Red Dead Redemptionrefers to many of its side quests as Stranger Missions, reflecting the format in which they’re unlocked. Each one begins with John meeting a stranger somewhere in the world - along the side of a road, deep in the woods, within a saloon - and agreeing, for better or worse, to complete a task for them. This may range from the simple and violent to the complex and meditative. John might find himself working as a hired gun for someone he has just met, or searching far and wide for herbs to cure a sick traveler.
Although less pivotal toRed Dead Redemption’s overarching storythan any of its main missions,Stranger Missions are no less complex. Some of them span the entire game, requiring you to encounter a particular Stranger multiple times throughout the course of the campaign. Others lead into much larger, arguably main quest-adjacent activities. Some Stranger Missions have various branching paths depending on the player’s choices; others are straightforward, little more than comedic relief. There are 19 Stranger Missions available inRDR1: here’s how to find all of them.
All Stranger Mission Locations
“I Know You”
Part one of this Stranger Mission is located southwest of MacFarlane’s Ranch, about halfway down the southern road between it and Armadillo. It can only be accessed after completing the Bonnie main story mission “A Tempest Looms.” Look for the question mark icon on the map just south of the road. There, John will meet a Strange Man who asks him to confront a friend of his, who apparently intends to cheat on his wife. In an introduction toRed Dead’s Honor system, John can either convince him not to or egg him on.
All three parts of “I Know You” must be completed before “The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed,” or they will automatically fail.
Later on, after completing Irish’s main story mission “We Shall Be Together in Paradise,“you’ll find the Strange Man south of El Matadero. This time, you’ll be choosing whether to rob a nun or donate to her cause. Finally,part three is located just outside Beecher’s Hopeafter completing “An Appointed Time,” and constitutes a simple conversation with the Strange Man in which he remarks on your morality throughout the game.
“Jenny’s Faith”
“Jenny’s Faith” is located just northeast of Ridgewood Farm, west of Odd Fellow’s Rest. It’s only available after “This is Armadillo, USA.” This is a short and sweet Stranger Mission in which John encounters an injured woman along the road, and can choose either to return to Armadillo for help, or leave her where she lies.
“Funny Man”
“Funny Man” is a four-part Stranger Mission that begins after the player has completed “Exhuming and Other Fine Hobbies.” It revolves around Jimmy Saint,a character you first meet outside the Benedict Point train station. Jimmy is a hapless journalist writing an article about therapidly dying American West, and John will have to rescue him repeatedly from danger.
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Part two of “Funny Man” sees Jimmy lost inside the Gaptooth Breach mine, and is unlocked after “Man Is Born unto Trouble.” Next,he turns up stranded in Pike’s Basin. Finally, he gets kidnapped after “Empty Promises,” andJohn retrieves him from the Tesoro Azul gang hideout.
“California”
After completing “Women and Cattle,“you might meet the eccentric Sam Odessa along the high road southeast of Gaptooth Ridge and north of The Scratching Post. Listen for the harmonica to find him more easily.
Each step in this quest only progresses after an in-game week has passed.
After a week goes by,Odessa will pop up again near Cueva Seca.He next appears in a ditch north of Tumbleweed, and finally, on the road south of the town, where John can retrieve his letter and deliver it to the post office in Armadillo.
“American Appetites”
“American Appetites” is an odd Stranger Mission chain that begins after “Political Realities in Armadillo.” As the prerequisite’s name implies,this mission begins on the doorstep of the Sheriff’s Office in Armadillo. Follow the marker out to Hanging Rock, then report back to complete part one.
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Although this is a three-part mission, all three parts can be initiated in the same place. Part two of “American Appetites” begins after “Justice in Pike’s Basin,” andis also located outside the Armadillo Sheriff’s Office. It ends in the same place as part one.Part three picks up after “Wild Horses, Tamed Passions” inside the same Sheriff’s Office, and concludes the mission chain.
“Let No Man Put Asunder”
This side quest puts John in the middle of two feuding couples, and holds some uncomfortable discoveries at its end. “Let No Man Put Asunder” requires completion of “Obstacles in Our Path,” and islocated just north of Coot’s Chapel, southeast of Armadillo.
“Lights, Camera, Action”
“Lights, Camera, Action,” unlocked after completing “The Sport of Kings, and Liars,” has John wrangling a rogue actor who’s fled the set of the motion picture he’s set to star in.It begins at the movie theater in Armadillo; you’ll find the quest giver, MacKenna, asleep on a bed in the theater’s back room.
