10 Greatest Story Missions in the Entire Red Dead Franchise, Ranked

Video games have been a staple of the entertainment industry for decades, and with each passing year, they only get better and better. But there are those certain few that stand out above the rest; ones that introduce new features, engaging mechanics, endearing characters, and above all an amazing story. Quite a few titles have done all of this and more to be certain, even in more recent years. But there are few that have done so on the scale of Red Dead Redemption.

Altogether, the Red Dead series brought forth the origin stories of some of gaming’s most beloved characters and the introduction of some of the medium’s greatest protagonists, all culminating together in a story that is as riveting as it is heartbreaking. There are plenty of moments in the story of Red Dead Redemption that highlight the magnificent ups, the heart-wrenching downs, and the fast-paced action caught in between, but out of all the 167 story missions to be found in the series, which of them stand out the most?

10 The Assault on Fort Mercer is a Hollow Victory that Ends in Another Journey

What Begins With Subterfuge, Ends With a New Destination

Related

Red Dead Redemption’s Upcoming Port Finally Brings John Marston to PC

Rockstar shared exciting news earlier this week, a Red Dead Redemption PC port is now available to pre-order on Steam and Epic Games Store.

When first tasked with hunting down the members of his old gang, the first that John looks up is Bill Williamson. He finds his former brother holed up in Fort Mercer, leading a sizable force of his own with their guns pointed down at him. Their first encounter ended with John shot and left for dead, and their second ended with both men standing each other down. But their next and final encounter would not happen again until much later, as John soon discovers after attacking Fort Mercer.

With the help of a machine gun and a motley group of individuals including a near-retired marshal and his deputies, an Irish drunk, a snake-tongued huckster, and a crazed grave robber, John assaults the fort and manages to take it. But after a hard-won victory, he does not find Williamson within, only a leaderless group of bandits and a new destination on his quest to hunt down his old gang: Mexico, the location of another one of his old friends.

9 The Gates of El Presidio Closes a Chapter on One of the Van Der Linde Gang

Javier Escuella’s Story Comes to an End Where it First Began

Near the end of his time in Nuevo Pariso, John Marston, with the help of the rebel leader Abraham Reyes and his men, storm the gates of El Presidio. But while Reyes does so with the intent of gaining control of the fort, John does so for the sake of finding an old friend, and he succeeds. Scurrying out of a window like a rat, John finds and pulls his gun on one of his oldest friends from another life: Javier Escuella. Escuella, the suave and charming gun of the Van der Linde Gang, is now older and fatter, a stark contrast from the last time he was seen in Red Dead Redemption 2.

It’s not only his appearance that’s changed, but his personality as well, with him trying to coerce his former brother by giving up Dutch and saving himself. Of course, this doesn’t work, and when it’s clear that he will be captured or killed, he berates and insults John, mocking him and his family before being turned in to the authorities. At the end of this mission, an old friend is gone, and a new one must be found, with John now being ordered to find his old mentor and father figure, Dutch Van Der Linde.

8 An Appointed Time Brings Bill Williamson’s Life to a Sad Close

Bill Williamson Dies the Way He Lived, Savagely and Brutally

Even though he avoids capture in Fort Mercer and finds temporary refuge in Mexico, Bill Williamson, like Javier Escuella, finds judgment at the hands of his old friend. With Escuella gone and the whole of the rebel army coming down on Nuevo Pariso, Bill tries to escape Mexico with its current dictator, only to be betrayed when they are captured.

He lies beneath the boot of his former partner, looking up to John with the same feelings he held in him all those years ago: anger, envy, and hatred. With his final words, he berates and curses John before he is gunned down. And with that, the life of Bill Williamson is ended in the same way he lived it: brutally and savagely.

7 Fleeting Joy Takes the Van Der Linde Gang Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire

The Van Der Linde Gang Reunites Only to be Nearly Torn Apart

Related

Red Dead Redemption 2: What Do Arthur’s Dreams About the Wolf and Deer Mean?

The symbolic nature of the animals in Arthur’s visions speaks profoundly about the nature of Red Dead Redemption II’s central theme.

The Van Der Linde Gang experienced loss and separation in equal measure after the disastrous heist in Saint Denis, with Lenny and Hosea dead, John incarcerated, and the rest separated. Some time later, after Guarma, the gang reunites in moderately better spirits, only to be found minutes later by the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

They find themselves once again under threat and on the brink of death or capture. But thanks to the efforts of Arthur, Sadie, and Bill, they band together and turn their last stand into a massive shootout, one which ends with them victorious. But the victory itself is hollow, as the gang finds themselves beaten and ragged, and steadily being surrounded by the forces of the law with fewer and fewer places to run.

