Top 15 Missions in Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t just a game—it’s an experience. Rockstar Games crafted a masterpiece that immerses players in the gritty, unforgiving life of the American wild west. At the heart of this epic tale are its missions, each one a carefully woven thread in the larger narrative tapestry. Whether it’s a high-stakes heist, a heart-pounding shootout, or a quiet moment of reflection, the missions in Red Dead Redemption 2 are as diverse as they are unforgettable.
In this blog, we’re diving into the top 15 missions in Red Dead Redemption 2. These missions aren’t just about action—they’re about choices, consequences, and the raw humanity of characters trying to survive in a world that’s rapidly changing around them. Whether you’re a seasoned gunslinger or new to the Wild West, these missions are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
Table Of Contents
- 1 15-Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten
- 2 14-Goodbye, Dear Friend
- 3 13-Just a Social Call
- 4 12-Blessed are the Meek
- 5 11-A Short Walk in a Pretty Town
- 6 10- Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow II
- 7 9-Favored Sons
- 8 8-Visiting Hours
- 9 7-Fleeting Joy
- 10 6-Banking, The Old American Art
- 11 5-My Last Boy
- 12 4-Red Dead Redemption
- 13 3-Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern
- 14 2-Hell Hath no Fury & Paradise Mercifully Departed
- 15 1-American Venom
15-Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten
This mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 where the Van der Linde gang retaliates against Angelo Bronte, the corrupt Saint Denis crime lord who orchestrated the disastrous trolley station ambush. After Bronte betrays Dutch by tipping off the law, leading to chaos and bloodshed, the gang storms his opulent mansion under cover of night, blending stealth and explosive violence to kidnap him.
The mission is a pivotal moment, showcasing Dutch’s growing ruthlessness as he disregards Arthur’s objections and later executes Bronte in a shockingly brutal manner (feeding him to an alligator). This act of vengeance symbolizes the gang’s moral freefall, as Dutch abandons his facade of honor for unchecked retribution. The mission highlights how revenge often makes things worse, not better, and pushes the gang closer to falling apart. Arthur’s mixed feelings about Dutch’s actions also hint at the bigger problems coming for the group.
14-Goodbye, Dear Friend
This mission where Dutch, Sadie, and Arthur ensure that Colm O’Driscoll meets his end at the gallows in Saint-Denis. This mission marks the climax of the bitter rivalry between the Van der Linde gang and the O’Driscolls and the personal beef between both Sadie and Dutch with Colm. As the trio positions themselves to prevent any last-minute rescue attempts by Colm’s gang, the tension is thick with anticipation.
Sadie’s fiery determination, fueled by her personal vendetta against the O’Driscolls for the death of her husband, adds emotional weight to the mission. Meanwhile, Arthur covers Dutch and Sadie using a sniper on top of a nearby building, then Colm’s gang tries to intervene but Sadie and Dutch intervene allowing the execution to continue. The chilling moment of Colm’s execution brings their feud to an end.
13-Just a Social Call
In this mission from RDR2, Arthur Morgan and Micah Bell accompany Dutch van der Linde on a perilous trip to confront the dangerous and unpredictable Cornwall Kerosene & Tar magnate, Leviticus Cornwall. Set in Annesburg, the mission sees tensions boil over as Dutch’s increasingly erratic and violent nature takes center stage.
What begins as a supposed negotiation quickly turns into chaos, with Dutch killing Cornwall and sparking a deadly shootout. Arthur’s growing unease with Dutch’s leadership is palpable during the mission, as the risks Dutch takes seem reckless and self-serving. The mission is a turning point, showcasing the widening fractures within the gang and Dutch’s descent into desperation, foreshadowing the events to come.
12-Blessed are the Meek
In RDR2 the mission “Blessed are the Meek” has Arthur Morgan break Micah Bell, out of jail in Strawberry, after Dutch pressures Arthur to break him out, despite Arthur’s obvious disdain for Micah’s volatile nature, Arthur agrees to do it, The mission begins with a funny scene where Arthur makes fun of Micah for being captured and beaten by lawmen showing his disdain for him.
Then Arthur comes up with a plan to blow the wall of the jail out and break Micah out of the prison, but the scene quickly spirals into chaos when Micah ruins the plan by causing a violent shootout. Micah kills innocent people and lawmen and drags Arthur into the shootout, showing how cruel and selfish he is and prioritizes bloodshed over subtlety. This mission shows Micah’s unchecked brutality and his callous actions—along with Dutch’s loyalty to him despite his reckless mistakes.
