Red Dead Redemption 2's Van Der Linde Code Explained

Summary

The Van Der Linde gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 had their own code, which included robbing the rich but leaving the poor alone, and not harming women or children.
Despite having deadly gunfighters, the gang preferred to use their guns for intimidation rather than violence, except when facing lawmen or other outlaws.
The gang's code began to slip with the addition of Micah Bell and their involvement in loan sharking, leading to the downfall of the gang.

The Van Der Linde gang of Red Dead Redemption 2 lived outside the law, but they had their own code to live up to. Red Dead Redemption 2 gives players plenty of time to learn how the Van Der Linde gang operates, particularly in comparison to other outlaws. They don't just rob everyone they meet, or go in guns blazing to every situation. There's a lot more nuance to the gang than players may believe going in, which heightens the tragedy of the gang's eventual fate. The Van Der Lindes were far from perfect, but they still had standards.

Founded by RDR2's resident planner Dutch Van Der Linde, the Van Der Linde gang started with only two members, Dutch and Hosea. While the two traveled together from then on, it wasn't until they took in the teenage outlaw Arthur Morgan that the gang began to properly expand. Over the years, the Van Der Lindes would take in new members, mostly outcasts who needed either protection or a purpose. While they had to run afoul of the law, this crew managed to survive off of their talents for years. Red Dead Redemption 2 just happens to follow the final months where everything fell apart.

The Van Der Lindes Had Standards in Red Dead Redemption 2

red dead redemption 2 van der linde gang

There were a few rules that the members of RDR2's Van Der Linde gang would abide by at the time of the game. For one, the gang tries to stick to robbing the rich, while leaving the poor alone. The reasons for this are not only logical, as poor people have less money, but also a point of honor. Most of the gang have known poverty, and they don't want to make a struggling person's situation worse. They reject the idea of robbing or harming women or children for similar reasons. The gang out out to survive and make money, but they aren't heartless.

When it comes to violence, despite featuring deadly gunfighters like RDR protagonists Arthur Morgan and John Marston, the Van Der Linde gang are fairly reserved. While they will fight back, and do so effectively, taking the first shot is not their usual approach. Their guns are more useful for intimidation in their robberies, and pulling the trigger on a civilian is heavily frowned upon. On the other hand, when faced with lawmen or other outlaws, the Van Der Lindes show how lethal they can truly be. The gang are not pacifists, but they prefer to save their guns for situations where they are truly necessary.

Sadly, the Van Der Linde's code was already slipping at the game's start. The addition of Red Dead Redemption 2 villain Micah Bell is an obvious sign of this Despite Micah killing without restraint and generally being honorless, Dutch never does anything about him and considers him a valuable member of the gang. Leopold Strauss' loan sharking is another indicator of the code's weakening as it preys on the poor, with Arthur notably finding such a job to be disgraceful. Once these guidelines were bent, the Van Der Lindes lost their way. Through deaths and disloyalty, nothing of the old gang was left in the end.

The Van Der Linde gang had principles that set them apart from the other gangs players would encounter. RDR2's tragic hero Arthur Morgan is the best example of such, as the player can see him exercise mercy and kindness through various events while still being a tough outlaw. While he managed to keep his personal code until the end, the same unfortunately couldn't be said for the doomed gang as a whole. The code of the Van Der Linde gang helped make them likable, and if they had kept it, then Red Dead Redemption 2 might have ended differently.