15 Iconic Western TV Villains Ranked: From Blue Duck To Butch Cavendish

Western TV shows lend themselves to fantastic villains and heroes as their main storylines often involve outlaws, antiheroes, and law enforcement. That said, the Western genre has undergone a shift, with more complex characters and themes that touch on everything from the supernatural to political scheming. Still, the best Western TV characters of all time are charismatic, no matter what side they are on.

That said, many TV villains completely outshine the heroes, as antagonists are regularly given some very quotable lines and scenes that range from hilarious to chilling. While not all the best Western TV shows feature a standout villain, many great Westerns do, and these characters often come to define their shows, becoming legends in the process.

Blue Duck

Lonesome Dove

The 1989 Western miniseries Lonesome Dove features the notorious bandit, Blue Duck. Blue Duck is brutal, immoral, and casts a long shadow over the series, murdering key characters before meeting his shocking end. While he could have been a fairly typical Western TV villain, Frederic Forrest's portrayal gave him the demeanor of a predatory animal. This was an excellent creative choice, making the character unforgettable.

Nellie Oleson

Little House On The Prairie

Little House on the Prairie is inspired by a true story and a romanticized saga, but its main villain is as memorable as other, more violent characters. Nellie is a bully with an entitled attitude similar to Game of Thrones' Joffrey, but with less power. Nellie is petty and cruel, and many viewers will have encountered a similar person at least once growing up.

Marquis de Morès

Elkhorn

The Teddy Roosevelt biography is one of the most underrated modern Western TV series, and it features a great performance from Jeff DuJardin as the wealthy nobleman, Marquis de Morès. This aristocrat uses his charisma to verbally overpower the young Roosevelt and wields his influence and privilege in the same way that other Western TV villains wield their guns.

Esau Pierce

Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Many characters in Lawmen: Bass Reeves are based on real people, but Esau Pierce is not. That said, the character is the living embodiment of the very real brutality of the Confederacy, and his menacing presence makes him a formidable villain. Pierce is outwardly respectable at times, making his flashes of violence even more terrifying to watch.

Bobo Del Rey

Wynonna Earp

The neo-Western Wynonna Earp combined the Western and supernatural genres, so it makes perfect sense that the show's standout villain displays the best tropes from each. Bobo del Rey is a demonic outlaw with a signature style, bridging the gap between the typical Western antagonist and a supernatural threat. He steals every scene he is in while remaining mysterious.

Del Rey's main weapons are his telepathic and manipulative abilities. That said, he is capable of being charming without the need for either. He is undoubtedly a villain, but a more tragic one than classic Westerns generally showed. Michael Eklund's portrayal is charismatic, leaving viewers unsure of what he will do next and making him one of the most exciting neo-Western antagonists.

Colton Wolf

Dark Winds

Western villains can be almost cartoonish at times, but Colton Wolf is terrifying for his stoic demeanor. The contract killer rarely speaks, but the effects of his actions are felt throughout Dark Winds. Wolf's almost-childlike quest to find his mother is an extra detail that sets him apart from other villains. And the horrifying truth is one of Dark Winds' best twists.

Brigham Young

American Primeval

American Primeval's Brigham Young is based on a real person, which makes watching his scenes even more disturbing. He is a religious fanatic obsessed with destiny and presents himself as a visionary, which inspires his followers to commit brutal acts in the name of divine righteousness. Kim Coates generally plays villains well, but he outdoes himself here.

Frank Griffin

Godless

The Emmy-winning Western TV series Godless has one of the most compelling villains in a Western show: the preacher-turned-outlaw, Frank Griffin. Griffin is philosophical and tragic, occasionally offering words of wisdom yet capable of massacring an entire town. He brings tension every time he is onscreen because he is just as likely to preach as he is to kill.

Barlow Connally

Longmire

Longmire defines the neo-Western genre, bringing classic Western themes to a modern setting. Barlow Connally hides his corruption and greed behind his wealth and status, making him a perfect neo-Western villain. His charm and friendly demeanor represent the rot that can lie at the heart of institutions we’re meant to trust, and his murder of his son is one of Longmire's most shocking moments.

Malcolm Beck

Yellowstone

For Yellowstone's Malcolm Beck, everything is a deal, and the real-estate mogul bridges the gap between the show's old-school cowboys and the arriving capitalists. Beck is a white supremacist with a domineering manner and occasional moments of real sadism. These qualities would be evil enough, but Yellowstone's villain is haunting because he also appears to have unchecked power, making him a morally repugnant threat.

George Hearst

Deadwood

Timothy Olyphant's Deadwood is a Western TV series without a bad episode, and it features some incredibly dark storylines with its villain. George Hearst is a fictionalized version of a real-life tycoon who sees everything around him as a tool to be used and associates gold with control. His all-consuming greed makes him good at finding gold, which is his one skill.

Hearst has no redeeming features, steamrolling over the lives of others in the name of progress at all costs. Even so, he rarely seems to care about gaining power, unless it is a means to find more gold. His obsession with the shiny metal might have been comedic in another context, but it is monstrous when taking his power and influence into account.

Boyd Crowder

Justified

Justified's Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) brings something new to the genre through his past with the lawman Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant.) The show is a tense game of cat and mouse, which pits the two against each other while occasionally referencing their past friendship and camaraderie. Justified is a showdown between Western TV legends, with Goggins being unforgettable.

Crowder is a product of his past, and appears charismatic and charming, despite committing some truly heinous crimes. Crowder is also a white supremacist, highlighting how dark and unlikable he is beneath the facade. Justified's best villain is a great reminder that evil can hide behind a pleasant manner, and his complex and realistic nature makes him an iconic adversary.

Thor "The Swede" Gunderson

Hell On Wheels

The Swede made his mark on the Western genre like few other villains, surviving deadly events with a strength that bordered on supernatural. He is the wild card in Hell on Wheels, and one of the most unsettling characters in Western TV history. The Swede's soft voice and subdued presence contrasts with his outlandishness and habit of reinventing himself.

Butch Cavendish

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is arguably one of the most iconic TV series of all time, starring great Western TV acting legends, with a classic Western storyline. The masked vigilante fought a variety of outlaws and villains, but his ultimate nemesis was the sadistic Butch Cavendish. The character has made such a mark on the Western genre that he has been reimagined several times since.

Mace Gore

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke has been described as one of the most influential Westerns of all time, and John Drew Barrymore's phenomenal Mace Gore came to define the show, setting a new standard for Western villains. Gore is an honorable outlaw on the surface, prioritizing rules above all else, but even Matt Dillon did not want to cross him as he unleashed his cold and calculating side.

That said, Gore is mesmerizing to watch, from his first meeting with Dillon and his iconic line, "Don't touch those guns, Marshal. If you do, I'm gonna have to open up the other world for you." As he is eventually taken down in the spirit of the Western theme of law, his ending was a suitably explosive farewell to such an influential villain.

By Faith Roswell

Screenrant

Published Oct 11, 2025

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