Red Dead Redemption 2 is a phenomenal game that thrives in immersing players within its massive world. Be it exploration, hunting, or just interacting with the world around you – there’s plenty to keep you invested. With so much going on and so many different things to experience and encounter, fans have come to their own conclusions when it come to some of the more ambiguous happenings within the game.
Plenty of RDR2 fan theories are actually pretty interesting to read through and raise some solid points. But others are just too dark to entertain. These could be real, or they could just be conjecture; either way, here are 5 Red Dead Redemption 2 Fan Theories That Could Be True & 5 We Hope Aren’t.
10 Could Be True: Gavin The Time Traveler?
You’ve probably noticed a pretty out of place British guy roaming around. You’ve no doubt encountered him numerous times on your adventure, as he just kind of migrates from location to location. He’s searching for his friend Gavin, but as you’ll see, ultimately never finds him.
If you loot the Englishman you’ll find a letter from someone named Tom, saying how Gavin and the man, Nigel, came to the Wild West. Tom just so happens to be the name of the father of a time-traveling stranger. This could hint that Gavin too is a time traveler.
9 Aren’t: Frankenstein’s Monster
West of the Van Horn Trading Post is a small house with something rather disturbing inside. Getting into the house can prove to be a little tricky, but it shouldn’t be too hard to do. Once inside, you find yourself face to face with a pretty weird experiment.
There’s a chimera-like creature put together inside, with various notes and scribbles denoting some sort of weird experiment. The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is weird enough as it is. No one needs those things running around.
8 Could Be True: The Strange Man
Most fans will remember the strange man from the first Red Dead Redemption. A mysterious being, many have argued on what the strange man is. Some say he’s God, others a demon or some sort of entity. His brief appearance in RDR2 only furthers that suspicion.
While in Lemoyne, in Bayalle Edge, you can find a small shack. Inside are weird writings that look as though they seem like they both chronicle and predict your adventure. One writing in particular, “I know you” written above a window, gives you an idea into just who’s cabin it is. Inside is a canvas with an outline that becomes clearer the more you visit. The visage is shown to be the strange man, and as you enter the shack you can see him standing in the mirror behind you, though he disappears on once you turn back.
7 Aren’t: Jack's Real Dad
This one would be pretty crushing if true. John Marston may have not been a perfect father, but he went to great lengths to protect and provide for his family. So the theory that he might not be Jack’s real father is pretty disheartening.
The theory cites a resemblance between adult Jack and Javier Escuella as proof that Jack is in fact Javier’s son. Due to Abigail’s former profession, some have argued that it’s very possible for Javier to have been the one who got her pregnant. It doesn’t really matter either way, but definitely isn’t a fun one to think about.
6 Could Be True: Vampires In The Night
Zombies are bad enough, but vampires? The Wild West sure was a terrifying and dangerous place. In Saint Dennis, there’s an Easter Egg involving five messages you must collect, all scrawled on walls. Once these are collected you’ll find a corpse marker on your map in an alleyway by the Saint Dennis, Cathedral.
Here you can find what looks to be a vampire feeding on a corpse. This only happens between midnight and 1:00 AM, and opens the door to the strong possibility that vampires – or at least vampiric creatures – are roaming around in the game.
5 Aren’t: The Whispering Voices
Roanoke Valley is notable for one incredibly unsettling feature; the whispering voices that can be heard along with some pretty upsetting laughter. You can hear faint bits of conversation, with a woman’s crying voice saying she needs to return home.
Many fans have speculated that given the area’s name, this is a reference to the mystery surrounding the Lost Colony. For those who don’t know, the Lost Colony was the first English colony in the new world that had its 100-plus population disappear without a trace.
4 Could Be True: "The Moon Will Shine On In The Darkness" Meaning
Herbert Moon is a returning minor character in the series, and has a small presence in RDR2. You can look at a shelf behind the counter of Monn’s general store in Armadillo and see a picture of the strange man.
In the strange man’s shack, "The Moon Will Shine On In The Darkness" is written on the walls. Fans have used this to serve as the link between the theories that Moon made a deal with the strange man and is in some sort of debt to him.
3 Aren’t: Manzanita Post Murders
The Manzanita Post in the Tall Trees region isn’t all that remarkable of a place. It’s notable for having Norwegian settlers, but other than that is a pretty boring place. Until you search the main house and find clues to a possible murder.
Inside you find a “Norwegian Photo” and a “Norwegian Journal Entry." The photo shows a picture of a family; a mother, father, and infant child, with “UREN!” - the Norwegian word for unclean - written on the back. Translating the journal sets up a pretty disturbing scene and combined with a newspaper scrap found on a corpse, heavily implies that the family in the picture was murdered.
2 Could Be True: The Plague in Pleasance
Part of this fan theory has to do with where we’ll possibly see more Undead Nightmare coming from. The abandoned settlement of Pleasance doesn’t seem all that different from other decrepit locations in the game, save for some strange writings and warnings plastered around.
Throughout the area, graffiti with cryptic warnings like “ILL WITH SINS”, “STAY OUT! PLAGUE” and “UNCLEAN SINNERS” are plastered all around. Some fans claim that the settlement and wording used with the graffiti are reminiscent of The Walking Dead and therefore give us a setting for the – presumably upcoming – zombie DLC.
1 Aren’t: The Emerald Ranch Tragedy
There’s nothing eerier and more disturbing in the game that what seems to be happening in the background at the Emerald Ranch. Rumors about the ranch suggest something dubious going on, and at night you can see a young woman staring into the distance out of a window.
The woman is presumably the rancher’s daughter. A letter you find suggests that the girl lost a loved one in a horrible way and that her father is keeping her locked up. A dark theory is that Eugene, the girl’s father, killed her lover and is keeping her hostage in their home.