Dutch Van Der Linde Is a Misunderstood Character

[@TheSnolana]

Note: I want to apologise for the audio quality of my microphone. My equipment is starting to show its age and I promise I’ll make a significant improvement on the next video.

[@iamwhoiam7887]

It sounds like you have a plan

[@OSCARFIOORENZO]

Your voice is fine

[@tales-frontier]

It's gonna come it 3 years anyway

[@sunnasmilieu]

I think all the core characters (yes, even Micah) are so well written that many people just take them for granted. They complement each other so well, and their personalities clash like humans would to create a dynamic that just spirals down a road that feels set in stone and makes people assume that it's black and white.

[@dire2293]

genuinely this is the best analysis i have seen on dutch, i really hate it when people paint these black and white pictures of the cast because it just goes against everything rd2 is. roger clark said it best "you can be good one day and bad the next, and its not necessarily a contradiction"

[@monochrome2838]

Human nature isn't black and white. It's undoubtedly grey.

[@danielsmokesmids]

People aren’t good or bad; they just are.

[@ShitOwl]

this game aswell as its cast is timeless and perfect like sure we'll get games that may rival red dead 2 at some point in time but it will never ever be forgotten and it is undeniably the best game to have come out in a decade

[@sunnasmilieu]

"You can't fight gravity" then demonstrates it by falling down a cliff. That's why it's there.

[@jim_2570]

I always disliked the idea that Dutch was always crazy and just became more of his true self cause it makes him so much less interesting as an antagonist. I feel like his character is summed up by his final speech in RDR1. Imagine fighting for 20 years for this idea of a free world for you and your family and then having to confront the fact that it can never be, the same idea that you have recruited loads of lost and impressionable souls into and the same idea that multiple people he loved and cared about died for. That would make anyone crazy, especially someone has stubborn and idealistic as Dutch

[@JimmerBob114]

Yes bro. This is exactly what I think about his character, nobody seems to realise this and people always forget the very political aspects of his character.

[@Amali70_4]

There’s this one thing that stuck with me, he always seem to not really care about his gang members dying. We saw this with Davey, Sean, Lenny, Hosea, and then Arthur

[@Bacxaber]

@@Amali70_4 He was very hurt by the loss of Hosea and Arthur.

[@dabigsuge]

Well said bro

[@theonewhoknocks6950]

Micah is also a big part of it too of course

[@colbybradbury870]

I always saw him as a man with noble intentions who just completely broke under the pressure of fighting change (that he was smart enough to realize was unstoppable). One thing i feel that kinda gets overlooked is the Guarma chapter. Its a tropical land that, fits what he strives for and considers a free paradise, or "tahiti" yet its full of its own problems and government and signs of progress etc, Dutch gets significantly less patient and more aggressive after guarma because I think inside his mind he knows theres nowhere left to go, there is no tahiti or virgin west for much longer not to mention he lost his oldest brother in arms Hosea that shared that dream right before. So he begins to go on the offensive and lashing out against his ideological opponents like shooting Cornwall directly and taking on the US army etc. Micah speaking into his ear was just one aspect of it that I feel gets overplayed in discussions.

[@Destroyer120296]

Yeah i feel dutch is a good example of what happens when you are motivated by some abstract ideal/Goal or to ideal He had a mind of the "wild west" or a free world. But ultimately the ideal world he imagined either never existed or did exist but is gone now and gone forever At some point he realises his ideal world cant be real and maybe never ever was real. So he lashes out in anger at the world and those he feel responsible.

[@Lemon_squee]

I've never heard that point about guarma before and you are so right. He finally realized how truly cornered he was on that island

[@youtubeman2001]

Finally someone who understands. Saying "Dutch was always evil" does a diservice to the complexity of his character

[@DourFlower]

Its that moment he looks down at Arthur with pain and regret in his eyes at the end that always made me sympathize just a little with Dutch and want to understand him better

[@milk_yogurt1973]

Really good video 👍

[@cucumber78-et4pj]

The drowning bronte scene is so perfect the music everything is perfect and it almost made me cry the first time i saw it

[@JustCope17]

Great analysis. Completely agree. Dutch wasn’t always crazy. This is as much his downfall as it is Arthur’s redemption.

[@Clown_the_Clown]

Dutch was never crazy, nor untruthful. Dutch was a man, a man with a dream and a view of the world, and with flaws. The world he wished for died, and he could not accept that. After all, how can any man give up on their dream? You cannot fight who you are. You can try and better yourself, but you will always be yourself.

[@BoiOfBeans]

8:42 Dutch is against tax evasion

[@patricebarrau308]

Amazing video on indeed a fascinating character

[@Hunterpittsenbarger1234]

Hey this is a good video. I also think in his first introduction in rdr1 where he killed that girl to escape john he had referred to Arthur with one of his lines he told john " at least i didn't mistake you for a errand boy" and i remember Arthur saying something like that he said "i guess i turned into a god damn errand boy" i dont see alot of people talk about that scene but dutch said it so sad sounding i really think he refered to arthur with that line to john. i could be wrong but i think he did just that it was so subtle that you could easily miss it

[@Scoot.]

The Goat at it again

[@catpurrito5586]

ultimately Dutch is just angry at this unjust world and lashes out at it, I can understand that

[@mike1967sam]

You gave a great interpretation about Dutch and you're right.

[@TheTolister]

Interesting thing about characters in stories is that they could be studied or even understood, better than trying to judge them or moralize them. Dutch could be expressing love or attachment to the gang, but it's his own even twisted way of showing it. That's the interesting thing. He's fighting with himself, with his ego. The idea of him being always crazy comes from the idea of him trying to be free man with a dignity, so he fights his nature and trying to be what he's not - prophet who makes better life for everyone. When he's being seen as the most crazy, in RDR1, at the end before his suicide he just accepts (or atleast tries) himself, his dark nature.

[@JS-iu3ce]

My least favourite theory about Dutch is that him hitting his head during the train job made him crazy, it’s like the least interesting analysis of his character and doesn’t even fully add up

[@thegatorhator6822]

Literal 50 IQ "theory" when we have Arthur saying he was a blowhard idealist for 2 decades and saying he was actively changing month by month as Micah poisoned his ears. We literally see him degrading in real time through the story.

[@Dorf274]

You say that but why would the writers put any emphasis on his head injury at all? You guys remember this is a game right?

[@Lukeypookie-q4i]

I think it could make sense in the way that it shows how every single thing is going wrong for dutch and more and more things are happening nonstop to further lead to his mental collapse. But no, the head injury is not THE sole reason dutch went crazy.

[@thegatorhator6822]

@@Lukeypookie-q4i it's 0% to do with anything idiot

[@haaxeu6501]

@@thegatorhator6822 It's not a 50 IQ theory, it's also not black and white, his brain injury is not the sole reason for his change in behavior, it doesn't remove his agency as a character and it doesn't invalidates the multiple other factors, but I really don't believe Rockstar wrote all this dialogue, left all these clues, by mistake. They clearly put emphasis on it, his head injury did not change his nature but it had an impact on his judgement and behavior and worsened his mental state, which is consistent with how brain injuries can affect people in real life, sometimes with symptoms appearing long after the event. Rockstar's writers are too good to leave in those details unconsciously.

[@rmjoumaa29]

Love it. A flawed man in a tough position. He put his trust in someone with alternative motives and it brought ruin to his family, not an evil man that spent years manipulating people to do his bidding.

[@plushdogg124]

Dutch did find redemption; on the mountaintop with John and Micah. After that he carried on doing the only thing he knew how to do best: fighting. Until he realized it was pointless. The gravity line foreshadows what Dutch is about to do in his final act: prove his point by stepping off the ledge.

[@mike1967sam]

2:58 Or, you learn and walk away from crime.

[@pigletisme2434]

i dont say this alot but this was a genuinely great analysis, changed my perspective. subscribed

[@sillymovieeditors356]

This was the best analysis video of Dutch i have ever seen! Far better than the other ones that have a simple "black and white" view on the world. Unlike the other videos and comments i have seen, you actually try to understand Dutch as a person and what he is thinking and feeling, you tried to put us in his shoes with what he went through, with empathy and consideration. i always had a similar view as you on Dutch, but after watching this video, it gave me a new perspective on all the suffering and pain Dutch went through. it truly made me feel sorry for him. Yes Dutch was always a bad man, but he was definitely no Micah Bell. Watching this video definitely now makes me want Red Dead 3 to have Dutch as the main character!

[@NinyaBOT]

I feel so awful for Dutch, ofc I feel even worse for his gang, Arthur the most. Dutch wasn't initially disingenuous, he really cared and really thought he knew what he was doing. There's no right way to sum him up because he really is so complex. I can't imagine what it would be like to be someone like Arthur who was saved and raised by him, who trusted him and stuck by him, to witness him break and witness his family fall apart. RDR2 is such a painful but beautiful experience.

[@candle2005]

Goated character

[@jaredhiggins3746]

dutch is my favorite character in the series( writing&ideology wise)

[@jesse3311]

Dutch is my friend. My only regret was that I could not save him one last time in the end from madness, but you know the brotherly love is there. In the end he knows I did my best, and I know he did his.

