Jack Marston

'''"You killed my father! You sent him to do your dirty work, and then shot him like a dog!" ' -Jack to Edgar Ross, right before shooting him.''

Jack Marston is the deuteragonist of the video gameRed DeadRedemption  and a character the in the prequel Red Dead Redemption II. Jack was born to John Marston and Abigail Roberts, and spent much of his early life in Dutch van der Linde's gang. Once the gang fell apart, Jack moved to an old piece of land known as Beacher's Hope, where he lived until his father was shot and killed by government agent Edgar Ross' men. Years later, after his mother had passed from grief, Jack hunted down Ross in Mexico and killed him.

He is voiced by Josh Blaylock.

Personality
Born into a gang of criminals, Jack's upbringing was that the gang was family to him and he called most of them his aunts and uncles. Even when he was only 4 years old Jack could already read and write. He even learned how to fish through Arthur Morgan, and also learned some Italian after being taken by an Italian Crime Boss. When he is at this age he was much more open and wanted to be around people more but that wouldn't last long as by the time he is twelve he is shy and nervous and has started feeling inferior to his father. As a result of his upbringing, Jack initially lacked his father's courage and superior combat, farming, and survival skills, but possessed intelligence and empathy that far surpasses John's.

Jack was a bright young man and spent most of his time reading different books that further expand his knowledge. By his own admission, he greatly enjoyed reading about wild adventures and brave heroes, which gave him a more romanticized view on the Old West, and his remarks in 1914 suggest he looked up to the legendary Landon Rickets. His love for books and stories prompted him to aspire to become a writer or a scholar, which his parents partly approved, as they also wished for him to be a rancher.

At times he appeared to be somewhat timid and was often mild-mannered when speaking to his family or friends. A major theme of his character is his sense of inferiority when compared to his father John, a veteran and experienced gunslinger and hunter. This led Jack to feel insecure and frightful whenever John approached him and made him all the more desperate to prove his worth to both his father and himself.

Despite the mutual struggle to understand each other, Jack shared a very close bond with John. He also cared deeply for his mother Abigail, who worried about Jack's condition after the two were released from the Bureau control. He was also the only member of the Marstons who seemed to be in a constant positive relationship with Uncle, who taught him several inappropriate things much to John's disapproval.

The death of his family and the decline of the Marston ranch, all happening in a very short amount of time, greatly darkened Jack's personality. His grief and loneliness appear to have developed a severe case of depression and self-loathing. Many of the lines he says in different activities imply he became a death seeker with a subtle sadistic streak. He also appears to be both proud and ashamed of his heritage.

He became somewhat cold and ruthless, making some dark jokes whenever he kills a horse, an outlaw or a woman, but also shows signs of disgust at himself and questioning his own actions. He also developed an intense hatred for the American government and its law enforcement organizations, deeming them the real criminals and the people responsible for the demise of his family.

Jack's deep love for his family also ironically results in becoming the very thing his parents didn't want him to be: an outlaw. It was this love and grief that led him to hunt down Edgar Ross three years after his father's death, determined to avenge the Marstons even at the cost of his own innocence and future. At the same time, however, he also showed self-doubts about his motives, and even a hint of regret after gunning Ross down.

In his quest for revenge, Jack kept a rather calm and friendly demeanor, and had his anger in check, only showing his intense hatred for Ross when the latter dismissed John's death upon being confronted.

Trivia

 * The player can use a cheat code to play as an adult Jack Marston before the mission "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed"; however, doing so will lock any storyline missions the player has and will make the game unavailable to save.
 * The 2013 game Grand Theft Auto V, another game developed Rockstar Games by, includes a reference to Jack and an easter egg for Red Dead Redemption; a book can be located in one of the protagonists' houses called "Red Dead" and written by a J. Marston.
 * Just like his father, Jack is unable to swim.
 * Jack, alongside Edgar Ross, is the only central character in the series to appear in all four time periods: 1899 and 1907 in Red Dead Redemption 2, and 1911 and 1914 in Red Dead Redemption.