Red Dead Redemption 2is an enormous game with a basket of Easter eggs. Many ofRed Dead Redemption 2’ssecretsare easily missed, such as one intriguing Easter egg discovered in the game’s epilogue. Beware of spoilers for bothRed Dead Redemptionand its prequel.
Players can visitRead Dead Redemption’s starting town of Armadillo in the epilogue ofRed Dead Redemption 2. Inside Herbert Moon’s General store, they might notice a small picture of a mustachioed man in a suit and top hat. This figure is none other than the Strange Man that John Marston repeatedly encounters inRed Dead Redemption. John may even comment that the man in the picture is strangely familiar.
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Players first stumbled across the Strange Man near the ruined Native American village found inRed Dead Redemption. He claims to have known John from his days in the Van der Linde gang but refuses to say more. The Strange Man later sends John on a set of missions designed to test his morals before appearing a final time outside the Marston’s family ranch. Ominously, he’s standing on the same hill John is buried on in the first game’s epilogue. The Strange Man also proves impervious to gunfire when John finally loses his patience and shoots him.
The Strange man never directly appears inRed Dead Redemption 2, though there’s evidence he’s following Arthur Morgan’s actions just as he later does with John. Players can find a seemingly abandoned shack at Bayall Edge that appears to belong to the Strange Man. Inside the dark cabin, players will find several paintings and various other objects reflecting their actions in the game so far. Among them is an unfinished painting of the Strange Man. If the player returns during the epilogue, they can catch a brief glimpse of him in the cabin’s mirror before he disappears.
Fans have long speculated about theStrange Man’s supernatural nature. One popular theory is that he’sRed Dead’sversion of the Grim Reaper. They point to his apparent knowledge of John’s resting place and association with the “cursed” town of Armadillo as evidence of the theory. Others think he might be the devil, evidenced by the tests of character he makes John undertake. Either way, it makes thematic sense that John might find the Strange Man familiar despite not having met him yet.
As for why he never appears to the player directly inRed Dead Redemption 2, one Reddit user has a theory. The government had to blackmail John into hunting down his former gang members. The Strange Man devised extra tests of his character because John’s primary motivations were essentially selfish. Meanwhile, Arthur creates his owntests of honor during the plot ofRed Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption2 is avalbe for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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