- "“We can’t always fight nature, John. We can’t fight change. Can’t fight gravity. We can’t fight nothin’. My whole life, all I ever did was fight … But I can’t give up neither. I can’t fight my own nature. That’s the paradox John, you see?....Our time has passed, John."
- ―Dutch van der Linde
Dutch van der Linde is a character in the Red Dead series who appears as the secondary antagonist of Red Dead Redemption, and the tritagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Dutch is the leader of a dangerous gang of outlaws, Dutch was born in May 18th, 1885 shortly after he misfits and vagabonds called The Van der Linde Gang, or sometimes called "Dutch's Boys" and the former mentor of John Marston, the game's protagonist, as well as Arthur Morgan, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella, two of the Red Dead Redemption's main antagonists.
In 1911, Marston is sent by government agents to kill his former brothers-in-arms, including Dutch himself. After dealing with Bill and Javier, John is sent to bring end to Dutch's crimes. Despite being hunted by the government, Dutch is able to make a bank robbery, and an attack on Harold MacDougal.
Finally, his base of operation, Cochinay, which is set on the highest mountains, is attacked by Marston, the government agents, and the American Army, and his base is destroyed while most of his men are killed in the progress.
Dutch himself is confronted by his former protégé, John, who chases him until Dutch is cornered near a cliff. After saying his piece, Dutch commits suicide, throwing himself from the cliff.
Dutch van der Linde was portrayed by Benjamin Byron Davis.
Background[]
Early life[]
Much of Dutch's early life is unknown, except the fact he was born around 1855 to Greta Van Der Linde and an unnamed father. At some point, Dutch founded his own gang after a chance encounter with Hosea Matthews, in which the two attempted to rob each other. Over time, Dutch collected many young people, including Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, Abigail Marston, Arthur Morgan and John Marston, whom he taught how to shoot and read.
Criminal life[]
Early during his life in the gang, Dutch was a rather idealistic man, taking money from rich people and giving it to the poor who had no money. Dutch supported individual liberty and punished general human cruelty and selfishness. His acts and persona inspired his gang into believing in his vision. Due to his philosophy, he and his gang committed crimes such as murder, robbery and other acts. Through all of this time, Dutch was always against the government, believing it limited the liberty of people who lived in the Old West.
Later life[]
As the time passed, Dutch slowly understood the failure of his cause. With the upcoming technology making it easier for the government to exert control over the people, liberty had given way to bureaucracy. The violence and greed of humanity had not stopped and no one was inspired by his example, and his work had ultimately changed nothing.
Dutch's idealism turned into extreme anger, and Dutch gradually deteriorated into madness, hiding his own pain through meaningless violence and an unfocused hatred of everything and everyone around him, which caused his brothers-in-arms to leave the gang, leaving him alone.
Lonely and upset, Dutch disappeared from the area for long years, and despite claims of sightings, was thought to have perished in a fire following a botched robbery in 1906.
In reality, Dutch survived the bank robbery. He began to live between, and inspired Native Americans to follow his cause to stop the upcoming government. The Native Americans followed him, despite hating white people, eventually re-creating a new Dutch's Gang, this time known as "Dutch's Tribe".
Events of Red Dead Redemption[]
Mentions[]
Up until the third part of the game, Dutch is only mentioned by major characters such as Marston, Williamson, and Edgar Ross. He is briefly mentioned by Williamson during his and John's first meeting in years. He is later mentioned in many of John's talks with other major characters.
Battle on Wreck of the Serendipity[]
- "We believe Van Der Linde is holed up with a group of renegades near the wreck of the Serendipity riverboat."
- ―Archer Fordham, refering to Dutch's possible location.
After the death of Williamson, as well the capture/death of Escuella, John returns to Blackwater. Ross says to John that his work is not yet done, and Dutch is the next target.
Ross and his partner, Archer Fordham, reveal that they have a possible location of Dutch, the "Wreck of the Serendipity'. The three drive to the wreck, only to find a beaten Nastas, a Native American who was once a member in Dutch's gang but sided with the government. It is revealed to be a trap
set by Dutch, having his men attack Marston and the agents. Despite the large group of men sent, Marston and the agents escape.
Blackwater bank heist[]
Dutch and John reunited.
- "You want the girl, John? You always were the romantic sort. You know, gentlemen, this man here, he married a whore. Used to ride with us. We all had her, but he married her, and you know that makes him a better man than us. He's a better man. Have the girl, John."
- ―Dutch's reunion with John, before fleeing the bank.
Dutch and his men attack the bank located in Blackwater. Ross, Marston and group of lawmen set in an opposite building, preparing to kill every outlaw that comes out the bank. A while later, Marston and two other lawmen rush to the bank, killing many of the outlaws, and finally confronting Dutch. Dutch holds a young woman and the bank manager in a gunpoint, and exchanges words with John.
After John tells him to release the girl, Dutch 'hand over' the woman, immediately executing her whit a headshot, and escapes with an automobile, with the bank manager still held as a hostage.
Marston and the group of lawmen chase Dutch to Tall Trees. During the chase, Dutch's automobile crushed, leading also to the death of the bank manager. Dutch flees from the scene, and sends his men to take down the lawmen. The ambush fails and Dutch's men are all killed.
==Personality==
Gallery[]
