Highlights
- The Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 is like a dysfunctional family with characters of various ages and backgrounds.
- Characters like Uncle, Hosea, and Leopold Strauss are aged based on dialogues, appearances, and historical context provided in the game.
- Key characters such as Arthur Morgan, Dutch Van Der Linde, and John Marston have distinct ages, shaping their roles and relationships within the gang.
As players venture back into the old west in Red Dead Redemption 2, they will encounter a variety of faces. Some of these faces are friendly, and some are not. What’s most notable about these people that players will bond with is the different backgrounds and ages, with all of the Van der Linde gang members featuring their own stories and lives, emphasized by their ages and experiences in Red Dead Redemption 2.
![dutch van der linde, strange man, micah bell red dead redemption](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/collage-maker-09-aug-2023-11-34-am-7526.jpg)
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The sheer variety of characters in the Van der Linde gang makes the group of outlaws seem like a dysfunctional family, especially when some age gaps feature characters acting as paternal figures. The ages of the Van der Linde gang members in Red Dead Redemption 2 are somewhat open to assumption.
Updated on May 22, 2024, by Jake Fillery: With Red Dead Redemption 2 taking place in America, 1899, the Wild West is slowly being tamed, and with it, the characters of the Van der Linde gang share an intimate and lengthy history of their time of old. As such, there are plenty of characters in the Van der Linde gang of a variety of different ages, and whilst the game makes it clear on some, there are others where it is more based on estimate rather than fact. With the Van der Linde gang having a rich history, some of these characters are already gone by the time players enter the shoes of Arthur Morgan, so it's a good time to look at the oldest and youngest members of the Van der Linde gang, as well as to make logical observations about the members that have passed on.
29 Uncle
50-60 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 62-72 Years Old
One of the greater mysteries of Red Dead Redemption 2 is just who is Uncle? The character is only referred to as Uncle because no one knows his name, nor do many of the characters care. Uncle comes and goes and is usually seen as the laziest of the Van der Linde gang. However, in one of his companion missions in Chapter 4, Uncle states that he was born “sometime between the fall of ’49 and the fall of Rome.”
This dialogue allows players to deduce that Uncle must be older than 50, even if he acts and looks far older. Perhaps his terminal case of Lumbago is what makes Uncle seem so ancient or so he would have others believe.
28 Hosea Matthews
55 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 67 Years Old
As one of the oldest members of the Van der Linde gang, Hosea certainly can act his age sometimes. Hosea will reminisce on days long gone or romanticize a time before the Pinkertons. Hosea is always one to offer advice and to help his fellow gang members in need. Even just by the way Hosea stands indicating his age is getting on.
Hosea has been best friends with Dutch for over twenty years, and the wrinkles on his face sure indicate it. It’s safe to assume that Hosea is roughly 55, as a newspaper can be found later in the game that describes him as looking around 55 years old.
27 Leopold Strauss
53 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 65 Years Old
Without the emotionless scams and debts of Leopold Strauss, it’s safe to say that the Van der Linde would have run out of money quicker than it did. Strauss runs a money-lending operation, and the Van der Linde gang act as the muscle to enforce the return and interest of said money.
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Strauss’ age is indicated by his wrinkled lips and grey hair. His intellect certainly shows with his age, as he is a great bookkeeper. As a shifty character, this loan shark must be around 53 years old, considering he was born in the poverty-stricken city of Vienna in the Austrian Empire.
26 Susan Grimshaw
48-50 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 60-72 Years Old
Susan is the boss of the Van der Linde gang. Her words strike through like lightning leadership, and part of that comes from the fact that no one wants to get on the wrong side of Susan Grimshaw’s verbal wrath. Susan deserves the respect she has from the gang, considering she has been with them for so long.
Although Susan’s age is never implied or stated, the grey that emerges from her hair indicates that she is older than the younger members. Susan was also in a relationship with Dutch at the time, implying that she has been around in the gang for years.
25 Simon Pearson
48 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 60 Years Old
Pearson longs for a time when he was at sea; a sailor in the United States Navy, Simon Pearson has dreams and ambitions that don’t involve the life of an outlaw. Based on Pearson’s experiences and his job role in the Van der Linde camp as a cook, it’s safe to say that Pearson is older than other characters.
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Pearson wanted to be a sperm whale hunter like his father and grandfather, but by the time he finished school, that was a dying industry. Therefore, it’s likely that Pearson is around 48 years of age, considering whale oil was used through to the mid-1800s.
