Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling western adventure loaded with detail, and like Red Dead Redemption, there are plenty of mysteries and oddities to discover within its sizeable open-world map. Activities such as hunting, gambling, fishing, chores around camp, and discovering RDR2's many in-game collectibles all offer up plenty of variety to occupy playtime.

Outside of Red Dead Redemption 2's main story missions, side quest “Stranger” missions involving various NPCs add to the long list of things to uncover in Rockstar’s widely successful sequel, although some missions are more bizarre than others. Taking the time to listen in to random NPC conversations or explore question marks on the map can lead to rewarding surprises in unexpected places.

Related: RDR2 Background Character Stories Just As Tragic As Arthur's

The type of Stranger mission in RDR2 players will experience can vary wildly from encounter to encounter. From peaceful conversations to violent bursts of action, Arthur Morgan and John Marston never really know what they're stepping into when they approach a new Stranger. Here’s a look at some of Red Dead Redemption 2’s oddest Stranger missions.

RDR2 Weird Stranger Mission: Oh, Brother

RDR2 Stranger Mission Oh Brother

Once the mission “The Gilded Cage” is completed in Red Dead Redemption 2 Chapter 4, two men by the names of Proetus and Acrisius can be found in Valentine outside of the general store. Both men are fighting over a woman named Helen, and have decided to test their bravery to determine who is worthier of her attention. The brothers decide that Arthur will use his revolver to shoot bottles off of their heads. Assuming neither brother is dead after three rounds, both brothers will chase after Helen while hurling additional insults at one another.

A few days later in the same spot, the player can run into the brothers and Helen again. This time, their challenge of bravery has escalated to withstanding different punches. After three rounds of absorbing blows, neither brother is left standing so Helen decides to cart them away.

After a few more days the brothers are now found standing at the top of Cumberland Falls outside of Valentine. Naturally, the brothers believe the next suitable challenge is to go down the waterfall in a barrel. After both fools bob their way off the edge, Helen becomes worried that they didn’t make it. Going down to the river’s edge, the player can find that surprisingly both idiot brothers managed to avoid a sad and tragic death in Red Dead Redemption 2. Strangely, the experience has made them closer despite all their elaborate insults, and they decide to take off together, not wanting anything to do with Helen after all.

RDR2 Weird Stranger Mission: A Fine Night For It

RDR2 Stranger Mission Fine Night For It

Once Chapter 1 is complete and Arthur has run into the Night Folk of the Bayou at least one time, he can come across a RDR2 Stranger mission in the form of an old man sitting at a camp on the road out of Lagras. The man will begin telling stories about the Night Folk - terrible people who murder innocents and have claimed his house for their own. While the Night Folk are more outwardly homicidal than the creepy inhabitants at Red Dead Redemption 2's Aberdeen pig farm, they still need to be dealt with.

Related: Red Dead Redemption 2's Most Memorable Missions

Arthur agrees to clear out the property and, along the way, fresh corpses are found courtesy of Red Dead Redemption 2's Night Folk. Once arriving at the house, five Night Folk wielding machetes will run at Arthur. After disposing of them the man will run inside as additional Night Folk start running towards the house. After all of the murderous swamp enemies are dealt with, Arthur can claim his reward from the man.

RDR2 Weird Stranger Mission: He’s British, of Course

RDR2 Stranger Mission Hes British Of Course

After finishing Red Dead Redemption 2 Chapter 2, Arthur can discover a wrecked circus caravan in Lemoyne. A man by the name of Margaret claims he is a female animal wrestler, and his carnival beasts have all escaped. Pleading for help, he asks for assistance finding his lost Zebra, Tiger, and Lion. Luckily for Arthur, these animals aren’t as rare as RDR2's Carolina Parakeet.

The zebra can be found northwest of the starting location, grazing under a tree. Once Arthur lassoes the animal, it becomes apparent that it is not a zebra at all but rather a mule painted to look like a zebra. Arthur continues to help looking for circus animals, and Margaret informs him that his assistant is looking for the others. Meeting up with the assistant, Arthur agrees to look for the lion.

After looking in the area, he discovers a dead animal - which happens to be the aforementioned lion, which is actually just a Labrador with a mane. The deceased dog is placed in the back of the caged wagon in the hopes of attracting the missing tiger. Without delay, a cougar with painted stripes climbs into the wagon. This “tiger” may not qualify as a legendary animal in Red Dead Redemption 2, but it certainly is memorable.

Related: Who RDR2's Worst (& Best) Gang Members Are, Morally Speaking

Returning to the caravan, Margaret has one last favor. Due to the sudden lack of lions in the circus group, he asks Arthur to search for the other remaining lion. Heading over to Emerald Ranch, Arthur will find two terrified farmers standing outside a locked barn door. After investigating the barn, a dead rancher horse can be found outside leading the way to a nearby stable. Once Arthur is close enough, an actual lion will charge and attack. This provides the lion’s paw trophy, but sadly, no salvageable lion. Returning to Margaret provides Arthur with a sizeable chunk of emerald as a reward.

RDR2 Weird Stranger Mission: The Wisdom of the Elders

RDR2 Stranger Mission Wisdom Of Elders

To the west of Red Dead Redemption 2's Van Horn Trading Post, a mumbling man can be found on the ground repeating the name of his village, Butcher’s Creek. After returning the man to the village, Arthur will meet Obediah Hinton, the local village elder. Suddenly the sick man will try to attack Arthur, but is shortly knocked out.

A day later, players can continue the Red Dead Redemption 2 Stranger Mission by returning to Obediah’s house, and he will answer the door mumbling about demons. A woman will scream and the sound of barking will begin as rabid dogs descend upon the village, which makes for a slightly less terrifying threat when compared to RDR2's actual vampires, ghosts, and supernatural phenomena.

After the dog attack, the villagers agree that the “darkness” is the root cause. A strange shaman then appears claiming that evil charms are throughout the woods and are perpetuating a dark curse. Strangely, he warns Arthur not to disturb the woods.

Related: Every Red Dead Main Character Who DIDN'T Find Redemption

The mysterious charms can mainly be found in trees to the south of the river. In total, thirteen need to be destroyed. Once the charms are gone, the shaman and Obediah are found having a conversation. The shaman now claiming that destroying all of the charms has released all the dark spirits free. Obviously something is up, so Arthur threatens the shaman, who decides to take off. Obediah then explains the shaman told him to never go to the mine north of Butcher’s Creek.

Much like Red Dead Online, there’s no gold bars inside this mine. However, Arthur will find the water has been poisoned and is the true source of the strange local happenings. Filling up a small bottle, he begins pursuing a person trying to run away. Shortly after, the mine tunnel will explode. Poisonous air starts to fill up the caverns, so Arthur must escape quickly.

Back at the village, the shaman is trying to force the villagers to sign a contract absolving a fuel company of any liability for poisoning the local water. Arthur has had enough and forces the shaman to drink the water sample, where he admits he has been poisoned. The shaman runs off, but the villagers still insist that they are cursed despite Arthur’s pleas for reason.

In true Rockstar fashion, side quests can contain both shocking and interesting details that rival some of the best missions from the main story, and in Red Dead Redemption 2 Stranger missions are no exception.

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