Red Dead Redemption: Most Infamous Outlaws

May 2, 2024

Highlights

Outlaws like Javier Escuella and Bill Williamson meet violent ends due to their criminal lifestyles in
Red Dead Redemption
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Micah Bell’s betrayal and manipulation sow discord within Dutch’s gang, leading to tragic consequences for the group.
Characters like Dutch van der Linde and Arthur Morgan undergo complex transformations as they navigate the brutal world of outlaws.

Red Dead Redemption is a series that needs no introduction, with both games featuring some of Rockstar’s best storytelling to date. The idea of the age of outlaws fading away as America becomes a land governed by laws makes for a great setting that lets players sympathize with the ways of the old while understanding why these developments were important for society to evolve.

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While some outlaws in the game may seem sympathetic, there’s no denying that most of these characters have killed many innocents and committed their fair share of crimes that make them irredeemable in the eyes of anyone who isn’t biased. At the end of the day, an outlaw that is surrounded by violence is bound to share a grisly fate sooner rather than later, which just adds to their infamy. These outlaws from Rockstar’s franchise fit that description to a T.

6 Javier Escuella

A Mexican Outlaw Players Have To Hunt Down

First Appearance: The Gates of El Presidio (Red Dead Redemption), Outlaws from the West (Red Dead Redemption 2)

A man who faced countless injustices in Mexico, Javier felt drawn to the outlaw lifestyle because of how much he hated the systems that oppressed him time and time again. He joins the charismatic Dutch and the Van Der Linde Gang and becomes a stalwart member, with the downfall of a man he respected being hard for him to stomach.

Later on, he becomes a hitman for Colonel Allende and slowly loses his way, racking up a massive body count and coming into the crosshairs of the Pinkertons. They task John with taking out the members of his old gang, with one of them being Javier, and players can either execute him or string him up to be sent to the Pinkertons on a silver platter.

5 Bill Williamson

A Member Of Dutch’s Gang And Marston’s First Target

First Appearance: Exodus in America (Red Dead Redemption), Outlaws from the West (Red Dead Redemption 2)

A man with a turbulent past, Bill’s alcoholic father and military trauma forced him into a life of crime, leading to him eventually encountering Dutch during a botched robbery attempt. He is extremely loyal to the leader of the gang, sticking by him even when it’s clear that the many deaths of Dutch’s closest companions have left him a broken shell of a man.

By the time John is tasked by the Pinkertons to hunt down the former members of his group, Bill has formed a gang of his own and wounds his friend with a well-placed shot, leaving him for dead. However, John comes back and stages an assault on Bill’s gang before eventually forcing him down a path that leads to his demise, when Colonel Allende betrays him to try and save his own hide.

4 Micah Bell

Sows The Seeds Of Discord In Dutch’s Gang, Acting As A Mole For The Pinkertons

Micah Bell in Red Dead Redemption 2 Cropped

First Appearance: Outlaws from the West (Red Dead Redemption 2)

While most outlaws in the Red Dead Redemption series can still be likable or interesting to an extent, one character that fans hate with a vengeance is Micah Bell. The man has no problem killing innocents and actively shoves a wedge in the gang after he colludes with the Pinkertons while poisoning Dutch’s vulnerable mind.

Arthur Morgan and various Red Dead Redemption 2 NPCs in a snowy environment

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He is indirectly responsible for Arthur’s death, leading to Sadie and John embarking on a final mission to end this villain’s life once and for all. If Micah hadn’t been a member of Dutch’s gang, there’s no denying that the group would’ve been in a better place even after all the tragedies they’d faced on their journey.

3 Dutch Van Der Linde

The Charismatic Leader Of A Gang Who Slowly Loses His Way

red-dead-redemption-2-dutch-van-der-linde-detail

First Appearance: At Home with Dutch (Red Dead Redemption), Outlaws from the West (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Dutch van der Linde is one of the most fascinating characters Rockstar has ever devised. His natural charisma made him a born leader, looking over a group of outcasts as they struggled to survive in a world that had forsaken them in a bid to progress to a new age. Despite Annabelle’s death, Dutch still had a strong hold over the group and never failed to keep matters calm and collected when things were dire.

However, after Hosea’s death, something broke in Dutch. He stopped caring about innocents, gladly exploiting the headstrong nature of Native Americans to turn them into distractions he could use to further his own goals at all costs. This is a transformation that makes it harder for Arthur to respect the man he once looked up to, and it’s easy to see why John has personal issues with this man when he hunts him down and makes him pay for his atrocities.

2 John Marston

Seeks A Peaceful Life But Is Roped Into The Outlaw World

red dead redemption john marston on horse

First Appearance: Exodus in America (Red Dead Redemption), Enter, Pursued by a Memory (Red Dead Redemption 2)

John Marston is a man who seeks to live a peaceful life with his wife and son, but his past catches up with him when the Pinkertons extort him to hunt down the remaining stragglers of his former gang. Given how chaotic players can be while playing Rockstar’s open-world games, it’s easy to see why John’s body count is staggering in every way.

Low Honor playthroughs can make him even harder to relate to, with this outlaw being positively heinous in some instances. Still, even at his lowest, Marston is one of the most engaging video game protagonists of all time, and a great character that players control in his quest for redemption and to live with his family once again.

1 Arthur Morgan

Arthur’s Infamy Can Be Positive Or Negative Depending On The Player’s Actions

First Appearance: Outlaws from the West (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Arthur Morgan is one of the most well-written protagonists in gaming history, with this character making a strong impression on players from the get-go. However, he’s also a playable character who can wreak absolute havoc wherever he wishes, killing innocents by the hundreds and racking up massive bounties that send both law enforcement and bounty hunters hot on his trail time and time again.

If players really want to turn Arthur into one of the most notorious characters in gaming history, then they should focus on a Low Honor playthrough. This causes his behavior to change in cutscenes, acting selfishly and focusing on himself at the cost of others. It may be painful, but players who have played through this wonderful game with High Honor will find it refreshing to interact with a version of Arthur who isn’t all goody-two-shoes and acts how most infamous outlaws did.