The Van Der Linde Gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 is comprised of numerous walks of life with people of all different backgrounds, criminal records, and past traumas. Dutch may be the group's leader, but many feel Hosea Matthews is the man who held it all together.
Though he was older than Dutch, Hosea was the strategist and confidant who was arguably the only one Dutch listened to and took advice from. His death only accelerated Dutch's desperation. Here are 10 facts about Dutch's right-hand man, Hosea Matthews.
10 He's Sick As Well?
As the game progresses players come to learn that Arthur Morgan is sick and it's only becoming worse. Due to the lack of modern medicine and his stubbornness, it becomes apparent that there isn't a way to cure his condition.
Hosea Matthews may have been killed by Agent Milton, but it turns out he was also sick. Throughout the game, players can hear Dutch and other members of the gang discuss the fact that Hosea is suffering from what seems to be a certain type of lung disease.
9 A Rare Sight
Imagine respecting someone that you've only seen 3 times in your life. This is exactly the relationship Hosea had with his father.
When Hosea speaks about his father he explains how the man lived a life of debauchery and sin and surprisingly managed to make it to the age of 75 before passing. He stated that he loved his dad despite only seeing him less than a handful of times in his entire life. It seems that Hosea's way of life was paying homage to his father in many ways.
8 What A Voice
Hosea's voice fits the character so well, which is quite surprising considering the actor providing the voice doesn't necessarily have other notable performances.
Curzon Dobell has managed to appear on numerous television shows such as Gotham, The Blacklist, and House of Cards but none of his roles are nearly as prominent as Hosea in Red Dead Redemption 2. His performance was so rock-solid and impressive that many players are hoping he returns in a future Rockstar Games project.
7 Do You Feel Lucky?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is heavily inspired by several Westerns and many other things throughout pop culture. Some of the characters share physical or personality traits with famous fictional characters as either an homage or because they're iconic to the genre.
Many people feel that Hosea bares a striking resemblance to accomplished actor and Western icon Clint Eastwood. It seems that the likeness stops there as Hosea is a lot more charismatic and understanding than any of Eastwood's characters were.
6 Take The Stage
Hosea is quite funny and happens to be one of the livelier members of the Van Der Linde gang despite being the elder of the group. At a young age, Hosea was a stage actor who had dreams of becoming a famous comedian.
This makes sense considering Hosea always seems to have an eye for theatrics and understands that conning people is simply a vile way of living life as an actor. He was always willing to play the role to accomplish whatever crime he and Dutch had planned in the middle of the night.
5 His Friend Lenny
In many ways, the relationship of Lenny Summers and Hosea paralleled that of Arthur and John Marston. One of them was the older veteran of the gang who looked out for the other, and the younger one was wanting to prove themselves despite being told to leave the gang and make a better life.
Though Lenny never had the chance to do right by Hosea, they ended up being buried side-by-side. This was foreshadowed earlier in the game when both Hosea and Lenny say they want to be buried next to friends.
4 How Old?
Hosea is believed to have been born around the year of 1844. This means by the time the events of the game get going he's likely either 54 or 55 years old. With Dutch being slightly younger, that would make Hosea the oldest member of the Van Der Linde gang.
With age comes wisdom and respect, which the rest of the gang had in bulk for him. It's a real shame that out of all of the members, Hosea was captured and chosen as the example to set for Agent Melton and the law.
3 Avid Reader
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the oldest member of the Van Der Linde gang also happened to be the resident bookworm. Hosea loved reading and had an appreciation and love for crime novels above all else.
He was particularly fond of the mystery series by Aldous Filson. One of these books can be found by Arthur at the camp near Hosea's tent. If the player collects this book it can spark an optional mission to gather another one of the titles in the series for Hosea.
2 How He Met Dutch
Imagine becoming good friends with someone you tried to rob and hustle. If entertainment is any indication of the plausibility of this happening then it must be fairly common among criminals and outlaws.
Hosea met Dutch at a campfire and as he was trying to con and rob him he realized Dutch had already robbed him. The two respected each other's craft and bonded over their shared life as outlaws. Their years together are likely the reason Dutch always held Hosea's opinion in such high regard.
1 Father Matthews
During the game, players can hear a story about how Hosea originally wanted to be a priest. He goes on to say that "didn't know that you had to be Catholic to be a priest." This implies that he likely wasn't originally Catholic, but was rather a convert to the religion.
He shares a name which an ancient Jewish prophet from Israel, so there's a solid chance that Hosea grew up in a household which practiced the Jewish faith, but as he got older he converted over to Catholicism.