William is a minor character and Stranger in Red Dead Redemption 2. He initiates the Stranger side-mission "To the Ends of the Earth".
Quick Answers
What is the purpose of the Yarrow plant in Red Dead Redemption 2?
Where can you find William's camp in RDR2?
What is the 'To the Ends of the Earth' mission in RDR2?
What role does William play in Red Dead Redemption 2?
What does William request from the player in RDR2?
History
Background
William became intrigued by the study of plants, and began studying them on his own. Following his interest of plants, he sets up multiple encampments to study more about them.
Events of Red Dead Redemption 2
William can be found by the player south of Twin Stack Pass in The Heartlands. He is set up at a small camp containing a wagon, a tent and a storage area for his plant and herb collection.
During the stranger mission, William requests that the player brings him some Yarrow. Upon delivery, William tastes the Yarrow, claiming it to have medicinal qualities; he then gives the player a crafted remedy as a reward.
After the stranger mission, William can later be found other times as a random encounter in the wilderness, where he will ask the player to collect more plants in exchange for other tonics. The player can encounter him as a random encounter three times in 1899 and once in 1907. However, if the player triggers the stranger mission in 1907, all four random encounters will instead occur during that year.Awaiting Confirmation
Locations
- The Heartlands, New Hanover - near Twin Stack Pass (first encounter)
- The Heartlands, New Hanover - near Dewberry Creek south of Emerald Ranch (where an O'Driscoll's gang camp will also spawn)
- Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover - at Mossy Flats on the Kamassa River, next to Fort Brennand
- Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne - near Lonnie's Shack
- Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne - west of Ringneck Creek and east of Old Greenbank Mill
- Grizzlies East, Ambarino - northwest of the Mysterious Hill Home.
- Grizzlies East, Ambarino - atop of the Chelonian camp hill, northwest of Moonstone Pond (possibly only after or during We Loved Once and True III)
- Tall Trees, West Elizabeth - near Tanner's Reach
- Great Plains, West Elizabeth - east of Manzanita Post and south of Beecher’s Hope.
- Cholla Springs, New Austin - between Armadillo and Ridgewood Farm
- Mercer Station, New Austin - near Mercer Station.
Mission Appearances
Red Dead Redemption 2
Trivia
- The first encounter with William is the only one that's marked on the map, and his only guaranteed location, as every subsequent meeting with him is a random encounter.
- The player will lose honor if they steal William's horse.
- If the player meets him as John after having interacted with him at least once as Arthur, John will act as if they already know each other ("What do you need this time?"). However, William will still treat John as someone he's never seen before.
- Despite saying that he is traveling far away, William can still be found once again across the five states.
- If William is killed and looted, the player will find a throwing knife.
- In the game's PC files he is listed as "herbalist".
- William was added in an update to the game, most likely due to his original actor being recast. The original intention was for him to be a Native American, although this was scrapped and only some cutscene files, voicelines, models and textures remain for this iteration of him.
- He was also intended to give the player a trinket as a reward for completing his requests, as evidenced by a leftover voiceline from his original actor.
Gallery
