Van der Linde Gang Members Who Could Lead RDR3

Red Dead Redemption has more than proved itself as a franchise, where each protagonist has such an incredible story that is impossible to forget. When it came to Red Dead Redemption 2, players had to say goodbye to John Marston as a protagonist, which opened up a new path for a future protagonist in Red Dead Redemption 3 to be a gunslinger seen in a prequel or a sequel.

Whether players head back to the Van der Linde gang or not, there are so many interesting characters that would make for the perfect protagonist in Red Dead Redemption 3, with the potential for a sequel or a prequel running as high as a Grand Theft Auto 6.

Spoilers ahead for Red Dead Redemption & Red Dead Redemption 2

8

Sadie Adler

An Expert Bounty Hunter Who Grieves for the Loss of Her Husband

• Sequel or Prequel: Sequel

Sadie Adler is easily the prime candidate for a Red Dead Redemption 3, as it could serve as the perfect sequel after she left the Van der Linde gang. Sadie’s time as a bounty hunter could deal with the grief and rage she still feels after the murder of her husband by outlaws, giving her some moral complexity in a search for herself and her status as a bounty hunter.

Sadie Adler’s story was told brilliantly through Red Dead Redemption 2, but she could break strides as the first female protagonist in the series, as well as provide further explanations as to where she went after Abigail and John Marston’s wedding. Sadie’s story isn’t over, and a sequel would be great.

7

Uncle

Find Out Why Uncle is So Lazy and Was Once Called the One-Shot Kid

• Sequel or Prequel: Prequel

Known only once as the One-Shot Kid, Uncle’s entire history is completely unknown, other than the pure lies that he tells about himself around a campfire with a bottle of whiskey in hand. There have been many theories about who Uncle is over the years, including concepts of him being Red Harlow from Red Dead Revolver. Yet, who actually is Uncle, and what did he get up to before he met up with the Van der Linde gang?

Rockstar Games have great potential to tell the prequel story of Uncle, showcasing who he was before the Van der Linde gang, and how he ended up as a lazy drunk with lumbago. Telling Uncle’s story could open up new ways to see the character in Red Dead Redemption & Red Dead Redemption 2, perhaps through grief, disappointment, or admiration.

6

Charles Smith

A Great Hunter Who’s Heritage Stops Him From Fitting In During the Old West

There’s a great story waiting for Charles Smith, whether that’s a prequel or a sequel, both have incredible potential. Charles Smith struggles with his identity due to the West around him judging the color of his skin. The son of an African American and a Native American, Charles Smith is looked down upon, which only fuels his rage and his views as an outcast.

Charles is an incredible fighter and hunter, which serves as the perfect set of talents for a new gunslinger in the West. Where Charles’s story took him before the Van der Linde gang could be explored, or even after as he recollects Arthur Morgan, the gang, and his time as an outlaw.

5

Javier Escualla

A Mexican Outlaw Who’s Adventures in a Pre-Revolution Country Could Change His Views

• Sequel or Prequel: Prequel

Javier Escualla’s fate is well known after the Van der Linde gang fell into disarray, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room there to explore just what happened to Javier after the Pinkertons raided Beaver Hollow and Arthur Morgan was left to die. What were Javier’s feelings at that moment, and what did he get up to that made him fall deeper into a sadistic nature that led to chaos in Mexico with his return?

Alternatively, there could also be room for a prequel with how Javier met the Van der Linde gang. After all, Javier admires Dutch and his ideals, so to see Javier’s tragic tale in Mexico come to America where he meets up with like-minded men like Dutch, could be a unique story on its own.

4

Jack Marston

The Son of John Marston Shows Vengeance is a Fools Game

• Sequel or Prequel: Sequel

Continuing the legacy of John Marston is only possible through his son Jack, the last survivor of the Van der Linde gang. While Jack was only a kid during the events of the Red Dead Redemption games, he might have learned a few unwilling tricks or two, even if he preferred literature over gunslinging. Now that Jack is a grown-up and consumed by vengeance, it could be the perfect entry into his redemption after the murder of Edgar Ross.

With Edgar Ross’s death occurring in 1914, Jack Marston could have evaded or even joined World War 1. It serves as an interesting story for the defining final outlaw in an age where laws and wars were becoming global, and exploring the great American West dwindled into a distant dream.

3

The Callender Brothers

Mac and Davey Were Seen as Ruthlessly Violent, But Are They Owed Redemption?

• Sequel or Prequel: Prequel

Mac and Davey were the two brothers who were involved with the Van der Linde gang before their deaths during the Blackwater job in 1899, at the start of Red Dead Redemption 2. The Callender Brothers are unlike Arthur Morgan, in the fact that they were heavily mentioned in the game, unlike Arthur was in the original Red Dead Redemption, thus leading to room for their growth in a prequel that details who they were as brothers, criminals, and outlaws.

Charles Smith doesn’t exactly like the Callender Brothers, and often referred to them as wild and violent, but the Van der Linde gang all seemed to like them, expressing grief over their loss, yet warnings for how deranged they could often be. Having dual protagonists for a Red Dead Redemption 3 could be interesting, especially if players get to see the outlaws themselves before their demise to make the loss of two brothers hit even harder.

2

Dutch Van der Linde

A Conman Charismatically Takes Over His Own Gang and Forms New Rivalries

• Sequel or Prequel: Prequel

Dutch Van der Linde may view himself as a sophisticated philosopher, and a man well-read, but his darker side often slips out more than he likes, along with his insecurities. These deep flaws, paired with Dutch’s charisma, could tell the perfect story of how he led the Van der Linde gang into its prime, joining with the origins of John Marston and Arthur Morgan, along with the tragic loss of Annabelle at the hands of Colm O’Driscoll.

Besides, Dutch Van der Linde’s story could serve as a poetic ending to the continuation of Red Dead Redemption 2, as a finale on the Blackwater ferry job that leads into the Colter Chapter of Red Dead Redemption 2 would be a shocker that would finally reveal what happened on the boat, and just when Dutch Van der Linde began to slip into sociopathy.

1

Hosea Matthews

A Prequel Focused on An Outlaw in Love and in His Prime

• Sequel or Prequel: Prequel

Much like Dutch, Hosea’s story could be equally as tragic as it explores his origins and the founding of the Van der Linde gang. There are multiple risks involved in telling Hosea’s story, as it would entwine with the tragic relationship with his beloved Bessie, and even present itself with responsibility for a younger version of John Marston and Arthur Morgan.

Having Hosea lead his own game in Red Dead Redemption 3 as a prequel could easily showcase more of his character, and deeply impact his fate in Red Dead Redemption 2 if players ended up experiencing an entire game as him where they see just how great of a gunslinger and a conman he was before he lost Bessie.