The main characters of Red Dead Redemption 2: Arthur Morgan, Dutch, Hosea, John Marston, Sadie, Charles, Micah and the rest of the Van der Linde camp, the enemies and the actors who played them. No story spoilers.
Who the main RDR2 characters are
The characters of RDR2 are first of all the Van der Linde gang: a few dozen outlaws, runaways and drifters who live together in a moving camp. Rockstar describes the gang as people who rejected a corrupt system and live by their own code. The game opens in 1899, when, after a botched robbery in Blackwater, the gang flees federal agents and bounty hunters.
The lead is Arthur Morgan, Dutch's right-hand man. Almost every story mission is played as him; in the Epilogue control passes to another character.
The Van der Linde gang: core members
| Character | Who they are | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Morgan | The protagonist. Joined the gang as a teenager and was raised by Dutch and Hosea | Roger Clark |
| Dutch van der Linde | The gang's leader, a charismatic speaker who preaches freedom from government and "civilization" | Benjamin Byron Davis |
| Hosea Matthews | Co-founder of the gang, a seasoned con man and Dutch's oldest friend | Curzon Dobell |
| John Marston | A gang member since his youth; the protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption | Rob Wiethoff |
| Abigail Roberts | John's partner, mother of young Jack | Cali Elizabeth Moore |
| Sadie Adler | A widow the gang meets in the mountains early in the game | Alex McKenna |
| Charles Smith | Hunter and tracker, one of the most dependable people in the gang | Noshir Dalal |
| Micah Bell | A gunslinger close to Dutch; most of the gang dislikes him | Peter Blomquist |
| Javier Escuella | A gunslinger from Mexico | Gabriel Sloyer |
| Bill Williamson | Ex-military, hot-headed and blunt | Steve J. Palmer |
| Lenny Summers | A young gunslinger and Arthur's friend | Harron Atkins |
| Sean MacGuire | A talkative Irishman | Michael Mellamphy |
| Kieran Duffy | A former member of the rival O'Driscoll gang | Pico Alexander |
The cast is listed from the credits as given by Red Dead Wiki and the Meet The Voice Actors database; Shacknews also confirms Arthur, Dutch, John, Abigail, Sadie, Micah, Javier and Bill. Every role is performed in English: the game has no voice acting in other languages.
The camp: who else lives with the gang
The camp isn't just a backdrop. Its residents talk to Arthur, ask him to bring things, play cards and dominoes, and Arthur's contributions to the shared box pay for the camp's upkeep and upgrades. These are the people you'll see most often:
| Character | Role in camp | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Susan Grimshaw | Keeps the camp in order | Kaili Vernoff |
| Simon Pearson | Camp cook | Jim Santangeli |
| Uncle | A gang old-timer who avoids work | James McBride |
| Leopold Strauss | The gang's moneylender | Howard Pinhasik |
| Orville Swanson | A former preacher | Sean Haberle |
| Molly O'Shea | Dutch's companion | Penny O'Brien |
| Tilly Jackson | One of the camp's women | Meeya Davis |
| Karen Jones | One of the camp's women | Jo Armeniox |
| Mary-Beth Gaskill | One of the camp's women, keeps a diary | Samantha Strelitz |
| Josiah Trelawny | Magician and con man who comes and goes | Stephen Gevedon |
Enemies and other key characters
| Character | Who they are | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Milton | Pinkerton agent hunting the gang | John Hickok |
| Edgar Ross | Pinkerton agent, Milton's partner | Jim Bentley |
| Leviticus Cornwall | Oil and railroad tycoon | — |
| Colm O'Driscoll | Leader of the rival O'Driscoll gang | — |
Beyond them, the world is filled with hundreds of supporting characters: Strangers from side questlines, shopkeepers, hunters, sheriffs. Rival groups include the O'Driscolls, the Murfree Brood, the Del Lobo gang and the Skinner Brothers; the in-game compendium lists six gangs.
RDR2 characters in the first Red Dead Redemption
Light spoiler for anyone who hasn't played the first game. RDR2 is a prequel: the first Red Dead Redemption is set in 1911. So some characters appear in both games, above all John Marston, Abigail and Jack, as well as Dutch, Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, Uncle and Edgar Ross. Rob Wiethoff played John in both games; according to the wiki, Abigail, Javier and Uncle were voiced by different actors in the first game.
How the characters were made
For RDR2, Rockstar recorded one of the largest casts in gaming. According to Dan Houser in a 2018 interview, the story script ran to about 2,000 pages, 1,200 actors took part in motion capture, and about 700 of them have lines.
The order in which characters appear in the story is on the RDR2 missions page, and the characters' horses and the best breeds are on the RDR2 horses page. Everything about the game is on the Red Dead Redemption 2 page. The characters of Rockstar's next game are on the GTA 6 characters page.
RDR2 characters FAQ
Who is the main character in RDR2?
Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. He was played by Roger Clark.
Who played Arthur Morgan?
American actor Roger Clark, who voiced the character and performed him in motion capture.
Who voiced Dutch van der Linde?
Benjamin Byron Davis.
Is John Marston in RDR2?
Yes, John is a member of the Van der Linde gang. He was played again by Rob Wiethoff, just as in the first Red Dead Redemption.
How many actors worked on RDR2?
According to Dan Houser, 1,200 actors took part in motion capture, and around 700 of them have lines.
Who are the Pinkerton agents in RDR2?
Detectives from the Pinkerton agency who hunt the gang; the main two are Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross.