Unlikely Heroes: The Redeeming Character Traits in 'Yellowstone'

Antiheroes have been prevalent throughout television and cinematic history. We love them—despite their flaws. The cinema gave us antiheroes like Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) and Max Rockatansky (The Road Warrior), while television gave us Tony Soprano (The Sopranos), Walter White (Breaking Bad), and the entire Dutton family (Yellowstone).

These types of characters surprise us with their likability. On the surface, we shouldn’t be rooting for them. Their morals and ethics are mixed, and we don’t always agree with the decisions they make. But we do understand those decisions in the context of their situation—a side we normally don’t get to see with most antagonists or villains (can you imagine seeing Die Hard through the perspective of Hans Gruber?).

What Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has done with his family of antiheroes is nothing short of amazing. He’s managed to get us to root for not just a single antihero—which likely would have been Kevin Costner’s John Dutton (similar to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano)—but for a whole family of antiheroes.

Here we briefly explore the redeeming character traits of each member of the Dutton family to showcase why we love to root for them (and why we love to hate one of them as well).

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The Redeeming Character Traits of Yellowstone’s Characters

1. John Dutton/Patriarchal Loyalty

Despite his ruthlessness, John’s dedication to preserving his family legacy and the land he loves is unwavering. His loyalty to family and tradition often serves as a beacon amidst his otherwise cold, sometimes brutal decisions.

When you also take into account the Dutton land legacy reaching back to the spinoff limited series episodes of 1883 and 1923, John Dutton redeems himself in our eyes by wanting to continue the Dutton legacy, knowing how the family has fought even more ruthless foes for generations.

We root for him because we know his flaws—and we know that while the surface level of his actions may seem overtly ruthless (and sometimes evil) to most, his decisions come from a place of love, loyalty, and legacy. We also get hints of his own conservatism when it comes to the land—even as he faces off against his sometimes foe, sometimes ally Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), who has a longer-standing claim to Dutton’s land.

'Yellowstone' (2018-)

2. Beth Dutton/Unforgiving Fierceness and Loyalty

Beth (Kelly Reilly), John’s stubborn and fierce daughter, is ruthless in her business tactics. She has a vengeful personality tempered by her fierce love for her family—particularly her father and brother, Kayce (Luke Grimes).

Her ability to be vulnerable with them offers glimpses of her humanity.

We have learned why Beth is the way she is (no spoilers in this piece), and one thing about antiheroes that we love is their ability to do the unthinkable. More specifically, the ability and willingness to do what we’d all love to do in given circumstances facing despicable people and situations. They do what we always fantasize about doing when we walk away from despicable people and situations without saying a word.

That is why Beth is one of the most loved and cherished characters on the show. We live vicariously through her.

We also have grown to love her even more as she has shown a more vulnerable side with her father, younger brother, and her beau Rip (Cole Hauser).

'Yellowstone' (2018-)

3. Kayce Dutton/Compassion and Sense of Justice

Kayce is a former Navy SEAL with a traumatic past, always willing to do what he believes is right—even when it comes at great personal cost. His love for his wife and son highlights his softer side and sense of duty.

He’s the lightest of the Dutton clan. He’s the one who thinks before he acts. But despite his compassion for all, he never loses his sense of justice, especially when it comes to his family.

In a way, Kayce becomes our eyes into the Dutton family. We see a side of the family that isn’t just about fierce loyalty and vengeance. We see him listening to both the angel and the devil on the Dutton family’s shoulder. That’s endearing to us.

He’s the Michael Corleone (The Godfather) of the Dutton family. He’s a war hero, which makes us respect him even more. He wants nothing to do with the underbelly aspects of the family. He’s in touch with nature, as well as with the native culture of the land.

But make no mistake—he’s a Dutton. And when justice needs to be served, he serves it perhaps even more ruthlessly than his sister or father.

Read More: Breaking down the Character Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey

'Yellowstone' (2018-)

4. Jamie Dutton/Vulnerability and Intellectual Ambition

Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) desire to prove himself and be acknowledged by his father can drive him to dark places, but he possesses a deep intellectual ambition that often benefits the family. His moments of vulnerability and his yearning for approval make him relatable.

We don’t like Jamie much of the time, but we sure do relate to him in response to how his family treats him. He’s weak. We can empathize with that, especially when looking at the extreme strength of those around him. He makes poor choices out of desperation.

And once we get over our empathy amidst his vulnerability, we end up rooting for him not to win — but to lose. Why? Because he’s broken the coda that John, Beth, and Kayce have embraced—unrelenting loyalty to the Dutton name and land.

'Yellowstone' (2018-)

5. Rip Wheeler/Unquestionable Loyalty and Devotion

As John’s right-hand man, Rip’s rough exterior hides a deep loyalty to the Duttons and an undying love for Beth. His self-sacrifice for the ranch and family reveals a rare depth of character.

Rip is unique because he has all of the redeeming qualities of the Duttons:

• He has the dedication, loyalty, and leadership of John Dutton.
• He has the ruthlessness of Beth, albeit a more controlled version of it.
• He has the compassion and sense of justice that Kayce has, especially involving Beth.
• He has the vulnerability of Jamie when it comes to Beth, accompanied by the intellect when it comes to being able to handle any situation.

When you mix all of those character traits together, you get perhaps the best character of them all—Rip Wheeler.

'Yellowstone' (2018-)

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We love and root for (most of) the Duttons because flawed characters are relatable—and because we love the fantasy of watching a family do the unthinkable in nearly every episode. It’s intriguing to wonder which path one of them will take when faced with a conflict.

Conflict is the essence of any great story and character, and Yellowstone is perhaps the perfect example of a story that showcases the greatest conflict and the greatest cast of characters dealing with conflict.

Read More: 3 Ways To Increase Conflict in Your Story

Check out our Preparation Notes so you start your story off on the right track!

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed, and many Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies and Instagram @KenMovies76.