Rockstar has been one of the most acclaimed developers of this generation, largely for the incredible narratives it creates. While the GTA franchise is certainly Rockstar's crown jewel, the studio's most impressive narrative is arguably the story told throughout Red Dead Redemption 2. Choosing to move back in time with RDR2 made a lot of sense given how the original game ended. Making a direct sequel would have been tricky at the least, but beyond that, Rockstar's decision to move back in time actually changes the overall direction of the entire franchise and possibly for RDR3 as well.
Initially, Red Dead Redemption was a simple tale of a reformed outlaw trying desperately to turn from his wicked ways and make an honest life for his family while constantly being dragged back in because of his old gang. Following Arthur Morgan and the Van Der Linde Gang through RDR2, though, made the narrative a larger tale about a complete family of outlaws struggling to continue their way of life set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing frontier as the lawless West gave way to civilization. In doing so, Rockstar made the Van Der Linde Gang and its leader Dutch van der Linde the actual main characters of the franchise, which makes the perfect narrative for Red Dead Redemption 3 to explore the origins of Dutch van der Linde in a similar way the Star Wars prequels showcased the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. While the western frontier of Red Dead may not be as fraught with heroic saviors and malevolent villains, the tale of a hopeful and ambitious Robin Hood figure turned narcissistic megalomaniac is equally as compelling as the origins of Darth Vader.
The Star Wars prequels are by no means perfect. Despite their flaws, though, the Star Wars prequels do have a solid plot at work. Literature is rife with powerful tales of heroes' tragic spirals into becoming the villain, from the once honorable Macbeth's betrayal of his king and country to Harvey Dent's path to becoming Two-Face and Walter White's journey from hardworking family man to maniacal drug lord. Every medium has them, and video games are no exception: from Bioshock's jarring "Would You Kindly" revelation to the groundbreaking moment players realize Dormin's plans in Shadow of the Colossus. Red Dead is uniquely positioned, though, in that it can take the stories of the previous games which established the gang's tragic demise because of their erratic leader and wind back the clock to a time when he was still a hero. Before there was Vader, there was Anakin, and before there was the Van Der Linde Gang, there was Dutch.
How RDR3 Can Mirror Anakin's Journey
While Dutch may not have a Chosen One-type prophecy driving his narrative, it would be hard to convince him of it. Dutch believes unequivocally that he is destined to make a utopia for him and his own that fits his fantasy of a free frontier. The original Red Dead Redemption showed Dutch at the very end of his journey when he had no cards left up his sleeve, but even then the enigmatic leader had the last word and ended things on his own . When the story roles back to the downfall of the Van Der Linde Gang in RDR2, players see a much more nuanced Dutch with more of the charm and bravado for which he's known, but that slowly fades as the story progresses. Even as the game foreshadows that he is getting sloppy and erratic, Dutch still showcases hints at the man he was, who was able to inspire all the to follow him.
Similarly, in the original Star Wars trilogy, fans were introduced to one of the most iconic villains of all time and were given fragments of Vader's backstory, but viewers were still largely only presented with the knowledge that once there was a good man before he put on the helmet. By the time the original trilogy is over, viewers know that Darth Vader was once a promising young Jedi, but they don't know that actual character, only that he once existed. The prequel trilogy gave layers and depth to the man who would become Lord Vader, painting a portrait of a ionate and ambitious youth not all too unlike how Dutch's young self is referenced in RDR2. Each had a vision of the world they wanted to make, and, like Anakin, even as Dutch's plans continued to fail, they were still plans initially made with the best of intentions.
For Anakin Skywalker, his motivator was the love for his family. Anakin's inability to prevent his mother's death and his fear of losing Pe exacerbate his transformation, but the seeds of this change were present even before. Anakin was always brash and struggled to control his emotions, often acting in the moment without thinking through his actions. Dutch's love is more abstract than loving another person, but the love of an ideal is just as powerful and dangerous if it's not pursued with care. Dutch is not without the motivations of wanting a family, though. Little is revealed about Dutch's life before the gang, but the pieces that RDR2 does show displays his longing for a family that is free of the burdens of the frontier.
RDR3 Could Show Dutch Before He Was An Outlaw
Dutch's origins as a runaway from his impoverished family struggling to make it, and his turn to thievery for survival, also lay the foundation for the gang itself. Dutch feels like an outsider in the frontier, a misfit that dreams of a better life. As such, he collects other outsiders struggling to make it and brings them into his family. He finds a brother in Hosea when they try to rob each other, similar to Anakin finding a brother in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the two form the bedrock of the Van Der Linde Gang. Dutch then finds sons in Arthur and John, another pair of unfortunate kids trying to survive, and the stage is set for Dutch's series of betrayals in RDR2. As Anakin turned his back on Obi-Wan and caused Pe's demise, so too does Dutch turn his back on Hosea and set in motion the destruction of John and Arthur.
The conflicts are certainly different for Anakin and Dutch, the outcomes even more so, but the nature of their stories is still very similar. They are both characters who bring about the very things they are trying to avoid in their quest for the life they want. Blinded by selfishness and greed, they each make mistake after mistake not realizing they are creating their own downfall, from rushing into situations without proper planning to trusting people they know they shouldn't. A hero's demise and the rise of a villain are timeless tales in every form of literature, and Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 already set in motion that narrative for Dutch. This, paired with the fact that moving forward in time with RDR3 presents massive struggles, makes continuing the prequel trajectory an ideal fit. Doing so gives fans the opportunity to see a young Dutch van der Linde in a similar way that Star Wars fans saw the boy who would one day become Darth Vader.