InRed Dead Redemption, the first former Van der Linde gang member John Marston hunts down is Bill Williamson, and the interaction leaves Bill dead. Players can do nothing to change the outcome of the scene, whichestablishes early on how the game’s story is set to play out. With the game forcing Bill Williamson to end up dead, it is fair to question why he cannot walk away from the encounter alive. There are multiple layers to why, from both the former gang member’s backstory and John’s history with him.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Red Dead Redemption.]
Bill Williamson is more of a supporting character of the Van der Linde gang, even as players learn a little more about him through interactions inRed Dead Redemption 2. Butin the context of the first game, all players know is that he used to ride with John and now has a gang of his own. As killing him is the only way to progress in order to reach all the other members that John is tasked to take down,there are valid reasons the game does not hesitatewhen it comes to Bill’s death.
RDR Forces John To Kill Bill Williamson, For Good Reason
There is no way to spare Bill Williamson inRed Dead Redemption. If players hold back on the opportunity to shoot Bill, Abraham Reyes will finish him off instead. The game leaving him dead is appropriate considering what he has been up to since the Van der Linde gang split.The effects of Bill’s gang on New Austin and Armadillo are apparent, with the outlaws raiding farms and murdering townsfolk. In light of him and his gang committing extreme crimes and being dangerous outlaws, the fate that Bill meets is a justice that the player and John must serve.
Where RDR2’s Van der Linde Gang Ends Up After Red Dead Redemption
All of the Van der Linde gang members go on to meet different fates by the close of Red Dead Redemption 2, some of them more brutal than others.
Bill Williamson’s past, as well as some of his actions inRed Dead Redemption 2, also show how dangerous he is. Before the events of the games, Bill was kicked out of the army for deviancy and attempted murder, kicking off the life of an outlaw. Paperwork explaining his dishonorable discharge can be found inRDR2. What led him into the Van der Linde gang in the first place was when he attempted to rob Dutch and Hosea.Bill lived in delinquency from an early age, extending to the rest of his life up until John takes him out.
Bill Williamson And John Marston Were Not Friends
The Two Were Only Fellow Gang Members, Nothing More
One other big reason that John is not hesitant to kill Bill is because the two were not ever really close. This can be seen in the prequel,Red Dead Redemption 2, where the two do not really interact outside of the gang’s business. Although Bill is loyal to the Van der Linde gang,he’s depicted as a drunkwho has a lower reputation among the other members of the gang.John was also a lot closer to other people in the gang, like Arthur and Charles, so he had other people that he was more loyal to than Bill.
Although John Marston is playable in part ofRed Dead Redemption 2, much of the prequel’s story focuses on Arthur instead.
Bill also tries to de-escalate the situation when John is sent to kill him, which John disregards and is still persistent about his mission. If they had a friendship in their past, John would have hesitated in this moment. Even if the player themselves hesitates,the game does not falter in Bill’s favor, letting someone else do the job so that the story progresses without looking back. The game actually recognizes these details, as there is one gang member that John and the player are able to spare later on.
John Marston Can Spare Javier Escuella
The Only Gang Member That Can Be Spared Is Closer To John
In contrast to John’s relationship with Bill, Javier and John were closer when the gang was together. Javier is seen positively interacting with John in the prequel, makingthe mission to kill him in RDR all the more upsetting.Javier also has a higher reputation among the gang than Bill does, as he is seen getting along with people more often than Bill ever does. Javier is regarded as one of the members that John is the closest to in the gang, alongside Arthur and Abigail, so it is more appropriate that John can spare him rather than sparing Bill.
There is also a moment inRed Dead Redemption 2when the gang is taking sides leading up to the climax where Javier hesitates to pick a side. Ultimately, he sides with Dutch and Micha, but he can be seen thinking about his decision. Despite the pressure to betray the two and stay loyal to Dutch,he is the last character to aim his gun at Arthur and Johnbefore chaos ensues, and this may connect to the option to spare Javier in the first game. With a little honor left, players can spare Javier.
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Bill does not have the same qualities in John’s perspective as Javier does, so the fact that there’s no opportunity to spare him fits into both John’s view of Bill and the overall perspective across both the games' stories.The lack of redemption for Bill Williamson is also more tragic in his own story, living a life of struggle and delinquency that leads to his demise. John’s decision to go through with his mission and execute him is a coherent outcome that kicks off the game, leading to John hunting down the rest of the former Van der Linde gang.
Being a set event in the beginning half ofRed Dead Redemption, John Marston taking out Bill Williamson with no hesitation or remorse fits into the game and its prequel. The option to spare Bill would not make any sense, mainly due to the fact that John and Bill were never close when the gang was together. With his offending past and that being carried out into his life after the Van der Linde gang, Bill Williamson is an outlaw who deserves to be executed by John and disregarded as another hit complete on the mission’s list.
