I have spent an embarrassing amount of time in Red Dead Redemption 2. Even in 2026, when I replay it, I still find myself riding back to camp and wondering the same thing: why does the Van Der Linde gang have so many members who do almost nothing? Dutch's crew is the engine of the story. Arthur Morgan and John Marston are the guns. Pearson and Mary Beth keep camp running. Strauss, for all his moral ugliness, at least brings in money. But some members? I genuinely struggle to imagine how the gang would have suffered if they had never joined. Spoilers ahead for RDR2, obviously.
Reverend Swanson: A Tragic Man With Almost No Role
I feel bad saying this, because Reverend Swanson is one of the saddest characters in the game. He was a former clergyman before he joined the Van Der Linde gang. That is a unique position, right? A man of the book living among violence and lawlessness. Unfortunately, nothing meaningful comes from that arrangement. Swanson's role in Red Dead Redemption 2 is almost completely inconsequential.
He does not fight. He does not help with chores or camp maintenance. He does not bring in money. While he might be one of the more moral gang members, morality alone does not keep a camp fed. For most of the story, he feels more like a hanger-on than a full member. Later, he does step up. He overcomes a painful addiction to alcohol and drugs, and he helps keep morale alive. That is genuinely uplifting. But by then, the gang is beyond saving, and the Pinkertons are tightening the noose. By the time Swanson improves, Arthur Morgan's journey is already coming to a tragic close. After the gang dissolves, Swanson gets his life together, which is nice, but his time in the gang remains forgettable.
Molly O'Shea: Dutch's Lover and the Gang's Biggest Burden
Molly O'Shea might be the least useful Van Der Linde in Red Dead Redemption 2. I know that sounds harsh. But think about what she actually does. She is Dutch's latest lover, yet she has no love for the gang, and the feeling is mutual. Many members react with open hostility to her opulent tastes. In camp, Molly never seems to do any real work. She spends the bulk of her time in or right outside her tent. Other members resent her for avoiding work, and her negative, occasionally spoiled attitude does not help.
Her story role is also thin. Until she claims to have leaked information to the police, she barely matters. That claim gets her killed quickly. So her only real contribution ends up being one of the major events that leads to the gang breaking apart. That is a brutal legacy. Molly did next to nothing to help the gang, and she played a major role in causing its fall. She never managed to be anything other than a burden, which makes her eventual betrayal less impactful than it could have been.
Uncle: The Lovable Slacker
Uncle immediately comes to mind when I think about useless gang members. He is not related to anyone in Red Dead Redemption 2, yet he is allowed to stick around. Why? Because he is funny. That is basically his job. He is an old man with little ambition or desire to do anything resembling work. He would rather drink and sleep than pitch in around camp. His laziness is one of the main jokes about his character, and it frequently gets him in trouble.
The other members insult him, mock him, and complain about him. His famous excuse about his lumbago became one of the biggest RDR2 memes. Meanwhile, other members were notoriously stingy about raising money for the gang, but you would have to search far and wide to find any meaningful contribution from Uncle. He is the biggest and most visible slacker in the Van Der Linde gang. Ironically, fans love him for it. His humor is welcome in a game as dark as Red Dead Redemption 2. Still, I cannot deny that he was virtually useless as a gang member.
The Van Der Linde Gang Was Too Big for Its Own Good
Here is how I would break it down:
| Member | Practical Contribution | Story Impact | My Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reverend Swanson | Almost none until late morale support | Tragic addiction arc and quiet redemption | Forgettable but sympathetic |
| Molly O'Shea | No camp work, no jobs, no money | Betrayal claim helps doom the gang | Least useful overall |
| Uncle | Drinking, sleeping, and jokes | Comic relief and lumbago memes | Lovable deadweight |
The Van Der Linde gang was big. That size gave it power, personality, and a sense of family. But it also ended up with members who had little to offer in the grand scheme of things. It is a bit puzzling how Dutch could end up with so many people who lacked any sort of purpose. Maybe that was part of the point. Dutch collected lost souls, and not all lost souls are useful. Even in 2026, I still think Red Dead Redemption 2's Van Der Linde gang may have been a bit too big for its own good.