Summary
Red Dead Redemption 2is an enormous game. Simply completing the story should take players well over 50 hours, and that doesn’t even include the countless side quests. Needless to say, there is a lot of content in this game, and it’s easy to miss some incredible stories and gameplay moments. Whether they’re hard to find or hard to unlock, these side quests are well-hidden and not often enjoyed. But that’s not to say that they aren’t worth playing because they are.
The sheer amount of things players can accomplish inRed Dead Redemption 2is truly off the charts, with players loving the sheer freedom they can enjoy while exploring the game world. There are a wealth of side activities that players can check out if they wish, with some of these being so hidden that it’s very possible most people never really managed to experience this content for themselves. Thankfully, the community has banded together to uncover as many secrets about this title as possible, including its lesser-known side quests.
Updated on July 30, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most breathtaking open-world games ever made. The quality of the writing in this game is truly sublime, finally making up for Rockstar’s deficiencies in this department. Players start this game rueing the fact that they can’t play as John Marston at the start only to shed tears at the fact that they won’t be able to control Arthur anymore. The incredible narrative is further bolstered by a wealth of amazing side content that is a joy to uncover, with some side quests being potentially missed by players who are too busy exploring this jaw-dropping world and taking in its many varied sights.
25To The Ends Of The Earth
Collect Four Yarrow For A Stranger In Need
Most people have no idea that there’s a Stranger Mission in the game called To the Ends of the Earth, and this is because these people checked out the console release back when the game was launched. This side quest was initially exclusive to the PC version before being made available for all other platforms.
The goal of this mission is as easy as they come. All players have to do is find the Yarrow plant, pick four of them, and give it to William. This Herbalist will become a random encounter after this mission is complete, asking for different herbs every time. It’s not a very memorable quest, but it’s the background surrounding this content that makes this a Stranger Mission that a lot of people simply didn’t know about unless they replayed the game years after its release on all platforms.
24The Ties That Bind Us
Remove The Wanted Posters Of Two Escaped Convicts
The Ties that Bind Us is a fun Stranger Mission that sees players interact with two convicts who ask that their wanted posters be taken down so that they don’t draw unwanted attention. Doing this makes for some fun interactions with a citizen who refuses to move away from a wanted poster, while another one is in the hands of a bounty hunter who won’t let go of it.
If Arthur helps them out, then he can encounter them later on in the wilderness. The two ate some suspicious mushrooms out of desperation and needed some medicine to be cured. After helping them out again, the player encounters them one last time in a cabin, where they’ve settled and are living comfortably. It provides some closure for players who were invested in the well-being of this criminal duo.
23No Good Deed
Retrieve A Doctor’s Stolen Goods
An elaborate fetch quest that is dressed up pretty nicely, No Good Deed shows that tried and tested mission loops can still be improved considerably if the game makes an effort to make these tasks as engaging as possible. Such is the case with players interacting with Dr. Alphonse Renauld in Rhodes, who explains to Arthur that his wagon and supplies have been stolen by a gang.
If Arthur wishes to be a good Samaritan, he can go all the way to the location where the wagon was stolen and fight off the bandits who appropriated these supplies for himself. After doing this, players must drive the wagon back, dealing with some pursuers along the way. It’s a fairly simple mission and one that players can forget about in a city rife with numerous activities.
22The Iniquities Of History
Help a Man Retrieve His Belongings
Most characters inRed Dead Redemption 2have a side that they don’t immediately show to the player. Such is the case with Jeremiah Compson, a man who seems like an honest American whose house is currently being occupied by a bunch of squatters.
However, it’s not until players investigate the house that they realize the true nature of Jeremiah’s business. They can confront him about his participation in the slave trade and either kill him or leave him be. It’s one of the many ways that the game shows the heinous nature of man and how no one should be trusted at face value.
21The Artist’s Way
A Troubled Artist Becomes Wrapped Up in Shenanigans
Saint Denis is a city full of colorful personalities that players can get to know throughout their adventures. One such character is Charles Chatenay, an eccentric artist who gets himself into trouble all the time. And he ropes the player into his shenanigans too.
Every encounter with this character is a treat, and fans who didn’t engage in all the missions possible with this colorful personality are missing out on something. Moments like these are what make Saint Denis one of the most memorable locations in any Rockstar game.
20A Fine Night For It
Unlocked After Encountering the Night Folk Once
The Night Folk of the Bayou is a sinister group that players can encounter while exploring this area of the game. This may not sound like an appealing prospect (especially with the wealth of crocodiles players can encounter here), but this is made worthwhile by a Stranger mission that is unlocked once players encounter these folk for the first time.
A man complains about these Night Folk and how they’ve thrown him out of his own house, begging the player to help him get his house back. The Night Folk are truly savage, leaving a wealth of corpses in their wake that make it easier to take them down for the good of this man and any other person who would be unlucky enough to encounter this hostile group.
19Arcadia For Amateurs
Help a Photographer Numerous Times
It’s only a given that some people go so far as to hazard their own lives for the sole purpose of following their art, and photography is no exception to this golden rule. During their adventures in the world ofRed Dead Redemption 2,players will encounter a unique character called Albert Mason, who asks for their help time and time again to click some photographs of the world’s impressive fauna.
Suffice it to say, there are moments when Albert bites off more than he can chew, leading to the player having to save his hide more often than not. Thankfully, most players will enjoy these distractions since they let the world of Red Dead breathe freely. It helps that the banter between both characters is also pretty interesting, even if Albert can be a bit too stupid for the player’s liking at times.
18Help A Brother Out
Uncover Human Trafficking in a Shop
While human trafficking has been targeted extremely in modern times, there were times when this illegal act was rampant in early times. Arthur can be asked by a monk called Brother Dorkins to sniff out and uncover a child trafficking operation that was running in a shop in Saint Denis. This leads to Arthur either intimidating the shopkeeper to get answers orusing his keen eyes to spot a shifty bookcase that hides a secret door.
Players will find two children chained to a wall who can be rescued. While Brother Dorkins is grateful enough to let Arthur take money from his donation jar, Arthur can choose to refuse this payment for an Honor boost. It’s a simple yet engaging side quest that shows how each and every corner ofRed Dead Redemption 2’s map is full to the brim with details, secrets, and unique events.
17Of Men and Angels
Cements Arthur’s Status as One of Gaming’s Best Protagonists
Of Men and Angels is a quick little interaction, and that’s probably what makes it so easy for players to miss out on. The stranger mission becomes available sometime during Chapter 6 and is located within the streets of Saint Denis.
Players will encounter a familiar face in the form of Sister Calderón while walking around the city. The Sister will ask Arthur to donate to the poor during a cutscene, and the player will have to option to oblige or walk away afterward. Donating either food or money will net Arthur some positive honor. It also makes for a memorable conversation that highlights how even the simplest and optional locations of the game house some quality content of its own.
16Oh, Brother
Solve a Lover’s Dispute Between Two Twins
There are a slew of Stranger missions and side events that players can find themselves locked out of if they slay the wrong NPCs or simply don’t show up in an area during the right arc of the story. Oh, Brother is a great example and a hilarious sidequest that players will want to play just for the dialogue alone. It puts Arthur in the middle of a love triangle, with two twins that are constantly at one another’s throats for the love of a lady named Helen.
To begin this chain of quests, players will need to find the duo arguing outside the store in Valentine only after completing Chapter 3’s “The Battle Of Shady Belle” and entering Chapter 4. Players will need to find and meet the duo on three separate occasions to finally finish their missions, and every interaction with them is a joy.