[@TheMelancholyangel]

I think bottom line that Dutch was a bad man not a crazy man. That he was narcissistic but not a narcissist. That he was a romantic and idealist. Very charismatic and intelligent but suffering from doubt because of his origins. He was a bad man that knew he was bad but desperately wanted to be good. He latched onto certain ideals he admired and integrated them into himself. He did lie, to himself. He truly believed he was just misunderstood, eccentric, a seeker. The closer he came to seeing his deception, self delusion, ultimately his true self, the more he began to crack. When he was faced with the truth that he wasn't willing to sacrifice everything for love or loyalty over survival. That he wasn't an outlaw hero doing it all, giving it all, for his family. He shattered. The truth broke him

[@gonefishing9781]

"He was a bad man that knew he was bad but desperately wanted to be good" Is a perfect way to describe the character of Dutch!

[@Thaicatlove]

Perfect describe of Dutch. He lied to himself. He did not dive into morals. He couldn't do that inner diving?

[@Ronuk1996]

​@@gonefishing9781i feel like you can say the same for Low Honour Arthur.

[@oui2611]

The more I study dutch the more i realize he's a man failing to fight against a changing world, but on at the surface people see a manipulator and a crazy person but in reality its his stubborn act of desperation that lead him to make irrational decisions which lead him to his downfall, Micah just helped him fall further. I wonder how much different dutch would had been without Micah.

[@tierk4328]

It is really a shame, though, because Dutch was right. The Pinkertons and the Government all had their own idea of the future-a future that cared little for nature and birthed innovation and civilization. But not too far after RDR1, we'd find out they were wrong with the First World War. Innovation doesn't breed civility; it just breeds more chaos and destruction. That's their legacy.

[@rottensquid]

Yes, but Dutch ultimately was no better.

[@ВладиславБулаев-л3э]

Interesting connection with WWI you made here.

[@bwc-chvd]

They brought convenience and civilization but at what cost? It’s 2024 and we are finally starting to wake up and realize this isn’t the way to live. 1899 seems like total freedom to us but even back then many people saw the government as tyrannical.

[@rottensquid]

@@bwc-chvd The thing is, if you eliminate government, it's a laughably short timeline before it re-emerges as a tyrannical force, exploiting the many for the sake of the few. With no law, the ruling law becomes "might makes right." The result is the same.

[@joshflynn2173]

​@@bwc-chvdif you don't like the benefits from a first world country, there are alot of countries with less freedom you can live in. Russia, China, Middle East etc

[@robertbretta6876]

Dutch is definitely the most human of all the characters in red dead 1 and 2.

[@BearIslandComics]

With respect to the De Grasse Tyson quote: The number of books on the shelf on a given subject is probably tied more to people’s interest level in that subject, rather than how much knowledge has been accrued on it. Consciousness is simply more relevant to most people than stars, and Dutch is more relevant than any character in RDR2 save for maybe Arthur. We’re not confused about Dutch - we’re just very, very interested in him.

[@sandrales98]

i deeply enjoyed the video... same as the one about arthur...both made me cry and you maybe got a point... it would be consistent after all... and i esspecially pity for arthur he was too loyal for his own good... and i esspecially would love to hear in the same way as those 2 in a video about john marston that got saved by arthur only to also find his end in RDR1...

[@Newbie_neil]

He is a king under persecution suffering from intense paranoia

[@Nikzmat]

I think that dutch was not an evil mask all along or a psycho killer since the start. I just think he gave up after he realised that for 20 years he was fighting that couldnt be stopped

[@presL05]

This is quite literally the best video essay on Dutch's character. I have never seen someone explain Dutch's mindset, ideas, morality and intentions in such a clear way. Dutch indeed wasnt just some bad person. People call his character rich and it is for a reason - its rich because there is a conflict within him, a conflict that he cannot fully understand, yet he is heavily driven by it. Thats what makes Dutch's character so well written and so interesting, its the vast collection of emotions, ideas and so much more that make his character that complicated. Amazing video, needs a lot more Recognition than it has received.

[@junisjill8199]

The commentary at the end made me tear up a little and I think it’s so amazing how people can make someone who isn’t real, and has never existed feel so human. Like you can build a person from scratch and still manage to make them so complex. Storytelling and character building is such an amazing thing and the fact you can do a character analysis and maybe even need one to understand a character better is just proof of how well Rockstar has done with this game

[@painebatke9144]

He's literally the best written character in the entire franchise and also my favourite above all, even John and Arthur. Such a poetic character.

[@roar247]

He’s back!

[@oui2611]

I think another reason why dutch started acting psychotic is the death of anabell before the events of red dead 2, maybe thats what ignited the senseless killing of that girl at the ferry in blackwater before chapter 1.

[@MyCarlos311]

Dutch’s spiral is fleshed out throughout the game. He’s charismatic so people want to attack him as a psycho but he really does unravel over the course of the game (which I believe is months) and it starts at black water which we don’t see.

[@nigel_ninja]

Best analysis of Dutch ive seen. You precisely articulated what I've been thinking for years.😊

[@lessonsfromfilms5101]

Living with a huge price on your head for that long does that to a man, paranoia ceases to be a way of life and becomes the only way you survive...

[@oui2611]

22:07 dutch's face says it all. He is so confused thinking if he really did mess up that bad by trusting the most the guy who was the rat all along.

[@Wifgargfhaurh]

10/10, just finished the game and this explains everything for me

[@kulerthankule]

Welcome back! I loved your last red dead vid

[@george4610]

I love dutch. He just got lost along the way. He was such a cool true leader. The situation just got too difficult

[@mlbthebro6386]

My favorite part of Arthur saying to Dutch “you keep killing people Dutch” is knowing I just spent 100 hours lasso’ing every solo horse rider I ride past and drag em til they stop screaming as Arthur

[@betamax1828]

Probably the best Dutch breakdown I've seen. Hits the nail on the head at every turn and really gets to the heart of what makes Dutch such an amazing complex character

[@theyedmeister6981]

"Do not seek absolution..." "Seek Redemption."

[@PeriodDrama]

Another misconception about Dutch that people have which I totally disagree with is that he’s a coward. He’s the furthest thing from it, he is willing to risk his own life in insane ways for the sake of pride. Assassinating Cornwall and Brontë was both unnecessary and insanely ballsy. Strutting up to Braithwaite manor, standing in the centre of the line and firing the first shot. Even the lifestyle he lives requires insane grit. There’s countless examples of him being absolute badass. His instances of abandoning people are not due to cowardice, it’s due to pride - and that’s the same reason he’s willing to prove how brave he is at times, even to the point of needlessly risking his own neck.

[@joedwyer3297]

Totally agree. Was always one for commanding from the front

[@oui2611]

In the end, Dutch could never shoot his son's Arthur and John. There was a human being still in there unlike micah.

[@a.nichols626]

Dutch was going insane and he knew it. Right before one of the Bronte missions before he gets fed to the big alligator, you meet up with him at that Lagras bait shop. As you move close to him you can hear him trying to play a literal mental chess game. He gets exasperated and keeps restarting. He knows he is losing his mental capabilities. Also they had been living a transient life for years before the game introduction. It begins directly after a failed robbery where Dutch is seen murdering an innocent woman. That was the start of his mental decline and paranoia.

[@Daud-ix4tm]

When Dutch has his crazy moments is when he sounds like he was in Rdr1 well he sounds so deranged in rdr1

[@shadi5985]

This is the best deep dive into Dutch as a character i have seen. You just gained a sub my friend

[@lukarora]

this is by far the best analysis I've seen on dutch. he's a morally gray character, and you pictured that perfectly. keep going man

[@zesty2023]

Really well done video man, I was just listening to it the first time I played this as I played Quake2 with it in the background. Maybe that's why I noticed so much but really really good choice of music in this too, some of it was so haunting. Especially 18:20.

[@spider-queen]

these are some great character analysis videos, the algorithm showed me your Arthur one just recently and now I'm watching this one, I like the way you break down your thoughts on things, well done!

[@demianleon6751]

What an amazing video! Holy crap, the understanding of nuance and context, it is delectable. It's a breath of fresh air to hear someone talk about another person without demonizing or angelizing, understanding that we're all humans, with flaws and attributes that can tilt us one way to another. Man! I hope you have even more success on yt.

[@pygmy.]

Finally a video not saying "Dutch was always crazy blahblahblah"

[@harrysachz6395]

Tbh killing Bronte in hot blood never struck me as worse than killing 20 men in a robbery.

[@TheMichael5833]

Yeah same what else were they going to do with him anyway after they killed his men and tied him up

[@thegatorhator6822]

It's weird how people demonize killing Bronte as some moral failing of Dutch's. Was it poorly thought out, emotionally charged and bad strategy? Yes. Was it some moral evil? No. They were badly wronged by the man multiple times over and he was a career criminal that ran an entire mafia.

[@tracytreason]

the 20 killed in a robbery is more justified as it's just business to the gang to just pull a trigger and they're gone instantly. whereas dutch is making his hands filthy and there's a meter in dutch that's filled when he kills bronte. it was on his agenda to kill bronte.

