John Marston (Red Dead)

John Marston
Red Dead character
John Marston as he appears in Red Dead Redemption (left) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (right)
First appearance	Red Dead Redemption (2010)
Last appearance	Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Created by	Rockstar San Diego
Portrayed by	Rob Wiethoff
Motion capture	Rob Wiethoff Marc Menchaca Daniel Hall Chris Comfort[1]
In-universe information
Alias	Jim Milton
Affiliation	Van der Linde gang
Spouse	Abigail Roberts
Children	Jack Marston
Nationality	American

John Marston is a character in the Red Dead video game series by Rockstar Games. He is the main playable protagonist of the 2010 video game Red Dead Redemption, wherein he must deal with the decline of the Wild West while being forced to hunt down the last surviving members of his old gang in exchange for the safe return of his family by the federal government. John is also the protagonist of Undead Nightmare, a non-canonical, zombie apocalypse-themed expansion pack, and the secondary playable character of the 2018 prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2. The latter game depicts John's life in the gang prior to its demise, and later his attempts to start an honest life with his family.

Rob Wiethoff portrays John Marston in both games through performance capture. The character was developed to be a nuanced, family-focused character in the first game. When returning for the prequel, Wiethoff looked to his younger life for inspiration. The writers felt that John's original role could be limiting in the second game. The character was well received, with many critics citing his maturity, moral complexity and ambiguity, and quest for atonement as focal points of the first game. Wiethoff's portrayal of Marston was also met with acclaim.