What’s the best way to ensure John’s survival in the final missions?

Ensuring John Marston''s survival in the final missions of Red Dead Redemption 2 is crucial for achieving the best possible ending. The game''s narrative and mechanics are designed to guide you toward this outcome, but there are specific actions and choices you must make to guarantee John''s safety. This guide will walk you through the steps, mechanics, and strategies to ensure John survives the final missions.\n\nFirst, it''s important to understand that John''s survival is tied to Arthur Morgan''s honor level and the choices you make during the game''s final chapters. Arthur''s decisions directly impact John''s fate. To maximize your chances, maintain a high honor level throughout the game. This means helping strangers, donating to the camp, and avoiding unnecessary violence. High honor unlocks dialogue options and story paths that favor John''s survival.\n\nDuring Chapter 6, the game presents a critical choice: help John escape or return for the money. To ensure John''s survival, you must choose to help him escape during the mission ''Red Dead Redemption.'' This decision aligns with Arthur''s redemption arc and prioritizes John''s safety over material gain. Ignoring Dutch''s orders and focusing on John''s escape is the key to unlocking the best ending.\n\nIn the mission ''My Last Boy,'' you will face a significant battle at Beaver Hollow. During this mission, prioritize protecting John and ensuring he stays alive. Use cover effectively, aim for headshots, and keep an eye on John''s health. If he takes too much damage, the mission may fail. Equip yourself with powerful weapons like the Lancaster Repeater or Bolt-Action Rifle to handle enemies efficiently.\n\nAnother critical moment occurs in the mission ''Our Best Selves.'' Here, Arthur and John are ambushed by Pinkertons. Stay close to John and provide cover fire while advancing through the area. Use Dead Eye to eliminate threats quickly and keep John moving forward. This mission is a test of your combat skills and ability to protect allies, so stay focused and avoid reckless actions.\n\nFinally, in the mission ''Red Dead Redemption,'' Arthur''s sacrifice ensures John''s escape. During the final confrontation with Micah, choose to help John reach safety instead of pursuing Micah. This choice solidifies Arthur''s redemption and guarantees John''s survival. After this mission, the epilogue begins, and you take control of John, continuing the story in a new chapter.\n\nTo summarize, maintaining high honor, prioritizing John''s safety in key missions, and making selfless choices are the best ways to ensure John''s survival. Pay attention to the game''s narrative cues and focus on Arthur''s redemption arc. By following these steps, you can achieve the best ending and set the stage for John''s future adventures.\n\nPractical tips: Always carry health tonics and ammunition, upgrade your weapons at gunsmiths, and practice using Dead Eye to improve combat efficiency. These preparations will make it easier to protect John during intense missions. Additionally, save your game frequently to avoid losing progress if things go wrong.