he still hates Micah and is reluctant to believe the rumors he spreads about Morgan. While it doesn't last, he's genuinely rattled when Arthur suggests that the gang is having problems more because of their recklessness, unlike Javier.
* {{Jerkass}}: And that's one of the ''nicest'' terms to describe him. ''2'' reveals he TookALevelInJerkass and was once a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: ''2'' shows that while he’s still an unpleasant guy back then, he nonetheless sticks with the gang to the very end and is pretty chummy with some of his fellow gang members even if they don’t always get along.
* MoralityPet: His horse, which Arthur comments he genuinely cares for.
* PetTheDog: When Micah mocks Arthur [[spoiler:for his deteriorating condition thanks to his tuberculosis]], Bill quickly tells Micah to shut it.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: When he gets drunk, he calls Javier "Greaser", and when he's not drunk, he bullies Lenny and calls him "boy". He uses "boy" towards the latter even while praising him as a genius after a robbery they organized together. He takes it down a notch once Hosea calls him out in camp.
* RapePillageAndBurn: In the first game, he runs a group of bandits that happily commit various atrocities across New Austin.
* RepetitiveName: Subverted. His full name could be mistaken for being William Williamson, seeing his nickname "Bill". However idle chatter in ''2'' reveals that the "Bill" part comes from his family name.
* SanitySlippage: Much like Dutch, the previews of ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' seems to indicate that Bill was once a sane man before becoming AxCrazy. During a campfire chat, Bill mentions his father slowly lost his mind to what sounds very much like dementia. Given Bill's insanity in ''Red Dead Redemption'' it may be a trait passed down through the generations.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Implied to have seen some awful things as a soldier.
* StoutStrength: The fattest in the gang besides Pearson, yet also among the strongest.
* TookALevelInJerkass: In the prequel, he was a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, but starts losing his redeemable traits overtime. By the first game, he's a downright monster.
* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:He and Javier are the only members still 100% loyal to Dutch when the gang falls apart in 1899.]]
* WeUsedToBeFriends: While it might be easier to dismiss his relationship with John, in ''2'' it’s possible to witness a drunken conversation between the two where Bill tries to tells John a funny joke but then realized that he forgot it, [[PetTheDog John laughs anyway.]] In the same conversation Bill also admits that some people in camp hate John for leaving, when John asks who Bill sheepishly says that he does, [[TrueCompanions before doubling back and admitting that’s not really true]]. [[spoiler: Tragically, he's the first one to suggest that Marston is the rat, an idea Javier entertains mostly out of spite towards Arthur]].

[[folder:Javier Escuella]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/javier_escuella___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"If we have to fight, we fight. If we have to run, we run. If we must die, we'll die, but... we'll stay free."'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/javierescuella_rdr_7.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Antonio Jaramillo (''RDR''), Gabriel Sloyer (''RDR 2'')

->''"You got it all wrong, brother. I've always loved you, even now."''

Born a peasant in Mexico, Javier spent much of his early life as a revolutionary before being forced to flee to America after killing a high-ranking officer over a woman. There, he joined the gang and became one of Dutch's most devoted followers. This unyielding devotion to a man on the brink of collapse proved to be his downfall, however, and by 1911 he had returned to Mexico a jaded and amoral mercenary, working for the very government he once fought to overthrow.

* AffablyEvil:
** In 1899 he was actually very friendly, he even sang campfire songs with the rest of Dutch's gang. He was also rather suave, well-spoken, and ''very'' handsome. It's implied the years of drinking and heartache following the collapse of the gang have ruined his good looks.
** Even when John comes after him, he acts pretty polite towards him and doesn't seem willing to fight him at all.
* AlasPoorVillain: Even John cries when he has to put him down (though the player can just opt to capture him instead).
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:When the gang gets stranded in Guarma, he gets captured by Fussar's men, forcing Arthur and Dutch to rescue him.]]
* BlindObedience: Javier is the only member of the gang to never go against Dutch in any way, never providing much of an explanation for this. Even Bill has doubts about some things.
* BrokenPedestal: According to John, he was hit the hardest by Dutch going insane. This is backed up in the prequel, as Javier is one of the most intelligent and well-spoken members of the crew.
* BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Bill Williamson's brawn.
* ConflictingLoyalty: While still blindly obedient to Dutch, [[spoiler:he's noticeably hesitant in drawing his gun on Arthur and John, whereas the rest of Dutch's loyalists aimed at them without question.]]
* CynicismCatalyst: In his early life, he was an idealistic revolutionary fighting for the people. After his hero Dutch van der Linde went insane, he was left jaded and dejected, becoming a shiftless bandito.
* DashingHispanic: The prequel shows that he was quite a looker, with his biography describing him as someone who always takes a lot of care for his appearance.
* DirtyCoward:
** Once John starts gunning for him, he's running the entire time. It makes him calling John a ''puto'' (bitch) rather hypocritical.
** This appears to be a recent development. During the event of the prequel, Bill and Javier have done far more dangerous things than fighting Marston. [[spoiler: They both have no issue going up against both Arthur and John at the same time in the ending.]]
* EvilFormerFriend: Like Bill, he's a former member of the Van der Linde Gang.
* HiddenDepths:
** Javier is a very good fisherman and can offer Arthur some tips about choosing the bait but also when and where it is best to fish.
** He is also an incredible guitar player, Dutch's gang often gathers around him to sing when he starts playing.
* {{Irony}}: He fled Mexico due to being a revolutionary fighting a dictatorial government. He returns back home by working as a bandito for the very government he once tried to overthrow.
* KilledOffscreen: Should Marston capture him alive, he's mentioned in a conversation with Abigail to have died after being captured, implied to have been hanged for his crimes.
* KnifeNut: He’s pretty skilled with a knife, whether it be for combat, threatening a drunken Bill, or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking playing Five Finger Fillet]].
* NiceHat: He has a fondness for sombreros as well as trilbies.
* SanitySlippage: Perhaps not as severe as Dutch's, but it's pretty clear after playing 2 that he has spiralled downwards pretty badly.
* SharpDressedMan: When John says Javier took Dutch's downfall the hardest, he wasn't kidding. In 1899, he dressed well, his mustache was groomed and generally looked rich. In contrast, by 1911 he is an unkempt mercenary who works for anyone who pays.
* SpitefulSpit: Gives one to John as he's being taken away by Ross. John gives one to Javier's corpse if he kills him... after shedding a tear.
* TookALevelInJerkass: [[spoiler:After the gang relocates to Beaver Hollow, Javier noticeably becomes more hostile towards Arthur, calling him out for wavering loyalty to Dutch]].
* UndyingLoyalty: Arthur believes that out of all the members of the gang, Javier is the most loyal.
** [[spoiler:He and Bill are the only members of the gang who remain 100% loyal to Dutch when the gang falls apart in 1899.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: When John takes him into a cell, Javier starts cursing John before breaking down crying.
* WideEyedIdealist: Was one in his youth. He was a freedom fighter in Mexico before fleeing to the United States, with Abraham Reyes speaking highly of his time fighting the government. He apparently kept this up after joining the gang, having been swayed by Dutch's WarriorPoet ways. This made Dutch's descent into madness all the harder on Javier.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: In ''2'', Javier is a self-exiled Mexican supposedly unable to return because of his high bounty as a freedom fighter. It seems that events between the two games made him able to broker some deal.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Uncle]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uncle___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"People call me lazy, I'm not lazy. Just don't like working. There's a difference."'']]
%%[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see him in ''Red Dead Redemption'']]-image of uncle goes here-[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Spider Madison (''RDR''), James [=McBride=] (''RDR 2'')

->''"Why don't I gets a warm and tender embrace?"''

An elderly alcoholic and former thief, the only thing more mysterious than Uncle's real name is his past. The way John Marston tells it, he wandered into the gang's camp one day drunk as a skunk, his antics proving amusing enough to earn him a place among their numbers. Years later, he would find new purpose as a farmhand on John's ranch, though his work ethic is about what you'd expect.

* TheAlcoholic: He's a habitual drinker in both games.
* BigFun: In ''2''. While many members of the gang are annoyed by his laziness and sleazy attitude, he's nonetheless a jovial old drunk that tries to cheer everyone up. By the time of the original ''RDR'', he's turned into a major grouch by comparison.
* ButtMonkey: Uncle is the target of a lot of John's abuse (which can be justified, since Uncle can be pretty lazy at keeping up with his responsibilities within the Marston family ranch.)
* GrumpyOldMan: Comes off as this in most of his appearances in ''1''. Justified since John isn't very nice to him either. The prequel shows he actually used to be pretty friendly and likable.
* HiddenDepths:
** Despite his supposed laziness and being a very frequent target of John for it, [[spoiler:he ultimately gives his life to help protect the Marstons.]]
** Uncle is smart in his own way, even more so than John. Marston's ranch wouldn't be what it is today without Uncle's advice.
** Despite being a freeloader, he loves the family dearly and gets along swimmingly with Sean and the girls especially. When the gang starts to fall apart, he's very shaken. Arthur suggests early on to him that he might want to look for a new crew, but Uncle says he's not willing to let them go.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:He dies defending the Marston family from the US Army (led by [[BigBad Edgar Ross]]) who storm in the ranch to kill John.]]
* HonoraryUncle: Hence the name. Arthur jokingly refers to him as "everyone's favorite uncle" and he ends up serving as this at Beecher's Hope. He's also the one who introduced Abigail to the gang, so he's an indirect matchmaker of the Marstons.
* TheHeart: Uncle is a lazy drunk, but he cares about his fellow gangmembers and tries to raise morale, especially when things are dire. He's usually the one to initiate singing and drinking at the campfire, both by grabbing the banjo or asking Javier to play a song. [[spoiler:By the time the gang is in Beaver Hollow, even Uncle can't bring himself to cheer anyone up]].
* TheLoad: Uncle seems to always have been a lazy freeloader that John and even Arthur in the prequel disdained for being quite useless. Heck, one of his tips even ends on a near disaster as Arthur and several gang members must fight for their lives inside a burning barn, surrounded by angry guards.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Pretty much an embodiment of this trope.
* OlderSidekick: To John during the latter half of the West Elizabeth Arc.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Not one person in the gang knows or ever knew his name. Hell, he isn’t even anybody’s uncle - people just ''call him that'', and nobody's sure why. [[spoiler:After he’s gunned down along with John while defending the Ranch, Jack and Abigail engrave his tombstone with it for lack of an actual name.]]
* RetiredOutlaw: He was an outlaw and member of the Van der Linde gang. Downplayed, because he's mostly a freeloader who seldom does anything.
* RunningGag: In 2, he often says he can't do something he is asks to do because he has "terminal lumbago".
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Leaves the gang before Dutch's actions lead to his death.
* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: How he ended up living with the Marstons. Years after the gang broke up, he and John bumped to each other just after John bought Beecher's Hope. Despite John's opinion of him, he ended up staying with them.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Retroactively - he's much more of a grouch in the original game than in the prequel.
* VagueAge: PlayedForLaughs. Arthur at one point asks Uncle how old he actually is, to which he responds that he was "born some time between the fall of '49 and the fall of Rome."
-->'''Uncle:''' My second wife always used to describe me as "ageless," though... she ''did'' leave me for a younger man.\\
'''Arthur:''' Maybe we should cut you open and [[TheAlcoholic count the rings of whiskey.]]
[[/folder]]

!!!Debuted in ''Red Dead Redemption 2''

[[folder:Charles Smith]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charles_smith___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Noshir Dalal

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

A half-black Native American hunter, Charles spent most of his life on the run until he came across the Van der Linde gang. Finding some affinity with the gang's code of freedom and loyalty, he joined up with them as one of their newest recruits. Skilled with a bow and an expert tracker, Charles is invaluable to the groups' ability to survive out in the wilds.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: His dual heritage may seem like an attempt to score extra diversity points, but a number of Black Indians lived in the 19th century and even more today.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: In-universe example: at one point Marston is asked whether Charles is black or Native to which Marston says he's both.
* AnAxToGrind: Wields a tomahawk to lethal effect in close quarters.
* BadassNative: Charles is one of the best trackers in the group, has a mean knife throw (even ending up saving Arthur by throwing a knife at an assailant's face) and is handy with a gun too.
* BarbarianLonghair: Averted. His hair is around shoulder blade length, although he's far from being a wild brute.
* BerserkButton:
** He takes bison hunting very seriously as creatures to be cherished due to his upbringing, and reacts very badly when two cowboys shoot a whole herd of them for fun.
** He also, understandably, can't ''stand'' racism.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's usually a NiceGuy when you're around him, but when he discovers the massacre of several bison, he's ''pissed'' to the point he shoots one of the poachers dead without batting an eye.
* TheBigGuy: A very tall and broad man, he avoids being [[TheBrute the Brute]] of the gang by his more positive qualities.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:He leaves the gang to help the Wapiti Lakotas resettle, after Dutch's deranged scheming gets them caught up in a war with the U.S. Army. He pulls it again in the Epilogue after he, Sadie, and John track down Micah, deciding to head for Canada and start a family.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Able to go toe-to-toe with some of the snarkiest.
--->'''Uncle''': "Charles! Would I ever lie to you?"
--->'''Charles''': "I hardly even know you."
* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler: When he heard that both Arthur and Miss Grimshaw were dead, he found and buried both of them.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:He is one of the few members of the Dutch Van der Linde gang to get a relatively happy ending. He says he plans on moving to Canada and settle down with a family of his own. The epilogue implies he does just that when he leaves.]]
* GenericName: For reference, he is half Native American. "Charles Smith" sounds rather generic even outside of that context. [[JustifiedTrope However by 1899 many Native Americans had very generic names, especially mixed race ones.]]
* GentleGiant: He's built like a brick wall, but is one of the purest members of the gang.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: He's the player's best friend, [[spoiler:whether they be Arthur or John. Especially with John. He lived with him for several months, helped build Beecher's Hope with his bare hands, and cheered on his wedding.]]
* ImportantHaircut: After [[spoiler:the botched bank robbery in Saint Denis]], he cuts his hair into a braided mohawk.
* KnifeNut: While not quite to the extent of [[AxCrazy Sadie]], is extremely skilled with a variety of weapons and has a particularly badass scene where he saves Arthur by sending a dagger straight into his attacker's eye. A JustifiedTrope, as he favors silent weapons over loud ones due to his hunter's background.
* TheLancer: He shares this status alongside Sadie Adler. Often the voice of reason, cautious without being cowardly and offers a stabilizing counterpoint to more impulsive, fiery personalities. John, at one point, describes him as a 'pillar of strength'.
* MixedAncestry: He's the son of a black father and Native American mother, he seems to take after his mother's heritage strongly. Commented on by multiple people in the game, often confused 'which one' he's supposed to be. Also counts as AmbiguouslyBrown.
* NervesOfSteel: Keeps his cool under fire and looks over gruesome carnage without so much as a hitch in his voice. Unlike [[TheSociopath Micah]], this is less a case of being cruel and more a case of GoodIsNotSoft.
* NiceGuy: Charles is a true bro. Arthur actually admires him for his goodhearted nature, noting that Charles doesn't need to ''think'' about or be prodded towards the right decision, like he does. Charles ''knows'' what's right.
* NotSoAboveItAll: While he often appears serious and no-nonsense, that doesn't mean he has no sense of humour. [[spoiler:He even engages in drunken antics with John and Uncle in the epilogue.]]
* NotSoStoic: While sitting around the campfire Charles opens up a little about his perspective on life. Unlike his calm demeanor on the field and confidence among the other gang members, here he shows a more vulnerable and somewhat nervous side. As he bares his soul he mumbles and shrugs, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming which makes Arthur's following commentary all the more heartwarming.]]
--->'''Charles''': "Life's always confused me. I don't...feel I understand it very much. Other human beings seem to understand why they were born, but for me...it seems like I was born to hurt and suffer myself. That doesn't always seem like a really good reason. I wish there was another way, but here in this land...I feel very stuck. I'm sorry to complain. It's just...it's just so..."
--->'''Arthur''': "Listen, Charles...you're about the best man I know."
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:After Sadie gets a tip about Micah, he joins her on one with John.]]
* ScaryBlackMan: He might be a GentleGiant, but BewareOfTheNiceOnes...
* TokenGoodTeammate: A downplayed example as he has no real issue being a part in violent crimes, but he insists against Arthur's objections on helping the German settler family and voices a general preference to avoid bloodshed.
* TranquilFury: Charles minds his own business in camp when Micah orders him to fetch him something to eat. He responds to this by throwing him into the ground.
-->'''(points) Eat that'''.
* TwoferTokenMinority: Half black, half Native American.
* WeaponOfChoice: His sawn-off shotgun and bow.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Josiah Trelawny]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/josiah_trelawny___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Stephen Gevedon

