Red Dead Redemption 2: Why Strange Man Cursed Armadillo

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Those that have played through Red Dead Redemption 2’s epilogue will recognize the Strange Man, and his ambiguous connection to the dusty, cursed town of Armadillo. When players arrive as John, they are greeted by a town entirely infected with cholera save for the local shopkeep, Herbert Moon, a character who previously appeared in Red Dead Redemption. By digging through cabins and old letters, it’s possible to infer that the Strange Man — a supernatural figure who foreshadowed John Marston's death in RDR - and his deal with Herbert Moon cursed Armadillo and brought about generations of suffering.

Players first encountered the Strange Man in Red Dead Redemption as an infrequent quest-giver and foreboding presence in John’s life, predicting the exact place where he, Abigail, and Uncle would wind up being buried. He calls himself an accountant, a term often coined for the Grim Reaper, and appears in a dark coat and top hat, complete with a well-groomed mustache. In Red Dead Redemption 2, John can catch a vagabond on the outside of Armadillo who mentions a specter in a black coat and hat lurking on the outskirts of the town. Conversations like this are early warning signs for players that the Strange Man transcends the mortal plane.

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In Red Dead Redemption 2’s ghostly Armadillo, there is an eerie feel to the streets that are empty save for the town crier who hails of the town being consumed by cholera. Players find out this isn’t the first epidemic to hit Armadillo, and in fact, the town was decimated a few years earlier by scarlet fever. The only healthy inhabitant of the town is one Herbert Moon, a seemingly average shopkeeper. One look at the portrait of the Strange