I think Red John is not a human. Yeah thats right not a human. Remember "he is mar"? I personally believe that Red John is an alien and the "he is mar" things was actually he is martian!!! He just couldn't complete it because he was dying. That's why no one wants to reveal RJ they DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHO HE IS! They were brain washed by RJ. So there you go that's my theory, I know that it is hard to believe but well its a theory.
I`ve changed my mind again. I`ve decided to create a theory based on how Red John is (how I think he is based on the evidences), and I think this will make sense for you, too.
We all know that Red John`s major satisfaction is when he murders his victims, when he sees the life getting out of them. Still, I think that now Red John also has another big favorite hobby: seeing Jane feeling destroyed by RJ`s murders, and by the fact the he still is there, watching him with every step he makes. So the question that comes up is: Who is the person that is almost always there when Red John kills someone? Who is carefully analyzing the crime scene, waiting for Jane to come? Right, Brett Partridge. Is him, guys, I have no doubt. His voice, his look, his way to be, the way he looks at Jane, the way he says his name. This guy is sick.
In a show like this, any detail counts. So have you noticed that Brett Partridge has change his look A LOT? I mean, in the first season he looked like a loser, and now he has a cool hairstyle, and he dresses in a different way, more stylish. Could this be a clue? Yes. As Red John becomes more and more shinny, so does his alter ego, Brett Partridge. I`m not saying he has multiple personalities, I am sure that he is 100% aware of his actions, but I think Brett Partridge`s evolution is determined by Red John`s.
If you think about it, in the first season neither Brett or Jane couldn`t stand the idea of being in the same room, and now, in the fifth season, they seem more..."friendly". I`m pointing this because we know that RJ sees Jane as and "old comrade, rather than an enemy" (Lorelei) and I can see that Brett`s behaviour with Jane has changed. If in the first season he accuses Jane of messing around and being a clown, in the last episode of season 5 when Jane strangely asks him if he thinks the murder was made by RJ or not, he answwers "I am just guessing. You are the expert". What a change of attitude, huh?
So this is it. All I have said before, plus the most important clue - his voice, which is exactely the voice RJ puts when talking to Jane, lead me to the conclusion that he is the one. Brett Partridge is Red John. He has to be him.
Fun fact: I have a friend who doesn`r watch the show, so she has no idea what it is about.I`ve decided to make an experiment, so I asked her to listen Red John speaking. Then I asked her to listen to all the seven suspects speaking. When Brett Partridge voice started to play she told me "I`ve listened to this one before. Is the same voice as Red John`s".
Van Pelt - Involved. There's a reason she has red hair; it's not coincidence.
Bret Stiles - Involved. It's unclear the exact role of Visualize, but there is one. It was revealed that "Red John" or atleast part of the "Red John" identity worked on a Visualize farm. Since Bret founded the organization, he wouldn't fit this mold. He wasn't the kid on the farm. But is Red John one person?
Kristina Frye- Involved. She willingly went with Red John. She will most likely reappear in the final season. Has her insight persuaded Red John in some way? I think it's more than coincidence she has red hair also.
Bob Kirkland- Involved. Before he injects the poison into IV he says that he hopes somebody would ease him of his suffering if he were in that position. This idea of suffering seems to be indoctrinated. Red John is a coward, I don't believe he fully subscribes to his ideaology. Kirkland might be part of the Red John collective, but he is not THE Red John.
Blind Girl- I just read a theory about when Jane scammed the blind girl with the stone. The person didn't make the connection that RJ visited a blind girl.
It's late and I'm sleepy and a bit lazy, so let me get to the gist.
A scene that always stuck out is when Jane kills who he believes is RJ. That man knew details about his family only the killer would know. I doubt someone would be debriefed to remember that minute of details. Maybe the killings are ceremonies in which many people partake.
I believe all seven names on the list are associated with Red John. RJ was able to realize how far Jane could deduce with Kirkland's research (or maybe Kirkland for/as RJ, but that's not important). The concept of suffering is paramount to Red John. That's how he rationalizes what he does. Suffering heals. It has to do with balance read the poem RJ recited http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/tyger.html
Hopefully this sparked ideas.
This is a good profile of Red John btw: http://thementalist.wikia.com/wiki/Red_John
I know I know... "we can trust the list" but realistically we can't trust anyone. So I am going with the Red John being a woman. John Doe and Jane Doe = male and woman. Since Patrick is Jane and a male, therefore Red John is a woman :) Also, I remember the episode when Patrick and his father screwed up one family with a very very sick girl by selling a fake healing crystal. Her blindness could be the consequence of her "survival".. Though she directly might not be the killer, so she has others to do her bidding...
Bruno Heller is manipulating our minds by that list misdirecting us. Jane purposely set up his room pointing to those suspects on his list because Jane knows there is another disciple close to the CBI. Isn't it odd that Homeland security became involved in the Red John case as Patrick is getting closer? Jane had a smirk on his face after he discovered his evidence room was broken in to. It's obvious Kirkland sent men to break in to Janes evidence room so that a message to Red John can be relayed about Patricks suspect list and that's why Red John knew Jane's suspect list. Bruno Heller is trying to make us look at different people and question suspects as if we are Jane himself. We have often seen incomplete sentences in some of the Mentalist episodes ("He is Mar", "Roy") to name a few. What if Bruno Heller is doing the same. "We can trust that list." Why couldn't he just say, Red John is on that list. Also, that list was technically Red Johns list, not Patrick Janes. Jane did not verbally confirm it instead he conveniently pulled out pictures, perhaps this is to steer Lisbon into the wrong direction so Patrick can have Red John to himself because he is getting closer. I also find it odd that Patrick destroyed the CD which is evidence and Lisbon didn't say a word. It's also possible that Lorelei's death was a hoax and set up because if you look at the Red John smiley face at Lorelei's crime scene, it's not similar to the common Red John one. I think Jane and Lorelei faked her death and the video to keep Lorelei out of the radar from the CBI and Kirkland. This will also lure out additional disciples in the CBI or Kirkland because Red John will confirm to them only that he did not kill Lorelei. Patrick faked someone's death before. It was also odd that Patrick said "she had it coming" at Lorelei's crime scene when he saw her "dead". He said it almost purposely.
Patricks mind is a memory palace and he doesn't need to write his suspects down. There is a list in Patricks mind that hasn't been revealed. I also think Red John is someone who has his own story that we have not heard of and will ultimately be played by a well known actor. Take Saw for example. How crazy was it that the guy who cut off his leg in the first movie, Dr Lawrence, was actually the Jigsaw Killers replacement discovered in the 7th Saw movie! There's no jaw drop with that current list! Wouldn't it be interesting if Red John was revealed in an episode and it was Sean Penn for example, who played Red John. That would be nuts! When you watched Wedding Crashers how crazy was it that "Chaz" was played by none other than Will Ferrel. It's possible a very well known actor was shown in one episode very briefly but we were distracted to spot it. Brett Partridge is too skinny to fit Rosalind's description also he doesn't have the look as a master manipulator neither do the others. The ultimate villain and hero has a certain look and traits to be more appealing to their audience. Tony Montana was a ruthless drug lord but his character was so appealing to many because of the way he looked (scarface, clothes, attitude) and he was played by Al Pacino. Jane is purposely dressed with a suit and a vest to add more to his appeal. He drives a very strange car and his skill is uncanny making him likable like a super hero. He is a "super hero" with "super powers" therefore the villain is to be similar in that aspect. Brett Partridge and the others have no appeal, their characters are very uninteresting, and most doesn't even look the part! Brett Stiles on the other hand is a very interesting character and is played by an experienced charismatic actor. Lorelei is also an important character in the Mentalist, as soon as you saw that Emmanuel Chirqui was playing the role you knew immediately that Lorelei will be an important re-occurring character. Same concept. Red John is such a big deal that when we finally see him he will be played by a high end actor possibly someone we haven't seen in a while like Sean Penn or Vigo Mortensen.
I don't know who Red John is, all I'm saying is that Red John will be played by a high level actor where when you see him, you will know and feel its Red John. Nobody on that show right now is Red John because Red John is bigger than all of them!
It may sound awkward, but if you go back to that episode when patrick is captured by 2 college guys whom think they're RJ, you'll reconize the voice of patridge reciting the poem of the tiger...
I notice that 5 disbeelever fools dont trust in my. Master Lees, extremely good knowledge of crime and solving complex investigations. I am very intelligence super smart man much like the criminal master mind Chow but very very very much smarter indeed. Chow is a not as smart as me Korean and MAster Lee, me, is from China. I am much bigger stronger and more handsome manlier than Chow and most if not all of you for that matter, Now back to matter at hand, who is red jon and it is Chow. Chow is so smart he has all you big dummies like rigby so fooled. he did masterful trickery and was made to have jane secretely remove the name of Chow from the list of both the fake red jon list and the list of patrick jane. Only one man smarter and that is me master Lee who discovered the trick and was not fooled one bit like the rest of you dummies. i think all other guesses can be deleted from this board as i am right and mine is scientific and almost magic not a guess. i have far stronger mental powers to solving crime. it is as obvious plain as day to a trained eye and ear like me, master lee but to you it just seems like you everyday foolish guesswork that you write on this page. Chow is Red jon and if you cant see that I will do my best to give you a proper education schooling as the american school sytem as failed but the mighty chinese detective, master lee has solved this crime and the makers of the show are probably scrmabling to figure out how I found out the closely held secret of chow being the red jon killman,. how could one man be so smart you ask yourself and i stand before you as a master detective solving many crimes and blowing the lid of of this crime by exposing the true thief and murdered Mr. Chow. you stand in amazement of my detective skills but all is not lost on you as you may serve as a fan and follower of the great master detective , master lee who exposes the criminal mastermind cho only to find that he has become seocnd mastermind to the Great mastermind, mast lee, me. I use mus mastermind magic powers for good and crime solving. Heller thought he could outsmart everyone but I stand as example that this could not be done. I have solved crime so season 6 can be cancelled. i am sorry ive let the cat into the bag and ruined it for all of you lesser intelligent amateurs;.