The identity of the mysterious “Strange Man” from Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 has been causing headaches in the community for years. Now a fan is throwing a new theory into the ring.
The devil, death or a demon? There are numerous theories and conjectures surrounding the mysterious Strange Man from Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2. The fan community has been racking its brains for years about who the well-dressed gentleman with opaque motivations who seems to be following John Marston is.
Now a new theory from a gamer is causing a stir. Reddit user (Basketballjuice) shared his personal guess on Reddit as to who might actually be behind the Strange Man. We summarise the most important info for you.
Strange Man: Not the Devil or Death after all?
From this point on, be warned of spoilers for the end of the first Red Dead Redemption!
Who is the Strange Man again? You can meet the mysterious fellow in suit, hat and moustache in the boots of John Marston at various points in the story of the first Red Dead Redemption. In the process, the Strange Man seems to know an unsettling amount about John and his life and repeatedly confronts him with moral choices.
His identity remains a mystery in Red Dead Redemption 2 and he seems to possess supernatural abilities and influence the fate of many people. You can watch all his scenes from the first Red Dead Redemption again in this video:
This is what Reddit theory says: According to Basketballjuice, the Strange Man is not supposed to be Death or the Devil, but the biblical figure Cain. You know, the first son of Adam and Eve, who was punished by God for the murder of his brother Abel.
And it is precisely this punishment that leads Basketballjuice to assume that the Strange Man is Cain. Because of his murder of his brother, Cain was condemned by God to walk the earth for eternity with a sign so that everyone would recognise him. For this reason, the Strange Man is also said to look unusually familiar to John Marston when they meet.
Also, according to the Bible, anyone who does something bad to Cain will meet the same fate seven times worse. According to Basketballjuice, this is reflected in the three shots John fires at the Strange Man: to his death in the finale of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston is said to be hit by at least 21 bullets.
Basketballjuice lists other details that he sees as circumstantial evidence for Cain being the true identity of the Strange Man. For example, that the mysterious figure naturally has a hell of a lot of knowledge, having walked the earth for thousands of years. Or that Cain brings death and misfortune wherever he goes, which is why Tumbleweed is run down and abandoned.
Furthermore, since Cain is considered mankind’s first murderer due to his actions, it’s only fitting that the Strange Man’s house in Red Dead Redemption 2 is referred to as that of a serial killer, according to Basketballjuice. The Reddit user additionally suspects that John’s son Jack is alluding to the man’s true identity: After all, his dog goes by the name Cain.
Other popular theories: By the way, you can get a really thick info load on the Strange Man and his possible identity in the video by YouTuber … Strange Man. Here the assumption is made that the mysterious NPC is much more the personification of death:
Do we ever get an answer? Devil, Death, Demon or Cain: who is really behind the Strange Man, we will probably never officially know. But that is understandable from a narrative point of view. A definitive answer would probably only demystify an insanely exciting character and the mystery he embodies.
Besides, Red Dead Redemption remains in the conversation not only because of this, but also because of such mysteries: More than ten years after the release of the first part, fans are still coming up with new theories and conjectures, thus providing new insights and discussions.
What do you think of the new theory about the Strange Man? Who do you suspect is behind the mysterious figure? Let us know in the comments
