One of popular culture’s most storied and celebrated genres, Western movies have been a foundational of cinema since its earliest days and produced plenty of memorable villains. From John Wayne to Clint Eastwood, Westerns have featured the work of some of the most celebrated and beloved filmmakers of all time, paying tribute to the spirit and struggle associated with the American West. From movies that emphasize gorgeous cinematography to Westerns that are more than three hours long, the genre has played host to an ever evolving and diverse line up of cinematic offerings.
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From low-budget productions to the best Western movies ever made, many of these films owe a large portion of their success to the efforts of their lead antagonist. Every great story needs a great villain, and Westerns are no exception. From charismatic outlaws and gunslingers to corrupt lawmen and sadistic slave owners, Westerns have produced some of cinema’s preeminent villains. Breathing life into an evil character who subsequently becomes synonymous with the film is no mean feat, but a number of the best Western villains of all time make it look like child’s play.
10 Tom Chaney – True Grit (2010)
Played By Josh Brolin
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10/10 True Grit
An adaptation of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel of the same name, True Grit tells the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who enlists the help of morally-questionable lawman Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) in order to avenge the death of her father by apprehending the criminal Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). They are joined by a cocksure Texas Ranger named Labeouf (Matt Damon), who insists upon collecting the bounty on Chaney’s head. The three travel across the Arkansas plains in pursuit of Chaney, risking life and limb against outlaws and wild animals in pursuit of justice.
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*Availability in US Director Ethan Coen , Joel Coen Release Date December 22, 2010 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Cast Jeff Bridges , Barry Pepper , Josh Brolin , Matt Damon , Hailee Steinfeld Runtime 110 minutes
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True Grit has one of the western genre’s most memorable villains. An adaptation of Charles Portis’ novel and a remake of the 1969 film of the same name, 2010’s True Grit follows Hailee Steinfeld’s Mattie Ross, a tenacious young girl who sets out to hire the “meanest” lawman she can find to hunt down her father’s murderer. Said murderer turns out to be Josh Brolin’s Tom Chaney, a cold-blooded killer and career outlaw who is equally frightening and pathetic, transforming a basic archetype into something deeply (and uncomfortably) human.
Related How The Coen Brothers’ True Grit Remake Beat The Original (& Revitalized The Western Genre)
It’s extremely rare that a remake manages to top the classic original, but the Coen brothers’ True Grit remake is superior to the John Wayne movie.
A cowardly murderer and thief, Chaney has a veritable laundry list of criminal accolades to his name. In addition to killing Mattie’s father, Tom finds himself pursued across state lines by Matt Damon’s Texas Ranger LaBoeuf for the murder of a local senator. Chaney isn’t the most inherently wicked or sophisticated villain that the genre has to offer, but he’s the primary antagonist of one of the most celebrated and influential Western movies of all time, and serves as an ideal example of the kind of villainy found in the genre.
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9 Ernest Burkhart – Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Played By Leonardo DiCaprio
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Killers of the Flower Moon HistoryDramaCrime
Killers of the Flower Moon is the next film from director Martin Scorsese, based on the non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, initially captured by David Grann. When members of the Osage tribe are murdered in the 1920s via mysterious circumstances shortly after the discovery of oil on Native-American soil, the FBI is established to uncover the true reason behind them.
Director Martin Scorsese Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Louis Cancelmi , Jillian Dion , Scott Shepherd , Jesse Plemons , JaNae Collins , Robert De Niro , Jason Isbell , Cara Jade Myers , Lily Gladstone Runtime 200minutes
Legendary director Martin Scorcese’s western epic Killers of the Flower Moon chronicles a series of murders of Osage Nation members after oil is discovered on their tribal land. His sixth collaboration with Scorcese, Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the role of Ernest Burkhart, a craven and cowardly veteran of World War I who becomes caught up in the murders through his personal connection to Robert De Niro’s devious William King Hale. Even Burkhart’s marriage to a wealthy Osage, Mollie Kyle, is shaded by his dark ambitions and pig-headed ruthlessness.
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorcese movie collaborations |
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Movie |
Year of release |
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Gangs of New York |
2002 |
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The Aviator |
2004 |
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The Departed |
2006 |
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Shutter Island |
2010 |
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The Wolf of Wall Street |
2013 |
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Killers of the Flower Moon |
2023 |
While he may come across as more of a buffoon than a Machiavellian villain against the backdrop of one of Martin Scorcese’s best movies, Burkhart is one of the most morally reprehensible characters from the genre in recent memory. DiCaprio’s Burkhart is clearly conflicted by his role in proceedings, but it does little to excuse the gravity of his transgressions. Not only was the man complicit in the murders of Mollie’s sisters, Ernest even went as far as trying to poison his spouse by tampering with her insulin, highlighting the lengths a good villain will go to.