[@Robman0908]

I still think he was just showing more of what he was. He just had complete loyalty of his crew, so it wasn’t as much of a problem. He had no grand plan to get them out of danger. The casualties, Micah and the longtime members starting to wake up caused him to drop the bullshit.

[@WorkingClassBroadcast]

Top tier mate 👌

[@MrUtopianDellusions]

Wonderful evaluation mate, really enjoyed it.

[@leobini.j1408]

Hey I just found your channel today but I'm glad you came back to make this gem ❤

[@apalapaemo]

If he was a less narcissist, then he would have been a lovable character

[@darksideofthetube3027]

I think I started with the trolley 100% them specifically pointing out he banged his head was on purpose and right shortly after he Killed Brontë in cold blood on top of that Hosea getting killed after already slowly losing it from a head injury was the last screw that fell loose he didn’t know how to except that especially with the head injury and that was the ultimate downfall.

[@lucidstudious750]

Im 150+ hrs into this game and still on my first playthrough What made me fully realize how special this game truly is was about a week ago. I hadn't returned to camp and a long time so i returned and chopped some wood, fed the horses, and talked to everyone Its simple but the fact that i wanted to do it says everything

[@maxgoss5653]

24:38 “John made it.” Best part of the entire story, and really both games if you think about it. Best game ever.

[@M0r1stic]

The best video on Dutch I have ever seen, can't wait to see more videos from you

[@oui2611]

i see myself in dutch. aside from the senseless killings, i see myself in being stubborn, idealistic, wanting a different world from what it is, feeling almost like a leader or visionary at some point among my friend group, the crazy guy with an idea, only now it feels like theres no idea and its just crazy, i can relate with that. most people fail to see that because they probably cant relate to this specific thing hence why theyre more incline to see dutch as a black and white villain who was out for self manipulating others instead of a broken human being turned psychotic.

[@actinide382]

I agree with pretty much everything in the video except the part where you call Dutch a misunderstood character by other people who call him a monster, in my opinion I think that’s the beauty of Red Dead Redemption. The fact that each person can view characters differently. There is no right or wrong way, there’s only how you understand them and how they resonate with your ideas and beliefs

[@damiaanwolters4739]

I wish real life looked as good and realistic as red dead redemption

[@yuhantao1713]

The most pivotal moment for Dutch is obviously the death of Hosea 12:17

[@ericc2129]

It’s a shame we can’t hogtie Micah and leave him in Sadie’s house in the beginning of the game.

[@someghosthunter]

When the world needed him most, he returned

[@RyanTheDark]

Originally, I wasn't going to say anything, but I will like to counter. Okay, Dutch treated Hosea badly. They're supposed to be partners, but he certainly doesn't treat him like one. He doesn't listen to him, he yells at him when he's coughing or in pain, and he makes him sleep on the cold, hard, dirty ground. He even openly ignores him in Colter, in front of the other men, and rides off when he tries to stop him from robbing Cornwall's train. I'm not saying they don't have a rich history or good moments, but the bad moment overshadows the good. I don't think Dutch ever really changed or if he did it was after Annabelle died, but that he's been losing it for a long time, but of course, there are a lot of contributions that led to this. Hosea's death. Micah's grooming. Arthur's lack of faith. I am on Chapter 3 of RDR2 and I figure out more about Dutch. There are a lot of things that stand out to me about him. One, that he doesn't really tolerate insubordination even when he claims he "never forced anyone to stay in the gang." He actually gets very angry and upset when people started leaving, namely Pearson in Chapter VI. Two, that he believes that he is infallible, incapable of making mistakes, and is very much a narcissist: "Stay strong. Stay with ME." He also had a scene that made me frown in Chapter III-a slip of the tongue perhaps: "I, I think I...I mean, we, are gonna be okay." Finally, pay attention to his speech when they're leaving Cornwall the first time in Valentine. Three, that he believes in his ideals are above all others. He wants a "free country" and he hates law. He denies to see that the world is changing while Arthur, John, Hosea, and even Lenny does. This directly ties into his death speech to John in the first game: "My whole life, John, all I ever did was fight". His death in that game also displays how much of a controlling bastard he is to the very end. No one decides on how he commits to anything, not even how he dies. These traits of his probably weren't very distinguished before the events of the game. This is probably because there was Hosea by him and also because things appeared to have been working for the gang through that time, minus the few causalities. Hosea's far from a perfect man and have made a lot of mistakes, but he taught Arthur and John valuable skills that he has been attempting to teach them for years, lessen Arthur's anger of John, try to get John to start stepping up to his responsibilities, Hosea who Lenny leaned to and was often independent of his opinion because of it, and it's Hosea we see teaching Jack to read, not Dutch. It was stated that he did the same with Arthur like teaching him how to ride a horse. Hosea was the dad to everyone including John, he said he instructed him how to read/write. John and Arthur can sometimes admit to Hosea being like a father figure or acting like one and they liked his presence more. Dutch on the other hand just claims, "you're LIKE sons/brothers to me", but doesn't really do anything that proves of them being like sons, and treats him same as just any other gang member. Let's consider the facts; he picks up those denied by society like revolutionaries or outcasts; Bill was banished from the army, Javier and Sean were revolutionaries, Lenny was on the run from the law and was in a difficult time due to his race. And if he couldn't get someone who was ostracized, he'd get younger folks such as Arthur and John. But the non fighters in the gang were not shunned so they departed eventually because they were able to and wouldn't be tracked down. Also, If you look at the gunman who weren't outcasts, they were not loyal to dutch. Charles liked Dutch, but didn't see him as a Saint. Sadie thought Dutch was a good man for helping her but was still not blindly devoted to him. And finally Micah. The key difference between everyone and Micah is that the bastard saved Dutch which led to Dutch thinking he could trust him, while Micah was an opportunist, and later on realized he could manipulate Dutch since he'd thought Micah was loyal like everyone else. And when people left and Dutch was questioning everyone's loyalty, those he rescued like Javier and Bill (and what maybe Sean (50/50 on him still) and the Callander brothers would have done) doubled down on their loyalty to stay with their Savior. Lenny and Kieran were uncomfortable with Dutch for a bit, and Arthur and John knew the truth after their time with Dutch and thought they could speak independently with him as they always did but that was not the case anymore and Dutch attempted to get rid of them silently without making people think they are next. Does this mean he didn't care for Arthur and John or anyone else? No, I feel like at one point he did and maybe you're right and he still did in the game. But when they'd questioned him more, he'd snapped and valued other things above them.

