Yellowstone captivated audiences for countless reasons. The story of John Dutton (Kevin Costner), his family and the fight to hold onto

their land and ranch struck a chord with viewers, making Yellowstone one of the most-watched scripted series on television. The modern

Western is known and loved for its breathtaking Montana setting, high-stakes storylines, and, of course, its characters.

 

 

Those who work for or struggle against the Yellowstone ranch don’t fall into easy categorizations. While their most common trait is being strong-willed, each character follows their own path to gain power, respect, or a little of both. These are the best characters in Yellowstone, ranked by their performance, storylines, and impact on the series.

The high chief of the Confederated Tribes, Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), is a complicated antagonist to John. Rainwater’s goal is to take the ranch and add the property to the reservation he oversees, but his motives are not unlike John’s to keep it; both feel the land rightfully belongs to them and plays a large factor in their respective legacies. Also, like John, Rainwater’s ego can sometimes serve to undercut the purity of his actions, especially if money is involved.

 

 

Rainwater is a man pulled in different directions, and each pulls strongly. On one hand, Rainwater takes value in being perceived as an esteemed businessman, although he’s prone to deny it when it’s stated so plainly to him. On the other hand, his ties to his culture and the duty to his people are a driving force, and it’s trying to have both that causes Rainwater the most pain. He wants to be cutthroat, but the truth is Rainwater is an honorable man, and his relationship with Kayce (Luke Grimes) gives him insight and some level of respect for the Duttons.

As the wife of Kayce, Monica (Kelsey Asbille) plays an integral role in Yellowstone. First introduced as a teacher on the reservation, Monica’s ties to her culture are deeply meaningful to her, even more so after marrying into the Dutton family. Monica loves Kayce and the man he strives to be, but she has understandable reluctance when it comes to embracing his family and what they appear to stand for.

Monica is an ideal character to view the Duttons through because she is subjected to the full spectrum of emotions during her time with them. If she allowed herself to accept the privilege that comes with the last name, she would enjoy comfort and access to a lavish way of life for her and her son, but Monica also understands the costs. Monica sees the unchecked power the Duttons flaunt, but she chooses to stay for the right reasons with her soul intact.

The common joke was that no one could understand what Teeter was saying, but her optimistic attitude and respect from her peers spoke volumes. Rip (Cole Hauser) doesn’t vouch for many people, but when it looked like all the women were going to be fired from the ranch, Teeter successfully made her case with the assistance of the lead hand. Teeter may be the only woman to wear the Yellowstone brand, but she didn’t need a permanent mark to represent her loyalty to the ranch.

A cowboy with a past he can’t ever seem to completely put behind him, Walker (Ryan Bingham) is one of the more free-spirited hands at the ranch. Recruited by Rip after taking a few steps out of prison, Walker quickly takes on the Yellowstone brand without fully understanding some of the morally ambiguous tasks that come with it. His refusal to further bloody his hands makes him a liability in the eyes of Rip, and the differing philosophies nearly gets Walker killed.

Maybe it’s due to his time in prison, but Walker carries himself differently than the other cowboys working on the Dutton ranch. Trouble followed Walker on what felt like a daily basis, but it was important to have someone who pushed back against the way things ran on the ranch. Walker’s defiance drove Rip and Lloyd’s (Forrie J. Smith) blood pressure to dangerous levels, but he made great TV while doing it.

Jimmy Hurdstram (Jefferson White) was the furthest thing from a cowboy when John hired him as a favor to work on the ranch. A small-time crook whose future would have otherwise been measured by longer and longer stints in jail, Jimmy was thrown into the deep end when he started bunking at the Yellowstone ranch. After a brief stint in the rodeo, Jimmy found a career as a cowboy thanks to hard work and the patience (using the term loosely) of the other cowboys around him.

Jimmy goes on one of the most transformative journeys duringthe five seasons of Yellowstone. Although there were many hard and painful lessons while working on the Dutton ranch, Jimmy gained a deeper understanding of who he is and became a mature adult who can take on responsibility. In a show where so many characters are trapped in a loop of bad decisions, it was nice to see one break the cycle.