Jon is a minor character and a special character featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.

History

Background

Jon claims to have hunted Indians at some point in his past. He allegedly massacred those he encountered, and even ate the heart of one. He can be heard loudly expressing his hatred towards Native Americans, and claims to have massacred bison as well.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2

From Chapter 2 onward, he can sometimes be found drinking at Smithfield's Saloon in Valentine, appearing randomly between the times of 12 PM and 6 AM.^[1]

He can typically be found sitting at a back table near the barber's chair or standing at the end of the bar, drinking and ranting about numerous topics in a hateful, belligerent manner.

After listening to his ranting and raving, the player is eventually given the option to antagonize him. If the player stares directly at him after this, he becomes irritated and will oftentimes attack the player with his fists (or, less commonly, a knife).

Sometimes, he will dismiss the player by saying they're not worth his time, but will eventually turn hostile if the player continues to antagonize him.

If he is knocked down during the fight, his unique raccoon hat will be knocked off his head, which can then be picked up by the player and saved. If the protagonist wears the hat in the vicinity of Jon, he will turn hostile and attack them instantly.

The player can encounter Jon only eight times. After that, he will disappear for the rest of the game.

Character

Personality

Jon is a drunkard. He consistently complains of the encroachment of civilization, believing that men are not as wild as they once were.

Jon is an unrelenting racist, constantly displaying his resentment of various ethnic groups, and generally indulges in uncouth behavior, inappropriate in any remotely formal setting. As a result of his constant drinking, Jon is incredibly aggressive, often insulting others or even stirring up brawls for no intelligible reason. Jon commonly talks about his hatred towards Native Americans.

Appearance

Jon is a middle-aged western man with a long, grayed, unkempt beard. Much of his worn-out clothing has been made from animal pelts or hides, most notably his classic raccoon mountain hat. He appears to be blind in his left eye.

Jon looks considerably older in 1907 than he does in 1899, with grayer complexion and more aged skin.

Quotes

Missable Items

• Classic Raccoon Mountain Hat

Trivia

• His overall appearance bears resemblance to the Sasquatch Hunter featured in the Red Dead Redemption DLC Undead Nightmare. As such, he also has a similar appearance to the Sasquatch Hunter from Grand Theft Auto V, another title by Rockstar Games.
• Jon the Trapper is a doppelganger for, and ironic reference to, in-universe folklore hero Josiah Blackwater -- while citizens of Valentine revere Josiah Blackwater as a legendary figure, Jon the Trapper's rants reveal a personality, deportment, and life which make him practically identical to the stories about Josiah Blackwater, and yet Jon is ignored and shunned by the citizens of Valentine.
• The hat he wears during the epilogue appears to differ from the one he wears during the previous chapters of the game, since it cannot be saved to the wardrobe if picked up.
• He is much harder to knock out than the average NPC, and is one of the most difficult NPCs to best in a fistfight.
• In addition to disliking Natives, he also holds a grudge against the inhabitants of Valentine, and is critical of the quality of alcohol served at Smithfield’s, among other things.
• If the player puts on his raccoon hat in the hotel or general store's wardrobe, he will immediately rush to attack them.
• Attacking him first will trigger a wanted level, although during the fight, the lawmen will simply wait and watch until the fight is over, before asking the player to move along. Alternatively, the player can also fight him by bumping into him when he leaves the saloon.
• After exiting the saloon, he will simply pass out on the ground between the Saloon and the General Store. If bumped into, he will wake up and ride away on a horse if one is available, or simply walk away. If attacked he will not fight back, but simply run away. If he isn’t followed outside the saloon, he will disappear until his next encounter, or permanently if it’s his eighth encounter.
• If the fight with Jon goes outside the saloon, he may pull out a hunting knife. This can also happen if the player draws a weapon of their own or tries to evade him.
• Sometimes, a glitch may occur when Jon's attack on the player may trigger too late. During this time, if the protagonist sits at the poker table or sits down to get a haircut, Jon will stand next to the player and shuffle about in a fighting pose until the player leaves the activity, at which point he will begin to attack.
• Jon visibly appears to have previously sustained many injuries to his head, including great scars from a cracked forehead, a blinded/missing left eye, and scars outward from the mouth between his cheeks and jawline. Suriving these injuries could explain his belligerently hostile personality.

Gallery

Jon will eventually get annoyed if the player keeps staring at him and will attack.

Jon at the bar in the saloon

Jon sleeping on the table inside the saloon

Jon after walking out of the saloon

Jon before passing out on the ground

Jon after passing out on the ground

Jon running away after being attacked

Jon's Cattleman Revolver and unique Hunting Knife

References

Navigation