Red Dead Redemption: 5 Characters John Marston Should Have Killed

2. Dutch van der Linde

dutch

During the campaign you quickly become aware of John€™s past and Dutch€™s gang and as John shoots his way through his old gang he gets closer and closer to his former leader. Dutch had been an ideologist, Robin Hood type figure whom despised the changing world around him. Whilst running his gang he gradually descended into madness, causing the disillusionment of his gang members, before disappearing with only theories as to his whereabouts, one claiming he perished in a fire whereas Javier Escuella believed Dutch resided in Columbia. Despite this, Dutch appears in the West Elizabeth region once John has dealt with Bill Williamson and Escuella and Edgar Ross tells John that it is his obligation to finish off the gang. When the two finally face-off, Dutch tells John that they are a dying breed in a changing world before committing suicide by dropping backwards from the cliff. Don€™t get me wrong, I loved the idea of Dutch committing suicide because €œ time has passed,€ rather than giving in to the authorities, an action John hoped would see his family set free. Dutch€™s death, to the player, feels just a bit hollow, was have killed all the former gang members (your choice over the fate of Javier Escuella permitting, if you capture him it is implied that he was hanged) with Dutch as the last, the leader of the gang, and once I was on the top of that cliff I was expecting a big, final showdown to end the game (not expecting the story to carry on after Dutch€™s death). Dutch did deserve to die, no doubt, if not for his attack on the police then the murder of the bank clerk, in €˜Great Men Are Not Always Wise€™, where he callously shot the hostage in the back of her head.

dutch1

I thought that it had to be set in stone that our protagonist would prevail over the final member of his old gang, instead we are given a suicide and most disconcerting, Agent Ross shoots the body of Dutch with John's pistol, claiming it will look better in the report. It was a fantastic twist though and I would have not changed Dutch€™s death for one in which John killed him, yet, John should have definitely taken his shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n8LhuDE27Q&feature=player_detailpage
 
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I am an aspiring writer and film critic, recently graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA in Film Studies. I spend my free time developing my square eyes watching films and television, reading novels and playing football. You can contact me at sa.whittaker@hotmail.co.uk.