He is the main playable protagonist of the 2010 video game Red Dead Redemption, wherein he must deal with the decline of the Wild West while being forced to hunt down the last surviving members of his old gang in exchange for the safe return of his family by the federal government.

John is also the protagonist of Undead Nightmare, a non-canonical, zombie apocalypse-themed expansion pack, and the secondary playable character of the 2018 prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2.

The character was well received, with many critics citing his maturity, moral complexity and ambiguity, and quest for atonement as focal points of the first game.

[2] John was developed to be a nuanced character in Red Dead Redemption, as opposed to an explicit villain or hero,[6] and a "family man".

[3] When developing John in Red Dead Redemption 2, the writers felt that his previous appearance could be limiting to them, since players have already resonated with the character.

[10] While marketing materials for Red Dead Redemption presented John as a traditional cowboy—isolated and violent,[11] a "white, heteronormative, rugged individual"[12]—his behaviour and ambitions in the narrative are generally unconventional.

[19] Triana wrote that Native Americans "end up victims to the game's evil social forces" due to John's priority of reuniting with his family.

[24] He also felt that the ending allowed the player to properly understand John's rejection of a developing society and institutions due to the misery endured from the government.

When John was threatened to be lynched after being caught stealing at the age of 12, he was saved by Dutch van der Linde, who took him into his gang and raised him.

After being attacked by wolves and left stranded in the snow, he is saved by fellow gang members Arthur Morgan and Javier Escuella.

The game's final scene shows federal agents Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham observing John's ranch.

In Undead Nightmare, a non-canonical, zombie apocalypse-themed alternate reality, John finds that the world is plagued by a virus that brings the dead back to life with a taste for flesh.

[26] Seth Schiesel, writing for The New York Times, stated that "[John] and his creators conjure such a convincing, cohesive and enthralling re-imagination of the real world that it sets a new standard for sophistication and ambition in electronic gaming.

[28] Game Informer's Javy Gwaltney lauded John as Rockstar's best character, noting that the complexities of his personality make him more realistic than most protagonists.

[29] IGN's Brian Albert considered John one of the "most badass video game gunslingers", praising his skill and protective nature.

[31] Prior to Red Dead Redemption 2's release, Kotaku's Heather Alexandra expressed hesitation towards John's return, as his past remaining vague made the first game compelling.

[33] Dave Meikleham of GamesRadar wrote that Red Dead Redemption 2's climax was effective in explaining John's behavior in the first game.

[34] Polygon's Russ Frushtick considered John's story in the game's epilogue to be more motivating than Arthur's as his quest has a direct purpose.

[36] Jess Joho, writing for Mashable, considered Arthur and John to be "practically interchangeable anti-heroes", noting disappointment at the lack of shifting themes between the two.

[39] For his role in Red Dead Redemption, Wiethoff won Outstanding Character Performance at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.