Mark Johnson is a minor antagonist in Red Dead Redemption 2. He is a former outlaw wanted in the town of Rhodes for a $25 bounty.
He is voiced by Jason Salmon.
Biography[]
Johnson is a former gang member wanted across the American West for his involvement in multiple train and stagecoach robberies. After several years he left the outlaw life to settle down with his wife and their son Billy. They live at a camp near Siltwater Strand, Lemoyne. He is wanted by the Rhodes Sheriff's Department with a $25 bounty on his head for robbery.
The player (Arthur Morgan/John Marston) can accept the bounty and hunt down Johnson, who is at his home near Siltwater Strand. Johnson is teaching Billy to ride a horse when the player arrives to arrest him. He agrees to come with the player peacefully if he is allowed to say goodbye to his son. He is then hogtied and placed on the player's horse.
As the player rides back to Rhodes, Johnson manages to wriggle out of the ropes and escape. As the player rides after him, several armed gang members show up, having been alerted by Billy that Johnson has been captured, and demand the player let him go. The player fights the gang members off before recapturing Johnson, taking him back to Rhodes and handing him over to Sheriff Harmon Thomas. Johnson insists that he made amends for his actions and tells the player their past will catch up to them eventually.
A few days later, Johnson is either publicly hanged behind the Sheriff's Office for the murders and robberies he committed during his time in the gang or is saved by the player.
Trivia[]
- The player can prevent Johnson's gang from coming after him by refusing to let him say goodbye to Billy or by stealing Billy's horse.
- It is possible to save Johnson by killing the lawmen at his execution and releasing him. However, if the player does so Johnson will go to Saint Denis and be shot by the police.
- Johnson's fate is parallel to the fate of John Marston in the first game: like John, he is a retired outlaw who attempts to settle down with his family only to be tracked down by the law several years later. His name is also similar to John's name, with his initials MJ being a reverse of John's initials JM.
- However, unlike Marston, Johnson is still in contact with his old gang, making his claims of having gone straight dubious at best. Though, the gang members seem to respect Johnson's choice to settle down with his family and are even willing to risk their lives to ensure he escapes his past.
