From Rowdy Yates to Matt Dillon

More than the television of almost any other genre, Western shows rely on charismatic characters to bring their stories to life. Like the classic movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age that preceded them, Westerns on the small screen revive the wild spirit of the Old West where maverick gunslingers, unruly cattle drivers, and tribal warriors abounded.

Even neo-Western series set in modern times manage to keep this spirit alive, as their central characters bear the hallmarks of the genre despite appearing in contemporary settings. However, it takes some of the best Western TV actors to mark these characters out as major new additions to one of Hollywood’s oldest traditions.

What truly makes a great character in the Western genre, however, is more the power to shape tradition than the ability to conform to it. The best Western movie characters are the ones which changed the genre for everything that came after them, and the greatest Western TV characters are no different.

So, whether it’s the trailblazing heroes and villains of early TV Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, or the complex, enigmatic anti-heroes of neo-Western series, these 15 characters either broke the mold or made it themselves. They define what the Western genre on the small screen is all about.

15

Rowdy Yates – Rawhide

Played By Clint Eastwood

Rowdy Yates got Clint Eastwood the role of the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, but this TV character couldn’t be more different from his later role. Rowdy is initially hot-headed and reckless, although his growth into the resourceful leader of Rawhide’s cattle drive is among the best early examples of character development in a small-screen Western.

14

Joe Leaphorn – Dark Winds

Played By Zahn McClarnon

Image via AMC+

The undisputed lynchpin of Western noir thriller Dark Winds, Native American police chief Joe Leaphorn is detective novelist Tony Hillerman’s greatest creation. While the character has previously appeared in a big-screen production and a miniseries, it’s Zahn McClarnon’s Emmy-worthy performance across three seasons and counting as the steadfast Navajo tribal leader that really defines who Hillerman intended Leaphorn to be.

13

Wynonna Earp – Wynonna Earp

Played By Melanie Scrofano

The title character of a 2010s cult fantasy show that deserves more love, Wynonna Earp is descended from (and inspired by) legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, a key figure in the seminal 1993 Western movie. Melanie Scrofano’s character has even more to reckon with than her great-great-grandfather, though, as she courageously battles supernatural forces with his old Colt Buntline revolver.

12

Thor “The Swede” Gundersen – Hell On Wheels

Played By Christopher Heyerdahl

If Hell on Wheels is among the best Western TV shows from the last decade, then Thor “The Swede” Gunderson is one of the genre’s greatest ever villains. A frightening figure who strikes fear into whoever he meets on his wealthy paymaster’s behalf, often backing it up with vicious brutality, the Swede steals every scene of the show he’s in.

11

Rip Wheeler – Yellowstone

Played By Cole Hauser

We shouldn’t be surprised by the violence Rip Wheeler unleashes in his defense of the Dutton ranch, given that his tragic Yellowstone backstory involves killing his father in an attempt to save the rest of his family. He’s certainly loyal and fiercely protective of those he loves, but these qualities don’t redeem his role in the neo-Western’s darkest scenes.

10

Victoria Barkley – The Big Valley

Played By Barbara Stanwyck

At the heart of an old-school Western TV show that still holds up today, Victoria Barkley represents veteran movie actor Barbara Stanwyck’s finest hour on the small screen. The Big Valley’s central matriarch is one of the most imposing ranchers of her day, while offering a perspective on the Old West homestead that was unchartered territory in the late 1960s.

9

Josh Randall – Wanted Dead Or Alive

Played By Steve McQueen

Although Steve McQueen rejected Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it’s often forgotten that he’d already made a name for himself in the Western genre by that point, as quintessential anti-hero Josh Randall. A bounty hunter who cares for those in need, Randall is probably the quickest draw in any classic Western show, as well as the most stylish.

8

Beth Dutton – Yellowstone

Played By Kelly Reilly

Beth Dutton is responsible for Yellowstone’s best quote, when she surmises what love is to her, and her approach to romance reflects the overall appeal of the show’s standout character. Beth is all in with everything she does, takes no prisoners, and is prepared to do her family’s dirty work when required. But she always believes in what she’s doing.

7

Walt Longmire – Longmire

Played By Robert Taylor

A haggard Wyoming lawman who’s never taken too kindly to following police protocols, Walt Longmire is the best sheriff in modern-day TV Westerns. He’s fearsome and tough talking, but always respects whoever he’s dealing with, whether they’re an ally, rival or adversary. They don’t make many like him anymore, but we should be glad he stuck around for six seasons.

6

Tonto – The Lone Ranger

Played By Jay Silverheels

Among the many crimes of 2013’s exorbitantly expensive box-office flop The Lone Ranger, the casting of Johnny Depp as Tonto was surely the worst. This legendary character of the small screen deserved better. As played by Mohawk actor Jay Silverheels, he was so often the unsung hero of the Lone Ranger’s adventures overcoming bandits of the Old West.