->''"How can romance ever be silly? It's all we have."''

A flamboyant conman and trickster, Trelawney is one of the few people who Dutch allows to leave the camp from time to time. A hard man to pin down, he is able to get his nooks and crannies that the rest of the gang can't.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: Arthur doesn't seem to like Trelawney because he doubts that Trelawney is loyal to the gang due to his frequent disappearances for long stretches when trouble comes up. [[spoiler:Trelawney is actually GoodAllAlong and is genuinely loyal to the gang, only leaving when Dutch has become too dangerous to stay around.]]
* BaitAndSwitch: He bears a strong resemblance to the Strange Man and is a StageMagician, potentially explaining the weird tricks the Strange Man performed in the first game. Both happen to be complete coincidences.
* BunnyEarsLawyer:
** It's hard to say if he actually is part of the gang or just a guy who helps them out from time to time. He spends very little time on the camp, but his missions also tend to be well thought out and properly planned.
** Arthur actually calls out this [[{{Deconstruction}} last part]], noting that while Josiah's schemes are very well ''planned'' and creative, they leave a lot to be lacking when it comes to seamless ''execution'' and accounting for the use of force if necessary. But when they work, they ''really'' work.
** Its possible the reason he is seldom at the camp is because he's off researching for his next plot, which is why they're so well planned out. Also, he has a family, so he of course he wants to be able to spend time with them.
* TheCameo: He appears in Red Dead Online as a contractor.
* CampStraight: He is flamboyant as hell, and has a wife that he is happy with.
* ConMan: His main role in the gang, to sweet talk people into providing good leads for the gang.
* FairWeatherFriend: As opposed to most of the gang, which Arthur considers like family, he isn't sure about Trelawney's ultimate loyalty, since he disappears for long stretches when the gang's in trouble. [[spoiler:In the end, while Trelawney does leave the gang, it's not because he's a traitor but because Dutch's increasing instability makes him too dangerous to be around. He does stay to say goodbye to Arthur before going, unlike other characters who sneak away over the course of Chapter 6.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Hosea Matthews, in a way. Both are smooth-talking con artists who prefer words to bullets, are good friends with Dutch, became married at some point in their lives, and regularly come up with plans for the gang to profit off of. However, while Hosea usually dresses in a practical manner, Trelawney is never seen without a fancy suit. While Hosea is a constant presence in the gang’s camp, Trelawney tends to leave the camp often, sometimes even for months on end. There’s also the contrasting nature of their respective marriages. Hosea temporarily left the gang for the sake of his wife, Bessie, who he he never had any known children with and who passed away prior to the events of ''2''. Trelawney, meanwhile, has successfully managed to keep his line of work separate from his wife, which hasn’t stopped him from fathering two boys with her, and she is alive and well during the events of ''2''. On a minor note, even their first names sound similar.
* HappilyMarried: Surprisingly so! He has a wife and two boys in Saint Denis, all of whom he dotes on.
* HahvahdYahdInMyCah: Is the only member of the gang who speaks with an upper-crust New England accent.
* HighClassGloves: He's as inseparable from his pair of classy white gloves as he is his sharp business suit.
* IdenticalStranger: Appearance-wise he's almost identical to the Strange Man from the "I Know You" side missions of the first game, but the similarities end there. [[spoiler:Considering that the Strange Man is heavily implied to be either [[GrimReaper Death]], [[AngelUnaware an Angel]], [[GodWasMyCopilot God]], or [[LouisCypher the Devil]], this is a given.]]
* KnowledgeBroker: He serves as the gang's eyes and ears, especially in situations where the law is concerned, such as when tracking Sean's whereabouts after being captured by bounty hunters.
* NonActionGuy: Maybe with some DirtyCoward thrown in for good measure. In any case, he doesn't stick his head out when bullets fly and prefers to talk his way into and out of trouble.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Cuts ties with the gang after seeing how much they are falling apart. Arthur gave him his blessing to leave the camp before Dutch was able to find out.]]
* SharpDressedMan: Never rarely seen without an immaculate suit.
* StageMagician: A hobby of his.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Downplayed, but he bears some noticeable similarities to Nigel West Dickens from the first game. Primarily his being a ConMan who aids the PlayerCharacter by coming up with schemes that benefit them, as well as [[SharpDressedMan regularly wearing an immaculate suit and top hat]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:Like Karen, Trelawney is one of the only members of the Van der Linde gang who's fate isn't revealed during the epilogue. It’s implied that he left with his family.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Karen Jones]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karen_jones___redemption_2___artwork.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jo Armeniox

->''"Running scams, robbing banks, screwing over the rich and horrible."''

A consummate scam-artist and heavy drinker, Karen fell in love with life as an outlaw. She doesn't hesitate to speak her mind but is especially big-hearted and looks out for everyone, especially the rest of her fellow girls.

* TheAlcoholic: [[spoiler:After the botched Saint Denis robbery and the gang being in more dire straits, Karen's drinking habits become a lot worse. The epilogue has Tilly suspect that Karen's alcoholism ended up killing her.]]
* ActionGirl:
** She can often be seen guarding the camp with a repeater in hand.
** [[spoiler: During the bank robbery, Karen can go toe-to-toe against the lawmen and [[Awesome/RedDeadRedemption2 fires the first shot after catching them off guard.]]]]
* BelligerentSexualTension: Once Sean returns, he and Karen exchange drunken barbs and flirtations before engaging in a hook-up.
* BigBeautifulWoman: She is the heaviest of the other female members and seems to be seen as the most attractive.
* BuxomIsBetter: Noticeably has the largest assets of all the girls in the gang, and does not hesitate to use it to her advantage.
* TheConfidant: At some points Arthur can sit down with her and express his guilt over his actions, Karen is willing to listen while also pushing him to be a better person because deep down she really believes Arthur is a good man.
* DistractedByTheSexy: In the private demo, she distracts some guards by opening a few buttons in her shirt.
* LadyDrunk: She can be occasionally be found drunk in camp; unlike Swanson or Uncle [[PetTheDog Arthur gently tells her that she's better than that, trying to ease her away from drinking so much.]]
* SlapSlapKiss: Drunkenly argues with Sean before the two proceed to make out in poor John's tent.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: While the credits has a very nice WhereAreTheyNow segment for all the [[spoiler: surviving]] gang members, she is the only one that is not shown whatsoever. [[spoiler:A letter from Tilly has her speculating that Karen's love of drinking ended up killing her.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kieran Duffy]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kieran.PNG]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Pico Alexander

->''"So I'm one of you now."''

A young man riding with the O'Driscolls. Arthur captures him in the beginning of the game, and he slowly becomes an another follower of Dutch.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: Once he is captured, most of his on-screen moments consist of people trying to figure out if he is still loyal to Colm O'Driscoll and is just spying on Dutch for him. [[spoiler:He wasn't, which makes his death rather unfortunate.]]
* BodyHorror: [[spoiler:His eyes are gouged out, he gets decapitated, and all of this in put on a grotesque display and sent to Dutch on horseback.]]
* ButtMonkey: ''Nothing'' goes well with this kid. During the course of the game, he is kidnapped, tied to a tree and denied food and water, Dutch threatens to have Bill castrate him, gets headbutted by Sean, and nobody trusts him. Just as he is starting to get in good terms with the gang, [[spoiler:he is kidnapped ''again'', only this time he is brutally tortured and killed.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He gets the most brutal death in the game. He loses his eyes, his head, and the mutilated corpse is then used to taunt Dutch's gang.]]
* DecapitationPresentation: [[spoiler:Colm O'Driscoll cuts off his head, then positions Kieran's body on a horse, has the corpse "hold" the head, then sends him riding back into camp to demoralize Dutch's gang before having his men attack.]]
* EyeScream: [[spoiler:When his corpse is found, his eyes have been gouged out of his decapitated head. Hopefully it happened after he was killed, but given how psychotic Colm is...]]
* {{Foil}}: He's one to Sadie Adler. Both are the latest additions to the Van der Linde gang during their time in the mountains. But unlike [[ActionGirl Sadie]] who is fiery and partakes in the action, Kieran is extremely mild-mannered around the gang and mainly does work at the camp. While Sadie was quickly accepted into the gang as one of their own, Kieran was distrusted by practically everyone due to working with the O'Driscolls and takes a significantly longer time to warm up to. Perhaps the most obvious difference between the two is that Sadie is a victim of the O'Driscolls who is taken in by Dutch's gang, whereas Kieran is a member of the O'Driscolls who is captured by Dutch's gang.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Mostly because nobody trusts him. The gang eventually gets a bit friendlier towards him, with actual threats on his life becoming playful, non-serious ones. [[spoiler:When he's murdered by the O'Driscolls, many of the gang members were saddened by his death.]]
* IOweYouMyLife: He talks his way into a permanent place in Dutch's gang by saving Arthur's life. [[spoiler:After Kieran's death, Arthur laments that he could not return the favor.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Always insists that he's not an O'Driscoll.
* MistakenForSpies: The gang presumes he is loyal to the O'Driscolls. [[spoiler:In the end, he was just a kid who ended up with the wrong company and got killed for it.]]
* NewMeat: The latest addition to the gang, albeit unwillingly.
* NiceGuy: Kieran is quite friendly to the other gang members once he becomes an official member, and he shies away from violent and criminal acts.
* PunchClockVillain: While he was a member of the O'Driscolls, it's clear that he was forced into the gang and [[spoiler:sadly paid the price for it]].
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Apparently the only way to get Colm O'Driscoll to give a damn about his men is if one of said men joins Dutch, his arch-enemy. Once he gets his hands on Kieran, he kills him and mutilates his corpse.]]
* ShipTease: Kieran is seen interacting with Mary-Beth on a few occasions. They both act like nervous high schoolers around each other. She even offers to read to him. [[spoiler: After his grisly death, she admits that she always had a soft spot for him.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: After being treated with hostility and suspicion by the rest of the gang, he finally starts to get on their good graces. [[spoiler:The O’Driscolls made sure that it doesn’t last]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lenny Summers]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lenny_summers___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Harron Atkins

->''"Living free out here, like this... I wouldn't have it any other way."''

A 19 year-old Black ex-slave who joins the group to enjoy his newfound life of freedom.

* BadassBookworm: An avid reader, often found with his nose in a book around the camp. [[BewareTheNiceOnes That doesn't make him any less dangerous.]] Arthur can comment on how clever he is in a few conversations. At one point Lenny offers to teach Sean how to read, with mixed results.
--->'''Lenny''': "I'm not giving up on you."
--->'''Sean''': "Oh, please...give ''up'' on me."
** He can also talk circles around Dutch - in one conversation, he cricitizes Evelyn Miller and his writings, to which Dutch can only offer some slight patronizing.
* BlackBestFriend: Arthur is a lot nicer to him than most of the other gang members. He's one of a distinct few people Arthur never mocks, apart from a few friendly ribs here and there.
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler: Arthur writes in his journal that Lenny was killed by a shot to the head during the botched bank robbery in Saint Denis.]]
* CantHoldHisLiquor: An early mission involves him and Arthur heading to the local bar to relax, unfortunately the two are ridiculous lightweights and quickly end up drunk, HilarityEnsues.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: His father was killed by a pair of racists, who later met their end at Lenny's hands. Before that, his family were slaves and suffered horribly under their master.
* GoodIsNotDumb: Good-humored, amicable and fun to be around. He's also extremely clever, often taken on missions for his quick thinking.
* NiceGuy: Lenny is well mannered and kind, [[BewareTheNiceOnes yet can fight alongside Arthur and his gang with ease.]]
* NotSoAboveItAll: Even though Lenny tries to present himself as well-mannered, he is shown to be as much of [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy a wild drunk]] as Arthur.
* PluckyComicRelief: His missions are usually light in tone and fairly easy, and Arthur tends to ease up and relax around him. [[spoiler:[[ShockingSwerve This makes his sudden death all the more tragic.]]]]
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Similar to Sean and Hosea, Lenny gets a decent amount of characterization to make the player invest in him, only for him to be gunned down without warning to show just how much deep shit the gang's in.]]
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:During the botched Saint Denis bank heist, Lenny and Arthur try to scope out an escape route on the rooftops, only for Lenny to be immediately gunned down without warning by Pinkertons. He's the only one in the gang whose death is not even dignified with a cutscene.]]
* YouKilledMyFather: He's on the run for killing the men who murdered his dad.
* YoungGun: Not even twenty years old, but he's already been on the run from the law for years after killing the men who murdered his father.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Leopold Strauss]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leopold_strauss___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Howard Pinhasik

->''"It's a nasty world out there, and it's catching up with us..."''

The gang's bookkeeper/accountant, he runs a loan shark business as part of the gang's many "low profile" criminal activities.

* AffablyEvil / FauxAffablyEvil: While he is polite to his own gang members, he also makes a living out of lending desperate people money and having Arthur come and collect at increased rates.
* AmbiguouslyJewish: Strauss is a usually Jewish last name, he's an immigrant from Austria (which had a large Jewish population), and his role in the gang certainly fits with negative Jewish stereotypes, however there don't seem to be any other hints. Intentional or not he certainly doesn't practice Judaism seriously.
* EvilDebtCollector: Dutch allows him to lend money to desperate people but even he admits he's uncomfortable with it. Arthur especially dislikes Strauss and his business, since he's the one sent out as muscle to collect the debt from desperate people.
* FreudianExcuse: His family grew up in poverty, his father having sold his sister into service at the age of nine, and cast him off to the Americas with his uncle, who died from the poor conditions.
* GetOut: He gets this treatment after Arthur [[spoiler:learns about his tuberculosis and decides to throw Strauss away from the camp, disgusted by him]].
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:According to Charles, Strauss never gave away any of the gang's secrets even while facing death after the Pinkertons caught him.]]
* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler:According to the epilogue, he was captured by the Pinkertons and was killed by them.]]
* LoanShark: Downplayed, but Strauss lends money to rather desperate people and when they don't pay up, he sends [[VillainProtagonist Arthur]] who won't be too shy about roughing up those people. [[spoiler:Arthur despises him for targeting decent folks, and eventually throws him out of the gang.]]
* NonActionGuy: Which contrasts heavily with every other member of the gang. Strauss freaks out frequently, especially during the shootout in Valentine.
* ObliviouslyEvil: Honestly and genuinely ''doesn't understand'' why Arthur and others are so sickened with his usury business. His guiding principle seems to be that since he doesn't force people to make the loans, and his business is technically legal, there are no other moral concerns he should worry about. [[spoiler: He's utterly baffled when Arthur kicks him out of the campsite after targeting one penniless mark too many, blaming it on some "delusion of the mind" rather than any moral imperative.]]
* StupidEvil: Most of the people Herr Strauss lends money to are in such bad situations that it would be impossible for them to pay him back anyway (i.e. a dying man, a Polish immigrant who can barely speak English, a jobless vagrant). [[NobleDemon Arthur calls him out on this.]] He seems to specifically target this kind of desperate people who would have something to pay with anyway.
* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, even after being kicked out of the gang by Arthur, when the Pinkertons capture Strauss and torture him for information, Strauss never tells them anything, ultimately dying rather than betraying his friends.]]
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:Strauss' requests for debt-collection - namely, sending Arthur to shake down Thomas Downes - is what leads to Arthur's death a couple months later from tuberculosis]].
* VillainousBreakdown: Downplayed. By the time the gang relocates to Beaver Hollow, Strauss is constantly stressed and panicking, venting to everyone both willing and unwilling to listen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mary-Beth Gaskill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mary_beth_gaskill___redemption_2___artwork.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Samantha Strelitz

->''"Gentlemen, I think I've got something good."''

Put in an orphanage after her mother died of typhoid, Mary-Beth ran away to fend for herself. Kind, good-natured and smarter than she puts on, she quickly became a skilled pickpocket using her wiles and lady-like nature before she joined Dutch's gang.

* AffectionatePickpocket: Before joining the gang, she used to make a living by charming her targets before robbing them blind.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Implied to carry a torch for Arthur. Unfortunately, Arthur is unable to reciprocate due to him being unable to move on from Mary Linton.
* BrainyBrunette: Has reddish-brown hair, and can often be seen reading a book. [[spoiler:She ends up becoming a writer in the epilogue.]]
* TheConfidant: Arthur can interact with her and he does seem to trust her well enough for him to confide his uncertainties, worries and all the demons that haunt him.
* ContrivedCoincidence: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, John can find her waiting for a train in Valentine.]]
* DudeMagnet: Her looks catch the attention of Arthur, Kieran, Dutch and [[AbhorrentAdmirer Micah]].
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, she's revealed to have survived her time with the gang and is now living her dream of writing romance novels.]]
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, she has become a successful writer, even if she dismisses her own writings as bad.]]
* NiceGirl: She gives some water to a dehydrated Kieran while he’s being kept captive by the gang, and is probably the only person who actually treated him nicely throughout his time with them. [[spoiler: She's saddened by Molly's demise and doesn't buy that she's TheMole.]]
* OneSteveLimit: Shares her first name with Mary Linton, Arthur's OldFlame.
* RomanceNovel: [[spoiler: She becomes a writer of these by 1907.]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Leaves the gang with Uncle and Pearson.]]
* SelfDeprecation: [[spoiler:When she meets John in the epilogue and reveals she's become a writer, she mocks the quality of her books, but is clearly thrilled to be living her dream.]]
* ShipTease:
** She has various moments with Arthur, and even shares a dance with him when the gang celebrates Sean's return. She outright states that [[OldFlame Mary Linton]] is a fool for having left Arthur.
** With Kieran as well, with the two acting pretty awkward around each other. [[spoiler:She was the one who took his gruesome death the hardest, and urges Arthur to make the O'Driscoll's pay.]]
* SouthernBelle: Has a southern accent, and is even described as such by Arthur.

[[folder:Micah Bell]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/micah_bell___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I believe there's winners and losers... and nothing else besides."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' Peter Blomquist

->''"Sometimes, brothers make mistakes."''

