The 10 Most Shocking ‘Yellowstone’ Deaths, Ranked
From friends to foes, these characters' ends came as a surprise
If you watch the hit western series Yellowstone, you know there’s no shortage of unexpected twists and turns — as a matter of fact, it’s almost what creator Taylor Sheridan does best. When it comes to character deaths, we know what it’s like to have our heart broken here and there, however, we can’t deny that there were a few times in which we celebrated a character’s demise. Who can blame us? A threat to the Dutton Ranch is not to be taken lightly!
From heartbreaking goodbyes to jaw dropping demises, take a look at our ranking of the 10 most shocking Yellowstone deaths.
***BEWARE OF SPOILERS***
Yellowstone deaths ranked by shock factor
10. Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston)
One of the earliest villains introduced to the series was Dan Jenkins, a real estate developer with grand plans of building a casino in the midst of the natural beauty of Montana. It comes as no surprise that this didn’t sit too well with John and the Dutton clan. In the end, a group of hitmen put an end to the threat that Dan Jenkins posed.
9. Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway)
Fans of Lost may have recognized Josh Holloway when he came onto the Yellowstone scene, and it’s fair to say he brought the same charm as he did on the series that brought him fame. Unfortunately, he too was no match for the Duttons, and Roarke Morris met his end via snake.
8. Garrett Randall (Will Patton)
Garrett Randall was as controversial as they come. We come to discover he is the biological father of Jamie Dutton, and in the end, Jamie must make a choice as to who he is loyal to: His father by blood, or the father that raised him. When all is said and done, Jamie ends his life before any more damage can ensue.
7. Emmett Walsh (Buck Taylor)
One of the few deaths on this list that wasn’t particularly tragic, Emmett Walsh was a friend of John’s who passed away peacefully in his sleep during the cattle drive.
6. Sarah Nguyen (Michaela Conlin)
The death of journalist Sarah Nguyen was a messy one. Wanting to investigate corruption relating to the Duttons, Jamie gets roped into her scheme before he tries to undo the damage. When she refuses to budge, Jamie ultimately eliminates the threat she posed by strangling her to death.
5. Dirk Hurdstrom (Stanley Peternel)
As we approach the top of the list, Dirk Hurdstrom deserves his spot as one of the most unfortunate. Jimmy’s grandfather, who got him the job at the ranch by pulling a few strings, met his unfortunate end when old associates of Jimmy whom he owed money to jumped the innocent man who then suffers a stroke and dies. This was a pivotal moment for Jimmy, and a truly sad end for the man who helped get him a second chance in life.
4. Lee Dutton (Dave Annable)
While we didn’t know Lee very long, the death of the Dutton son at the end of the very first episode of the series set the scene for a series full of drama and twists that would put us on the edge of our seat time after time.
3. Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri)
Sarah Atwood, played by Dawn Olivieri, was a character we loved to hate—and in terms of acting prowess, any thespian who can ignite so much anger inside of us over a fictional character means she did her job well! The woman essentially responsible for the death of John Dutton as she orchestrated his murder, she met her end when she was assassinated at a stoplight by someone urging her to roll down her window so they could “ask for directions.” While her death meant her scheming antics were finally over, it still came as a major shock.
2. Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards)
The death of the ever-so-loyal Colby, the Yellowstone ranch hand that was beloved for his sense of humor and devotion to the Duttons, was one of the show’s most heartbreaking—and the way in which he died was a true testament to his character. When Carter found himself cornered in a stall with an aggressive and unpredictable horse, Colby stepped in to save the young cowboy from a tragic fate. In doing so, the horse kicked him in the chest, ultimately killing him. While his death was heartbreaking for a number of reasons, one of the most gut-wrenching was the effect it had on his fellow cowboys, specifically Teeter, with whom he had a blossoming romance with.
1. John Dutton (Kevin Costner)
With the way things unfolded ahead of Yellowstone‘s new season and the knowledge that Kevin Costner would not be returning to the series, many assumed that John Dutton would somehow be killed off—but that didn’t make his death any less shocking. Assassinated in the middle of the night in a hit orchestrated by Sarah Atwood, his death, which was made to look like a suicide, was as heartbreaking as it gets. A character that seemed untouchable, seeing him go in such a way hurts to this day, and we’ll always miss the Dutton patriarch.
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