WhileJohn Waynemade a name for himself as one of thegreatest Western movie heroes of all time, these performances would not be nearly as compelling without equally astounding villains. In countless tales of Wild West carnage, Wayne has faced off against boisterous bandits, ghastly gunslingers, and outrageous outlaws in memorable duels, standoffs, and classic shootouts. Although many will rememberWayne’s work with director John Fordand collaborations with Maureen O’Hara, it’s important not to underplay the essential nature of his greatest villains.
Thebest John Wayne moviesall featured incredible antagonists, as classic tales of revenge and retribution would lack their essential urgency if they were not propped up by committed villainous portrayals from all-time great actors. With astounding performances from the likes of Bruce Cabot, Robert Duvall, and Lee Marvin,Wayne often faced off against fellow cinematic legends in his Western adventures. While Wayne may have been the quintessential Western leading man, a hero is only as good as the foes he faces.
10Paul Regret
The Comancheros (1961)
Stuart Whitman played Paul Regret in the John Wayne WesternThe Comancheros. As a smooth-talking gambler and fugitive,Regret found himself captured by Wayne’s Captain Jake Cutterafter killing a man in a duel, which he claimed got out of hand as he only planned to injure his adversary. With a cunning personality and sense of resourcefulness, Regret became a pain in Cutter’s side as he escaped after the captain’s homestead was burned by a group of Comanche natives.
While Regret started as a rival to Wayne’s character, asThe Comancheroswent on, he gradually redeemed himself as he assisted Cutter in taking down the Comancheros and showed off his more heroic side. While Regret was far from the most sinister villain that Wayne faced off against in Western movies, the way his character developed and changed throughout its runtime made him an interesting example of a villain-turned-anti-hero narrative.
9John Fain
Big Jake (1971)
Big Jakewas the last of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara’s five movies together, and the pair’s onscreen chemistry was only matched by the villainy of Richard Boone as John Fain. This ruthless and calculating leader of a gang of outlaws was the one responsible for the kidnapping of Little Jake McCandles, the young grandson of Wayne’s Big Jake McCandles, who was being held for ransom. As a cunning criminal who wasn’t afraid to be deceitful in the pursuit of his aims, Fain would lie, cheat, and even kill to get what he desired.
While many Western movie villains relied on brute force and intimidation to achieve their aims, John Fain was far more calculating and even pretended to be a simple hired hand in his first encounter with Big Jake. However,Fain’s arrogance was his ultimate downfall, as he underestimated the determination of those fighting to protect their family. In the end, Fain met his maker at the hands of Big Jake’s son, Michael McCandles, proving that heroism truly runs in the family.
8Frank Pierce
The War Wagon (1967)
The War Wagonwas a classic Western that was packed with star power. With John Wayne as the hero Taw Jackson, Kirk Douglas as the rival-turned-ally Lomax, and Bruce Cabot as the villainous Frank Pierce,The War Wagonboasted an impressive cast of talented actors. Among these great performances,Cabot stood out as he imbued Pierce with a vile sense of wickednessand innate arrogance that meant viewers were waiting for him to get his comeuppance.
The War Wagon
Cast
The War Wagon, released in 1967, follows an ex-convict planning revenge against the man responsible for his imprisonment by plotting a heist on a stagecoach transporting gold. To execute this plan, he partners with a dubious ally who may have conflicting loyalties.
As an underhanded and self-seeking businessman who acted like he was above the law, it was thrilling to watch Jackson and Lomax come together to rob Pierce’s stagecoach, which, although heavily armed, was also loaded with gold. In the end, it was Pierce’s overconfidence that led to his downfall, and he paid dearly for his attempts to frame Wayne’s character.
7Lawrence Murphy
Chisum (1970)
While John Wayne and Forrest Tucker already appeared on screen together in the war movieSands of Iwo Jima, they were allies in that film, so it was nice to see them face off against one another inChisum. With Tucker as the amoral gunslinger Lawrence Murphy, this genuine historical figure made for a formidable foe. As an unscrupulous land grabber, Murphy was seen bribing corrupt sheriffs and hiring bandits to try and forcibly achieve his aim of buying John Chisum’s (Wayne) land.
Murphy’s characterization inChisummade him an excellent villain, and his sinister nature ensured his ultimate defeat would be all the more satisfying. With a conclusion that saw Murphy beaten to a pulp and impaled on a bull’s horn, his death represented Western movies at their most gruesome. While the appearances of other real figures like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid were also enjoyable, Murphy was the most engaging villain inChisum.
6Luke Plummer
Stagecoach (1939)
The Western acting legend Tom Tyler appeared in five John Wayne movies, includingStagecoach,The Night Riders,They Were Expendable,Red River, andShe Wore a Yellow Ribbon. In their first appearance together,Tyler played the villainous Luke Plummer against Wayne’s the Ringo Kid. While this was only a minor appearance, it did represent an important starting point for the villain versus hero dynamic that would play out across several classic films.