A career criminal and hitman, Micah fell in with Dutch's gang five months before the events of the game when Dutch apparently saved him during a bar fight over some stolen gold. Wild, unpredictable and somewhat of a nihilist, he lives for the action and is dangerous in a gunfight.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Can often be seen trying to make a pass at the girls in the camp, including Susan Grimshaw. He only evokes revulsion from them.
* AceCustom: His guns are customized to a heavy degree, having carvings and a custom grip. [[spoiler:John can take one of them by returning to Micah's corpse after killing him. ]]
* {{Acrofatic}}/StoutStrength: Not immediately evident, but in the [[spoiler:Guarma]] chapter, where he spends most of his time either shirtless or with his shirt completely unbuttoned, it's clear he has a beer belly. He's still almost as versatile as Arthur though.
* AdmiringTheAbomination: He seems pretty impressed with the brutality and relentlessness of Albert Fussar [[spoiler:while stranded in Guarma]].
* AmbiguouslyEvil: While there's no arguing Micah is evil, for most of the game, it's unclear if his destructive acts are intentionally meant to sabotage the gang or if he's just that crazy and careless. [[spoiler:The answer is a bit of both. Despite things getting worse for the gang since he showed up, Milton says Micah only became a mole after returning from Guarma.]]
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:Just how long Micah had been selling out the gang to the Pinkertons is left ambiguous. While Milton states that he only started being his mole after the Guarma incident, there were a lot of hints dropped beforehand that Micah is deliberately leaving a trail for the Pinkertons to follow (see {{Foreshadowing}} below for those hints)]].
* AnimalMotifs: [[DownplayedTrope It’s subtle]], but near the end of the game he becomes associated with rats. [[spoiler: Rats often represent treachery, and it's revealed that he's the one who has been [[TheMole selling the gang out to the Pinkertons]]. Right before he’s confronted by John in the epilogue, a rat can even be seen scurrying about near the cabin he’s hiding in.]] Rats can also represent a [[TheUnfettered lack of ethics]], something Micah has in spades.
* AxCrazy: He is erratic, explosive and unpredictable. Best highlighted when he needlessly shoots up half a town during a prison escape. [[spoiler:In the epilogue, he's apparently gotten even worse.]]
* BadBoss: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, after he has his own gang, he tried to kill his former friend, Cleet, after he objected to Micah murdering a little girl.]]
* BadassMustache: He has a horseshoe mustache and is an admittedly badass outlaw.
* BigBadEnsemble: [[spoiler:He shares this title with Andrew Milton. While Milton is the active threat to the gang, it s Micah who is sowing the seeds of decay within the gang.]]
* TheCorrupter: [[spoiler:Downplayed as Dutch was gradually going down a downward spiral already, but what was not helping was Micah playing "devil on the shoulder" throughout all of this, encouraging Dutch to make otherwise suicidal decisions that only brought more trouble for the gang. What's worse is it's implied he's doing this intentionally to help out the Pinkerton's as part of their deal.]]
* CoolGuns: His pair of revolvers. So cool, in his opinion, that he massacres half the town to retrieve them when Arthur busts him out of Strawberry's jail, much to Arthur's annoyance. [[spoiler:You can later go and pick up one of them from his corpse atop Mt. Hagen.]]
* CutsceneBoss: [[spoiler:The final confrontation with Micah is about John convincing Dutch to shoot him while the three are in a MexicanStandoff]].
* DarkIsEvil: With the exception of his hat, he primarily wears black and red clothing. His horse, Baylock, is also black.
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: [[spoiler:His body remains where John leaves it, even though the various newspaper confirm he was found. Apparently no-one felt the bastard actually deserved a proper burial and just left him to rot.]]
* DevilInPlainSight: RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver? Check. BeardOfEvil? Check. [[spoiler: [[TheCorrupter Pushing Dutch to make the most amoral and sociopathic choices by pretending to be on his side?]]]] Check. Too bad [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Dutch]] doesn't think so.
* TheDyingWalk: [[spoiler:When John finishes him, he simply turns around, takes a few steps and shrugs before falling dead.]]
* EvenEvilCanBeLoved: Subverted. A note from Micah's brother, Amos, who used to ride with Micah, can be found in camp. While he says that he's glad Micah's alive, Amos is trying to go straight, and if he sees Micah anywhere within twenty-five miles of his daughters, he'll kill Micah himself.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even Micah thinks Strauss's money lending racket is cowardly and "unseemly". Micah likes shooting people in the face, not the back. It's treated more as hypocrisy than actual standards though, because even Arthur thinks such a standard is arbitrary for a mass-murdering sexual predator.
* EvilCounterpart: To [[PlayerCharacter Arthur Morgan]], primarily if he has High honor. Both Arthur and Micah are two of the Van der Linde gang’s primary gunmen, [[TheDragon serve as Dutch’s right-hand men]], [[GunsAkimbo are capable of dual wielding sidearms]], and, in Micah’s words, [[TheReliableOne “always get the job done”]]. Additionally, both men have a propensity for violence, even if Micah’s far exceeds Arthur’s. However, Arthur still has plenty of [[EvenEvilHasStandards standards]] and will go out of his way to help those he cares about (such as the gang and Mary Linton) or even the many strangers he encounters… unlike Micah who is a [[AxCrazy deranged]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] that’s more than willing to massacre half a town’s worth of people and [[ItsAllAboutMe puts himself before everyone else (including the gang)]]. Arthur having Low honor will result in the two being NotSoDifferent, but even then he’ll still be at least somewhat more principled than Micah.
* EvilOldFolks[=/=]BadassGrandpa: [[spoiler: Downplayed, as he isn't ''too'' old, but by the TimeSkip he's in his late 40s and both his hair and beard are entirely greyed. His viciousness hasn't dulled one bit, and he's still a capable enough gunslinger that he's able to counter [[BulletTime Dead Eye]].]]
* EyeScream: [[spoiler:If Arthur has high honor when he goes for Dutch's loot, he will give Micah a slash across his left eye during their knife fight. By the time of the final epilogue mission, he's still got a scar from it.]]
** [[spoiler:And you can blow his eye-socket clean open as John.]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:After being shot by Dutch, he's initially shocked, then laughs. When John finishes the job, Micah manages to take a few wobbling steps in disbelief, then throws up his hands in a shrug before falling over dead.]]
* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:Despite being a ''very'' transparent psychopath, he seems to try to get into the gang's good graces, but it becomes increasingly obvious he has no actual loyalty to them. And of course, he's the one ratting out the gang to the Pinkertons.]]
* TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether: Prior to the game, Micah ran with both his father and brother as outlaws. Micah seems to have inherited his viciousness from his father, but his brother, at least, is trying to go straight.
* FastestGunInTheWest: [[spoiler:He's able to fire his guns with such speed that he's able to NoSell ''Dead Eye'' of all things]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:He proves himself to be chillingly capable of hiding his deranged nature under a civil veneer, often trying to frame his nasty ideas as perfectly reasonable propositions. This even extends to his appearance in the epilogue, where he politely asks John to join him, and seems eerily calm when he realizes Dutch shot him.]]
* FatBastard: {{Acrofatic}} and an irredeemable psychopath.
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:For both Arthur's story and the epilogue. The former is a fist/knife-fight while the latter is a MexicanStandoff with John, Dutch and Micah.]]
* {{Foil}}:
** To Bill Williamson, who's [[AxCrazy psychotic]] [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkassery]] in the first game mirrors Micah's in the sequel. Other similarities between the two include them [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain having a shared racist streak]], [[FatBastard being on the heavier side]], and possibly getting their insanity from their fathers (Bill fears the idea of inheriting his father's dementia while Micah's nastiness is implied to be InTheBlood, as his father was also a murderous outlaw). However, Bill is generally surly and unpleasant, but also [[UndyingLoyalty very loyal to Dutch]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold occasionally chummy with other members of the gang]]. In contrast, [[spoiler:Micah will occasionally [[FauxAffablyEvil present himself as a civil and dedicated member of the gang]], but in truth is more than willing to sell Dutch out to the Pinkertons and [[ItsAllAboutMe only cares about himself]]]]. Additionally, while Bill [[FromCamouflagetoCriminal served in the US Army prior to joining Dutch]], Micah has been an outlaw for most of his life (at least since he was [[TeensAreMonsters 17]]). While Bill is usually DumbMuscle who's plans are often short-sighted, [[spoiler:Micah is at least cunning enough to both manipulate Dutch and hide his cooperation with the Pinkertons from the rest of the gang]]. Even their preferred firearms add to the contrast, as Bill almost exclusively uses a bolt-action rifle (a two-handed long range weapon) while Micah's signature weapons are a pair of customized double-action revolvers (two one-handed short range weapons).
** To Colm O'Driscoll. Both are equally {{sadist}}ic [[AxCrazy maniacs]] whose favourite hobby is killing and slaughtering [[ForTheEvulz for the sake of it]]. However, while Colm has his own gang and serves as Dutch's arch-nemesis, Micah is part of Dutch's gang and the most despicable member. Colm is primarily a NonActionGuy who prefers to leave the gunfights to his [[WeHaveReserves expendable men]], whereas Micah actively takes part in the gang's gunfights.
** Perhaps intentional on the part of Creator/RockstarGames, while separated by about a century, he also comes across as this to two of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'''s protagonists.
*** To Trevor Phillips. Both are chaotically AxCrazy members of their respective game's main gang/family unit, and are more than likely to kill on a whim. Additionally, [[spoiler: Micah starting his own gang after selling out Dutch mirrors Trevor's small criminal empire, Trevor Phillips Enterprises]]. That's where their similarities begin, and they quickly end with Micah lacking many of Trevor's redeeming and/or comedic traits. Specifically, Micah lacks Trevor's main virtue: [[spoiler:[[UndyingLoyalty Loyalty]]. He sells out his gang, friends and surrogate family to the Pinkertons so he can branch out on his own]]. Both are also opposites in regards to racial views, moral codes, and roles in their respective stories. Trevor is EqualOpportunityEvil and one of his many [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] is racism, while Micah is an [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain unapologetic bigot]]. Finally, Trevor is a playable protagonist in his game, while Micah is an unplayable [[spoiler:antagonist.]]
*** To Michael [=DeSanta=], which is fitting since Micah is just two letters away from Michael. Like Michael, Micah is a man who grew up in a life of crime, and played a major role in the running of a gang. [[spoiler:Both also made deals with federal agents that led to the disbandment of their respective gangs.]] That is where their similarities end, and their differences could not be any starker. Michael will never commit wanton violence for the fun of it, and [[PragmaticVillainy many of his plans usually try to avoid unnecessary violence]], whereas Micah never plans and commits violence [[ForTheEvulz for his own amusement]] left, right, and center. [[spoiler:While Michael made a deal with the FIB to protect his family, and he would do anything for them, Micah made a deal with the Pinkertons that only he would benefit from, and he couldn't care less for the gang he destroyed.]] Their arcs also end differently, at least by player choice. [[spoiler:While Michael can ultimately reconcile with his family and begin to move on from his life of crime, Micah remains an unrepentant, sociopathic criminal, and dies because of it.]]
* ForTheEvulz: Most of his murders are ''pretty unnecessary'' and driven by an uncontrollable urge to kill people, sometimes to disturbing levels.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** [[spoiler:There are a lot of hints that point to Micah's traitorous nature.]] If the player returns to Micha's camp near Strawberry, they can find a wanted poster of Dutch with a thousand dollar bounty. [[spoiler:This implies that Micah intends to [[TheStarscream betray Dutch]] in some point in time and collect the bounty for himself.]] Micah also always wears a white cowboy hat, a color traditionally associated with morally good protagonists in the western genre. While Micah is far from good, [[spoiler:it can foreshadow his associations with the Pinkertons, who are often seen as the "good guys"]].
** Lenny once comments that if Micah dies, [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing there will be a party]]. [[spoiler:After John kills Micah in the epilogue, he returns home to celebrate his wedding.]]
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: While Sean, Bill, and Uncle all irritate the other members of the gang due to their incessant chatter, stupidity and laziness respectively, Micah is the only member whom everyone but Dutch seems to universally hate. Arthur openly says to his face while breaking him out of the jail in Strawberry that the only reason he's not leaving him to rot is because Dutch wanted him back. This is because unlike the aforementioned members, who are either some combination of dirty, stupid, or lazy, Micah is genuinely mean spirited and cruel. Some gang members like Javier and Charles can even be seen attacking Micah in camp once he pushes their buttons too far.
* GunsAkimbo: His signature weapons are a pair of customized double-action revolvers.
* TheGunslinger: Evil and repulsive he may be, you cannot deny that Micah can ''shoot''. One [[CutscenePowerToTheMax cutscene]] has him draw and shoot three men (one of whom is ''behind him'') in less than two seconds. Problem is, he's so very much the trope directly below that it's '''impossible''' to respect him for it.
* HateSink: By far the most unpleasant member of Dutch's gang. Boasting a mean streak a mile wide with his [[SmugSnake smugness]], [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain bigotry]], and LackOfEmpathy, he is loathed by almost everyone around him. In addition, he's a murderous psychopath who makes Bill and Dutch in the previous game look tame in comparison. [[spoiler:Unsurprisingly, he is the one who betrays the gang and later ends up being the BigBad and FinalBoss.]]
* HellishHorse: His personal horse, Baylock. Baylock strongly resembles the Dark Horse from the first game, a horse that is only available if the player's honor is at it's lowest level. This unsurprisingly fits Micah's nature.
* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Will kill Arthur if the latter is low on honor. Also he is the one responsible for the downfall of the gang thanks to working with the Pinkertons as well partially responsible for Dutch's downward spiral and murders Miss Grimshaw. He's also an absolute beast of a gunslinger. The final fight against him as John Marston is almost impossible because Micah is not only incredibly deadly, but he can NoSell Dead-Eye and dynamite.]]
* IFightForTheStrongestSide: [[spoiler:All in all, Micah's allegiance is to whoever is the strongest. He only joins the gang out of opportunity, knowing the it's infamy and success. But when things go south after the botched Saint Denis bank heist, Micah proceeds to side with the Pinkertons to save his own skin.]]
* InTheBlood: His bio states that he comes from "a long line of bad men", with his own dad being wanted for murder in five counties. Seems like he got his general nastiness from his old man.
* IronicDeath:
** [[spoiler:He causes several deaths by leaking Dutch's plans to the Pinkertons. 8 years later, John & co. find and kill him after Cleet reveals his location.]]
** [[spoiler:His customised guns are inscribed with the words "VENGEANCE IS HEREBY MINE". His death is brought about by those who pursued him in revenge for his crimes.]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: When Arthur calls Micah out on [[spoiler:selling out the gang to the Pinkertons]], Micah justifies himself by saying he's a survivor, and that all that matters is living and dying.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even without his wild, unpredictable personality, he is still a grade-A asshole towards his own comrades. [[spoiler:He's also very disloyal]].
* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: [[spoiler:Was able to get away for years with betraying his gang/family unit, corrupting Dutch, killing numerous innocent people, and went on to form a gang of his own, essentially becoming a new Colm [=O'Driscoll=]. Eventually after he and his boys murdered a young girl, John, Sadie and Charles finally hunt him down.]]
* KickTheDog: He does this so much it's practically his fucking ''hobby''. It's difficult to think of a scene where he ''isn't'' doing this, physically or verbally.
** His EstablishingCharacterMoment is terrorizing a traumatized Sadie when Arthur and Dutch first rescue her. There is also the disturbing implication that he was trying to ''rape her''.
** He's the ''only'' member of the gang to have any problem with Tilly, Lenny, and Charles based exclusively on their race. This is including ''Bill'', who's easily the most foul and surly one next to him.
** When Arthur breaks Micah out of jail, Micah proceeds to go on a killing spree during which he massacres the town [[spoiler:and kills an old friend of his, as well as said friend's wife]] just so he could get his favorite guns.
** Invoked quite literally when the Cain the dog joins the camp: Micah gives the poor mutt a swift kick. [[spoiler: When Cain disappears from camp late in the game, it's heavily implied Micah killed him.]]
** At one point he can be seen menacingly teasing Jack, also having the audacity to do it in front of John. He ends up backing down from it following John's response.
** [[spoiler:On the penultimate mission he beats up Arthur, not caring that he is weak and suffering from tuberculosis. If the player has low honor, he'll finish him off, but it's only out of spite.]]
** He also [[spoiler: kills Ms. Grimshaw in the penultimate mission because she stood up to him.]]
** [[spoiler:In the epilogue, he is wanted for killing a family, save for a little girl who escaped... and later murdered a little girl by the time John, Sadie and Charles finally go after him. He also gleefully tells John that he'll be "paying a visit" to Abigail and Jack once he's finished with him.]]
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: [[spoiler:After Arthur contracted tuberculosis and his condition begins to worsen, Micah begins to constantly mock Arthur with names such as "Black Lung" Morgan]].
* KungFuProofMook: Well, Kung Fu Proof Boss Battle by the end. He's the only person in the entire franchise who Dead Eye doesn't work on.
* LackOfEmpathy: Even as things go worse and worse for the gang, and [[spoiler:Sean, Hosea and Lenny]] die right in front of him, Micah doesn't give a damn.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: A newspaper scrap reveals he was his father's partner-in-crime. They even share first names, same with Micah’s Grandfather.
* LikesOlderWomen: As mentioned under AbhorrentAdmirer above, one of the camp's women he occasionally flirts with is Miss Grimshaw. Played with, however, as he also mocks her advancing age to her face, stating she must of been "quite something" before getting older.
* LightIsNotGood: Although his most representative colors are [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]], Micah is almost never seen without a white hat on his head, which is sometimes used to represent the "good guy" in classical Westerns. He's anything but good.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:Even as he's shot by both Dutch and John, he seems more amused by it, walking away with a shrug before dying.]]
* TheMole: [[spoiler:He's the rat who betrays Dutch's gang to Milton and Ross.]]
* NeverFoundTheBody: ZigZagged. [[spoiler:While the various newspapers do mention his death suggesting he was found, his body remains on the top of Mount Hagen for the rest of the game, implying that people hated him enough to feel that actually burying his body would be too good for the man. A scene in the credits actually show Micah's body being discovered...by none other than Edgar Ross, which puts Ross on John Marston's trail.]]
* TheNicknamer: Among other things, he often calls Arthur "Cowpoke" and later [[spoiler:"Black Lung" after his IncurableCoughOfDeath manifests]]. He also calls John "Scarface" [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin for obvious reasons]].
* NoSell: [[spoiler: During John's final confrontation with him, he is able to ''counter [[BulletTime Dead Eye]]'' by laying down [[MoreDakka a barrage of fire]] to pin John down. The trick here is to flush him out with dynamite so [[ActionGirl Sadie]] can get the drop on him.]]
* NotSoDifferent:
** Micah believes this of himself and Arthur, even stating as such during their robbery of a stagecoach after Arthur breaks him out of Strawberry. He says Dutch knows he (Micah) is a "feller who get things done", same as Arthur. Furthermore, he refuses to believe Arthur is any morally better than him. Depending on your honor level, he can either be [[NotSoSimilar dead wrong]] or [[VillainHasAPoint make a decent point]]. Many of Arthur’s dishonorable actions, such as antagonizing his allies, harming innocent people, and prioritizing his own gain, will result in him acting eerily similar to how Micah normally does. Arthur will even lament in one optional conversation with Mary-Beth that he’s best at causing mayhem, and that it makes him no better than Micah.
** [[spoiler:Once it’s revealed he’s been ratting the Van der Linde gang out to the Pinkertons, he’s also not too different from John Marston in the first game. Both men cooperate with federal agents by aiding in the arrest and/or murder of their fellow/former gang members. What separates them is that John does it so he can be reunited with his family and put his outlaw past behind him, while Micah does it entirely for his own benefit and so he can start his own gang. Even the circumstances surrounding his death are similar to John’s demise. A group of 4 people who he leads[[note]]Discounting the nameless goons surrounding Micah, of course[[/note]] is undone by their past catching up to them. His best friend (Joe) grabs a gun but is no match for their opponents, he ends up in a standoff with people he trusted (Dutch), and is riddled with bullets (by John).]]
* ObviouslyEvil: Established early on as the least nicest guy in the group. [[spoiler:Who would've thought he'd be the rat?]]
* PetTheDog: The only kindness Micah ever shows is after Arthur rescues him, and on Arthur's part hesitantly assist in shooting up the town of Strawberry, is to gift him a second pistol holster. To Micah's credit, he happily gives it away.
** There's also a strange sincerity in his voice when he apologizes to Arthur for getting him [[spoiler:caught and tortured by Colm.]]
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: If being a murderous outlaw who’s generally a complete asshole isn’t enough, Micah also takes issue with the ethnicities of his fellow gang members. He complains about having to share a room with “darkies” (Lenny and Charles) in Chapter 1, and in camp he can be seen ordering Charles to fetch him something to eat while calling him “redskin”, as well as telling Javier to “fuck off back to Mexico”.
* PredecessorVillain: [[spoiler:He's one in the first game, even though he's long since dead by then. His treacherous actions here was what contributed to the gang's downfall and Dutch's SanitySlippage, and more importantly, Edgar Ross finding his body was what allowed him to track John Marston down.]]
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Whenever in Dutch's presence, Micah will always try to stoke up Dutch's ego with flattery and support whatever decisions he makes, much to Arthur's disgust. This allows him to supplant Hosea and Arthur as Dutch's NumberTwo [[spoiler:after the former's death and Dutch's growing mistrust towards the latter]].
* PsychoPartyMember: Micah is the most psychotic and deranged member of the Van der Linde gang by a pretty wide margin. Perhaps best illustrated when Micah turns his prison break into a killing spree that ends with half of Strawberry dead. Arthur hates and mistrusts him for this, [[spoiler:and his suspicions end up proven right when Micah is revealed to be the Pinkertons' rat and the cause behind the Van der Linde gang's destruction.]]
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His most representative colors are red and black, an indicator of evil.
* TheRival: Throughout the game, Micah and Arthur compete with one another for the position of Dutch's right-hand man and advisor. [[spoiler:Micah becomes Arthur's nemesis as Dutch ends up siding with Micah, leading to the gang's ultimate destruction.]]
* SatanicArchetype: He is an ally to the gang, only to secretly betray them. He can effortlessly manipulate an insane Dutch easily, which drives the gang into endless violence and leads to its destruction. [[spoiler: When violently confronting the main protagonist, he openly gloats about what he did while mocking them, and even in death, his actions haunt the gang, as it results in the feds finding John]].
* ShadowArchetype: Micah is essentially the personification of everything Arthur either hates about himself or wants to avoid being (especially the latter). He has a violent streak a mile wide, cares far more about himself than he does the gang, expresses racism towards even his own allies, and, most of all, [[spoiler:serves as TheCorrupter to Dutch who hastens his SanitySlippage rather than encouraging him to see reason]].
* SmugSnake: Good ''Lord'', yes. Micah knows he's in tight with Dutch and treats everyone else - and we mean ''everyone'' - like absolute shit, because he knows he can get away with it.
* TheSocialDarwinist: He brags about how there are only winners and losers in life and justifies his selfishness as him being a "survivor".
* TheSociopath: A textbook example, showing all the signs and then some. Plain and simple, he cannot resist pulling the trigger, possesses abhorrent selfishness, [[LackOfEmpathy zero empathy]], a penchant for manipulation, and pathologically violent behavior. Unfortunately for him, [[spoiler: he's also completely unaware of how far people will go to hunt him down in revenge as shown in the epilogue, which perhaps also speaks towards his LackOfEmpathy]].
* SoftSpokenSadist: What makes Micah downright eerie is not the bombastic flair of his fellow gang members, but how he often remains chillingly calm even at his worst.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:His death was what helped to kickstart the events of the first game. Because John came out of hiding to hunt Micah down, he once again brought himself under the radar of the Pinkertons, and allowed Edgar Ross to track him down.]]
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Downplayed. Throughout the game he works closer and closer to Dutch to rise up the gang hierarchy and acts as a rival to Arthur in regards to being TheDragon to Dutch. All the while he's playing the role of a negative influence on a Dutch and is ultimately revealed to be disloyal to the gang as he's the one who's been ratting them all out to the Pinkerton's leading to some of their deaths or near deaths, and the gang ultimately disbanding. As we see in the epilogue, Micah went on to start his own gang even taking over from Dutch and replaces Colm [=O'Driscoll=]. He still enters a VillainTeamUp with Dutch, who by then is but a shell of his former self.]]
** [[spoiler:Players can find a wanted poster of Dutch in Micah's old camp near Strawberry, implying that Micah does intend on betraying Dutch.]]
* StrawNihilist: At one of the camp's parties he goes on a lengthy rant about how life is a meaningless series of events and sensations between birth and death, with no hope of salvation or point to doing good.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
** His AxCrazy tendencies brings to mind Trevor Phillips from Rockstar's previous title, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''.
** Within the setting of ''Red Dead Redemption'' itself, he appears to be one to Bill Williamson from the first game, who in the prequel comes off as a nicer person in comparison.
* TeensAreMonsters: A newspaper excerpt from 1877 documents a crime committed by a 17 year old Micah and his father. They committed a double homicide, then hung the bodies from the rafters with their throats slit. There's no doubt he was an EnfantTerrible too.
* TokenEvilTeammate: In a gang full of outlaws and con-artists, Micah stands out from the rest as the most unhinged and trigger-happy of the lot. [[spoiler:And that's ''before'' he's revealed as the traitor.]]
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Micah acts as one to Dutch, manipulating his eroding sanity to get him to commit worse and worse acts. [[spoiler:In the end, the "friend" part is subverted as he sells out the entire gang to the Pinkertons, Dutch included.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:After Dutch finally sees Micah for the piece of shit that he really is, he silently refuses Micah's offer to escape together and leaves him. This leaves the normally unflappable Micah in rage as he futilely calls back to Dutch, even if only for a brief moment.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:His status as gang's TheMole and the FinalBoss of the game]] are major spoilers of the game.
* WeCanRuleTogether: He tries to persuade [[spoiler:John Marston to join him in the epilogue after getting in a standoff while using Sadie as a human shield. Given that he's just tried to kill John and threatened to kill Abigail and Jack afterwards, it's pretty clear this is only a ploy so John will lower his gun and Micah can kill him.]]
* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:By the time John Marston hunts him down, Micah is wanted for the murder of a girl and during their last confrontation, implies he'd go after Jack as well. He is also wanted for killing a family, but in that case the child managed to escape.]]
* YesMan: An intentional example. He always supports Dutch's decisions, regardless of how suicidal or poorly planned they turned out to be. [[spoiler:This is because Micah is secretly working with the Pinkertons, and is trying to undermine the gang's every move.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Molly O'Shea]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/molly_oshea___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Penny O'Brien

