Tombstone is a brilliant Western starring Kurt Russell as the iconic lawman Wyatt Earp, and the story certainly doesn’t hold back when it comes to depicting the figure’s many kills throughout the years. Tombstone features many great characters and was largely responsible for the huge boost in popularity seen in the Western genre in the ‘90s, bringing a modern twist to this classic style of film through dynamic camerawork, fun performances, and some great action set pieces that just let the kill count rise and rise.
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Beyond Tombstone’s iconic quotes and gripping storyline, the film is also renowned for being surprisingly accurate when it comes to recounting this famous story. The lives of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday are told with vigor, with the film only making a few adjustments to their legacies to make the film run smoothly – but when it comes to the on-screen deaths, barring the unnamed extras in the opening scene, almost every detail was included fairly. These characters’ stories jump to life on the screen, and the film does a great job of treating every figure’s story with respect.
You are watching: Every Death In Tombstone Explained
12 Tom McLaury
Shot By Doc Holliday
Tom McLaury is among the first named characters to die in Tombstone, and his fate comes at the hands of Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday. The character was a member of the cowboys and brother to Frank McLaury; together, they objected to Wyatt Earp’s involvement in Tombstone’s politics and engaged in a shootout to reclaim their town.
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The shootout quickly goes south and Tom McLaury is killed by a quick draw from Doc Holliday, in one of the character’s first of many displays of violence. Throughout the film, Doc is portrayed as somebody with a very impressive command of his weapon, and Tom McLaury’s death is the first instance of this. It isn’t followed by one of Doc Holliday’s iconic one-liners, but it’s a memorable kill nonetheless.
11 Marshal Fred White
Shot By Curly Bill
Marshall Fred White only appears briefly in Tombstone, but his death is undeniably one of the film’s most surprising. The Marshal finds himself in a dangerous standoff with Curly Bill after a long night of drinking and gambling, and in a wild display of anger, Bill shoots down the officer of the law.
Marshal White’s death serves as a reminder of the Cowboys’ instability and unpredictability, giving Wyatt even more reason to set his vendetta against them. It gives the audience a reason to share the characters’ fear of this gang, displaying their powers by killing a hugely important figure and seemingly getting away with it.
10 Billy Clanton
Shot By Doc Holliday And Wyatt Earp
Billy Clanton was another member of the Cowboys who intended to enact justice on Wyatt Earp and his friends during the shootout at Tombstone. He died quickly alongside the McLaury brothers, shot multiple times in the chest by Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. He goes down without much of a fight, which proves just how skilled Doc and Wyatt are with their firearms.
Clanton may have been among the first cowboys they killed, but he certainly wasn’t the last.
Clanton’s death sends an immediate message to the audience that Doc and Wyatt aren’t messing around; they aren’t afraid to get dirty with their fighting in order to uphold the law, and this is a theme that runs from start to finish in Tombstone. Clanton may have been among the first cowboys they killed, but he certainly wasn’t the last.
9 Frank McLaury
Shot By Morgan Earp
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Frank McLaury is the third casualty of the shootout at Tombstone. He’s the brother of Tom McLaury and a high-ranking member of the cowboys who’s eager to bring Wyatt down and reclaim his power over the town. He’s arguably the strongest of the group, and he comes the closest to surviving the fight, but Morgan Earp manages to land a shot at his head and he doesn’t last any longer.
The true story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday is one filled with blood and violence, and it’s the shootout at Tombstone that really kicks off this streak in them. Although it’s revenge that pushes Wyatt to his breaking point later in the film, in the early days of their stay they’re forced to protect Tombstone from vigilantes like the McLaury brothers. It’s a key part of Tombstone’s central message, which is one of the cyclical nature of violence and masculine pride.
8 Morgan Earp
Shot By Florentino Cruz
Morgan Earp is the brother of Wyatt Earp and the close friend of Doc Holliday, and for the first half of Tombstone, he’s one of the film’s main characters. However, his death at the hands of the cowboy Florentino Cruz marks a huge turning point in the story, pushing Wyatt to revenge and signaling the point of no return for his war against the cowboys.
It’s moments like Morgan’s death that make TombstoneKurt Russell’s best-ever Western. The amount of emotion and vulnerability that he brings to this scene cannot be overstated, and Bill Paxton’s performance is just as shattering as he’s forced to say goodbye to his friends over a war that easily could’ve been avoided. It’s one of the film’s most gutting scenes, and it’s the moment that everything really heats up.
7 Frank Stilwell
Shot By Wyatt Earp
Frank Stilwell was a dangerous member of the cowboys who took the fight to Wyatt Earp directly after Morgan’s death. He sensed a war brewing and, with the help of Ike Clanton, decided to ambush the lawman at a railway station. However, Wyatt was ready for the attack and quickly shot Stilwell down, letting Clanton walk free to send a message to the other cowboys that he is coming for revenge.
Morgan’s death is a key moment in Tombstone, and it fundamentally changes something in Wyatt’s character. His “hell’s coming with me” speech proves that he’s fixated on avenging his brother, and Frank Stilwell is the first of his victims on that crusade. His decision to spare Clanton also speaks to his intentions – he doesn’t just want to kill the cowboys, he wants them to know he’s coming and be afraid.
