Red Dead Redemption is filled with many notable and classic characters. Characters like Arthur Morgan, John Marston, and Dutch Van der Linde will forever remain video game icons, and even minor characters like Uncle and Sadie will surely be fondly remembered in time.

But that is not the case with poor Jack Marston. Jack doesn't have much to do in Red Dead Redemption II (being just a wee young'un), and many people found him annoying in the original Red Dead Redemption . As such, no one seems to care about getting to know him. We're here to change that. These are ten details everyone completely missed about Jack Marston.

10 His Real Name Is John Marston Jr.

What many people don't know is that Jack's name...well, isn't Jack. It's actually John, just like his father. Despite being referred to as "Jack" in both video RDR2World Rockstar Games, the credits of Red Dead Redemption identity him as "John Marston Jr."

We're not really sure where the "Jack" nickname came from, or even why they decided to give him a nickname in the first place. But decide they did, and young John Marston Jr. soon became Jack to both his parents and the Van der Linde gang as a whole.

9 He Was Born In 1895

Young Jack (oh, sorry, John Marston Jr.) was actually born into the Van der Linde gang in 1895. His mother, Abigail, was a prostitute who was brought into the gang through Uncle. Here she fell in love and fathered a child with John Marston (a child he didn't seem to want!).

This was in 1895, making Jack four years old during the events of Red Dead Redemption II . FYI, this would also make him 16 for most of Red Dead Redemption (1911) and 19 during that game's infamous epilogue (1914).

8 He Had A Sister

What many people miss (or forget) is the fact that Jack Marston had a younger sister who died before the events of Red Dead Redemption . We don't know much about this young child - not her name, not her resting place, and not when she was born or how and when she died.

The only mention of her is a few throwaway lines in the first Red Dead Redemption , which are easy to miss if you aren't paying close attention.

7 He Moved To Yukon With His Family

Shortly after the events of Red Dead Redemption II , John took his family out to Canada's Yukon Territory to participate in the ongoing Klondike Gold Rush. Gold was discovered in the area in the summer of 1896, causing hundreds of thousands of prospectors to flood the area hoping to strike it rich.

However, as is typical of John, he was too late and failed in his pursuits. The gold rush petered off in 1899 due to a combination of waning national interest, a lack of coverage in the media, and a recent discovery of gold in Alaska.

6 The Reason For His Different Skills

Players of Red Dead Redemption may have wondered why Jack was so different from his father. Whereas John is brash, emotional, violent, and combative , Jack is very intelligent, quiet, thoughtful, and literary. It's a massive personality difference, but it is addressed in Red Dead Redemption II .

Throughout the game we see the characters acting kindly to Jack, encouraging his intelligence, and shielding him from their true way of life. It was a result of this upbringing that caused Jack to deviate from his father and become an intellect rather than a violent outlaw.

5 His Inability To Swim

Following the events of Red Dead Redemption , the player takes control of Jack, and he shares similar gameplay capabilities with his father. Unfortunately, this includes his complete inability to swim. This is given further depth in Red Dead Redemption II .

Arthur not only makes fun of John for his inability to swim, but he constantly derides him for running away from his family. He also takes Jack finishing in an attempt to bond with him. John's absence (both physically and mentally), Arthur's busy nature, and Arthur's decision to teach him fishing instead of swimming all culminated in Jack never learning how to swim.

4 He Never Leaves Camp

An interesting little detail concerning Red Dead Redemption II is the fact that Jack never leaves the camp. This little tidbit directly ties into the previous entries about him being shielded from reality and never learning how to swim - by never leaving camp, he never sees the gang as they truly are, and he never finds the time to learn how to swim.

He's too busy reading and being with his mother! The only time he ever leaves the camp is when he is kidnapped and when Arthur takes him fishing.

3 He Is The Only Character To Survive All Four Time Periods

An interesting aspect of Jack's character is that he is the only Red Dead Redemption character to survive all four time periods (that we know of, at least).

He and Ross are the only characters to appear in the 1899, 1907, 1911, and 1914 time periods, and seeing as how Ross dies in 1914, that makes Jack the only character to be seen in and survive all four of the series' time periods! That doesn't mean it's a happy ending, though...

2 He Learned Italian Words

It's hard to spin a kidnapping into a net positive, but innocent little Jack managed to find a way. After being kidnapped by Bronte, Jack reflects positively on the experience, saying that he was fed spaghetti and given baths (two he never got at camp) and that he learned some very basic Italian.

It was a throwaway line, but it's yet another clue into Jack's thirst for knowledge and intellect. Perhaps this learning of Italian at such a young age helped influence his academic personality.

1 He May Have Written A Book

This thirst for knowledge and subsequent academic personality may have resulted in a prosperous writing career. While the ending of Red Dead Redemption suggests that he will become an outlaw like his father, it's also possible that Jack took a different path.

In Grand Theft Auto V , a book can be found on Franklin's bookshelf. The title is "Red Dead Redemption," and it's written by a "J. Marston." Did Jack write a book about his father? Did he write about his own brief foray into violence before finding redemption through writing? And if so, it has obviously remained in print into 2013, indicating its high degree of success.

NEXT: Red Dead Redemption 2: 5 Reasons To Stick To The Main Story As Much As Possible (& 5 To Explore Every Side Quest)