There is no running; the past catches up with everyone eventually. Red Dead Redemption's John Marston had put his gang life behind him, gone legit, and turned into a family man. Yet his past came knocking on the door. John ultimately died an untimely death at the hands of a double-crossing lawman due to his old crimes and affiliations.
His death was shrouded in mystery though as there were still so many questions regarding John Marston still undiscovered. So many details the player still wondered about him that are still unknown to this day. This list will ask 10 questions still revolving around Mr. Marston.
10 Why Did John Think Jack Wasn’t His?
John started off a hesitant family man, to say the least. Ditching the gang, leaving Abigail and young Jack behind, it raises the question why. As Dutch reveals in one of his last encounters with John during the first Red Dead Redemption, the whole gang has been with Abigail, and it’s not like DNA testing was around to clarify. Was John a hesitant family man because he wasn't sure he was Jack's true father? John was young and impressionable, this could be the reasoning behind why he left, and why he treats Jack like less than a son during the first half of Red Dead Redemption 2, but the player will never know for sure.
9 Why Was John Spared And Hosea Was Not?
Saint Denis, a city of great opportunity and arguably where the Van Der Linde gang finally died off in a sense. Right-hand man to Dutch and fellow leader of the group, Hosea Matthews was gunned down as a personal message right in front of Arthur and Dutch during a failed bank robbery. Hosea was the first to go, and Lenny shortly after while escaping on the rooftop. The question is why wasn’t John dealt the same fate Hosea was. He was captured by lawmen in the chaos and spared. Both men could’ve been sent to Sisika Penitentiary, but only John made it.
8 Why Did He Let Dutch Walk (Twice)?
John had two very good opportunities to finish and kill the man who changed the course of his life. Dutch was a father to John, taught him almost everything he knows. Yet in the hardest of times Dutch starts to believe John is a rat, and at a later time even insults John’s family. This begs the question, why didn’t John just finish the job before it started. John, Sadie, and Charles had Dutch outnumbered and outgunned after the death of Micah, and they let him walk. In John’s next encounter with Dutch instead of killing him, leaves him to commit suicide. Was there still a feeling of love and appreciation there or why exactly did John give him the chance.
7 Why Won't John Talk About Arthur?
Mentioned by Abigail during a conversation with Jack on the new Beechers Hope ranch, John does not like to talk about Arthur Morgan. There very well could be a multitude of reasons as to why this is. For example, he could simply miss his friend and bringing up the way it ended depresses him. Maybe John still considered himself somewhat responsible for Arthur's downfall. Whatever the reason may be, John does not want his family, or anyone else bringing up Arthur, and never clearly states why. He repaid the debt and killed Micah, yet still cannot put Arthur behind him for some reason.
6 Who Heard About His Death?
John didn’t have many friends left by the end of Red Dead Redemption, yet the ones he did were close. Bonnie McFarlane, Bill Pearson, Charles Smith, Sadie Adler, possibly even Seth. Did any of them visit John’s grave, did any of them even hear what happened?
John Marston impacted many peoples lives, most of them negatively through robbery or murder, but the few that he positively impacted, did they ever hear of John’s demise? With Abigail and Jack still wandering the world, it’s possible to believe the word has spread or even a few of John's old friends visited his grave.
5 What Was His Relationship With The Strange Man?
Of all the colorful characters John has met none may be stranger than The Strange Man. Seen in the first Red Dead Redemption, the Strange Man appears as an almost god-like figure. The man can survive revolver rounds to the back of the head, has some very interesting things to say, and seems to be able to see into the future. Why appear to John, what did John have to offer this mysterious stranger. The Strange Man even knows John’s burial site before John is killed. There are numerous unanswered questions revolving around the Strange Man in the Black Top Hat, and his connection to John.
4 What Happened After The Last Train Heist?
The last train job, the final heist of them all. In the heat of the robbery, John is shot, and Arthur witnesses him fall backward off the train. The player at this point has no idea what is happening to John or how he makes it back. They know he has to be alive for the events of original Red Dead Redemption to take place, but how does he make it back? Possibly a very cool Downloadable Content update for Red Dead Redemption 2 would be this mission, and it would answer a lot of questions regarding John’s survival.
3 Why Did He Leave The Gang For A Year?
During the starting point of Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur states that John recently left the gang for about a year. This is repeatedly brought up especially when talking about the rift between John and Arthur, the question is why. What is it that drove him to that point. John has apparently left the gang before, but never for long, until then. There is more to this story than meets the eye, that will hopefully be explained in the next Red Dead installment.
2 What Did John Do During That Year?
Leaving one’s entire life behind can be quite a crazy experience. When John left the gang and his old life behind for a year before coming back, what exactly did he do? Managing to eat and survive takes a multitude of skills, he was either robbing on his own or maybe John learned a trade to make some legal money. Maybe it was easier going it alone, and he just missed his family. What took place during this time, and the reason he came back still isn’t clearly stated.
1 How Did John Never Learn to Swim
Most would assume being a bandit since the age of 11 would involve all kinds of daring getaways and escapes. Including running, jumping, maybe even swimming. Yet as it turns out John Marston never learned to swim. Arthur can swim, Dutch can swim, most of the entire camp can swim even Jack appears to be an able swimmer, but it just never happened for John. Did John believe this skill simply wasn't beneficial or was he never given the chance to learn? There is some explaining that needs to be done here.