Red Dead Redemption 2: Estimated Ages Of The Van Der Linde Gang Members

Highlights

• The Van der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 consists of characters of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Uncle, who acts and looks older than he is, is estimated to be between 50-60 years old.
• Dutch Van Der Linde, the leader of the gang, is 44 years old and his rebellious youth and love for literature shape his philosophies.

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.

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 January 7, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in America in 1899. The Wild West is ending, slowly, being replaced by automotive, railways, and civilization with laws. In 1899, outlaws were a rarity, and the Van der Linde gang didn’t seem ready to integrate into society and wanted to keep on robbing, stealing, and wronging folks. Since Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, players might be surprised by the estimated ages of the Van der Linde gang, and to find out who is the oldest and youngest of the gang. For further information, players can find the potential age of these characters by the time of Red Dead Redemption, which takes place in 1911 during the final decline of the American frontier.

26 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.

25 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.

24 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.

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.

23 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.

22 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.

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.

21 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.

20 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.

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.

19 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.

18 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.

17 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.

16 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.

15 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.

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.

14 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.

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.

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.

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.

9 Sadie Adler

25-28 Years Old

• Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 37-40 Years Old

In her youth, Sadie Adler learned how to survive in harsh environments and became a good hunter, and an aspiring rancher, thanks to her marriage to Jake Adler in 1896. Sadie’s happiness was stripped from her when the O’Driscoll gang destroyed her homestead and murdered her husband.

Based on her appearance and inexperience with the dangerous world around her, it’s assumed that Sadie Adler is in her mid to late 20s. Her friendship with John Marston makes them seem like siblings.

8 Sean MacGuire

23-26 Years Old

• Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 35-38 Years Old

Another young member of the Van der Linde gang is Sean MacGuire, an aspiring criminal that found himself in the Van der Linde gang in search of fame, excitement, and lots of pleasure. Sean comes from a family of criminals, which makes him perfect for this life.

Sean may never outright state his age, but his sheer youthfulness and desire for excitement imply that Sean must be in his early/mid-20s, thanks to his overconfidence.

7 Karen Jones

23-27 Years Old

• Potential Age in Red Dead Redemption: 35-39 Years Old

Karen Jones may well be in her early to mid-20s, but her youth and gender should not deceive those in the wild west. Karen knows what life she leads, knows that she likes it, and will often use her talents to assist in scams and robberies.

Karen’s personality and youthful charm take a turn for the worse when a character she loves dies, and she turns herself to alcohol to soothe the pain of grief.