John Marston

"People don't forget. Nothing gets forgiven."

- John Marston

John Marston is the main character and main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption.

Early Life
John Marston was born in 1873. His father was an illiterate Scottish immigrant, his mother was a prostitute who died during childbirth. John's father was blinded in both eyes during a bar fight in Chicago.

In 1881, John's father died of unknown causes, thought to be by drink. John was only 8 years old at the time and was sent to an orphanage where he lived most of his life up to the age of 17 in 1890 and met his future wife, Abigail, with whom he promptly ran away; both later joined Dutch's gang, where Dutch took care of John, teaching him how to read, shoot, and the ways of the West.

Early Career
John Marston is a former outlaw and bandit. He ran with Dutch Van Der Linde, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuella, committing bank robberies, train raids, murders and other various crimes across the country. According to Marston, the gang stole and fought for a reason. In stealing from the rich and those who were given too much to give to the poor, they wanted to elicit change in the people of the West, although this might just be his own justification for their actions.

After being seriously wounded in a bank robbery in 1908, and was left to die by Bill Williamson and his other former brothers in arms, Marston sought to retire from the outlaw lifestyle. Putting his past deeds behind him, he disappeared along with his wife Abigail Marston and young son Jack and purchased himself a ranch. Between his abandonment of the gang and the beginning of the game, Marston had a daughter, but she died of cholera.

Despite Marston's apparent reformation, he remains a masterful gunman, rider, and hunter. Marston is a rugged survivalist and knows life as a fight to survive; he adheres to the old-fashioned West, in a world rapidly experiencing the advancement of technology.

Legacy
Eventually, Jack finds Ross, who has retired from the Bureau a glorified hero, and announces he has come to avenge his father. The two duel on the Mexican side of the San Luis River, with Jack killing Ross and causing his body to fall back into the river. However, this same act turns Jack into a murderer, ruining his hopes for a better life and forcing him down the same way of life that his father had so desperately tried to steer him away from, leaving the future of the Marston family in doubt.

Collateral

 * Leander Holland - Killed during A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman, for threatening John.
 * Alwyn Lloyd - Killed during A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman, for threatening John.
 * Andreas Müller - Killed during Lucky in Love, for accusing John of being a cheat.
 * The Stranger - Killed during Lucky in Love, for threatening a girl.
 * Captain Espinoza - Killed during Cowards Die Many Times, for betraying him.
 * Raul Zubieta - Killed in retaliation for the murder of Luisa Fortuna.

Optional encounters

 * Harold Thornton - Killed in a duel in The Wronged Woman.
 * Mario Alcalde - Killed in retaliation for the murder of Eva Cortes in Eva in Peril.

Optional

 * Walton Lowe - Can be killed during Political Realities in Armadillo.
 * Norman Deek - Can be killed during Hanging Bonnie MacFarlane, if John shoots him before the enemy gang does.
 * Manolo Santador- Can be killed during Lucky in Love, if Ricketts doesn't kill him first.
 * Sanchez - Can be killed during Lucky in Love
 * Vincente de Santa - Can be killed during Captain De Santa's Downfall, if John chooses to kill him himself, or let the rebels shoot him.
 * Javier Escuella - Can be killed during The Gates of El Presidio, or captured.
 * Agustin Allende - Can be killed during An Appointed Time, if John chooses.
 * Bill Williamson - Can be killed during An Appointed Time, if Abraham doesn't kill him first.

Optional encounters

 * Randall Forrester - Can be killed during American Appetites.
 * Abner Forsyth - Can be killed during The Prohibitionist.
 * Clyde Evans - Can be killed during Water and Honesty.
 * Uriah Tollets - Can be killed during Poppycock.

Quotes

 * Main article: John Marston Quotations

Trivia
to Jack being nearly a mature man.*John is an incredibly skillful gunman and marksman,With the ability to enter a slow motion like state named.He shares this ability with his son jack who was trained by John while out hunting,and possesses the same level of hunting and shooting skill.*John actually doesn't have to kill his former gang members as Dutch kills himself, Javier can be captured,and Bill can be shot by Abraham Reyes.
 * Marston resembles Red Harlow with his similar scars.
 * Jack Marston's face has the same scars as his father, caused by a bear.
 * If you look closely at John's hat, it appears very similar to Red Harlow's, with certain aesthetic differences.
 * John cannot swim, and will drown in deep waters, similar to many of the protagonists of Rockstar's earlier Grand Theft Auto games. He admits this to Irish during the mission We Shall Be Together In Paradise.
 * John is often associated with the city, even though he is a rancher.
 * John's parents' relationship with each other is left ambiguous; John himself struggled with what to label them.
 * John's grave marker reads "Blessed are the peacemakers," signifying his long road to redemption and peace for his family in a lawless land.
 * John can only speak very basic Spanish. While in Mexico, he usually remarks "hola" to NPCs and occasionally shouts in broken Spanish during combat.
 * John is seen smoking cigarettes during cutscenes, after missions, and while watching a film in the cinema.
 * John is extremely polite to women. For example, John calls Bonnie MacFarlane "Miss MacFarlane," even after she has asked him to call her "Bonnie." He also does anything possible to keep women safe, even punching Irish to defend two nuns.
 * In contrast to his politeness to women, John is unafraid to take the moral high-ground when dealing with less than reputable characters, like Irish with his alcoholism and Nigel West Dickens with his swindling of gullible people.
 * It is left unexplained why John arrives in Blackwater aboard a steamboat if he resides in Beecher's Hope.
 * John makes mention of his deceased daughter a few times when discussing his family. Her name and the cause of her death is unknown.
 * John dislikes the use of the word "fuck" as does his son, Jack.
 * John has repeatedly made wise comments toward various characters. If his Honor is low enough, John can insult people by pressing B (Xbox 360) or O (PS3). These insults are a clear example of John's sharp tongue.
 * He is voiced by Rob Wiethoff.
 * Not promising to resolve the problem, John usually answers with "I'll see what I can do." to Strangers after hearing their situation.
 * Before the game came out, in the trailers, John looked much younger and thin. So did Abigail. But, this was changed due

Gallery
John Marston John Marston