It is like any other day: the sun dances to the horizon as the moon takes to the sky. The wind blows players’ hair as they ride on their trusty steeds towards the night. The mud scatters around as the wind carries players to the forest: there lie the people – characters the player has known their whole life. They sit together, all enjoying the night: some preparing to go to sleep in their tents, some looking at the star-dotted sky, and some sitting around a campfire playing music and discussing their stories. The gang members welcome players with excitement, asking them to sit around the campfire, and so the player happily takes a spot right next to his family, and lets the stars fly through the sky.

“Red Dead Redemption 2” is a classic Western video game that centers around outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van de Linde gang. Arthur and the gang roam the Wild West, avoiding the law, robbing banks, dealing with adversaries, and attempting to maintain their honor rating through a variety of deeds and interactions.

While Arthur may be at the focus of the game, one cannot overlook the side characters in “Red Dead Redemption 2”, who have also won a place in players’ hearts. And so, here are the top five side characters in the Van der Linde gang:

#5  Lenny Summers

Lenny Summers is a top fan favorite in the Van der Linde gang. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty when needed, and is not opposed to having a good time at a bar at Valentine’s. Lenny is one of the youngest members of the Van der Linde gang, having only just recently joined as a result of losing his father to a few drunken men (and later taking revenge by killing them). Lenny went on the run at the age of 15, and later met up with the gang during 1898. The reason Lenny is a well-liked character is during one of the main story missions, called “A Quiet Time”, Lenny and Arthur Morgan go together to a bar in the small town of Valentine and get full-on wasted together. The way they treat everyone as Lenny when the Author is fully drunk, having his face plastered on everyone at the saloon really sells the point why this is such a great mission. and even sprinkling in some bonding during an absolute chaotic time, really shows the close bond Lenny and Arthur have for each.

#4 Uncle

Another member that gets a run for his money as being one of the most popular “Red Dead Redemption 2” characters of all-time is Uncle. One of the oldest members of the Van der Linde gang, Uncle radiates his fun and laid-back personality. This old timer will not let his LUMBAGO stop him from being a very likable character in the whole gang, even if he says it is a “serious” condition. Uncle was born and raised by his parents prior to the fall of 1849; both, unfortunately, passed away when Uncle was nine years old. His parents’ death was not even the worst thing that happened during his life: he was born in Ohio, of all places, a state no person, even back then, wants to live in. It must be mentioned, too, he had an “uncle” named Jeb who is referred to as a pedophile; Uncle says that he was a man that ”you didn’t want to be left alone with.” Although this character’s backstory is far from the brightest in the shed, Uncle makes up for the past with the number of stories he has to offer to anyone willing to listen. One of his stories alludes to the idea of Uncle being known as the “one-shot kid”, but his dubious nature as an unproductive, elderly alcoholic makes it safe to say his skills as an outlaw might not be true, nor may other tales of his past.

#3  Dutch Van der Linde

The man, the Yankee, and the leader of the Van der Linde gang is a well-loved character among members of the “Red Dead Redemption” community. Can’t blame them: Dutch Van der Linde always has a plan for everything. During 1855, Dutch was born by a woman of English descent named Greta and a nameless father who came somewhere in Philadelphia. Later, his father would leave him to fight in the American Civil War, where the former died in the battle. The war resulted in the Van der Linde gang growing a grudge against Southerners. At the age of 15, Dutch went on the run because he was a disobedient child who never saw eye-to-eye with his mother. Later that year, Dutch and Hosea met with 14-year-old street orphan Arthur Morgan, and from there on, Dutch and Hosea decided to take the boy under their wing and form the Van der Linde gang. 

Dutch plays a big role in the story of ”Red Dead Redemption”, from being a kind of father figure towards Arthur Morgan, to gathering money to make a great escape far from the west, allowing the gang to begin a fresh start in life. But Dutch’s past actions lead the gang to a brutal fate that no one could foresee, except Dutch – he was one of the sole reasons the gang disbanded thanks to his focus on gaining power, money, and making enemies with everyone he disliked. It is a future that he controls, but he only views the short gains of his decisions, not the long turns that will one day shoot him in the back when he least expects it, along with everyone he knows and cares about.

#2 Micah Bell

Micah Bell is a rat, a traitor, and a piece of human garbage. He is, without a doubt, the most hated character in the entire “Red Dead Redemption” franchise. If one were to attempt to trace the origin of every bad situation or general catastrophe endured by the gang to a person, it could be almost guaranteed that the majority of those lines would run right back to Micah Bell. After all of that, one might ask themselves how Micah finds himself so high on this list. Well, the answer is simple: he is a character people love to hate. The reason why he is so easy and enjoyable to despise is because he has almost no redeeming qualities; seemingly, his only purpose in existence is to cause chaos and suffering, and to top it all off, somehow he still ends up winning Dutch’s favor EVERY TIME.

#1 Charles Smith

Charles Smith, although not always the most ostentatious member of the Van der Linde gang, is certainly not unloved by the “Red Dead” community. The community’s love for Charles can be attributed to several things: his strong moral compass, his quiet and reserved nature, his drippy attire, or even his smoldering looks. Although Charles has a near-perfect fighting record, he is disillusioned by violence, and prefers to focus his efforts on helping the Wapiti Indians instead. And while Charles may be a tad socially awkward, who isn’t?

Of course, among his other feats, the community remembers him from the heart-wrenching cutscene of his finding of Arthur’s lifeless body and subsequent burial of the corpse. Charles was the only character fitted for this task, and he has more than earned his spot at the top of this list.