Red Dead Redemption 2 Character Bios Detail the Van der Linde Gang

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Just yesterday, Rockstar Games released a number of character art images featuring the characters from their prequel Red Dead Redemption 2. Each piece of character art had a quote that gave some insight into these personalities, and Rockstar has attached bios to all of them.

Per Rockstar PR, here are these character bios:

Dutch van der Linde “They’re chasing us hard, because we represent everything that they fear.”
The leader of a sizeable gang of outlaws and misfits. Idealistic, anarchic, charismatic, well-read, well-lived, but possibly starting to unravel under the pressures of the encroaching modern world.
Hosea Matthews “I wish I had acquired wisdom at less of a price.”
A master con artist, gentleman and thief, Hosea has been Dutch’s closest friend and right-hand man for over twenty years. Intelligent and quick-witted, he can talk his way into, or out of, just about anything.
Molly O’Shea “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
A Dublin girl and the object of Dutch’s affection, for now at least, Molly is too high-strung for a life on the run and it’s all starting to take a toll on her.
Susan Grimshaw “I swear half of you would just rot in your own filth, if nobody kept you in check.”
The undisputed boss and arbiter of justice in the camp, everything would have fallen apart years ago without Susan in charge. Tenacious and iron-willed, she stands for no nonsense.
Pearson “The people are happy and well fed. I think perhaps we’ll be okay.”
The camp’s butcher and cook, Pearson served a short stint in the navy that he likes to talk about at length. A loud, jolly degenerate who is somewhat in denial about the turn his life has taken.
Micah Bell “I believe there’s winners and losers… and nothing else besides.”
A career criminal and hitman. Wild and unpredictable but he lives for the action.
Charles Smith “The amount of hell we’ve raised, we’re owed some back.”
A relatively recent recruit to the gang, Charles is quiet and reserved but extremely competent in everything he does and virtually unbeatable in a fight. A decent, honest man who also happens to be deadly.
Bill Williamson “Don’t try anything stupid and we won’t do anything unkind.”
An ex-soldier discharged from the army, possibly dishonorably. Hot headed, he tends to act first and think later but is tough, dedicated and always ready to fight.
Leopold Strauss “It’s a nasty world out there, and it’s catching up with us…”
Originally hailing from Austria, Herr Strauss is responsible for keeping the gang’s books and running their money lending operation. A serious, somewhat shifty and unemotional man, he has all the qualities a loan shark needs.
John Marston “Guess about all I got left now is doubts. Doubts and scars.”
Once an orphaned street kid taken under Dutch’s wing at the age of twelve, John has always had to live by his wits. Shrewd, fearless and strong-willed, he and Arthur are Dutch’s proudest protégés.
Abigail Roberts “If they so much as put one bruise on him I swear, I’ll bring the fires of hell on them myself.”
An orphan who grew up scraping out a living in dive bars and brothels in the West, Abigail is a strong, straight-talking woman who has seen a lot of life and knows what it takes to survive against the odds.
Jack Marston “Did you catch the bad guys?”
Young Jack has grown up with the gang, although everyone has done their best to shield him from the more nefarious elements, especially his mother Abigail. He loves everything about nature and the outdoor life, and is carefully watched over by his many aunts and uncles.
Karen Jones “Running scams, robbing banks, screwing over the rich and horrible.”
A consummate scam artist and trigger woman who can drink pretty much anybody under the table. Bold and full of fun, she loves the outlaw life and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Javier Escuella “If we have to fight, we fight. If we have to run, we’ll run. If we must die, we’ll die, but… we’ll stay free.”
A notorious bounty hunter and Mexican revolutionary. Javier immediately had a strong connection to Dutch’s ideals. Very committed, passionate and loyal.
Tilly Jackson “Most of us grew up hungry and scared and alone, one way or another.”
An outlaw from the age of 12, Tilly ran with another gang before joining up with Dutch. Savvy, resilient and dependable, she can more than handle herself and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
Uncle “People call me lazy. I’m not lazy. Just don’t like working. There’s a difference.”
A hanger-on and good-time guy, Uncle is always around when the whiskey is open and never around when there’s any work to be done. If he wasn’t so entertaining, Dutch would have cut him loose years ago.
Mary-Beth Gaskill “Gentlemen, I think I’ve got something good.”
A kind, good-natured young woman, which makes her the perfect criminal. By the time people realize they’ve been duped, Mary-Beth is already on her way home with the money.
Lenny Summers “Living free out here, like this… I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Young Lenny has been on the run since he was 15 years old after killing the men who murdered his father. Smart, educated, competent and ambitious, he is always ready to do his part.
Josiah Trelawny “How can romance ever be silly? It’s all we have.”
A flamboyant conjurer, conman and trickster, Trelawny is a very hard man to pin down but he’s always able to bring good leads.
Reverend Swanson “I had real suffering and I lost everything, my vocation, my faith, my family…”
An ex clergyman now lost to debauchery, Swanson has fallen a long way from the standards he once set himself. If he hadn’t saved Dutch’s life in the past, it’s unlikely the gang would have kept him around for this long.
Sean Macguire “Just leave it to me. I can talk a dog off a meat wagon.”
A cocky young Irish thief and stick-up man who comes from a long line of criminals and political dissidents. He always wants a piece of the action and believes in himself…perhaps a little too much.
Sadie Adler “Nobody’s taking nothing from me ever again.”
A widow who is hellbent on taking revenge upon those who killed her husband. Relentless and afraid of nothing and no one. The wrong woman to cross, but very loyal to those she loves.
Arthur Morgan “We’re thieves, in a world that don’t want us no more.”
Dutch’s most dependable and capable enforcer since he was a boy, the outlaw life is all Arthur has ever known. Sharp, cool-headed, and ruthless, but with his own sense of honor. A man who gets the job done.

Players of the first Red Dead Redemption will recognize characters like John Marston, and familiar antagonists like Dutch van der Linde, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuela. As players will be in the shoes of outlaw Arthur Morgan, these antagonists from the first game will be allies this time around.

While Morgan is the playable character, these bios indicate that much of the story will revolve around Dutch. Additionally, the fact that Morgan is described as a man “with his own sense of honor” highlights the choices that the player will have to make under the game’s morality system.

Red Dead Redemption 2 releases on Xbox One and PS4 on October 26. You can view some additional character art below. The game is available for pre-order on Amazon, in Standard, Special, or Ultimate Edition.