[@killerblodychuky6]

i think anyone who thinks dutch was just evil is deluding themselves if he was just evil he'd not have left micah during the ending or killed him during the epilogue

[@darkrinji]

I'm so grateful to hear more of your pros for this game. One hell of a hiatus!

[@donat2539]

Good to see you back

[@bezibeziko5704]

Whenever i played the game i could never be mad at Him. Arthur never cared for the "idea" i think he just experienced the world, and lived the moment id say Arthur had romantic/artistic soul while Dutch had idealistic and autonomic proud one, he was interested in the world, he saw the change, he saw the future, he knew that if people wouldnt stand up for themselfs and fight for the freedom the gov, and the "change" would slowly take it away. He was just aware... He knew that if he would stop fighting or show weakness, people would stop perceiving him as a symbol and figure to follow. Then this rotten world, would take his "discarded" people away and make them even more miserable, while flourishing on their pain. He valued each person as a person not a "tool" thats why he was so disapointed in most of the camp interactions, he wanted to show them their value, that they should cherish their freedom and not be ashamed of it, be proud independent human beings that decide for themselfs. But thing is nobody really cared or understood its importance, xd. Hosea was diffrent, i dont think he even fully agreed with Dutchs philosophy, hosea accepted the way things are and just tried to make 100% of it. He also looked at people as people, not ones to be "saved" i think Hosea knew that not everyone is as such self-aware, and just wanted them to be happy. Thats why they never fully agreed, and discussed a lot, when he died i think for dutch, not only the fact that his mortal enemy took him but also he lost only person that actually understood. So it made him more disapointed, vengefull, all this stress just fueled his anger, each battle lost made him feel more hopeless and defeated, like the cornered animal. When you are angry it seems like your field of vission shortens. You only see things that you are focused on, u dont bother abour irrevelant stuff or consequences. You need to get things done, your way is the only way you see. Thats why he needed people that believed in him, believed in his couse. Whats the point otherwise, i think he would just be so disapointed in humanity, "maybe they ment to be slaves, why do i even bother" thats what i think he would have thought. If one starts doubting the rest would follow. (Platoon is strongest as is its weakest.) And then in his mind, everything would fall apart. Thats why he needed people like micah. Id like to believe that he fully knew that micah didnt believed in shit dutch was really trying to prove and protect. But we will never know. I dont think Dutch ever went mad, he was just so overwhelmed, angry and fixated that he didnt saw diffrent way and felt threathned when other people would start pointing out things they were concerned about. I actually think the gang itself fought for something diffrent than Dutch, bcs if they would believe in things that Dutch did, they wouldnt fall apart. But they Didnt. They believed in Dutch, and he was in fact totally Alone, and responsible for all of their wellbeings. Micah "enabling" him was like a lifesupport at that point he needed anything. Think about it you fight for ideals, you fight for your life, try finding escape route it gets worse and worse, you dont have support in anyone but everyone demands. You lost people, only person that really knew what you were fighting for. you are loosing yourself, start doubting yourself, and everything you stand for. You just need to keep going. Your field of view shortens even more, you only see the target. "People demand more, argue, get mad why cant THEY DO something?!" Maybe he even started to dislike them? Despise their weakness? He started doubting them and their intentions. The rat. What crashed this narrow tunnel dutch was in was none other than Arthurs death. I think it was the first time Dutch acknowleged that this time it wasnt the world that failed him. He himself failed. He was so focused on the way out that he didnt even considered how the way would look and who will actually get out. And then he realised all his work, all those means and sacrifices, was pointless bcs there was noone around anymore, all his precious family was gone, and he killed them while trying to save them. He finally saw their point of view, the concerns of their life, their ambitions, diffrences and things they vauled. He understood that not everyone was like him and may never be, they loved him believed in him, and he failed them. He killed them. That was the moment he was trully defeated, he had nothing left, only himself and his values. He could gave up at this moment, let himself get swallowed by the world he was trying to resist and the world that killed his son, brother, and people who believed in him. orrr.... let go of his values bend the knee and accept his place. Dutch chose neither, i think he stopped caring at that moment, thats why he never conected to indians in rdr1 he didnt want to "save them" he didnt want to connect again. Thats why he didnt have anyone special to him, He decided that to the end of his life he will stick to his point. He will die with it. This time alone and he would be ruthless. He wont care for others he will use other likeminded people and their anger to deal as much damage as possible to the thing he hated the most and took the most from him. Id like to think it was even his vendetta for hosea, arthur, many others and the world that has been killed. Grief and anger were only things that kept him alive, And this time he would sacrifice himself for the couse. When it comes to pairing with micah again. i think it was intended. Micah used him and now he would do the same to him. But also, Micah was his personal failure, he needed support so much that he was blind to all the reason and the facts, If Dutch would stop listening to all those comforting and usless words Micah was feeding him and once, just once, think diffrently maybe he wouldnt have to loose his family. But listening to micah enabling every bad thought was just easier for him. And he knew that. At that time he wouldnt even consider Micah to be a rat. But arthur showed him how the puzzles fit. So he had to take responsabilty for his failure. + lets say saving jon was Arthurs last wish so he also did it for him. Yeh thats how i percieve this Sorry for bad eng ;)