24 Bessie Matthews
45-53 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 57-65 Years Old
The wife of Hosea Matthews, Bessie was adored by Hosea, clearly from the fact that he still talks about her, and she can even be seen in an old timely photo at the camp. Bessie was so loved by Hosea that he left the criminal life behind just to be with her, but even when he drifted back into it with Dutch, she was still accepting of him and his life, and remained with him until her last days.
With Bessie being a kind and caring person, as described by Hosea himself, it's no surprise that the two loved each other so much. It's unknown when Bessie died, but Hosea does say that it has been many years, so it's likely that she died due to disease, leaving her around the same age as Hosea, since he also explains how he got extra years when she didn't.
23 Orville Swanson
44-47 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 56-59 Years Old
Swanson may have once been a clergyman, but his dependence on drugs, alcohol and other forms of debauchery has stripped him of the standards that he once swore himself to. Swanson faces many demons, and his addiction to alcohol and morphine is his biggest crux.
Not only does Swanson look notably older for his abuse of substances, but the greying hair and wrinkles on his face imply that he is older than characters like Dutch, even if only by a few years.
22 Dutch Van Der Linde
44 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 57 Years Old
Thanks to the Game of the Year guidebook for Red Dead Redemption, Dutch van der Linde has his age pinpointed to 1855. This would make Dutch 44 by the time of Red Dead Redemption 2, as the game is set in 1899. Dutch’s philosophies and dreams seem to come from his rebellious youth and his adoration of literature, a true oddity to see a literate cowboy and outlaw.
![Red-Dead-Redemption-2-14-Powerful-Quotes-By-Dutch-Van-Der-Linde](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/red-dead-redemption-2-14-powerful-quotes-by-dutch-van-der-linde.jpg)
Red Dead Redemption 2: 14 Powerful Quotes By Dutch Van Der Linde
Dutch van der Linde always has powerful words to say across Red Dead Redemption 2, whether that's to show his descent or his pride.
There’s even a photograph of a young Dutch with Hosea and Arthur, showing just how youthful Dutch was before the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, where his grasp on violent tendencies slowly begins to slip.
21 Josiah Trelawny
40-44 Years Old
- Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 50-56 Years Old
The biggest clue to Josiah Trelawny’s age is the secret fact that he has a family in Saint Denis. Trelawny may keep this secret from the Van der Linde gang, but it’s all for a good reason. The safety and sanctity of his family are his urgencies, even if he does enjoy the thrill of the life of an outlaw that comes and goes as he pleases.
Trelawny has a wife and two children, implying that he must be getting on a bit, as he is happily settled down with two boys, Tarquin and Cornelius. Trelawny is a showman and a flamboyant personality, and his growing family must indicate a reasonable age in his 40s.
20 Micah Bell
39 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 51 Years Old
Based on a newspaper scrap that can be found in Red Dead Redemption 2, it is theorized that Micah is around 39 in the events of the game. This newspaper scrap reads that Micah’s father robbed people in 1877 with a 17-year-old son.
Micah Bell is a character that players don’t want to age, not for the love they have for him, but for their disdain. Micah is an outlier in the Van der Linde gang and one of the central reasons for its downfall.
19 Mac Callander
31-42 Years Old
- Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 43-54 Years Old
Another character that dies before players meet them, Mac Callander was the brother of Davey Callander, and who was unable to escape with the Van der Linde gang after the botched Blackwater robbery. It can be expected that Mac was older than Davey, due to him leading the arguments between the two, and being the more violent and brutish, perhaps showcasing an age difference between them.
Another reason that Mac could be older than his brother comes from the fact that Bill Williamson knows Mac on a personal level as more than just a brute, and someone with a complex heart. This could mean that as he aged, Mac revealed more to him than just a brutal fighter.
18 Davey Callander
30-38 Years Old
- Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 42-50 Years Old
Davey Callander is a minor member of the Van der Linde gang that is only briefly seen in Red Dead Redemption 2 before his illness takes him. It's hard to determine Davey's age, based on only a brief appearance and little mention from members of the Van der Linde gang after his death. What was known about Davey, is that he was an avid drinker and a gambler, which may have aged him physically.
Davey dies due to the wounds he received during the Blackwater incident with the failed ferry robbery. It's estimated that this character is in his 30s to 40s due to his appearance and how other characters talk about him and his brother.
