Those who work for or struggle against the Yellowstone ranch don’t fall into easy categorizations. While their most common trait is being strong-willed, each character follows their own path to gain power, respect, or a little of both. These are the best characters in Yellowstone, ranked by their performance, storylines, and impact on the series.

10. Thomas Rainwater

Played by Gil Birmingham

The high chief of the Confederated Tribes, Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), is a complicated antagonist to John. Rainwater’s goal is to take the ranch and add the property to the reservation he oversees, but his motives are not unlike John’s to keep it; both feel the land rightfully belongs to them and plays a large factor in their respective legacies. Also, like John, Rainwater’s ego can sometimes serve to undercut the purity of his actions, especially if money is involved.

Rainwater is a man pulled in different directions, and each pulls strongly. On one hand, Rainwater takes value in being perceived as an esteemed businessman, although he’s prone to deny it when it’s stated so plainly to him. On the other hand, his ties to his culture and the duty to his people are a driving force, and it’s trying to have both that causes Rainwater the most pain. He wants to be cutthroat, but the truth is Rainwater is an honorable man, and his relationship with Kayce (Luke Grimes) gives him insight and some level of respect for the Duttons.

9. Monica Dutton

Played by Kelsey Asbille

As the wife of Kayce, Monica (Kelsey Asbille) plays an integral role in Yellowstone. First introduced as a teacher on the reservation, Monica’s ties to her culture are deeply meaningful to her, even more so after marrying into the Dutton family. Monica loves Kayce and the man he strives to be, but she has understandable reluctance when it comes to embracing his family and what they appear to stand for.

Monica is an ideal character to view the Duttons through because she is subjected to the full spectrum of emotions during her time with them. If she allowed herself to accept the privilege that comes with the last name, she would enjoy comfort and access to a lavish way of life for her and her son, but Monica also understands the costs. Monica sees the unchecked power the Duttons flaunt, but she chooses to stay for the right reasons with her soul intact.

8. Teeter

Played by Jennifer Landon

Rambunctious, outspoken, but deeply committed and talented at her job, Teeter (Jennifer Landon) was a memorable addition to the Yellowstone bunkhouse. Joining Yellowstone in the third season, Teeter was a wild card presence that threatened to greatly upset the dynamic of the crew. However, it was quickly established that Teeter was not only one of the boys, she was an invaluable member of the team that everyone could rely on.

The common joke was that no one could understand what Teeter was saying, but her optimistic attitude and respect from her peers spoke volumes. Rip (Cole Hauser) doesn’t vouch for many people, but when it looked like all the women were going to be fired from the ranch, Teeter successfully made her case with the assistance of the lead hand. Teeter may be the only woman to wear the Yellowstone brand, but she didn’t need a permanent mark to represent her loyalty to the ranch.

7. Walker

Played by Ryan Bingham

A cowboy with a past he can’t ever seem to completely put behind him, Walker (Ryan Bingham) is one of the more free-spirited hands at the ranch. Recruited by Rip after taking a few steps out of prison, Walker quickly takes on the Yellowstone brand without fully understanding some of the morally ambiguous tasks that come with it. His refusal to further bloody his hands makes him a liability in the eyes of Rip, and the differing philosophies nearly gets Walker killed.

Maybe it’s due to his time in prison, but Walker carries himself differently than the other cowboys working on the Dutton ranch. Trouble followed Walker on what felt like a daily basis, but it was important to have someone who pushed back against the way things ran on the ranch. Walker’s defiance drove Rip and Lloyd’s (Forrie J. Smith) blood pressure to dangerous levels, but he made great TV while doing it.

6. Jimmy Hurdstram

Played by Jefferson White

Jimmy Hurdstram (Jefferson White) was the furthest thing from a cowboy when John hired him as a favor to work on the ranch. A small-time crook whose future would have otherwise been measured by longer and longer stints in jail, Jimmy was thrown into the deep end when he started bunking at the Yellowstone ranch. After a brief stint in the rodeo, Jimmy found a career as a cowboy thanks to hard work and the patience (using the term loosely) of the other cowboys around him.

Jimmy goes on one of the most transformative journeys during the five seasons of Yellowstone. Although there were many hard and painful lessons while working on the Dutton ranch, Jimmy gained a deeper understanding of who he is and became a mature adult who can take on responsibility. In a show where so many characters are trapped in a loop of bad decisions, it was nice to see one break the cycle.

5. Jamie Dutton

​​​​​​​Played by Wes Bentley

The more Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) attempts to “help” his family, the more he makes himself a black sheep. Jamie’s eyes drifted more toward the boardrooms than the open pastures, and his hunger for a prominent political position clouds his judgment regarding the bigger picture his father has in mind for the future. His feud with his sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) would define much of Jamie’s later life, and the escalation of their animosity would destroy more than careers.

Jamie’s need for validation is an Achilles heel that is painfully obvious to anyone who spends more than five minutes with him. His final decision will be influenced by whoever is the last to talk to him, and he reliably puts his trust in people who use him for his connections. Jamie’s tightly wound personality makes him dangerous, and he has the skeletons in his closet to prove it. Jamie represented progress in Yellowstone, but it wasn’t the type of progress John was interested in.

4. John Dutton III

Played by Kevin Costner

The patriarch of the Dutton clan and Montana’s unofficial stepdad, John Dutton III, managed his Yellowstone ranch with a stern hand. John’s approval was stronger than gold to his children, and even if his enemies hated him, they also begrudgingly respected him. John’s battle to defend his land led to some of the best episodes of Yellowstone and cemented him as a leading man who could take a devastating blow and continue to stand his ground.

John carries decades worth of emotional pain, and the pride that stops him from asking for assistance with it also creates a divide between him and his family. Although John’s sense of morality is compromised by his obsession with preserving the past, he can ultimately make the right decisions for his family’s happiness. For as little as he may say it, he is driven by the love of his children, even if he can’t find the words to say as such.

3. Rip Wheeler

Played by Cole Hauser

Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) is John’s right-hand man, and the qualities that make him a man John can trust also play into his role as a fan-favorite character. A lifetime of being on the Dutton ranch means Rip knows where the bodies are buried, quite literally, and he wears the brand of his employer with a sense of pride and duty. Although Rip is more familiar with tough love than any other, he also is in possession of a tenderness that a certain redheaded Dutton brings out in him.

If there’s one person who could give Beth the feeling of security she craves, it would be the lead hand at the Dutton Ranch. Rip may seem like a freight train of anger, and that’s because he is, but getting to know him explains where it came from. The trauma he experienced at an early age opened the door for John to become a surrogate father figure to Rip, and for that kindness, his gratitude and loyalty are immeasurable.

2. Kayce Dutton

​​​​​​​Played by Luke Grimes

Kayce Dutton may be the youngest member of the Dutton siblings, but he has an old soul that lends him hard-earned maturity. When audiences first meet him, Kayce’s relationship with his father, John, is fraught with tension and unresolved animosity, but over the seasons, they establish a deeper understanding of one another. Kayce takes his responsibilities as a husband and father seriously, even if he’s still in the process of finding his own way to contentment.

While virtually every other member of Kayce’s family seeks power of some variety, the youngest Dutton craves peace. It’s a noble pursuit that continually eludes him, even if the blood on his hands is more just than those he shares a last name with. His marriage to Monica may have put him at odds with his father, but Kayce’s relationship with the reservation played a large part in keeping him grounded and connected to a sense of honor.

1. Bethany “Beth” Dutton

Played by Kelly Reilly

There was never a dull moment when Beth (Kelly Reilly) was on-screen. As the only daughter in the Dutton family, Beth worked twice as hard to establish herself as someone to be respected and feared. Her effort paid off, because anyone who has tried to take on Beth (outside of Rip) has regretted underestimating her. She hides her pain through anger she redirects at other people, and unfortunately for everyone, Beth is constantly in some form of pain.

The best ally to have on your side and an enemy worse than death, Beth is strength and willpower personified. Beth’s intelligence is both a gift and a curse, because her ability to find someone’s weak point and drive a dagger through it is equally painful when she aims it at herself. Growing up as a Dutton made Beth’s skin into granite, but her emotional vulnerability makes her a captivating character to watch.