6 My Last Boy is the End of One Life and the Ultimate Downfall of Another

Loyalties are Shown, and Bonds are Tested

Near the end of the story, the Van Der Linde gang finds themselves at odds not only with civilization and the law but with each other. Their bonds are tested, and some of the member’s true colors are brought in poor light. Slowly but surely, the gang is turning in on itself and against each other. One of the greatest examples of this is in My Last Boy. When assaulting the army, battle sides are drawn, and not just against the enemy. Dutch rallies the others to attack them from one direction, while Arthur does so from another, but he isn’t alone.

Joined by Sadie and Charles, Arthur attacks the army with the Indians and assaults the warehouse. He finds Dutch inside and discovers the true purpose of their attack wasn’t just to help the Indians, but to acquire state bonds to help in their escape. The treachery doesn’t end just there, however, as when Arthur is ambushed and about to die, Dutch leaves him to his fate. It’s only thanks to the intervention of Eagle Flies that he survives, only to be shot and killed himself. In the end, one young life is ended, and the true colors of another are brought to the surface in a discomforting fashion.

5 Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern is One of the Last Times the Gang is United in Purpose

For the Sake of Another, the Gang Brings War to a Blood Feud

In the climax of the Clemens Point chapter, the downfall of the gang is beginning to show. With Sean dead and the promise of gold lost, everything is slowly beginning to come apart. But one act by their enemy brings the Van Der Linde gang together and shows that even fractured, they are a force to be reckoned with. When Jack is kidnapped by the Braithwaites, the Van Der Linde gang rides to their manor to bring him back, and it’s Dutch at the head leading them. He is the first to rally them together, and the first to fire his gun. The gang follows right after him, and all hell breaks loose.

Gunfire echoes out in the woods, bodies fall, and at the end of it the Braithwaites are gunned down and their mansion is burned to ash. They don’t find Jack, as it’s soon discovered that he’s taken to Saint Denis. But even then it’s still a moment of triumph, as they take their vengeance upon their enemy and ironically, end the family’s blood feud. In this one mission, it shows the strength of the Van Der Linde Gang when they are united in purpose, and shows the lengths not only they, but Dutch himself, will go to protect one of their own.

4 American Venom Ends in Arthur’s Retribution But Begins John’s Downfall

John’s Vengeance for Arthur Culminates in a Standoff

Related

Red Dead Redemption May Finally Come to PC After Over a Decade

Rockstar Games’ original Red Dead Redemption could be heading to PC more than a decade after its release on PS3 and Xbox 360.

In the last mission and end of Red Dead Redemption 2, John finds his chance to avenge Arthur, and he takes it. With Charles and Sadie by his side, they travel to Mount Hagen to find and kill Micah, but his death doesn’t come either readily or easily. With those still loyal to Micah, they ambush the trio, resulting in a shootout that ends with Charles and Sadie injured, and leaving John to continue on ahead. At the peak of the mountain, he discovers not only Micah but Dutch as well, the two working together once more despite the former’s actions bringing the downfall of most of their friends.

What starts in a tenuous standoff between the three ends in a surprising conclusion, as Dutch turns on Micah, shooting him and giving John the chance to kill him. He may not fall easily, but he does die, and with his death comes the satisfying end to a character so reviled and hated by characters and players alike. Unfortunately, Micah’s end brings the beginning of more trouble and the eventual downfall of John Marston and his family years later.

3 And the Truth Will Set You Free Brings a Sad End to a Man Stuck in the Past

Dutch’s Life and Philosophy Ends With a Whimper

Dutch Van Der Linde may have been introduced as an antagonist in Red Dead Redemption, but even with the few missions involving him, there’s clearly more to the man than meets the eye. There is a wisdom and charm to the man, one that earns him favor and allies with almost anyone he meets. As charismatic as he is dangerous, Dutch Van Der Linde is a man with grand plans, but one who handles them with poor execution. Over time, those failures begin to add up, weighing on his mind and soul, until by the time John sees him again, he is a shadow of the man he once was.

