The First Shall Be Last (2024)

The First Shall Be Last is a mission in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Mission Overview[]

Following a tip-off on Sean's whereabouts, Arthur, Trelawny, Javier and Charles track Ike Skelding's bounty hunters up the Upper Montana River and attempt to rescue Sean.

Story[]

Arthur arrives at Charles and Javier's camp in a clifftop, just north of Blackwater. He joins the two on the cliff edge, where they are examining the high security in the town. Charles tells Arthur that Trelawny is trying to find out where Sean is, while Javier says that Blackwater is filled with many Pinkertons and bounty hunters and that they won't be getting all the money from the ferry robbery any time soon.

Trelawny arrives and tells the trio that Sean will be transported through the Upper Montana River to a federal prison by Ike Skelding's Boys. Arthur says that they must rescue Sean or "cut him loose" since breaking into a federal prison would be suicide, Charles refuses the latter option. Trelawny says that Sean's captors are taking him to one of their nearby camps before handing him in. Arthur forms a plan to intercept them en route to their camp: he sends Charles up north, while he, Javier and Trelawny attack the bounty hunters from the other side so they can stop them from both directions.

After Charles leaves, Arthur, Trelawny and Javier ride on horseback to the river, where they see the Skelding Boys' boat that is carrying Sean. They follow it along the cliff edge and when it stops, use binoculars to see the bounty hunters drag Sean out and up through the canyon. They see Charles up on the opposite cliff, and proceed down to the river. Two Skelding Boys are standing guard on the other side, so Trelawny distracts them so Arthur and Javier can sneak up behind and kill them.

Trelawny departs, and Arthur and Javier fight their way through more Skelding Boys and head up the canyon. They soon meet up with Charles and the three arrive at the camp where Sean is, hanging from a tree by his legs. They kill the last of the bounty hunters and cut Sean free. Charles and Javier take Sean back to Horseshoe Overlook while Arthur stays behind to look around the Skelding camp.

When Arthur gets back to camp that night, the gang will be having a party to celebrate Sean's return.

Dialogue[]

The First Shall Be Last/dialogues

Gold Medal Objectives[]

• Silently kill the bounty hunters by the river with Javier.
• Shoot the rope to free Sean.
• Get 10 headshots.
• Complete the mission without taking any health items.

Deaths[]

• Numerous members of Ike Skelding's Boys: Killed by Arthur, Javier, and Charles in order to rescue Sean.

Possible Obtaining Weapons in the Mission[]

• Bolt Action Rifle
• Machete

Video Walkthroughs[]

Trivia[]

• The Bolt Action Rifle can be obtained in the mission but has to be done exactly as shown here:
  • Arthur and Javier will silently kill two Bounty Hunters when Trelawny provides a distraction. Then, Javier and Arthur will begin to proceed up the valley towards the Bounty Hunter camp. The first two Bounty Hunters in this valley - especially the one on the LEFT of the other Bounty Hunter carries and drops the Bolt Action Rifle if you kill him first. You MUST kill him, not just wound or otherwise alert the pair to your presence as he will swap it out for a Carbine Repeater and will not drop the Bolt Action Rifle upon death.
• The machete can be obtained in this mission by killing a bounty hunter (who is attacking Charles) before going up the hill.
• Under normal circ*mstances in the story line, Arthur will receive an immediate Dead or Alive wanted level if he travels south of the Upper Montana River into either Tall Trees or Great Plains, and will be swarmed and one-shotted by lawmen if he does not retreat. If this mission has not been completed, Morgan will not receive a wanted level and won't be pursued by lawmen. As well, the law will not be as prominent if Arthur strays south. This is to allow the player to safely get to the location of the mission without being killed, but be advised as the law WILL still pursue and kill Morgan as normal if he gets too close to Blackwater, or continues to stray south towards New Austin.
• This mission is the only time in the main story that the player is in control of Arthur in territory that includes Red Dead Redemption's world map. For the duration of the game, Arthur is restricted to all the "new" territories created for Red Dead Redemption II, which includes Big Valley, and all of the states of New Hanover, Ambarino, and Lemoyne due to the ramifications of the failed ferry heist before the story line began.
• It is recommended not to waste any time in looting everything and anything from the Bounty Hunter's camp when the mission ends. The player will soon receive a WANTED status, prompting several Lawmen to appear and investigate. Instead, it is advised to loot the bodies and the camp right before releasing Sean off the rope.
• The cutscene where the gang reunites with Sean will be slightly different depending if the player had the shot the rope or not.
• Somewhat ironically, the title of the mission is a reversal of what happens to Sean later. Out of those who were unaccounted for after the ferry heist he's the last member the gang has to rescue, and is also the first one to die (While Micah is in Strawberry jail around the same time, he was arrested for a different crime).
  • This title is also taken from the Bible verses of Matthew 19:30 and 20:16; Mark 10:31; and Luke 13:30; the title also hides the other half of these verses that say that "the last will be first", which hints at what will happen to Sean later.

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