17 Arthur Morgan
36 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 48 Years Old
Arthur was one of the most loyal members of the Van der Linde gang, which is not uncommon, considering he was raised by the leaders of the Dutch and Hosea. Arthur owes a great deal to the Van der Linde gang and is respected as one of their best members.
![Red-Dead-Redemption-2-20-Powerful-Quotes-By-Arthur-Morgan](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/red-dead-redemption-2-20-powerful-quotes-by-arthur-morgan.jpg)
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In a conversation with Hamish Sinclair, Arthur discusses his parents and the year he was born, which is 1863. This makes Arthur Morgan 36 by the time of Red Dead Redemption 2, notably younger than his parental figures.
16 Bill Williamson
33 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 45 Years Old
As a surprise to many, Bill Williamson is younger than characters like Arthur Morgan. This may be due to the stresses of his identity and life or the fact that Bill is known to abuse alcohol and other substances that might age him.
Bill is 33, as he was born in 1866. A lot of information about Bill can be found on his dishonorable discharge papers from the United States military, but a lot about Bill’s life remains a mystery, for better or worse.
15 Annabelle
29-40 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 37-52 Years Old
Associated with the Van der Linde gang through her relationship with the leader, Dutch, Annabelle was a flame of Dutch's, a lover whom he admired and adored until Colm O'Driscoll murdered her. This death was the start of the feud between the Van der Linde gang and the O'Driscoll Boys, and it seems that even years since her death, Dutch has never truly gotten over the loss of Annabelle, even after replacing her with Molly.
It's unclear how old Annabelle was, but she was definitely around for a while, as she's mentioned a few times by Hosea, Arthur, and Dutch himself. Despite Dutch's often cold demeanor, the fact he openly states that he did like Annabelle, shows that it was deeper than just mere lust, and the death of Colm O'Driscoll helps Dutch say goodbye to Annabelle, someone who may have been of similar age to him, or similar age to his youthful flame Molly.
14 Kieran Duffy
29-34 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 41-46 Years Old
The most reluctant member of the Van der Linde gang, Kieran was a member of the O'Driscrolls, but his capture by Arthur Morgan has given Kieran a new home, and a new family, even if they treat him like a dog most of the time. Kieran doesn't mean any harm, and his love of horses, and his desire to avoid death, make him a sweet man, one who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Kieran develops somewhat during his time with the Van der Linde gang, and he is able to express himself more as a human being in their company. Whilst a close inspection of Kieran shows some gray hairs, it can be expected that the stress of this life has led to that, and his innocence and interest in some of the camp's girls place him in his early 30s.
13 Charles Smith
27 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 39 Years Old
Charles Smith has had to fight for his way of life due to having the background of an African American father and a Native-American mother. Charles is a recent and welcome addition to the Van der Linde gang, and despite his burly size and height, is only around 27.
Charles’ young age is implied by his history and the way he talks to other characters. However, despite not being an elder member of the gang, his talent with weapons makes him one of their best.
12 Javier Escuella
26 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 38 Years Old
Javier is an outlaw born to fight the status quo. His rebellious nature led him to the Van der Linde gang, where he was welcomed with open arms. Javier has an admirable level of intellect, and a gift for tracking, something that benefits such a young and aspiring outlaw.
Although Javier never has his age specifically stated, based on his appearance and his view of the world, it’s safe to assume that Javier is around the same age as John Marston, perhaps around 26.
11 John Marston
26 Years Old
- Age in Red Dead Redemption: 38 Years Old
After the Van der Linde gang ran into a troubled young boy, they decided to take him under their wing. John Marston was raised by the Van der Linde gang and had much admiration for Dutch van der Linde himself due to being a mentor and a father figure who taught him to read, shoot, and hunt.
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John Marston was born in 1873, a known fact from the fact that John Marston was 12 when he met Dutch in 1885. John is 26 by the events of Red Dead Redemption 2, and he certainly has the makings of a legend of the West.
10 Molly O’Shea
25-29 Years Old
- Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 37-41 Years Old
Molly was born into a wealthy family from Dublin but saw an attraction in the life of an outlaw. However, her romanticism of life on the run took its toll on her, and she soon became more of a burden to the Van der Linde gang than a loving member.
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Molly has a relationship with Dutch, but due to their age difference, it seems more perverse and parental than mutually loving. Molly must be in her mid-to-late 20s due to her somewhat immaturity around other gang members.