When Red Dead Redemption 2 players first met the gang leader Dutch Van der Linde in the game, he was already of an older age. And for those who first met the character in the original Red Dead Redemption game, he was even older. Recently, fan art has surfaced that imagines Dutch as a young version of himself, inspiring a community discussion of the character.
For those who have played the first game, most would recall the integral role that Dutch plays in the Red Dead Redemption story. Being the final target of John Marston’s main adventure, players would likely understand Dutch as more of an antagonist. In RDR2, however, gamers are given another perspective, allowing them to get a deeper view of how Dutch handles and treats the members of the Van der Linde gang. With many fans familiar with the character, it is likely that they would also be curious about what he would look like as a younger man.
On Reddit, user daking2007 posted their version of young Dutch side by side with his Red Dead Redemption 2 render. Daking2007 used one of Dutch’s famous outfits, complete with the black hat, intricate vest, and vest accessories to portray him as a younger man. In the render, Dutch’s face is quite clear and flawless, with the artist forgoing the character's iconic moustache and goatee. Though the render is quite impressive, fans on the thread were skeptical about the accuracy of the artwork, given that there are already in-game photos that show what Dutch looked like when he was younger.
Another commenter, however, went on to defend the artist, stating that they have re-created other characters from Red Dead Redemption 2 as their younger selves, and each of those artworks are highly impressive. To date, daking2007 has already made young versions of RDR2 protagonist Arthur Morgan, and Dutch’s previous lady love Susan Grimshaw, which they have also shared on Reddit.
Nevertheless, the artist’s time and dedication to creating these fan works are likely an indication of how much they love the Red Dead Redemption 2 game. Given how important Dutch is in the franchise’s original and prequel games, it really was only a matter of time before they created such artwork for the Van der Linde gang leader. Hopefully they continue to be inspired and also create young versions of other gang members such as Hosea Matthews and Micah Hill, which the fans will also likely appreciate.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.