Easter Eggs & Secrets in Redemption

Easter Eggs are details added to a game by the developers that make reference to external sources as either tributes to those sources or for humorous purposes.

Locations & References

• Bearclaw Camp
• Brittlebrush Trawl
• Broken Tree
• Critchley's Ranch
• Cueva Seca
• Del Lobo Rock
• Greenhollow
• Hamlin's Passing
• Jorge's Gap
• Mescalero Apache Tribe
• Nekoti Rock
• Pleasance House
• Rattlesnake Hollow
• Repentance Rock Mystery
• Riley's Charge
• Rio del Lobo
• Silent Stead
• Tanner's Reach
• The Hanging Rock
• The Scratching Post
• Two Crows
• Venter's Place
• Warthington Ranch
• Wreck of the Serendipity

Special Characters

To be added.

Graves

• At the Coot's Chapel church, there is a gravestone with the label "A Cowboy Without a Name," a clear reference to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name.
• Also at Coot's Chapel church, you will go to the front of the building and take a right and there will be a tree with graves lined next to it. Right next to the tree is a lantern, stand far back and throw a fire bottle at it, and the grave closest will explode and when you look into the grave, there will be a corpse.
• Many cemeteries contain grave markers with humorous epitaphs.
• In the graveyard beside Blackwater chapel, there is a grave of a man named Harrison Cherry who allegedly died in 1968. This is believed to be a reference to George Harrison of The Beatles, which is backed by the facts that he owned a cherry guitar and yet another grave marker at Odd Fellow's Rest cemetery reads "He'll never dance with another." a clear nod to the Beatles song "I Saw Her Standing There". However, it's not entirely understood why the date is 1968.
• On a tombstone besides the Blackwater Chapel, the name Clinton Underwood can be seen. This is likely a parody on the famous western actor Clint Eastwood.
• On a tombstone beside Blackwater Chapel is inscribed the phrase, "Wake me... if something interesting happens." This could be a reference to Undead Nightmare in which zombies can come out of graves or a reference from the popular HALO game series where the protagonist says "wake me... if you need me" before going into cryogenic sleep.
• One of the graves is marked "Emma Crawford", a woman who had to be reburied into a graveyard after her coffin slid down a hill, (where she wanted to be buried).

Names

• In Undead Nightmare, one of the achievements requires you to kill a Chupacabra. The achievement is titled "Chupathingy" This is a likely reference to the web series 'Red vs. Blue.'
• In Undead Nightmare, one of the Achievements/Trophies requires you to kill a Sasquatch. The achievement is named Six Years In The Making, as a reference to the fabled myth of a Bigfoot existing in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. San Andreas was released 6 years prior to Redemption. Also, in the French version, the same achievement is called Don't Seek It Anymore, C.J.
• Nekoti Rock's name may be a nod to a rocky mountain from GTA San Andreas (another Rockstar game) called North Rock.
• Los Sepulcros, a mission in GTA San Andreas, has a name very similar to the cemetery Sepulcro.
• Ojo del Diablo could be a reference to El Castillo del Diablo in Bone County, a desert area in GTA San Andreas; they both look alike and their names are in Spanish and have something to do with the devil.
• The name and description of the religious relic "Obscuridad del Santo Andres" may be a subtle reference to GTA San Andreas.
• Deputy Dell Hopkins shares his last name with Jimmy Hopkins, the protagonist in Bully, a game developed by Rockstar Vancouver.
• Aiden O'Leary has a similar name to the Grand Theft Auto IV character "Aiden O'Malley," who also played a similar role in the game's plot.
• A story mission named "The Gunslinger's Tragedy" could be a reference to the Grand Theft Auto IV mission "A Revenger's Tragedy".
• The town named Plainview may be named after the main character in the movie There Will Be Blood (2007), Daniel Plainview. The settlement is a camp, based around several oil derricks. In There Will Be Blood, the protagonist is obsessed with oil. The man often found working in the office in Plainview also bears a striking resemblance to Daniel.
• In Blackwater, there is a building that is quite humorously named 'Althewaye Inn', which is in reference to the movie Unforgiven starring Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman among others.
• In the treasure hunter challenges players will find gold bars/treasure named after famous people in American history.
• Several zombie models are named after famous horror producers like Ishmael Raimi (Sam Raimi) Paco Romero (George Romero) and Viper Craven (Wes Craven).
• The multiplayer titles "pilgrim" and "dude" are references to John Wayne and Dean Martin in Rio Bravo.
• The Fan Service achievement is named after the fact that Rockstar asked what players wanted in Undead Nightmare and to their surprise many voted unicorn.
• The Grand Prix titles "Midnight Club Veteran" and "Grand Theft Horse Wins" are references to both the Midnight Club series and the Grand Theft Auto series, franchises developed by Rockstar Games.
• Stillwater Creek is possibly a reference to the Saints Row series, which is considered a competitor to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto games; the first two Saints Row games take place in a city called Stilwater. But it could also be a nod to Stillwater Avenue, a street in Dukes, Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto IV.
• Floyd Brogles' name and pink shirt may be references to the English psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd.

Natural Phenomena

To be added.

Messages

• In the Tumbleweed church, the words "THE DEVIL HAS GOT INTO THAT BEAST" are scrawled on the top of the altar. Speculation on fan forums say it refers to the scrawny black horse that often spawns around Tumbleweed, oddly hitched when there is no one around, while others think this is a reference to the Dark Horse. It could also refer to the barking that comes from the graveyard despite there not being a dog anywhere in sight.

Historical/Real Life References

To be added.

Media References

• If charged by a wild animal while reloading, Marston can utter "Game Over, man! Game Over!" which is a reference to Aliens.
• The side mission "American Appetites" is a reference to The Hills Have Eyes.
• The theme of Seth looking for the other half of a map in a grave that's gone missing is a reference to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.
• Yet another reference to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is the fact that you can use those titles online.
• The nude painting behind the Armadillo saloon is from 3:10 Yuma (2007).
• The Pickett's Treasure near Beecher's Hope with the lone tree and broken brick wall is a reference to The Shawshank Redemption.
• In the mission Landon Ricketts Rides Again, Marston says he has no name, a clear reference to Clint Eastwood's 'Man With No Name'.
• The "Austin Overpowered" achievement is a reference to Austin Powers.
• The "Strange Things are Afoot" achievement is a reference to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• The "More than a Fistful" achievement is a nod to the "Man With No Name" series of Clint Eastwood films.
• The "Dodge This" achievement is a reference to The Matrix.
• The "One Die to Rule Them All" achievement is a reference to The Lord of the Rings.
• The "Over 9001" achievement is a shout out to Dragon Ball Z.
• The "Pa-Pa-Pa-Poker Ace" achievement is a reference to Lady Gaga.
• The "In a Van Down By the River" achievement is a nod to a S.N.L. skit featuring Chris Farley.
• The "Zed's Dead, Baby" achievement is a reference to Pulp Fiction.
• The Sharpshooter Challenge #4 is a reference to a shooting contest seen in the 1992 film Unforgiven.
• In the in-game silent film The Dangers of Doctors and Patent Medicines, one of the medicines is called Dr. Cumia's Cathartic Disease Elixir. This is a reference to radio host and frequent Rockstar Games voice actor, Anthony Cumia.

Folklore References

To be added.

Cultural References

To be added.

Red Dead Revolver References

• When joining a campfire, sometimes the characters will tell a story about a dueling contest that was won by a man named Red Harlow, a reference to the Red Dead Revolver protagonist. At campfires in Mexico, characters may refer to Colonel Daren or General Diego, also characters from Red Dead Revolver.
• The gang hideout Twin Rocks in Red Dead Redemption shares a name with the gang hideout Twin Rocks from Red Dead Revolver.
• The Río Bravo region of New Austin seems to have been inspired by Hell Pass, a location that appeared in the mission of the same name from Red Dead Revolver.
• The Ramita de la Baya bridge is similar to the Border Bridge from the mission "The Traitor" in terms of size and disposition.
• Fort Mercer was modeled after Fort Diego.
• When talking to Jack at the beginning of the mission "John Marston and Son" Jack tells you about a book where the main character is a bounty hunter who tries to get revenge on his father's death. This character may be about Red Harlow or Jack Marston's future.
• Just like in Red Dead Revolver, the main story concludes after the protagonist kills the antagonist in a duel.
• The title of the achievement "Reeeeal Good" is a reference to Pig Josh's line in Red Dead Revolver: "You gonna blow up reeeeeeeeeeal good, cowboy!"
• The online achievement titled "Original Gunslinger" is a reference to Red Harlow, the original protagonist of the Red Dead franchise.

Red Dead Redemption II References

There are certain elements that were mentioned in the original game and later expanded upon in its prequel, Red Dead Redemption II:

• The last train robbed by the gang in "Our Best Selves" was mentioned in the character description for John Marston that can be found in the official "GOTY Edition Guidebook".
• During the mission "This is Armadillo, USA", John Marston will comment that he's been a rancher over at Beecher's Hope for about "three years or so", which is a reference to the year the Epilogue takes place. This is also mentioned in the "GOTY Edition Guidebook".
  • In that same mission, Bonnie MacFarlane asks John if he has ever been to New Austin before, to which he replies with: "We talked about coming down here many times but never made it". In the mission "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?", Hosea indicates to Dutch that the original plan was to collect the Blackwater money then head back out West so the gang could purchase land there.
• John Marston tells Bonnie about his past in the gang during "Women and Cattle", he mentions "them holding people ransom", something we see happening with the character of Kieran Duffy during the first chapters of Red Dead Redemption II.
  • Kieran shares his surname with a Lloyd Duffy, another minor character, although they share no relation. Rockstar in all likelihood reused some names from the first game in the prequel.
• When Landon Ricketts says to John "I must have been the fastest of my time. I must have been. I'm the only one left", in the mission "The Gunslinger's Tragedy", it may allude to how either Arthur or John fought duels against four gunslingers from Landon's era, which were considered remnants of a dying breed of Old West icons.
• While riding back to the ranch with the horses in the mission "A Continual Feast", Uncle implies that he once was a rancher who owned his own spread. Uncle's knowledge of farming and ranching is further shown in "A Quick Favor for an Old Friend".
• In the mission "Old Friends, New Problems", Abigail says "A family that left you for dead. You knew the truth, John, and they hated you for it" while discussing his participation in the gang prior to their departure, which references the moment John came back to camp with intentions of facing Dutch and the gang in "Red Dead Redemption".
• A 1907 newspaper article in the New Hanover Gazette No. 38 states that the Pacific Union Railroad Company absolved the rail lines previously owned by the late Leviticus Cornwall, and that an expansion project for West Elizabeth was set in motion and it is expected to be finished in a few years. Later in 1911, we can find numerous newspapers spread throughout the city of Blackwater which allude to said expansion.
• When the player is in the Blackwater Saloon they can occasionally hear an NPC state “Wouldn't it be great to explore The Grizzlies?” These mountains were in a leaked screenshot of the map back in 2016. Further emphasizing that the leaked map was the real thing.
• NPCs throughout the US, especially shop owners, sometimes mention buying various items from "Spaldings", a giant clothing store located in Saint Denis.
  • Every character mentioning this store is emphatic on how long items take to arrive, a possible nod to the distance between the states featured in Red Dead Redemption and Lemoyne.
    • This emphasis could also be a joke to the fact no boats can make deliveries to the map, as the land bordering Flat Iron Lake is impassable.
• Jack sometimes comments during a gunfight that he "grew up with gunslingers". This was later explored in Red Dead Redemption II as Jack was born in 1895 and later left the gang along with his mother and father in 1899.
  • His date of birth is also clarified, since in "Bear One Another's Burdens" Dutch will comment on Jack's age without fully remembering it.
• When the player would reach the honor rank of Road Agent they would receive a Dark Horse with a white face, similar toBaylock, the horse belonging to secondary antagonist Micah Bell.
• There are several Albert Bierstadt paintings scattered all over the US section of the map in Redemption. These paintings are part of an artistic movement known as The Hudson River School, in which are depicted United States landscapes but with an exaggerated take on them. The paintings were used as an inspiration for Red Dead Redemption II's map, and are featured again inside passenger train carts and some saloons in the game. This is the reason why some locations, such as the Van Horn Lighthouse and Owanjila Lake, appear to exist in the original Red Dead Redemption.
• The unmarked grave located just outside Tanner's Reach may belong to American writer Evelyn Miller, who died during the events of 1907 in that same house. The property was burnt by John Marston as a last request for Miller, but a new house was built by the time the main story of 1911 takes place.
  • It was originally implied through the expansion pack Undead Nightmare, that the Sasquatch Hunter could be the person buried in the grave, as it is clearly alluded to that he may be a ghost. Although, this seems to have been retconned in favor of explaining Evelyn Miller's absence in Red Dead Redemption, since he is burned along with the property and was most likely buried by an individual who could not recognize Miller's body, thus explaining the unmarked grave.
  • The cabin could have been rebuilt by locals, the gangs roaming the area or by its latest unnamed owner.
• The Morningstar steamboat in Red Dead Redemption was originally intended to serve as a floating casino. Evidence of this can be seen in the "Life in the West" pre-release trailer, and also in the dialogue exchanged between John Marston and Elizabeth Thornton during the Stranger mission "The Wronged Woman", wherein she says "I knew his frequenting that gambling boat would be the death of him." However, the Grand Korrigan serves this purpose in Red Dead Redemption 2 and there's even an advertisement for the boat at the docks in Blackwater - the ferry hails from here to several other destinations in the map, which could indicate that Rockstar retconned this cut element in using the Grand Korrigan.

Other Rockstar Games References

To be added.

Items covered elsewhere

Some categories of Easter Eggs are covered in detail on separate pages as listed here:

• Avatar Awards - This page covers the Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Home Avatar Awards, some of which are hidden in chests.
• Cheats in Redemption - This page covers the cheat codes that are found written in various areas of the game.

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