When The Great Train Robbery (1903) hit the big screen, the first official “Western” was born. While Westerns were very popular during the silent film era, they continued to flourish as sound and technicolor were added, especially from 1945 to 1965. Western movies feature a time in American history filled with outlaws and crime fighters, which has captured people’s imaginations for generations. Since the meteoric rise of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, this type of film has exploded in popularity, with gunslinger duels among the most memorable parts of individual movies. (These are the best Westerns of all time.)
When you look at the hefty catalog of Western movies, choosing the most memorable duels is downright difficult. This is one of those movie moments where you have too many good options, which makes the decision all the more difficult. To help narrow down the options, we looked at Reddit, Game Rant, and MovieWeb to help identify the most memorable duels you should watch in no particular order.
Why Is This Important?
Many Western movie duels took place on set locations just like this one.
The movie world is huge, with global box office revenues of $33.2 billion in 2023. Over $9 billion was made in the U.S. alone through genres like Westerns, animation, action, horror, and more. With global movie revenue being among the biggest pieces of the $100 billion entertainment world, there is no question that the big names we cover on this website, including Universal, Disney, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros, contribute to this dollar amount.
12. Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West was Western movie director Sergio Leone’s final film.
- Release date: 1968
- Actors: Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Once Upon a Time in the West was directed and written by Sergio Leone, the man responsible for multiple films on this list. The final shootout, which takes place over the film’s last 15 minutes, is something of a tease as there is a definite slow build before any action finally takes place. This final shootout is one of the best because it surprises you just when you think you know how the film ends.
11. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Clint Eastwood portrays the “Man with No Name” character to perfection.
- Release date: 1966
- Actors: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Antonio Casas
A movie focused on a search for gold hidden during the Civil War, this film’s end features one of the best duels in cinema history. Taking place in a cemetery, the scene shows Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef’s characters standing against each other in a three-way duel. The film has you nervously anticipating action that doesn’t come for a few minutes, but the results and the victor will leave you in awe once it does.
10. Silverado
Silverado was a breakout movie for several actors, including Kevin Kline and Kevin Costner.
- Release date: 1985
- Actors: Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Costner
In 1985, Silverado came out when big-hair ’80s movies were all the rage and Westerns were feeling out of fashion. However, Silverado defied the odds and offered you a fair share of gunfights, but none as notable as the one between Kevin Kline and Brian Dennehy’s characters. Facing off in a traditional Western duel, the depiction of both men saying goodbye to friends beforehand is an emotional moment you don’t see in other Western films.
9. Young Guns
Young Guns is one of the best Western movies of the 1980s.
- Release date: 1988
- Actors: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Philips, Charlie Sheen
Young Guns is one of the more memorable westerns released between the 1980s and 1990s, featuring a dozen incredible actors. There is no question that Emilio Estevez’s portrayal of Billy the Kid offers up any number of memorable duels to choose from. The very best, though, is between the “Regulators” and the U.S. Army at the end of the movie, where the main characters wind up in a no-win situation, or at least that’s how the directors want you to think initially.
8. The Wild Bunch
The four main stars of The Wild Bunch make for some incredible movie duels.
- Release date: 1969
- Actors: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan
A Quentin Tarantino-like film made a few decades before Quentin Tarantino got into the movie-making business is wonderful. The Wild Bunch focuses on a group of outlaws trying to survive near the United States’ southern border. The film’s most memorable duel, featuring a Maxim machine gun, Federales, grenades, and plenty of revolvers, was one of the bloodiest ever shown on screen at its release.
7. Shane
Alan Ladd does a fantastic job as the title character in Shane.
- Release date: 1953
- Actors: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin
The last film of the wonderful Jean Arthur’s career is yet another masterpiece in filmmaking. As the main character, Alan Ladd plays Shane to perfection, and his saloon duel is something movies would emulate for decades. The main character’s quick-draw skills wowed audiences when the movie was released and still do for first-time viewers to this day.
6. True Grit
True Grit is a shining example of why John Wayne was a fantastic Western movie star.
- Release date: 1969
- Actors: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall
Arguably the film that solidified John Wayne as one of the greatest Western film stars in the world, True Grit’s most memorable duel is a masterpiece. Wayne’s fight against the Pepper gang, whom he tells he will “take in or kill them,” is a masterpiece in a way that only John Wayne comes off as a true tough guy. Wayne takes on four gang members in the duel at once, but you’ll have to watch the duel to see what happens.
5. The Quick and the Dead
Sharon Stone has multiple memorable shootouts in The Quick and the Dead.
- Release date: 1995
- Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Keith David, Sharon Stone
In a film full of memorable duels, the best is between Russell Crowe’s character and Gene Hackman’s. While the film didn’t receive the rave reviews it should have, Hackman’s villain character is true-to-form for his acting style, and everything about the film works so well. Sharon Stone also gave one of her best roles, and while she plays a supporting character, she might as well be the best part of the movie.
4. A Fistful of Dollars
Fistful of Dollars is the first of three movies starring Clint Eastwood.
- Release date: 1964
- Actors: Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonte, Marianne Koch
The first in the “Man With No Name” movie trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, the duel in A Fistful of Dollars is a classic spaghetti Western. When Eastwood’s unnamed character squares off against his rival Ramon Rojo, famous for shooting for the heart, Eastwood wears an armored plate over his heart, leaving Rojo stunned and vulnerable. This movie solidified Eastwood as a Western movie star forever.
3. For a Few Dollars More
The duel in For a Few Dollars More is one of Eastwood’s best.
- Release date: 1965
- Actors: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef
One of Clint Eastwood’s best roles and a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, this movie shows the Man With No Name” isn’t the centerpiece of this famous movie duel. Instead, Clint Eastwood’s character intervenes in the fight against the infamous outlaw El Indio. The two title characters/actors start as enemies, but the emotional connection to the El Indio / Lee Van Cleef duel works so well.
2. Tombstone
The Tombstone shootout is one of the best of any Western film.
- Release date: 1993
- Actors: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn
While Tombstone was released in 1993, it still feels like one of the more modern Western films and can frequently be found replaying on cable TV. The film tells the tale of the Earp brothers, including the famous lawman Wyatt Earp, as they move to Tombstone, Arizona, looking for a fresh start. The film’s OK Corral gunfight undoubtedly takes some traditional Hollywood liberties but remains one of the most famous gunfights in history.
1. High Noon
High Noon offers what is arguably the best Western movie duel ever.
- Release date: 1952
- Actors: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly
One of the most beloved Westerns of all time, High Noon was a 1952 release at a high point of cinema for the time. The movie had a great script and big-name actors attached to it, and it set the stage for future generations of Western films. In the movie, the main character, played by Gary Cooper, confronts a group of criminals he imprisoned years prior at high noon in a four-on-one duel that remains highly memorable.
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