Luke Plummer was seen playing poker in the saloon near the end ofStagecoachand, with the help of his brothers, faced off against him in a showdown. As an outlaw gunned down by the Ringo Kid, Plummer’s defeat at the hands of Wayne would be repeated in many more movie appearances. As one of John Ford’s greatest Western movies,Stagecoachwas packed with fantastic characters.
5Asa Watts
The Cowboys (1972)
After already having a memorable villainous turn inThe War Wagon, Bruce Dern faced off with John Wayne in the Western movieThe Cowboys. As Asa Watts, Dern played a notably unhinged outlaw who tried to deceive Wayne’s Wil Andersen by pretending to be looking for work, only to end up ambushing him. Also known by the nickname Long Hair, Watts was truly one of the most despicable and ruthless villains in any Wayne Western.
As a formidable foe, Watts actually ended up gunning down Wil Andersen and wasone of the few Western movie villains to actually kill a John Wayne hero. While Watts did eventually pay for his crimes, it was only after he had committed the heinous act of murder against the movie’s protagonist. This was an unusually dark turn of events for a movie starring Wayne, as he was usually the last one standing after facing off against sinister villains.
4Chief Scar
The Searchers (1956)
While John Ford’s undisputed classicThe Searcherswas one of the first movies to give a more complex, three-dimensional portrayal of Native Americans, that did not stop Chief Scar from remaining a ruthless and villainous character. As the story of Ethan Edwards’ (John Wayne) years-long pursuit of his abducted niece,Chief Scar was the ruthless Comanche war leader responsible for burning down Ethan’s home, massacring his family, and kidnapping Debbie Edwards (Natalie Wood.)
As a commanding leader who lost his own son to white settlers, Chief Scar was a complex character whose sinister acts had deep-seated motivations behind them. While Chief Scar has relatively little screen time inThe Searchers, his presence loomed large over the entire film, as his actions were what spearheaded Ethan’s tireless quest. In a particularly brutal ending for a movie villain, Scar was ultimately scalped by Ethan as revenge for the treatment of his family.
3Nathan Burdette
Rio Bravo (1959)
Nathan Burdette was the main antagonist ofRio Bravo, whose brother was arrested by John Wayne’s John T. Chance. As a wealthy and powerful rancher who was fiercely protective of his younger sibling, Burdette sought to use his power and influence to get his brother freed without facing the consequences of his murderous actions. As a symbol of the innate influence of money, Nathan’s calculated tactics were in stark contrast to the reckless behavior of the younger Joe Burdette.
With an influence that extends throughout the entire town, Burdette showcased he wasn’t afraid to use brute force as he set hired hands on the prison to try and intimidate Chance into complying. Through a total disregard for law and order, Burdette’s dismissal of his brother’s wrongdoing showcased the sinister realities of wealthy people who feel like the law doesn’t apply to them. As one of Wayne’s most sophisticated villains,Nathan Burdette’s cowardice was seen in the way he often tried to get others to carry out his dirty work for him.
2Lucky Ned Pepper
True Grit (1969)
Robert Duvall powerfully played the hardened and ruthless bandit Lucky Ned Pepper in the Western classicTrue Grit. As an associate of the devious Tom Chaney, together these two antagonists were central to the murder of Mattie Ross' father and the story of retribution and revenge that subsequently took place. While Chaney was the central villain ofTrue Grit, Pepper’s competence and unpredictability made him an even more frightening foe.
While Duvall didn’t get a lot of screen time inTrue Grit, he was essential in the movie’s final showdown, and had he not been shot down by Glen Campbell as La Boeuf, things could have turned out very differently. As a cocky and aggressive villain,Pepper showed incredible disrespect to Rooster Cogburnby referring to him as a “one-eyed fat man” in a particularly memorable exchange.
1Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The greatest of all John Wayne’s movie villains was, of course, Liberty Valance fromThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. With anincredible performance from Lee Marvin, this legendary tough guy actor was one of the few who can claim to have killed Wayne in not one but two Western movies, an act he also carried out inThe Comancheros. With a larger-than-life reputation and a ruthlessly violent nature, Liberty Valance embodied the most sinister side of the Wild West.
Although it was incredible to see Wayne and James Stewart share the screen inThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, this movie would not be nearly as iconic without Marvin’s impeccable performance. As a sadistic outlaw who terrorizes the town of Shinbone, Valance was the perfect villain, whose aggressive behavior toward the lawyer Ransom Stoddard (Stewart) made him particularly unlikable. As the quintessential Western bad guy, Liberty Valance was one of the few villains whose evil ways matchedJohn Wayne’slegendary heroism.
