4:27 minutes[]
I was playing RDR and then saw this man at the cliff. I saved my progress instantly to make experiments for example push him down the cliff shoot at him and so on. And then I showed the man my cousin and how many shoots he can survive. So we wanted to test how long he can crawl after beeing shot. first we shot into the two legs then we shot his at his weapon. Then he began to crawl. It took 4:27 minutes to die for him. Was quiet funny though.
Comparison[]
He seems to be RDR's version of Half-Life's G-Man.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.226.253.149 (talk • contribs)
Yeah, basically a relitivly simple plot addition that gives the plot debth, or at least makes the player think there is debth.
i see what you mean about G-MAN XDD i found him freaky when i saw him just standing there AvengedNightmare100 02:21, September 28, 2011 (UTC)
But you can kill that man, while you can't kill G-man.We never know if G-man is going to be able to killed in new modern hl. ShinodArif (talk) 22:51, April 25, 2014 (UTC)
Interpretation[]
He's the devil, it's pretty obvious. John just didn't meet him at a crossroads to sell his soul so he could play Blues guitar.
Like several other people, I interpret the "Strange Man" to be God, the Father, of the Jedeo-Christian belief. He says he has a son that he would like to be just like John (John is both a Lion and a Lamb. Capable of great kindness and quick efficent retribution), He says that he is an accountant of sorts (God, the Father is to sit in judgement of the living and the dead and all the deeds of one's life will be examined before the throne), when encountered in the desert of Neavo Periso his mount is a donkey (Jesus happened to ride a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the week before his death.) Last but certainly not least every task that the "Strange Man" gives John has the element of "Choice" John must choose to do the right thing he is not being forced to do it (Free Will, big theme in Christianity). The reason that the man "Can't" remeber his name is the name of God in both the Jewish and Christian faiths is to holy to be spoken. When it is written it is not completely written with all the letters that should be there.
KoUK ~ Proven Mayhem 13:55, June 8, 2010 (UTC)
Presence at Storyline's Climax[]
It has been claimed that the Strange Man is present in the mob which kills John. I recenty replayed this mission to confirm that Archer Fordham is absent, and do not recall seeing the Strange Man, with his distinctive hat. I'm going to remove this claim until a source can be supplied. -- Tiktaalik 17:42, June 1, 2010 (UTC)
It might be possible the Strange Man is Death.
he is either death or he is satan as listed on the page about himAvengedNightmare100 02:23, September 28, 2011 (UTC)
Scottish[]
He cant be johns father johns dad was scottish wasnt he?
Hes probally a ghost of a guy john killed when he was in the gang thats my guess
Strange man is mortal[]
Just joined this wiki, have been playing this game for the last few days and had not thought too much of the strange man, because I killed him the second time he talked to me in mexico. After telling me about the nun, he stayed hunched over the campfire I shot him in the back of the head. He got back up, so I dead eyed 6 shots in his back and head while he tried to run, and he died. Standard loot of $5, nothing special.
Has anyone else managed this? Again, its after he tells you about the nun in mexico. I'm playing the PS3 version, might have been a glitch. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Phallanx (talk • contribs)
-Yeah, he takes alot of shots to die, and you don't really loot anything special. He also fights back with a cattleman revolver.
-It only took one shot (after the last movie sequence) to kill him, kind of startled me that he was kill-able with one shot though. (TAKE THAT DEATH/GOD/SATAN/OR WHOEVER HE WAS!!!!!)
