The Top 10 Best Movie Gunslingers

5. Doc Holliday- Tombstone

I always thought that doctors had to take an oath to “do no harm.” I guess dentists don’t though because the next fellow on this list of movie gunslingers is one of the toughest dentists in the history of, well, dentists. Val Kilmer stars as Doc Holiday, the tuberculosis ridden, tooth pullin’, day drinkin’, gunfighter that backed up famed Marshall Wyatt Earp. In the film, Holliday and Earp are old friends and when Earp finds himself in a heap of trouble, he seeks out Doc to help him out. Now, if Wyatt Earp comes looking for you to help him in a gunfight, I say that speaks volumes about your skills with a six-shooter. Doc doesn’t disappoint (at least where bullets are involved) and even sick as a dog and dying in his own right, Doc proves to be one of the fastest draws in the west. 

4. The Waco Kid- Blazing Saddles  

Who says all Westerns have to be dark and serious? One of the best films in the genre comes courtesy of comic genius Mel Brooks. Blazing Saddles was a film that pissed in the face of racists by daring to have a black lead in a Western. We’re not here to talk about Cleavon Little though, because as great of a sheriff as he was, he needed a bit of help to keep those white folks under control. That’s where Gene Wilder’s Wako Kid came in. One of the fastest guns in the history of the west, the drink had diminished his abilities. Luckily, even though he was far from his prime, The Wako Kid proved to be the perfect deputy with his ability to outshoot anyone who dared disturb the town of Rock Ridge. While Little was definitely one of the best movie sheriffs of all time, his deputy is easily one of the most memorable movie gunfighters. 

3. Chris Adams- The Magnificent Seven

Not every character in the old west was a famous gunfighter. So, what happens when you’re a pacifist and evil banditos come to town? Well, you hire some mercenaries to drive them off, of course! Leading the team of hired guns that comes to the rescue of the poor village is Yul Brynner as Chris Adams. Adams realizes that one man against dozens aren’t great odds. However, seven men? Well, Adams can work with seven… He sets out gathering together some of the best gunfighters he can find and together they manage to save the small town. Not all the heroes survive, but Chris Adams did, which definitely earns him a spot on this list. Besides, The Magnificent Seven is one of the best American remakes of a foreign film ever made and probably one of the best Westerns of all time. 

2. Harmonica- Once Upon a Time in The West

Charles Bronson is another actor who is no stranger to westerns. However, his crowning performance was as Harmonica in Once Upon a Time in The West. Harmonica is a character of few words because he likes to let his guns do the talking for him. When he comes rolling into town like a tumbleweed, no one knows what to think of him until he outdraws three assassins sent by the railroad to intercept him. After that, he becomes a pretty hot commodity but decides to throw in with an outlaw and a widow fighting against the party that came after him. Little do they know that this has been Harmonica’s plan all along because he’s not after doing the right thing. No, like most movie gunfighters, Harmonica is after revenge. It just so happens that he can do both when it matters most. 

1. The Man with No Name- A Fist Full of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly  

I told you that Clint Eastwood would appear on this list of movie gunfighters again. His greatest role was one that never got an official name. So, for the sake of this list, we’re going to call him The Man with No Name. Inspired by the wandering samurai found in Japanese films, No Name was a man of few words. Instead liked to take in everything around him before opening his mouth, and when he did that usually meant people were going to die. Over the course of his illustrious film career, the character hunted down and defeated some of the vilest villains to appear in Westerns. No matter how bad things got, No Name always came up with a way to win the day. That meant getting a little creative, but the west wasn’t won playing by the rules. That’s why he’s topping this list of the best movie gunfighters of all time. 

Honorable Mention: Sam Chisholm- The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Since I mentioned Chris Adams, I felt like I should also include Sam Chisholm since they are essentially the same character. The Magnificent Seven got a remake in 2016 and it wasn’t half bad. It featured an impressive cast of quirky characters led by Denzel Washington. Since it’s pretty much the same movie with the same kinds of characters, I figured Sam deserved an honorable mention. After all, he manages to lead a ragtag group of gunslingers against an evil land baron. The respect the other six have for him is a clear reflection on his skills with a six-shooter. 

Shout-Out: The Gunslinger- Westworld

Gotta give a shout-out to one of the deadliest androids in movie history. Played by Yul Brynner, this sci-fi gunslinger was clearly inspired by The Magnificent Seven. When he malfunctioned though, he really stuck it to those city slickers who thought they could play at being cowboys. Since he isn’t human, I didn’t think he deserved an official spot on this list. He’ll just have to settle with a shout-out instead. After all, he is named “The Gunslinger.”

Those are the best movie gunslingers I’ve ever seen. I know there are plenty of other out there though and if you think you know one that can beat the ones listed, let me know in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved movie gunslingers hit the silver screen. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change.