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8 John Fitzgerald – The Revenant (2015)
Played By Tom Hardy
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8.6/10 The Revenant
Inspired by the true events in the life of Hugh Glass, The Revenant is an action-drama movie that sees Leonardo DiCaprio in the starring role. Betrayed and left for dead by one of the members of his hunting group, Glass finds himself contending with some of the harshest elements imaginable while tending to his deadly wounds, as his will to carry on and need for revenge push him to carry on in this gripping tale of survival.
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*Availability in US Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Release Date December 25, 2015 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast Will Poulter , Leonardo DiCaprio , Paul Anderson , Tom Hardy , Domhnall Gleeson Runtime 156minutes
Chronicling a seemingly impossible tale of survival against all odds, 2015’s The Revenant tells the story of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper who is nearly mauled to death by a grizzly bear. Played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Glass soon finds himself up against a far more sinister antagonist than his furry attacker in Tom Hardy’s John S. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is so wicked that he inspires Glass to essentially return from the dead just to carry out his vengeance.
Hardy’s charge murders Glass’ son Hawk before his very eyes after the latter tries to prevent him from killing his father.
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An amoral cutthroat concerned only with his survival, Hardy’s charge murders Glass’ son Hawk before his very eyes after the latter tries to prevent him from killing his father. Fitzgerald underlines his pitiless credentials by partially burying the stricken trapper in a makeshift grave and leaving him for dead. All these deeds are performed with a sadistic edge. It’s a harsh and ugly character, brought to stark life by Hardy. The Revenant remains one of Tom Hardy’s best movies to date, with the actor earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his bow as Glass’ tormentor.
7 Rufus Buck – The Harder They Fall (2021)
Played By Idris Elba
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The Harder They Fall
After Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is released from prison, Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) brings his gang back together to defeat his enemy. Starring alongside Majors and Elba in The Harder They Fall are Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield. The Western was released in select theaters on October 22, 2021, and released on Netflix on November 3, 2021.
Director Jeymes Samuel Release Date November 3, 2021 Studio(s) Netflix Cast Jonathan Majors , Idris Elba , Delroy Lindo , Danielle Deadwyler , Regina King , Edi Gathegi , r.j. cyler , Damon Wayans Jr. , Zazie Beetz , Deon Cole , LaKeith Stanfield Runtime 139 Minutes
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Featuring a killer soundtrack and a revenge story for the ages, The Harder They Fall boasts a particularly impressive villain thanks to Luther star Idris Elba. One of the most underrated Westerns from the 2020s, Jeymes Samuel’s 2021 picture owes much of its success to a crackling bow from Elba as the charismatic outlaw Rufus Buck. The character benefits from the actor’s legendary charms and bravado, but hides a far more ruthless side just underneath the surface.
A merciless gang leader and smooth-talking gunslinger who would shoot a man dead just as soon as look at them, Buck is a deeply memorable character. Elba’s ability to shift between amicable and ruthless sets the film’s tale of bloody retribution in motion by murdering protagonist Nat Love’s family and carving a cross into the young boy’s forehead. Buck’s penchant for theatrics, merciless disposition, and menacing aura makes him must-see cinema, and one of the most memorable Western villains in recent memory.
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6 “Little” Bill Daggett – Unforgiven (1992)
Played By Gene Hackman
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10/10 Unforgiven WesternDrama
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission, seeking justice with his old partner and a young outlaw called The Schofield Kid.
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*Availability in US Director Clint Eastwood Release Date August 7, 1992 Cast Clint Eastwood , Gene Hackman , Morgan Freeman , Richard Harris , Jaimz Woolvett , Saul Rubinek , Frances Fisher , Anna Thomson , David Mucci , Rob Campbell , Anthony James , Tara Frederick , Beverley Elliott , Liisa Repo-Martell , Josie Smith , Shane Thomas Meier , Aline Levasseur , Cherrilene Cardinal , Robert Koons , Ron White , Mina E. Mina , Henry Kope , Jeremy Ratchford , John Pyper-Ferguson Runtime 130 Mins Expand
One of the finest Western offerings in Clint Eastwood’s storied filmography, 1992’s Unforgiven stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging gunslinger who finds himself tempted out of retirement for one final job after his finances run low. Munny’s primary foil in Unforgiven is Gene Hackman’s Sheriff “Little” Bill Daggett, a morally devoid lawman who ruthlessly abuses his position to his benefit and disposes of anybody who gets in his way. In stark contrast to Munny’s retired darkness, Daggett is a vocal and brutal “lawman.”
Earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his ruthless take on Eastwood’s villainous counterpart, the
Mississippi Burning
star shines as
Unforgiven’s
big bad from start to finish.
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A merciless and calculating pragmatist, Hackman delivers a terrifyingly convincing turn as Daggett. It’s such a confidently unsettling performance that co-star Morgan Freeman was legitimately afraid that the actor was going to hurt him while filming. Earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his ruthless take on the “corrupt lawman” archetyoe, Hackman shines as the deconstructive western’s big bad.
5 Frank – Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Played By Henry Fonda
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Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West is a critically acclaimed Italian Western released in 1968. Directed by Sergio Leone, the film stars Henry Fonda as Frank and Charles Bronson as Harmonica, two men who work together to protect widow Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale) from an assassin. Sergio Donati and Leone wrote the screenplay for the film based on a story by Dario Argento.
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*Availability in US Director Sergio Leone Release Date December 20, 1968 Studio(s) Rafran Cinematografica , San Marco , Paramount Pictures Cast Henry Fonda , Charles Bronson , Claudia Cardinale , Jason Robards , Gabriele Ferzetti Runtime 166 Minutes
One of the best slow-burn Westerns and widely regarded as one of the genre’s greatest ever offerings, 1968’s Once Upon a Time in the West is notable for casting beloved everyman character actor Henry Fonda against type as the ruthless mercenary Frank. It was a decision that paid off, with Fonda turning in a spectacular bow as one of the genre’s most sinister and unforgettable antagonists. Serving as a direct foil to Charles Bronson’s “Harmonica,” Frank is a heartless killer and an imposing force throughout the film.
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A remorseless hired gun sent to intimidate and run a landowner off his property, Frank takes matters into his own hands by killing him instead, setting the film’s chain of events into motion with his dastardly antics. An ice-cold killer with a sadistic streak a mile wide, Frank is one of the genre’s most noteworthy antagonists. Anybody who hadn’t seen Fonda in a film before would be hard-pressed to believe that the actor hadn’t made a career out of playing terrifying villains.
4 Ben Wade – 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Played By Russell Crowe
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8/10 3:10 to Yuma AdventureCrimeDramaWestern
A struggling rancher volunteers to escort a notorious outlaw to the train that will take him to prison. As the journey unfolds, both men engage in a psychological battle of wills, testing their morals and resolve while facing relentless danger from the outlaw’s gang and the harsh frontier.
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*Availability in US Director James Mangold Release Date September 6, 2007 Cast Russell Crowe , Christian Bale , Logan Lerman , Dallas Roberts , Ben Foster , Peter Fonda Runtime 122 minutes
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Starring Russell Crowe in one of his best movie performances, 3:10 to Yuma is one of the more consistently underrated modern Western offerings. Directed by James Mangold, the 2007 film features one of the most morally ambiguous villains in recent memory with Crowe’s outlaw Ben Wade. A charismatic and surprisingly honorable killer, Christian Bale’s Civil War veteran Dan Evans is tasked with ensuring the captured gunslinger boards the movie’s titular train to take him to prison.
3:10 to Yuma
is the second film adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s
Three-Ten To Yuma
, following a 1957 film of the same name.
In contrast to Wade’s irredeemably wicked right-hand Charlie Prince, 3:10 to Yuma takes great care in emphasizing that Foster’s charge is not inherently evil. Despite that complexity, Wade is still one of the genre’s most memorable bad guys, possessing an inimitable air of mystique aided by his reputation for escaping captivity, his artistic penchants, and a signature pistol that is said to have a curse on it. A remorseless killer who commands a gang of barbaric outlaws, Wade is one of the genre’s best villains even when hinting he isn’t all bad.
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3 Angel Eyes – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Played By Lee Van Cleef
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Western
In the United States, a mysterious gunfighter tries to work together with a bandit and a bounty hunter to find a hidden treasure. The men are forced to forge a difficult alliance as each knows only part of the location. The big problem is that none of them has any intention of sharing the wealth once they’ve found it.
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*Availability in US Director Sergio Leone Release Date December 29, 1967 Cast Clint Eastwood , Eli Wallach , Lee Van Cleef , Aldo Giuffrè , Luigi Pistilli Runtime 161 minutes
Arguably the greatest spaghetti Western ever made and undoubtedly Clint Eastwood’s best movie, it comes as little surprise that 1966’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly features one of the wider genre’s preeminent villains. Played in an unforgettable turn by frequent Sergio Leone collaborator Lee Van Cleef, Angel Eyes is a ruthless mercenary who serves as the primary foil to Eastwood’s protagonist and represents the “bad” element from the film’s title. Given the ruthless nature of Eastwood’s nameless hero, that’s saying something.
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Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy Rotten Tomatoes approval rating |
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Movie |
Rotten Tomatoes approval rating |
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A Fistful of Dollars (1964) |
98% |
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For a Few Dollars More (1965) |
92% |
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) |
97% |
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One of cinema’s most iconic bad guys, the sadistic Angel Eyes shows that he is utterly devoid of anything even vaguely resembling morals as the film’s titular trio hunt for buried Confederate gold. A proficient gunman and efficient killer who takes great pride in his work, Van Cleef’s sneering antagonist is the Man with No Name’s most formidable foe across the entirety of Leone’s iconic Dollars trilogy. A deeply memorable villain, Van Cleef’s Angel Eyes is a cruel and vicious figure who perfectly encapsulates the idea of a bad guy.
2 Calvin Candie – Django Unchained (2012)
Played By Leonardo DiCaprio
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9.3/10 Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained follows Jamie Foxx’s Django, a Black slave who is freed before becoming a bounty hunter. After meeting German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter Dr. King Schultz, Django sets off to free his wife from the cruel and charismatic plantation owner Calvin Candie. Christophe Waltz stars alongside Foxx, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kerry Washington rounding out the cast of Tarantino’s revisionist Spaghetti Western.
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*Availability in US Director Quentin Tarantino Release Date December 25, 2012 Studio(s) Sony Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Jonah Hill , Samuel L. Jackson , Jamie Foxx , Kerry Washington , Christoph Waltz Runtime 165 Minutes
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Deftly balancing simpering civility with sociopathic ruthlessness, plantation owner Calvin Candie serves as the personification of the horrors of slavery against the backdrop of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Brought to life by Leonardo DiCaprio in an Academy Award-nominated performance, Candie is a charming and charismatic socialite who also happens to be a sadistic slave magnate. Candie has made an enormous fortune profiting off the pain and misery of the men and women he sells, giving him a gleefully sadistic and faux cultural edge.
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Whether the Candyland owner is forcing two slaves to brutally fight one another to the death for his entertainment or setting a pack of vicious hunting dogs on a runaway from his plantation, Candie oozes evil in every sequence. The villain is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best movie performances, a genuinely unique entry to the western canon whose vile nature makes him a perfect contrast to the charms of the film’s leads. Candie’s flamboyant dialogue and frequent exhibitions of his sadistic nature make him one of the most colourful and memorable villains in cinematic history as a whole.
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1 Anton Chigurh – No Country for Old Men (2007)
Played By Javier Bardem
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7.8/10 No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
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*Availability in US Director Joel Coen , Ethan Coen Release Date November 21, 2007 Studio(s) MiraMax Cast Kelly Macdonald , Woody Harrelson , Josh Brolin , Javier Bardem , Tommy Lee Jones Runtime 122 minutes
One of the most acclaimed films from acclaimed directors Joel and Ethan Coen (as well as one of the best neo-Western movies ever made) 2007’s No Country for Old Men is based on legendary writer Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name. Chronicling the aftermath of a drug deal gone awry in the Texas desert, the movie also plays host to one of cinema’s most compelling and unforgettable villains in Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh. Effectively a walking representation of death and desapir, the cold Chigurh is an effortlessly creepy villain.
Related No Country For Old Men Ending Explained
No Country For Old Men is a classic with a divisive ending. Here’s the meaning behind No Country For Old Men explained, including the final scene.
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To say that Chigurh is ominous is akin to suggesting that Mike Tyson used to hit people quite hard. A hitman sent to track down a cartel’s missing money, Chigurh is a merciless killer who uses a pneumatic bolt gun as his weapon of choice. The assassin’s menacing aura and enigmatic personality render him a magnetic screen presence. Bardem effortlessly commands every scene that he features in, giving every appearance an uneasy and grim touch. Earning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his stunning bow as Chigurh, Bardem produced the best Western villain film has ever seen.
Western