Spoiler[]
Any chance of getting rid of the massive end-story spoiler on this page? I had AFAIK finished this mission so checked out this page to see the theories on him, and get the ending of the game ruined. Thanks a lot. BE MORE SPOILER-AWARE!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.153.210.247 (talk • contribs)
- Spoiler on this page was marked fairly. It sucks you had stumbled across it, but you were given fair warning! The spoiler you refer to is very relevant to the interpretation of the strange man, and to remove it would reduce the quality of the article. That being said, if you have suggestions on how to better address such spoilers in the future, constructive criticism is definitely welcome! Cheers -- Tiktaalik 14:05, June 7, 2010 (UTC)
Religious Connection[]
It appears that an unregistered IP put a good amount of effort into connecting the Strange Man to a couple of judeo-christian deities. It is quality word, but due to a number of other explanations makes the section rather bulky. In addition, I happen to have an interest in world religions, and the strange man could be connected to probably more than a dozen religious deities of various eastern religions. I have refrained from making the specific connections for readability, and I would consider removing or slimming it down significantly. Thoughts on this? -- Tiktaalik 14:14, June 7, 2010 (UTC)
Perhaps this page could be purely information and fact, and we could create another page for speculation or theories. Lostpedia does the same thing. -- Westbrookorama 11:37, June 10, 2010 (UTC)
A point of interest is the presence of flies around the Strange Man. Confirmed for at least the first encounter, one can see flies swarming around him. -- Jingzu 22:39, June 13, 2010
"Post-Modern"[]
The man may be an intruder from the real universe (the one we and the developers live in) to the game universe (the one John and the game characters inhabit.) He appears to give hints to John that he is really not in control of himself (as he is a video game character, unbeknownst to himself.) This explains all the Mysterious Man's knowledge (he is a proxy for us and the developers) and powers (he cannot be killed, any more than the fat sweating guy in Total Recall could.) After I first encountered the Mysterious Man I was convinced that he was an attempt my the developers to break the fourth wall, to tap John on the shoulder and tell him that he's a character in a video game, appearing to 'choose' between right and wrong when 'he' in reality has no such choice.
Well, I think that there are some serious problems with this explanation but I'd be interested in how others might enhance or revise this theory. Someone to go over the characters lines to see if they match up to the theory.
Teajay 16:32, June 8, 2010 (UTC)
That is the coolest explanation I've heard. It sounds like something Hideo Kojima would think up! "You've been playing a long time. You'll hurt Your eyes playing so close to the televison. Just turn off your console!" -Colonel Campbell near the end of Metal Gear Solid 2. Billytheboy 15:37, June 26, 2010 (UTC)
This one should be on the page! Billytheboy 15:38, June 26, 2010 (UTC)
Possible references[]
I'd say, personally speaking, that he reminds me a whole lot more of the central character of 'An Inspector Calls' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inspector_Calls) than any clumsy judeo christian analogue.(Itself set in 1912, apparently.)
Especially with the period clothes, hazy memory and noticeably melancholy expressions. 80.3.103.172 06:35, June 10, 2010 (UTC) Tiki Snakes
Couldnt he just be a ghost?
The inspector was also considered to be representative of conscious, similar to the strange man am I right?
My theory is that the strange man is actually somebody that has been damned by god or religious figures and is doomed to walk the earth as a ghost(mabye explaining why bullets blast right through him) he may have been damned because he lived a life like john(he wishes he had better guidance in his life) he also thinks of himself lowly("you've forgotten far more important people than me") which may be the reason he's forgotten his name(since he thinks lowly of himself).the reason he has taken an interest in john is that he has knowldedge of johns' past and may not want john to end up like he has. so he gives john these moral tasks to try and redeem himself in the eyes of god. also notice how he doesn't actually say to stop the man from cheating on his wife he merely says"see if you can advise him on how best to perseve". as for the grave situation I think that the man is psychic and knows what the future holds.you may be asking why he has given john these taks if he knows what the future holds. my explanation is that he knows events such as deaths ect but the reason he has given john these tasks is because of free will(which he may not be able to guess). when he says that john will be judged he seems to put some emphasis into it suggesting that john will be judged just like the strange man has been.finally when he says that he is an accountant(a person whose profession is to prepare, keep or audit the financial records of a business company) IN A WAY so we obviously know that he probably isn't keeping records for a business company BUT he may be keeping records for god to decide if he is worthy for salvation.
the part that really gets me is the quote"I hope so, I know you" which raises the questions:
- why does this man know john?
- why should john know him?
- he says "I hope so" why does he hope that john remember him?
89.241.162.202 18:37, July 10, 2010 (UTC) The allseeing eye
Speculation[]
This is becoming TOO much like a forum, for right now, I am hiding the speculation, if you disagree, say so. --Crowbar, resident grammar ninja 00:35, August 3, 2010 (UTC)
Picture of Strange Man in Beecher's Hope[]
There is a picture of the strange man in Jack Marston's room in Beecher's Hope. I figured that it is John's Dad. It's definetly a family member because no one would have a picture of a stranger in their room. It could also be John's brother.
-Kevin Beauchamp
kevinbeauchamp202@yahoo.com
That picture is seen all over the place, not just Beechers Hope.
