Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel to the first RDR, and both games touch upon many similar themes and concepts in their respective stories. Themes such as redemption, civilization, and morality are all present in RDR and RDR2. A key element exclusive to Red Dead Redemption 2, however, is the dynamics within the Van der Linde Gang, which had already been disbanded by the time of the first RDR.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s story follows the slow decline of the Van der Linde Gang and the increasingly strained relationships between its members. Red Dead Redemption 2 is full of subtle symbolism, and one of the more subtle is the concept of seniority and rank in a loosely defined hierarchy.
Now a Reddit user named signore_rigatoni has created an image which clearly defines this gang hierarchy. In game, the only explicitly stated leaders of the gang are Dutch Van der Linde and Hosea Mathews, while all other members are supposedly equal contributors. Apart from a few specifically assigned members like Pearson, the camp cook, everyone else is equal in apparent rank. But character dynamics within the story quickly reveal a not-so-hidden pecking order.
The player character, Arthur Morgan, is ranked as verging on leadership status in the Reddit users' image. This is in terms of trust and responsibility within the gang, though Arthur himself states he feels like the camp’s workhorse. The ranking is clearly a measure of effectual authority within the camp and not a ranking of fighting ability, as Sadie Adler is placed last despite outclassing many of the “camp muscle.” The image also shows this camp hierarchy as it stands at the beginning of the game, as through the events of RDR2 this camp hierarchy changes for the worse.
The image ranking also has a segment for known associates of the gang that are not active members, including the enigmatic conman Josiah Trelawny, who is the only “earner” for the gang and seems to be free to come and go as he pleases. Where Josiah Trelawny goes when he’s not with the gang is one of the many discoverable details in Red Dead Redemption 2.
During one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s many optional story moments in camp, Uncle points out this camp hierarchy by comparing Dutch and the gang to a king with a band of knights, which Dutch then adamantly refutes. Not only is this one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s many allusions to Arthurian legend, but it also reveals one of the major contradictions in Dutch’s character which leads to the gang's eventual downfall. Dutch sees his gang as the truest form of freedom, but anyone that questions his leadership is immediately deemed as being disloyal or lacking faith.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.