This article will have to start by issuing a spoiler warning in the very first sentence. And not minor spoilers either, major plot points and twists for Red Dead Redemption 2 will have to be discussed and examined. That might seem like an exaggeration when chasing down a minor character who never shows his face (or does he?) but the community investigation has gotten extreme and it will truly take a mastermind who leaves no stone unturned to discover where Gavin is.
With that out of the way, prepare to go down a bit of a rabbit hole. There's a lot of information that the community has processed and it has been consolidated here so that readers can go about tracking down Gavin for their own. And finding him would be the biggest deal in Red Dead Redemption 2 since the game was released. If nothing else, the archives of player discoveries are fun to go through, so it's no risk, high reward searching.
Updated on November 17th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: Yes, it's true, nobody has found Gavin and now that it has been years since the release, that might lead gamers to think that no progress has been made. While it's accurate that his whereabouts remain unknown, there have been more discoveries and hints that in-game sleuths have uncovered. These findings have been gathered, weighed for their insight, and the most promising results have been given their own sections. Hopefully, this new round of information, the location of this missing person can finally be revealed. Best of luck out there bringing back Gavin safe and sound!
Meeting Gavin's Friend
Players will usually find Gavin's friend on accident like when they're trying to complete all of the Gambler challenges. He can be found in Rhodes, Saint Denis, on the northeast shore of the Elysian Pool, MacFarlane's Ranch, or to the north of the trail that goes by Lake Don Julio.
Follow him long enough without approaching Gavin's friend and he'll say something very revealing: "He left me... I lost him, I mean, I lost him." He will also reveal during his rantings that Gavin is an "Englishman" and "really funny."
Following Gavin's Friend
Going to each of these first three locations either by accident or by trying to knock out all of the Explorer challenges gives players some new clues. When Arthur inquires instead of eavesdropping, Gavin's friend will say, "One morning, I just woke up and he wasn't there... someone must have taken him."
When allowed to talk to himself, he holds his hand up just about an inch or two above his own head and suggests that this is Gavin's height. Conversing with him at a third location reveals that Gavin's friend believes they were best mates.
Meeting Gavin's Friend Seven Years Later
One doesn't need to make the transition from Arthur to John in order to check off all of the Survivalist challenge boxes, but time does need to pass for Gavin's friend to make his third appearance.
This will be John's first time meeting our hearing of either Gavin or his friend, so unfortunately the player won't get any additional info that wasn't given to Arthur. Gavin's friend has forgotten what Gavin looks like and stammers, "I'm looking for him, but I don't know who he is." Though it must be noted that Gavin has not yet been found.
Physical Characteristics
When Gavin's friend is allowed to talk to himself, he holds his hand up just about an inch or two above his own head and suggests that this is Gavin's height. He'll also reveal that Gavin is "a charming sort of chap."
It's hard to get much more than "English" and "lovely" out of him, but at least that's something to go on. There are a lot of disagreeable people in the western wilderness, so presumably, Gavin is one of the nicer blokes and not too short.
Note On Nigel's Body: Overseas Lies
Players who have had enough of the constant calling out can lasso, knock out, or kill Gavin's friend and loot an item called "Letter to Nigel from Tom." Finally, gamers have a name for the individual other than "Gavin's friend."
This is likely the very best piece of evidence in the game for locating Gavin. It appears that Nigel has been lying about him and Gavin striking it rich in the Americas through a series of cattle farms.
No Voice Lines
While Nigel is recognized with his performance as "Gavin's friend" in the credits, Gavin himself has no speaking role. This might not be a clue of what to look for, but it helps players know what not to look for.
It stands to reason that Gavin isn't exactly going to pop out and say "yoohoo!" after eluding Nigel for so long, but it does help to know that he's also not in a situation where he can speak.
The Boy In The Basement
Early pioneers believed that the boy trapped in the basement in Rhodes is Gavin. After all, he was kidnapped, so he fits the "disappeared" description.
Unfortunately, that's about all he fits. He's not English, he's too young, and he does not respond to when Nigel himself is calling for Gavin in the middle of Rhodes. So ignore this red herring.
Tom And Gavin Might Be Imaginary
While it's been suggested that Nigel has a few screws loose (and he most certainly does), he actually might be getting better and not worse. If Gavin and Tom were imaginary and he wrote the note to fit his reality, Gavin might have disappeared as Nigel got better.
If this is the case, it's a dark fate for a person who finds their imaginary best mate has disappeared as he starting thinking more clearly.
Gavin May Have Been Silenced By Nigel
Did Nigel lose his mind after murdering Gavin? It's possible. His motive is right there in the letter. Tom muses, "Funny thing is, Gavin never mentioned none of this in his letter."
If Gavin told Tom the truth, that the boys had not struck it rich, it might have made Nigel very angry that he could no longer pretend to have struck it rich. The easy explanation is that Nigel is just a liar, but murder would explain his shattered state of mind.
Gavin May Have Been Silenced By Someone Else
Amidst the extremely rare encounters of Red Dead Redemption 2, players might be tasked with finding a murderer who is leaving bodies everywhere in various states of decay and mutilation. Nigel suggests that somebody must have taken Gavin while he slept. Could this be true?
Even if it's not the infamous murderer that got to Gavin, it could very well have been anyone. How many dead bodies do players come across without any identifying characteristics? How many more were buried or hidden?
Back To England
Players who follow Gavin while he's wandering are treated to many unique lines of dialogue. Well, monologue, really. They can also find him in the middle of some environments that show off the truly amazing graphics that gaming is capable of.
One line sticks out, "He left me... I lost him, I mean. I lost him." Especially given the letter that life hasn't been going well in the Americas, it's very possible that Gavin gave up and went back to England and Nigel, somewhere in his heart, is aware of it.
A Cruel Prank
Players can do some very weird things in the game, but there is a potential of a prank being played on poor Nigel that tops it all. In the letter, somebody named Brian Gold hears Nigel's news of success and laughs off the idea.
Did Brian Gold and Gavin somehow conspire to get Gavin to America and then ditch him afterward? It's terrifyingly possible. It's unclear if Mr. Gold is just a skeptic of their success, but perhaps he knows something that players don't.
Is It A Hopeless Search?
Is this all way too much thought given to something that was supposed to be a casual joke? Of course. It wouldn't be the silliest thing to appear in a Rockstar game and it wouldn't be the first time super fans read too much into the story.
But that doesn't mean it is without hope. Players have found UFOs, Sasquatch, buried treasure, and pirate relics. And all of those started with minor hints that others may have dismissed. The search is still out for Gavin (or Gavin's final resting place).
Red Dead Redemption 2 was released on October 26, 2018, and is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.