Markus is the android from Detroit: Become Human who fights for the rights of androids during a transitional time when humans aren’t ready to see them as equals. At the start of the game, androids are treated more like tools and face ire from some groups of humans. Through his work (and depending on your choices in the game), Markus might become the face of the android rights movement.
In a game as open-ended as this, it’s tough to quantify how many unique endings there are since they’ve all got contingencies. Markus’ story will end in one of several places, so here’s a look at the steps to get to each one, broken down by the chapters where they can happen.
Beware of spoilers for the game's story!
The Freedom March
With so many ways to play this game, there are several chances before the final act where Markus' story can be cut short. For everyone but Connor, death is permanent in Detroit: Become Human.
The results of the March are based on not only your actions during the chapter itself, but potentially on your choices with other androids until now.
The March will carry on as planned regardless of which androids are present. The police blockade is an unmissable part of this chapter, and your actions decide if Markus survives.
The police have your group in their sights, and you have a couple options: you can stand your ground, disperse, or charge. Each will have additional options before the chapter is over, and any misstep can get easily Markus killed.
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Stand Your Ground: you'll need to have saved and recruited John, the android guard from the Spare Parts mission, since the police will start firing and Markus will have the opportunity to sacrifice himself.
- If John is with Jericho and you try to sacrifice Markus: Markus will be shot in the chest and injured. Before an officer can fire a final shot, John will rush in and sacrifice himself so an injured Markus can make his escape.
- If John is not with Jericho and you try to sacrifice Markus: Markus will be shot twice by the police and killed. (End)
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Charge The Police: you'll be faced with a series of quick-time events. Passing them all will see Markus survive, while failing will lead to several possible deaths for Markus and others.
- If you pass the quick-time events: Markus and the main Jericho crew will survive.
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If you fail the quick-time events and...
- Choose to shoot yourself: Markus will die by suicide after being hit by police fire. (End)
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Choose not to shoot yourself: Simon, your friend from Jericho, can step in to save Simon before he's shot by police again if Simon is alive.
- If Simon is alive: He'll ambush the police and sacrifice himself to save Markus
- If Simon is not alive: the police will shoot Markus a second time, killing him. (End)
- Disperse: some androids will survive after the police start firing at you anyway, including Markus, and his reputation will take a hit with North, Josh, and Jericho as a whole.
While Markus and the main crew survive the assault, Markus' reputation with Jericho and the main crew will suffer greatly for this decision, which may impact your gameplay later.
Crossroads
The next section wherein Markus can die is Crossroads, in which you'll play as all three of the protagonists. The lead-up to you making these decisions is dependent upon Markus' standing with Jericho, as a negative reputation will result in his excommunication.
- If Markus has a negative reputation with Jericho, and Connor did not find Jericho: Markus will be ousted from Jericho, North takes over the revolution, and the game segues you into an ending. (End)
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If Markus has a negative reputation with Jericho, but Connor did find Jericho: Markus will be ousted from Jericho, North takes over the revolution, and Jericho is under attack. From here, Markus can save himself or save Jericho.
- If Markus saves himself: Jericho falls.
- If Markus saves Jericho: Markus returns to Jericho and continues fighting.
- If Markus has a positive reputation, and Connor did not find Jericho: North will leave Markus alone with his thoughts, and the game segues you into an ending. (End)
- If Markus has a positive reputation, but Connor did find Jericho: you'll segue into the next major decisions for this chapter.
You're now in for a lengthy escape scene during which you'll be made to play the hero several times. This might get Markus killed.
During the escape, the flow chart will be labeled...
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Wrong Way: Markus heads in the wrong direction trying to escape, which branches off into.
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Soldiers Shoot Markus
- If you're hit fewer than three times, you'll make it to the next section, where you fall into another level of the compound to continue.
- If you're hit three times, Markus is killed. (End)
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Soldiers Shoot Markus
- Out of Time: Choosing to stand still will leave Markus in view when the soldiers begin shooting. As before, being hit three times will kill him. (End)
As you're continuing, Markus will see a pair of soldiers about to execute some androids, and he has the option of whether to intervene.
- Intervene and win: the androids will escape.
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Intervene and lose: Markus will be shot in the scuffle, and his survival depends on how you've done to this point.
- If Markus was shot in the corridor: he will die if he's shot again during this fight. (End)
- If Markus was not shot in the corridor: he'll be wounded during the fight here, but not die.
- Stay away: the soldiers kill the androids and Markus does not get involved.
You'll progress and find another collection of soldiers advancing on you from here.
- Jump the soldiers: Markus will run and leap over the soldiers and advance.
- Climb away: Markus will climb the wall on the left and advance.
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Time Out: if the timer runs out, Markus will be shot, and his survival is once again in question.
- If Markus was shot before, he'll die after being hit again here. (End)
- If Markus was not shot before, he'll be wounded now.
As you continue, you'll come across Josh fighting with a soldier. If you...
- Intervene and win: Josh will escape with you.
- Intervene and collapse: Josh will sacrifice himself to save Markus when the soldier tries to kill him.
- Intervene and die: Markus is killed and Jericho falls. (End)
- Stay Away: Josh is killed by the soldier, and Markus continues.
From here, Markus will enter the old engine room and bump into Connor. How this proceeds is contingent upon whether Connor has deviated.
