Must-Watch Duels for Western Lovers

Western movies have been among the most exciting film genres for the last 75 years. This period in American history of outlaws and crime fighters has captured people’s imaginations. 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.

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’ll look at Reddit, Game Rant, and MovieWeb to help identify the most memorable duels you should watch in no particular order.

The movie world is huge, with global box office revenues of $33.2 billion in 2023. Over $9 billion was made in the US 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.

Once Upon a Time in the West, directed and written by Sergio Leone, was Western movie director Sergio Leone’s final film. 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. The film stars Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards and was released in 1968.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, released in 1966, 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.

In 1985, Silverado came out when big-hair 1980s 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 are 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. The film stars Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, and Kevin Costner.

Young Guns, released in 1988, 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. This film stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Philips, and Charlie Sheen.

A Quentin Tarantino-like film, The Wild Bunch, made a few decades before Quentin Tarantino got into the movie-making business, is wonderful. The film 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. The film, released in 1969, stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, and Robert Ryan.

Shane, released in 1953, is 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. The film stars Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, and Van Heflin.

True Grit is a shining example of why John Wayne was a fantastic Western movie star. Released in 1969, the film’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. Taking on four gang members in the duel at once, you have to watch the duel to see what happens. The film stars John Wayne, Glen Campbell, and Robert Duvall.

In a film full of memorable duels, The Quick and the Dead, 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. The film, released in 1995, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Keith David, and Sharon Stone.

Fistful of Dollars, the first in the “Man With No Name” movie trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, the duel in A Fistful of Dollars is 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 during the duel, leaving Rojo stunned and vulnerable. This movie solidified Eastwood as a Western movie star forever. The film, released in 1964, also stars Gian Maria Volonte and Marianne Koch.

One of Clint Eastwood’s best roles and a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, 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. Released in 1965, the film stars Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef.

Tombstone, released in 1993, 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. The film stars Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, and Michael Biehn.

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. The film also stars Grace Kelly.

Source: Reddit, Game Rant, MovieWeb