John Marston is the primary protagonist of the original and secondary protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2, and as such, arguably one of the most popular characters in video games. He's synonymous with the franchise and captures the spirit of the rebellious Wild West in both games. And his death in the original is perhaps one of the most heart-breaking deaths in video game history.
Yet, despite his widespread popularity, there's a lot many may not know about John Marston. Despite appearing in both games, Marston is mysterious character whose mysteries are perhaps pushed even further with his role in Red Dead Redemption 2. Therefore, here's 5 things most don't know about John Marston.
John Marston Is a Unique Rockstar Protagonist
Recently, a new rumor cropped up that San Adreas' CJ would appear in Grand Theft Auto 6, to which his voice actor vehemently denied, but that rumor was on thin ice as is because Rockstar Games' almost never re-uses a protagonist. Every open world sandbox game it has produced has changed up the protagonist...except for John Marston. Even though he's not the primary protagonist, he's playable in Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue, making him the only Rockstar Games character to be playable in more than one game. (NOTE: Max Payne is excluded as Remedy developed the first two, not Rockstar).
Fun Fact About Zombie Marston
Beyond the great single-player story, the first game was also lauded for its Undead Nightmare DLC, with many hoping that Undead Nightmare 2 would be a thing for Red Dead Redemption 2. While that doesn't seem to be the case, there's something many may have missed about Zombie Marston when he takes this form at the end of the DLC. Essentially, John Marston's stance is the same exact stance he makes upon his death, when he is being shot by the federal government. It's a nice touch to remind players of John's humanity in his inhuman state.
The Dark Irony of His Epitaph
Furthermore, there's a touch of dark irony to John Marston's Epitaph, which reads "Blessed are the Peacemakers." This beatitude from the Book of Matthew is typically used to construe the life of someone who kept the peace, who sought redemption, and who lived a peaceful life or brought about a peaceful end, and while John knew that his death would, in a way, bring about that peace, there's more to it. There's a cattleman revolver in Red Dead Redemption nicknamed the Peacemaker, potentially changing the meaning to "Blessed are the Guns." This would be a reference to his lawless life instead, but how players interpret this meaning is entirely up to them.
The Ambiguous Parents of John Marston
At this time, it was more about where a person came from, yet little is known about John Marston's parents. His mother was a prostitute, and his father was a Scottish immigrant who died in a bar fight. John was 8 at the time and was shipped off to an orphanage, and so it seems that John's well-known issues of being a father to Jack in the Red Dead franchise could have started here. However, with the level of ambiguity surrounding his parents, there's not much more to go on.
He's in L.A. Noire, Kind Of
Easter eggs are a beautiful thing in the world of video games, with Red Dead Redemption 2 itself having a lot of Easter eggs. Therefore, it's not surprising that John Marston sort of pops up in L.A. Noire. In the "Silk Stocking Murder" case, players can find his hat in a trashcan, an obvious nod to the character. Since it's an iconic piece of his character, it likely means a lot to those who did find it.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