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If Connor is deviant or deactivated: Soldiers will enter the room.
- Neutralizing them will trigger a countdown to begin.
- Failing to neutralize them will get Markus killed in the scuffle. (End)
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If Connor is not deviant or deactivated: the two will fight, during which a gun comes into play.
- Reaching the gun as Markus will give you the chance to shoot Connor and trigger the countdown.
- Not reaching the gun will see Connor shoot Markus, killing him. (End)
If Markus is still alive by this point, you'll have reached the final section of the escape from Jericho once the bomb is armed and the countdown is triggered. There will be more soldiers here shooting at you, and there are many combinations of who can live or die from this point.
- If you lose too much time when either trying to escape, setting the bomb, or trying to save North when she's hit during this sequence, Markus will be shot and killed. (End)
Whoever is still alive at the end of this chapter will escape from Jericho.
Battle For Detroit
The final section of the game, Battle for Detroit, is another one you play as the three characters, as it serves as the conclusion for the game. With so much on the line, you can lose all three protagonists here, Markus included.
How this chapter plays out will depend on if you have Markus lead a demonstration or revolution, as both events transpire quite differently.
Demonstration
The majority of this chapter is scene-building for Markus, where you'll be able to help Jericho set up their final stand. Perkins will arrive after some time and will attempt to negotiate a deal to end your demonstration.
How you handle Perkins here decides the ending you'll be pushed toward, so choose carefully.
- Accepting The Deal: Perkins will leave momentarily, but will shoot North if she's still alive, and will shoot Markus if the deal is accepted. (End)
- Refusing The Deal or Refusing To Negotiate: Soldiers will attack the barricade, and you'll need to defend it.
In order for Markus to survive the attack on the demonstration, your best bet is having North both alive and lovers with Markus.
- Failing the fight will result in Markus being shot protecting his people. (End)
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Trying to save the fleeing androids and then failing will result in Markus will be shot.
- If North is alive and lovers with Markus, she will take the bullet for him.
From here, Markus is cornered, and anyone who is still alive will join you in this final confrontation. Your survival here is based on the public opinion on androids at this point. While the soldiers have everyone cornered, Markus can choose to do a handful of things to appeal to humanity.
Regardless of what you choose, the game will end after the sequence of events. However, you'll have a different ending based on your decisions both here and until this point.
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Singing or Kissing North (if she's both alive and lovers with him), and the result of either of these actions is based on public opinion.
- Supportive: the president will order the soldiers to stand down, and the androids win their freedom.
- Unsupportive: the soldiers will open fire and kill the androids, Markus included.
- Sacrificing Markus or Doing Nothing will both result in the soldiers opening fire, killing all the androids involved.
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If you had Markus Take The Detonator from North in the Crossroads chapter, Markus can contemplate using it here.
- Giving Up will turn you back to the main four options discussed above.
- Pressing It will explode the dirty bomb, killing the humans in Detroit, which sees the androids taking over what's left of the city.
Revolution
If you choose to have a revolution, Jericho will launch an attack as they approach the android recall center. Many of your friends from Jericho can die in this process, but they can also save Markus when he's wounded here.
- If Simon is alive or North is both alive and your lover, one of them will offer Markus their heart to keep him going after he's wounded.
- If both are dead or North is alive but not your lover, Markus will die from his injuries. (End)
From here, you'll be coordinating an attack on the soldiers. However, if you're not successful, your game can end here in many ways.
Markus will take shelter in a store after the attack if you're not successful, and North will be with him if she's both alive and is either lovers or companions with Markus. If Connor is alive and an android, he will arrive to confront you.
Regardless of your choices, your game will end after this next section in one way or another.
Choosing to detonate the dirty bomb, if you took the detonator from North during the Crossroads chapter, will end the game at any point here with Markus destroying the city. However, doing so with Connor present will get Markus killed in the process.
- Shooting Markus: Connor executes Markus. (End)
- Sparing Markus: both of them survive. (End)
- Making no choice: Markus and Connor kill each other in the store. (End)
If Connor is dead, deviant, or decommissioned, soldiers will surround the store instead. If North is with you, she will do exactly as you do in this part.
- Surrender: Markus (and possibly North) will die leaving the store. (End)
- Suicide: Markus (and possibly North) will kill himself (or themselves) inside the store. (End)
- Detonate Bomb: Markus (and possibly North) watches Detroit burn. (End)
If you were successful in the assault, you'll be leading a final charge to the recall center from here. It will go well enough, until Markus is hit by an explosion and downed.
Again, Markus will be confronted by Connor if he's still a machine after the Crossroads chapter, or soldiers if Connor has deviated. Connor's confrontation will allow you to choose which android you control.
- Controlling Connor and winning: Connor stops the revolution. (End)
- Controlling Connor and losing: Markus will shoot the tanks, and the assault will be a success. (End)
- Controlling Markus and winning: Markus will shoot the tanks, and the assault will be a success. (End)
- Controlling Markus and losing: Markus will die, and the revolution will have failed. (End)
If Connor deviated in Crossroads, soldiers will come to find Markus instead.
- Neutralizing the Soldiers: Markus will shoot the tanks, and the assault will be a success. (End)
- Not Neutralizing the Soldiers: Markus will die, and the revolution will have failed. (End)