Jack Marston

"I was gonna be a writer!"

- Jack Marston

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

Biography
Jack was born in 1895, when his father John, and mother Abigail were still in Dutch Van Der Linde's gang, terrorizing people and breaking the law. Jack grew up surrounded by the gang; his parents later commenting on how Jack "saw things" as a young child that no boy should see.

Some time later, John was badly wounded in a botched bank robbery. John took this as an opportunity to abandon his life of crime and left with Abigail and Jack, moving them to a ranch on Beecher's Hope to try and start over as farmers.

At some unspecified 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. Toward the end of the story, Jack was released along with Abigail, and they headed back to the farm where they were reunited with John. After his parent's commented on how Jack had been troubled, "growing up without a father", Jack began to finally share some time with John, as he was taught how to hunt, skin, herd cattle and become a better ranch-hand.

Wanting to prove that he was not a child anymore, but a man, Jack rode off alone to hunt a Grizzly, despite his father's previous warnings not to head out of the farm by himself. Uncle, after failing at preventing Jack from leaving, reported what had happened to John shortly after. John then traveled to the top of Nekoti Rock where he found Jack injured and the Grizzly bear that had caused the wounds. Saving Jack from the animal, they both rode back to Beecher's Hope, with John disappointed in his son's behavior.

Later the ranch was attacked by government soldiers, leading to a large gunfight between the US military and John, Jack and Uncle. After initially hiding inside the house with Abigail whilst his father took down the first wave of enemies, Jack soon came out onto the porch and helped fight off the second wave, which managed to mortally wound Uncle. Jack was told by John to only shoot the horses, as he was still a boy, and not a killer.

Eventually, after defeating numerous more soldiers, Jack was ordered by his dad to retreat alongside his mother to the barn. Once John joined them, Jack and Abigail were commanded to ride far away from the farm to find a place to hide. John stated that he would catch up. With this, John hit the horse causing it to run out of the barn, and away into the Great Plains. In order to ensure safety for his family, John stepped outside the front barn doors and allowed his life to be taken by the soldiers waiting there, taking as many as he could down with him. Knowing that the government would no longer terrorize Abigail and Jack, John died redeemed, as Edgar Ross and his men silently walked away.

A few minutes later, Abigail told Jack that they had to return after hearing gunshots. They arrived at the barn to find John lying in a pool of blood, his revolver by his side. After great mourning, they buried John's body atop a nearby hill overlooking the house.

Three years later, a 19 year-old Jack buried his mother next to his father's and Uncle's graves. Jack then proceeded to Blackwater, where he met a man of no name at the train station. After discovering that Ross, the man that betrayed his father, had retired a year ago to live near Lake Don Julio, Jack traveled to New Austin, hoping to confront the former agent. After reaching a cabin by the lake, Jack learned from Edgar's wife that he had gone on a hunting trip with his brother Phillip in Rio del Toro, Mexico. Jack gave her his thanks and stated after hearing the woman worry for her husband that he was sure Ross would be "just fine". After finding Philip, and soon after Edgar himself, Jack shared words with the old man by the riverside. Ross stated that he would kill Jack too if he didn't leave, causing Jack to challenge him to a final showdown. Jack drew first and killed Ross, sending his body into the river, and sending himself down the path of a life that John had tried so desperately to save him from. Finally, after delivering justice to his father's killer, Jack turned and slowly walked away. The main credits then hit.

Jack, from here-on, is the playable protagonist, set in the world during 1914. The first year of World War One.

Mission Appearances

 * The Outlaw's Return
 * John Marston and Son (Boss)
 * Wolves, Dogs and Sons (Boss)
 * Spare The Love, Spoil The Child (Boss)
 * The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed (Boss)
 * Remember My Family

Murders Committed
Storyline
 * Edgar Ross - killed for killing his father.

Random Encounters
 * Randall Forrester
 * Mario Alcalde
 * Clyde Evans
 * Abner Forsyth (optional)
 * Uriah Tollets (optional)
 * Harold Thornton

Gameplay
After the gameplay mission The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed, players assume the role of Jack.

Jack now possesses all of his father's weapons, horses, properties, fame, honor, bounty, and abilities. He also retains moral traits of his father, such as a dislike of killing horses and women, an inability to swim, and a disinterest in prostitutes. Jack is still able to complete any unfinished missions with his own speech dialogue.

