Karen

A scam artist with a love for the outlaw lifestyle, Karen became a member of the Van der Linde gang sometime prior to 1899. At some point between 1895 and 1897, she helped Arthur and Javier rob a bank in Tucson, Arizona by dressing up as a nun and hiding firearms under her clothes.[1]

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2

Horseshoe Overlook Chapter

Karen, along with Tilly and Mary-Beth, accompanies Arthur and Uncle to Valentine. Mary-Beth asks if they should have invited Molly too, to which Karen scoffs and replies that Molly is "high-society" now and is too good for the likes of them.

When they reach Valentine, the girls split off to pursue their own ends. Karen enters the hotel with a man, who becomes violent after Karen tries to rob him, punching her in the face. Arthur intervenes and rescues her, and the girls ask if she's okay, to which she replies that she's fine and that he only punched her.

Back at camp, Molly later confronts her, saying she has heard what Karen said about her, and Karen is completely nonchalant, admitting she said it. Molly gets furious and wildly screams that the girls are all sluts.

When Sean MacGuire is rescued, the pair get very drunk at the ensuing party back at camp. Sean begins telling Karen he loves her, to which she replies that he only loves her when he's drunk, she can see in his eyes that he hates her, and she hates him too. He insists that he loves her, and the pair retire to a tent where they promptly begin to make love. Midway through, Karen starts crying and Sean asks if she wants to stop, to which Karen says no, she just wants someone to "see her". Sean exclaims "I see you, Karen!" whilst the pair continue to make love. As soon as the act is over, Karen exits the tent and a disappointed Sean asks, "You're going...? Oh, well... I'll see you in the morning, then".

While at Horseshoe Overlook, Karen begins investigating the possibility of robbing the Valentine bank. This plan never comes to fruition as they are forced to move out right before the planned heist would have begun, frustrating her.

Clemens Point Chapter

Despite moving to a new camp location, Karen still wants to rob the Valentine bank, and convinces Lenny, Bill, and Arthur to help her. In the heist, she can either pretend to be a harlot or a lost girl and when the people in the bank attempt to help her, she pulls a gun on them. The other three rush in and loot the bank, before fighting their way out of the town.

Saint Denis Chapter

After the gang moves to Shady Belle following Sean's death, Karen begins drinking alcohol constantly. Tilly once expresses her concerns to Arthur, regarding Karen's changed behaviors.[2] Nonetheless, she still happily joins the party following Jack Marston's safe return.

During the O'Driscolls attack, Karen also participates in the defense of the camp.

Beaver Hollow Chapter

After the gang moves to Beaver Hollow, Karen proceeds to become an embittered alcoholic. At most times in the camp, she can be found drunk and angrily dismissing anyone who shows concern for her. She particularly is in constant turmoil with Susan Grimshaw, due to Susan shooting Molly for apparently betraying the gang, which she berates Grimshaw for doing.

Karen later abandons the gang in tow with Simon Pearson, Uncle, and Mary-Beth.

Epilogue

Following the gang's downfall, Karen disappeared from the public eye; in a letter to John, Tilly speculates that Karen drunk herself to death.

Karen grew to love and enjoy the outlaw life she led. She is described as a bold woman and takes pleasure in drinking with her fellow outlaws. A consummate actress, Karen often employed her dramatic skills in various robberies and scams with the gang. She is notably the only female character other than Sadie to perform guard duty for the camp. Like most of the other women in the gang, Karen does have a soft spot for young Jack Marston, which is shown when he is safely returned from Angelo Bronte.

However, it is implied that deep down, Karen has a more vulnerable side. Her biography above notes that her years of debauchery may be taking their toll on her, and she begins crying when she and Sean have sex, saying she wants someone to "see her". Although Sean says he does "see her" and the pair continue, she leaves the tent immediately afterwards, possibly from embarrassment. In a possible camp interaction afterwards,[3] Karen loudly rejects Sean and tells him not to touch her, saying she would stab him if he did, to which Sean responds with his usual flirtaciousness and bravado. After Sean's death, Karen regresses into a somberly aggressive state, becoming irritated and angry in her demeanor to the rest of the gang, as she turns to alcohol to soothe her pain over the gang's apparent disintegration.

Appearance

Karen is a busty woman in her mid-20s[4] with blonde hair that curls at the ends and green eyes.

Karen usually wears a white blouse with a deep cleavage, a long purple skirt with a brown belt with a silver buckle, and black boots; while at Horseshoe Overlook she also wears a long grey coat. Karen's other outfit includes a black hat with a brown band, the same white blouse, a similar black belt with a gold buckle, and a long red skirt with her black boots. While in Colter, Karen wears her black hat and long grey coat along with a red scarf, a dark headscarf wrapped over her face, black gloves, and her usual long purple skirt with her boots.

During the Valentine bank robbery, she wears an elegant, dark red outfit with a black top hat adorned with several feathers and a gold buckle.