Darth Hendrix 05:47, September 14, 2011 (UTC)
I think that he was one of the gang members that john grew up with but john doesn't remember him. im beliving he fact about the whole satan thing were apparently satan was on earth during the late 19th century and it hid itself in someones body or something like that. i was reading about it just now and ive just completed that part and when he shot him and nothing happend i though that it had something to do with the whole devil thing.
it is some scary stuff, im never gonna think of red dead in the same way now, just really freaky
AvengedNightmare100 02:15, September 28, 2011 (UTC)
something to try[]
ride up to him and tie him up and ride all over black water then to tumbleweed , to - basicly evreywere between the woods mountins mcfarlane ranch , and to marstons house , and mexico . this may give you horrnor , or earn you respect , even hard to kill and a better fighter , this was advice a freind of mine gave me he siad it was a bit off a "words of wisdom cheatcode/glitch" - he toled me and he siad very wise words indeed - "if you drag a man across thee frontier your a strong man , drag the devil your a stronger braver man , drag god your the most powerful thing in the univerese " he also toled me to "drag death with you , people will see you as its master"
i tried it and it works , but in tumbleweed and in mexico he can be bit of a fighter ...........you should probebly ignore this
He is death (let me explain)[]
he is obviously death, *spoilers* notice how in the last encounter he stands right on johns future grave and says "this is a nice spot" then john shoots four bullets shot 1 is the uncles death, 2 abigails, 3 johns, and the 4th bullet jams to represent johns son jacks survival. then he walks over to john and abigails grave and dissapears. in the first encounter he also reminds john of the girl dutch shoots in the same place john is shot as well, john should have remembered the man because john should have faced death that night, and with death being the mysterious stranger.
108.1.252.78 01:33, January 8, 2011 (UTC)Devin T. Andrus
Might be a little late, but I just started replaying the game and him beeing Death was my first idea too.
Although it seems to be left up to speculation, who he really is(cheeky little b's at R* :D ), most of the first conversation writes DEATH in bold letters, for me.
He was there when Dutch shot that girl, he says something like "you have to remember me", but is amused, that John doesnt "realize" who he is- for death beeing around John all the time, making him accustomed to the sight of dead that so he becomes indifferent about it("forgetting" him and his severe consequences)
Connection between the Strange Man, and Ayauhteotl from UN[]
____________ SPOILER FOR RED DEAD REDEMPTION AND UNDEAD NIGHTMARE____________
After playing Undead nightmare, I noticed the woman, that you see a few times in the story, Ayauhteotl, have quite some similarities to the Strange Man, they for example seem to disappear some times, see John's future, and are only seen by John, except for the fact that Ayauhteotl gets attacked by Reyes, who apparently sees her, although she appears to be an Aztec goddess, and Reyes was the 1 that took the mask in the first place, which could allow him to see her, also Mother Superior appears to see and even talk to her but this might be because of the fact that she is a nun and is standing in a church (Undead burn from holy water, so there might be some connection), she stands close to loads of people in Blackwater and the hunter, but they don't seem to see her.
Also, both of them have knowledge of some things, that John isn't able to know, so that means it's unlikely they are both hallucunations. Maybe the Strange Man is also an Aztec deity, appearing in human form to John.
Lord Cheetah 15:29, February 6, 2011 (UTC)
____________ SPOILER FOR RED DEAD REDEMPTION AND UNDEAD NIGHTMARE____________
Unknown[]
Seriousley, some of rockstars cast don't even know who this is, I know a high-ranking rockstar employee, and He says he could just be anything and is still not sure. Oh and he also says Tumbleweed is NOT haunted.
Tyler D'Ambrosio 22:00, June 14, 2011 (UTC)
- about the whole tumbleweed thing, i dont think its haunted but there are some things on the page aout tumbleweed that give it an wierd feeling such as the dog barking, devils face in the church and the mansion just freaks me out :S —Preceding unsigned comment added by AvengedNightmare100 (talk • contribs)
- AvengedNightmare100 02:21, September 28, 2011 (UTC)
Mother Superior's hint[]
Remember during the 2nd "I Know You" mission, Marston was sent to either donate or rob the nun? The nun said that God (if I recalled correctly) sent him to her because she needed help / donation. Could that also be a hint to who the "Strange Man" would have been?