->''"You're playing a dangerous game."''

A native Dubliner, Molly is Dutch's current lover but a life on the run is taking a toll on her.

* AlphaBitch: She thinks that as Dutch's mistress that doing work like the rest of the women is beneath her.
* ClingyJealousGirl: She's possessive of Dutch, and suspects him of pursuing something with Karen.
* DishonoredDead: [[spoiler: Since she's branded a traitor, her corpse is burned and she is the only deceased member of the gang to not get buried in a grave.]]
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Arthur can potentially be nice to her, but if he does (and he might not) he's the only one. She isn't liked by the rest of the women, from a combination of being Dutch's latest flame and acting like she's above having to pull her own weight around camp. [[spoiler:Few people mourn her death, though that's mostly because they think she's a traitor.]]
* HiddenDepths: You can find a poem by her in the camp. At least part of her frustration comes from Dutch refusing to take her seriously, even though she's clearly intelligent.
* InVinoVeritas: [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}}. She drunkenly claims to have ratted out the gang before the Saint Denis heist, and the gang doesn't have much reason to doubt her. Some time later, Agent Milton reveals that Molly never actually talked despite their attempts to intimidate her - her drunken "confession" was just a cry for attention.]]
* TheLoad: She refuses to do any work at camp and exists solely as Dutch's mistress, and becomes angry at him when she thinks he's not paying enough attention to her.
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: [[spoiler:She drunkenly declares to the gang that she ratted them out before the Saint Denis bank robbery, out of spite for Dutch ignoring her. She didn't actually do it, but the claim alone is pretty crazy and ultimately gets her killed.]]
* MeaningfulName: A 'moll' is a gangster's girlfriend, and Molly is the girlfriend of Dutch, a gang boss.
* TheMistress: She's Dutch's latest lover.
* {{Oireland}}: If the name wasn't enough, she has a thick Irish accent and her profile in the hardcover version of the official guide says she came to America straight from Dublin.
* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Because Molly was outed as the one who tipped Milton and Ross off back in Saint Denis, the player thinks the traitor's been dealt with once and for all, right? Wrong. Right before he's shot, Milton tells Arthur that Molly never talked - their speedy intervention in the Saint Denis heist was pure luck. ''Micah,'' however...]]
* ReplacementGoldfish: Despite being Dutch's mistress, he holds less affection for her than he does for [[TheLostLenore Annabelle]]. She doesn't take that well, to say the least.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Is shot in the chest by Miss Grimshaw with a shotgun for her alleged betrayal. Sadly, it turns out that she wasn't the traitor at all.]]
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Her entire character revolves around her love for Dutch.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:Despite her limited screentime, Molly's death scene establishes two things that end up sealing the fate of the Van der Linde gang. First, Arthur asking Dutch to spare her despite the gang's harsh rule against traitors convinces Dutch to isolate himself from his adopted son. Second, her drunken lie that she was Milton's informant keeps Micah, the actual rat, safe.]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Outside of being Irish and Dutch's latest mistress, we hardly know anything about her compared to the rest of the crew. Even when talking to her appears to start a key mission, she's immediately interrupted by Bill and pushed to the side.
* WomanScorned: She claims that Dutch ignoring her is what caused her to [[spoiler:leak information to the Pinkertons. Subverted when it turns out she lied and the claim was just a drunken cry for attention.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orville Swanson]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rdr2_artwork_characters_reverendswanson_2252_1600.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Sean Haberle

->''"You got to love yourself a fire. It's one of the blessings. Sure we can have fire... and you can have the knowledge of fire, but with that comes the knowledge of everything."''

A former clergyman who lost his way in life. After saving Dutch's life during some untold incident in the past, Dutch decided to return the favor and asked him to ride with the gang.

* TheAlcoholic: Even among the gang's standards, Swanson is a loud, obnoxious drunk.
* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: One of his drunken antics almost got him and Arthur run over by a train.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He lost his job, his family and his faith because of his addiction.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:After years of addiction, losing his original family and seeing his surrogate family fall apart, Swanson gets clean and ends up working as a successful priest in New York.]]
* FunctionalAddict: Kinda. Before joining the gang, he fell into a morphine addiction after trying to relive some back pain. Morphine led to him adding opium to the mix. Both led him to losing his family, his livelihood, and his faith. By 1899, he's apparently kicked both morphine and opium, but replaced those with alcohol so he can forget those days.
** However, his Bible is hollowed out and hides a syringe. He falls off the wagon at least once during a party in Shady Belle, held when [[spoiler: Jack is rescued]].
* TheGoodShepherd: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, Swanson has become a respected priest in New York.]]
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:He actually sobers up, changes his life and is smart enough to leave the gang before they all die. As of the epilogue, he is a respected priest in NY.]]
* IOweYouMyLife: Swanson earned his place in the gang after he saved Dutch's life at some point.
* LargeHam: While he's an alcoholic, no one in camp hams it up the way he does. It's a totally different story when he sobers up, as he becomes much more thoughtful and realizes just how bad his behavior has been.
* TheLoad: Swanson spends most of the game as a drunken burden on the group, only tolerated because he saved Dutch's life in the past. [[spoiler:That all changes when Dutch and half the gang goes missing following the failed Saint Denis bank robbery. Swanson cleans up his act and actually keeps the gang alive until their leader can return.]]
* OopsIForgotIWasMarried: In a chat with Hosea, he reveals that he was once married, but didn’t know that his ''wife'' was already married.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: After sobering up, he realizes that Dutch is too dangerous to be around with, and sneaks away from the camp. Arthur coincidentally meets him waiting for a train, and gives his approval.]]
* Whiskey
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sadie Adler]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sadie_adler___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Nobody's taking nothing from me ever again."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' Alex [=McKenna=]

->''"You're the only one o' these fools I trust!"''

Once a homesteader near the Grizzly Mountains, Sadie lost everything when the O'Driscoll gang killed her husband and razed her ranch to the ground - and were it not for Arthur and Dutch's intervention, she would've lost her life, too. With nothing left to lose, she picked up her guns and joined the gang in search of vengeance.