11-A Short Walk in a Pretty Town
This mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a tense mission where Arthur Morgan, Micah Bell, Bill Williamson, and Sean MacGuire arrive in Rhodes under the guise of negotiating a security job with the Gray family. As they stroll through the quiet town, Arthur senses danger—a feeling proven right when Sean is abruptly killed by a sniper’s bullet, shocking the group. Chaos erupts as the Grays ambush them, forcing Arthur and Micah into a frantic shootout. They battle through the streets, taking cover in a gun store and fighting off waves of attackers.
The conflict peaks outside the sheriff’s office, where Sheriff Gray holds Bill hostage. Using his Dead Eye ability, Arthur guns down the sheriff and rescues Bill. The gang escapes Rhodes, reeling from Sean’s sudden death and the Grays’ betrayal. The mission underscores the gang’s vulnerability and the brutal consequences of their double-sided play with both the Grays and the Braithwaites.
10- Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow II
The stage “Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow” is a powerful turning point for Sadie Adler‘s character and her journey towards becoming a fierce, independent member of the Van der Linde gang. The mission begins with Arthur Morgan accompanying Sadie on her mission to hunt down the remaining O’Driscoll gang members after Colm’s execution.
What follows is an intense assault on the O’Driscoll hideout, where Sadie’s unwavering determination and ferocity shine through as she takes an active role in fighting her enemies and ends up wiping out the remaining members with the help of Arthur. The mission not only showcases Sadie’s transformation from a grieving widow to a formidable force within the gang but also deepens the bond between her and Arthur, as he comes to respect her strength and resolve and her respecting Arthur for lending a hand to her cause.
9-Favored Sons
In the mission “Favored Sons” sees Arthur Morgan team up with Dutch van der Linde, Eagle Flies, and a bunch of his men to ambush a U.S. Army patrol in Cumberland Forest. The plan involves using dynamite to block the soldiers’ path with fallen trees, aiming to embarrass the Army and divert attention from the Van der Linde gang. However, the mission spirals out of control when reinforcements arrive with a devastating cannon.
Arthur and the Dutch destroy the artillery in a chaotic firefight, but the group is soon overwhelmed and forced to flee through a treacherous mountain pass. Cornered at a collapsed bridge, Dutch and Arthur fake surrender before jumping off a cliff into the river below, narrowly escaping death. The mission highlights Dutch’s reckless disregard for consequences and Arthur’s growing disillusionment with his leader’s dangerous tactics. While the ambush succeeds in humiliating the Army, it also escalates tensions with the Wapiti tribe and underscores the gang’s reckless, self-destructive path.
8-Visiting Hours
In this mission,” Arthur Morgan and Sadie Adler undertake a bold mission to break John Marston out of Sisika Penitentiary a heavily guarded prison all by themselves. they row to the island and silently take out a guard in a watchtower to secure a better view. Arthur then uses a sniper rifle to eliminate two guards, mistakenly identifying one of the prisoners as John.
Upon realizing their mistake, they approach the prison entrance, taking a guard hostage to demand John’s release. With John finally freed, the group fights their way through a horde of guards to reach their boat. After a harrowing escape, they return to Beaver Hollow, where tensions flare as Dutch Van der Linde voices his anger over their unapproved and dangerous rescue attempt. The mission underscores both the gang’s loyalty and the growing cracks in their unity.
7-Fleeting Joy
The mission “Fleeting Joy”, Arthur Morgan reunites with the gang at their hideout in Lakay after he comes back from Guarma, but their meeting is violently disrupted when Agent Milton and the Pinkertons launch a surprise attack using a Gatling gun. Under intense gunfire, Arthur follows Sadie Adler through a hidden trapdoor, flanking the attackers from a nearby building. Using his Dead Eye skill, Arthur takes out several Pinkertons, including the operator of the Gatling gun.
The battle escalates, and Arthur takes control of the Gatling gun, taking down waves of Pinkertons to protect the gang. When the Pinkertons finally retreat, Dutch orders an immediate move to a new location, but tensions rise as Abigail begs for help rescuing John from prison. Dutch coldly refuses, leading Arthur and Sadie to take matters into their own hands later on. The mission is a chaotic and emotional turning point, filled with action and growing fractures within the gang.
6-Banking, The Old American Art
This mission marks a devastating turning point for the Van der Linde gang. The heist in Saint-Denis starts as a desperate bid for freedom but spirals into chaos when the Pinkertons ambush them. The tension reaches its peak when Agent Milton coldly kills Hosea Matthews in front of the gang, igniting an intense firefight between the gang and the Pinkertons.
As they attempt to escape, Lenny Summers is tragically gunned down on the rooftops, and John Marston is captured, leaving the gang fractured and reeling from their losses. The remaining members regroup in a nearby house under the cover of darkness, where Dutch hastily decides their next move. With what money and gold they managed to take from the bank, they board a ship bound for an unknown destination, desperately clinging to the hope of Losing the Law and regrouping again.
