Red John is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the CBS crime drama The Mentalist for the first five seasons and half of the sixth. As a serial killer, he is believed to have begun his killing spree in 1988, and has, with his operatives and acolytes, killed more than 70 people in California, Nevada, and Mexico. Five years prior to the action of the first episode, he murdered the wife and daughter of Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), making Jane his dedicated nemesis. TV Guide included Red John in its 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time".