Combat

 * "I'm John Marston's boy!"
 * "Go ahead! I got nothin' to live for anyway!"
 * "This ain't gonna end well, friend."
 * (In Mexico) "Give it up, amigo!"
 * "Remember the name Marston?"

Dueling

 * "I'm gonna enjoy killing you."
 * "Landon Ricketts: eat your heart out!"

Skinning

 * "Ugh. Let me take your coat, madam."
 * "This one stinks."
 * "Now for the nasty part."
 * "This reeks."
 * "This what I've become? A horse killer?"
 * "Should be able to sell this..."
 * "This should fetch a good price."
 * "Just like you showed me, Pa."

Treasure

 * "Jack's gettin' an automobile!"
 * "Oh my good lord!"

Riding

 * "Work, you damn nag!"
 * "C'MON! FASTER!"
 * "Faster! Faster!"
 * "Let's go! Let's go!"
 * "Whoa whoa whoa, whoa."
 * "Yihaa!"

Shopping

 * "Only the best, sir."
 * "That'll keep me going."
 * "Thank you very much."
 * "That's about it."
 * "That's all I got."

Putting hogtied person on horse

 * "We're going for a little ride."
 * "I'll ride slow, don't worry."
 * "You comfortable?"
 * "Horse, meet idiot."
 * "It's the only way to travel."

Misc

 * "Somethin' don't feel right here..."
 * "Man, this place is deserted..."
 * "Where is everybody?"
 * "So much for my mexican vacation" (when causing trouble in Mexico)
 * "Uhh... Hola, Senior. No habla espanol."
 * "Think I read about that in a book once."
 * "'Course, pa. Everyone knows about that."
 * "That was fun. Can we do it again?"
 * "We could be outlaws, y'know."

Paying Bounties

 * "Name's Marston, Jack, not John"

Trivia

 * The three years between his father's death and the day he kills Edgar Ross are not accounted for, but it is presumed that Jack was taught to better handle a firearm (possibly by Landon Ricketts, as evidenced by one of Jacks' dueling quotes) during the period.
 * Jack's adult character model can be unlocked early in singleplayer. Players can use a cheat phrase to change the John Marston character model to Jack Marston. However, once entered, the player will not be able to enter available gameplay missions, or save progress.
 * Jack's full name is John 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". 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." During Inigo's duel, his nemesis says "Stop saying that!" as Inigo keeps repeating "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!", which is similar to Ross saying "You keep saying that!"
 * Jack is only 19 when he takes revenge on Edgar Ross, but appears to have physically matured significantly. In reality, the game engine uses the John Marston character model, but with a different head and body texture.
 * During the start of one of Jack's earlier missions, John finds Jack reading 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 also foreshadows his actions later in the game.
 * Jack can sometimes be heard saying "I've got nothing else to live for" and "I'm a Marston" when participating in various random encounters.
 * Jack can sometimes be heard saying "Jack Marston, remember the name!", which is a nod to the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City character of 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!", referencing a mission in which John teaches him how to hunt. He can also be heard saying "Can I take your coat madam?"
 * When prostitutes come up to him, he sometimes says "I am trying to be a good boy", "Uncle warned me about people like you", "My mom would turn over in her grave" or "I think you're too old for me ma'am."
 * 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?". He shows the same displeasure when killing women, saying either, "What have I become?" or "No wonder I'm alone...".
 * 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.
 * Some fans have noticed striking similarities between Jack's face and those of actors Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Whether or not this was intended when adult Jack's character model was made remains unclear.
 * Jack enjoys reading, as shown in 1911, and expresses even after his father dies that he wanted to be a writer. He alludes to this interest further when, after hearing a story by a campfire, remarks that he thinks he may have "read that in a book once".
 * Both Jack and John have the same scar just above their upper lip, the only difference it that the scars are on opposite sides. Jack's scar is on the left while John's is on the right.
 * Jack is unable to do the I Know You stranger mission, as that entire quest foreshadows his father's demise. However, Jack gets the unique quest Remember My Family, to avenge them. Either way each Marston's unique quest deals with the other's fate.
 * An unconfirmed, yet known glitch is experienced when doing the Spare the Love, Spoil the Child mission, where after you kill the bear that mauls Jack and enter the cutscene where you help him onto the horse, a copy of Jack can still be seen standing behind the rock from the previous cutscene. This also might happen during The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed. In this mission it's possible to see a copy of Jack standing in the barn while you help him and Abigail onto the horse.