What was once a charming, intelligent, and caring father figure has now become a mindless killer and thief, paying no heed to the values he once held long ago. He is a man stuck in the past, fighting for a philosophy and idea that died off long ago. It’s at the end of his life that he realizes that, with John staring him down atop the peaks of Tall Trees. With his allies dead and his capture all but assured, Dutch chooses to end his life, but not before warning John of the government’s eventual betrayal. The time of the outlaw has passed, and with it, Dutch himself, ending his life in a pitiful shade of the man he once was.

2 The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed Settles the Past and its Affairs

One Man’s Makes a Sacrifice For the Sake of Others

John Marston is a man who has lived a hard life, but one who seemed to come out the other end of it hale and whole. With his former gang dead or captured and his obligations to the law fulfilled, he could return to his family and live a better, happier life. That definitely seemed to be the case for a time, but as John himself once said, “People don’t forget. Nothing gets forgiven.” The events of the final mission of Red Dead Redemption portray that realization in a grim, poignant manner.

Despite what he’s done for them, the government betrays John, and they assault his home in force to bring him down. A massive firefight ensues, one where Uncle sadly loses his life, and forces John to take his family and make them leave. In the climax, John faces the law alone, ending his life in the same way he lived it, brutally. But his death, unlike the others, is not without meaning. John’s death — his sacrifice — is made so that his family will survive. With his end, all accounts of the past are settled, and his wife and son will go on to live their lives without the threat of it looming over them again. Unfortunately, after a certain mission, that sacrifice was made in vain.

1 Red Dead Redemption is the Culmination of Absolution

A Sacrifice is Made for Another’s Chance at Redemption

Related

Every Red Dead Redemption 2 Ending, Explained

Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for having a deep complex story. Rockstar went above and beyond with each ending being a tear-jerker.

The majority of Red Dead Redemption 2 focuses on Arthur’s life and his time with the Van Der Linde Gang, showing their eventual downfall as the story goes on. But while both are brought to an end, only one is truly mourned. At the end of the Beaver Hollow Chapter, the gang is fractured, most dead or running away. There are only a handful of them left, and after the end of their last heist, their true loyalties are shown. John is left for dead, Abigail is left in the hands of the law, and it’s up to Arthur and Sadie to rescue her. They succeed, and Milton is finally killed, but Arthur, set on saving the rest of those he can, leaves on his own to settle things with the others once and for all.

This ends in a standoff between those who are loyal to Dutch and those loyal to Arthur, and with the arrival of the law once more, the gang at this point is well and truly broken. John, who survives, flees with Arthur, but the latter persuades him to move on while he remains behind. Arthur, in his last stand, fights off the law and Micah, engaging him in a bitter, grueling fight that in addition to his worsening health, leaves him on death’s door. Abandoned by Dutch Arthur, in his final moments, looks at the rising sun, and peacefully passes away. Or, if his honor is low, he is killed by Micah. In whatever fashion, Arthur’s life comes to an end, but even in the end, he won.

Arthur not only saves John’s life but also his family, giving them the chance for a better life. He also saves other members of the Van Der Linde gang like Sadie and Tilly, helping them leave as well and lead better lives than those they lived before. His death ensures John’s story continues, and with it his own journey of redemption.

• 

  Red Dead Redemption 2

  Played from a first- or third-person perspective, the game is set in an open-world environment featuring a fictionalized version of the United States in 1899.

  Systems

  

  Platform(s)

  PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

  Released

  October 26, 2018

  Developer(s)

  Rockstar Games

  Publisher(s)

  Rockstar Games

  Multiplayer

  Online Multiplayer

  Engine

  RAGE

  ESRB

  M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

  How Long To Beat

  50 Hours

  Metascore

  97

  OpenCritic Rating

  Mighty

  Expand

• 

  Red Dead Redemption

  The immensely successful Rockstar development team known for Grand Theft Auto secures a win yet again with Red Dead Redemption. The foray outside of GTA came as a surprise considering the achievements of that particular franchise. However, Red Dead Redemption can proudly stand on equal footing with the aforementioned franchise.

  Platform(s)

  Nintendo Switch , PC , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Xbox 360

  Released

  May 18, 2010

  Developer(s)

  Rockstar San Diego

  Publisher(s)

  Rockstar Games

  Multiplayer

  Online Multiplayer

  Engine

  rockstar advanced game engine

  ESRB

  M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs

  How Long To Beat

  18 Hours

  Metascore

  95

  OpenCritic Rating

  Strong

  Expand