Although Red Dead Redemption 2 is based on the real American Wild West, many of the characters featured in the game are only fictional… but not all of them. There are a handful of non-playable characters inspired by real-life counterparts.
RDR2 acts as a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption and sheds light on who the Van der Linde gang was before they disbanded. Players get to play as Arthur Morgan, a fearsome outlaw who wasn’t around in the first game. In RDR2’s epilogue, players later assume the role of John Marston (the protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption title) once again, following Arthur’s untimely death.
One of the best aspects of Red Dead Redemption 2 is its open world environment, which not only offers players a lot of interesting things to explore, but it also gives them the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide range of strangers. The following characters in RDR2 are all based on real-life individuals, and if players are lucky, they may stumble across these interesting NPCs over the course of the game.
Every RDR2 NPC With Real-World Counterparts
Professor Marko Dragic is based off of famous scientist Nikola Tesla, who lived from 1856-1943, and was revered for his work in the electric power industry. It’s clear that Dragic is based off the engineer and inventor considering his story is so similar – he’s attempting to build a robot and even his lab has references to Tesla.
The biggest hint that Black Bell is inspired by outlaw Belle Star (also known as the Bandit Queen) is the similar names. But beyond that, it’s also clear based on the fact that Black Bell only wears all-black clothing in RDR2, just like her real-life counterpart. The character also likely took inspiration from other famous female outlaws, like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane.
The Aberdeens may be the most well-known RDR2 characters to be based on real-life individuals. The murderous siblings are actually based on serial killers John and Kate Bender, who lived in Kansas. The sister and brother were responsible for killing at least 8 people. Like in RDR2, they would get their victims drunk before robbing them and burying their remains on their property.
Edmund Lowry Jr. is another serial killer players can encounter in the game. He’s based off of Stephen Dee Richards — aka. the Nebraska Fiend. He confessed to committing 9 murders through Nebraska and Iowa in the 1870s-80s, which is close to where players find him in RDR2. Lowry in the game is clearly based on Richards not only because of their similar affinities, but their similar style of dress, hair and mustache also gives it away.
Charles Châtenay introduces himself as a French artist who left his homeland because people weren’t appreciative of his nude drawings. Châtenay’s largely parallels Paul Gauguin, a French artist whose earlier works were deemed as obscene during his lifetime. Both artists only gained recognition after their passing, making it clear Red Dead Redemption 2’s Châtenay is a nod to real-life’s Gauguin.
Bertram, whom players can encounter in Van Horn, shares many physical similarities to Simon Metz – aka. Schlitzie – an American side-show performer and actor. Both the animated character and real-life persona suffer from microcephaly, a rare condition that results in specific physical deformities and intellectual disabilities, among other things.
Dorothea Wicklow is a woman’s suffragist that players can run into in Saint Denis. Everything from her clothing to massive wooden sign gives it away that she’s none other than Sophie Dulep Singh, a famous women’s rights activist from the 19th century who would protest in the middle of crowded city streets all by herself.
The Banjo Mutant of Butcher’s Creek is discernable for his swollen, deformed face and affinity for playing the banjo. He’s based off of a famous picture of an individual suffering from a rare disease called Goider, which happens when the thyroid swells due to iodine deficiency. This condition is unlikely to affect someone nowadays, but years ago, would result in striking deformities.
Albert Mason is a wildlife photographer whom players can encounter from the game, and based on his profession and appearance, he’s likely influenced by real-life environmentalist and photographer Ansel Easton Adams, whose photos of the wild west have been turned into posters and calendars.
Angelo Bronte is largely based on two different mob bosses. First, his name is clearly inspired by Italian-American gangster Angelo Bruno, the infamous leader of the Philadelphia crime family. But his timeline doesn’t quite add up, as Bruno wasn’t born until 1910. That’s why Bronte likely also takes inspiration from Charles Matranga, leader of the New Orleans crime family, which parallels Bronte’s hold over RDR2’s Saint Denis.
Lilian Powell – aka. the woman players can encounter in the Saint Denis saloon – is likely none other than famous stage actress Sarah Bernhart, whose acting chops got her critical acclaim in the late 19th century. Considering both characters are stage actresses, share striking similarities, and even have similar behavioral characteristics, Powell is clearly inspired by Bernhart.
Chester Damsen is a minor character in RDR2, but she’s very much a reference to real-life opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins, who was both mocked and adored for her controversial opera singing, which many found to be just downright bad. Nevertheless, Florence still received critical acclaim for her singing, and was notorious for having a huge ego that was oblivious to her lack of musical skills, paralleling Damsen in RDR2, who didn’t realize no one appreciated her singing.
Evelyn Miller can be encountered during the epilogue as a stranger mission, but he’s heavily based on American author Henry David Thoreau. The similarities between the two become apparent when Miller tells John about his backstory, and how he’s now living in a cabin in order to write peacefully, away from the hustle of life back at his university. It also helps that their physical looks are striking.
Taxidermist Elle Hobbs can be found in Strawberry, especially if Arthur chooses to accept the hunting ad she posted. It’s believed she’s a loose reference to English author Beatrix Potter, who was known for writing the Peter Rabbit series in addition to other stories about animals who dress and act like humans. The reference becomes apparent when players enter Hobbs’ basement, which is filled with stuffed animals staged to be doing human-like things.
Rockstar Games clearly did their research when developing Red Dead Redemption 2, as the references these NPCs make to real-life people are impressive.
