Red Dead Redemption: 5 Characters John Marston Should Have Killed

By Stu Whittaker / March 31, 2013

3. Abraham Reyes

Dont get me wrong, I thought Reyes was a fantastic character that offered a great duality to the story in Mexico. First encountered when you rescue him from the Mexican armies firing squad, Reyes is a revolutionary, poet who strives for social reform whilst sleeping his way through his female followers. His leadership is defined by his unrivalled ego and charisma, his guerilla tactics and status in the eyes of his followers who are willing to lay down their lives for his vision. Despite his initial image of a man who hides behind his words he personally saves John from De Santa's men before he can be executed, and participates in the assault on El Presidio and Escalera. By the end of the Mexico segment, Reyes (with significant help from John Marston) has defeated the Mexican Army and Colonel Allende and asks John if he will stay and march on the capital to overthrow President Ignacio Sanchez, John declines for he must track down Dutch van der Linde near Blackwater. So why should John have killed him? For me it is not anything that he does during his appearance during the game but what is noted in the Blackwater Ledger later on. The paper tells of Reyes defeating the Mexican President but not introduced reform, rather becoming a tyrant in his own right; executing protesters and delaying democratic elections while building a presidential palace for himself, a similar picture to real post-revolutionary Mexico. This was obvious, that he was going to become a tyrant, from his statements supporting class superiority (seeing those in his army as peasants) and exercising racism (seeing Chinese workers as an inferior race). He also states that his followers, energy... is like food to me! supporting the image of him becoming a power-hungry tyrant in his success.

His treatment of Luisa also comes under scrutiny. She believed that herself and Reyes were to be married, that they were in love yet this is shown to be false for Reyes is using Luisa like all the women he comes across. This is even harder for the player as Luisa is an endearing character, a young, ambitious, teacher who is following a flawed man out of misguided love. Reyes even tells John, who had asked about his marriage to Luisa, of his beliefs: Marry a peasant? My dear boy, don't be absurd. I'm going to be the next president of Mexico. My wife will meet ambassadors, kings, other great men. The very thought that I would marry some peasant girl with the hands of a farmer, well I really don't think so. My mother, qué Dios la cuide, will turn in her grave. Reyes cant even remember who she is, even though she dies trying to save him, to Johns annoyance and disgust.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.