[@JaniHorvat1]

Your english is pretty good, and your analysis of Dutch is also good. I had a similar view, because when the world comes down on you, you don't seek truth, you seek protection, support, no matter where. Because that's how Human psychology works in a way

[@ladypeahen8829]

Bunch of people villanize Dutch and calling him "crazy" or "narcisstic" just because they are ashamed they were catch by his charisma to belive his ideas could become reality. Yes, he was a talker, but he trully have belives. Mingus have very brief but spot on summary on Dutch character in video Red Dead 2 Wants You To Escape. He is what he is. I admire him, but during the game I see and understand he outlived his era and his dreams and ideas was just that - dreams. Nice, but not viable. Than I started pity him, but never hate him. I think, John went through similar path with his view on Dutch.

[@anglebolg5868]

I ain’t reading all that

[@dr.laydude]

​@@anglebolg5868Thanks for telling us folk we ain't supposed to talk too much or else we might become like Dutch I reckon.

[@anglebolg5868]

@@dr.laydude fr

[@SimisFul]

I finally finished the game so I could watch your video on Arthur. After watching it I just had to watch your take on Dutch. I love your point of view and I think I have to agree with you! Thank you for the great content, I'm still feeling the high of finishing this game after taking it all in over 125 hours and your videos are an extension of that pleasure ❤

[@josephbenedictsartorius4202]

In my opinion Dutch has always encompassed the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Dutch is really never in the right morally, he spent his whole life fighting, he would rob and kill and although he thinks it’s justice he’s hurting far more than helping. With his flawed morals, that from the start are destined to fail, I think it only makes sense that his personality and the change around him would cause him to fall more into his impulsive tendencies. He wants to do whats right for the gang and himself but he didn’t have that in the first place. so it makes sense that he wouldn’t find it when he’s pushed further into a corner.

[@JunkyardFox]

Excellent video and analysis

[@TMV420]

I love how well written, developed and complex Dutch is. Considering he was an almost mythical figure with only a brief, enigmatic appearance years ago, Dan House must have had a strong vision for who he was all that time ago. that being said, I'm really interested in what Dan Houser is doing next. no doubt it will be something with an incredible story.

[@mike1967sam]

Micah is basically Grima Worm Tongue ... I'm sorry about all the comments.

[@theboss5823]

Thank you for coming back bro

[@TheSnolana]

@@theboss5823 I’d like to stay this time.

[@gd995]

This video tells me you should avoid cults and their leaders.

[@shawnthompson2303]

Well done, mate! ❤️🦌

[@tbk7158]

I feel Dutch felt the pressure to give the gang the life he promised them but the constant doubting, criticism & questioning from his 'sons' pushed him to resent them

[@trainknut]

This is why I want to see a RDR3 covering events that were only hinted at in 2 but clearly _very_ important to the characters and their motivations. Events like Arthur falling in love, raising a son, and then losing it all. The same happening to Dutch minus the son, and Hosea... effectively making the whole original gang widowed souls. I think all three of them were very different men, for Arthur, it hardened and broke his heart. For Hosea, it made him softer and more appreciative of the little things. And Dutch? I think it broke him. I think it was the first step in a long and slow journey towards the man we first saw in RDR1. I know people say "it doesn't need a sequel" but I said that about the first game, and I still stand by it, the first Redemption was a flawless story on it's own... but now that it's a duology I can't help feeling like we've only seen two thirds of the major story so far. I wanna see what that original gang was like, in their prime, three steps ahead of the law, fresh off the loss of their loved ones, with hot young blood like John Marston and the Callander brothers bolstering their numbers. Mac seems the prime suspect for a new protagonist that can be easily retconned into the story. As it is in the game... Dutch is honestly kind of an asshole from the start specifically to John and Arthur, and towards the end of the game it's so obvious he sees them as foot soldiers it's hard to understand why they stick with the gang at all... A third and final chapter to the trilogy would really solidify this relationship and show where that bond stems from.

[@j_jizzle_69]

Some things are best left unexplained or else we wouldn’t have all these great analysis’. Also Other than the side content there wouldn’t be another reason to keep playing.

[@trainknut]

@@j_jizzle_69 okay so why did you play RDR2 then? What you just said applies to the first game getting a sequel as much as it would for the second game. RDR1 was a perfect game that needed no sequel, and yet the sequel was better... You and I would've been the critics who thought it was a bad idea when they announced it in 2016, I WAS one of those people, and yet they proved me wrong. So I really don't care if you say it's "unnecessary" or "best left unexplained" because the whole second game was just that.

[@j_jizzle_69]

@ RDR2 was significantly less of a gamble. Considering the fact that the lead person who wrote both red dead redemption games left Rockstar and there was a lot more to fill in from RDR1. it’d be even more of a gamble cause now you run the risk of ruining someones magnum opus, you have try to figure out how to satisfy the original writer and fans.Also the main theme of this story is redemption wouldn’t make sense if no one actually got redeemed at the end, making there be less of a character arc. Dutch is one of the most analyzed characters you’d run the biggest risk of all, ruining the character of Dutch.

[@AeroZephron]

I have to take a couple points off the review here, as I keep seeing these analysis videos of Dutch, yet everyone wants to gloss over the Trolley scene during the bank heist. Dutch's head injury is something people completely ignore, yet it's something he can't. He lacks impulse control, which is something that he didn't have a problem with prior to this incident and is a common side effect of brain damage. It might not impair his motor skills, but his judgement and reasoning are obviously affected. RDR1 Dutch is actually acting like a crazy person, which I don't think he would be doing in any other scenario.

[@vir.v2]

wondering how he will be pictured in RDR3...

[@haaxeu6501]

You mentioned Hosea's death as being the one that affected Dutch the most, but I disagree, Arthur's death affected him the most.

[@TheMichael5833]

The boat scene with bronte never made much sense to me they kidnapped him and had him tied up alone in the swamp right after they killed all of his men they were going to kill him no matter what I don't see why drowning while giving an angry speil is really so shocking

[@Ronuk1996]

Its because Dutch had told Arthur and John to not kill people in Such ways. It was more of Shock to John and Arthur as Ducth was no longer in Control.

[@keyboardcowgirl69]

rd3 starts with you playing as dutch, falling at the end of rd1 , you do a qte to fight gravity and then make a time machine therefore fighting time, and go back and kill all of the founding fathers

[@freddiedixon5244]

Dutch: plan forward the plan, I have a plan Us: What's the plan? Dutch: Who said that

[@EzraJames-g9e]

I like to think Dutch did truly care for the gang and Arthur and John in particular but as time moves on and the heat on them grows he finds himself desperate in his need for attaining wealth and fighting against the things he's fighting and the anxiety and desperation cause him to make worse and worse decisions worsening their chances. At a certain point it becomes blind vengeance against everyone here felt was against him. There's clear progressive change in his character and his disposition