Jack Holt

Jack Holt is the main protagonist and player character of Sons of the Forest, a journalist who was hired along with a team of mercenaries to investigate the disappearance of the Pufftons. He has a 'fight demons' tattoo on his right wrist which is visible in the opening scene and when switching outfits or in the opening cutscene.

Background[edit | edit source]

Jack Holt was a journalist who at some point prior to the game events wrote a published a book on Edward Puffton and his financial empire. This allowed Jack to befriend Edward Puffton. As Edward grew increasingly worried of the soft opening and Jianyu Zhang's activities, he instructed one of his close collaborators, Hank Keys, to contact Jack Holt should anything happen to him, confident that his investigation skills would be able to reveal what would indeed inevitably happen, and to look after his beloved daughter.

Following the ensuing disaster, Jack Holt was promptly contacted and paired with a team of mercenaries tasked with finding Edward Puffton and his family.

Gameplay[edit | edit source]

Throughout Sons of the Forest, Jack Holt explores the Island in its entirety, collecting notes, supplies, and equipment. They can encounter Sahara Corporation Operative camps, although they are usually all dying or deceased. In respite of this, Holt is mostly seen using the Tactical Axe in cutscenes. In multiple bunkers, they meet Tim LeBlanc, who initially tells Holt to leave while they can. Holt also encounters Jianyu Zhang multiple times, all of which have resulted in conflict; Attracting the former Pufftons and Shooting Eric LeBlanc in the shoulder. Nearing the end of the game, Holt will have been through almost every cave and bunker, as well as having constructed various structures. Using the Ancient Armor they plated with Solafite, they would reach The Cube with Tim LeBlanc along with Kelvin (if survived) and Virginia (if survived AND befriended), only to find that The Cube has horribly mutated those who remain on the island, and only worsened existing mutations of those in The Cube. (This explains why Eric LeBlanc, who was away from the Island, was not horribly mutated.)

Towards the ending, in a failed attempt to escape the Island with Tim, the Player must hold a final showdown with the obsessive Jianyu Zhang, in his horrifically mutated blob-like form, creating mutants and wielding a helicopter for most of the fight. If they succeed, the sound of conflict draws more Mutants, and Eric LeBlanc reappears having brought The Police, who attempt to fend off oncoming Mutants.

The Artifact Pieces that Holt collects throughout the Island cause a Solafite Storm, and the pieces encourage Jack Holt to retrieve his backpack in order to remain on the Island. Whether Holt eventually leaves depends on if they are drawn to remain on the Island as a result of the effects, or to leave - fending off many mutants along with the LeBlancs, is entirely up to the player. If they choose to remain, they can assemble the Artifact fully and resume building, exploring and surviving. If they choose to leave, they will be able to see the story that happens after, and five months later. This may change depended on the status of Kelvin and Virginia.

Jack Holt eventually creates another best-selling book, titled "My Story", which likely details their time on the Island.