Hypothesis

Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego) is the spiritual continuation of Red Dead Revolver and the story of John Marston’s journey through Purgatory, where he must go through many trials that absolve him of the sins he committed during life. Only once he has successfully completed all that is asked of him can he leave Purgatory and be issued to Paradise.

Evidence

Warning: This article is full of spoilers. It’s bursting with them. If you’d rather play through your game and wait, don’t click on the Read More link below. If you’d like to continue, please do so now!

All of my evidence is circumstantial. Never in the game does it actually say that John Marston is walking through the afterlife. But let me put together a few things for you to consider, and I’ll let you make the ultimate decision. First, however, let’s define (you know I love my definitions) where the term purgatory actually comes from.

Purgatory:

The idea of trial by fire, another important conceptual component of Purgatory, figures prominently in the Bible: “Thou hast proved my heart,” sings the psalmist, “and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity had not been found in me” (Psalm 16:3). John the Baptist, who baptizes in water, prophesies the greater power of Jesus, saying “[h]e shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire” (Matt. 3:11). Based on these and other passages, medieval theologians introduced the idea of ‘purging fires’ as a way to imagine the purification of souls who died in God’s grace but bore the stains and habits of sin. From the adjective purgatorius arose the noun Purgatorium as the concept of Purgatory received full theological legitimation in the mid- to late thirteenth century (e.g., at the Second Council of Lyons in 1274).

Game Storyline

In 1911, John Marston arrives on a ferry, presumably after it crosses a river, to bring him to the town of Blackwater. He is escorted by two government officials, the individuals in charge of his missions. John is placed upon a train populated by many individuals on their way to Armadillo. Those of note are two old women speaking about bringing God and Learning to Savages, and another pair speak of Religion vs. Science. One woman remains by herself in silence (Bonnie) in the back of the train car.

Upon John’s arrival in Armadillo, John is set the task of bringing the members of his old outlaw gang (Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, and Dutch Van der Linde) to justice. He sets out towards Fort Mercer to confront Williamson, where he is shot and left for dead. His body is found and he is nursed back to health by Bonnie MacFarlane at her ranch, which she runs for her father in the stead of her single surviving brother who has gone to the ‘city’. After assisting Bonnie, John travels back to Armadillo where he meets US Marshal Leigh Johnson and his deputies. Through them John meets Nigel West Dickens, a con man, Seth Briars, a treasure hunter and grave robber, and Irish, an alcoholic arms dealer. With their help, John storms Fort Mercer to find that Williamson has fled across the river to Nuevo Paradaiso, Mexico.

Irish brings Marston to Mexico on a raft, and they land in Nueva Paradaiso. Initially John sides with Mexican Army Colonel Agustin Allende and Captain Vincente de Santa at their stronghold called El Presidio, helping them to put down a rebellion in exchange for being handed Williamson and Escuella. Marston is betrayed and seeks out help from Landon Ricketts and the rebels, led by Abraham Reyes and Luisa. The fortress is stormed and they find Escuella, who confesses that Williamson has been under Allende’s protection this whole time. John and the rebels storm Allende’s palace where Williamson and Allende himself are found and executed. Reyes takes over the leadership of the area and Marston returns to New Austin.

Upon returning to New Austin, John learns that his mission is not over, and the two agents that has escorted him to this land demand that he still seek out Dutch Van der Linde. Van der Linde has taken advantage of the native American’s discontent and has compelled many of them to join his new gang. When John confronts him, Van der Linde ultimately commits suicide by throwing himself for a cliff after telling John that, in the end, he himself is the last member of the gang. Marston is allowed to go home to his ranch in Beecher’s Hope, where he finally reunites with his wife Abigail and his son Jack.

Sometime later, the two agents in charge of John’s missions come onto his farm with a force of marshals and demand that John ultimately pay for his crimes. In order to save his family, John sacrifices himself to the lawmen. His body is buried on a hill overlooking his ranch.

Supernatural Elements – The Strange Man

At various points in John Marston’s mission quest, he encounters an unnamed individual who goes by the title The Strange Man in a black suit and top hat with pale blue eyes. The man is never located within sight of any townships or signs of civilization, though at one point he is seen in a camp presumably of his own making, with a tattered white tent, a donkey standing tamely by, and a campfire which he’s tending. He is the only character that John meets in all three locations, and he seems to know a great deal about John’s past, to the point that Marston is unsettled and angry.

The Strange Man says many curious things, including a response to “Damn You” as “Many already have”. He also gives John three missions to complete, all of which provide a moral choice that affects another. There are some curious trivia notes about him

There is a picture of the man hanging in John and Abigail’s bedroom at Beecher’s Hope, as well as directly over Jack’s bed and above the piano in the living room.

What appears to be the strange man may appear in the cutscene when Marston says goodbye to Harold MacDougal at the train station during “The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)”, he is sitting on a bench behind the player, however he disappears as the cutscene finishes, and he does not always appear.

He admits to having a son, and hoping that he turns out to be just like John Marston.

Mission one involves finding a man in New Austin and either advising him to be good or to commit a sin.

Mission two involves finding a nun in El Paraiso and either being good yourself or committing a sin yourself.

Mission three occurs in Beecher’s Hope and involves no choices, but the provision of information that The Strange Man cannot recall his own name, is an accountant of sorts, and is damned by many people. John grows irate and fires his gun at him, but the bullets never find their mark as The Strange Man walks away.

Dialogues between The Strange Man and John Marston:

Upon first encountering him at New Austin

Strange Man: Welcome John. John Marston.

John: Do I know you?

Strange Man: I hope so. I seem to know you.

John: I’m pretty good at remembering faces.

Strange Man: Are you? Do you remember Heidi McCourt’s face?