6 12 Unnamed Cowboys
Shot By Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Jack Johnson
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After Stilwell’s death, Tombstone enters a montage of Wyatt and his associates hunting down the cowboys on their quest for revenge. It’s one of the film’s most brutal sequences, with some of the murders involving broken necks, murdered horses, and even hangings. The kills are shared between Earp, Holliday, and Jack Johnson.
Although none of these cowboys are named, they’re all important figures in the gang and their absence makes the organization much weaker as a result. When he takes the fight to Johnny Ringo in the final act, Wyatt has a much easier path to victory because of the Cowboys’ depleted numbers following this slaughter.
5 “Curly Bill” Brocius
Shot By Wyatt Earp
Kurt Russell has many cool scenes in Tombstone, but his decision to recklessly kill “Curly Bill” has to be one of the slickest. The moment comes directly after the lengthy montage of the cowboy murders, as Bill and his friends track down Earp to bring an end to his violent outrage. Without thinking twice, the lawman shoots Bill dead and his backup doesn’t last much longer.
He never fires before he absolutely needs to, but his gun is always ready.
This scene is hugely important in the development of Wyatt’s character: earlier in the film, he shows restraint and patience with the cowboys, despite their conflicting ideologies. He never fires before he absolutely needs to, but his gun is always ready. But following Morgan’s death, his quest for justice has become personal and he shows no hesitation when killing those responsible for murdering his brother.
4 Mr. Fabian
Shot By Cowboys Off-Screen
Mr. Fabian only plays a small role in Tombstone, but his character is crucial to understanding the film’s themes of excessive violence and its destruction of innocence. He’s not involved on either side of the fight, but he still finds himself a victim of the war that’s brewing between Earp and the Cowboys. His death proves that while Wyatt’s quest is born from his love for his brother, his excessive violence still causes innocent deaths.
Fabian’s death is one of the more understated moments in the film, and it’s hugely important in reminding the audience that while the cowboys are clearly the villains, the violence of the film isn’t something to be celebrated. It’s a powerful scene that’s absolutely necessary for setting the tone of the final act.
3 Sherman McMasters
Killed By Ringo’s Men Off-Screen
What happens to Sherman McMasters is one of Tombstone’s biggest injustices – he’s the first direct victim of Earp’s quarrel with Johnny Ringo, and he’s slaughtered as a warning to the lawman to cease his war against the cowboys. However, the murder only fuels Earp’s thirst for justice further, and a duel is arranged between the pair to settle their dispute.
McMasters’ death was brutal and unfair, but it’s an important moment in Tombstone that finally pushes Earp to take matters into his own hands with Ringo, who cements himself as the final villain of the story. Without including this vicious act, Wyatt and Doc’s actions in the final act wouldn’t pack the same punch.
2 Johnny Ringo
Shot By Doc Holliday
In Tombstone’s final twist, Doc Holliday turns up to the final duel in Wyatt’s place, killing their shared enemy and ending the war between them and the cowboys. The duel itself is one of Tombstone’s most intense sequences, featuring a classic standoff that finally pays off Holliday’s quick draw that’s been teased throughout the film.
With Ringo dead, Wyatt considers justice served for his brother’s death, and his crusade against the cowboys finally comes to an end.
With Ringo dead, Wyatt considers justice served for his brother’s death, and his crusade against the cowboys finally comes to an end. The fact that Holliday was willing to stand in for his friend in this tense moment, despite his debilitating illness, is a huge testament to the respect between the two lawmen.
1 Doc Holliday
Dies Of Tuberculosis
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Throughout Tombstone, Doc Holliday suffers from the effects of his tuberculosis – so much so, that in the final moments before the duel, he even collapses from his horse and struggles to get out of bed. Therefore, it’s no surprise when his illness gets the better of him at the end of the film and he dies as a result. What precedes is a hugely emotional scene between Doc and Wyatt, in which the former begs his friend to live a normal life, free of death and revenge.
Although Val Kilmer wasn’t always going to play Doc, he cements himself as the perfect choice for the role in this moment. The level of emotion and subtlety on display is astounding, and his friendship with Wyatt Earp really makes this scene stand out from the rest. It’s not a surprising or violent death, but it’s definitely Tombstone’s most memorable and best-executed demise.
Tombstone 
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WesternBiographyDrama
Tombstone is a Western film loosely based on true events. When a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys ride into a town and slay several police officers for revenge for the death of two of their gang members, word of their misdeeds reaches the ears of a retired lawman. Gathering a group together, the new vigilantes will defend the town and aim to end the terror of the Cowboys.
Director George P. Cosmatos , Kevin Jarre Release Date December 25, 1993 Writers Kevin Jarre Cast Bill Paxton , Charlton Heston , Sam Elliott , Powers Boothe , Val Kilmer , Kurt Russell , Michael Biehn , Jason Priestley Runtime 130 minutes
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Category: Entertainment