Two different scenes within the first Red Dead Redemption feel like they could serve as the game’s conclusion, but the actual closing moment happens when Jack Marston hunts down and kills Edgar Ross — the former Bureau of Investigation agent who betrayed his father.
The player has no power to stop this confrontation, making the event unavoidable. Rockstar, though known for allowing players some level of influence in smaller plot threads, clearly decided to take full control of the closing part of Jack’s journey.
The gunshot that closed one chapter and opened another (Photo: Red Dead Redemption 1/Rockstar Games)In this instance, the player becomes a silent participant in Jack’s mission for vengeance, which carries a sense of sorrow and inevitable damage, as suggested by earlier events in the game. Being born into the Van der Linde Gang before the timeline of Red Dead Redemption 2 placed Jack on a difficult path from the beginning.
Only a few years after he came into the world, the gang collapsed following a series of events that included the death of Arthur Morgan — a man Jack saw as an uncle. John Marston and Abigail Roberts, despite living in a dangerous and lawless group, held onto the hope of raising Jack in a better way.
His early years were marked by instability, including more than one abduction involving both him and his mother. Still, between 1907 and 1911, Jack might have experienced a relatively quiet homestead life, one that matched the expectations of the early 20th century.
How Jack’s Childhood Shadows His Future
Another kidnapping marks the beginning of the story in Red Dead Redemption, as Jack and his mother Abigail are taken by BOI agents Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham. The period Jack spends in their custody is not shown in the game, but it sets the tone for what follows.
With his father’s death looming, Jack’s transformation into a sorrowful and determined young man becomes clear. The day he finally finds Ross — now retired and hunting ducks with his brother — he puts an end to that chapter.
That action reflects the burden Jack carries, as he follows the path of violence laid down before him. The game strongly presents the idea that once someone enters a life of crime, walking away from it becomes very difficult.
Even before the 1900s, the lifestyle of the Van der Linde Gang was already under pressure, and its members struggled to adapt to any kind of normal society. Jack came into the world in the middle of this fading way of life. From his early days, he faced loss, bloodshed, and a heavy atmosphere of danger.
Like many of the game’s characters, Jack’s future was never meant to bring peace or joy. His parents tried their best to offer him opportunities, but the Bureau of Investigation — which proved to be just as ruthless as the gang they were chasing — played a major role in pushing Jack toward bitterness and distrust.
Jack Marston’s Final Act and the Cycle of Violence
Moments before the final message of Red Dead Redemption appears on screen, Jack watches the body of Edgar Ross drift along the river. He gives one last, quiet look at the pistol he just used, returns it to its holster, and turns away.
Jack walks a path his father never wanted for him (Photo: Red Dead Redemption 1/Rockstar Games)Unlike earlier parts of the game where players could decide what happened to certain characters like Javier Escuella, this final act cannot be avoided. Jack’s failure to break away from the blood-stained legacy of those who raised him is not just personal — it was expected.
Before his family life could even begin properly, the same government that promised order took it all away. Although Jack did not go through structured schooling, he was wise enough to know that murdering a former BOI agent would put him in danger.
A decision to walk away might have spared him more pain, but Red Dead Redemption removes that possibility. Jack Marston was pulled into a cycle of violence he never asked for, and it shaped his fate in ways he couldn’t control.
Add this powerful game to your Amazon list and start playing today.
