At a young age, John Marston was orphaned after his father passed from an unruly bar fight. He was left on the streets, stranded and forgotten. The only way he could survive was through thievery and violence. This led to him killing a man at twelve years old. Obviously, these actions — although in self-defense — led him to being wanted at a young age.

He fell in with the Van Der Linde gang and met you, but is showing doubts in his own way of criminal life.