* ActionGirl: After [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]] in Chapter III.
* AxCrazy:
** [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], and she does [[CharacterDevelopment get better]], but for a while Sadie is ''not'' someone you want to cross. As time goes on and she learns to both control her rage and mourn her husband, this goes away almost completely. She's still remarkably skilled with violence, but it's professional.
** This is ultimately {{Deconstructed}} by the conclusion. Despite her adherence to violence come the middle of Chapter 3 potentially being seen as liberating, it's made ''very'' clear that Sadie is mentally unwell following her husband's gory demise and her awful treatment at the hands of the O'Driscolls. Her desire to commit violent acts is clearly her lashing out at the world for taking away a husband she loved and a life she was genuinely happy with, and her failures to make more positive interpretations of her trauma (as well as the gang's failure to help her get over it) lead her to committing violence just to cope. [[spoiler: When you meet her following the TimeSkip, she admits that she only hunts bounties for the fun of it- following the collapse of the gang, she has nothing left to live for, and is last seen as a ghastly image of rage and hatred. Getting revenge for Arthur, at least, seems to calm her somewhat.]]
* BadassLongcoat: [[spoiler: Sports a black duster coat after the TimeSkip.]]
* BerserkButton: If an O'Driscoll even looks in her direction, she will start an altercation with them.
* BloodIsTheNewBlack: Sadie gets ''splattered'' with blood when [[spoiler: she and Arthur kill the remnants of the O'Driscolls, as her means of getting revenge.]]
* BloodKnight: Once she decides to join the gang in their criminal activities, it's clear that she really enjoys fighting and killing, especially if her opponents are O'Driscolls.
* BountyHunter: [[spoiler:After the TimeSkip, she spends most of her time chasing criminals, and she's oddly [[ConsummateProfessional by-the-book about it, too]].]]
* BraidsOfAction: After becoming a more active member in the gang, Sadie ties up her blonde hair into a single braid for the rest of the story.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:After finally tracking down Micah with John and Charles, she decides to leave the country for a somewhat quieter life in South America.]]
* CrusadingWidower: Joins the gang after her husband was murdered. While she doesn't do much crusading at first, once the grief passes, [[ItsPersonal she gains a burning hatred for the O'Driscolls]].
* DarkActionGirl: Once she becomes determined to take part in the gang's actions, Sadie becomes a badass fighter, and also worryingly bloodthirsty.
* DeadpanSnarker: When not violently lashing out, Sadie has shades of this, [[HypocrisyNod especially when questioning the Van der Linde's gangs supposed double-standards]] - for example, when she and Arthur make what is effectively a shopping trip during her first mission, she sarcastically asks if the "shopping trip" is just going to be another robbery, before jokingly (well, [[SanitySlippage hopefully jokingly]]) asking Arthur if she can help by ''killing the shopkeeper for him''. [[spoiler: In the final battle with Micah, she tells him to come out from hiding, telling him he should "[[DirtyCoward At least DIE like a man!]]"]]
* DeathSeeker: She matter-of-factly admits that the reason she's so hotheaded and reckless is because she wants to die and has had nothing to live for since her husband's death. It's never really confirmed if this is gone [[spoiler: by the time she leaves the country, but she seems in a better mental place after John and Abigail's marriage.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:The epilogue has her attaining some relative measure of peace following Micah's death and John and Abigail's marriage. She says her intentions afterwards are to move to South America for a (comparatively) less violent life.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: [[spoiler:As a bounty hunter in the epilogue, she refuses to betray her clients when her bounties offer her more money. Mostly because her business requires her employers to have a certain level of faith in her integrity.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: From an unassuming farmer's wife, to a feared bounty hunter.
* {{Expy}}: Sadie is one of Film/HannieCaulder, right down to their origin story, having lost their husband and becoming a VengefulWidow to hunt down her husband's killers.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: After the O'Driscolls rape her and murder her husband, Sadie's desire for vengeance takes her to some dark places which she never fully recovers from. Her bloody crusade against them causes a lot of destruction and endangers herself, the gang, and costs at least one innocent man his life. She seems aware of this, as her fight against the O'Driscolls has her screaming that she used to be a good person and they "ruined" her. [[spoiler:Even after she ensures Colm's death and eliminates the last remnants of his gang, she's still fairly ruthless.]]
* HystericalWoman: She spends most of Chapter I in tears from the trauma of her husband's death and the O'Driscolls' [[RapeAsBackstory treatment]] of her, and spends Chapter II alternating between cold indifference and outright hostility towards the gang - not unjustly, considering that they basically kidnapped her. She [[TookALevelInBadass grows out of it]] by Chapter III, though by then she's developed some [[AxCrazy other issues.]]
* KnifeNut: She knows how to shoot as well as the other gang members, but has a special penchant for blades. It's pretty badass, but also an indicator that this visceral, intimate method of killing belongs to a person who is... [[AxCrazy not dealing with her anger issues well]].
* TheLancer: Shares this role with Charles. She trusts Arthur with her life, encourages him to fight for himself, [[spoiler:honors the promise to keep the Marstons safe and ends up going with him to save Abigail in the final mission.]].
* TheLeader: [[spoiler:After the botched bank job in Saint Denis leaves Dutch and all the gang's senior guns either dead, stranded abroad, or in prison, she takes charge of the gang, quickly moving camp to a secluded spot in the swamp and setting a trail of clues in case Dutch and the others return. It's openly stated they survived primarily because her and Swanson stepped up.]]
* TheLostLenore: A rare male example in the form of her deceased husband, Jake. No matter what she does and who she becomes in the years to follow, she ''never'' speaks about him with anything less than unconditional love and respect.
* MadeOfIron: If you can survive being [[spoiler: impaled by a ''Bowie knife'' (which is practically a [[{{BFS}} machete]], by the way) through the stomach, ''still'' fight your way halfway up a mountain, then ''all the way back down'', then heal up without any disability at all]], you are every inch of this trope.
* NewMeat: She joins the gang during the introductory missions and spends a lot of the game's first two chapters grieving and learning the ropes.
* OneOfTheBoys: Once she's done grieving, she insists on joining the men in their work rather than helping around camp with the other women, saying that she and her husband shared ''all'' the work on their farm and that she intends to do the same with the gang.
** Initially her insistence on becoming this annoys the male members, even Arthur tries to dissuade her. Eventually she proves her worth and becomes one of the most respected members of the gang and a close friend of Arthur and John.
* RapeAndRevenge: It's implied the O'Driscolls who killed her husband also raped her, triggering her RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the gang which only ends with the group's destruction.
* RapeAsBackstory: It is ''heavily'' implied that the O'Driscolls who killed her husband raped her repeatedly during the three days they were camped at her homestead.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: She [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this after Chapter 2, ditching her dress for a shirt and pants to prove herself to the men in the gang. She doesn't abhor dresses, but wears them out of practicality.
** [[spoiler: During the game's credits, however, Sadie is shown wearing a dress during and after the Marstons' wedding. She wears her fancier bounty clothes again when she departs following that.]]
* RevengeBeforeReason: After Sadie is hardened enough to voluntarily ride out with the gang, her hatred for the O'Driscoll's often gets the better of her and she ends up bringing trouble upon herself and those around her. It should be noted she ''can'' be reasonable and even level-headed enough to help direct people, but it all goes out the window when an O'Driscoll is near.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: She eventually lapses into one against the O'Driscolls, as vengeance for her husband's murder. [[spoiler:In the Epilogue, she goes on another against Micah, with John and Charles at her side.]]
* SanitySlippage: The trauma of losing everything to the O'Driscolls and living with a gang of outlaws drives her to a dark place. This is most notable in her first mission, where in an argument with [[CampCook Pearson]] [[StayInTheKitchen about him forcing her to help him cook just because she's a woman]], she ''[[DisproportionateRetribution threatens to rip his guts out with a carving knife]]''. During [[spoiler:the O'Driscolls' assault on the Shady Belle camp, she butchers several of the attackers with a knife before charging into danger with her rifle, intent on slaughtering as many of them as possible, and during Colm O'Driscoll's hanging, she coldly tells the O'Driscoll she's holding at knife-point that he now knows what it's like to see someone they love die after Colm is hung, [[MoodSwinger before she starts screaming in angered anguish]] [[ImpromptuTracheotomy while stabbing him through the throat]], shooting the O'Driscoll Dutch was holding at gunpoint [[BoomHeadshot in the head]], and [[BlastOut starting a bloody firefight with several members of O'Driscoll's gang then and there]], just so she could satisfy her RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]] [[spoiler:After hunting down Micah in the epilogue, she has mellowed out somewhat.]]
* ShipTease: Notably this doesn't begin to appear with Arthur until very late into the story. The two get along quickly by the time she makes herself an active gun for the gang, and by the 11th hour of the story, Sadie even refers to Arthur as "Honey," and "Dear". [[spoiler:After finishing off the last O'Driscoll holdout, Sadie privately tells the terminally ill (high honor) Arthur that he is the best man she has met since her late husband.]]
* SignificantWardrobeShift: She sheds her dress for a shirt and pants during her first mission, [[OneOfTheBoys to prove she's equal to the other men in the gang]]. [[spoiler: After Dutch's gang collapses after the final mission, she's shown sporting [[BadassLongcoat an all-black duster coat]], showing she's become a bounty hunter hunting down criminals, ESPECIALLY Micah and his men.]]
* StockholmSyndrome: While their intentions were noble, the gang ''did'' more or less kidnap her and force her into their outlaw life.
* TomboyishVoice: Out of all the women in the gang, Sadie has a noticeably scratchy and coarse voice.
* TookALevelInBadass: She spends the first two chapters mourning her husband's death and recovering from the trauma of the O'Driscolls' raid on her farm. Once she recovers, she decides to prove her worth by helping the men with their work, and by Chapter IV is an active gunfighter. As mentioned above in AxCrazy, this is [[ThePowerOfHate likely not meant to be seen as a good thing.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: To Arthur. He's the only she truly trusts and has his back, [[spoiler: and in the final mission she even tries her damndest to get Arthur alive out of the whole mess]]. Notably, if Arthur refuses to go with her to hunt O'Driscolls, she still agrees to his request to [[spoiler:get John, Abigail and Jack to safety and possibly steal the money from Dutch]].
* UnknownRival: While she's consumed with vengeance against Colm O'Driscoll and his gang, there's little evidence to suggest that Colm has any idea who she is or why she's after him. [[spoiler:The only time they encounter one another personally is when he's about to be hanged and he sees that she, Dutch and Arthur have ensured his men won't save him.]]
* VengefulWidow: Bears a deep-seated grudge against the O'Driscolls for the death of her husband.
* VillainousRescue: The recipient of one - Arthur, Dutch, and Micah came to her homestead with the intention of robbing it, only to find the O'Driscolls ransacking the place, and decided to step in and help instead.
-->'''Arthur:''' Miss, it's okay, alright? We're bad men, but... [[EvenEvilHasStandards we ain't]] ''[[EvenEvilHasStandards them.]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sean [=McGuire=]]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sean_macguire___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Michael Mellamphy

->''"Just leave it to me. I can talk a dog off a meat wagon."''

Coming from a long line of criminals and stick-up men from Ireland, Sean and his father fled to America but lost his father after the latter was killed in his sleep. He met Dutch after unsuccessfully trying to rob his pocket watch in an alleyway. He is one of the two who managed to get separated from the group following the Blackwater heist.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Though they're not related by blood, he has this relationship with Arthur, [[spoiler:which Arthur admits following Sean's death.]]
* BadassInDistress: He gets taken captive following the failed Blackwater heist, resulting in the gang needing to save him from bounty hunters.
* BelligerentSexualTension: Once he returns, he and Karen exchange drunken barbs and flirtations before engaging in a hook-up.
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:Is killed by a surprise shot to the head by the Grays.]]
* TheCameo: Appears in Red Dead Online as a mission giver.
* DumbassHasAPoint: Before Sean and Arthur infiltrate the Grays' household to burn their tobacco fields, Sean expresses concern that the Grays would recognise Arthur, considering that Arthur had previously done business with them. [[spoiler:This is what ends up biting the whole gang in the ass later on, and Sean ends up being the first victim.]]
* FightingIrish: An Irish member of an outlaw gang.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Gets sniped by the Grays in the middle of his response to Arthur saying this doesn't feel right.]]
-->'''Sean:''' Oh, it ''don't feel right?'' I could'a tol-
* HiddenDepths: Despite being a loud drunk and less of a gunslinger than the other members, he's actually quite a competent planner and surprisingly careful thief.
* TheLoad: He was considered as such by the gang, which is why John and Arthur didn't want him partake in the train robbery until he insisted. He ends up having to be saved by Arthur from the train guards. However, he does pick up the slack in the gang's other jobs, and eventually ends up proving himself not only as a decent gunman, but as a competent ally. [[spoiler: This makes his sudden and brutal death a major PlayerPunch.]]
* {{Manchild}}: He is definitely the least mature of the active members of the gang.
* MotorMouth: If there's one thing Sean's good at, it's talking. Even when everyone would like him to stop.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Unlike the majority of the gang, led by the cultured and well-read, Dutch, Sean is one of the few who's illiterate.
* {{Oireland}}: Some previews have described him as this, and has a pronounced Irish accent.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:He's the first of the gang since the start of the game to bite the dust, signalling the start of how things will go FromBadToWorse for the gang.]]
* SlapSlapKiss: Has one with Karen immediately after his return to the gang. He drunkenly flirts with her, which results in an argument, before the two go to a nearby tent for a quick business.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:Sean's death comes out of nowhere when he's sniped mid-sentence by the Grays.]]
* VitriolicBestBuds: Despite being openly irritated by his incessant talking and bragging, Arthur does show he cares about Sean in his own way. [[spoiler: He's quite visibly upset at his death, insists Bill take his body to bury him properly, and remarks on him fondly as a younger brother figure while mourning him in his journal.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Simon Pearson]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pearson___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Jim Santangeli

->''"The people are happy and well fed. I think perhaps we'll be ok."''

The camp cook and butcher of the Van der Linde gang, Pearson did a short stint at sea before moving to the West. Getting himself into trouble, he was saved by Dutch who took him under his wing. He is a loud and jolly degenerate who puts on a brave face, but is somewhat in denial about the turn his life has taken.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He seems to love his aunt Cathy enough to send her regular letters.
* FatherNeptune: Pearson would very much like to be seen as this and constantly whines about not being a land creature. However, the gang is aware his stint at sea was shorter and less eventful than he likes to tell.
* FatBastard: He's fat and officially a criminal due to his allegiance to Dutch. Though he's actually a NiceGuy in person, allegiances aside.
* TheHeart: Tries to keep morale up in Chapter 6 alongside Grimshaw.
* HiddenDepths: He's a skilled concertina player, and has a decent singing voice.
* LethalChef: Ironic, given his role in the gang. A lot of people joke of how bad his cooking really is, though John thinks that at least it’s not as bad as Abigail’s.
* NiceGuy: He's jovial, friendly, and just trying to help the gang out.
* ReformedCriminal: [[spoiler:By the epilogue, he's taken over the Rhodes General Store.]]
* RefusedByTheCall: In a way. His father and grandfather were both sperm whale hunters and he wanted to continue the family legacy. But by the time his schooling was done, whaling was dead career choice. So he ended up joining the Navy for a while.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Fearing for his life, he escapes with Uncle and Mary-Beth.]]
* TeamChef: He handles provisions for the gang.
* UnreliableNarrator: Arthur and Sadie take a letter to the post office for him and snoop through it, they find the contents to be this and rather amusing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Susan Grimshaw]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/susan_grimshaw___red_dead_redemption_2.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Kaili Vernoff

->''"I swear half of you would just rot in your own filth if nobody kept you in check."''

One of the most senior members of the gang, Susan Grimshaw was a former lover of Dutch but nonetheless remained friends and partners in crime. Tenacious and iron-willed despite losing her edge, she is a stern, mature woman who stands for no nonsense.

* AmicableExes: Used to be in a relationship with Dutch during the gang's early days. Even after the relationship ended, they still remained friends.
* DueToTheDead: [[spoiler:Charles returns to the camp to bury Arthur and Grimshaw]].
* DroppedABridgeOnHer: [[spoiler: In Arthur's last mission she is unceremoniously gunned down by Micah.]]
* IWasQuiteALooker: With a touch of SourOutsideSadInside. There is no lost love between Miss Grimshaw and the other girls, but she warns Mary-Beth that she too used to be pretty and laughed at an old hag until she became one herself. A photo of her in her youth can be found in the camp: beautiful, not scarred, and light haired.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She may be strict and no-nonsense, but she deeply cares for the well-being of her fellow gang members, especially the girls.
* LastNameBasis: It's rare to hear her called anything but "Miss Grimshaw" by the gang.
* MamaBear:
** For all her bad words, when any member of the group is in jeopardy, she will kill in cold blood whoever is a danger to them herself if the men can't do it. [[spoiler:Tilly's aggressors and Molly O'Shea would know about that.]]
** [[spoiler:During the MexicanStandoff with John and Arthur on one side, and Dutch's loyalists on the other, Grimshaw quickly takes her shotgun and sides with her surrogate sons.]]
* NeverMessWithGranny: [[spoiler: When Tilly gets kidnapped by a gang she used to run with, her first instinct is to pick up a gun and go after them... After she picked up [[OneManArmy Arthur]] of course. She also guns down Molly after she apparently reveals she betrayed the gang.]]
* PetTheDog: Berates Lenny and Mary-Beth for mocking Pearson’s cooking, saying that Pearson put effort in cooking it for them.
** During the party at Shady Belle, she spends most of it hanging around drinking and singing with Karen, who needs cheering up after [[spoiler: her on-and-off lover Sean is killed]].
** When Tilly starts having serious doubts about [[spoiler:Dutch near the end of the game, when the camp is all but falling apart]], Susan takes her aside and comforts her.
* TeamMom: A more stricter example than most but she oversees the camp activities, always reminding its member that there is work to do. Also, her actions during [[spoiler: the final standoff could be a case of this, because she most likely knew Arthur and John since the days the were just teenagers, her 'sons', in a way]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tilly Jackson]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tilly_jackson___redemption_2___artwork.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I used to dream a lot. Now, well..."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' Meeya Davis

->''"Most of us grew up hungry and scared and alone, one way or another."''

Raised as a criminal by a gang who kidnapped her at a young age, Tilly fled from her former gang after enduring years of abuse and was taken in by Dutch. Savvy, resilient and dependable, she can handle herself and doesn't hesitate to speak her mind.

