The world of Red Dead Redemption is filled with enigmatic and eccentric characters that are almost impossible to forget. As strange as the social outcasts that make up the Van der Linde gang are, it is often the characters found when out exploring that leave the biggest impact. From Nigel and his obsessive search for Gavin, to the Aberdeen siblings running a less than savory pig farm, every turn off the beaten path leads to a potential adventure with some wacky personalities.
Perhaps one of the most mysterious characters players come across in the Red Dead Redemption series is the Strange Man. He tends to appear at the oddest of times, and he seems to possess a profound amount of knowledge. His presence is always ominous, though he never presents himself as an enemy. The strange ways of the Strange Man have left many gamers wondering who he is, and what his purpose is.
Red Dead Redemption
John Marston first meets the Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption as part of the "I Know You" stranger mission. He is a lanky individual with a handlebar mustache, a tophat, and a dapper suit. Attempting to find out more about him, John finds himself annoyed with the Strange Man and his cryptic answers to all of his questions. For some reason, he knows about John's past, his misdeeds, and the antics of the Van der Linde gang. He refuses to fully explain who he is and how he knows so much about John; even divulging his name seems to be too much for the Strange Man.
With each of the Strange Man's missions in Red Dead Redemption, John is presented with moral conundrums. For example, he is tasked with visiting an old nun transporting some money. John has the choice of whether to help her or rob her. The Strange Man never explains how he knows about these situations or why he wants John specifically to intervene.
As if the Strange Man is not weird enough, he also appears to possess supernatural abilities. In addition to his apparent omniscience, he is also immune to bullets. In a moment of frustration, John lets off a few bullets in the Strange Man's direction, only to find that they do nothing to him. This may be evidence that the Strange Man is immortal.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Although his role in Red Dead Redemption 2 is less prominent, the Strange Man still makes notable appearances in the game. Triggering his appearance is a little less than straightforward: When playing as Arthur, players might come across a little shack in the Lemoyne region. The abandoned domicile is located beside Kamassa River in a swampy area labeled Bayall Edge. Although it looks plain on the outside, the interior of the shack is eccentrically decorated with candles and colorful paintings of fauna and flora. As fascinating as the artworks are, the items of most interest are a tall mirror in the corner of the shack, and an incomplete painting of what appears to be a man in a black suit and a tophat.
There is cryptic writing on the wall that one could initially dismiss as nonsense. Upon closer analysis, however, the writing appears to be prophetic. For instance, the words "FROM THE SNOW TO THE CAVE" can be found. This seems to foreshadow Arthur's story in Red Dead Redemption 2, which begins in a snowy blizzard and ends in a cave. The shack's eerie knowledge does not stop there; the paintings also change in accordance with the player's honor level. High honor will trigger deer and eagles to appear while low honor will trigger wolves and a vulture to appear.
In the grand scheme of things, Arthur's visit to the shack is rather uneventful. However, the weirdness cranks up in the epilogue when it is John Marston's turn to pay the shack a visit. At first, the place looks quite similar. Upon subsequent visits, things begin to gradually change. Despite being abandoned for many years, the painting begins to slowly become more complete, eventually depicting the Strange Man.
Once the painting is complete, John will notice the Strange Man appear in the mirror. However, when John turns around, the Strange Man is nowhere to be seen. Writing about the shack in the diary that Arthur once kept, John notes that the place makes him feel like he is being watched. He describes the feeling as "fascinating and awful and seductive" all at once.
Theories Surrounding Red Dead Redemption's Strange Man
From his appearances, it is clear that the Strange Man seems to have some kind of connection to John Marston. It is also evident that the Strange Man is related to death in some manner. This theme is reinforced in Red Dead Redemption 2, where a poem in the abandoned shack appears. The poem is about Jimmy Brooks, a man Arthur comes across and must decide whether to kill or spare. Depending on the choice players make, the poem changes.
It would not be absurd to assume that the Strange Man is the personification of death. Wherever the Strange Man goes, death seems to follow. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the shack with the portrait of the Strange Man is filled with skulls. Furthermore, John can find a picture that looks suspiciously like the Strange Man in Armadillo, a settlement struck by a terrible plague. It is also plausible that the Strange Man is God, Satan, or some other kind of moral being that is judging and testing John's morality. This would explain why he knows so much about John, and why he sends John on missions that present him with moral forks in the road.
Some fan theories have veered into far more complex territory while still relying on evidence from the games. It has been noticed by some that the Strange Man bears a lot of resemblance to Red Dead Redemption 2's Josiah Trelawney. They both wear a tophat and have well-groomed mustaches. Additionally, they both serve as trickster-type figures that straddle the line between good and evil. Others have noted a similarity between the Strange Man and the Biblical figure Cain. In the Bible, Cain is cursed to roam Earth forever after he kills his brother, Abel. Similarly, the Strange Man seems the walk the Earth eternally, separated from time.
While Rockstar has never confirmed the identity of the Strange Man, this has not stopped gamers from speculating for years. With his evasive answers to every question, it seems the Strange Man does not want to be known. However, for those with keen eyes, slivers of evidence of his presence can be found in nooks and crannies all over the Red Dead Redemption world.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.