I think that the "Strange Man's" identity is left open to players and I doubt the writers have any intention to actually give the Strange Man an identity, leaving player to interpret it as they will. But I'm just pointing out that the nun might have hinted, for those who are still wondering if there are any other possible indications.
The strange man is John's mental illness from having been an outlaw earlier in life. There are clues alluding to this through out the game. The first clue is John's face was scarred by an unknown force. The second clue is the newspaper mention of his gang allegedly perishing in a 1906 fire.
The third clue is John's dedication to raising Jack good, a penance for John's former outlawry. The fourth clue is John's helping of the innocent, combined with his tendency to help the law. The fifth clue is JOhn's treating Bonnie right, this makes John a Golden Ruler.
I believe that when Marsden was in the fire, he suffered a face scarring-injury, but also took residual neurological damage to his brain. In 1906, brain surgery was so primitive, it was reserved for last ditch efforts to save a patient's life. Marsden probably went to a Blackwater hospital, and the doctors just X-rayed for a skull fracture. Findsing none, they patched him up and released him. Antipsychotic drugs were not used in the U.S. until 1957, so a psychiatrist could not have helped John Marsden.
John Marsden is a good, but he battles mental illness before it was fully understood. I had a head injury as a new born and I have what I suspect John Marsden of having. John Marsden should haven been presidentially pardoned allowed to a West Elizabeth Rancher. The real devils are Agent Ross and his military cohorts whom attack the ranch. The troops should have gunned Ross down Vietnam-style and returned to base.
That's my take here.
i think the strange man is an immortal being and can tell future events because when hes standing on marstons grave he says a fine spot leading him to know that marston will die or the pictures threw out the house i think that the strangeman was the cause of marstons death since marston attempted to shoot him so he killed marstons family also in undead nightmare when john turns into an undead savage right by his grave is a top hat and also way way way way up in tall trees theres a campsite with a three piece suit a cattleman revolver and pictures and outfits of what looks like to be marstons indicating that strangeman is a god or deity that controlled marston also theres a note in the old tumbleweed mansion under rubble and it says redemtion is no more marston my work here is done and after that sentence theres a scribled part at the bottom and the only letter showing is a j indicating he had a name but only wanted marston to figure it out when marston goes to the note and the tent in tall trees he mutters very low in an undeadish voicewhat have i become
Vivid Description.[]
Could anyone with fashion knowledge explain what type of suit he is wearing? along with his top hat and the name of his moustache. I'm looking for someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS the percise name of his attire. I don't want 30 of you idiots saying "three piece suit and top hat." I'm not exactly looking for name of the maker but something akin to Edwardian or Victorian attire. A vivid description of which I could then use when describing such a character.
Strange Man might be Jack[]
I think it could also be Jack from the future. Because:
- There's a picture of John's father in Beecher's Hope, mazbe Jack will look like John's dad when he's older. And the strange man looks like John's dad.
- He knows where John is buried, so does the strange man.
- He gives John tasks where John has to decide if he's gonna be good or bad, maybe it's Jack and he does it because he wants to know whether John is good or bad.
- In one of the Beecher's hope missions, John tells Jack something about Jack being an accountant later in his life. I don't remember what exactly anymore, but it was something like that. So maybe Jack really is an accountant later in his life or just says it to give John a hint of who he is.
It could also be what Jack could have become if John wouldn't have been an outlaw and a shitty dad, wich could be true, because the strange man doesn't have Jack's scars, wich Jack wouldn't have if John took care of him better while in Beecher's Hope. Sorry for my crappy grammar, i'm from Israel and we don't talk English that often here... STICKYWHITEREDEMPTION (talk) 18:29, June 3, 2013 (UTC)
Strange man at John's Grave[]
I have been visiting John's grave recently as Jack and tonight i saw something weird...
The strange man from "I know you" rode over from Mazanita Post on a horse. I know this because i spawned just down the path from there. Anyway when I got a few meters away I saw him kneeling at the 3 graves and then got up he whistled for a horse (his horse from before was lying dead on the ground btw) and a donkey came. He got on it and rode away. I was wondering if this is an easter egg for Undead nightmare because it may be possible he is the one who placed the holy water in Johns grave to ressurect him as a zombie. Has this happened to anyone else and what could it symbolise?