* BandOfBrothers: Has been in the Van der Linde gang since she was twelve or thirteen years old.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: One of the nicest members of the gang, often polite and always down for a game of dominoes. [[spoiler: She also killed a man when she was a child and knows how to use a rifle.]]
* ChildrenForcedToKill: The exact specifics are unknown but she killed a member of the Foreman Brothers when she was part of their gang, and when his cousin comes looking for revenge, she says he had it coming. This would've been before she was adopted by Dutch at twelve or thirteen.
--->'''Arthur''': "We all loved you, Miss Tilly. Even them of us with cold hearts. You was the sweetest little thing we ever saw...and the saddest."
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Implied when she's [[spoiler:kidnapped by her former gang, wanting revenge for a member she killed.]] Foreshadowed early on when she's harassed in Valentine by a man who knows her full name.
* DeadpanSnarker: Gets a few good lines in, particularly around Arthur.
--->'''Tilly''': "If the Pinkertons could see you now. Killer, bank robber, dominoes player."
--->'''Morgan''': "Gotta keep them on their toes."
--->'''Tilly''': "Not the way you wanna get arrested, though. Imagine the newspaper headlines."
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:She ends up marrying a lawyer in Saint Denis some years after the gang breaks up, a man she describes as 'wonderful'. She also lives in a beautiful house and is upper-class enough to have her own servants, which she tells Marston in a letter is very surreal.]]
* HairDecorations: Wears an ornate blue and green brooch.
* HappilyAdopted: After fleeing her former gang she was picked up by Dutch.
--->'''Tilly''': "Dutch, he... found me, saved me, raised me, treated me right, taught me to read. He ain't perfect, but he's the closest I've met in this world."
* {{Irony}}: A random camp conversation can occur when the gang is in Saint Denis, where Tilly tells Arthur that she's scared to be so far down South because she is Black. [[spoiler: She ends up having one of the happiest endings, by settling down in Saint Denis with a lawyer.]]
* LeaveHimToMe: When she's kidnapped by her former gang leader, Anthony Foreman, she orders Arthur to bring him back alive so she can deal with him personally. As it turns out, she plans on sparing him, if only so he can tell his cousins and his men to leave her alone. Arthur can either abide by her wishes or gut him like a fish.
* SilkHidingSteel: Generally soft-spoken, feminine and affable. She's also running with a gang of notorious outlaws and won't hesitate to casually discuss poisoning the cup of someone who ticks her off.
* ShipTease: With Arthur. The two show multiple tender interactions throughout the game. Arthur regularly refers to her as 'Miss Tilly', is always happy to see her and goes out of his way to hold and console her after she's [[spoiler: kidnapped by former gang members]]. She's also one of two gang members Arthur chooses to confide in when things start to take a turn for the worse near the end of the game. The most potent might be [[spoiler: during the climax, when Tilly takes Jack to safety while Arthur tracks down Abigail.]]
--->'''Arthur''': [[spoiler: "You're a good girl. You live a good life now, you hear?"]]
--->'''Tilly''': [[spoiler: "All right, Arthur. I'll...I'll miss-"]]
--->'''Arthur''': [[spoiler: "Me too, sweetheart. Me too."]]
* TeamKiller: [[spoiler:She killed a member of her old gang before being adopted by Dutch as a child. According to her, he had it coming.]]
* TheFashionista: Always wears a brooch in her hair and sports a variety of colorful, feminine outfits. Often seen sewing in the camp.
* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:She's one of the few individuals who remained with the gang until the final heist. She only leaves after Abigail is kidnapped by the Pinkertons and takes care of Jack]].
[[/folder]]

!!! Temporary members
[[folder:Cleet]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' P.J. Sosko

Micah's old friend he brings in to assist the slowly dying gang on a robbery.

* AlasPoorVillain: Possibly. [[spoiler:Cleet claims that Micah tried to kill him after Cleet tried to stop him from murdering a little girl. While Sadie urges John to hang him anyway, the player can opt to spare him, only for Sadie to gun him down regardless.]]
* BlatantLies: [[spoiler:Once confronted by John in 1907, he claims that he has no idea where Micah is. Once his neck is literally on the line, he breaks and tells exactly where he is, before claiming that because he didn't actively participate in a murder of a girl, he is a good person. So not only does he lie about Micah, he was also covering up a girls death, and still has the guts to claim he is one of the good guys.]]
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: Once he realizes that the remains of Dutch's gang have found him, he bolts.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's friends with [[AxCrazy Micah]] and joins up with a gang of murderous outlaws, [[spoiler:but he tried to stop Micah from murdering a little girl.]]
* GuestStarPartyMember: Micah brings him in to help the gang for their final train robbery.
* LeanAndMean: Very lanky and tall, and not exactly the most pleasant guy out there.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted. He shares the name with a street urchin in Saint Denis that robs Arthur.
* PublicExecution: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, Sadie, Charles and John drag him to the gallows in Strawberry to interrogate him. Once he spills the beans the player can choose whether to hang him or not, though if John doesn't go through with it Sadie will just shoot him.]]
* TatooedCrook: He and Joe are the only characters seen with tattooos.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: [[spoiler:By the time of the epilogue, he and Micah had a falling out over moral issues. Namely, Cleet had morals and Micah didn't, which caused the latter to try to kill him.]]
* WouldNotHurtAChild: [[spoiler:According to him, the reason Micah tried to kill him is because Cleet tried to stop Micah from murdering a little girl.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joe]]
-->'''Voiced by:''' Ian Bedford

Another one of Micah's old friends brought to assist the gang on their last robbery.

* AscendedExtra: Barely makes much of an impact in the story mode, but becomes a mission giver in Online.
* BilingualBonus: He has a tattoo on his chest which reads "tout me fait rire," which in French means "Everything makes me laugh."
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:He is faced as an regular enemy in he final mission of the game. He doesn't stop Marston from reaching Micah.]]
* TheDragon: [[spoiler:In the epilogue, following the TimeSkip, he's become this to Micah. Not that this makes him any tougher for John to gun down.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He hates liars and is honest on who he kills, he actually gets upset when he is accused of murdering someone, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt because if he actually had killed them he would have admitted it.]]
* EvilVirtues: Honesty, Loyalty, and Bravery. He doesn't like liars, he stands by Micah despite everything, and [[spoiler: he's brave enough to try to take on a very vengeful John Marston, he fails miserably, but props for having the balls to try.]]
* GuestStarPartyMember: Micah brings him in to help the gang for their final train robbery, although Cleet does most of the work due to the plan not going as anticipated.
* MookLieutenant: [[spoiler:He's Micah's second-in-command once the latter started his own gang. He's just about as easy to kill as any other of his mooks.]]
* RealMenWearPink: He has a rocking horse in his cabin in Online.
* WrongGenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Seems to think him and a couple of friends will stop Marston where all others have failed. [[{{Mook}} John goes through all three like they're outhouse paper]].]]
[[/folder]]

!!!Posthumous members

[[folder:Annabelle]]

Dutch's former lover who was murdered by Colm O'Driscoll, contributing to the cycle of revenge between the two men.

* TheLostLenore: When Colm confesses that he never really liked his brother, Dutch makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he truly loved Annabelle. This causes Dutch's current lover, Molly O'Shea some angst that she's essentially her ReplacementGoldfish.
* PosthumousCharacter: She was killed long before the events of the game.
* StuffedInTheFridge: She was murdered by Colm purely to spite Dutch.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bessie Matthews]]

Hosea's deceased wife.

* HappilyMarried: From what Hosea says, the two were happy together and managed to make their relationship work, even if he was an outlaw.
* PosthumousCharacter: She's long dead prior to events of the game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Davey and Mac Callander]]

Davey and Mac Callander were a pair of brothers who were part of the Van der Linde gang. According to Charles, they were a "pair of vicious bastards." Both died in the aftermath of the failed Blackwater heist.

* DistractedFromDeath: Davey is clinging to life at the start of the game, but the characters trying to save him are too distracted to realize when he passes on until Abigail checks for a heartbeat.
* DueToTheDead: Davey is buried by the gang after his death and the player can visit his grave.
* PosthumousCharacter: Both of them. Davey clings to life at the very beginning of the story but doesn't make it past the introductory cutscene. Mac was presumed dead, but it turned out he survived the heist, only to be caught and killed by Pinkertons shortly thereafter.
* SiblingsInCrime: They were a pair of outlaw brothers who served as muscle in the same gang.
* WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied: Agent Milton mocks Arthur by mentioning that he and his men killed Mac slowly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jenny Kirk]]

Another member of the gang who died in the Blackwater disaster.

* DueToTheDead: Despite the fact that she died prior to the events of the game, the player can visit where the gang buried her.
* TheLostLenore: Downplayed but it's mentioned a few times that Lenny had a crush on her.
* PosthumousCharacter: Died before even the opening cutscene.
[[/folder]]

!!VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption
Characters (outside of the Van der Linde Gang) who first appeared in VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption, set in 1911-1914.

[[folder:New Austin Arc]]
!!Bonnie [=MacFarlane=]
[[quoteright:311:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9f31a4eeb3a89ae7566150b2acd30dd8.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:311:''"Change is only good when it makes things better."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Kimberley Irion

A {{Rancher}} that helps out John early in the game.

* ActionGirl: She is one of the few female characters capable of handling a gun.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: It's implied that by the last time she meets John, she develops a crush on him. However it seems that she's moved on by the epilogue, where it's stated that she's married.
* ChristmasCake: She's 29, which counts for that era.
* DeadpanSnarker: Like most characters, she has a dry wit.
* {{Expy}}: An ActionGirl rancher with a fondness for rifles. Seems a lot like Annie Stoakes from ''Red Dead Revolver''. She even has a similar appearance.
* NiceGirl: One of the friendliest characters that John meets in the game.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She's implied to have started falling for John when [[spoiler:he risks his life to save the ranch's horses when the barn is burning. Later, he saves her from being raped and hanged by thugs which likely added some RescueRomance to her feelings.]] Even Abigail notices it and pokes fun at John for being oblivious. As mentioned above, however, the epilogue implies that she eventually got over him.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Her wit, strong will, and outspoken nature make her this.

!!Drew [=MacFarlane=]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drew_macfarlane.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I've never once doubted my life here."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Chuck Kelley

Bonnie's father and the head of the [=MacFarlane=] ranch.

* BadassGrandpa: Given what he's survived, he certainly qualifies.
* DentedIron: Bonnie remarks that he is frailer than he looks, despite being built like a bull.
* DeterminedHomesteader: He has certainly seen it all.
* FireForgedFriends: With John.
* OutlivingOnesOffspring: The poor guy lost ''five'' sons; two to disease, one to a bar fight, one to attempting to milk a bull, and one to a gunshot wound to the head.
* {{Rancher}}: He has headed his own ranch for many years.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: We never do find out what exactly his fate was in the epilogue]].

!!Eli and Jonah
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5d57b62a625825ead63916f10e1ba395.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300: Eli on the left, Jonah on the right.]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Frank Noon and Brad Carter, respectively.

Two deputies in Armadillo. They accompany John and Marshal Johnson on a few early New Austin missions.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: Which Herbert Moon [[SarcasmMode helpfully]] points out.
* ButtMonkey: Often on the receiving end of John's jokes, especially Jonah.
* CluelessDeputy: Jonah in particular is as dumb as a post. Eli is at least a little more competent.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: They may look and act like incompetent buffoons, but they are definitely capable of holding their own in a fight.
* FatAndSkinny: In a bit of an [[InvertedTrope inversion]], the heavyset Eli seems to be smarter and more competent than the rail-thin Jonah.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Their brief screentime is largely comic relief.

!!Irish
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f9f02ecfc8f2958f8085c372939da70d.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"They say God invented whiskey to stop the Irish from rulin' the world."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' K. Harrison Sweeney

An arms dealer that John has to deal with as part of the assault on Bill Williamson.

* TheAlcoholic: John seems to never meet him while he's sober.
* ArmsDealer: He's a weapons salesman whose role is to get John access to a gatling gun for the assault on Williamson's fort.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday:
--> '''Marston:''' I'm the guy who saved you from gettin' killed back there and who you owe your life to, remember?
--> '''Irish:''' Not really, happens to me all the time.
* ButtMonkey: Bad things always happen to him, often due to his own drunken idiocy.
* DirtyCoward: Notably, he happens to be "late" during the assault of Fort Mercer, where even West Dickens and Seth fight for a bit. However, he'll fight back if he has absolutely no choice.
* FriendInTheBlackMarket: He's one of West Dickens' shadier contacts.
* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: [[spoiler:The epilogue states that he managed to get himself killed while [[TooDumbToLive drunkenly fiddling around with a gun]] in an outhouse.]]
* {{Oireland}}: He is an exaggerated drunken Irish stereotype.
* OnlyKnownByHisNickname: He's simply referred to as "Irish" by all other characters. [[spoiler:The newspaper in the epilogue simply refers to him as an unnamed Irishman.]]
* UndignifiedDeath: [[spoiler:Shot himself while drunkenly fiddling with a gun while in an outhouse.]]
* UngratefulBastard: His response to John saving his life is to send him off, unwittingly, to an almost certain death to avoid repaying his debt. He also tries to weasel out of his obligation to John by pointing out that technically, he didn't actually ''ask'' John to save his life.

!!Leigh Johnson
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4f71215d84b62df32b3b0a21453f830f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"My cause is to keep this town from turning into a living Hell for the folks who live here."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Anthony De Longis

The no-nonsense District Marshal of Armadillo.

* BadassGrandpa: He might be older, but there's no denying you shouldn't get on his bad side if you value your freedom, or your life.
* CoolOldGuy: Yes, sir.
* GunsAkimbo: In cutscenes only, unfortunately.
* KnightInSourArmor: Has quite a cynical view of Armadillo, but protects the town nonetheless.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: To an extent.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:According to the epilogue, he eventually retired as Marshal and moved as far away from Armadillo as he could.]]
* TheSheriff: Despite being a Marshal.

!!Nigel West Dickens
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2eb0191b29d1e5fbbe7dbfa405dc90a1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"This is America, where a lying, cheating degenerate like myself can prosper."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Don Creech

A traveling salesman and a self-proclaimed man of science.

* CowardlyLion: Say what you will about Mr. West Dickens. He may be a DirtyCoward, but he also [[spoiler: helps John with an assault on Fort Mercer, complete with shooting some of the enemies]].
* ForScience: He often claims to be a man of science, though it's clear that it's just a sales pitch.
* LargeHam: When trying to advertise his wares.
* LovableCoward: Of a sort -- he may be a swindler who often cowers behind schoozing and stronger friends when his lies come back to bite him, but he also volunteers a plan to help John face Williamson without being prompted or asked by John at all and is right there with him when the assault happens.
* NiceHat: His top hat.
* NotSoDifferent: He ''never'' lets John mock his line of work without pointing out John's own dubious past in return.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: His elixir may not heal any of the afflictions he claims, but it has a much-appreciated effect on Marston's Dead Eye abilities, permanently upgrading it to the second tier of use.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: If Bill thought that John was one for fancy words, just imagine if he met Nigel West Dickens.
* SmallNameBigEgo: He is a pompous con man who inflates his own ego and self-importance
* TheSmartGuy: For the plan to take Fort Mercer.
* SmugSnake: Arrogant and boastful, but is also obviously a con-man selling questionably-valuable wares.
* SnakeOilSalesman: Formerly the page image.
** Could also fall under WorstAid. It's ambiguous whether Mr. Dickens knowingly sells junk or actually believes in the stuff he's peddling, as he never gives up the act even when it's just him and the highly skeptical Marston. If we grant that the in-game cartoon about the dangers of medical science that '''WILL KILL YOU AND LEAVE YOU DEAD''' is about Dickens, it seems that the medicine technically could have useful ingredients, though apparently at the wrong dosages and with the wrong mixtures.
* TheStrategist: Despite seemingly being a hack, he ''does'' devise a plan to assault Fort Mercer that works like a charm, in addition to putting John in touch with the other characters who supply the equipment (namely, a [[MoreDakka gatling gun]]) to make it happen.
* VitriolicBestBuds: His relationship with John to an extent, particularly in Undead Nightmare, when they bid each other a relatively fond farewell. When John later sees West Dickens getting arrested in Blackwater, he gets Ross to pardon him.

!!Seth Briars
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/28b76453bb26e7550b73b88eac62294f.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I don't eat, I don't sleep, I don't wash, and I don't care."'']]

A maniacal treasure hunter that West Dickens sends John towards.

* DepravedBisexual: States that he's had a wife and child once while implying that his relationship with Moses Forth was more than just partners.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Subverted; while robbing a grave he expresses disgust at one of the corpses he exhumes [[BrotherSisterIncest laying with his sister]]... but that's just because he doesn't like women, full stop.
* HiddenDepths: He might be a treasure-crazed, cadaver-befriending wretch, but he had a wife, kids and business before he went mad. It makes you wonder about the man before the map. And he shows a surprisingly honorable side when he holds up his end of the deal, helping John get into the fort even after [[spoiler: the treasure is discovered to be nothing but a glass eye]]. Granted, John wasn't going to let him back out regardless, but Seth didn't make any attempt to dispute it or skip town.
* ILoveTheDead: He expresses his fondness for the company of corpses over the presence of people openly and affectionately. It mostly seems platonic, but some of his lines suggest a willingness to take it further.
* ThePigPen: He's absolutely filthy due to his maniacal, narrow-minded obsession with finding the treasure.
* ReverseMole: His role as part of the assault on Williamson is getting inside Fort Mercer and opening the gates for John and the others.
* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:The "treasure" he has Marston help him find turns out to just be a glass eye, upon which Marston forces him to fulfill his end of the bargain.]]
* ShoutOut:
** West Dickens nicknames him [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead Seth of the Dead]].
** In Undead Nightmare he also plays cards with his now undead friend Moses, in similar fashion [[spoiler: the ending of Film/ShaunOfTheDead shows Shaun playing video games with zombie-Ed]]
* ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler:In the epilogue it is mentioned that he actually found real treasure and became rich]].
** He also has a prominent role in the Undead Nightmare DLC and generally fares very well within the Zombie Apocalypse.

[[folder: Nuevo Paraiso Arc]]

!!Abraham Reyes
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ca6acb92b88518d24673a496d814b434.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I owe it to the future of Mexico to breed, my brother. If I can get noble blood flowing through the veins of peasants, can you imagine how great this country can be? An army of Reyes! Of Kings!"'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Josh Segarra

The leader of the [[LaResistance rebels]]. A charismatic son of nobles who proves to be not nearly as great as he says.

* AffablyEvil: He may be a power hungry wannabe-hero who manipulates civilians into helping him just so that he can take over Mexico, but he's very charismatic and polite. He even treats John as if he was his best friend, and unlike Allende, actually keeps his end of the bargain.
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Technically this for Undead Nightmare. He's the one who starts the ZombieApocalypse after taking an Aztec mask he thought would make him invincible.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Saves John from being executed by de Santa, returning the favor from earlier.]]
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: For all of Luisa's starry-eyed declarations about how Reyes is the savior of Mexico, his true character quickly becomes apparent mere moments after Marston rescues him; he's completely forgotten Luisa's name despite having led her into thinking he wants to marry her, announces he'll write a poem about his 'daring escape' that exaggerates both how many men were killed (he claims it was a hundred, when it couldn't have been more than a dozen or so at most) and his role in events (it was Marston who did the killing, and he was tied up all throughout), and when Luisa effusively thanks Marston for what he's done he makes a point of pushing Marston aside in a slightly jealous manner before beginning to serenade her as they escape. He's self-aggrandizing, self-centered, treats women like garbage while expecting their unquestioned devotion in return, and for all his heroic rebel man-of-the-people posturing is basically full of shit.
* GloryHound: The only thing he cares about is personal power and the women that come with it.
* FullCircleRevolution: [[spoiler:It's revealed in the epilogue that after leading the rebellion to victory and becoming Presidente, Reyes becomes just another tyrannical dictator.]]
* IGaveMyWord: At the least, he doesn't try to screw John over and [[spoiler:does end up helping him take down Escuella and Williamson]].
* {{Jerkass}}: It's pretty clear to John that Reyes is a man obsessed with power more than he is with actually doing any good. He also regularly cheats on Luisa, won't marry her because she's a peasant, and keeps forgetting her name [[spoiler: even after she dies trying to save his life]].
** Undead Nightmare reveals that he abandons all of the girls that he has sex with once they get pregnant. [[spoiler: And his selfish, greedy personality ends up causing the {{Zombie Apocalypse}} [[KarmicDeath as well as his own demise]] when he steals an Aztec mask because he thought it would make him invincible]].
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Though he's an AffablyEvil [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality ally to you during the story]], he still ultimately becomes a [[EvilOverlord tyrannical dictator]] by the epilogue and doesn't get any comeuppance. There's also the matter of how he led Luisa to an early grave without any remorse or concern.]]
** Averted in Undead Nightmare, [[spoiler: where him stealing the Aztec Mask causes him to turn into a zombie, and he is killed by John near the end of the game]].
* LargeHam: An absolutely DELICIOUS one.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: As well as being a classist with barely-hidden contempt for peasants, he hates the Chinese laborers and sees them as pests.
* ReallyGetsAround: Claims that it's his duty to spread his seed amongst his citizens as future Presidente. In Undead Nightmares it's mentioned that pregnant girls tend to be tossed to the nuns, however.
* TookALevelInJerkass: [[spoiler:See FullCircleRevolution above.]]

!!Agustin Allende
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8cfb430a3e37adb0eff292899d910284.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"We'll make a patriot out of you yet!"'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Gary Carlos Cervantes

The provincial governor of Nuevo Paradiso. A brutal tyrant with a love of sexual violence.

* AndShowItToYou: Allende has his soldiers kill Luisa's father by cutting out his heart and feeding it to the dogs.
* ArcVillain: Of the ''Nuevo Paraíso'' arc.
* TheCaligula: Known for kidnapping young women to serve in his personal harem.
* CoolSword: Never uses it though.
* ColonelKilgore: His general policy towards rebels is to kill everyone.
* DirtyCoward: Offers Williamson in return for his own life.
* EvilCounterpart: Is this to Reyes. Allende used to be a poor peasant once, eventually becoming a powerful figure in the Mexican army and living in a luxurious villa. This is a reflection of Reyes, who was born wealthy and is now leading the peasants in the revolution. On the other hand, when Marston finally meets Reyes the player quickly learns that, for all Reyes's trappings and pretensions towards being a man-of-the-people rebel leader, the two are actually NotSoDifferent.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He presents himself as a jovial and reasonable man to John, but it is established in no time that he is an absolute bastard.
* FeudalOverlord: For the part of Mexico that John is in, at least.
* HateSink: An absolutely depraved man without redeemable traits.
* TheHeavy: To Ignacio Sanchez. Sanchez is the actual leader of the Mexican Army, [[GreaterScopeVillain but he never gets directly involved in the story]] and [[TheGhost is never seen in the game]], while Allende personally leads the army and handles Sanchez's operations. He's also Reyes's main target instead of Sanchez.
* KillEmAll: His MO.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: His hobby is kidnapping and raping young women, and he's one of the most evil characters in the game.
* SerialRapist: He's infamous for having his men provide him with young women to brutalize.
* TheSociopath: He's an utter sociopath: remorseless, brutal, sadistic and self-centered.
* TreacherousQuestGiver: Had Bill Williamson under his protection the entire time, but instead of just turning him over, he tries to manipulate John into helping him out against the rebels. He later outright betrays John and tries to have him killed, though to be fair, this was after he discovered that John had been PlayingBothSides.
* WideEyedIdealist: So long ago, but he decided he preferred the easy life. In this way, he and Reyes are NotSoDifferent.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Tries to get John executed, but Reyes pulls a BigDamnHeroes.]]

!!Espinoza
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9f8563266c0a59538de90ba7114d1a00.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"We have men's work to do."'']]

One of Colonel Allende's two right-hand men in the war against the rebels.

* BadassInCharge: He is an incredibly efficient military commander and he always leads the charge on any battle he's fighting in.
* TheCaptain: It's his title.
* CoDragons: He is this to Allende with De Santa, although they are frequently at odds.
* EyepatchOfPower: He has an eyepatch and is far more hands-on than De Santa.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: When the rebels take Chuparosa, he refuses to flee and continues fighting from the town hall until Marston finally kills him.
* PsychoForHire: After defeating a rebel platoon in Tesoro Azul, he orders the village burnt and the deceased rebels' wives kidnapped and (most likely) raped to send a message to surviving rebels.
* RightHandVersusLeftHand: He severely dislikes De Santa and constantly competes with him for Allende's favor.
* VillainRespect: He appears to hold some degree of respect for Marston, most likely due to his prowess in combat. [[spoiler:Not that this stops him from helping Allende execute him.]]
* WeaponOfChoice: He asks John what his favorite weapon is as they ride towards Chuparosa. From his recurrent use of it, the Schoffield revolver appears to be his favorite weapon.

!!Landon Ricketts
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d0f83d65119e87f31ff2bd76b3af1212.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I was the fastest in my time. I must've been - I'm the only one left."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Ross Hagen

A retired American gunslinger, now residing in Mexico protecting the local townsfolk.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey: Ricketts is probably the closest to an actual hero the series has ever seen. He may be past his prime but he still tries to help people.
* BadassGrandpa: Despite his age, he is one of the best allies and one of the best fighters John has while in Mexico.
* BadassMoustache: OH HELL YES.
* BerserkButton: He despises seeing innocent people such as Luisa come to harm.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: He protects the people of Chuparosa from bandits, soldiers and revolutionaries, throwing himself into danger and dragging John right along. All he asks in return is a little hospitality and whiskey.
* {{Expy}}:
** His resemblance to Sam Elliot has been noted.
** He's also very similar to [[Film/ForAFewDollarsMore Colonel Douglas Mortimer]].
* KnightInSourArmor: He's a tired old man with blood on his hands and a cynical view of governments and revolutions alike, but damn if he's not determined to do what he can for the common folk of Chuparosa.
* LivingLegend: He was a famous gunslinger whose exploits are the stuff of legends.
* TheMentor: Helps John further improve his Dead Eye skills. [[spoiler: He later does the same for Jack.]]
* MightyWhitey: A retired American gunslinger who singlehandedly defends the citizenry of a quaint Mexican village from bandits and the local government.
* OneManArmy: In Undead Nightmare, he single handedly keeps Casa Madrugada safe from the Undead.
* PapaWolf: To the citizens of Chuparosa.
* RetiredGunslinger: Partially; While his days as a legend of the west are over, he also acts as the local protector of Chuparosa from bandits or Allende's men.

!!Luisa Fortuna
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8abb5b98f5eab58bc45a412a4cf57a0c.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"Don't worry about me, Mr. Marston. I am living in history. I am not afraid to die."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Francesca Galeas

A young schoolteacher and a member of Reyes' rebels, who she sees as a great hero.

* BigSisterInstinct: She's very protective of her little sister and asks John to help transport her somewhere safe rather than let her fall into Allende's clutches.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Inadvertently. She's ultimately TooDumbToLive, but her attempt at attacking the soldiers holding John at gunpoint distracts them long enough for John to retaliate and escape their trap]].
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Despite being an otherwise bright person, Luisa actually believes Reyes' lies and thinks that he honestly loves her when in actuality he can't even remember her name.
* LoveMartyr [[spoiler: She gives her life for Abraham and his cause. He doesn't particularly care.]]
* MoralityPet: For John. He helps her out not just to forward his own goals but because she's one of the few characters to not earn his contempt. He's also somewhat offended by the fact that Reyes can't even remember her name despite telling her that she will be his wife.
* NonstandardCharacterDesign: Whereas most of the RDR cast look realistic, Luisa looks like she came off a Mexican wall mural - her eyes in particular.
* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: Attacking a group of government soldiers with just a knife was a stupid move]].
* WideEyedIdealist: To the point of being blind to any of Reyes' faults. She also has trouble understanding that John doesn't care about the revolution as much as she does.
* YouKilledMyFather: She's always dedicated to overthrowing Allende, but she becomes even more determined after Allende had his men cut out her father's heart and feed it to dogs.

!!Vincente de Santa
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9988e1ba12fcc1506596c3f59b582354.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"You come to my country - my poor, little country - and you think you can be friends with the president?"'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Hector Luis Bustamente

One of Allende's two closest aides (allegedly). He openly supports the Colonel's methods.

* AffablyEvil: Despite strongly supporting Allende's brutal, harsh methods, he appears to be a somewhat jovial, friendly guy. At least before turning on John in his last couple of missions.
* DepravedHomosexual: Subverted; while his enemies claims that he is this trope, his [[TheDragon style of villainy]] and [[StraightGay general behaviour]] state otherwise.
** DepravedBisexual: What he does to women, on the other hand...
* DirtyCoward: Espinoza is certainly dismissive of his willingness to throw himself into danger, and he does appear to try and keep towards the back of the crowd whenever we see him go into action.
* DoWithHimAsYouWill: [[spoiler:A possible fate for him. If John decides not to personally kill him, he'll walk away and tell the rebels that he's all theirs, after which they'll proceed to perforate him with bullets.]]
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: When de Santa first meets John, he acts extremely hostile, to the point of having his soldiers aim their weapons at him. A few seconds later he bursts out laughing and explains that he was joking. John is less than amused.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy Expy]] : Whether this is deliberate or not, he really looks and acts rather similar to [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Scarface1983 Tony Montana]].
* TheDragon: To Allende. Well, not if you ask Espinoza....
* RightHandVersusLeftHand: He hates Captain Espinoza, and attempts to get him killed along with John by sending them against a large group of rebels equipped only with unskilled new recruits.
* StraightGay: While his homosexuality is strongly hinted at in his interactions with the drink pourer and openly mocked by his enemies, he fits this trope.
* SycophanticServant: He basically grovels towards Allende every opportunity he gets.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: West Elizabeth Arc (Warning: Major Spoilers)]]

!!Archer Fordham
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1195485775d78ed1180827c6986cbc67.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"Marston, you're a public menace; we should have had you killed."'']]

-->'''Voiced by:''' David Wilson Barnes

Ross' ambitious, eager and aggressive apprentice, who follows his orders no matter what.