Jack Marston

"I was gonna be a writer!"

- Jack Marston

 is a major character in featured Red Dead Redemption. He is the only son of John Marston and Abigail Marston.

Biography
Jack was born in 1895, when his father John, and mother Abigail were still in Dutch's gang and still causing trouble with the law. Jack grew up surrounded by the gang; his parents commenting on how Jack "saw things" as a young boy that no boy should see. After Jack's release from Ross' custody, Jack inquires about Uncle Bill and Uncle Dutch.

Some time later, John is badly wounded in a botched bank robbery. John takes this as an opportunity to abandon his life of crime. John leaves with Abigail and Jack, moving them to a ranch on Beecher's Hope.



At some point in 1911, Jack and his mother were taken hostage by Edgar Ross of the Bureau of Investigation (B.O.I.) in order to extort John. After Jack is able to go back to the farm, he began to finally share some time with his father as they begin to hunt animals and he learned how to skin them as well. Wanting to prove his status as a man, Jack went off alone to kill a grizzly bear, only to almost be killed in the process and saved by his farm.

After this event, the farm was attacked by government soldiers and his father ordered Jack to go inside to his mother. After Jack went inside, his father began to fight off the men as best as he can. Along the line, he was forced to take cover at his cabin on his farm and Jack came out of the back door to assist him and Uncle in the protection of the house. Since he was still young, John told Jack only to shoot the horses (which he does with great accuracy). After watching his friend Uncle die, he retreated to the barn with his dad, he told Jack to take the reins of a horse and ride out of the farm along with his mother to safety. After Jack rode off, John begins to step outside the barn and sacrifices himself for his family. After a few minutes, Jack's mother ordered him to head back to the farm. They find John dead lying in a pool of blood just outside the doors.

Three years later, a 19 year-old Jack buries his mother alone next to his father. Jack left his parents' grave site and continued into the town of Blackwater. There he met a man of no name and asked him if he knew where Edgar Ross was holed up. He told him that he had retired to Lake Don Julio with his wife. After a small search, Jack arrived at their home and learned from his wife that Edgar was duck hunting with his brother Phillip in Rio del Toro in Mexico. Jack gave her his thanks and head off to find Ross. After finding Edgar's brother, he finally managed to find Edgar and challenged him to a duel, resulting in the death of Edgar Ross ending the main story with the credits, where after you may continue to keep playing as Jack.

Trivia

 * Although it is never said in the game, Jack's real name is John Marston Jr. This is discovered in the back of the game manual, where he is listed as John "Jack" Marston Jr. Jack is a common nickname for John.


 * He is one of few major characters to survive the conclusion of the game.


 * He bears a striking resemblance to Inigo Montoya, a character from "The Princess Bride" who's out for revenge over his father's death. The dialogue between him and Ross in the final scene is also eerily similar to that of Inigo and his father's murderer, even going so far as having the line, "My name is Jack Marston. You knew my father."


 * Although his character model looks to be a man well into his mid-twenties, early thirties, Jack is only 19 when he takes revenge on Edgar Ross. This was probably done so that the player would have the same 'feel' of the John Marston when playing as Jack. By using an age-appropriate voice actor, the game creators were able to strike a balance between Jack's numerical age and physical appearance. Realistically, however, it is not that uncommon for a young man to look somewhat older than expected for his age. All in all, the player will not have to suspend too much disbelief.


 * Apparently, Jack inherited his father's Dead-Eye


 * During the start of one of Jack's earlier missions, John finds Jack reading, ironically, a book about a son who is out to avenge his father's death. This not only references the plot of Red Dead Revolver, but his own action later in the game.


 * Jack can sometimes be heard saying "I've got nothing else to live for, and I'm a Marston" when doing certain things.


 * He retains all of his dad's possessions, even his horse.


 * It should be noted that it is possible to play as Jack by activating a cheat, but he can be played normally after the main story. However, if you change to Jack during the main storyline, you will only be able to do the stranger missions and will not be able advance in the plot.


 * Jack can sometimes be heard saying "Jack Marston, remember the name!" A reference to GTA: Vice City's Tommy Vercetti, who would say the same thing.


 * One of the lines Jack says when spurring his horse is "Work it there, nag!", a quote from Dances With Wolves which Timmons (played by Rabort Pastorelli) uses to spur his mules.


 * Jack has recorded dialogue for every side mission which could have been completed as John.


 * Often while skinning an animal Jack will say "Just like you taught me Pa!" talking about the mission in which John teaches him how to hunt.


 * When prostitues come up to him, he sometimes say's "I am trying to be a good boy" and "My dad warned me about people like you"


 * He doesn't like killing horses as shown by some of the things he says like "Is this what I've become, a horse killer?".


 * Sometimes when he uses a Machine/Gatling gun, he will say "I never had any toys as a kid.".
 * Jack's voice actor had an appearance in the film No Country for Old Men, a western with similar themes to Red Dead Redemption. He appears as a boy on a bicycle towards the end of the film.