Arthur Morgan is 36 and Dutch van der Linde is 44 in Red Dead Redemption 2
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I‘m constantly exploring the rich stories and details behind exciting games like Red Dead Redemption 2. One question I see asked a lot is – how old are the main characters like Arthur Morgan and Dutch van der Linde? After deep analysis into backstories and timelines, I can definitively say Arthur is 36 and Dutch is 44 in 1899 when the events of RDR2 unfold.
But their ages reveal so much more about this tragic pair and set the stage for an epic downfall. In this article I‘ll take a deeper look into exactly how old Arthur and Dutch are, when Arthur joined the gang, their complex father-son dynamic, Dutch‘s possible mental illness, and speculation around the next Red Dead game focusing on Dutch‘s origin story.
Digging into the History of Arthur and the Van der Linde Gang
Arthur Morgan lost his parents at a young age and joined up with Dutch‘s gang in search of a new family. This was around the mid 1860s when Arthur was just 14 and Dutch was in his early 20s [1]. Dutch‘s partner Hosea Matthews helped raise Arthur, who quickly became Dutch‘s protege.
For the next 20+ years, Arthur rode with Dutch on scores of jobs pulling cons and heists across the old West. Arthur remained loyal even as the gang grew into dozens of members. By 1899 and the start of RDR2, Arthur is 36 while Dutch is 44 [2].
This actually makes hot-headed Micah Bell one of the oldest in the group at 39. Young gun John Marston is only 26, a full decade behind Arthur [3].
I‘ve assembled a table below showing most of the core gang member ages:
| Character | Age |
|---|---|
| Dutch van der Linde | 44 |
| Arthur Morgan | 36 |
| Micah Bell | 39 |
| John Marston | 26 |
| Charles Smith | 27 |
| Sadie Adler | 32 |
| Abigail Roberts | 30 |
You can see the wide range of ages that made up the tenuous family bonds of the gang. Towards the end when loyalties were tested, it made the older members cling tighter to traditional leadership.
Dutch Feels Connected to Arthur as the Son He Never Had
Raising a young and vulnerable Arthur forged an unshakable bond between the two outlaws that lasted decades. Arthur filled the role of a son to Dutch in many ways. And for a self-centered man like Dutch who craved notoriety and power, having a completely loyal enforcer by his side only emboldened him more.
Looking back, I think Dutch saw how skilled Arthur was becoming – strong, brave, commanding ever more respect in the gang. All qualities Dutch valued in himself. Arthur was no longer just a student, but a threat.
Jealousy crept into Dutch‘s mind, jealousy towards the man he once considered a son. This surely poisoned their relationship in the end days when Dutch needed reaffirming loyalty, not challenging ideas from Arthur.
There Are Strong Hints Towards Dutch Suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder
As a virtual psychologist analyzing Dutch‘s personality, his textbook narcissism towards the end of his reign becomes apparent [4]. The reckless decisions, dismissing competent members, and erratic violent behavior all point towards Dutch‘s loosening grip on reality.
Dutch exhibits several textbook narcissist qualities:
- Showing arrogant behaviors
- Taking advantage of others for personal gain
- Exaggerating own importance
- Becoming irrationally angry when challenged
His inability to self-reflect and admission of fault shows clear signs of narcissistic personality disorder. I believe the pressures of avoiding the law finally took such a mental toll that Dutch broke from reality.
Red Dead Redemption 3 Could Show Us Dutch‘s Earlier Days of Idealism
There is so much more story to tell about legendary outlaw Dutch van der Linde. His earlier days riding with Hosea could show Dutch as a charismatic, Robin Hood-style gang leader before descending into madness [5]. Perhaps an idealistic young Dutch truly thought he could challenge society‘s status quo and build a new community.
I‘d love to see a Red Dead Redemption 3 game focus on Dutch‘s origin story and the true beginnings of the gang. It offers deeper commentary on how power and influence changes people over time. And fleshing out such an iconic game villain like Dutch remains irresistible!
Of course I still have so many more questions – did Dutch ever regret losing Arthur and John? Does he hold guilt over all who died following him? A redemption arc for Dutch still seems possible if done right!
Let me know your theories on what‘s next for Dutch and the Red Dead franchise in the comments!
Sources:
[1] https://reddead.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur_Morgan[2] https://gamerant.com/red-dead-redemption-2-character-ages/
[3] https://thegamer.com/things-that-make-no-sense-about-arthur-morgan/
[4] https://medium.com/@jsalwen/dutch-van-der-linde-is-a-textbook-narcissist-23b086f7cd52
[5] https://gamerant.com/red-dead-redemption-3-follow-dutch-prequel/
