Red Dead Redemption 2 offers one of the best single-player narratives in gaming. While its slow and methodical gameplay may not be everyone's cup of tea, Red Dead Redemption 2's visuals, sound, and story make it one of the best releases in Rockstar's history. Serving as a prequel to the first Red Dead Redemption, RDR2 shows the downfall of the Van der Linde gang through the eyes of Arthur Morgan, who has close ties with just about every member of the group.
Throughout the course of Red Dead Redemption 2's epic 50-hour campaign, the player will meet members of the Van der Linde gang ranging from its charismatic but flawed leader Dutch to the infuriating Micah, and a whole host of complex characters in between. One of the Van der Linde gang's more aggressive members, Bill Williamson, appears in much of Red Dead Redemption 2, but his story really takes flight after the game's conclusion, with Bill serving as one of John Marsten's main adversaries in the original title.
Bill's Role in the Van der Linde Gang
Born Marion Williamson in 1866, "Bill" was embarrassed of his given name and changed it. Bill suffered a troubled childhood with an alcoholic father who gradually lost his mind. Not wanting to meet the same fate as his father, Bill joined the army, where he primarily fought with the Native American population.
Following a brutal fight with a fellow soldier in which Bill nearly murdered his comrade, he was dishonorably discharged from the army in 1892. In a downward spiral, Bill became homeless, and turned to a life of crime. A year later, Bill attempted to rob Dutch Van der Linde, who laughed-off his failed attempt.
Seeing potential in the aggressive, damaged man, Dutch offered Bill a place in his gang. Though Bill gained a newfound sense of purpose, he was still haunted by visions of his army years and still suffered from severe PTSD. This often landed him in scrapes with the rest of the gang, with his quick-to-anger personality grating on some of the more well-mannered members.
By 1899, Bill had served in Dutch's gang for over six years, taking on the role of gunman in a variety of crimes including robberies, extortion, and murder. Bill played a pivotal role in the gang's disastrous Blackwater heist, where the crew attempted to rob a boat loaded with cash. The heist failed spectacularly, forcing the gang to retreat into the Ambarino mountains. This marked the beginning of the end for the Van der Linde gang.
After the Cornwall train robbery goes south, Bill and most of the gang retreated from the moving train, leaving Arthur and Dutch to finish the job. Upon settling in Horseshoe Overlook, Bill, Javier, and Charles head out to Valentine for a night out. Once again, Bill's hairpin trigger leads to a full-scale bar brawl.
A few months later, Bill is deputized by Sheriff Leigh Gray along with Dutch and Arthur, and the three set out to destroy a nearby Lemoyne Raiders camp. While Bill mainly worked alongside the rest of the gang during their robberies, he would occasionally set out by himself to commit random acts of violence, revealing to Arthur that he frequently robbed drunk soldiers in his spare time. When the gang moves to Saint-Denis, Bill is appointed to the team tasked with attending the Mayor's party to find some leads on possible stagecoach locations. Feeling out of place at the party, Bill leaves in frustration.
After a botched bank robbery in Saint-Denis and a detour to Guarma, the gang begins to notice that Dutch is becoming more unhinged. Bill doesn't agree with the rest of the gang, remaining fiercely loyal to Dutch despite his questionable leadership. As time goes on, and Arthur and John become more vocal about Dutch's deteriorating mental state, Bill continues to side with his leader and fractures many of his relationships.
In a final confrontation between Dutch, Arthur, and John, Bill sides with Dutch, but Pinkertons attack the camp just as the tension reaches its peak. In the chaos of the firefight, Bill escapes, marking the end of the Van der Linde gang.
The Head of the Williamson Gang
A decade after the Van der Linde gang is dissolved, Bill finds himself at the head of his very own group, appropriately titled the Williamson gang. Though his gang operates throughout New Austin, Bill has become incredibly paranoid, running the entire gang's operations from the comfort of Fort Mercer's fortified walls.
In 1911, John Marston arrives in New Austin after the Bureau of Investigation forces him to hunt down his former fellow gang members. Upon finding Bill at Fort Mercer, John is shot and critically wounded. Once John has recovered, he agrees to help his saviors Bonnie and Amos MacFarlane in return for their aid. Bill learns of John's location, and sends his gang to burn the ranch's barn to the ground.
After recruiting a number of helping hands, John and his team take the fight directly to Bill and storm Fort Mercer. With the fort completely rid of Williamson's gang, John learns that Bill fled to Mexico, seeking the aid of another former gang member named Javier Escuella.
Upon arriving in Mexico, John learns that Bill is being protected by Nuevo Paraiso's savage dictator Colonel Allende. With help from anti-government rebels led by Abraham Reyes, John attacks Allende's villa. Bill and Allende escape on a stagecoach, which is soon stopped by John and the rebels. In an attempt to bargain for his life, Allende offers up Bill, but as Bill reaches for the colonel's pistol, Reyes shoots him dead.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