“Water And Honesty”
This Stranger Mission involves helping Andrew McAllister, a dowser, secure what he believes to be a highly valuable piece of property. It begins after “Political Realities in Armadillo,“on the road directly east of Coot’s Chapel. Note that John can kill McAllister after giving him the deed to get a free house (plus a tidy profit of $20), at the cost of 30 Honor.
“Flowers For A Lady”
Easily the most peaceful and meditative Stranger Mission (at least at the beginning), “Flowers for a Lady” has you gathering nine differentflowers throughoutRed Dead Redemptionto make a bouquet for Billy West’s wedding anniversary.West can be found after “New Friends, Old Problems,” on the main road east of MacFarlane’s Ranch, about halfway between it and Stillwater Creek.
“Who Are You To Judge?”
“Who Are You to Judge?” is a relatively simple rescue mission. It begins after “Liars, Cheats and Other Proud Americans,” whenJohn meets Jeb Blankenship in the stable at Rathskeller Fork.
“Aztec Gold”
“Aztec Gold” has you hunting just that, following the advice of Basilio Aguirre Olmos de la Vargas. This is an extension ofRDR1’s treasure map quests, and can only be started after completing “Must a Saviour Die?“Basilio can be found within Sidewinder Gulch, just west of Tesoro Azul, to begin “Aztec Gold.”
“Deadalus And Son”
This is a darkly comic Stranger Mission in which John aids an aspiring inventor; the misspelling of the Greek mythological figure in the mission title is intentional, and hints at where it ends.“Deadalus and Son” is unlocked after “We Shall Be Together in Paradise,” and located east of Agave Viejo, southwest of Casa Madrugada; follow the high road, keeping to the north of the train tracks, in order to find the starting point.
“Eva In Peril”
This is a rather serious and tragic Stranger Mission in which John may attempt to rescue the sex worker Eva Cortes from the pimp Mario Alcalde.“Eva in Peril” begins at the northernmost point of Casa Madrugada, after completing the Landon Ricketts main story quest “Lucky in Love.”
“Love Is The Opiate”
“Love is the Opiate” requires you to tame one ofRed Dead Redemption’s horses(specifically, a Hungarian Half-bred) in order to buy Zhou’s freedom from indentured servitude.It begins at the northernmost building in El Matadero, just east of Mesa de la Luna; you must complete both “Empty Promises” and “Poppycock” to unlock it. Later on, you can also encounter Zhou at the train station in Chuparosa to complete the mission.
“American Lobbyist”
Unlocked after “An Appointed Time,” “American Lobbyist” has John blackmailing a gubernatorial candidate in order to influence the outcome of an election.The mission begins inside the gazebo at the north end of Blackwater, and goes by pretty quickly. Just walk over to the bank, speak with Aldous Worthington, and return to the man in the gazebo.
“The Prohibitionist”
“The Prohibitionist” forces John to deal with a judgmental teetotaler who’s proven a nuisance to the local drunks. After the player has completed “The Wronged Woman,“it begins and ends outside the saloon in central Blackwater, where Abner Forsyth has set up his soapbox; you can choose either to warn Forsyth or kill him outright.
“The Wronged Woman”
Hell hath no fury like “The Wronged Woman,” a Stranger Mission in which John gets entangled in a supposed tryst between a local magnate and his children’s nanny, Clara LaGuerta. It’s only unlocked after “An Appointed Time,” andcan be started by visiting the church in Blackwater between 6 PM and 7 AM.
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“Remember My Family”
The final Stranger Mission unlocked inRDR1, “Remember My Family,” is only playable as Jack Marston after completing “The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed.” Although framed as a Stranger Mission, this could be considered the final main quest for how it resolves and capitalizes on the game’s themes. It begins with Jack meeting Howard Sawickisouthwest of Blackwater’s main square. Afterward, he’ll have to head to Lake Don Julio, then Río del Toro, before following the San Luis River to his final objective.
And with that, you’ll have completed every Stranger Mission inRDR1. Although few of them are central to the plot, each explores an important theme, and rewards the player with cash, Fame, Honor, and/or scraps they can eventually cobble together into wearable outfits. As such, they’re just as important to the world ofRed Dead Redemptionas the main story.
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is an action-adventure western game from the developers at Rockstar San Diego. A sequel to Red Dead Revolver, Redemption, takes place in 1911 and follows former outlaw John Marston, who must now track down former posse members across the old west after the government kidnaps his family.
