Summary

  • John Marston appeared as an incorrect history test answer related to a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
  • Fans want Marston in Red Dead Redemption 3.
  • Some historical connections might exist between the fictional Marston and real American figures.

Red Dead Redemption's central character, John Marston, has popped up in an unusual place, appearing as a potential answer to a question on a history test. While John Marston certainly did a lot to change the state of Red Dead Redemption's version of the American West at the end of the 19th century, he was unfortunately not the correct answer to this question.

One of Rockstar Games' most popular properties, the Wild West action-adventure series has seen a lot of success since the first game's launch in 2010. Much of that success lies with Marston, the first original Rockstar character to be playable in multiple games in the same series. Although he seems to have settled down by the second game's ending, some fans want to see John Marston play a role in Red Dead Redemption 3.

Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 holding a gun alongside Grand Theft Auto 6's protagonists
Red Dead Redemption 3's Protagonist Should Lean Into One Difference From GTA

Red Dead Redemption 3's protagonist is still an unknown quantity, but GTA 6 has presented a way to emphasize the contrast between them.

In this instance, however, John Marston is an incorrect answer to a multiple-choice question about U.S. History. Reddit user Sr-rookjesko recently shared an image of a test given out by their history teacher, which asks for the name of the longest-serving U.S. Supreme Court justice. The correct answer was John Marshall, who served from 1801 to his death in 1835, though his name is strikingly similar to that of the popular Rockstar Games character.

History Teacher Possibly Slips Red Dead Redemption Reference into Test

While Rockstar's grizzled gunslinger never did ascend to the highest court in the United States, there are some historical American connections with his name. Along with his wife, the Marstons share first names with the second president and first lady of the United States, John and Abigail Adams, though whether that historical John Marston-related fact was an intentional move by the developers has not been confirmed. Additionally, there was an Elizabethan English playwright named John Marston, who may have been the historical figure that this history teacher was referencing in the incorrect answer. However, John Adams was the president who nominated John Marshall to the Supreme Court, which could make the web of history and game-related facts related to this test question even more mind-boggling.

Regardless of whether the connection to Rockstar Games was intentional in this case, teachers have used video games to try to connect with their students, and Red Dead Redemption is no exception. Last March, a high school teacher shared on Reddit how they used Red Dead Redemption in a senior English class, having students play both games in the series and keep a log of the moral choices made by the protagonists as a form of character study.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 Tag Page Cover Art
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Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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Released
October 26, 2018
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Developer(s)
Rockstar Games
Publisher(s)
Rockstar Games
Engine
RAGE
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
N/A
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.

Cross Save
N/A
Franchise
Red Dead Redemption
Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
How Long To Beat
50 Hours
X|S Optimized
yes
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty