U.S. Marshals

The United States Marshals Service is a form of law enforcement in Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Marshals are also a class of playable multiplayer characters in Redemption.

History

Background

The U.S. Marshal Service is the oldest American federal law enforcement office, the office being created by the first U.S. Congress in the Judiciary Act of 1789. Marshals in Redemption and Redemption 2 are usually in charge of one county.

Events of Red Dead Online

Several Marshals band together with the local authorities to take out Teddy Brown's Boys at Fort Mercer, which they succeed in doing, with some help from Horley and the protagonist's posse.

Events of Red Dead Redemption

Alongside the U.S. Army and the Bureau of Investigation, several Marshals lead an all-out assault on Beecher's Hope, killing John Marston and Uncle.

When playing as Jack Marston, the player can obtain the US Marshal Uniform. Wearing it means that Jack is treated as part of the law and will not have to pay for stagecoaches.

Overview

Red Dead Redemption

When the player has an active bounty and has killed at least 20 law officers, Marshals are called in to pursue the player in place of the local law enforcement. Marshals will not pursue the player into Nuevo Paraíso, but can sometimes be found waiting at the border if the player tries to cross over to New Austin while the bounty is still active.

Red Dead Redemption 2

In Red Dead Redemption 2, US Marshals pursue the player if the player has killed most of the law presence in a town (including the deputized citizens) and has accrued a bounty of at least $1,000. Despite being identified as "rural" lawmen in the files,^[1] they do not spawn outside of towns, and the player can only kill a certain number of lawmen at a time in the wild before their wanted status is removed.

Known Marshals in Redemption

Marshals

Deputy Marshals

Eli
Jonah

Known Marshals in Redemption 2

Marshals

Slim Grant
Fulkerton ^[2]

Deputy Marshals

Tidwell ^[3]

Known Marshals in Online

Tom Davies
Whitsickle
Alan Peters ^[4]

Multiplayer

Rockstar added Marshals as playable multiplayer characters on 1st October, 2010, giving access to eight characters in the Outfitter. The player can choose which individual Marshal they wish to play as.

As in single player, NPC Marshals will pursue characters with bounties in multiplayer. When the player becomes a Public Enemy, Marshals will often spawn near the player and start pursuing him\her. This can sometimes happen in the wild, though they often spawn relatively close to a town or settlement. It does, however, depend on the player's location.

In multiplayer, Marshals will not give the player a chance to surrender; they will shoot at the player on sight.