This article contains major spoilers for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2.
One of the most compelling aspects of Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is its characters, with a wide cast that each brings unique personalities to the table. Although the dynamic between protagonist Henry and his liege Hans Capon is a standout of the game, all of the game's core cast are memorable in their own right. However, Jan Zizka is a clear star among the cast as a very interesting character, who undergoes a dramatic role reversal over the course of the game, much like Red Dead Redemption 2's Dutch van der Linde.
Despite being set in completely different time periods, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 share a surprising number of similarities. Both feature a large cast of characters who are largely viewed as outlaws, fighting back against an oppressive force amid harsh living conditions. While heists and living life on the lam are parts of the Van der Linde Gang and the Devil's Pack's lifestyle, the characters of these gangs' key figures take a surface-level similarity and go in nearly opposite directions.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Rivals Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA In Terms of Easter Eggs
Fans are exploring everything Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has to offer, including the wide range of Easter eggs that rivals some massive IPs.
Zizka and Dutch Take the Outlaw Leader Trope in Opposite Directions
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Builds Zizka into a Folk Hero
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 players' first introduction to Jan Zizka is not a positive one, painting the character as the leader of an insufferable group of bandits. The first half of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is characterized by Henry and Hans' attempt to gain Lord Otto von Bergow's favor so that he will rethink his support for Sigismund and join their cause, while also seeking revenge on the bandits who attacked their camp in the early hours of the game. This quest leads players into direct confrontation with Zizka, who is posing as the lord of Nebakov and carrying out covert raids against von Bergow's troops in the surrounding region.
It's not until the latter half of the game that the script is flipped, and—after learning that von Bergow never intended to betray Sigismund and that Zizka is actually working on behalf of King Wenceslas—Henry and Hans join forces with Zizka since their interests are aligned. The narrative that follows paints a completely different picture of Zizka as players work to recruit allies together, showing him as a strong and cunning leader who can lead even the most hair-brained schemes to success. By the time players successfully survive the siege of Suchdol, Zizka has cemented himself as a dependable ally and hero to Bohemia.
Red Dead Redemption Leads Dutch from Loyal Leader to Villain
Standing in stark contrast to Zizka's arc is Dutch van der Linde, whose portrayal in Red Dead Redemption 2 takes a similar character archetype and leads them down the opposite path. Like Zizka, Dutch is a capable and charismatic leader of an outlaw gang, uniting all kinds of people under the flag of a life of freedom from the rapid industrialization of the Wild West. Though he has his flaws even early in Red Dead Redemption 2's narrative, as demonstrated by the botched Blackwater job, the gang still rallies around Dutch and his schemes because of his loyalty and lofty ideals.
The cracks in Dutch's character start to show when signs of betrayal rear their head, and even skepticism from his closest ally Arthur Morgan fuels his paranoia, ultimately leading to his downfall. Unlike Dutch, Zizka handles betrayal with dignity and persistence. As the Van der Linde Gang crumbles under Dutch's paranoia, his descent into a broken shell of himself reveals the tragic antagonist hiding behind the charismatic hero, creating a distinct separation from the path Zizka's character arc takes in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
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America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
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