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. 

Why Is This Important? 

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. 

12. Once Upon a Time in the West

• Release date: 1968
• Actors: Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards

Directed and written by Sergio Leone, the man responsible for multiple films on this list, shot and released Once Upon a Time in the West. 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

• 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, the 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

• Release date: 1985
• Actors: Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Costner

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. 

9. Young Guns

• 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

• 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 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. 

7. 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

• 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. Taking on four gang members in the duel at once, you have to watch the duel to see what happens. 

5. 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

• 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 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. 

3. For a Few Dollars More

• Release date: 1965
• Actors: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef

One of Clint Eastwood’s best roles and a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, the 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

• 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

• 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. 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.