John: Who?

Strange Man: She was a girl Dutch van der Linde shot in the head on that raid on the ferry a few years back. Same one you got shot on. Pretty girl… until her eye was hanging out by a tendon, and her brain was plastered over a wall.

John: Not really.

Strange Man: Then why would you remember me, friend? You’ve forgotten far more important people than me.

John: What’s your game, friend?

Strange Man: I don’t have a game, John. Listen, sometimes I just wish I knew more about life. I wish I’d had better guidance. friend of mine, he’s drunk as a skunk, in the saloon in Thieves’ Landing. I think he’s going to be unfaithful to his dear wife. Why don’t you head over there, and see if you can advise him on how best to proceed.

John: What do you think I am?

Strange Man: I know what you are, John. Just if you’ve got the time, friend.

Second encounter at Nuevo Paraiso

Strange Man: Welcome to Nuevo Paraiso, John.

John: Where, do I know you from?

Strange Man: You’re famous, John. You’re the man who shot up a bunch of banditos as soon as he turned up in this country. You’re a man, who decided right and wrong. Between a man and death. Between a man and his wife.

John: And who are you?

Strange Man: You know, I admire you, John. I hope my boy turns up just like you.

John: For your sake, I hope he don’t.

Strange Man: You kill people so easily, yet you respect the vows of marriage. That’s very curious.

John: I’ll let the appropriate authorities judge my morality, friend.

Strange Man: Yes you will, and they shall. Anyway, I hear that an old nun is traveling from the monastery and taking the money she raised to the bank. Why don’t you head up there and see if you can lend her a hand, road’s full of thieves, either that or rob her yourself. I’ll see you around John.

John: I hope you don’t.

Third and final encounter at Beecher’s Hope

Strange Man: Ain’t this a beautiful spot?

John: Sure. What are you doing here?

Strange Man: My accounts. I’m an accountant.

John: Is that so?

Strange Man: In a way.

John: What’s your name?

Strange Man: You know, its the darndest thing, but I can’t remember.

John: Tell me your damn name and where you know me from!

Strange Man: Well, I know you from Mexico, and I know you from back out West. I know you from all over.

John: Tell me your name, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.

Strange Man: Oh, but you will. You will be responsible. This is a fine spot. See you around, cowboy.

John: Damn you!

Strange Man: Yes, many have.

(John pulls out a pistol and shoots the man three times, but nothing happens and John looks at his gun while the man continues walking away.)

Here’s a video compilation of all the Strange Man’s cutscenes put together.

Missions:

A few of the missions in the game provide you with moral choices:

“I know you” Moral Choices – The Strange Man Players can either dissuade the drunk friend from cheating on his wife, or give him $15 to persuade him to cheat on his wife. This time the Strange Man gives the player the choice of donating $10 to a nun or robbing her.

“American Appetites” Find missing child, wife, husband (who is a cannibal). Moral choice – kill him or let him live.

“Poppycock” Fetch a package of opium for a dealer and sell it to a foreman. Moral choice – keep the cash earned or deliver it to the dealer.

“The Prohibitionist” Saloon owner wants you to roust a vocal prohibitionist. Moral choice – kill the prohibitionist or convince him to leave on his own.

“Water and Honesty” A water prospector supposedly finds a cache beneath a man’s property using a dowsing rod. Moral Choice – convince the home owner to sell the deed or murder him.

Even if you complete them successfully, the following missions are doomed to end in a mortal sin or one of the seven deadly sins:

“American Lobbyist” Blackmail another lobbyist with pictures of him with a prostitute. (Extramarital Sex)

“Aztec Gold” Help a man find a long lost treasure unsuccessfully. (Greed)

“California” Help a man head west after a premonition tells him to. The man refuses to be helped and dies. (Pride)

“Deadalus and Son” Collect supplies for a man’s ill-fated attempt at flight. (Envy)

“Eva in Peril” Pay an abusive man for the freedom of his girl. Later learn that he chased her down and killed her in a drunken rage. You execute the man. (Wrath)

“Flowers for a Lady” Gather flowers for a man to give to his wife, who’s in truth a corpse. (Blasphemy)

“Funny Man” Repeatedly help a satirical writer who keeps getting himself into mortal danger. He later dies. (Pride)

“Jenny’s Faith” A sick young woman refuses aid, believing that her faith will help her. John has to leave her to die in the desert. (Pride)

“Let No Man Put Asunder” An old woman asks John to find her fiance, claiming it’s their wedding day. You find the man’s grave – he’s been dead for 17 years. (Blasphemy)

“Lights, Camera, Action” A man asks for help with his studio and his main actor by asking John to win at Liar’s Dice and prove to the main actor that he isn’t an actual cowboy. The studio fails. (Lying)

“Love is the Opiate” A foreman must be bribed with a white stallion in order to free his indentured Chinese worker so the man can return to China to be with his love. The Chinese man wastes his one chance by getting high on opium and missing his train. (Drug Use)

“Remember My Family” Jack hunts down and kills Edgar Ross, thus cementing his life as an outlaw. (Wrath)

“Who Are You to Judge?” Help a man find his horse, who he presumably has sex with. (Bestiality)

“The Wronged Woman” Help a woman get vengeance on the man who she says impregnated her out of wedlock. It turns out she uses you to murder him and get his money for her, leaving the man’s wife a grieving widow. (Adultery, Wrath, etc)

One might even see these two games, Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption, as being the first two parts in a three-part trilogy that is analogous to Dante’s journey through the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. Revolver mainly takes place in a town called Brimstone, and Redemption starts us off in Blackwater and lets us set foot in Nuevo Paradaiso for a little while before bringing us back to the other side of the river. Will there be a sequel? Maybe. In my eyes there’s certainly room for it.