Yellowstone’s Top 10 Characters — And Why Fans Can’t Stop Talking About Them

Different characters fit different roles, even if people don’t personally relate to them. Some are there for comic relief, some to enrich the story, and others to truly carry the show on their shoulders. Whether because of their likable personalities or impeccable character development, Kayce and Beth are some of the best characters in Yellowstone.​​​​​

10Teeter Is a Great Role Model for Cowgirls Everywhere
Jennifer Landon Plays Teeter in Yellowstone
Teeter, played by Jennifer Landon, wears cowboy gear standing next to a white horse in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
Teeter is also hilarious. She has no qualms about being incredibly honest with everyone on the ranch, which allows a lot of comedy relief in the series. The jokes about her accent are also a cute bond in the bunkhouse. However, she proves to be more than a comedy when she faces the death of her boyfriend, Carter. Her scenes with Beth while she’s grieving are one of the most raw and interesting in the show. Teeter doesn’t only rank higher as a Yellowstone character because she is not given more screen time.

9John Dutton Is Crucial to Tell the Yellowstone Story
Kevin Costner Plays John Dutton in Yellowstone
John Dutton (Kevin Costner) takes in a sunset on his ranch in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Kevin Costner as John Dutton and the cast of Yellowstone looking down at a body being buried on the official poster.
John Dutton is one of the strongest characters in Yellowstone but he’s also the simplest. This one line tells us everything we need to know about him.

John is an old-school man who holds on to his principles. He sacrifices his family’s happiness to continue his father’s legacy. At one point, he refuses to negotiate giving a small part of the ranch, even though it could have saved the rest of his land. While his children grieve him, they can only find happiness and freedom after his death. John represents patriarchal issues, as men insist on possessing land and sacrificing other people for it. He’s never truly redeemed in the show, but they also don’t villainize him. Yellowstone shows John all his flaws, as well as his good things (he was a good grandfather, for example). In the end, however, people don’t need to be monsters to cause a lot of harm, and that’s why John’s character is so appropriate.

Wendy Moniz Plays Lynelle Perry in Yellowstone
Lynelle Perry (Wendy Moniz) is smiling smugly in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
At the beginning of Yellowstone, Lynelle Perry was Montana’s governor, and later on, she became a Senator. Lynelle is an intelligent, compassionate, sensible woman. She knows how to negotiate with John, trying to protect nature in Montana, but she also understands the world of politics enough to manipulate situations in her favor.

7Chief Thomas Rainwater Chooses Peace Over Violence
Gil Birmingham Plays Chief Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone
Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) holds plans while he and Mo (Moses Brings Plenty) at the horizon in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
Chief Thomas Rainwater proves that violence is not the only way. In the first season of Yellowstone, Tom becomes the High Chief of the Broken Rock Reservation, the place where Monica and Kayce used to live. With Mo as his right hand, Tom is no stranger to playing dirty. He tries, for example, to make an alliance with Dan Jenkins to build a casino together to create revenue for his Reservation, which would have endangered Montana’s land.

6Rip Is the Strongest Man in Yellowstone
Cole Hauser Plays Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone

Yellowstone' Beth and Rip
Yellowstone’ Beth and Rip
The fate of Yellowstone characters Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler has been revealed ahead of the hotly-anticipated series finale of the neo-Western.

While Rip was capable of disturbing violence thanks to John, he was also a sweet man. Despite Beth’s recklessness and destructive pride, Rip remained loyal to her. His love was pure and unconditional. He also remained faithful to his mother, even after her death, spending all his money on giving her the best resting place. Rip is obviously a victim of the system’s negligence and John Dutton’s abuse, but he remained strong and kind.

5Monica Maintains a Good Heart Throughout the Hardships of Yellowstone
Kelsey Asbille Plays Monica in Yellowstone
Monica Long Dutton (Kelsey Absille) waits by her car in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
It’s almost impossible to dislike Monica. With her good heart, intelligence, and strength of character, she raises Tate to be a kind man. Monica’s romance with Kayce realistically portrays the lows and downs of marriage, making them one of the most likable couples in the show. Additionally, she is concerned about the future of her Reservation and willing to put her life on the line to save women from a serial killer. Monica also prioritizes educating people about social injustice, especially when she works at a college.

Jefferson White Plays Jimmy in Yellowstone
Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) has a skeptical look in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
Jimmy might be the only person who benefited from his time in Yellowstone Ranch. He used to be a drug addict, but as a favor to his grandfather, John Dutton forced him to work at his ranch. The methods might be questionable, but the results are outstanding. Everyone used to make fun of Jimmy for his lack of character and cowboy abilities, but in the end, he grew to be a great cowboy and a stand-up guy.

3Tate Puts an End to the War for the Land
Brecken Merrill Plays Tate Dutton in Yellowstone
Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill) is riding his trusty steed lucky on the ranch in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount.
The youngest Dutton in the series, Tate, is Kayce and Monica’s only son. At the beginning of the series, he’s about 9 years old, but he stands his ground from the very beginning. Thanks to his Indian roots, Monica’s kindness, and his father’s courage, Tate is a well-rounded, sweet, and capable kid. He loves and respects nature, and this genuine aspect of his nature is key to the end of Yellowstone.

Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley as Beth and Jamie Dutton in Yellowstone
Yellowstone has finally come to an end, bringing the fate of the Duttons full-circle. What happens to each main character in the finale?

2Kayce Has Outstanding Character Development
Luke Grimes Plays Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone
Kayce Dutton rides up on a tense conversation with his father in Yellowstone.
Image via Paramount Pictures.
Kayce realizes he must choose between his father’s land and his family. Despite his father’s pressure, Kayce is intelligent enough to understand that his family is the most important thing in the world and that no amount of land is worth the sacrifice. Kayce, then, gives Tate a choice (that he never received) and puts an end to the violent cycle that the Dutton family had continued for 7 generations.

1Beth Is Yellowstone’s Greatest Character
Kelly Reilly Plays Beth Dutton in Yellowstone
In a male-dominated environment, Beth has to overcompensate for her own survival. In the five seasons of Yellowstone, Beth is threatened, attacked, almost raped, and hit on by dozens of men. Her own brother wants to walk over her. Beth might not always be likable, but she’s certainly compelling, and her behavior, while hard to understand, is justified within the context of the show. In fact, it’s hard to imagine Yellowstone being such a great series without Keilly Reily’s commanding presence.

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