All the key characters of the first Red Dead Redemption by part of the game: the Marston family, allies in New Austin and Mexico, agents Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham, Dutch's old gang. Who voiced them, who is in both games and, in a separate spoiler section, how their stories end.
Whose story this is
John Marston is a former member of Dutch van der Linde's gang who has spent a few years on a ranch with his family. When the game opens, federal agents are taking him by train to Blackwater: Abigail and Jack are held until John brings in his old "brothers". So every part of the game means a new territory, new allies and another old friend to hunt. The order of the missions where these characters appear is on the Red Dead Redemption missions page.
The Marston family
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| John Marston | The protagonist. A former outlaw forced to work for the government; you play as him for almost the whole game. | Rob Wiethoff |
| Abigail Marston | John's wife. She and their son are held by the agents until the last part of the game. | Sophia Marzocchi |
| Jack Marston | John's teenage son. He becomes playable at the end. | Josh Blaylock |
| Uncle | An old family friend living at Beecher's Hope ranch. He was meant to look after the place while John was away. | Spider Madison |
New Austin: allies in the desert
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Bonnie MacFarlane | The rancher who finds John wounded after Fort Mercer and pays the doctor. She gives him his first work. | Kimberly Irion |
| Leigh Johnson | The marshal of Armadillo. He helps John raise a posse for Fort Mercer. | Anthony De Longis |
| Nigel West Dickens | A travelling snake oil salesman and con man. His missions are the funniest in New Austin. | Don Creech |
| Seth Briars | A grave robber and treasure hunter digging up graves for a map. John's strangest ally. | Kevin Glikmann |
| Irish | A gun smuggler and drunk. He takes John across the river to Mexico. | K. Harrison Sweeney |
Mexico: revolution and an old legend
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Landon Ricketts | A legendary gunslinger living out his days in Chuparosa. He teaches John new Dead Eye skills. | Ross Hagen |
| Abraham Reyes | The charismatic, self-absorbed rebel leader. He promises to find John's target in exchange for help. | Josh Segarra |
| Luisa Fortuna | A schoolteacher and revolutionary devoted to Reyes and his rebellion. | - |
| Agustín Allende | Colonel and governor of Nuevo Paraíso, a brutal tyrant. He promises to hand over the fugitives but plays dirty. | Gary Carlos Cervantes |
| Vicente de Santa | A captain in Allende's army who gives John the dirtiest jobs against the rebels. | - |
The Bureau agents and Blackwater
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Edgar Ross | The Bureau of Investigation agent who blackmails John with his family. Cold and condescending. | Jim Bentley |
| Archer Fordham | Ross's partner. He talks less but watches John's every move alongside him. | David Wilson Barnes |
| Harold MacDougal | A Yale anthropology professor studying local Native Americans in Blackwater who helps search for Dutch. | - |
The old gang: who John hunts
| Character | Who they are | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Williamson | A former soldier and member of Dutch's gang. He holds Fort Mercer and nearly kills John at the start. | Steve J. Palmer |
| Javier Escuella | A Mexican gunman from the old gang, now a hired gun for Colonel Allende who is hiding Bill. | Antonio Jaramillo |
| Dutch van der Linde | The former gang leader and John's mentor. He has formed a new gang of local Native Americans in the West Elizabeth mountains. | Benjamin Byron Davis |
Red Dead Redemption characters in both games
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel set in 1899, so eight characters from the first game appear there younger: John, Abigail, Jack (still a small child), Uncle, Dutch, Bill, Javier and agent Edgar Ross (in RDR2 he still works with the detectives). Rob Wiethoff and Benjamin Byron Davis played John and Dutch in both games, as did Steve J. Palmer as Bill. Abigail, Javier and Uncle were voiced by different actors in RDR2. The 1899 gang and the full RDR2 cast are on our RDR2 characters page.
There are few female roles in RDR1, and all of them matter to the story: Bonnie MacFarlane in New Austin, Luisa Fortuna in Mexico and Abigail at the ranch.
Spoilers: how the characters' stories end
Warning: the ending is revealed below.
- Bill Williamson and Allende. After the assault on the villa in "An Appointed Time" they flee by stagecoach; the rebels and John catch them and both are executed.
- Javier Escuella. In "The Gates of El Presidio" the player chooses: capture him alive for the agents or kill him and hand over the body. The choice barely affects the story.
- Dutch van der Linde. Cornered on a cliff edge after the Army storms Cochinay, he throws himself off.
- John Marston. Ross releases the family but later breaks the deal: the Army attacks the ranch. Uncle dies first; John covers Abigail and Jack's escape and is killed.
- Jack and Ross. In 1914, after Abigail dies, Jack buries her next to his father and tracks down the retired Ross. The duel in the stranger mission "Remember My Family" is the last chapter of the story.
How the game continues as Jack is covered on the missions page.
Red Dead Redemption characters FAQ
Who is the main character of Red Dead Redemption?
John Marston, a former member of Dutch van der Linde's gang. At the end of the game control passes to his son Jack.
Who voiced John Marston?
Rob Wiethoff, in both the first Red Dead Redemption and RDR2.
Who are Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham?
Bureau of Investigation agents who take John's family and force him to hunt down his former partners.
Who does John hunt in RDR1?
Three former gang members: Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella and Dutch van der Linde.
Which RDR1 characters are in RDR2?
John, Abigail, Jack, Uncle, Dutch, Bill, Javier and Edgar Ross.
Is there a character called Langston in Red Dead Redemption?
No. People usually mean Landon Ricketts, the old gunslinger from Chuparosa.
Sources
- Official: Rockstar Games, Rockstar Newswire, Rockstar Support, Take-Two Interactive
- Databases and guides: Red Dead Wiki, RDR2.org, GTABase, PowerPyx
- Press: GamesRadar, PC Gamer, IGN, VGC, Game Informer
Every fact is checked against official sources or at least two independent ones; player-sourced data is labelled in the text. Images are official Rockstar Games material. GTA Top is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.