Red Dead Redemption 2 is the prequel to Red Dead Redemption and both mainly take place towards the end of the American Frontier era. Both Red Dead games feature a heavily involved narrative that tasks the player to roam the Wild West, getting into shootouts, and various other dangerous activities to progress the story. Along the way, the player will encounter many side characters who would later play a big role in the progress the player makes. This would come in the form of potential allies who betray the player later on, or NPCs who the player saves to have them indebted to the player for life.
Red Dead Redemption 2 tells a gripping story, much like its predecessor. It isn't very often this genre of storytelling has strong female characters, but that cannot be further from the truth when it comes to Red Dead 1 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Both games feature a heavy story mixed with characters from all walks of life, many of who are well written and serve the game in various ways. Among these characters are Bonnie MacFarlane and Sadie Adler, who make their first appearances in RDR 1 and RDR 2, respectively. In each game, the player is introduced to these characters during trying times, and though their importance cannot be understated, fans have compared the two in their similarity and their role to the player.
Sadie Adler (Red Dead 2)
The player first meets Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption 2 after the O'Driscoll Boys raided her ranch and killed her husband Jake Adler. Upon meeting her for the first time, she is seen getting into an altercation with Micah after he's discovered looting her house, leading to her house being accidentally set on fire. She comes along with the player back to the Van der Linde gang's hideout, where she can be seen in the early chapters of the game mourning her late husband. Throughout the early chapters, she is seen doing menial tasks with the other ladies, and she mentions that her husband and her would share all of the work. As a result, she is more than willing to prove herself to the gang by eventually taking part in more dangerous missions.
Initially, she would be given dresses to wear, but eventually switches to more practical clothing when she finally joins the player on missions. Red Dead Online takes place in 1898, a year before Red Dead 2, and Sadie can be found at the Adler Ranch working alongside her husband Jake who hasn't met his fate yet. Players will catch a glimpse of Sadie's ruthlessness during the initial meeting with her as she initially does not trust the player, and makes it known she will kill them if the player betrays either her or her husband. The player can find and accept missions from either Jake or Sadie Adler in exchange for items and positive Honor during the day or night time respectively.
Sadie was happy with the life she had with her late husband but became deeply vengeful and vindictive after his passing. She is consumed by her desire for revenge and, as a result, puts herself and her allies in unnecessary danger. She admits later on that she had developed somewhat of a death wish. Characters like Sadie Adler are what make the Red Dead Redemption story much more compelling as they have a tendency to feel real and believable, adding to the already immense immersion the games bring forth.
Bonnie MacFarlane (Red Dead 1)
Bonnie MacFarlane is another female character in the Red Dead series that plays an important role for the player character. She made her Red Dead debut during Red Dead Redemption 1 after she finds John Marston heavily wounded on the side of a road, after John's attempt at Fort Mercer. Bonnie pays for John's treatments and gives him a lodge to recover and stay in exchange for help on the ranch. The player will then have a series of missions where they help Bonnie with different tasks around the ranch, until John's old gang member Bill Williamson discovers his location, setting fire to Bonnie's ranch.
Bonnie MacFarlane is described as a "headstrong woman working in a man's world," working on the MacFarlane Ranch alongside her father Drew MacFarlane. She had 6 brothers, 5 of whom have passed away due to either illness or accidents, including her twin brother Ethan. Bonnie's only living brother Patrick moved to New York and works in Manhattan as a banker. With most of her brothers deceased, and her only living brother having left, she feels that she needs to be the man of the family ranch. Despite not appearing in Red Dead 2, she does make an appearance in Red Dead Online where she and her father are preparing to leave their ranch temporarily due to the cholera outbreak. Like Sadie Adler, the player can accept missions from Bonnie including delivery, escort, hunting, and recovery missions in exchange for items and positive Honor.
After the MacFarlane Ranch suffers a fire from members of Bill Williamson's gang in Red Dead 1, Bonnie is kidnapped and taken hostage in exchange for Norman Deek in Tumbleweed. The player, along with the help from Marshal Johnson attempt to make the exchange but fall into an ambush. Bonnie can be seen having been brutally beaten and almost hung, but thanks to the player she is saved after a heated gunfight. Later on, after John Marston is reunited with his family, they purchase cattle from Bonnie and she helps him herd them back. She invites John back to bring some corn to make up for the burned crops and John, alongside his wife Abigail, makes the trip. Abigail and Bonnie seem to get along and it is hinted that Bonnie had developed feelings for John.
In Red Dead 1 and Red Dead 2, it is shown that both Bonnie and Sadie seem very friendly towards Abigail, playing some role in the Marston family's well-being. Playing such important roles in each game, they are regarded as being well-written characters who are grounded in reality, and with true intentions.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia.