Dutch van der Linde is one ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s main characters and one of the most important individuals in the series, and fans appear to have embraced him despite–or perhaps because of–his many flaws. A variety of fan art, fan-made videos, and other tributes have been dedicated to Dutch over the years.
In the game, Dutch talks to protagonist Arthur Morgan about his plans to take the Van der Linde gang to Tahiti where they can leave the outlaw life behind them and become Mango farmers. The turbulent relationship between Dutch and Arthur and a variety ofhidden conversations inRed Dead Redemption 2make it uncertain whether Dutch is telling the truth about his intentions. Either way, this never comes to pass as Dutch continues to try and pull off one last job well after it becomes clear the time of the outlaw is ending. However, one fan decided to draw Dutch in full vacation mode regardless.
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Redditor outlaw4748 has drawn a vision of a future where Dutch did escape to Tahiti, presumably with the rest of the gang, and is now kicking back on the tropical paradise with a coconut drink and a traditional fresh Tahitian flower necklace. In the image, Dutch appears to be fresh, well-groomed, and sporting a straw hat and flower-patterned Hawaiian shirt.
The shirt is a bit anachronistic, as Hawaiian shirts first appeared in Hawaii between 1920 and 1930 when local Japanese women adapted kimono fabric for use in mens' shirts, andRed Dead Redemption 2’s epilogue concludes in 1907. Of course,Red Dead Redemption 2removed alligators' ability to attack horses, so the slight creative liberties taken in the drawing may not be enough to raise eyebrows in the fan community.
While Arthur and the rest of the Van der Linde gang do not appear in this image, the way that Dutch’s mental state appears to decline as he loses gang members in the game would suggest that they are alive and present in Tahiti. While Dutch is unambiguously the villain ofRed Dead Redemptionand much ofRed Dead Redemption 2as well, he does have positive traits and may well have cared for his gang.Dutch was a positive father figure to Arthurat one point–perhaps this art shows what could have happened if Dutch had listened to his people and got out while the getting was good.
The fan response to this image has been quite warm, with one poster comparing it to the splash art for aLeague of Legendsskin. This may invite fans to consider the possibility of a Tahiti mango magnate skin or mod for Dutch in-game. Several posters shared quotes from the game or otherwise referenced Dutch’s infamous line about faith, while others claimed to dislike mangoes. One poster even claimed to have initially mistaken this artist’s rendition of Dutch for actor Tom Selleck. Fans of Dutch can also find him in afan-made intro forRed Dead Redemption 2inspired by True Detective.
Red Dead Redemption 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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