5-My Last Boy
The mission “My Last Boy”, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang face mounting tensions between the Wapiti Native Americans and the U.S. Army. Eagle Flies, driven by a desire for revenge against the injustices inflicted upon his people, seeks the gang’s aid for an assault on the Cornwall Kerosene & Tar refinery.
Despite the earnest pleas for peace from his father, Rains Fall, Eagle Flies presses forward with his plan. Arthur, understanding Rains Fall’s concerns but hoping to temper the violence, reluctantly agrees to help. The mission unfolds as a fierce battle at the refinery, where Arthur and the gang fight through waves of soldiers to reach Eagle Flies. After securing state bonds from the refinery’s office, Arthur is incapacitated by a steam blast and surrounded by enemy troops.
Dutch Van der Linde coldly abandons Arthur, but Eagle Flies heroically intervenes, saving him at the cost of his own life when Colonel Favours fatally shoots him. Arthur avenges Eagle Flies by killing Favours and carries him back to the Wapiti reservation, where he dies in his father’s arms. This mission encapsulates the devastating toll of vengeance and highlights the growing fractures within the Van der Linde gang and Dutch’s change of personality choosing money over Arthur who Dutch once considered as a son.
4-Red Dead Redemption
In this mission, Arthur Morgan witnesses the final collapse of the Van der Linde gang as paranoia, betrayal, and law enforcement close in. Tensions explode when Arthur Exposes Micah Bell for being a rat within the gang (after Agent Milton told him before getting shot by Abigail). The gang members get shocked and unable to decide so they split and take sides marking officially the end of the Van Der Linde Gang.
As Dutch wavers between trusting Arthur or Micah, the Pinkertons ambush the camp, forcing the gang members to scatter and fight off their way out. Amid the chaos, Arthur prioritizes John’s survival, urging him to reunite with Abigail and Jack. Fighting through waves of Pinkertons, Arthur ensures John’s escape handing him his iconic gambler hat before heading back to confront Micah.
Weakened by tuberculosis and exhausted from the conflict, Arthur climbs the mountain, where he engages Micah in a brutal, desperate fistfight. Dutch arrives, torn between his two closest allies, but shockingly walks away, leaving Micah and dying Arthur to their fates.
If Arthur has embraced a more honorable path, he lays down on the mountainside, watching the sunrise one last time before peacefully succumbing to his illness (if Arthur has low honor and chooses to secure John’s escape, after the fight at the mountainside Arthur gets shot in the head by Micah).
Alternatively, if he pursued the gang’s hidden money, Micah would stab him, leaving him to die in the darkness of the camp in Beaver Hollow (if Arthur had high honor and chose to go for the money Arthur still passed away by illness after his intense fight with Micah but this time in the darkness of Beaver Hollow). No matter what the choice is, Arthur’s story ends with a bittersweet sacrifice, his final actions securing John’s future while symbolizing his quest for redemption.
3-Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern
The mission “Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern” delivers a brutal, cinematic climax to the feud between the Van Der Linde gang and the Braithwaites. The Van der Linde gang storms Braithwaite Manor under cover of night, approaching the estate in an iconic, slow-motion walk with their weapons on their backs. Shortly after failed negotiations between Dutch and the Braithwaites, A fierce battle erupts as the gang guns down the Braithwaites’ guards, methodically clearing the grounds and slaughtering the family’s members.
After subduing the manor, Arthur, Dutch, and Hosea confront the defiant matriarch, Catherine Braithwaite, interrogating her about Jack Marston’s whereabouts. She reveals they handed the boy to Angelo Bronte, the ruthless Saint Denis crime lord, in a twisted deal for revenge due to the gang’s double-side play with both the Braithwaites and the Grays, the gang walks away as the manor burns behind them. Overwhelmed by the loss of her family and legacy, Catherine staggers into the flaming wreckage of her home, perishing in the inferno and erasing the Braithwaite name forever.
2-Hell Hath no Fury & Paradise Mercifully Departed
In the mission “Hell Hath No Fury” from RDR2, Arthur Morgan and the remaining Van der Linde gang members—Dutch, Micah, and Bill—collaborate with local resistance leader Hercule Fontaine to orchestrate their escape from the oppressive island of Guarma. The mission unfolds at the fortress of Cinco Torres, where Hercule informs the gang of an imminent attack orchestrated by Colonel Fussar, who has summoned reinforcements from Cuba to eliminate them.
As a formidable warship approaches the island, Arthur and his allies brace themselves for an intense confrontation. Positioned atop the fortress, they engage waves of enemy soldiers advancing along the beach. Arthur assists Hercule in maneuvering a cannon into position, aiming to counter the naval threat. Despite their efforts, the fortress’s defenses are breached, compelling Arthur, Dutch, and Hercule to descend and repel the invading forces on foot.
The battle intensifies as enemy boats attempt to land additional troops. Arthur strategically targets these vessels, striving to prevent at least four from reaching the shore—a crucial objective for mission success. After neutralizing the immediate threats, Arthur and Hercule return to the fortress’s rooftop to confront the looming warship. Manning the cannon, Arthur delivers precise shots, ultimately sinking the vessel without missing—a feat necessary for achieving a gold medal in the mission.
With the naval threat eliminated, the gang seizes the opportunity to escape Guarma. They regroup and prepare for their departure, aiming to return to America and continue their journey amidst the tumultuous events that have shaped their path.
The mission “Paradise Mercifully Departed“, Arthur Morgan and the gang, having just destroyed the Cuban warship bombarding Guarma, find themselves under attack once again. Despite the apparent victory, Colonel Fussar makes a last desperate attempt to eliminate them, launching another wave of soldiers against the group. As gunfire erupts, Arthur, Dutch, Micah, Bill, and Hercule are forced to fight through relentless enemy forces while making their way toward a house where Fussar has taken refuge. Amid the intense shootout, they push forward, cutting down waves of soldiers as they ascend the battlefield.
Eventually, Arthur and Dutch manage to corner Fussar, but the ruthless colonel escapes through a window, seeking higher ground. Moments later, he is spotted inside a nearby tower, where he begins firing a cannon down upon the gang, threatening to wipe them out. Realizing the danger, Arthur and Hercule fight through the last of Fussar’s men to reach another cannon. With precise aim, Arthur fires at the tower, blasting it apart in a massive explosion and finally killing Fussar.
With the colonel dead and his forces in disarray, the gang can finally secure their escape from Guarma. Hercule arranges a boat for them, and they set sail back to America, leaving the chaos and bloodshed of the island behind. However, tensions within the group continue to rise, foreshadowing the inevitable collapse of the Van der Linde gang.
1-American Venom
The mission “American Venom” serves as the game’s climactic finale, where John Marston, fueled by vengeance and closure, teams with Sadie Adler and Charles Smith to hunt down Micah Bell, the traitor who was responsible for the downfall of the gang, at Beecher’s hope, Sadie informs John of Micah’s whereabouts after tracking his associate, Cleet, to Strawberry.
Despite Abigail’s fears, John insists on pursuing Micah to get revenge for Arthur and the gang as well, leading the trio to confront Cleet in the snowy mountainside town. After cornering and interrogating Cleet, they learn Micah is holed up in a fortified hideout on Mount Hagen, and then it’s up to the player to make John decide to spare or hang Cleet.
The group ascends towards the area where Micah is believed to be hiding, where Charles is wounded by a sniper, forcing John and Sadie to press onward while he covers their retreat. Battling through Micah’s gang in a series of brutal firefights, Sadie is stabbed during a skirmish but urges John to finish the job alone. right before reaching the peak Joe (one of Micah’s subordinates) confronts lonely John Marston after a short talk, John kills Joe along the two men with him.
After another brief shootout with the remaining members of Micah’s gang, John confronts Micah in a tense standoff—only for Dutch van der Linde to emerge from the shadows and Sadie to catch up but Micah swiftly takes the wounded Sadie as a hostage. torn between loyalty and guilt, In a shocking twist, Dutch turns on Micah, shooting him in his chest, leaving John to deliver the final blow and finally kill Micah, then Dutch gives John a final look and vanishes.
Inside Micah’s cabin, John and Sadie discover a hefty amount of gold and cash supposedly the Blackwater heist money right before the game’s prologue. Returning to Beecher’s Hope, John reunites with Abigail and Jack, his family’s safety secured, and marries Abigail later on.
“American Venom” is a brutal yet poignant conclusion, tying together threads of revenge, redemption, and the cyclical nature of violence and blending visceral action, emotional stakes, and poetic justice, closing Arthur Morgan’s saga while binding John’s fate to the cycle of violence in Red Dead Redemption (the first game).
And there you have it—the top 15 missions that make this game a true masterpiece of storytelling and gameplay. These missions capture the essence of Arthur Morgan’s journey and the Van der Linde gang’s tragic downfall.
Each mission is a reminder of why this game resonates so deeply with players: it’s not just about outlaws and shootouts, but about humanity, redemption, and the choices that define us. Whether you’re revisiting these moments or experiencing them for the first time, they’re a testament to the power of video games as an art form.
Feel free to tell us about your favorite missions in this masterpiece and make sure to check our other blogs for further information or lists like this.
