User blog comment:Spawny0908/Character Disscusion: John and the Honor Meter/@comment-1600536-20111211010159

In cutscenes John comes across more neutral than good, I mean he does have honour and respects people like the MacFarlanes, Landon Ricketts and Marshall Johnson but he also comes across as aggressive and short tempered when dealing with the likes of Seth, Irish and West Dickens. During the Mexican Civil war he assists both sides in achieving great victories over the other, killing many Rebels and Soldiers, this isn't exactly "honorable", he just does it to get Bill and Javier. In West Elizabeth he openly criticises the law and states that he still respects the murdering thieving Dutch more than the lawman attempting to stop him (Although admittedly Ross is a corrupt bastard)

So John certainly isn't the honorable guy you make him out to be in the cutscenes but he definitely isn't a cutthroat murderous bastard, he says many times he is trying to move away from a life of crime, despite commiting a few throughout the story. I think the cutscenes make him seem neutral so that it doesn't affect the players decision too much however he definitely does not fit the murderous cutthroat persona, unless of course hes a bloody good liar that even Cole Phelps could rat out.

I play as an honorable person, my only crimes in proper playthroughs involved dogs stepping out in front of my horse mid gallop, but I did my time without a fight (Blackwater police tried to tempt me though, its amazing how many shots they fired before realizing I was giving up). I personally prefer black and white robotic heroes who never put a foot wrong to crazed drug dealers who massacre anything in sight, but John is a good middle ground.